I'm back to do my usual stream of conciousness writing to help me clear my head.
So I get married to a canny lass on the 21st June this year. She's just started working after 24 years as a single mother on shag all money, so she's damn good at budgeting and living on shag all money.
She saves almost all of her wages, mostly to fund the wedding, while my pension and a few homer jobs runs the house.
Well her mum just gave her a cheque as a wedding present. It'll pay the whole wedding, fund the honeymoon, put a new roof on the house, clear all our debts, re model the yard, finish the internal decorations of the house, pay for the daughters driving lessons, pay for our lass's motorbike lessons and still have half of it left. (Apart from the 2 sets of driving lessons, this is all joint benefit)
I see this as a huge expression of trust from her mum to tracey that she won't squander it and an expression of trust in us and our relationship.
Tracey gave up everything to move in with me, gave up her home, her bolt hole, her safety net and moved in without a penny in her pocket so if it all went wrong, she was starting from scratch.
All our financial issues are solved at a stroke.
Tracey is now truly financially independent of me, which is a good thing.
I'm on the helpline tomorrow then a meeting tomorrow night. Got a cash job on Wednesday and an on the books job at the weekend.
But.....we're going to test drive a harley Thursday, that we really couldn't afford. I want to cancel the test drive. Tracey says no, we do it. We pretend we don't have the money and if we like it we work it out on what we earn not what we have.
Sounds level headed right? But I know she's busting to spend some mad money on me. I don't want her to do that. I can make money. (Besides I'd rather have a new chassis for the land rover)
You know what, I just have to be responsible, let her buy me a decent cup of coffee instead.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Of course....having wrote all that out I was able to put into words with Tracey what my feelings and fears were.
She has it budgeted out. So much for debts. So much for renovations. So much for this. So much for that. So much for savings.
Told you she were canny with money
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Well we took an hour long test ride on Thursday. (Road king)
It's big, roomy, powerful and as tracey said it looks like a bike it sounds like a bike and it feels like a bike.
It was economical but sooooooo uncomfortable. My hips and arse, lower back, neck and shoulders were screaming after an hour. Seat too low, bars too high, legs too stretched. For Tracey. ...knees higher than hips, seat too soft, sissy ar too ow and panniers and crash bars restricted leg movement.
Brakes were terrifyingly bad, clutch was in or out avd gear change felt like a stoker shovelling coal into a boiler and sounded like he was bashing a dustbin with his shovel.
All told, not for us. Might try a heritage soft ail in a few weeks....I'm working 3 jobs and have a good pension so I could afford a 4 year purchase plan...(pizza delivery boy 4 evenings a week, orthopaedic chair delivery and install once a week and my wee business restoring cut throat razors )
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Sounds like someone ruined that bike, Road Kings are usually quite comfy for a passenger and sometime have the nice seats with the backrest. A guy must have set that up, knees higher then hips, pffft. One of the things I did for myself when I got sober was get my bike license. I hate riding on the back now. My husband restores antique Harley's, he restored for me a '52 FL and a '65 duo-glide (last year of the panhead, first year of the electric start so I can start that one myself). Nothing like riding your own bike. The '65 is the newest bike we own. Old properly restored Harleys are so so pretty on the eyes and have soul. He has a '47 Knucklehead that makes me want to weep at the beauty of it :)
Good luck finding something that fits your needs! Keep the rubber side down.
Chris....it was brand new and factory fresh.
Think it must've had a low seat high bars option.
I'm riding an xv950 bolt at the moment....needs the footrests pushing forward by 9 inch or so and a better saddle for the pillion. For the miles I do it suffices. Our lass will be taking lessons so when she passes her test she'll get the yamaha and I'll get something more suited to a 6 footer.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Sorry 'bout the Thursday test ride ... I'm sure you know that we learned 'patience' in AA and it has served us well these days ... I'm sure you'll find the 'right fit' soon enough ... just make it a decision that you can live with ...
Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
