Jill's Photo Scanning Project

I didn't have access to our computer for awhile because Jill brought her Grandmother's photo album home from a family reunion and has spent considerable time scanning all of the photos onto the computer. The photos have now been uploaded to Picasa for all of her family to share. Check out her pictures, even if you don't know who these folks are the older pictures are interesting. I started to scan some old family photos but Jill has jumped ahead of me in the race to preserve these precious family treasures.



With all of the online photo sharing tools available I urge everyone to get out those old slides & photos, scan them into your computer and share them with your family. If you lose a slide or photo it is gone forever but when you distribute electronic copies of them across several computers you will always have a backup. Keep watching here to see if I take my own advice and I'll show you some of the best pictures as I get them scanned.

Grandpa Rides

While messing around on my computer today I found what might be the funniest pictures I have ever taken.

My grandfather helped me move back and forth from New Mexico, and we had a great time on the long rides out and back. On the way back I couldn't get a U-Haul truck large enough to put both of my motorcycles inside so we put El Rojo the Sportster in the back of my pickup truck which we pulled with the U-Haul.

Along the way home Grandpa cooked up an idea that he wanted to tell his morning coffee buddies that he had ridden on the motorcycle, on the back of the truck, on a trailer that was being pulled by the U-Haul. So when we got to my parents house we took photos in support of his story. You see, my grandfather is 80+ years old and legally blind, and if riding a motorcycle strapped into a pickup truck on a trailer being pulled by a U-Haul is the closest he could come to riding a motorcycle I think he just might do it.

Grandpa is my hero. He went blind several years ago but he never let it slow him down. He still works in his shop, building and tinkering with things. He gets out of his house at every opportunity, he stays very active and most amazingly he still rides his bike several times a week. He has had some health challenges over the last several years but he does not let them get him down for very long. He is a great example of how to get old properly. I hope to do as well.

What A Wonderful World

I was browsing some videos on one of those video websites when I came across this and it just made me smile. I guess it is ventriloquist Terry Fator on the show America's Got Talent.

Valkyrie

While I am admitting to owning Honda motorcycles I need to fess up about the 1997 Honda Valkyrie Tour that I owned from April of 2000 to February of 2006. Six years the entire time which I was employed at a Harley-Davidson Dealership.


The Valkyrie at Molas Pass in Colorado

The last few weeks I was employed at Foreman's Menswear (The finest purveyors of tailored men's clothing in the Midwest.) I was dreaming of spending my severance package on a new Honda CB750. After the last store was closed and I was out of a job but fairly flush with cash I went to the local Honda shop. I wanted to ride the newest version of the CB750 because I had the 1979 at home that I really liked but that wasn't running so reliably anymore. The 750 that the Honda shop had in stock was not ready for a test ride so while I was standing around and waiting I asked if I could ride this used 1997 Valkyrie Tour that was sitting there. I was fascinated with the Valkyrie, I had read every article ever written about it but it was just way too big, way too fast.

I came back from that test ride with a grin on my face that you couldn't have wiped off with a shovel. I test rode the 750 next but it felt way too small and not nearly half the motorcycle that the Valkyrie was. I had to have the Valkyrie.

Within days of purchasing the Honda I was hired at Zook's Harley-Davidson to manage the Apparel Department. I pretended like I had owned the Valkyrie for awhile, I didn't want them to know that I had purchased a Honda while being interviewed for a position at Harley-Davidson.

I did receive a lot of grief for riding a Honda but I told everyone that I had to wait a year before I was eligible for the employee discount on motorcycles (which was true) and there was a two year waiting list to get a Harley back then. Plus my used Honda was about half price compared to the Touring Harley's at the time.

I rode that Valkyrie over 40,000 miles in the six years that I owned it, traveling in 14 states. It has unrivaled power and handling, twist the throttle and it just accelerates, push on the handlebar, lean it as far as you want, and it will turn harder than anything weighting half as much has any right to. I have to admit that I can't ride either of my Harley-Davidson motorcycles as hard or as fast.


Ole and the Valkyrie in Monument Valley, Utah

But in the end it wasn't a Harley and I do work at a Harley-Davidson dealership. One of the deciding factors in selling it was when I was touring Utah with a friend in 2005. We stopped at a scenic overlook and a family from France had to take a dozen pictures of my friend's Harley-Davidson Wide Glide but wouldn't even give my Honda a second look. There was no getting around it, the Valkyrie didn't have the Harley soul. It had the soul of a Camry.

The Valkyrie was traded for the Ole Glide in the spring of 2000. I do miss it sometimes and if space and money were unlimited I would have kept it.

1979 Honda CB750L

Even though I work at a Harley-Davidson Dealership I do still own a Honda. **GASP**

But there is a story connected with it that I would like to share. My first motorcycle was a Honda 250 but one of my best friends had a 1979 Honda CB750F that was just faster than anything I could imagine. He would let me ride it often enough to make me very envious. During college I ran into a bit of financial difficulty and couldn't afford to fix the clutch in my 250 or purchase books for the next term so I solved both problems by selling the motorcycle.

Shortly after getting married I stopped into the local Honda shop and saw a motorcycle I really liked. A 1979 Honda 750 just like my friend's but styled to commemorate the original Honda 750 from 1969. A Limited Edition 10th Anniversary CB7950L. Wow.

A few days later I was driving past with Jill in the car and I decided that I wanted to show her this motorcycle so we stopped to take a look at it. She told me that with all of our student loans and bills and just getting married that then wasn't the right time to purchase a motorcycle. I wasn't even set on buying the bike I just thought it was very nice and in great shape for such an old bike that I wanted her to see it so I didn't give it another thought.

Well, it bothered Jill that she told me that I couldn't buy the motorcycle so when I came home from work a few days later there the bike was sitting on our back porch. Jill had gone back to the dealership to purchase the motorcycle and had the salesman deliver it to our apartment as a surprise.

Unfortunately the motorcycle has just been sitting in our garage the last eight years while we ride our other motorcycles. But I can't seem to get rid of it because of the way that Jill bought it for me. Maybe I'll work on getting it running again over this winter. Or make me an offer I can't refuse if you want a good looking but non running antique Honda with a romantic history.

Remembering Sept 11

On Sept. 11th my cousin's son who is in the ROTC in North Carolina participated in a memorial ceremony. The photo and story were sent to me by his grandmother.

A Black Hawk Helicopter lands behind the Honor Guard.
(Chase Heien is on the right)


SALUTE TO SACRIFICE

‘We will never forget the horror’ of Sept 11, 2001.”


On Tuesday, Sept 11, 2007, the Greater Hickory Classic at the Rock Barn Golf and Spa of Conover, hosted a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in honor of the firefighters, police officers, EMS workers and other citizens who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. ROTC from different local schools were represented as multiple color guards paraded onto the first tee of the Jones Course as the Greater Hickory Classic Official Pro-Am Tournament took time to honor the victims who died in New York, Washington D. C. and Pennsylvania on Sept 11, 2001, and those who died trying to rescue them .
“We will never forget the horror that transformed on our soil that day. We must honor the firefighters, police officers, EMS workers and other ordinary citizens that did extraordinary things that day,” said Rick George, president of the PGA Champions Tour at the ceremony. “But we all must sacrifice, as well. We must be worthy of the tragedy that was wrought.”
George said to be worthy of their sacrifice, we all must make a commitment to be fair and honest to each other. He said we should also draw strength and courage from those who gave their lives helping others on Sept. 11. And most importantly, we must never forget these people.
The first fairway on the Jones Course was lined with 3,000 American flags, one to honor each of those who lost their lives on Sept 11, 2001. Eight color guards were on hand representing all branches of the military, as well as firefighters and law enforcement.
The ceremony culminated with five U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters flying over the golf course, with one landing nearby. The flag detail, firing detail and bugler got out of the helicopter. The flag was raised and lowered to half-staff, a 21-gun salute was performed and taps was played.

Clay County Fair

This weekend Jill I went to Spencer for the famous Clay County Fair. It is often billed as the worlds largest county fair and claims to be larger than some state fairs.


Jill at the Clay County Fair

We didn't actually go to see the Fair but it was a great excuse to go and visit my grandfather. Grandpa Veitch loves the fair, in fact he goes every single day. I think mainly he enjoys something different to do and something to get him out of the house. In one short afternoon we saw most of what the Fair had to offer. Highlights included ketchup covered pancakes and a great Kiwanis breakfast, a nice couple selling Russian imported goods, the Budweiser Clydesdale team, a 350 pound pumpkin and my grandfather's antique car club's display tent. I wish I had more pictures but the camera was not cooperating.

Cameron Video

I stole this video from my sister's MySpace page. Cameron is my nephew who is almost a year old and lives in North Carolina. Some day he may be as cute as I am.

First Motorcycle

My first motorcycle was a 1983 Honda CM250C. I bought it when I was 16 from a guy in high school who hit a bird with his chest while riding this bike. The bird not only knocked the wind out of him but also scared him so bad that he swore he would never ride again. He delivered the bike to my parent's driveway and we exchanged cash for the title. As he was riding away in a buddy's car my father came out of the house. Dad asked "What is that?" "My new motorcycle!" I replied. "Your new WHAT!!" My parents were not impressed.



My parents insisted that I always wear a helmet while riding my motorcycle a practice that I continue still. My father also drove me to and from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course to ensure that I had proper training before I got my motorcycle license.

At first my parents seemed to be very much against motorcycles but eventually Dad tried riding my bike and found out it wasn't so bad after all. He even has a scooter of his own now.



This motorcycle was really too small for me but I didn't know the difference yet. I rode this motorcycle for several years all over the place sometimes with a passenger. People sometimes make fun when I ride my Sportster which has an engine nearly five times larger. But this motorcycle had a full size frame and seat and it was good transportation even if it was a bit underpowered. One way to look at it is that at least it had five times the engine of the moped I had before this bike.

These photos were taken in 1988 as part of my senor pictures.

I-Cubs Game

I went to the I-Cubs Game with my cousin Linda Kay, her husband Mark and their family. The Cubs lost 7 to 6 in a pretty good game but for me the spectacle of the game and atmosphere of the park is so much more than the athletic contest anyway. And I had a great time visiting with Linda Kay and her family. The game highlight for the kids may have been getting to meet IPTV's Dan Wardell who sat a few rows behind us. Everyone got his autograph.

HOG Ride to the State Fair

Today I lead several members of the Route 65 HOG Chapter and their guests to Bike Day at the Iowa State Fair.


Jill Olsen and Dean Lambert discuss the impracticality of the OCC E85 Bike.

El Rojo the 2004 Roadster

El Rojo is a 2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200R. Rojo means "Red" in Spanish and the motorcycle was given this name while I lived in New Mexico because of the overwhelming use of the color red. Most people dress up their motorcycles with extra chrome but on this bike I have taken parts that were originally black, gray cast or silver and either painted or powder coated in red. I still have a few more parts to powder coat before I'm done.

Sportsters have the reputation of being beginner bikers, or starter Harleys, or girl's motorcycles, but this reputation is undeserved. This is a very small nimble bike with plenty of power. It isn't a great motorcycle for carrying a passenger and it isn't a touring bike, but it is a great short range bike and perfect for riding around town and commuting to work. I often find myself choosing this motorcycle from the garage when I don't want the work of riding the larger heaver Road Glide.

The Sportster being a lighter weight motorcycle is a much quicker motorcycle than the Harley-Davidson Big Twins. Over short distances and in curves they can be faster than their bigger brothers. When the Sportster was first introduced in 1957 it was the Superbike of the day designed to compete against the smaller and faster British and European motorcycles, not against the larger Harley FLs or Indians.

It's all a matter of expectations. The Sportster is a wonderful motorcycle for what it can do well, and maybe it simply wasn't designed to do the things it doesn't do as well.





These photos were taken in my back yard in New Mexico.

Jill's Birthday

In honor of my wife's birthday I am posting a slide show of some of my favorite pictures of her.

Uncle Brad's 1919 Harley-Davidson

Writing about Uncle Brad in Sturgis reminded me that I needed to post a picture of his 1919 Harley-Davidson,
perhaps one of the coolest motorcycles I have ever seen.

Sturgis

The 2007 Sturgis Black Hills Rally officially starts today. I am not going this year but I did get the chance to attend in 2005. I bummed a couple of free nights lodging from some of the wonderful members of the Des Moines HOG Group and rode with them for several days. We camped in Custer and rode to Devils Tower, Hulett WY, Spearfish Canyon, Iron Mountain Road and all around the Black Hills. I met some new friends from Mexico and had a wonderful time riding with the Des Moines HOG Group.
After I parted company with the Des Moines folks I met up with my uncle Brad and aunt Marlene in Sturgis. Brad goes to Sturgis quite often, always stopping at my Grandmother's house along the way. On this particular trip they suggested to Grandma that she should come along to Sturgis with them. Grandma stated that she would be afraid of "all those bikers". When they pointed out that she had 5 grandsons who are bikers they managed to persuade Grandma and her best friend Babe to go along with them. Probably not many people have a picture of their Grandmother at Sturgis.

Red Molly, Jill's 1988 Sportster 883

These pictures show the progress from really ugly "Ketchup & Mustard with rust" to Rich Red & Back. It's still an old bike but it's in much better shape than we found it. I stripped this bike down to the bare frame all by myself, had the frame sandblasted & powder coated, and re-assembled the bike. I cleaned everything up as best as I could, polished all of the aluminum and what little chrome there is on the motorcycle, and painted several parts wrinkle black. (Don't ask Jill about the ruined cookie sheet or the fumes from baking the wrinkle black parts in her oven.) I found many take-off parts at the dealership that I could use which made the project much more economical. The front fender and fuel tank are from a 2000 Sportster with the rear fender painted to match. I think overall it turned out very well.

Cousins September 1973

When my parents recently moved I inherited a large box of slides
that I have been slowly trying to scan and sort. I found a few
pictures of myself with my cousins Linda Kay and Brenda at
their farm near Ruthven Ia.


Pulling Linda Kay


Brenda, Linda Kay & Ole

Ole Glide The 2000 Harley-Davidson Road Glide FLTR

I am the third owner of this motorcycle. I do not rmember the day that it was first sold as a new motorcycle but I was working at Zook's at the time. It was purchased by a lady named Claudia who along with her husband is a very active HOG member and one of our longest term customers.
Claudia's husband transformed the regular Road Glide that they purchased into an "Ultra" Road Glide by installing the intercom and 4 speaker stereo, the tour pack and the fairing lowers that come standard on the Ultra Classic Electra Glide. The first time I saw this motorcycle complete with the tour pack and Ultra package I knew it was what I wanted in a touring motorcycle. The Ultra Classic Electra Glide is a great bike but I prefer the fixed fairing of the Road Glide.
Shortly after Claudia's bike was completely assembled Harley-Davidson came out with the limited edition Screaming Eagle Road Glide which was essentially the same motorcycle they had just put together but with a performance Screaming Eagle engine a chopped tour pack and a special three tone red paint scheme. Claudia and her husband purchased matching Screaming Eagle Road Glides, and one of the most impressive things I have ever seen is the two of those bike going down the road together.
The day that Claudia traded this motorcycle for her Screaming Eagle Road Glide the second owner of this motorcycle was negotiating to purchase it before we even had a chance to get it in the store. I think Bill bought it right out of the parking lot where Claudia parked it to trade it in.
Bill put a lot of miles on the motorcycle and it was looking a little tired when he traded it in at the Route 65 Shop last year. When I recognized the motorcycle in the back room of the shop I started looking past the 40,000 miles, the paint issues and the general tired condition of the motorcycle to see all of the mileage still left in the motorcycle.
Mitch did a wonderful job of buffing the paint. I spent some time just cleaning and polishing and I've had to replace a few things. (The seat and hand grips were completely worn out.) There is always more you want to do to your motorcycle but I think it is once again a fine looking motorcycle ready for another 40,000 miles.
It is now christened the "Ole Glide"

Indianola Balloon Classic Parade HOG Ride

The Indianola HOG Chapter rode in the Balloon Classic Parade this morning, and I had the privilege of leading the ride. We had about 16 motorcycles and 25 riders in the parade. The parade was slow hot riding but it was a lot of fun to see the whole town gathered to watch the parade. After the parade about a third of us rode along together to the Roadside in Martinsdale for a nice lunch and a lot of iced tea to cool us down.

Bike Down to I-Town

Indianola has a monthly "Bike Night" on the third Friday of each month through the summer. This is the largest gathering of motorcycles in the area. Estimates range from 2,000 to 6,000 motorcycles a month attending this event. Indianola has become quite biker friendly which is wonderful for our business.

Route 65 Girls

Meredith, Maddie and Trixie




Check out the Bike Down to I-Town web site

Phil the Lovebird RIP

Phil the Lovebird was found dead in his cage on Saturday evening, July 14th. It is believed that he died of natural causes. A small graveside service was held for him today next to the pine tree in the front yard. Phil was preceded in death by his mate Lil several years ago. Phil is survived by his human owners, three cats and a dog. Memorial donations can be made to your local animal rescue shelter.

My Truck Stereo Was Stolen!

The spare keys were in the center console but they didn't steal the truck.
Did they think the $129 stereo was worth more than the whole the truck?

Childhood Pictures

Pictures from my childhood where I had everything but the white picket fence.

Pets Slide Show

I enjoy pets very much. We currently have three cats; Grizzy, Sweetie and Moe,
a purebred Siberian husky named Jenna and a Lovebird named Phil.

Here is a slide show of some of my pets past and present.

Dad's Honda C70 Scooter

My father rides a little Honda scooter, and thats OK. I think scooters are kind of cool. Mopeds are not cool because they are ridden by pre-pubescent 14 year old hooligans. I know this because I had a moped. But scooters are cool. Especially sexy red Italian scooters.

Dad's Honda C70 Scooter


The first Honda Super Cub in 1958.


The 50 millionth Super Cub produced by Honda in 2006.


Not a lot of changes in nearly 50 years. And with 50 million sold it is
either a little bit cool or there are a lot of other nerds out there!

Portrait of the Beautiful Couple

We had formal portraits taken at church recently so I thought I
would share the picture with you since we are such a pretty couple.

Father's Day

I spent Father's Day with my father and Grandpa "Stub" Veitch riding around Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake. We had a wonderful day and a great meal at the The Wharf. I just love these photos that my mother took of Dad, Grandpa and I.

Chicago Anniversary Trip

We went to Chicago for our 15th Anniversary trip this year.
We went to all of the museums and the Navy Pier but for me
the highlights of the trip were eating pizza at Pizzeria Uno the
home of the original Chicago style deep dish pizza, and going
to the Superdawg Drive-In for a Chicago style hot dog.

Pizzeria Uno

Chicago skyline and Navy Pier

Shedd Aquarium

Being eaten by a giant Kimodo dragon at the
Shedd Aquarium

The Superdawg Drive-in

15 Years of Wedded Bliss

Today is our 15th Wedding Anniversary so
in celebration I have posted a few pictures
of that momentous occasion.
Yes it is true that I designed and constructed
Jill's wedding dress and the two brides' maid's
dresses. Yes I can sew. No I am not gay.