• Category Archives Life in the USA

  • Fluke?

    Posted on by beno 3 Comments

    Went to the DMV today take my off street motorbike license test.
    Got through the paper work side of things pretty quick (No, Freddy does not have her license yet). I then sat outside next to my bike in the testing que, not another bike in site…… There were a few people milling around. After about 10 min we stuck up a bit of conversation, they were taking a bit of effort to tell me how hard it was going to do the test on such a big bike.
    Really there was no need, I had been down twice to run through the course and I was not all that confident in passing. Its a big bike with a long wheel base, and I was super worried about hitting a cone with the back wheel. I had to go from hard lock to hard lock at walking pace to get around the cones. At the end of the cones is two 1 foot wide lines in a 10 meter parallel circle, you have to ride around it twice, keeping the front wheel inside both lines, back wheel does not matter. Then, after that, you come back though the salame with the cones.
    After that test, you ride up staying inside some straight lines and then around the circle twice, then back down the lines again.
    I was most worried about the cones, and my new ‘friends’ were not helping very much. One guy was saying that he borrowed a friends smaller bike for it.
    The instructor came out in due course and after the formalities were done, he said, well, its a big bike, you might be alright, we will let you take a few goes at it to warm up if you like………

    I was sweating like a …..well, what ever it is that sweats a whole bunch.

    Anyway, we lined it up, and, applied the technique, and off we went.
    Slip the clutch, ride the back brake, hold the throttle rock solid.
    I made it through the cones!!!!!!!!!! Round the circle. If you dab a foot, you fail. I made it twice round, and then back through the cones!
    Pulled up not sure if I had breathed at all the whole time……
    ‘Well, you look like you can handle it’. He said. ‘Now for the next test’
    The straight lines were easy, the circle is hard, back down the lines and that was it. He wrote pass on the form.

    I walked back to the office to finish the paper work, the guys just about gave me a round of applause. ‘That was impressive’ was the comment….. They have no idea how much of a fluke it was!

    According to the guy in the office I should have my car AND bike license in about 3 weeks. Yah.

    The family came into work to have a tour of the place and meet a few people. It was a good hour or so by the time we got through the factory and the two floors. They seemed to really enjoy the whole visit, and I sure enjoyed showing them were I work and some of the people I work with.

    Terry and I did the loop tonight. I put a fork brace on last night (to help with the test mostly), and I have to say, now that I have passed the test, its better than I thought it would be. The handling is just so much sharper than what it was. The annoying thing is that I feel it is still twisting. I have a new front tyre, I will see how it goes with that on, but Im sure I can feel it twist still.
    Anyway, Terry loves the curves and I let my hair down a bit, we had a really great carve up of the loop. The foot pegs lost a bit of metal off them…… It was a nice end to the day.


    Goldwing Life in the USA

  • Our first fight.

    Posted on by beno Comment

    We have been here about 4 months now, and only just had our first fight. Honestly, I’m surprised, I would have thought it would have happen a whole lot sooner than now…….

    When we were in Australia and found out that we got the visa, we had to find somewhere to live. We did the Google thing and found 2 apartment complexes in Temecula. We sent them through to Opto and Bob (my boss) gave the task of finding a place for us to Barbara (one of the ladies that take order phone calls).
    In sort order Barbara found that 1 of the places was really seedy and the other was very expensive. She found the Portofina Apartments. As you all know, this is the one we went with.
    When we arrived we were amazed to see that the seedy place was just over the fence!! It was only a week or so and we saw just how seedy it was! Lots of moving in and out and just not a nice feel to it at all. To think we could have been living there was not a pleasant thought!

    1:26am yesterday morning and I was woken up by our first fight next door….. Given the stories we have heard about the 2-3 murders that have taken place in the complex over the years, I lay awake wondering how it would end.
    Thankfully, a few slammed doors and lots of shouting, it just seemed to settle down. Didn’t matter all that much, I was awake for the morning. Thankfully the rest of the family slept through.

    Im very grateful to Opto and Barbara on a weekly basis for the housing they found for us!


    Life in the USA

  • Sundays are strange.

    Posted on by beno 1 Comment

    Sundays here are still a little odd. Normal, but different, bit like most things for us it seems.
    Before I stoped work, each Sunday was key to get things done and keep us on the timeline for the move. They were busy and there was little time for much personal things.
    When I stopped work, it seemd that every day was Sunday. The jobs never seemed to end, the to-do list never got any shorter. The only break we got was Tuesday evenings when we would have wine and crackers (and lots of other very yummy stuff) at our neighbours place.
    Once we got here, each Sunday was just a continuation of our busy week. Nothing much stops here and so we were able to cary on doing what needed (not always what we wanted to do) to be done.
    There has been a few notable exceptions. Fathers day Sunday, and one or two at Steve’s place, but on the whole, they have not been what I remember Sundays to be 8+ months ago.

    Today is a strange Sunday. We dont have anything we have to do, no where we have to be. Its 10:30am and both kids are still in their PJ’s. I have been up since 2am thinking. There is so much going on in my head that I feel it will explode soon. I despratly what to go for a ride, but am painfuly aware that at best that leaves 2 people stuck in the apartment, or at worst, 3. As usual, its a beautiful day out side. More so than ususal today because its a little cooler. We should be outside doing something, but have no idea what, and very little money to experiment with. We all seem content to just sit. We are all so tired, we just want to switch off for a bit.
    I have finally started reading again. BoardFree. Its the story of  a guy that rides a skateboard across Australia. I read an ad for a book about a guy that rode a motorbike around Aust, and since that was my life long dream that never happen I thought I would buy the book. Turns out that the ABC bookshop in the Mall did not have it, but they had the BoardFree book, I thought I would grab it thinking I would get time to read it while in Australia. It never happen. So, I sit and read it on a strange Sunday in America.


    Life in the USA

  • This is NOT a back flip!

    Posted on by beno Comment

    I’m sure you all remember my stance on 4 way stops….. Well, this morning, on the way to work, one of the 8 sets of lights I go through was out…….. ‘Uh-oh, here we go, its going to be a massacre’ is what passed through my mind. Im feeling pretty comfortable on the bike, but flashing lights at a busy intersection is enough to make even the toughest of riders shudder……..

    The Californian Drivers Book says that in the case of faulty signals, the intersection is treated as a 4 way stop…… And thats what every one did…… blow me down, it worked. It was all very ordered and calm.
    No running the gauntlet, no heart in mouth, just stop and go, smooth and safe.
    I almost hate to say it, but Australian drivers could learn a thing or five from the example.

    This is not a back flip, I still think that they are way too many of the stupid things, I still think they hinder the flow of traffic. Granted, they are cheaper than a round-about, but, in the case of the faulty traffic light, they teach a method that works!

    Off to LA for church tomorrow. At this stage we will just go up and back. Its one service in the afternoon, so I can have a nap before we go, a lazy morning would be nice. Sunday I might put up some more of the weather station and try and get the web page trip report finished.


    Life in the USA

  • Opto 22 picnic.

    Posted on by beno Comment

    Once a year, in the summer, we have a long lunch at Opto 22.

    Today was picnic day!

    It was a beautiful day, and we all enjoyed getting out and chatting (and eating).

    The prize for the t-shirt competition is handed out and we get to see all the entries.

    The other thing that happens is that any employees that have been working at Opto for 30 years are honored.

    All in all it was a great afternoon. You can see the photos here.


    Life in the USA Opto22