More about the bikes

About the Bikes

Some were real classics some were questionable but they were all interesting.

As you can see there was some serious money being asked for these things.

Some bikes were incomplete, some were prototypes without internals, one was a rolling chassis only with no engine. That bike was built by Bourget as a styling exercise.

If you ask me the next picture shows the best rolling chassis on display in the whole place!

Of course if you want to talk about silly money being paid for stuff, look at the number 7 picture below.

This piece of scrap iron brought $32,800.00 at an auction in the UK recently.

This trip taught us that we really need to do a bit more homework before we go to the next event.

If we had been handicapping horses instead of trying to set auction prices, we would have been run out of Vegas on a rail.

More soon,

Ciao Bella

Classic Bike Auction In Las Vegas

WOO HOO

What a trip!I have never seen so many bikes that I would love to buy in one place.
The trip started out with a drive up from the plant on Thursday afternoon. It went very well and was a sub four hour ride. No stops, just press on through.
We checked in at the South Point Hotel and then headed for the auction.

There were acres of bikes, some classics some not so classic but all with their own story to tell.

How about this six cylinder Honda CBX from 1980, 1,000 CCS and six carburetors just to drive you nuts trying to get them all in sync.

I rode one down to Newport Beach with Anne on the back, that thing was a flying machine!

It was owned by my good friend and colleague Harold Kie.

The first night there I put $100 down on the crap table and walked away with $203, I figured that was a good profit for a weekend and quit gambling right there. (Well almost)

Then I hooked up with my buddy Elvis Knievel, big guy wasn't he?

This was the first stay at South Point, a bit out of the way but a nice hotel, if you are going to be in the center of action on The Strip, this is not the place for you. The rooms are spacious and with high ceilings making them feel very roomy. There are lots of facilities such as a cinema, spa, 10 restaurants, a million slot machines, you know the deal.

The view from my side of the hotel was very good too.

More about the auction and the bikes soon.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas Here We Come!

On Thursday after work, my friend and colleague James Wilbourn and I head for Lost Wages.

We are going there for a motorcycle auction, check it out:

http://www.midamericaauctions.com/auctions/antique-motorcycles/2014-las-vegas-antique-motorcycle-auction/

James shares my passion (OK we are both English guys originally so passion may be a bit strong) shares my love of , naw, we both are mildly interested in motorcycles, yes that's more like it.

I have promised Anne that I will not buy anything.
We are taking the truck and the ramps just in case James sees something that he has to have!

Even though there are a couple of things which caught my eye in the consignment brochure which Anne kindly bought for me.

Other News!

Now that I get my UK OAP, (Old Age Pension) I thought that I may as well get a bus pass too.
So here is a scan of it, I figured that the King Norm picture was one of my better looks.

The only thing left is to apply for my heating allowance, I'm not real sure how that works, but I plan to check with the bar-room lawyers when I go back to the UK in March.
Unless of course any of you on the other side of the pond can give me the inside track in the mean time.

More soon from Sin City!

 Viva Las Vegas

2013 Winding Down

As 2013 has been put in the record books, we can reflect on what has happened during the last twelve months.
It's kind of like an old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western:
"The Good, The Bad and the Ugly"

I think that we all remember only the good after a short time and the bad kind of fades in to history.
When we were kids, it was always sunny and warm during the summer, even in the north of England.
Reality may have been a different matter.



Now ugly is a different story, as the saying goes:
"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone"

We have had some really good trips this year and had some wonderful guests.
Next year we look forward to more trips and meeting up with some of the guests.

The Hotel Ameri-Cain has adopted a new policy, the full T&Cs of which (Terms and Conditions for you non business types) are shown below:

Dogs Are Welcome at Hotel Ameri-Cain

We never had a dog who smoked in bed and started a fire.

We never had a dog who stole the towels or silverware.

We never had a dog who played the TV too loud.

We never had a dog who had a fight with his traveling companion and broke the furniture.

We never had a dog who got drunk and peed in the closet.

SO

If your dog can vouch for you,  you're sure of a warm welcome at the 

Hotel Ameri-Cain.

Signed:-

Bob, Manager Pro Tem

Remember, I've got my eye on you.

PS

Remember to bring treats, but not ones made in China, or ones that contain grain products!

On second thoughts, just give me some of the treats Doctor Mom makes.

We had our first ride of 2014 on New Years Day, just a putt to Long Beach once the fog lifted.

(The real kind of fog, not the alcohol induced kind) 

All the best for 2014

My Never-Ending Birthday Celebrations!

More Celebrations.

The day began on a motorcycle tack, James Wilbourn came over and we started on the assembly of the Yamaha engine.

A beautiful late fall day in SoCal.

 

Norman with the "Ealth and Safety" hat on!

Don't point the air hose at any part of your body!

 

 

 

Later a buddy of James came over to help out!

As you can see he has his biker tee shirt, ready to go.

 

 

 

Later in the day we went to Costa Mesa to Scotts Restaurant for dinner.

 

 

Here I am with my birthday treat.

 

A great place.

 

 

As a gift for my birthday, Anne had arranged tickets for the Orange County Performing Arts Center to see a performance by a young pianist named Joyce Yang,

The orchestra opened with the overture from Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla, a wonderful piece.
Then the virtuoso came on and played Tchaikovsky's Piano concerto Number 1 in B flat minor.
I know, technical stuff.
 It really makes no difference to me what key it is played in as I am tone deaf, and couldn't play God Save The King on a penny whistle.
But this young lady gave an absolutely stunning performance.

Joyce Yang

Check out her website from the link above.

Intermission.

We clean up real good!
It's amazing what you can pick up at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.


Then came the second half, Bella Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.

As far as I'm concerned he need not have bothered writing it. It's too jumpy and discordant to listen too and too loud to sleep through.

Nonetheless, a wonderful evening.

Here endeth the celebrations of my monumental 65th birthday.

Ciao Bella

 

Man this Christmas thing is coming up fast!

More preparations for the "Festive Season"

Santa came early this year, look at the tool box he has been storing at the plant for me!
Yeah, dream on. One of the guys in the shop bought it for himself.
Craftsman brand too. That used to really mean something back in the days when there were nine planets.

We got the Christmas tree set up in the house, so I thought OK I'll get Anne's gifts wrapped and put them under the tree.
I started looking for gift wrap and came up with the perfect plan.
Gift Bags.
My gift wrapping is atrocious, as my Dad used to say, "Everything you wrap looks like a ham shank"
Oh well, gift bags are OK especially when you get the correct design.

Now this tree is a little more eclectic than the pure leopard tree in the gazebo.

This one has Harley stuff, motorcycles, dogs and who knows whet else on it.

In preparation for a couple of little soirees we have planned over holidays, I have been making a few appetizers, just practice quantities until I see how they work.

 

I've been trying my hand at baking, and so far it has worked out well.

That is to say, we have eaten a couple of samples and we are not dead yet so they must be OK.

I must admit I felt a bit like Paula Dean when I was buying some of the ingredients, it seemed that butter was very high on the list.

 

Can't wait to go to the store without having Jingle Bells playing in the produce section.

 

Yeah, I know I'm just an old curmudgeon.

 

And don't you forget it!

 

More soon,

Ciao Bella,

 

Norm

 

 

 

 

Getting Ready for The Holidays

It must be a sign that you are getting old when you receive four pieces of mail and they are, one from Forest Lawn Mortuary and three from Medicare Part B provider.

Oh! well just carry on as normal until one or the other of those services is required.

We started decorating the gazebo with the Christmas stuff in very unseasonal weather.

However, the decorating went ahead and turned out well.
Madame decorated the Christmas tree, but had a hard time coming up with a theme.

 

NAW!

 

 

 

 

Anne also came up with the idea for the lights,

All I had to do was install them.

 

 

We went out and stayed with friends on Friday 12/6 and we went out for dinner where I ran into this strange woman.

 

 

I think that she was either French or from Blackpool!

 

This morning when I went out to the backyard the temperature was very seasonal, in fact a bit too much so.

 

 

35 degrees F and 96% RH.

BRRRRRRRR!

This was a surprise birthday gift from our neighbor Jim, looks like it's for brown baggin' it.

But really it is a very good red wine from Paso Robles.

 I'm not sure where the biker bit comes from, but that is the perceived connection.

 

 

More soon,

 

Ciao Bella!

2014 Travels

Planning For 2014

We have started our trip plans for 2014, the first six months are already in the book.

January, Las Vegas, Norman with James Wilbourn to look at motorcycles.

 

 

February,  Surprise Az, we both go to visit Barb and Leon.

March, UK, we both go to hang with the homies.

April, Laughlin, Norman with Jeff Lidwin.

 

 

May, Idyllwild Ca, we both go with Brent and our four legged friends to chill for the weekend.

 

June, Italy, we are both going to the Amalfi coast for a reprise of our 40th anniversary.

Who knows what's next and we still have three weeks of this year left for more planning.

This and That

It's been a funny old year, we've had lots of guests and done all kinds of stuff.
Now that the year is entering the final phase, Anne and I both have our birthdays.
We got a bit out of sync and we celebrated my birthday first even though it is almost a month after Anne has her birthday.
As Barb and Leon were in town for a brief visit, Anne set up my birthday celebration at the Grill in Seal Beach.
She was aided and abetted by the very able conspirator Nicole, if the CIA need help with covert ops then these are the two go to guys(gals). I was completely hornswoggled by the event and had no clue that it was going to happen.

As I was the king for a day she even had a picture of two of my best friends set up for everyone to see!
Lots of the regular crowd were on hand to celebrate my passage into "Old Fartdom"
Barb and Leon, Randy, Kim, Heather, Eric, and Chris,  Ron, Mark, Gary, Kevin and Miriam, Steve Goode, and Girvan and Fiona. 
    Of course my brother Jimmy was there with his friend Mary just to put the tin hat on it.

For those of you unfamiliar with my brother Jimmy, he explains it thus, "We just had different mothers and different fathers, I grew up in Texas and he didn't"
Get the picture?
Not a word of warning was issued.
I have to tell these guys "Paybacks are a bitch"
One day your time will come!

 

My brother Jimmy!

 

Some of the gang.

 

More of the gang.

 

65!  Wow where did those years go?

So now we move on to Anne's birthday.
Smart lady that she is, she arranged it herself.
We went to Harvey's Steak House for the celebration.
It was a big group, Girvan and Fiona, Parker and Edit, Paul, Brent, Jeanne, Christine, and because Karen and Rory sent their regrets, Anne invited two of Jeanne's friends who happened to be there on the night to join our party. Oh, and of course yours truly.
There was a tribute band playing, the front man being  "Rod Stewart" and would you Adam and Eve it Ronnie Woods ( or was it Mick Jagger?) showed up to help them out with a couple of numbers.
Of course Anne had a theme "All Wigged Out to be 64" .  Not happy with just wearing a wig herself, she - ahem! - "gently persuaded" (as in demanding, in her best prison guard voice,   " PUT THESE ON!") some of the guests to participate.

Again for the benefit of those of you who have not had the opportunity to meet some of our friends, here is a picture of Parker and Edit . Yes he is tall, his head is sticking through the light fixture!

 

 

.

 

 And, Here being typically British (NOT), is Christine.

How Anne talked her in to wearing the wig I don't know.

 

 

Could that be a Rasta with the blonde chick? He looks kind of familiar, even though he's purposely trying to deflect recognition by doing an Ozzie impersonation. I think that he might have played a gig at the Hotel AmeriCain, the name will come to me, Clint something or another.

So we are now moving toward the end of this year and looking forward to another, it is going to be pretty momentous for me.
I plan to retire at the end of December 2014, I'll be 66 and will have been working for 50 years, I think that it is time to let a younger guy take up the challenge.
Leon has bought some woodworking equipment, so I think that I'll have him build me a rocking chair.

NAW!

In January I'm headed off to Vegas with my friend and colleague James Wilbourn. We are going to a motorcycle auction in a casino.
How dangerous could that be!!!!!!
We do not plan to buy a bike.
But we are taking the truck and ramps just in case.

Last time we went somewhere together we came back with and ancient Yamaha RZ 350, no not the Kenny Roberts model but close. OK, I know for you non-bikers that's TMFI.


Most of you know that I'm a Bud guy, but here is a beer that I found in the local market that s worth trying. On the label it states that it KOLSCH type beer. I thought "Yes I bet it is"
Nonetheless I tried it and it is a passable KOLSCH.
If you see it, give it a try.

CIAO more soon,

Norm