Modern Vespa

Cancer is pissing me off today.

My MIL, who is about to turn 81 this year, has been diagnosed with throat cancer. The cancerous cells are on her voicebox. She goes in for surgery tomorrow morning (December . They (the doctors) are going to try to do minimal damage to the voicebox, so she will not lose the ability to talk, but there's no guarantee.

She called us about it Friday afternoon, after the diagnosis. She's in Van Buren, Arkansas. We're in Dallas, Texas. She played it down, saying that it's a routine situation, and there's no need to come up. My wife said, "F*** that shit," and made plans to go up. We talked it over after the phone call, and decided to drive up there Saturday afternoon. I stayed overnight, then headed back to Dallas at noon. She's staying for at least a week, possibly two, depending on the biopsy results. Because she's able to work from home, she's working working from up there. She already has today off as a vacation day, and tomorrow is a paid holiday for her.

We're honestly surprised that it took this long for her mom to have any health issues related to smoking. She has been a smoker since she was 17, so 64 years.

So if you're the praying type, I'm sure prayers for her will be appreciated.
I'm not the praying type, but understand that people seem to think it helps.

tl;dr: Cancer can suck a D.

Yep I was around for Kazaa, Limewire, Napster and hell even IRC. I was a young adult in the early 2000's and a computer geek. Like many "kids" my age I could not afford a night out to the theatre often or all the CD's I wanted etc. Oh man I remember waiting days to download some things over slow internet connections. Ethically they were interesting times and in my case a lot of the stuff I acquired I would never have bought anyway.

Now that I'm all grown up (more or less) I rarely if ever acquire content I do not pay for though I have very easy access to it. I do really belong to every streaming service in Canada, something like 5 or 6 I think. Crave (incl HBO), Netflix, CBS, Prime, Disney, Apple TV and Music, plus some documentary channel that I forget the name of. My father made a fine living off the industry and I am happy to pay for good content. I realize they need to make money so they can produce things we want to watch. If a kid that can't afford something pirates a few things I don't care as long as they do pay when they can.

Now if you try and tell me something is only available in the US I get pissed off especially if I pay for the same service in Canada. I will try and pay and use the VPN service I pay for but they have made that harder and harder to do. Much easier to fire up my VPN and Transmission and voila, a shot time later I have it in great quality and can stream it from one of my MBP's or a USB stick.

Yes, cancer sucks and I am sorry to hear this. I am not the praying type but I do believe in sending good thoughts as you never know something may be listening to the karma waves. Also now is not a good time to be very ill. A good friend of mine had his mother pass away during this pandemic and it just made it harder.

Yeah I agree. I make my living off one of those big companies you mentioned you have a subscription to (and they don't even give me a subscription for free being an employee!). I pirated everything as a poor kid to get what I needed. Movies, Music, Apps. Pay for it all now happily, aside from the occasional out of print movie that you just can't find anywhere like the Sci Fi channel's Dune movie, or less popular 80s movies like Young Einstein.

I was one of the first kids to have a computer.. an Amiga at the age of 8 in 1988. Then a Packard Bell, being one of the first kids with internet using AOL at 12 in 1992. By 1994 we had a local ISP for dial-up which one of my best friends from high school.. another 14 yr old worked at that ISP as tech support. His co-worker ran a TELNET server and BBS which we would spend all night every night on TELNET chat with like 15 regular friends all talking crap, sharing tech info and anything else we could find. I remember when mp3's came out and we'd all be on usenet downloading a 40mb song in 80 parts over 2 nights using 9600 baud dial up which cost money by the minute! I got into my eventual degree and line of work becausej from the age of 12-17 my mother and I would go to the local community college every month for the massive computer fair they ran every month. It was a magical event where hundreds of vendors had long tables full of parts and boxes of random software you never heard of, and piles of big open boxes behind them just filled to the brim with random parts and software you could dig through. My one big purchase was Bryce 3D and some other animation software over the years. Eventually went to college for multimedia design and learned how to video edit on tape to tape vhs machines that took up a whole small room, and non-linear video editing on Premiere version 1! Would bootleg photoshop, premiere, final cut, et al for years through college. Now I make a living off all the random image edit/manipulation software I taught myself through that whole time period.. and pay $50+ a month for adobe subscription that continually updates giving me the newest and best without even thinking about it. We got everything we ever wished digitally and I never want to be on a computer anymore... preferring to spend my time working on vintage vespa in the garage, listening to vinyls and watching one of my hundreds of movies on VHS which looks like crap upscaled on my 4K tv! And I have every one of those movies digitally in HD or 4K! And like I said earlier, I still prefer watching movies in the theater cause you don't have the option to be bored and lose interest and change the channel or navigate to another stream. You are just interested in it and present in the movie watching it from start to finish. Even better now that everyone has and prefers streaming is that most times I get a massive movie theater to myself as if it were my living room!

I really miss those computer fairs and the wonderful potential that computers and the internet offered. The luster is long gone. Although I do wish people still ran computer fairs. I would go.

Yes the guy stopped, got a ticket and the guy driving behind me had it all on his dash camera. I have a team of lawyers working on my case.

Well, you at least had some luck, I guess.

Back on the piracy and movie issue, this just came on my YouTube recommended list on one of the content providers I subscribe to.

https://youtu.be/WX_GkKOLggU

Remember up include the url tags when you upload the video for us to watch, which I'm sure is right at the top of your list of things to do now.

I know that won't help with the physical pain but at least that is something good!

In my case no video but the left front wheel of the guys gar was ripped off when he hit the culvert at the end of driveway and there was about 100 feet of tire marks in front lawn leading to the impact site so not too much question on what happened!

It was nothing epic. Just me panick braking and the car accelerating. Almost a front end collision. I did half a summersault, landed on the front end, and rolled down to the ground.

The warmer weather is pissing me off, because it is causing the HVAC system at work to switch to AC mode, which results in the temperature in my office dropping into the 60°s, and my hands stop working when it gets too cold. By the time my shift ends (4:30 pm), it is painfully cold in here.

Are gloves not available in USA...?

Where I live, we open a window when it gets hot. Open another on the other side of the room for a through draught and you can get as many as 20 air changes per hour without HVAC systems... or electricity.

But then again we are primitive country, I hear.

But you need to understand the person you were replying to is in Texas, `nuff said!

Not to mention a lot of offices do not have windows that open. I'm just sort of mentally going through our client list and think we have maybe 1/4 of them that can open their office windows.

I shouldn't have to wear gloves inside at work, in an office environment.

It wouldn't be that big of a deal if I had work to do. The printers pump out a lot of heat, when they run. But since the average order I've had lately is less than 100 printed pages, total, and I'm lucky if I have more than two orders per day, they don't run long enough to warm up the room (approx. 12000 cubic feet/340 cubic meters).

Yeah, I have one entire wall (33' long x 10' high) that is floor to ceiling windows, and faces East. They do not open, and are partially shaded from the outside. They're also tinted/mirrored.

Look at the bright side. Wear a nice scarf and imagine you are riding you Vespa!🙂

Winter Scooter Lay Up,

For at least 4-5 months a year it is either to cold or unsafe to ride.
Based on snow fall, it could even be six months off the scooter trail.
I know the answer is simply move - but family, grew up here, well employed here makes it difficult to just pull up stakes and move.

Question:

1. Does being able to ride all year reduce the thrill or occasions to ride?
2. I expect more of you in mild climates actually use your scooter to commute. Is there a distance beyond which you no longer consider commuting?

Bob Copeland
Frost Bite Falls Minneosta

Over 30 km ...
Bob ... re-emigrates to Italy.

Attilio Ferrari

Along the bank of the Gionco ditch. Agro Pontino.

1. I mainly ride to commute, although on very rare occasions I'll ride to run an errand or with my neighbor. I bought the BV as a tool, not a lifestyle choice /heresy.
2. My commute when I bought my first BV was 12 miles each way. A year ago I changed jobs, and now my commute is 14 miles each way (but the commute takes the same amount of time, or even less). Max distance would depend on where work is in relation to home, and what route/roads I'd have to use to get there. If the best way to get to work was via the freeway, I'd get a car. My wife doesn't want me on the freeways, because Dallas drivers are crazy.

edit to add: I grew up in South Central Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells), so my lower temperature limit for riding is lower than most in the area. The coldest I've ridden was right around freezing. With proper gear, it's not an issue. The only weather/conditions I won't ride in are cold AND wet. If it is near freezing, and it's rainy, or a chance of rain, I'll skip the scooter, as I don't want to risk being caught at work with icy roads (Dallas doesn't use salt, and the county only owns one or two plows).

Sprint/T-Mobile - Scam company! - Traded in a phone, sent in perfect condition....they say it arrived damaged and devalued it 350 bux.

Been fighting with their incompetent customer service for weeks!

People actually live in the Dells? Must have been interesting. I know it's a different place than when I first went (in the later '60s), but I'm imagining all the local kids running around with beaded belts with their names on them and wearing moccasins. Devil's Lake was more my obsession, so didn't spend much time there. Never did ride a Duck....

+1 on the weather conditions. I've ridden down into the high '20s, but mostly on clear, dry days, damp and cold kind of sucks, especially when it's likely to be icy...

So, greasy told me I'd need some Ultra black silicone for my water pump replacement. As the hardware store is a block from work, I head over there to look for it. Young clerk spots me and asks if I need help. Give him the description and add something about automotive, as in not paint supplies, and he asks whether its specifically automotive or can be used in that sense (???) as he's leading me over to the tube caulk display. Not sure what I'm exactly looking for, but my BS detector is going off while he's asking me questions about whether it's actually black or that's just the name.

I'm mentally squirming, trying to figure out how to rid myself of his helpfulness...I'm thinking he's only going to be satisfied if I leave with a tube of something that contains both the words "black" and "silicone." This is too high stakes to compromise, so I'm relieved that a nearby woman asks him a question and I can escape. I head over to the automotive aisle, spend a couple of minutes surveying the area and lo and behold, I find a tube of "Black Silicone." Still not satisfied, I look nearby and find "Ultra Black Silicone." Woot!

I like the idea of a small store, and the availability of help, but a few times, especially like this one, they fall flat. He's just a kid, but you've got to know when you're in over your head. Anyway, I was just happy enough to find the right product. Not likely to search him out for help anytime soon....

4 tickets / AUD$1200 in the last few months.

In danger of not being able to ride my Supertech 😱🛵

I've been there and I'm with you but at least he was genuinely trying to help, which is, too often not the case. My strategy in such a circumstance is to say something along the lines of "I think I've got this". If he persists and shows you something that is not at all what you are looking for say "Yes. This is it. Thanks." Put it back on the shelf and keep looking.

We are all very interested in seeing how this project works out.

I ride Sunny every day.
Sometimes I actually wear a windbreaker.
I have had Sunny for 3 years now and added around 13 000 kms to the odometer.

Two years ago I got a great deal on a new BMW R9T UG/S.
I have only ridden that bike 1 560kms since new.
I have only ridden my 2008 R1200GS three times since I got the Vespa.
Two rides were to national rally events and once was for a service.
(It's currently on the dealer's floor for sale.)

I also have a '96 R80 GS that I keep solely for an Annual National Airheads gathering and nothing else so I only ride that one some 2 000kms per year.
So many bikes to ride, so little time.
It's depressing to be so spoiled with good Vespa riding weather.

Last edited by Fudmucker on Sat Dec 12, 2020 6:44 pm; edited 1 time in total

Agreed. I'm not going to change anything, and politely backing away is my m.o. of choice, but it's sometimes challenging to do. Definitely awkward. If I'd known the kid a bit better, I might have even shown him what I'd found so at least he'd know, but that's even more delicate.

Thanks for the interest, Matthew. Shiny new water pump on our dining room table this morning (our COVID catch-all these days). Just to keep this on the "pissed off" theme, it's downright blizzardy outside this morning, so more mini-drama on the way....

I said it elsewhere, but today it is REALLY pissing me off...

the ceaseless repetition of Boney M in the stores.

Last Saturday, while I was having dinner, I crunched down on something hard. I heard and felt a "crack!". It turned out that I had split a tooth.

I contacted my dentist, who couldn't see me until Thursday. I couldn't bite down without pain, and I was also feeling the tooth coming apart, so it was a "no chew" diet from then on.

I bought some tooth fixer at the local CVS and have been temporarily filling the gap. Each application doesn't last all that long, but it does help.

Saw the dentist on Thursday and she told me that she probably won't be able to save the tooth but, in any event, she can't see me again until next Friday. She did a miraculous restoration on another broken tooth, so I am hopeful. I am not looking forward to the discomfort and expense of another implant.

So what's pissing me off today?

I can't eat anything that requires even minimal chewing. All I can think about is cooking and eating delicious things that I can't have!

Way WAY back when, I worked at Chuck E Cheese during the holiday season.
For years I knew "T'was the Night Before Christmas" by heart, word for word.

Google is down Gmail/Workspace, Google Drive, docs etc... Ugh, we have a lot of clients that use Google Workspace and we also use Workspace. Great start to the week. Hopefully a short outage!

Have you given any thought to J-B Weld?
I actually know a guy that tried gluing his broken front tooth with superglue. He's a good guy, but definitely a goofball.

Seriously, I feel for you. There's nothing quite like being sidelined with a bad tooth and having to wait to get to the dentist. Maybe not a huge thing from the dental perspective, but a PITA.

Amazing how much time one's tongue spends checking out abnormalities in your teeth...

I actually some 15 or so years ago while working out of town used super glue for a temporary fix on a bridge that had come out. I’ve no recollection of having it put back in properly. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Do overs could be a bit challenging, I imagine...

The location of the cabin air filters on my 2013 Mazda 3.

I replaced the cabin air filter on my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe last week and it wasn't hard. Just remove the glove box, pull the filter, slide in the new filter, reinstall the glove box. The glove box comes off easily with no tools needed. the only glitch was that there are two different sized filters for the 2019 (they must have changed mid-year) and I was first sent the wrong one.

The Mazda was a whole different story.

The filters (there are two) are located under the dash way up behind the center console. First, two panels need to be removed (not too hard). Then a cover with an electrical connection has to be removed - harder, because there are two screws which are not visible that have to be felt and unscrewed.

The rest of the job is entirely by feel. The filters stack and have to be put in just so, but it's hard to feel just how they fit. This took about five attempts.

All this has to be done from a very uncomfortable position ultimately requiring knee pads.

I'm sure that there was a very good reason for it to be designed this way.

I keep telling myself.

Sounds like my Ford Escape. Hey, did you know Ford and Mazda cooperated on some vehicle designs?

While we are talking about cabin air filters I hate the design of the Nissan Rouge sounds like the one in the Mazda. Can not understand how someone can design a "maintenance" item that is so hard to maintain!

Just like when they design an oil filter mount that when you remove the old filter it pi$$es dirty oil all over the place. This is not just a Vespa problem but many other things right up to the heavy equipment that I sent years working on!

Guess I can cut Vespa a little slack due to the compact nature of the machine but when working on something the size of a small house?

Now maybe I understand why it costs so much to change a cabin air filter, if it's that much trouble on a Mazda, Ford, or Nissan. It pisses me off though, when I get an oil change for my Honda Accord and they tell me the cabin air filter is dirty and they'll change it for $40. It's a $10 filter and a two minute job, no tools required! I'm even more annoyed that, if they've actually checked the filter as they say they have, they've had to empty the contents of the glove box to get to the filter. I'd rather not have them digging through my stuff in there. So now I tell them they don't have to check the filters before they start the job.

I write the date on them when I change my own cabin and engine air filters.

Just found out that my wife of 31 years was diagnosed with T cell lymphoma. Prognosis is bad. I fuckn hate cancer. Why?

So sorry to hear it. Certainly can't answer the why part, I wish you both luck and good fortune.