I added a neat post rating system to the blog. There is a good possibility I am setting myself up for trouble, but I thought it would be cool if, you, the readers had a way to give me feedback on my posts. So if you like a post give it a 4-5 stars, if it was just”Ok” give it 3 stars, and if you thought it sucked give it 1-2 stars.
– Jeremy
So this weekend, when we were at Theresa’s birthday BBQ, I asked another friend of ours Kurt about riding motorcycles. I knew Kurt had just gotten his endorsement a few months back and while he doesn’t own a bike he does rent Harelys from time to time. His advice was just the opposite of Pat’s he said I should get a big bike since I am a big guy. The size bikes he recommended I knew were to big for a novice rider, but his comments did reinforce a worry that I had which is the Honda Rebel is too small for a guy my size. After talking it over with Pat for a bit I started thinking maybe something in the 500-600 cc range might be a better first bike for me. I now have my eyes on a Honda Shadow VLX. It’s a bit more expensive than a Rebel, but I think it will be a better first bike.
Ok so on to the Pro’s and Con’s of buying and riding a Motorcycle:
Pros:
65 mpg: That’s about 2.5x’s the gas mileage my car gets. So if I can use the bike for commuting to and from work the savings in gas alone will about cover the payment on the bike.
Saves wear and tear on my car: My car is aging, but paid for. Using a motorcycle for commuting and saving the car for foul weather commutes and hauling the kayaks around should hopefully extend it’s life.
The Fun Factor: Let’s face it part of the lure of owning a bike is that they are fun and rebellious. It’s also about being a part of a community the has only one requirement: that you ride a motorcycle.
Cons:
Having another payment: So along with buy a motorcycle comes a payment and more insurance, but it is cheaper than another car payment and, like I mentioned before, the savings in gas alone pretty much covers the payment. (by my estimates)
Initial Investment: Beyond purchasing a bike there is the cost of Motorcycle Safety courses and buying the protective gear, which could end up being a $1000 or more. Of course this stuff is worth every penny, but it’s a cost that needs to be considered.
The Danger Factor: There’s no dodging the subject motorcycles can be dangerous. There are ways of course in limiting the danger factor like: learning to ride safely and wearing the proper protective gear.
Well that’s all I have for now.
– Jeremy
… Ok I am man enough to admit it… today I am having a little buyers remorse over the N800. I plan on giving it a few weeks to see if it grows a bit more on me. I also want to see how well it works in Austin. Don’t get me wrong the thing is cool I am just not positive it’s $350 cool.
I guess maybe I should of kept my eye on the main goal of getting a motorcycle or it could just be that I am feeling super gloomy about everything today.
– Jeremy
Testing writing a post on my n800.
According to my count Nicole and I have about 90 days left before we move to Austin. We have our application in for our new apartment and we’ve also given notice that we will be vacating our current apartment by Oct. 16th. There is still a lot to be done and really not much time left… for me at least. It looks like I will only be home for 2 weeks in August.
Nicole is still on the mend with a degenerative disk that is giving her a lot of discomfort. I am nervous about leaving her to go to Austin since I have been doing most of the cooking and cleaning. I will have to cook some things up and freeze them for her. And if straighten up before I leave the house should stay reasonably clean since I make most of the mess. 
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about the move, but I am sure everything will work out one way or another.
– Jeremy
I wish I had one. I spend so much time on the internet that when I can’t find something the first thing my brain thinks of is “Google it!”… meh! that doesn’t work for where in my closet is my tripod or where did I leave me keys. I may eventually have to RFID all my possessions.
– Jeremy
The N800 is labeled as an Internet Tablet which basically means it’s main purpose is for viewing the internet. However the N800 runs Maemo which is a version of Debian Linux and as a result the N800 provides a fairly powerful platform for developers to create applications for. And it’s through these applications that the N800 transforms it’s self into a media player, a navigation system, a PDA, a VoIP Phone and so on.
The thing I find great about the N800 is sheer number of users and the community that surrounds the device. It’s always good to know that if you run into trouble there is a community you can turn to for help. There is a ton of information out there on the N800 and there are a bunch of really good videos on YouTube. Of course I will also be sharing my experiences with the N800 right here.
– Jeremy
This is an idea Nicole had and I kind of stole it and I am expanding on it. Basically what I would like to do is take a bunch of pictures of Long Island and eventually Michigan. Then frame up the best ones and use them as decoration in the new apartment.
Some of the pictures will come from kayaking, but I also want to seek out some of Long Islands landmarks, if we have any, and photograph them also. I’m obviously not a professional photographer nor do I posses anything beyond a point and shoot digital camera, but I am not really looking for perfection as much as little reminders of where we’ve been. It would be great to have a wall filled with framed photos, but that will take time.
– Jeremy
I broke down and ordered my Nokia N800 tonight. I was going to wait a few weeks, but since I will be going to Austin in a week I wanted to take it with me. So I ordered it. I also ordered a pack of screen protectors and a cheap 2 gig SD card. Hopefully that means I will be watching movies on the plane.
Of course shortly after placing my order I was looking over internettablettalk.com and a couple people were selling their, basically, brand new N800 for $50-$60 cheaper than what I paid. I tried to cancel my order with Amazon, but I guess the 2 day shipping must of immediately locked in the order. Oh well… at least I know if it craps out on me I can return it to Amazon.
– Jeremy
Nicole and I went to a BBQ today for her friend Theresa’s birthday. We had a great time. The “friends” haven’t all been together in a long time.
Here are a few photos:
My favorite shot of the day….
T & little T about to blow out the candles
The boys acting silly… (How many grown men can you fit in a playhouse… apparently 3)
– Jeremy
