Unfortunate but Inevitable Long Break

Sort of a long title but it explains it all in a nutshell.  I am soon to head out for a great (and I really mean great) weekend at the Reno-Fernely Raceway in Fernley, NV and will be headed back Sunday evening.  On Monday, I will be moving stuff from my current residence to a storage unit and then I will be living wherever possible.  At one point, I was looking for a place to live but have decided that, along with everything else that I have going on, cannot afford rent.  So, I will be relying on friends and what little family I have in the area for showers and such and other than that will be living as a vagabond.  Well, not completely.  I will be staying in this area and traveling will be a minimum but all-in-all it qualifies in terms.  Therefore, my computer and access to the internet will be locked away and therefore, it will inevitably be some time before I can post on here again.

Strangely, I am a little excited about this.  I plan on moving south sometime this year and although this life will make things challenging I believe it is what I need to do to continue on my desired path and also since the summer season is nearly upon us it will give me less constraints and less "reasoning" to not get out into the world that I love so dearly, more often.  I am also very nervous about it.  I mean, I still need to go to work to continue my financial requirements and it will definitely be challenging to make sure that when I go to work I don't look like (or smell like for that matter) a ruffeon. 

Well, anyways, wish the best for me and keep me in your prayers.  For both this weekend and for the rest of what is bound to be a very interesting life.  :)

James

Stressful Week

Just feel like getting my stress load off my chest.  The X is off on 'vacation' with her boyfriend and of course I agreed to have my children for the week.  So, I have my 3 children for the week, work all week, have to move for the last time out of my foreclosed on house by the end of the week, E flys in at 11pm on Thursday, and I have to get my bike ready for the weekend TrackDay in Reno.  With my work schedule I should have about 10 - 12 hours to spend with the kids total for the week and the rest of the time their in school or need to be with someone babysitting.  I have to still work out the babysitting aspect and also need to get a storage unit to move my stuff into because they are coming to lock up the house on the 25th (so I'm told).  I have a couple items I need to change on the bike and also look over a couple things.  I'm going to get very little sleep this week it seems and since it also seems nobody will be going to Reno with me, once again I will ride my motorcycle down on my own.  A mans gotta do, what a mans gotta do.  :)

I'm schedule to work Friday night but I'm hoping (I should be able) to find someone to cover my shift because I want to head out for Reno Friday night.  Angela is suppose to be back on Friday but she's not very good at keeping to her schedule.  Luckily my "Birth Certificate Dad" will be here late Thursday so he'll be able to take care of the situation till Ang does get back so that shouldn't effect my schedule.  We'll see I guess. 

My primary concern with the moving out situation is to get my belongings out of the house.  And the stuff outside the house I can gather even after they've locked up the house.  As far as finding a place to live, well, I'll have to deal with that after.  Of course, at that point, I will no longer have access to the internet to help me so I need to do as much as I can about getting some places to look at this week while I'm also trying to do everything else. 

So, there is my stressful week.  I know that I will get through it and be just fine.  I just need to relax and get through each thing step by step.  Time to go prep for dinner tonight.  There will be some personal time available tonight with the kiddos so gotta take full advantage.  Talk to you all later, have a great Monday.

James

MotoGP Adding American Circuit

This is great news in my opinion.  It seems that MotoGP has signed a deal to add another American race track to the list of race locations.  We currently have two; Laguna Seca (only the MotoGP class) and Indianapolis (all classes).  And now we are adding one in Texas for all classes as well. 

Heres a link to the motogp site for this news!

What do you think?  Are you excited as well?

Now the interesting part of the whole article is the very end!  Apparently, the track isn't actually even built yet but it's expected to be done.  Seems scary to me but exciting still and good news for Americans and Great news for Texas.  Good job Kevin Schwantz and the rest of the people who worked hard to get this oppurtunity.

More information on the track can be found HERE and at their website HERE.
James

Race Event in Utah

I spend a decent amount of time on Facebook.  I guess you could say I'm a bit of a Facebook whore.  But it's a great medium for keeping in touch with long distance friends and family and I really enjoy it.  Even the fact of the advertising being more targetable to me specifically by using my interests and points of discussion.  Currently on Facebook the game I am enjoying the most is Zuma and just yesterday I believe it was, I went to play it and found an advertisement for BMW fans.  I'm more of a Yamaha fan but I really like BMW as well.  I checked it out and am now excited for this event.

BMW Fan Package
This offer includes a 3-day Grandstand Event Ticket with parking, facility and paddock fees*, access to the exclusive BMW Motorrad hospitality tent providing lunch and beverages daily, BMW Pilot meet-and-greet, personal autograph sessions with World Champion stunt riders Chris Pfeiffer and Chris Teach, premium concert viewing, PLUS a BMW Gift Bag valued at $60.

All of this for only $215/person!!!!  Really?  I personally think it's a great deal.  And it sounds like a lot of fun as well.  So, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make this trip! It's a pretty long trip at around about 11 hours but I think it'll be worth it.

Here's the google map for the trip from Klamath!  So, who else is going?  And where we meeting up?  :)

James

The Effects of Being Nice

I've been doing a lot of searching inside myself as some of my posts have already made clear I guess.  Tonight at work, I once again heard something I have heard many times before and this time I've been thinking about it and adding all the times up.  I am told very often how great/nice I am.  I make a strong effort to be "nice" to everyone.  Not just the people close to me or that I want to get something out of.  Everyone.  And it does take a conscience effort so it is very nice to hear.  But along with that in many instances it is followed with a descriptive on how when your nice your going to get screwed over.

Now, I believe myself to be a fairly intelligent man.  But I do not deny my ignorance to many things in life.  When I look back through life looking for the examples I can see many times where it shows that my being nice was taken advantage of.  Where I got metaphorically screwed.  I honestly don't care.  I would much rather spend my life being the poor, broken down, lonely, old man who has been nice and taken advantage of his whole life than to change that about myself.

This all leads me to wonder, why?  Why do we as a people allow this idea of being nice will hurt at some point be the truth?  Why do we take advantage of people who are nice to us?  Is it intentional or natural?  I mentioned being nieve/ignorant about goings on but I truly believe that everyone is a good person.  I truly mean that.  Every single person I've ever known or haven't known is a good person.  They've made poor decisions and had horrible things happen to them and have therefore had a different view which became harmful to others but inside of them is a genuinely good person.  If only there was a key or cleaning product to remove the fear, hatred, and hurt from them, the good would shine through.  Have I unintentionally "screwed" someone over that was being nice to me? I don't believe so but I have also learned that rarely do people confront others when they have an issue.  They prefer to "rumor" about it to their friends/coworkers/family.

I cannot find the answers to all these questions and I will not even try, if I'm to be honest.  But what an amazing difference it would make, I think, if we all put the extra effort in to not let the fear of being taken advantage of stop us from being nice.  Not let the resentment of past happenings of hurt cause us to in turn cause hurt to others.  It isn't easy but for some reason I think that it would be worth it for all of us if we could find the strength to do that.  I know I am going to make an even stronger effort of helping when I can and doing the right thing for others more.  It just makes me feel better and that is worth it to me.

James

Answers? Where and How?

There are so many darn questions in life.  Some seem simple enough and you just choose and down that path you go.  Others cause you to really wonder, what the heck is to be done.  If it were possible to look at a detailed timeline of your life you would find that many of the simple ones you chose led you to the very ones that really tear at you.  My life has been mess, most of it in fact, and the only reason is me.  The choices I've made from the options I was given.  So, now, it really makes me wonder, what will come of the choices I'm making now?  Should I be making slightly different choices (are much different for that matter)?  Puzzling when you think like me.  I've been convincing myself that I'm a raving lunatic.  LOL

I Love people, I really do but things have happened over the last couple years that is starting to shake that.  My trust in life is in a state of confusion and I feel like I'm being shaped into what the majority of people are but I don't want to be the majority.  I want to be me!  One of the things I pondered a week or so ago was this, There are many wonderous things in this life.  One of the amazing things that I really enjoy and most people do as well is Waterfalls.  So majestic and beautiful.  I've been to many different ones in this region.  Each one with their own beauty and power.  Each one different.  Some are very wide, some very tall, some tiny, some weak, some strong (you get the idea).  And everyone seems to enjoy them all with all their differences but yet we as people tend to judge each other harshly for each of our differences and over time (many many years) has shaped us to be generally the same.  Groups of differences yes, but generally the same and with each group looking at the other group like there is something wrong with them instead of enjoying their differences.

I am confused also with myself.  I thouroughly enjoy helping people whenever I can.  It puts a smile on my face and gives me a place to belong.  I truly do love my "Born into" family.  My Mother, Sisters, even my brother.  My Aunt, Uncle, cousins, etc....  (My uncle I looked up to big time (still do) and I will have to do a whole post on him one day).  But, sadly, I never truly felt like I belonged amongst them.  I don't actually know why and I simply think it has to do with the fact that I'm different.  Like the ugly duckling in the story.  And no, I never felt as though I was adopted and I know for a fact that's not the case but I would imagine that I feel the same as someone who had been. 

So, I guess with all that, it's not very confusing to me why I grew up wanting to start a family of my own.  It was actually my dream in life.  I didn't want to be a doctor, or fireman, or police officer.  I wanted to be a father.  To this day I want to be and I know that even under my current circumstances I have every possibility to be a great father but it's much more difficult when divorced.  Throughout this week, I've decided, that I was going to tell my unfortunate stories to the best of my abilities in regards to why I am divorced and also of not being a part of my first born sons life.  Dustin Michael Mathlin is my first born son and I wish I had been more capable and strong enough to accept the circumstances and been closer to him like I am doing with my other 3. 

However, for now this is all.  I have many strange, possibly unique, philosophies about life that I will start documenting in my posts and would love to hear back as to how crazy you think I am.  I don't actually think I'm crazy.  In fact, I think everyone else is ;)   hahahahahaha 

James

Racing/Street Tires

Just a quick post for my favorite tires as of now!  I will be trying out some of the new tires available throughout this season and keep you updated.  However, for now, I have my favorite tire that will do an amazing job for anyone wanting to do some sporty riding!  The tires are the Bridgestone Battlax BT-003R  Racing/Street tires. 

My forms not great in this one but look at the lean angle these tires are capable of!

The tire size match up that I use is F:120/70-17 R:190/55-17 which if you get a set of that size from me is $285.  Rear size 190/50-17 $5 less and 180/55-17 $19 less!  If your ready to get your season started with some great tires for high performance fun just send me a message!  Uncaged Moto at googles mail will work.  Also, you can look for Uncaged Motorsports on Facebook.  I would truly appreciate the business.

James

More important than you may think, I do not order these in bulk and then have them sitting around trying to get rid of them like other stores.  That means you will not get old, expired, tires.  I have seen some come to me that someone purchased and then had me install that were scary. 

Being "Daddy"

It's funny that "now~a~days" I can think back to when I was a kid and unlike most people, I have not become a totally different person by being a dad.  When we were kids, our parents would want us to go to bed early so that we got lots of sleep and wouldn't be a pain to wake up in the morning.  Or to be extra careful when doing anything so we wouldn't get hurt.  Well, I was never very good at listening to those sorts of things.  I was very anti-social and did not have many friends but I rode my bicycle all over and there was never any "being careful" about it.  Cross the street through traffic, ride along the creek bed, jump off dirt hills as high as I could, do other stupid things that often seemed like I was purposely trying to hurt myself.  It was all a part of my growing up I guess :)

Anyway, as a Dad, I don't express all those concerns to my children.  Last night their mom dropped them off with me as soon as I got home from work around 7 or so.  Shortly after getting here they remembered that I had asked them to bring their pillows this time but they had forgotten and therefore did not have their pillows.  So, about 7:30 (which is 30 minutes before their bedtime with their mom) we set out for Wal-Mart to buy them pillows and since I have no car, we set out on foot.  I also decided that on our way I would treat them to desert at my workplace for having to walk so far.  Not long after walking (to the end of the street) one of them mentioned bedtime and I realized, oh oh, I'm going to have them up a bit later than their normal bedtime since it's a school night!  Great job DAD!!!  Not to mention the major streets we crossed without ever coming close to the crosswalk and the number of people that thought, "What the fuck is that guy doing walking his 3 kids across the street like that?"  I'm teaching them my ways and it does not go by the ways of society! 

It was a very pleasant walk.  We got to listen to frogs croak which they loved and my little Hailey Bailey saw the first star of the night and went on and on about how amazing that was and how it was coming to give her life.  *~ Side Note: I really need to keep a little notebook on me and write down some of the stuff she says.  ~*  LMAO (8:28), she just woke up in fact, literally, and said, "Dad, my skin is gone!"  Not making this up!  :)  Add in(8:35): "Dad, now we need to find a frog and listen to it"

We got to Wingers and went to our normal spot and Dad ordered a 22oz Porter and they got one Kiwi Lemonade and two Raspberry Lemonades.  Then I told Tosh to put a "Zookie" in for me.  When she brought out the pile of goodness the kids got very wide eyed with amazement.  It made it all worth it!!  Then we walked across the large parking lot and headed for the pillows.  Checking each one out, I grabbed one and Anthony says, "it's so soft, it's like a cloud.  My head is just going to fall right through!"  LOL  3 pillows and pillow covers and $50 later we're headed out the door and both Anthony and Elizabeth insisted on helping and were each carrying a pillow and did for the entire walk.  Can't be much happier as a father.  Well, we got home about 10 o-clock and I got their bed ready (right next to mine) and put all their pillows into pillow cases and off to bed!  Hailey was asleep first and I put a silly movie on for the older two.  Anthony was next and it was about 11:45 when he finally went to sleep and Elizabeth waited till about 12:15.  This morning, they woke up without problem and got ready for school!  I took them to the bus stop and then got back and started writing this post.  All a success!  :)

I'm not sure if society would agree with me or not, but I know that I am an amazing Father.  The kids seem to agree.  Thanks for reading!!

Dad

Anthony just reminded me that on our walk we got to see an owl!  It was just sitting on a power line directly above the street where we were walking.  We got pretty close before it decided to fly away!  The kids thought that was pretty darn cool and Elizabeth started discussing how some animals are nocturnal.  Great times!  :)