Free Agent

We'll make it if the cooler weather permits. Hope to do another burn barrel.

Reid is worth contacting. He lives in Searchlite and rides an ATV.

We have direct and have the auto tracking, enclosed sat dish on the RV too. It's only five bucks more for service. Hold these thoughts if you think you may eventually have it in your RV: With Direct on the RV and the enclosed sat dish, ya can't get HD, with Dish and the enclosed sat dish you can: http://winegard.com/mobile/roadtrip.php We had Time Warner cable and will never go back.

Yeah, it looks like folks are just spending less. I'm guessing Vegas will roll back to the bargain it once was. With City Center opening eventually the competition will be stiff, they'll have no choice. Used to book a 2 night weekend stay at the Hilton for $49 and that included a show and some meals. They usually got it back at the craps table and bar I'd wager. My last Rzr sold in minutes, and a Honda 250 quad we also sold in minutes too both for what you can almost buy a new one for at Berts. I think their is still a good sized cash flow out there. Getting ready to re-carpet and tile the house. The bids are 1/3 less $$ than the quotes we got 14 months ago and the sales guys are actually showing up to quote the job. Time for a new RV too.

At the local Elks I volunteer and manage the bar. I work for free because it's a good cause. All the bars profits (and other Elks too) go to speech and physical therapy for needy children in Calif and Hawaii. We do about a million a year in booze sales at my lodge alone. I hired a now 22 year old girl April to bar tend on her 21st birthday. Cute, savvy,, fun, the old buzzards, golfers, sportsmen and serious drinkers loved her. Hell everyone was crazy about her. She made $10 an hour and kept her tips,,, unreported. If she wanted to work a wedding or party we booked, it was her first refusal to or not to,,, and addition to the tips and pay she got, we tacked another 15% on the functions bill for her too. I wouldn't be far off estimating her tips were well over $150 a shift tax free. When I volunteer bar tend on the shifts no one wants & I make $70 to $100 in tips, so I'm really underestimating Aprils tips. Her money earnings was atmospheric, and tax free. Trouble was, some days she plain didn't show up for work. No call, no I'll be late,, nothing. Cold shot. So I finally had to let her go. It happened too many times. She's now stuffing envelopes and answering a phone in her moms office for $6 an hour. Ain't no bartending jobs, especially like she had available anyplace in this market. About 20% of the bars in Ventura County have folded this year I'm told by my bar owning friends. She came by the house in tears and asked if I'd get her job back. "I always left with my pockets full of money" she said. Hell,, I dunno,,,

I first met them one night when they pulled up to our camp during all the quad thefts. They recommended how to secure our camp to prevent us being another victim. Very cool of them. We from time to time pull out stuck MoHo's. A daisy chain of 4x4's and a little digging will do the trick. It's why I keep several tow traps and shovels on hand.

Is this an over exaggeration?: http://current.com/items/90026412_lost-vegas.htm Some bites & a trailer play before the main video.

Hard Rock ran some great deals we booked this summer. 2 adj rooms, 4 round trip airfares from LA and a rent a car,, all for three nights for under $400 and change. That's a hell of a deal IMHO. Included some meal deals too. Why do the cocktail waitresses quit all the time? Understand that is a lucrative job at the HRH and they never seem to stick around. The front desk chic told me they eventually try to return, but can't get their jobs back.

Though I'm retired, my wife has been real busy offered all the OT she wants. Friends with businesses had their kids list their businesses on Craigs list and they got some really good cash flow and action outta it. Craigs list is the new Recycler. House painting friends have been surviving on their property management contracts. They say forget any private parties or business calling. Electrician friends will drive a half day for any work at all. Plumbers always have work. Some flooring friends are spoiled from the past boom. They still haven't woke up that it's going to be slow for a long time to come. The A/C has never worked right in the GMC so that'll be going into the dealer soon. I have a feeling it'll never be fixed. We're crazy about the truck, but A/C is essential. Local GM dealers service biz picked up around here when GM folded some outlying dealers, so an appointment is needed, and that's a sign they're doing OK.

Yep. The guy that helped me said he was stuck there once a while back and always passes by to see if some poor fool like myself is in a pickle,, - and helps them out. --- --- --- I tried a trick from my saltwater boating days. I sprayed all un-painted/un-coated aluminum surfaces on the quads and Rzr with LPS to protect from the salt air corrosion. Seems to help. Doesn't help much on the very hot surfaces, but the rest of the machinery seems to keep it's luster. Chatting with the locals in the "staging areas", they seem to call the riding areas different names than what is officially listed on the signs and literature. Horsefall on the signs, the locals call Boxcar ect. This was the first time I was really able to put some time in with the Rzr S. 5 psi is the recommended tire pressure and it's excellent. I tried 3.5 psi and it became an entirely different machine with awesome abilities. But, at 3.5 psi the tires felt like and sounded like I had wet tennis shoes on that were 10 sizes too big. They were really flopping about, and thoughts of wheel and tire damage were entering my pea brain, so it was back to 5 psi. Spare tire, lugs, tools and never dune alone is the rule from now on.

One day I was riding the wifes KFX 750 and made it to the backside of a good sized razor. At the bottom of the razor and surrounding most of the dune was a bay of water and lillys, no way out but up. The dune collapsed under me like quicksand and I found my self at the mercy of the sand, almost slipping into the water near the bottom of the razorback The only way out was up the face of the Rzr, and the KFX isn't exactly a technical quad for this kind of situation. I struggled for quite some time and NFW was it gonna happen. The Razor was straight up. I decided to climb out, and walk back to camp, perhaps winch the KFX out with the Rzrs winch and some extra tow straps. I was a good 200' down. Finally, outta nowhere, I mean outta the blue,,,, this kid comes flying down the Rzr on a built Honda 250 2 stroke. He jumps off, helps me position the kfx, he jumps on it, hits full throttle,, heads towards the lillys & water,,, spins the beast around on two wheels and makes it all the way up the dune to flat sand. An incredible feat. It was spectacular. I have to find who this was. I'm a C+ duner. C for average, and the plus from some experience,, and this feat beat all. We later came across a couple that was stuck pretty bad with their Rhino to the frame in a nasty ditch. Oh brother were they stuck. I winched them out. I always try to help.

Thanks for all the takes. One more day on the dunes today, then home.

Yesterday we went to the Lighthouse dunes. If ya notice the trails that lead off into the dark forest, it's amazing soft deep sand on the trails. No rocks or mulligans, just really nice trails. Remember, it's 50 miles of what I'm showing in this video. Everyone up here dunes. Tiny kids to way old fossilized senior citizens,, everyone dunes. This video is mostly me following my wife on her KFX 700: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfdgXPCfyhY

We tried Spinreel Tues and it was the perfect day on the dunes. This is just raw, un-edited, crummy footage from my pocket camera. It has no image stabilization so can you see how important that feature is if you buy one. This place is fantastic. We traveled down 10 mile rd and you can see the trails that venture off for miles and miles in all directions The people are like Dumont in the early days. Easy going and friendly. If Dunefreak was here he'd be beside himself and like in those cartoons where the mice land on the moon and find out it's made of cheese. If you ever know anyone renting ATV's here be sure to tell them to rent from a place that has paddle tire equipped quads. Felt kinda sorry for all the first time rider/renters stuck on the dunes with knobbies. I'd wager it was all of them. Today we'll hit a stretch of Dunes called Horseclip. I'll do a proper, mostly steady video when we get back:

We arrived in Coos Bay yesterday evening. Heading over the Golden Gate bridge was hairy. Not for my driving, but the tourists in rental cars weaving drifting in and out of their lanes while gauking at the views. Avoid it. A few hours light left yesterday so we just drove over to check the dunes out. We'll shoot some pix and a video today. Seems like a super place with year-round duning. Temps have been in the mid-60's. Staying at the Mill Casino/Hotel located right on the water. Owned by the Coquille Indians. Their language was easily romanized and would be relatively easy to learn compared to most I'd wager. Fantastic room with a killer view through a massive 14' x 14' window overlooking Coos Bay. Huge oversized parking, and security rode right up and got our name so they can prevent any thefts. Oregon has all kinds of Blue Laws still in effect. No kids in the casino, at all, not even walking through. You'll have to wait until 10 AM to get that Bloody Mary. Evidently the tribe got a rule change on being able to carry your drink around the casino. It was a goofy issue at one time we're told. Gas is pumped by attendants, and they are all helpful and friendly. They recommended where to stage at and ride from, and to avoid the extreme North parking near Florence because of vehicle break-in's. The locals all say start at Boxcar. It's an excellent set-up. The dunes start right at the edge of town, parallel Highway 101 for about 50 miles North according to the map at the visitors center. 3 major dune areas, all accessible from the 101. The Rzr S is all the rage in the duning circles up here. I have a few suspension questions I should be able to get answered. OK, if I can get the sleepy headed wife up, we'll be back with pix and videos.

I have nothing worth adding to this post!! - I have nothing worth adding to this post!! - x2 here too. I usually call Crow, ya talk to the guy who actually fabricates them,, and they'll ask a few questions and have them in the mail within a day or two. No one has rolled a SxS more than me and 5 point and your brains bucket all da way all da time. UTV crap has been giving good, and correct service too.

Today we leave from Simi Calif to Coos Bay Oregon sand dune trip. We're giving ourselves 3 days to get there and 3 more to get back. Motelin' it. We'll hit the in-route tourist stuff like the Museum of Barn Yard oddities, Seal Caves, gravity hill,, etc. Flags, hemets, keys,, the rest I can fake when we get there. I understand no self serve pumping at the Oregon Gas Stations. So I'll take some extra gas cans to save that hassle. Hope to report back at the dunes with some videos and pix if we can figure out the Mac Book.

Always wanted to do something like that. I imagine we all think it over at one time or the other.

Judging by the people and families we camp with at the dune, the kids (and usually wife) will get instantly carsick and puke in the sandrail/buggy. Seen it all too often. They won't in the Teryx. The sxs's are great on Desert Rides too. The Slash X poker runs in April and Oct are fantastic, cheap family outings.

Seems when ever we stay a the Hard Rock it's ambulances coming and going all night long. Can't walk through the lobby without Hookers latching on to me. The older kids love the place and the pool. We'll be there next week. Can't beat the room and airfare rates right now. Gonna hit Mystere' again too. Excellent show, the kids first time, my second.

Evidently the driver lost control. One just like this came around our neighborhood when I was a kid. It was drivin' by a midget named Little Oscar. He was sooo cool to us kids. He gave out Oscar Meyer Weiner whistles and a free Hot Dog. Us kids called it the d*ck Mobile. When the Excalibur Hotel opened in 'Vegas a few years back, they had a Little People of America meeting of some sort there. Midgets everywhere. I was standing in line to get the kids Hot Dogs at the deli by the elevators. Who was standing behind me to get a Hot Dog too???: Little Oscar.

My brother-in-Law Jim comes down from Seattle for a week or two each month. He was second in command building the StarBucks empire, long since retired. Though a liberal, and my late mother couldn't stand him, my dad tolerates him,, if you separate politics, he's a terrific guy. A genuine car nut, collects all kinds of cars. Though loaded with dough, he'd buy my sisters BMWs in California because they were much cheaper than in Washington. For a few mornings, I took him to Starbucks for coffee. He loves the wife's s2000 and our zo6, so that's what we drove several days. Being the big Obama liberal, he mentioned "How Honda has it down with economy cars like the s2000. GM now has to go that direction too." Say what???? So after Starbucks, and visits to some family owned coffee outlets on some mornings, we did a run to the Rudder Room in Channel islands Harbor in the S2000. Another day took him to a car show in the Z06. Both drives along the 101 and very close in terrain and road and distance. Both cars weigh roughly the same (the 'Vette about 300# more BTW): The Honda: 235 HP 4 cylinder... 18.6 MPG. The Z06: 505 hp 427 V8.......... 26.2 mpg. I also asked Jim in the same breath of course, why the mom and pop coffee & pastry shops have ample room to prepare your coffee with your cream and sugar, usually several big tables, and Starbucks has lines of people cuing up and stumbling over each other at the little TV tray size condiment table? OK,, I got my pound of flesh outta Jim. Oh,, and asked Jim why you can build a retaining wall with the Starbucks pastries too.

Thanks for the tips and tales.

First time I've put grips on the ATV. Any tricks to make the task easier? Do you use any adhesive ?? Anything to make it slide on easier? One side is a Motion Pro Twist throttle BTW. Thanks

Ya notice half the daylite running lamps on GM trucks ya see are one light out? I just pulled the fuse. Anyone know of a LED replacement so they'll run longer? Thanks