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Big Update
8 years ago
Hi fluffs, it's time for a big journal update. Life's been very rough on this end.
I've not been around much, trying to establish a social circle irl since being in front of the computer 24/7 has it's effects on one.
Long story short, because I've kept to myself most of the time I'm not really good at balancing a social aspect in my life to my priorities.
Most of these involve events regarding the bikes and biker circles, as well as problems with mechanics and such.
About two months ago when I started work back up two of my friends came around here asking if I can loan them some bucks for rent money. I couldnt really afford it, but they're mechanics and I did need work done on my vehicles. I agreed to give them the money in exchange for dealing with my car, scrambler and cruiser. They said it would take three days which I said was fine.
Now the main dealio here is, where I like to sit and draw my art is my zen space. I dont want people in here, I dont want to hear wap wap wapping chatting from the garage and most of all, don't sneak up on me. Like, unless there's fire or blood the best I tolerate is coffee being put on my desk and off you go. I also don't deal with stress well trying to get into my space, so when there's unresolved conflict with people and such I get twitchy and either rant all day or go do something else. So you can see where this is going.
Cat we need sparkplugs. Cat go buy Pratley's steel. Cat go buy a regulator from the spares shop.
In the meantime I was given a blackjacket by the motorcycle club to train in etiquette, a newbie. You educate them in the ways of the club etc. He had a red scrambler that was giving problems and I was paying these a bit too much money, so they agreed to sort it out for them. Now they were short for rent and they've got fuggerall for food in the house and such, so we gave them a little bit extra for each day they worked.
Blackjacket bought another motorcycle that was giving problems too and so three days turned into two weeks, and my vehicles were still not dealt with. So now I'm starting to get twitchy. I've been trying to work at night with the people here and end up getting a qwerty face or going straight to bed by the time they leave. There was a friend's scoot they worked on too but that was only two days so not too bothered by it.
Soon my funds were depleted and the work wasn't getting finished, and big drama and a big fight came from it. Not going to go into detail but words were said and threats were made and it wasn't pretty. At this stage I hadn't done much in three weeks and I started taking a few local art jobs just to keep some food in the house since I couldn't come sit and work a full shift.
I came in and did a few backlog items after that along with a couple of pinups to get funds in, and then more drama comes. Blackjacket's bike was still stuffed and he had found a new mechanic to fix it, he needs a lift back to drop the bike off there. Fine, go take him.
At this stage I had taped a bunch of wristbands with spikes on to my pillion seat because that 250 does NOT like it when you lift with her. She can't take the weight - but yeah, I took him.
Stand around chatting with the mechanic a bit there, apparently there's a kid jumping the wall at night and stripping parts off the bikes standing there. The mechanic wants to move but they don't have access to a truck. So one thing led to another and I got a soft little heart, and I organize my dad's pickup to help move his shit for him. Bikers stick together and all that stuff.
Go get the truck, dad says its fine - just ask them to please sort out his speedo cable. We estimated the move would take a bout two days.
Two days turns into a week and still not finished. Dad's getting pissed, I'm getting pissed. Moving all that parts and stuff is intense physical labour and I'm spoiled with a cushy job drawing cartoon animals behind a computer - no way I'm still going to pull an art shift after 10 hours of that. Work gets further behind.
I'm having to drive the truck myself and I understand why dad said so, you don't loan out a vehicle like that and we dont know these people well. So there I was stuck moving stuff.
We had just about finished around 4PM and there was still daylight to do the speedo cable, here they come with beer. We're going to drink beer now. By the time they were done "it's too dark to do the speedo cable now" and dad is down my throat wanting his truck. He actually phoned and pretty much disowned me that night calling me a bullshitter and that I'm doing other things with his truck and what what.
I took off there and came here with the truck, Blackjacket was in his father's truck too (we were using two trucks) and there as we're about to pull into my driveway the other truck blows its headgasket. So now I have to phone dad and tell him we're gonna be late.
Towed the other truck home, 11PM we get to the farm with dad's truck. I thought he was gonna shoot me. Now we're only two trying to get the truck's canopy back onto it and not make noise to wake em up. In the end I did have to wake mom up to get my bike stuff as I left the bike on the farm when I took the truck, helmet and stuff were in the house.
Dad didn't wake up at least, and off we went, again lifting on the poor bike.
Now my bike's starting to get cranky as she's been overdue a month and a half for service, she's carrying twice her capacity and being ridden hard to compensate for that.
Sure enough, the next day I go out to the garage and she's leaking oil. Now I'm in a panic because that's pretty much a CD200 motor and those dont break. Like, really, they're notorious as being unbreakable motors. Take the bike to the mechanic we helped, they agreed to repair the bike for the help we've given them. Meanwhile I've been looking at purchasing a bigger bike as I need it for the bike club (you need a 650 or larger, and my cruiser is a 250). We found one for a good price, and a long story short I traded my scrambler and about $200 for it. So I helped em move, they need to fix these bikes now.
My plan was actually to fix up that 650 and sell it as that's a classic worth much more than I paid for it, and it came with three crates of spares which is awesome.
A week goes past. Another week goes past.
No, they're still organizing the workshop and doing small jobs to get a bit of income because obviously they lost business with the moving. I understand that, but now I'm sitting with my finger in my ass because both bikes are bust, my scrambler's gone and I've loaned the car to the bike club president (his wife was 7 months and riding a bike isnt a good idea)
Besides I wasn't using the car much, it guzzles gas and I get claustrophobic in cars.
Eventually I just go and take my 250, she's giving problems but at least she's running you know. I brought her home, came to do a bit of work for two hours or so. I think I had just put the stream up when the phone went off. It was the mechanic's son asking if he can come here and service my bike, they need money.
Now I'm really twitchy because I had already helped these people, but my bike was giving problems so, I agree. Had to fork out the last of my money for it too but what can you do.
When he pulled out of my driveway here I tried to start the bike. No lights, no electric start, dead as a doornail. I managed to push start her in the road but she spluttered and refused to idle. Now I'm pissed - tell the mechanic to get the fuck back here.
Apparently this and that wasnt connected up right, honestly I dont know that much about what goes on below the shiny side of the back (I'm an artist, Jim. Not a mechanic). The bike started with a massive loss of power, spluttering and being generally cranky. They cant help me here, I need to take it to the workshop.
More time wasted. I rode that bike, you guys use MPH... maybe 10mph on the highway. Leaking gas, spluttering and backfiring. They 'fix' it - apparently the jet had fallen into the carburetor. Thats the doodad that lets more gas into the carbs when you pull the throttle, cool I understand that. Thanks mate. Go on my way.
I dont get around the corner before it does it again and in the end just take my bike and bugger off. It was better but she had a significant power loss and spluttered a lot.
I ride her around like that about a week, go to the shop and back. Pissed off, but I got a day or two to work now that I told this people to get fucked, no more drama. Went on a run with the club, prez says I'm getting my patch soon. Awesome.
Fart fart fart fart goes the bike but I took her the 100 or so miles to the run we were supposed to go to. Bent fork. Twisted frame. Spluttering. No fucks given, I just want to ride my bike.
I was a bit #rekt to work that night but worked the next morning, got a bit of backlog out of the way throughout the week. Patched things up with my parents, spent some time with mom.
That weekend there was a run in the next town over, the weather was looking funny though. But Blackjacket and I are two of those bikers who just don't give a fuck and ride in the rain, so off we went. We get to the venue and there's like a 2 inch mudslick to get up to the bar where the gettogether is. Here these two crazy mofos go driving a Katana shaft and a cruiser sideways through the mudslick, it was epic.
We guess it was epic enough that the hosting club showed interest in us, you know - to join another club. I had been thinking about it as the club I was prospecting for was more family based. I mean they don't go out and party anymore or just go on random rides, rather inactive. Not that I dont understand, one member's pregnant, the other guys have other family responsibilities, and while they're great people I just kinda still felt like an outcast among outcasts if that makes sense. You know, I ride every day. Rain, shine, hail, mud - I'll drive that little cruiser through anything. Heck, I'll drive the next town over to take someone a cheeseburger.
So there's an offer from this club, and I message the guys I'm with that they showed interest in me and I just want to go see what they're offering. I didnt think it was a big deal and I was only a prospect, not a full member yet, so you know. Apparently it was a big deal and they wanted to go stir shit with the local president's council and wap wap big drama, so I had to tell some lies to prevent drama which I'm not proud of. Unfortunately I sent the cover story to the wrong person in my haste to prevent drama and yeah, that didnt end well.
So I go down to Blackjacket later, he says there's another mechanic working on his bike because the previous one apparently didnt do his bike correctly either.
At this stage I'm rather pissed off and need to go to a club hearing still, my bike's up to shit, I'm broke, wap wap drama and here I am.
Mechanic sorts out my bike while it's there, honestly she's never run better. I tell him I'll sort him out soon as I get some funds and he says its fine, my bike's running and I'm happy, yay. And here is where the big drama started.
Blackjacket's dad's truck wasn't running and he delivers papers in the morning. 1am in the morning we're still there struggling with his truck and if we dont get it working he has a real risk of losing his job, papers gotta get done. So I look at my phone and look at Blackjacket, and I tell them I can get them a car but it's probably going to cost me my patch, because this means waking up a bike club president at 1 in the morning and fetching my car, and they're already pissed off with me.
Well, I did it. I could see in prez's face that night it was over, his wife was there with the same expression. I told them I'd bring it back in the morning, the uncle just needs it for the night and the mechanic can deal with the truck the next day.
We do so, the next morning I message them that I'm just going to fetch my katana and it's parts from the previous mechanic, I'm rather going to let the new guy fix it. I need the car to transport the crates of spares that came with the bike. The message I got back was simple - don't bother bringing the car back.
No one had to say anything, I took my pocket knife and removed my own patch, took it back to prez at his work. They refunded me the $70 I paid for the patch but I gave it back to him and said to put it toward the baby, they need it more than I do. That showed a bit of respect at least, he said I can still ride with them now and then which was nice. I left there, once more a blackjacket.
I went to fetch my car, they were there working on the truck and said Blackjacket's dad may still need it the night. Fine, okay. It doesn't matter now.
The next two nights they struggled to get that truck working, meanwhile mechanic and his girlfriend got kicked out of their home with nowhere to go. Again I get myself into shit by helping people, but yeah. I tell him he can use the car to get his girlfriend to work, they can come sleep with me for a night or two until they make another plan. Emphasis on a night or two, this is a one room apartment. Kitchen, bathroom, one big room for the living area and bed. And you know how I am about my zen.
So now there's a disturbance in the force here and with the furniture moved and such I'm again a bit twitchy. He starts speaking about how his dad used to run a 'club' and they want to bring it back, he needs founding members. Blackjacket was offered a position as VP, I was offered a Road Captain spot.
Sure why not, this isn't a proper club anyway, just an association for lone wolves. Works for me, I don't got any biker plans. I told my ex-prez if I got involved in a club again it would be as a founding member and I'd be riding as a lone wolf for a while at least. Too much drama and politics.
The two days turned into a week, and of course landlord wasn't happy and more drama. We're four people in a one bedroom flat, I hadn't earned enough for the next month's rent and he's getting pissed off. I managed to negociate him to take the deposit I put down for the place as this month's cover so I've got until the 28th to get out.
I dont even want to talk about all the drama that went down during that week, my father's on holiday in a camper somewhere with his cousin, mother had a light stroke (she's fine and discharged) and I'm at the stage where what's for supper tonight is a problem.
I told the new bikers today that I'm fed up, my customers waiting are fed up and I need to find some zen and sit down and work. Every time I tell people I'm coming to work tomorrow this one gets stuck without fuel somewhere or this one's bike breaks and Cat has to go and help.
Tomorrow I will be back at work on a full shift. Backlog item in the morning as we were doing, Patreon work in the afternoon, new work in the evening on stream.
If you want to send a few bucks to help get out of this hole it would be appreciated, but I don't expect it with lack of contact that's been happening running up and down the last couple of months. Frankly I'm sick of it and quite miss being a loner and shut in but whee, life.
Stream will be up tomorrow, I'm going to spend the afternoon getting my place and schedule for the next few days in order.
Love love fluffs.
EC out
I've not been around much, trying to establish a social circle irl since being in front of the computer 24/7 has it's effects on one.
Long story short, because I've kept to myself most of the time I'm not really good at balancing a social aspect in my life to my priorities.
Most of these involve events regarding the bikes and biker circles, as well as problems with mechanics and such.
About two months ago when I started work back up two of my friends came around here asking if I can loan them some bucks for rent money. I couldnt really afford it, but they're mechanics and I did need work done on my vehicles. I agreed to give them the money in exchange for dealing with my car, scrambler and cruiser. They said it would take three days which I said was fine.
Now the main dealio here is, where I like to sit and draw my art is my zen space. I dont want people in here, I dont want to hear wap wap wapping chatting from the garage and most of all, don't sneak up on me. Like, unless there's fire or blood the best I tolerate is coffee being put on my desk and off you go. I also don't deal with stress well trying to get into my space, so when there's unresolved conflict with people and such I get twitchy and either rant all day or go do something else. So you can see where this is going.
Cat we need sparkplugs. Cat go buy Pratley's steel. Cat go buy a regulator from the spares shop.
In the meantime I was given a blackjacket by the motorcycle club to train in etiquette, a newbie. You educate them in the ways of the club etc. He had a red scrambler that was giving problems and I was paying these a bit too much money, so they agreed to sort it out for them. Now they were short for rent and they've got fuggerall for food in the house and such, so we gave them a little bit extra for each day they worked.
Blackjacket bought another motorcycle that was giving problems too and so three days turned into two weeks, and my vehicles were still not dealt with. So now I'm starting to get twitchy. I've been trying to work at night with the people here and end up getting a qwerty face or going straight to bed by the time they leave. There was a friend's scoot they worked on too but that was only two days so not too bothered by it.
Soon my funds were depleted and the work wasn't getting finished, and big drama and a big fight came from it. Not going to go into detail but words were said and threats were made and it wasn't pretty. At this stage I hadn't done much in three weeks and I started taking a few local art jobs just to keep some food in the house since I couldn't come sit and work a full shift.
I came in and did a few backlog items after that along with a couple of pinups to get funds in, and then more drama comes. Blackjacket's bike was still stuffed and he had found a new mechanic to fix it, he needs a lift back to drop the bike off there. Fine, go take him.
At this stage I had taped a bunch of wristbands with spikes on to my pillion seat because that 250 does NOT like it when you lift with her. She can't take the weight - but yeah, I took him.
Stand around chatting with the mechanic a bit there, apparently there's a kid jumping the wall at night and stripping parts off the bikes standing there. The mechanic wants to move but they don't have access to a truck. So one thing led to another and I got a soft little heart, and I organize my dad's pickup to help move his shit for him. Bikers stick together and all that stuff.
Go get the truck, dad says its fine - just ask them to please sort out his speedo cable. We estimated the move would take a bout two days.
Two days turns into a week and still not finished. Dad's getting pissed, I'm getting pissed. Moving all that parts and stuff is intense physical labour and I'm spoiled with a cushy job drawing cartoon animals behind a computer - no way I'm still going to pull an art shift after 10 hours of that. Work gets further behind.
I'm having to drive the truck myself and I understand why dad said so, you don't loan out a vehicle like that and we dont know these people well. So there I was stuck moving stuff.
We had just about finished around 4PM and there was still daylight to do the speedo cable, here they come with beer. We're going to drink beer now. By the time they were done "it's too dark to do the speedo cable now" and dad is down my throat wanting his truck. He actually phoned and pretty much disowned me that night calling me a bullshitter and that I'm doing other things with his truck and what what.
I took off there and came here with the truck, Blackjacket was in his father's truck too (we were using two trucks) and there as we're about to pull into my driveway the other truck blows its headgasket. So now I have to phone dad and tell him we're gonna be late.
Towed the other truck home, 11PM we get to the farm with dad's truck. I thought he was gonna shoot me. Now we're only two trying to get the truck's canopy back onto it and not make noise to wake em up. In the end I did have to wake mom up to get my bike stuff as I left the bike on the farm when I took the truck, helmet and stuff were in the house.
Dad didn't wake up at least, and off we went, again lifting on the poor bike.
Now my bike's starting to get cranky as she's been overdue a month and a half for service, she's carrying twice her capacity and being ridden hard to compensate for that.
Sure enough, the next day I go out to the garage and she's leaking oil. Now I'm in a panic because that's pretty much a CD200 motor and those dont break. Like, really, they're notorious as being unbreakable motors. Take the bike to the mechanic we helped, they agreed to repair the bike for the help we've given them. Meanwhile I've been looking at purchasing a bigger bike as I need it for the bike club (you need a 650 or larger, and my cruiser is a 250). We found one for a good price, and a long story short I traded my scrambler and about $200 for it. So I helped em move, they need to fix these bikes now.
My plan was actually to fix up that 650 and sell it as that's a classic worth much more than I paid for it, and it came with three crates of spares which is awesome.
A week goes past. Another week goes past.
No, they're still organizing the workshop and doing small jobs to get a bit of income because obviously they lost business with the moving. I understand that, but now I'm sitting with my finger in my ass because both bikes are bust, my scrambler's gone and I've loaned the car to the bike club president (his wife was 7 months and riding a bike isnt a good idea)
Besides I wasn't using the car much, it guzzles gas and I get claustrophobic in cars.
Eventually I just go and take my 250, she's giving problems but at least she's running you know. I brought her home, came to do a bit of work for two hours or so. I think I had just put the stream up when the phone went off. It was the mechanic's son asking if he can come here and service my bike, they need money.
Now I'm really twitchy because I had already helped these people, but my bike was giving problems so, I agree. Had to fork out the last of my money for it too but what can you do.
When he pulled out of my driveway here I tried to start the bike. No lights, no electric start, dead as a doornail. I managed to push start her in the road but she spluttered and refused to idle. Now I'm pissed - tell the mechanic to get the fuck back here.
Apparently this and that wasnt connected up right, honestly I dont know that much about what goes on below the shiny side of the back (I'm an artist, Jim. Not a mechanic). The bike started with a massive loss of power, spluttering and being generally cranky. They cant help me here, I need to take it to the workshop.
More time wasted. I rode that bike, you guys use MPH... maybe 10mph on the highway. Leaking gas, spluttering and backfiring. They 'fix' it - apparently the jet had fallen into the carburetor. Thats the doodad that lets more gas into the carbs when you pull the throttle, cool I understand that. Thanks mate. Go on my way.
I dont get around the corner before it does it again and in the end just take my bike and bugger off. It was better but she had a significant power loss and spluttered a lot.
I ride her around like that about a week, go to the shop and back. Pissed off, but I got a day or two to work now that I told this people to get fucked, no more drama. Went on a run with the club, prez says I'm getting my patch soon. Awesome.
Fart fart fart fart goes the bike but I took her the 100 or so miles to the run we were supposed to go to. Bent fork. Twisted frame. Spluttering. No fucks given, I just want to ride my bike.
I was a bit #rekt to work that night but worked the next morning, got a bit of backlog out of the way throughout the week. Patched things up with my parents, spent some time with mom.
That weekend there was a run in the next town over, the weather was looking funny though. But Blackjacket and I are two of those bikers who just don't give a fuck and ride in the rain, so off we went. We get to the venue and there's like a 2 inch mudslick to get up to the bar where the gettogether is. Here these two crazy mofos go driving a Katana shaft and a cruiser sideways through the mudslick, it was epic.
We guess it was epic enough that the hosting club showed interest in us, you know - to join another club. I had been thinking about it as the club I was prospecting for was more family based. I mean they don't go out and party anymore or just go on random rides, rather inactive. Not that I dont understand, one member's pregnant, the other guys have other family responsibilities, and while they're great people I just kinda still felt like an outcast among outcasts if that makes sense. You know, I ride every day. Rain, shine, hail, mud - I'll drive that little cruiser through anything. Heck, I'll drive the next town over to take someone a cheeseburger.
So there's an offer from this club, and I message the guys I'm with that they showed interest in me and I just want to go see what they're offering. I didnt think it was a big deal and I was only a prospect, not a full member yet, so you know. Apparently it was a big deal and they wanted to go stir shit with the local president's council and wap wap big drama, so I had to tell some lies to prevent drama which I'm not proud of. Unfortunately I sent the cover story to the wrong person in my haste to prevent drama and yeah, that didnt end well.
So I go down to Blackjacket later, he says there's another mechanic working on his bike because the previous one apparently didnt do his bike correctly either.
At this stage I'm rather pissed off and need to go to a club hearing still, my bike's up to shit, I'm broke, wap wap drama and here I am.
Mechanic sorts out my bike while it's there, honestly she's never run better. I tell him I'll sort him out soon as I get some funds and he says its fine, my bike's running and I'm happy, yay. And here is where the big drama started.
Blackjacket's dad's truck wasn't running and he delivers papers in the morning. 1am in the morning we're still there struggling with his truck and if we dont get it working he has a real risk of losing his job, papers gotta get done. So I look at my phone and look at Blackjacket, and I tell them I can get them a car but it's probably going to cost me my patch, because this means waking up a bike club president at 1 in the morning and fetching my car, and they're already pissed off with me.
Well, I did it. I could see in prez's face that night it was over, his wife was there with the same expression. I told them I'd bring it back in the morning, the uncle just needs it for the night and the mechanic can deal with the truck the next day.
We do so, the next morning I message them that I'm just going to fetch my katana and it's parts from the previous mechanic, I'm rather going to let the new guy fix it. I need the car to transport the crates of spares that came with the bike. The message I got back was simple - don't bother bringing the car back.
No one had to say anything, I took my pocket knife and removed my own patch, took it back to prez at his work. They refunded me the $70 I paid for the patch but I gave it back to him and said to put it toward the baby, they need it more than I do. That showed a bit of respect at least, he said I can still ride with them now and then which was nice. I left there, once more a blackjacket.
I went to fetch my car, they were there working on the truck and said Blackjacket's dad may still need it the night. Fine, okay. It doesn't matter now.
The next two nights they struggled to get that truck working, meanwhile mechanic and his girlfriend got kicked out of their home with nowhere to go. Again I get myself into shit by helping people, but yeah. I tell him he can use the car to get his girlfriend to work, they can come sleep with me for a night or two until they make another plan. Emphasis on a night or two, this is a one room apartment. Kitchen, bathroom, one big room for the living area and bed. And you know how I am about my zen.
So now there's a disturbance in the force here and with the furniture moved and such I'm again a bit twitchy. He starts speaking about how his dad used to run a 'club' and they want to bring it back, he needs founding members. Blackjacket was offered a position as VP, I was offered a Road Captain spot.
Sure why not, this isn't a proper club anyway, just an association for lone wolves. Works for me, I don't got any biker plans. I told my ex-prez if I got involved in a club again it would be as a founding member and I'd be riding as a lone wolf for a while at least. Too much drama and politics.
The two days turned into a week, and of course landlord wasn't happy and more drama. We're four people in a one bedroom flat, I hadn't earned enough for the next month's rent and he's getting pissed off. I managed to negociate him to take the deposit I put down for the place as this month's cover so I've got until the 28th to get out.
I dont even want to talk about all the drama that went down during that week, my father's on holiday in a camper somewhere with his cousin, mother had a light stroke (she's fine and discharged) and I'm at the stage where what's for supper tonight is a problem.
I told the new bikers today that I'm fed up, my customers waiting are fed up and I need to find some zen and sit down and work. Every time I tell people I'm coming to work tomorrow this one gets stuck without fuel somewhere or this one's bike breaks and Cat has to go and help.
Tomorrow I will be back at work on a full shift. Backlog item in the morning as we were doing, Patreon work in the afternoon, new work in the evening on stream.
If you want to send a few bucks to help get out of this hole it would be appreciated, but I don't expect it with lack of contact that's been happening running up and down the last couple of months. Frankly I'm sick of it and quite miss being a loner and shut in but whee, life.
Stream will be up tomorrow, I'm going to spend the afternoon getting my place and schedule for the next few days in order.
Love love fluffs.
EC out
*gives you all the love and cuddles*
just when I think my life is bad I get a whim of someone else's perils. sorry to hear so many people gave you shit for your hand stretched out in help. apparently you are lucky to get your arm back after giving a finger...
*offers more hugs*
Wir waren mit dabei
Wir werden dich begleiten
Wir bleiben troy (treu!)
Du hattest schlechte Zeiten
und wir warn auch dabei
Wir werden dich begleiten
Wir bleiben troy (treu!)
Die Fantastischen Vier, "Troy"