Sooo Ready for Spring

We've been experiencing some very nice weather the last two days, and it makes me really excited for what's to come. Spring means nice weather, which means everyone wants to get outside and do something. I'm in the business of toys. Motorcycles & ATVs to be specific. When people get out to enjoy their toys and spend money in our shop, I benefit with everyone else. I have the motorcycle sickness, too, and whenever I'm without a motorcycle to ride, I can hardly stand it. I buy one, keep it for several months, maybe a year or two, and then sell it when other things come up. Sometimes the justification is that I don't ride it enough, sometimes it's just that I could spend the money on more important things. It's always different.

I currently don't have a road-worthy bike, but I DO have a 1966 Norton Atlas that I've had for several years. The only problem is that it's currently in my utility room and spare bedroom in several pieces. I've been rebuilding it on and off for years now and am currently thinking about peicing it back together over the coming months. I can't justify spending a bunch of money on any bikes right now, but I could get to work on what I have. We'll see how that works out. I'm also in the process of trying to find a house with my soon-to-be-wife Karen (I hate the word fiancee because it's from the spineless Frenchies-I actually have a list of hated words, and Jen finds it endlessly comical), plan a wedding (which isn't cheap), and myriad other 'projects' that Karen jokes about.

You see, she coined a term 'project ADD', and I think it's pretty accurate. I go full on, neck deep into a project which is usually one of my many hobbies. I'll be fired up on it and sleep it, breathe it, drink it for several weeks or months-then move to something else. In addition to a few other small things (I'm a part-time gunsmith) I am also in the process of installing a new engine (5.3 Chevy Vortec) into my beloved '82 Jeep CJ7. That is the most important project right now, and will be seeing the most of my time in the months to come. It currently can't move under it's own power, and the goal is to be able to drive it to the new house. All I have to do is install the wiring harness, the radiator and lines, and the fuel cell, pump, and lines. Nothing a few Sundays and Mondays can't make happen. I'm excited about Spring. Since the lil' CJ is under a carport right now, cold and rainy days keep me from working on her. Now that Spring is right around the corner, I'm going to make it happen soon.

The 'project ADD' isn't as much a problem in my eyes as it is a blessing. You see, when I lose interest, I always have something else exciting to fall back on. This is the resulting greatness of having several hobbies. This is also the main impetus behind my desire to retire early. I wouldn't hesitate to give notice to my current employer tomorrow if I suddenly had a windfall of a couple million. I also dabble in the stock market and would easily be able to maintain a good lifestyle on income from that amount of money with but a few hours a week. The only Catch 22 in the retire early goal is that the hobbies usually require some sort of monetary expenditure, resulting in a lack of saving. Hmmm. As soon as I figure that one out, I'll let everyone know. I know, I know, if only I turned one of my many hobbies into a job, I would have it made. Problem is, I've never really been able to turn what I like into a living because of the whole 'losing interest' problem. I was a gunsmith full time briefly until I realized it is VERY hard to make even a decent living at it unless you have serious capital backing from the get-go and can set up a very large business. (ie Wilson or Les Baer)

Well, the post today has turned into a bit of a boring ramble, so I'll be leaving for now. Maybe I'll come up with something interesting to talk about later. Have a great 'Sunny and 66' afternoon!
CZ