How was your 2012?

[Fritz500]

An idea planted by Josey Girl...

Let's hear the highlights (and some of the low ones) that made life what it was in 2012.

Here are mine:

• retired from the water industry (wastewater actually, same stuff, different taste)
• learning to like gardening, trying to relax while still planning how to keep busy
• built a small shed to work on the bikes
• 3 project bikes on the boil (Suzy T500J and T500K, and a Ducati GT750)
• finished the T500K as a daily rider - tweaking things
• lost a someone (from the old slot car racing days) to cancer
• bought a Yamaha TRX 850 - for those longer rides
• spend too many $1000's on bits for all the bikes
• battling rheumatoid arthritis (it has flared up something awful) - hoping it won't stop me before I finish all the bikes and clock up decent miles on them all
• tried to help out a few folks through this and a couple of other forums
• planning a few holidays - an ocean cruise, and around Australia (by car as the wife likes comfort...so do I)
• haven't found the meaning of life yet...it's probably in the shed somewhere, packed away.

Cheers

Geoff

[Joiseygirl]

Great idea Geoff but i doubt many (any) of the members here will participate.

Here are a few of mine:

I didn't keep my new years resolutions but there's an upside to that, I got to make them over again this year and hopefully I'll come thru for myself this time.

There was a new addition to the family.

Tackled gardening even though there's a BIG and I mean BIG green iguana in the backyard.

Confirmed just how much I love someone.

[Fritz500]

Joiseygirl,
I realise I wouldn't get many responses. You get that, as they say.

Cheers for 2013!


P.S. I love to have an iguana as a pet. Reptile licences here are SO expensive.

[tz375]

First time I saw what my kids called an eggie nana when they were learning to talk, I nearly had a heart attack. It ran up a tree and just hung there not much above head height as if to say - you lookin' at me? It was over a meter long. We were out taking a hike in the bush looking for koalas, not lizards!


2012 was quite a year.

My second son (by age not by importance) got married
Learned a huge amount
Worked like a slave
Lost a dear friend to cancer
Made some great new friends

For 2013, I'd like to build on 2012 and get some drag racing in. I'm sure there is a record out there with my name on it and I need to do something about that. I think it's time to leverage all this work and to monetize that time investment.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Mine went like this:

Started out slow in January but gained speed faster than I could keep up with the months.
Had some minor issues but got them solved.
Wished I could see ends to restoration projects I'm working on.
Missed Deals Gap 2012 because our group was all doing 'other' stuff and no one went.
Good times seeing friends in Calgary again.
Had a great bike tour in summer through AB and BC Canada.
Had an even better car tour through AB and BC Canada right after, with my significant other.
Not feeling 'right' which mysteriously plagued me for awhile.
Found out I had a dead molar which had to be removed. Now having implant work done.
Gauge work kept me hopping for the last half of the year.
Spent Christmas with family and loved ones.

This year its started a bit painful with the sore jaw but I'm thinking positive on this.

[Craig380]

It was a very good year, as a certain Mr Sinatra once sang.

My daughter finished school and went to University to study acting ... and also appeared in her first role in a BBC TV drama, which made us very proud. My lad turned 15 and is great but (alarmingly) shows very few signs of being interested in bikes. Got to work on that

Work was ... well ... work. Kept the money rolling in. We had some lovely family holidays. And the Purple Nasty ran like a bird all year, needing nothing but fuel, oil, chain lube and an occasional timing check.

Here's to 2013 ...

[oldjapanesebikes]

Other then to show how rude, uneducated and obnoxious you can be, why are you here, you don't own a two stroke.

Nice one - but ouch ! He is a geezer, so be kind !

[Fritz500]

Other then to show how rude, uneducated and obnoxious you can be, why are you here, you don't own a two stroke.

Umm. Err. Nice weather we are having. How about those Dodgers? I wonder if that first coat is dry? I'll be in the shed if anyone needs me.

[sounds of muffled coughing fades into the distance...]

[MikeH1A]

Meanwhile ... back on the farm:

2012 was a mixed bag down here. My once lovely city continues to be torn down by huge concrete munching machines - aftermath of the Feb 11 earthquake The central city resembles a large parking lot now and people find it hard to identify what used to be where. The local population is stressed and getting worn down by insurance companies who have happily taken premiums for many years but now delay, obfuscate and bully people with settlements that have no relation to fairness or decency.

Despite the above, the human spirit prevails and folk are doing things to enjoy themselves and reconnect with family and friends

Work went well and I was busy throughout the year - able to treat the family to a trip or two away

Old pets passed on after many (18) years as part of the family. Powerful to see the level of attachment and love youngsters have for the pets.

The Buffalo sat patiently while I collected lots of shiny bits. Towards the end of the year, she provided me with some fun times as I reintroduced her to the world. Nowhere near finished yet but is coming along - she is a keeper as they say.

The H1A (which has nearly driven me mental over the years) had a great year and pretty much behaved herself on a 4 day trip that covered 1450 Kms around the South Island of NZ

The local Classic Japanese Motorcycle Group continues to be a source of enjoyment and relaxation with a bunch of fun, like-minded blokes.

My 10 year old son played in a rockband comprising 9 and 10 year olds - showing no nerves up on stage as he strutted around with his electric guitar.

My 12 year old son became NZ Tae Kwon Do Champion in the 12-14 year age group (Dad had been the moving punchbag for training purposes )

Have been tempted by many bikes on the net but have so far resisted adding to the garage ... until the GT750 is finished. I have a hankering for an early 70's 50cc Suzuki Gaucho though.

Enjoyed this forum and appreciated the advice and support from all and sundry plus a couple of members in particular. A great bonus for someone as lacking in practical knowledge and skills as I am

Mike

[titan performance]

2012 was ok...ish. There were highs and lows for me, pretty much like any other year I guess.
On the down side, I really did not do enough riding. I had been fairly determined to do more trips out to the local bike haunts, and shows, but just didn't seem to get round to it....disappointing !

I also didn't go to the Isle of Man TT for the first time since 1989, which was utterly dire, and will not be happening again.

Our pet cat Molly, became very ill, and we ultimately had to have her put to sleep in september, after weeks of caring for her, which was very upsetting.....despite that she was an utter cow, we all loved her to bits. She now occupies a plot in the garden.

Tim and I really achieved nowhere near our potential with Titan Performance. We have so many plans, ideas, and part finished bike projects that we were hoping to do, and we really got very few of our goals achieved.

On the brighter side, Tim got a new knee in January, and we probably didn't expand Titan Performance, as we were fairly busy maintaining what we have. This was largely due to our new web site. For a good year and a half we had relied on an IT bloke who built our first site. Whenever additions or alterations were needed, we had to contact him......and IT blokes are more unreliable than plumbers ! It was a total pain in the arse. So I got my finger out, and built the new site myself, without help from anyone, and I can now edit/update it whenever I want.

Our good pal that does our welding, left his full time employer to go self employed, and he is doing great.....growing rapidly, and opening a powder coat plant this week, which will help us no end.

My dad, who is 77 shortly, joined the golf club after a 12 year break. He has a bit of angina and thought he couldn't manage it.....turns out he was wrong, so I get to spend some quality time with him.

My oldest son got himself a decent permanent job, and moved into a flat with his long term girlfriend, and my 15 year old boy seems to be doing remarkably well at school.

We missed our cat so much, we adopted a young female cat from a local rescue organisation, and while she is totally different to Molly, she is very well natured, and has fitted in just fine.

Most important of all, we are all healthy and looking forward to 2013.

PS. and I'm booked for this year's TT !!!

[jabcb]

+1 on staying a member on this forum.

Bloop, you just helped me out on my T500 oil pump repair.
Just ignore the bantering. There are plenty of useful & interesting posts. And posts where you can help others & posts where others can help you.

[titan performance]

Jab is right Bloop....it is annoying and unecessary, but you don't have to read it, or be part of it, and the benefits of giving and receiving useful information far outweigh the annoyance.

How was 2012 for you?

[aussie gt]

Back to FRITZ500 post, Life is good, still alive in 2013, hope for longer rides in 2013, hope for more time to play with toys in shed, hope to met new friends and hope to find time to catch up with old fiends too. But on this forum i hope to learn more about two strokes from all you new message board friends

[Fritz500]

Back to FRITZ500 post, Life is good, still alive in 2013, hope for longer rides in 2013, hope for more time to play with toys in shed, hope to met new friends and hope to find time to catch up with old fiends too. But on this forum i hope to learn more about two strokes from all you new message board friends

That is what I like to hear. Not sure about the fiends...LOL

I haven't belonged to a group of riders except in the last few months. Rode into town tonight, cool weather, Suzie ran sweetly, had a coke and a chat with the guys and rode the long way home. Ah the joy.

[johnakay]

I hope 2013 turn's out a bit better than last year.
we had that much rain there was hardly any riding on bikes.
where we live we don't have problems with floods.
my wife didn't have a particular good year ,she to has arthur's in both her wrist.
her right hand was really bad with pain.they gave her all sorts of pills and in the end they injected steroids in her right hand
as the pills weren't working.
usual check up for me ,2 more years and hopefully I'll get the all clear.
2012 hasn't been a bad year..spent a small fortune doing the house up
next on the list is a new bath room suit that'll cost me about $5600 its all money I tell ya its money.

anyway here's to 2013