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Hmmm, a theme recurs . . . Goodbye Milton, good riddance Helene. Hello, Hurricane Girl . . .

I think Hallmark is pretty dead too.... Having spent countless hours perfecting my handwriting at school, using nibs in holders, having ink included in desks, nobody uses pens any longer. The cards that I receive have printed words, and if I am lucky, there is a hand drawn signature on it. Even documents are no longer requiring hand signature. You can sign electronically, and it is just as good. I am fighting that lost battle anyway. I have gone back to paying by check as I can't stand having to enter codes to confirm its me before I can log in. I have to pay an extra six dollars to receive my insurance card on paper since I refuse to download the insurance's application on my phone. I don't want to be bound by my phone for just everything, because I often go out without it. My last flight to Phoenix Az to go to Sedona, I had to pay extra to print my boarding pass. I paid for the flight, but that does not include a boarding pass? next it will be the luggage tags that you will need to pay for? What a formidable world we live in!!! thank god I can get out of all that on my Guzzi...

I'm seeing fewer homes decorated for Halloween, but among those fewer, they seem to be more extravagant. I'd say good riddance to Halloween if it does fade away. The big stores are full of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations, all at the same time. I wonder who has room to store all that crap. I don't. I have too many boxes of motorcycle parts. Halloween is a made-up marketing holiday. It has some fun parts, but it's a lot a sugar that the kids don't need along with a lot of plastic waste that the world doesn't need. But I am not above trick-or-teating to my neighbors' houses with an empty shot glass in hand. Maybe I'll try a wine glass this year. As far as I'm concerned, we can get rid of the other two holidays too. While I like the idea of periodically stopping to be thankful, the whole Pilgrims and Indians things is just the start of one of the biggest genocides in human history (not worth celebrating). I also like the idea of getting the family together at year end and exchanging gifts. But I'm not buying the Christmas origin story or the Santa marketing campaign. Let's go back to celebrating the solstices and equinoxes... objectively observable natural phenomena. We can have a major holiday once a quarter. That seems like a nice rhythm. But then, those holidays don't mean much to people near the equator... so to each their own.

Got it! 🙋🏽‍♂️. Bringing it up the border to 🇨🇦. Took me 4 years to find one! Now will need all your help to sort it.

If it’s fading away in the USA, it’s booming here in the UK with more plastic Halloween junk than ever being sold each year. When I was a kid 50 years ago there was no such event as Halloween, I see it as another marketing stunt to sell more tat. Sadly today I had my last motorcycle ride (on my MT01) for many weeks. Tomorrow I take a flight to DFW, I’m in Dallas for a week (I work for a large US owned engineering company), then fly back home for 6 days, & on 2 November fly back across the Atlantic with Mrs Guzzimax to Barbados to depart on a 14 day Caribbean cruise on the MV Britannia. Then on returning later in November, off to the Far East for 3 weeks business travel, finally returning home mid December. The compensation is lots of winter sunshine to look forward to

I hope this one last! https://www.motobello-oc.com/

I thought about this on my 90 mile circuit through the countryside this afternoon. There was a handful of Halloween decorations, but probably a couple dozen autumn/harvest displays like this sort: There is still some "Trick-or-Treat" in some of the cities and towns, but not out here in the rural countryside. Instead, many of the churches host a "Trunk-or-Treat" in their parking lots where the kids can go from car to car in their costumes and the interactions are among people who know one another. Here, in the deep U.S. southland, Christmas lights and wreaths or garland are still very much part of the landscape starting about Thanksgiving weekend.

this - I started hopping the velvet ropes at the 'herding' lines in my early 20's

Related article in today's New York Times. I subscribe, this is a shared link to the article, but I don't know if it will work from a forum like this: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/business/halloween-shopping-retail-costume-store-growth.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TU4.hdfJ.q9ucT19kJey5&smid=url-share

Congratulations. Ironically, I found my Nero Corsa in Canada and brought it back to the US. It was originally a US model. Yours looks to be a lovely machine in excellent condition for a very reasonable price. I noted in the ad that the seller claims it is one of 250 made. I'd be interested to know the source for that number - of if any other members could confirm it.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I ordered a 1.00 pitch bolt and it was the correct one. After a two days ride in the German Eifel area (many, many twisties) with the rised clip-ons and the temporary brake line extension I decided to keep the rised clip-ons and order a proper set of bestoke brake lines to go with them. I prefer the original lower clip-ons so I will be reinstalling those again.

Based on recent events, we need her to sing a duet.

@docc I listned to wmot all day today - fun https://www.wmot.org/playlist#stream/0

G'day mate We missed it thankfully but believe the storm was an inch of rain and the hail all in a crazy 10 minute burst then settled to a normal rain storm..... We got home Wed arvo missing this, but it hit Casterton Wed/Thurs and Melbourne city later when the whole state of Victoria copped similar multiple freak storm fronts. I just drove through some of it yesterday ( Friday am ) when I had to go and visit my Father in hospital in Frankston. When I picked up my brother in Langwarrin the stormwater drain close to the house was within inches of overflowing and moving like a category rated raft able river!! Then when we got outa the hospital only drizzle and blue sky...w t f ? I got home about 3pm and my wife got a message on her phone to say be prepared for power outages for some time due to the next feral front but thankfully ( again ) this front parted like Moses and the red sea when it got to Drouin! So far this morning still have power and all seems ok. I really felt sorry for the few bikes I saw heading for Phillip Island and the GP this weekend too! Once again the weather looks like ruining the weekend? Even ole mate Dave tells me he was supposed to go down but has pulled the pin and will be watching it on TV. Ha ha, as will I !! Cheers

$3530 at today's to $ exchange rate of €3250. Scroll down here for details: https://www.motoguzzi.com/en_EN/experience/corsica-sardinia/ Add airfare -- $1400 in my case, IAD to MPX -- and other trans costs and you are pretty much there. Hard to get that much terror so cheaply. Bill

I told you we could count on the other inmates on the ward to judge pure, crystalline sanity when they see it.

Not sure what you are asking, but it seems "prudent" and "racy" always showed up on opposite sides of the campus . . .

https://www.wildwestmotoplex.com/ Today I learned from MPH Cycles that we have a new Moto Guzzi / Aprilia dealership in Houston; I went there to check them out; I could actually sit on the Stelvio and the Mandello! They also have a bunch of V7, and the V85TT in two livrées. The Blu White Red looks really nice. They told me they only sold two Guzzi since they started. They have one part of the floor dedicated to BMW, and they have many GS1300 (of course!). According to the sales assistant I spoke to, the Yamaha Tenere and the Honda Africa Twin are the most sought after. In fact, he said they never have any on the floor because they get sold as soon as they come. There is less than 1000 USD difference between the Stelvio and the Mandello. They are both around 15,000 USD. You can basically purchase both and still spend less than for a BMW GS1300... unreal! Although I can keep my feet flat on the floor seating on the Stelvio, you really have to make an effort to bring it upright from being on the sidestand. Much more than my Quota, and that is with an empty tank.