2001 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11

2001 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11

I've owned a handful of bikes over the years, but I've always thought that this ZX-11 was probably the best one.  It was fast - make no mistake about that - but I'm not a speed freak when it comes to motorcycles so that's really not it. The reason I remember this bike so fondly is that it always worked...every time...just as it was supposed to.  

It started immediately every time and ran smooth from crank to kill.  To be fair I have to mention that it was less than a year old when I got it so you would expect nothing less.  However, I attribute more credit to the fact that this is the only Japanese bike I've ever owned (I was extremely surprised when I just realized that).  Every other motorcycle in my history thus far has been European or American....and they've all let me down at least once.  

This was also just a very pleasant bike to ride.  It felt more stable than sporty really.  I put some miles on this one over the course of a couple years and if I lived somewhere with less people I'd consider another one for sure.

Guest House Construction: Part 10

Framing is coming along well.  Our builder said he's never used the framing crew he hired before but they came highly recommended.  So far I'm thrilled with them.  They show up early and pretty much work till the sun goes down.  In four days this past week they got the entire lower floor framed up (minus stairs and a few odds and ends) and just about got all of the rafters in place.  We are having more lumber delivered on Monday and they should be able to start on the sub-flooring.  The weather has been great, and the forecast continues to look perfect.  Here are a few shots of the weeks progress:

The garage is large enough to require a post unfortunately.  I might switch the temporary one out for a metal pole.

Daily inspection.

"You missed a spot."  In what can only be labeled a complete and total waste of time, I swept up and cleaned out the entire build site Sunday.  The guys are going to show up Monday to the cleanest home build in League City.

Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club

Regatta Bay Golf & Country Club

Destin, Florida

Regatta Bay is one of the many fantastic high-dollar courses in the Destin area.  Destin is a "Top 10 Golf Destination" on most lists due to year round weather and the volume of quality courses offered.  Regatta Bay was voted one of the "Top 200 courses in North America" and one of the "Top 15 courses in Florida."

The course is great, but one of the things that really stands out to me is the service.  Delicious apples chilled throughout the course - marshal's offering you mango scented wet towels - stations and cart girls about every other hole - you get spoiled!

The other thing that stands out to me is the wildlife.  The course surrounds a few small nature preserves but the inhabitants seem to like to wander.  The monster pictured below (one of the largest Eastern Diamondbacks I've ever seen) greeted me on the first tee.

This little speedster startled me on the 16th green.  I tried to 'shoo' him back into the marsh but he 'shooed' me back to my cart instead.  I think I just decided to give myself a two-putt and move on.

I love Regatta Bay.  The course is in great shape and you feel isolated because the holes rarely interact with one another.  A couple of the holes sit on Choctawhatchee Bay but wind was never an issue for me here.  I do seem to have a hard time hitting greens in regulation here for some reason though.  I'm not sure why - just a little off.

You have lots of choices for golf in Destin, and I certainly haven't played them all, but I would highly recommend Regatta Bay.  The golf will be great and I promise they'll take good care of you.

1995 Mitsubishi 3000 GT Spyder

Tonight my Random Generator Program has selected:

1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder

This was actually an interesting car.  I had owned a couple of 3000GT coupes prior to getting this one and had thought they were just OK as far as sports cars go.  The Spyder version is rare though, and when this one showed up on my radar I couldn't resist.  It was in great shape and had fairly low miles.

Power retractable hardtops actually date all the way back to 1934, but they never really got them right until the 90's.  This was one of the first cars I had ever owned with one, and other than losing all your trunk space when the top is stowed, they're fantastic.  For me it works because while I like the idea of having a convertible, I drive most of the time with the top up and hate to give up the quiet ride and water-tight cockpit.  The hard top solves all of those issues.  When the top is up the car is basically a coupe.  This one wasn't the best design, but it worked pretty well.

My car was an SL model, which is simply a sporty looking 3000GT but with a rather pedestrian 6-cylinder.  The ultra-rare VR4 Spyder would be a serious sports car and the only way I would have another 3000GT.  This car was also an automatic, which most people would not prefer.  Mitsubishi interiors at the time were kind of cheap and hokie.  This one was no different.  I eventually sold this car to a guy that was actually collecting 3000GTs (no kidding).  He had a barn full of them and paid too much for this one.  Other than low mileage VR4s, they still aren't all that collectible today.

Guest House Construction: Part 9

Framing Begins

After a couple weeks of almost no activity (other than port-a-potty deliveries), we finally saw some progress.  Our first load of lumber was delivered late last week....really early in the morning.  The guy actually rang the doorbell while I was still in bed.

Some of the loads were simple to get to the back with the delivery "spider", but a few of the really long ones required some outside the box thinking.  Our builders' son came by and used the tractor to help drag the long stuff through the gate.

Samantha and I carefully inspected the delivery.  We determined that we could build one heck of a tree house, but decided to leave it to the professionals.  

The first wall!  The framing crew was supposed to start on Monday but didn't actually make it until Tuesday...but they called!  That's all I think most people really ask:  If you aren't going to do what you say you're going to do, just call!  I was fine with that and they did a great job when they did show up.

In one day they managed to get a large portion of the main floor up.  It's finally starting to look like a house and you can actually walk around from room to room.  Very cool!

Samantha, of course, doing her official inspection.  She approved - but has decided we need to remove half of a walk-in closet to make a room bigger.  I'll let the guys know in the morning.

1998 Cadillac Catera

Random Vehicle Blog:

1998 Cadillac Catera

The Cadillac Catera was sold from 1997 to 2001 here in the US.  It was really a rebadged Opel Omega built in Germany that GM hoped would compete with BMW and Mercedes here for the small luxury car segment.  It didn't.  

The motor was a V6 that I would describe as "adequate".  More power would have been nice, but even with this small powerplant gas mileage wasn't anything to write home about.  

This was actually my 2nd Catera.  I had purchased a maroon 1997 previously in an attempt to get my parents, who had been talking about getting a smaller car, to take it.  They passed on the '97, but I tried again with this low mileage, and nearly perfect '98 and it worked.  To get my dad to take any car it had to be either maroon or gold - the colors of Midwestern State University where he had been President for nearly 20 years.  I convinced him that this champagne colored Catera was close enough to gold.  They actually kept this thing for a few years I think.

The interior on these was rather handsome and well appointed.  The car was comfortable, and this was about the only aspect that hinted that it was a Cadillac.  It wasn't really a success for GM and they gave up after 2001 as sales declined yearly.

There's no reason to look for one of these today.  They will most likely never be classics and very few were well cared for.  I thought it was an alright used car because it was cheap after a few years on the road.  I can't imagine having bought a new one though.  If you remember, Cadillac tried to hit this market first with the Cimmaron (massive failure) and then with this car (slightly less massive failure) before finally getting it right with the CTS.

Toilet Possum

Toilet Possum

"Man - what did you EAT?!?"  Yes, this actually did happen years ago right in the middle of Clear Lake (Houston) in a normal neighborhood.  I woke up one morning and headed into the bathroom.  I had two Greyhounds at the time so I used to keep the toilet lids down to keep them from being water bowls.  When I groggily opened up the lid, this is what greeted me.  I'll tell you what - that will wake you up fast!

This young little possum was sitting in the bowl obviously in a bit of shock, or exhaustion.  He wasn't moving much and wouldn't really look at me.  After the initial surprise, I went and got a pair of gloves, a towel and a bucket and carefully lifted the little guy out.  He didn't try to get away or anything, he just kind of let me move him.  I dried him off a little bit and then put him in the car and headed to a nature reserve that was just a few minutes from my house.  I pulled up and let him go (right next to a sign that said "Do not release animals into Armand Bayou Nature Reserve") and he slowly walked off into the woods.  

He had to have come up through the sewer system - there was no other explanation.  I still had a hard time believing it though so I asked my brother and he confirmed that this is a real thing that happens from time to time.  I just thought I'd share so you'd have something to think about when using the bathroom.    

The London Eye

Random Travel Blog:

The London Eye

London, England

I've been blogging a lot about cars lately, which is me being lazy, so I'm going to try to knock off some travel blogs (which are usually the most viewed things I post - by far).  Branelle and I just got back from Europe so I'll try to hit on some of the places we visited while they're still fresh on my mind.  Might as well start with the London Eye.

In a city full of tourist attractions, the London Eye is.....another tourist attraction.  Built in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world for a while.  It's located on the South Bank of the Thames right in the heart of London and directly across the river from Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.  It's very interesting as an engineering feet - basically a giant bicycle wheel but supported by an A-frame on only one side.  There are 32 sealed and air-conditioned capsules, each representing one of the London Boroughs.   

The Eye just sort of constantly revolves.  Each capsule can hold about 25 people and as one gets to the bottom of the loop (pictured here) they shuffle everyone off - a three person cleaning and inspection crew hops on for a few seconds - and then they shuffle a new group on.  It's really very interesting.  It takes around 30 minutes for a revolution.  It moves slow enough to be able to really take in the views, but still fast enough to feel the motion.  You can feel it stop every now and then as they accommodate people who need special assistance to get on or off.

It's the highest viewing point in London, other than the observation deck at the Shard.  You can see Big Ben in the background here.  The views on a clear day really are spectacular.  It doesn't feel crowded in the pod either.  There is seating, but most people stand and take pictures the whole time.

You can buy tickets ahead of time online, which I have read is necessary during busy times.  It is, surprisingly, the most visited paid attraction in England with 3.75 million annual visitors.  We showed up and just walked to the ticket booth at the base.  I asked for a Fast Pass Ticket (it costs more but allows you to get in a shorter line - I hate lines).  The guy was cool and told us there was basically no wait so it was a waste of money.  He was right - it took us maybe 5 minutes from getting our tickets to getting on the wheel.   

 
So should you do it?  I would say yes.  It's unique and it's iconic (now) and the views are great.  As a general rule I don't talk cost when blogging about these sort of things because what's expensive to one person may be a value to the next. I'm certainly not one to consult with regards to "budget travel".  The Eye is around 20-30 pounds, depending on what type of ticket you get.  I'm not sure I would do it again, but if I took someone to London that hadn't done it I would absolutely take them for a spin.

 

1998 Lexus LS 400

1998 Lexus LS 400

This was one of the best cars I've ever owned - period!  You can debate whether or not it's a cool car, but there is just no denying how good the Lexus LS 400 from '98-'00 was.  I owned this car for years, and drove it a lot while it was around.  It became my favorite "have to go do something" car.  I had owned a '97 years earlier and thought it was a pretty nice car, but the changes in '98 actually hit the sweet spot for the LS.  They lost their way from '01-'03, but found it again in 2004 (I currently own a 2005).

I didn't take a ton of pictures of this car, but when I sold it around the time these pictures were taken it had nearly 150K miles on it.  It looked like it had 20K.  Others I've seen have looked just as good.  They just didn't show wear.  It's not a car that you would call "sporty", but is surprisingly powerful and even nimble when needed.  It's not the car for enjoying the driving experience (think BMW), but it's the perfect car to go from point A to point B in as comfortable and relaxing a way possible - regardless of how far apart those points are.    

Mine was fully optioned (the best way to buy used examples), but the navigation system was certainly outdated.  Everything worked - perfectly - and the car never let us down.  I kept this one around long after it was needed simply because it was so much better than what I knew I would get for it.  Alas, it was just taking up space and so I reluctantly let it go.  Maybe a year or two later I bought the 2005 that we still have.  It's even better than the '98, but it's sort of in the same situation: not really needed anymore but too good to just let go.   

2001 Yamaha Waverunner SUVs

2001 Yamaha Waverunner SUVs

This will be another short entry because I really don’t have many pictures of these enormous Waverunners even though I owned them for years.  The SUV was easily the largest Jet Ski you could buy at around 13 feet in length…and I had two!  I wasn’t looking for these things but I bought them as part of a package deal along with a Ford Excursion.  They were on a single trailer nose to tail and when hooked up to the Excursion were about as long as a Semi.  My buddy Barry flew out to Lake Havasu in Arizona and drove the whole rig back.  I’m not sure I ever fully appreciated what a long drive that must have been. 

They initially got a lot of use - Houston is a great place to own personal watercraft.  It was a ridiculously long set up though so I bought a used single trailer and got them separated.  I also had the seats re-covered and did a little maintenance.  After that they basically sat around in my shop for a couple years.  I’m not sure why I stopped using them to be honest.

Ultimately I sold them just to get them out of the way.  I understand that these are popular with some users just because they’re so stable due to their sheer size - fishing and towing would make sense for example.  I liked them ok, but I think I preferred some of the two-seater versions I’ve owned a little more for simple riding.

1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 LT 4X4

1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 LT 4X4

I have to throw a vehicle blog in every now and then or I'll never get to them all.  Tonight my random program has selected this rather large SUV.  I had always liked this body style Suburban, but surprisingly had never bought one until I got this 3/4 ton example in 2005.  

The truck looked great and was pretty clean as well.  I think it was about the only truck I had around at the time so it got driven a lot.

It towed fairly well, but felt a little under-powered with a big load behind it.  The wheels and tires looked great on the truck but hurt the ride a little bit.

Here's the truck at Mud Creek.  It was a fine camping vehicle because it looked the part, did everything it needed to do, but was cheap enough that I didn't have to worry about it getting "dirty", or worse.  If you look closely you can see most of Hot Rod - the 3-legged wonder mutt!

Would I recommend one of these?  Well, it depends on what you want it for.  As a daily driver, probably not.  The next gen Suburban which came a year later is a much better vehicle for that.  As an extra vehicle for utility purposes though, it's hard to beat.  They cost almost nothing today and if you can find one that has been reasonably well taken care of it could be a great truck to have around.  I'm not sure I would recommend the 3/4 ton though.  It's kind of pointless for 99% of potential users.