Things Tend To Happen In Three's

Well, finally some good news to report. I was having a rather spotty Internet connection problem. You see my camp trailer is set up in my friends back yard. With a distance of about 100' away from the house, and his WiFi broadcaster is inside and on the opposite side of the house. So my laptop WiFi was having trouble staying connected to the Internet, because of the distance of about 150' and obstacles like the house between my laptop and his WiFi broadcaster unit. When it did make the connection, all that I could get was 1-2 bars at best. Also my laptop isn't the newest one around.

Now with this years tax returns, I was able to buy a stronger WiFi receiver antenna from the C. Crane catalog. It can pick up any signal in a one mile circle from it. That means that my laptop external antenna is now dead center of a two mile across circle of reception. So now off of my friends WiFi broadcaster, I have a solid Internet connection. Have also seen about five or six other possible connections, they however tend to fluctuate in and out of my signal range but most of them are locked anyhow. For anyone wanting to know what the name of that antenna is, its' the Super USB WiFi Antenna 3. Again that is in the C. Crane catalog or on the web at www.ccrane.com

Now sine my Internet connection problem has been fixed, on to good thing number two. I started ordering some of the plans from www.atomiczombie.com that they offer for bikes, trikes and quadracycles. currently there is a spring time special being offered, where you can buy 6 plans for $36.00 through May 1st, normally the plans are $16.95 apiece. So two weeks ago I bought a set of 6 plans and last week I bought another set of 6 plans and this week I'll buy another set of 6 plans. In all that is 18 plans, about half of what they currently have. The best part is that the plans are down loadable PDF files. When they get your payment a link is sent to your email box, then simply follow their instructions and down load the files. I have the files on my laptop and a copy on my zipdrive for safe keeping. OK, here are the PDF file plans that I currently have copies of:

1. The LodeRunner Trike
2. The LodeRunner Tandem Trike
3. The Vigilante Chopper
4. The Delta Runner Trike
5. The Dutchman Cargo Bike
6. The Gladiator Chopper
7. The Viking Tandem Trike
8. The Overkill Phat Chopper
9. The Warrior Tadpole Trike
10. The Delta Wolf Speed Trike
11. The Streetfox Trike
12. The Timber Wolf Delta Trike

Yes the finished units are as exotic as their names sound. Also www.atomiczombie.com has a gallery where builders have sent in pictures to show off their finished builds. Now here are PDF plans that I am ordering this week:

1. The Tricruiser LWB Trike
2. The WildKat Recumbent
3. The TourMaster LWB
4. The Meridian Touring LWB
5. The Streetfighter Quad
6. The Kyoto Cruiser Trike

www.atomiczombie.com also has a builders forum, where many have posted their build progress. Novice to master builders hang out here to ask questions and give advice. Everyone from around the world is welcome.

Now that I have started collecting other peoples plans, I need to start pushing myself harder to work up my own designs. As well as start building. But before I can build a rolling bike, trike or quad, I need to build a place to build. As I have stated in other posts, it will be a dome covered with tarps for weather protection and shade. Also will make it so that it can be put up or taken down in a couple of hours. That way I'll have a mobile garage/workshed/workshop. Am considering a generator as an off grid electrical source, or at least to have as a back up power source. Oh yes, bike building/repair tools are needed, more than I currently have ~ but I think that they can be acquired for the most part as I need them. Now I need to actively start collecting donor bikes for the needed parts. Will have to keep an eye peeled for yard sales and such now.

OK, here is the third good news of last week. I got a new pair of glasses so that I can see more clearly again. Yes most of my tax return has been spent now. It did pleasantly surprise me that with the eye exam, the new frames and the new lenses, totaled in at just under the $200.00 mark. The written word was getting quite blurry to read in the distance. Then again just writing or sitting at the keyboard was becoming a test of will.

Now seeing everything in sharp focus again, hopefully I'll soon be building my alternative transportation so that I can make my personal deadline. That of in less than two years from now (by my 60th Barf-day), being free of the gas pump nipples. For me the soaring costs of maintaining a gas or diesel guzzler has soured the milk. Not just the cost of the fuel, but also the insurance, license, tags and fees as well as general upkeep. Not to mention that vehicle price tags keep going up. While income is either static or dropping in this flat line economy.

A quick side note here, I like to drink a dark lager. Some young co-workers found this out and said that it was just beer. I tryed to explain that beer was an overall classification, but they weren't buying it. I said that you have beer, ales, stout and lagers. Again these young American boys claimed that it was all still just beer. I countered with this one ~ with that kind of thinking, then champagne was really just an expensive wine. They conceded. I don't think that I won in their eyes, but at least the subject changed. My point is simple really, when your back is on the wall ~ making your attackers stop and think, some breathing room you acquire.

So for some breathing room
As I raise my mug (glass) of dark lager (Michelob's Amber Bock)

A toast I offer to everyone's dream ...

SALUTE!!!