[ST] Non Ride Report

[peter.chittum@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

It has been ages since I've kept up with the list. Finally today I had some time to sit down and start to clean out my email messages...found a whopping 747 unread messages from the old ST list. Wow. And how a propos given that it is my hectic schedule replete with the occasional trip here or there that has kept me not only from the list, but from riding, too. 
 
This started last November with a 10 day trip to Istanbul. I had a fantastic time. It was for work, but I had enough free days to get out and see some of the oldest historical buildings in the Mediterranean region. The people were very cool. It was a little dirty lots of street vendors, but vibrant, beautiful and on the water. Which is why I like to say that it reminds me of a cross between Mexico City and Sydney, Aus. I would recommend to anyone to visit Istanbul. I want to go back. Interestingly, I actually met and worked with a Turk who was a motorcyclist. We swapped photos, information, and all of that. I've invited him to get in touch when he makes a trip to the Bay Area in the near future so we can go for a little ride. 
 
After returning from November, a major life change happened that has limited my riding ever since. My fiancé started a job five minutes from mine. This means that we are both going the same direction, and therefore, cage-pooling every morning. Now, since I was primarily a commuter motorcyclist, this, too has severely limited my two-wheel time. 
 
The last thing that has made it more difficult is that now I'm a dog owner. And sitting the poor dog on the bike just doesn't work. 
 
So, busy at work, commuting by cage, several trips away, and finally a few weeks ago, I realize that everything would work to go for a ride on the bike. Wow! I'm very excited. Then that night, as I'm doing my taxes and trying to find my DMV renewal for my bike for December, I realize that I've never even gotten a renewal! Shitsky! Now I think back to early December when my identity was stolen and someone opened up two cell phone accounts in my name using my SSN, and I think, oh no! What happened. So I log into the DMV's web site, and go ahead and pay for the renewal, eat the late fee, and now I have to wait, because my tabs are expired. (How pathetic is that. I had neglected my bike so much that I hadn't even notice my tabs lapsing! I almost don't feel worthy to keep the company of guys like you on this list...)
 
So I wait for the tabs to come. The DMV says it will take 4-6 weeks, but I know it is normally 1-2 weeks turn-around when you register by web. 
 
3 weeks later, no tabs. But I can't file for non-delivery until after 4 weeks. So I finally file one week later, and I talk to the DMV person and realize that my address had been changed to some address that I have never lived at. Man! Now I have to look into filing a fraud report. 
 
So, to finish up this tale of woe, I've gotten everything squared away now. My fiancé even commuted one day last week on the back of the bike. I won't be racking up the 12k+ miles per year that I had been, but I'm not giving up...no way! 

In the spirit of some of the recent "here I am posts", I'll include a couple of links:

Turkey:
	Me and Kim (my fiancé)
	http://tinyurl.com/6ygfh

	Some guy selling bread:
	http://tinyurl.com/6hu2w

(feel free to poke around amongst the remaining 100+ photos of Istanbul.


And the Bike:
http://www.kimandpeter.net/bike.html

Good to be back. 

Peter Chittum
'01 BRG ST
San Jose, CA, USA 

     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
      The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
          http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
   http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info

=-=-=-= Next Message =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=