Still Wrenchin'

Where to start?

We're still here and going strong.  This year has been filled with travels and cold weather.  I haven't done all I've wanted to in the garage, but I do manage to slip out there from time to time.  So far BKG has made 2 sales and 0 purchases (the Big Beez is just fine with me not buying ANYTHING...haha).

She won't admit it, but she loves it!

In January I decided to list the Gorilla bike on Ebay for a 7 day auction.  I set a reserve price so I would at least make some $$$ on it if it reached a certain price.  It was a fun auction to watch......the last minute 2 people had a small bidding war and it moved out of reserve.  Some lucky fellow in Ft. Worth, TX will be enjoying riding it in parades. 

Pretty cool if I can say so...

Last Sunday Bobbie moved on.  I listed her on CL and it only took a week.  A young hipster kid from Seattle will be making her his first motorcycle.  Luckily the Saturday before she and I did about 15 miles in the 45F....and I wore a smile the whole way!

So currently I'm working on another mini bike...KV75.  I have it all apart for restoration.  It's been hard to find parts, so this build might take longer than expected.......all we have is time though!

wouldn't you love to be 6 and riding this through the woods?

bare bones...

painting...

a few of the finished items....

As well as the mini I'm working on a 1973 CB 500f.  This will be a sweet bike when it's done.  I've got the engine running well.  As of now I'm fabricating the frame to allow for a sleek seat design and a new electrical system.  Today I plan on building a rear hoop for the back of the frame.  Kinda hard to explain so you'll have to see with the pictures after I finish.

getting there....

the final color will be metallic silver with the logo clear coated on....

i cut the back end off with a grinder....a hoop will marry both sides together...

The "Brat" CB550 is still around and is a real thorn in my ass.  I basically tore down the top end of the engine to replace a head gasket......$400 later (long story) I replaced all the valves and had a local machine shop really fine tune the valve head.  I put everything back together and ran the engine....man she sounds mean!  But there's still a small leak.  So I took the head off again and am waiting for some more parts to seal it back up.  I really hope the new parts fix the problem.....she's too cool not to be out on the roads!

leaky head gaskets make a mess...

a beautiful head thanks to Barry's Machine Shop...

I still love her even though we have been through a few rounds...

There are 2 more bikes in the shop too......The KE175 and Honda 500 Twin.  Both are at a stand still.  I only have 2 arms....so these are going to rest were they lay for now!  Stay tuned!

Willie is out!

For Mawgrit...and Matt...and Honey.

In recent travel, CT and I came across a fortune that we believe was meant for the MLGs.

Fortune.

On back.

Amen to that! 

Heartfelt Tidings

Hello Loves. (By that we mean to include Millirens, Gauches, Tuckers, and others too!)  Nothing too exciting to report from the PacNW. But, we wanted to do a blog to chronicle our current days. If you need a tune to listen to while you read... we currently love this...and this...
We are still fools for love... we are still holding on to our faith, our love, and our freedom! How about you?
Have you had some winter weather? Us too!

That was as far as Lefty got...he turned around and went back under the porch.

 Had anything yummy to eat lately?  Boy, we have.

I can never get enough Huevos Rancheros with grapefruit and lattes.

Kale chips. I like them more every time I make them! Almost at the whole pan!

Connor prepared a delicious salmon over potato pancakes with mushrooms and balsamic glaze.

Crabcakes and pasta...yum!

Gingerbread cake compliments of Miss Ashley and Matt.

Osso Buco - one of Connor's specialties.

Seen any pretty sights?  Too many to count on our end.

Walked around Capital Lake one evening after work when Connor came up to Olympia to pick me up.

Hopefully you can see this. Since Chehalis is a flood valley, we are lucky to live on one of the hills.  Check out the fog in the valley! It looks like the sea or clouds... really pretty.

 Been anywhere fun? Our typical travel escapades are in full force...

Marie's work calendar has her traveling somewhere new almost everyweek. Port Angeles to Bellingham to Spokane to Vancouver to Yakima to Pasco. I feel very well traveled.

Connor was fortunate to spend a week in Texas. His friend Tommy got married on Valentine's Day.

Anything fun coming up on your calendar?  So much exciting stuff in our future.
Baby shower for MLG. Moon Area High School reunion/visit with Karen. Possible train trip to Vancouver.  Lots to look forward to...As usual, we will keep you posted.
Happiest wishes for a bright and cheery day wherever your heart/soul/body may be. xoxox

Super Bowl champs in a foreign city...

Lefty wanted to help Daryl cheer by sharing a chicken wing...

 Well... The Super Bowl this year was pretty exciting for us. I mean, the entire Pacific Northwest is a Seahawk meat-lot... so we are pretty much surrounded. There is an errant non-Seahawk fan here and there, but it is a pretty tight crowd up here.  After the Seahawks so rudely kicked the Cowboys butts when they were here in the fall of 2012, we decided we weren't really Seahawk fans (it wouldn't have been so bad to lose, but the fans were seriously derogatory and downright crude).  But, living in this area, it was hard to not catch a bit of the fever.  So, ultimately, it was fairly fun and satisfying to watch them win the Super Bowl this evening.  The best part was that from the comfort of our own home, we didn't have to deal with the obnoxious fans!

Connor and Daryl with brews, spicy wings, and crudites for starters.

Ample slatherings of shwarma sauce, tzatziki, hummus, and siracha!  So delicious with soft pita bread, yellow rice, and veggies.

Seattle is known for its coffee... and apple pie is always right!

We always enjoy preparing Super Bowl food that represents the two cities.  For Seattle, we chose lattes and a modified apple slab pie.  For Denver, it was Chicken Shawarma and the fixin's.  (Connor lived in Denver for a period of time... his favorite place to eat was Jerusalems, so we went with his favorite dish.) Of course our lone party friend (by choice of course!), Daryl, accepted an invitation to join us. 
The invitation dominating my brain space of late...

Can't wait... Are you coming?? Puh-lease say yes! xox

Trip to Port Angeles... Aunt Pat and the Elwha River

Hey there... How was your weekend?  We had a fantastic little time here in WA.  On Friday, we headed up to Port Angeles to visit Aunt Pat and Uncle Alan. The visit was overdue since we didn't go in December for the holidays.  As usual, she worked hard to spoil us. She thought it would be fun to go to the mouth of the Elwha River - which has recently been restored by removing a 100+ year old dam - on Saturday afternoon.  The weather was glorious.  Chilly but sunny and bright. We also went to the location of the old dam and took in the drastic change in scenery there. 
The weekend was also filled with a trip to the farmer's market, walks, church, and relaxing at the house too.  Connor cooked coq au vin (with a local organic chicken) for a special dinner on Saturday. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Marie enjoyed having Monday off for the MLK holiday... Baby shower planning is in full swing! It is going to be so pretty!
What did you do? Hope you remembered that you are loved by two little birds in the PacNW.
xox

BKG ended its 1st year very happy!!!

The year is over and the books are reconciled....pretty easy considering it's a one man show!  Wow, where do I start?  I started as a hobbyist just trying to build a cheap custom motorcycle and ended up creating a profitably small business. 

The first bike was a 1975 Kawasaki KZ400 and will always be one to remember........why did I sell it?

First year record:
+28 Purchases
-21 Sales
=7 Bikes to start 2014

Survivors

Purchased in Dec.......KV75

Purchased in Dec......KE175

Here are a few pics of my favorites:

z50

cb360

cl360

cb750

Bobbie....still around

The "Brat" cb550........might not be able to part with this one!

Hopefully this year will bring many exciting things to BKG!!!

Navidad con los Tejans

WCT<3MMT2gether4ever!

We had an awesome holiday adventure in Texas this year.  Probably one for the consideration of the National Lampoons producers!  Our main wish was to spend time with all of our family...and it came true!  As always, there was not enough time for us to get our fill, but we will have to make it last. Here are some highlights:
Arrival:

Gotta love a Shipley's donut welcome!

Gas Monkey Bar & Grill

From Longview:

Big Daddy's second office... he can cook up a storm!

Lots of walks with our favorite little black dogs!

Chef Uncle Buddy made Mickey Mouse Pancakes for Sam and Alex.

The boys at play on a beautiful day...this park is near Connor's old jr. high school.

Dad made numerous gourmet dishes - here is the prime rib dinner...including Neana's famous hot water cornbread. DELICIOUS!

If it looks like a magazine picture to you, you are correct! Check out Southern Living's holiday magazine...this cake was on the cover. It was an exact replica created by Big Daddy and Marie.

Neana is a movie-star... Statuesque.

Mr.&Mrs. Claus telling bedtime stories. Lovebirds in action.

Christmas in Longview.

Our introduction to bath-time with the nephews. We did pretty well... and it was a blast!

Bodacious BBQ Hot Link Sandwich. Your mouth needs one!

 From Daingerfield:

Connor and Papa on a ride through the lower farms.

Beautiful Mama Leigh Ann with her beautiful baby boy Sam.

Alex warmed up to the 4-wheeler with Uncle Buddy real quick.

Granny loves her boys.

Uncle Buddy spent everynight in similar fashion. Those boys LOVED watching "big truck" videos on YouTube.

Lou treated us to GrandBet sausage/egg casserole for Christmas morning. It was a late night - she worked hard to be a generous Santa for her boys!

Mom and Uncle Buddy - "Santa's Elves"

Alex and Sam hit the jackpot Christmas morning!

Prodigy for Busted Knuckle Garage. AKA Future Shop Minion.

Thank goodness Uncle Buddy is patient and wicked smart.

Seriously LOVE this picture. The Clampets anyone?  I see Jethro... I see Elly Mae... I see two hillbilly babies!

A Christmas morning stroll down Papa's lane.

Our future homesite...

Don't mess with the bull; he can get real mean!

Catfish pond. Hey - That's my kinda night!

From Dallas:

Auntie M loves to feed the kids. Meals and snacks every 2-3 hours. Ellyn Satter style with a healthy division of responsibility.

Sandbox and backyard playtime.

Shake 'em til they're dry.

Alex got tired of riding his bike...decided to ride in the stroller and let Auntie M push/tow everything instead.

Luckily, Sammy liked riding on Uncle Buddy's strong shoulders.

A visit to a local park. Uncle Buddy is just like one of the kids. Sam and Alex love him so much... It was music to my ears to hear them laughing and calling his name. Best Christmas gift ever!

There are too many great stories to tell.  Too many beautiful pictures to share. It was a blessing to be with our Texas family for Christmas.  We hope your Christmas was wonderful too.  We are already counting down to Millhorn Christmas 2014.