Is this madness or brilliance?

Retirement continues to be excellent.
I just finished the latest project.
Re-painting and re-designing the living room.
This has been a full 5 day project.
There was much wood trim to paint around in addition to
 a large amount of wall & ceiling area to cover.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This was the toughest project as of yet.
We moved several extremely heavy pieces of
furniture around and out of the house.
but---
We have several new furniture and art items in route for the final room look.
The painting alone made an incredible difference in the room.
I've already started on re-painting our dining room with 
before and after photo's to come.

We continue to enjoy our projects and their results.

The other day i was checking my physical condition,

taking stock after a lifetime of work?

Natural to do, I imagine, once one retires?

I've always had British teeth so that's nothing new to deal with.

I am half deaf. 

I have a constant static

sound in my ears.

but....

It's something i can live with.

and---

My left hand fingers are a bit numb.

Based on the life i have led,

and that
I have throughout my life and 

  still do smoke like a Russian...

 I am forced to

give myself, physically, an overall retirement rating of:

I have time to think now.

I've found that the retirement brain is full of things i want/wish to do.

I was considering restoring a motor-scooter.

The problem with vintage items now is

the pricing put upon anything remotely considered vintage.
Everyone seems bent on making their fortune on a trashed out
item that they consider vintage.

This pushed the possibility of restoring a Vespa scooter,
price wise, out of reach.

So

Why not build something?

We have been binge watching a show on streaming called

Pickers.

In this show they search junkyards and hoarders for

antique items to sell.

An item they are always looking for are motorcycles and parts

prior to 1920.

They have shown photographs of these very early motorcycles on this show

and they are quite simply motorized bicycles, but they have a style and

art form all their own.

This is what initiated my thought to DIY build an antique motorcycle copy 

of my own design based off the 1900 time frame, light weight motorbikes.

There are kits available to motorize standard bicycles.
Amazon, of course...

These kits are reasonably priced at around $200 although they are 

reportedly weak on installation instructions.

To me, weak on instructions is what makes the fun of all it.

30 mph is the top speed and i wouldn't want to go any faster

than that on something like as lightweight and brake-less.

I have a single speed cruiser bike in the garage

that i have previously rebuilt which may serve

as the perfect test frame for this project.

I will have to tear it all down, flat black it, 
and rat it out as a proof of concept.

I am planning on starting this project as soon

as i have re-built and organized our garage space

so that i have room to work.
I did  buy two stickers for the gas tank
in advance of the project...
Mr. Natural...

I cannot wait to get started on building something that will look

like the examples in the photographs.

I guess this does prove that if you focus and 

think outside the box anything may be possible?
We'll have to see once i start construction.
I for sure need the helmet and goggles thing going on
to ride it.

Purchased and reading for reference on my build it yourself 

Motorcycle project.
Written in 1924 so the sections regarding
1900 era motorbikes are current in this book.

"I belong to a secret order. We all have OCD,

so you better believe we have order."

Jarod Kintz

Round up the usual suspects

This has been an excellent week overall.

Many projects completed and new ones started.

We met new people.

Planted 14 trees!

I went to my twice a month coffee clutch
and had an excellent time.

As promised before and after photographs of 

recent projects....starting with the bedroom closet.

BEFORE:

Our house which built in 1903 lacks closet space.

All houses built around this time frame do.

People used Chifferobe(s) to store clothing within the 

actual room itself for the most part.

I believe that the single large closet off our main bedroom

was actually used as a sick room in the old days.

When a family member came down with a cold, anything contagious

they were nursed in a small room, isolated from others in

the house for the sake of general health--which was an excellent
concept to prevent the spread of disease.

but I digress:

The previous owners of the house painted the interior 

of the bedroom closet Gray?--The closet was very dark,

which explains my total lack of clothing style and matches

when working. I couldn't see anything while getting

dressed in the mornings..... 

AFTER:

We hauled our clothing out, I pulled out the racks which we

reassembled after painting the closet brilliant white.

We also sorted and organized our clothing and got rid of

items we no longer used or no longer fits.
Overall a project with excellent results.

Nerd Cave BEFORE the recent rebuild...

AFTER photos of the new nerd cave. 

Painted and redecorated.

The next project will be re-painting the living room.
This will be the February main objective for the homestead.

I am intending on carrying my Star S .380 pistol again.
I do love this old pistol.

During the middle of this week

 a winter storm with rain and snow

 hit my area.

A forced slow down time for me.

One of the greatest elements of retirement is the ability

to not have to go out in a storm.

I worked on model building for the next few days

while the storm raged outside.

I have in my kit collection a ICM 1/72 scale He 70G-1.

A German Airliner from the 1920's.

This kit, if i manage to build it properly, should

fit in beautifully with the other eclectic aircraft i have on display in the 

newly-rebuilt nerd cave.

This was a truly beautiful aircraft in real life.

Very diesel-punk.

I am hoping that i will be able to build this kit and make it worthy

of displaying. I have had a run of bad luck the past few building attempts.

I was forced to trash the past two kits i attempted.

Due to the weather I am going to attempt to brush paint this kit.

My spray painting ability has proven to be less than artistic...

I'll keep working on it---

This time with this kit however i am going to see if my

brush painting skills are up to the tasking?

To replace this kit in my stash and simply because 

I have wanted one for a very long time to display in the nerd cave

I ordered an AZW Cierva C.30 Autogyro kit in 1/72 scale.

1930's Autogyro kits are fairly rare and i was pumped to find

this kit on Amazon Prime delivery---so i can work this kit 

during the snowstorm as well.

I have some research to do on Autogryo's.

The 1930's held a belief 

that the Autogryo was the

aircraft of the future.

Once again a very, very diesel punk design kit 

that will make an excellent match for my current displays.

I am hoping that my losing streak in building models

has come to an end.

This week we joined the local Car Club and attended 

a meeting.

Everyone was extremely nice and welcoming.

It was very enjoyable.

They hold multiple functions and we are looking forward to

being involved.

It was tough tho describing my Pocket Rocket 

to the meeting.

Before taking the Pocket Rocket to any of the functions

I have to wash and detail it's ass off.

I had to order a complete kit of auto cleaning supplies.

I do think that the price i paid for all of the above

vehicle cleaning/detailing products was cheaper than buying

each product individually.
I now have a wonderful kit for beautifying the Pocket Rocket. 

The only downside to joining the car club

was that talking to everyone about their vintage cars 

restarted my desire to own/restore a

Studebaker Champion at some point in time.

Luckily there is lots of time for the search

for the perfect Studebaker

and the restoration project.

"When I die

I'm leaving my body to Science Fiction."

Steven Wright