Before I open the box up I have to clear space on my work bench, as making models for my train layout I have a mess on the bench tops, the box is still up in the house, hopefully I have the workshop all tidy up this weekend a good mate of mine is coming over for a few days stay over and he is going to give me a hand, before he heads back to Thailand to his new wife.
We are a high tax country here in Aus we use too be the lucky country but these days our pollies are making life harder for the ordinary person, the rich get richer and normal people are taxed to death and cost of living is getting harder for us, greed and taxes seem to go hand in hand these days and even harder now with the troubles around the world, lucky I live a very simple life and smart in how we live and spend, I own everything and I have always looked after Debra, she has never worked from day one we got together, I was never a high income paid worker but we managed through hard times, bring up the kids and still have my bikes and toys.
Since our accident we have help from so many of my old friends/mates and Debra has her close friends looking after both of us when we need help, I will need help with the Norton as I go, so hard with a missing leg, most of the help be the lift table and pushing the Norton onto it to start the work, I like working on my Norton by myself and have done so ever since I converted it to the Featherbed frame back in 1980, I don't like giving my little secrets away or showing some of my ways of doing things or having someone watching over my shoulder when working.
But I have mates who live close by and if I get stuck or need help they aren't too far away, I like to have a beer when I do work but I do know when to stop working if I drink more beers than I should, I don't drink as much as I use to these days but I do like a cold beer or 2 when doing things up in the shed, but these days I drink at my own pace, I don't drink till I fall over or can't scratch myself, well maybe sometimes lol, but I stop working before that happens lol, but I do have to get back into the house when I had a belly full and on crutches is not a easy task as well getting the wheelchair back up in the house.
June 21st I am planning to have a few mates over for drinks and help to celebrate my 50 years of owning my Norton, not sure it will be together by then all depends but it will be in the middle of the workshop on the lift table and be the centre of attention on the day, good mates who have also grown up with my Norton, some who was with me the day I picked it up, except for Eddie who drove me up to the dealership, he was killed on a bike over 30 years ago now on the same road we had the accident just around the bends before where we got hit.
I am looking forward to the day of celebrating my 50 years of ownership, I could have brought the new M111 Commando at the time but the last 74 850 Commando was sitting right down the back of the showroom all by itself and all the 75 model Nortons and Triumphs where in front of it, it was the one I choose, even new my whole intention was to build it into a Featherbed frame, my mates couldn't understand why I do that to my Commando at only 4 years in my hands from new, except for Don who got me into Nortons/Featherbed frames he understood where I was going with it and I haven't regretted it at all, it handles and grips the road so much better than the Commando and its built for the tight twisties, it's my hotrod, built by my own hands and it's like riding on a Featherbed and handle like it's on rails, such a fun bike to ride, and the best thing it's only one of a kind in how I built it, fu ck I nearly forgot to mention the Joe Hunt magneto, that super big spark set with full advance as soon as it fires up, no need to retard it to start it always fires on first kick every time, thought I throw that one in for Rob lol.
Ashley
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