Jerry Smith, writer, motorcyclist, Sophie's dad.

I've owned singles, twins, a triple, a buttload of fours, and two sixes. But thumpers really do it for me. Lug 'em, rev 'em, it's all the same--instant go when you crack the throttle. Motorcycles should be simple and easy to ride, not arcade games with wheels. #motosky #motorcycle

I never set the time on my microwave to begin with, so kiss my ass, DST.

"They don't make them like this anymore."

There was a good reason for that.

Good idea, worth a try. Thanks.

Wolf breaking through in three...two...one...

As I understand it, you can remove the clutch cover (on the right side of the engine), remove the clutch pack and hub, and pull the shaft out that way. For now I squeezed the clamp end of the lever in Vise-Grip for a tighter fit on the shaft. We'll see how long that lasts.

The KLR's shift lever was a loose fit on the shift shaft. Tightening the bolt didn't help. So I ordered a replacement lever and it's too loose, too, as is every shift lever in my spares box. So it's the splines on the shaft that are worn. Sigh. It never ends, does it? #motosky #motorcycle #shafted

A local fabricator shortened this an inch, welded it up, and painted it, all for $40. Upside: The lowered bike now leans at an acceptable angle when parked. Downside: It looks so good--like new, in fact--that the rest of the bike looks even shabbier. #motosky #motorcycle

Sophie's waiting for a call from Chewy about a backordered Nylabone. #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

If you like them, good for you. They don't work for me. There's no tactile sensation, no sense memory. I like the feel of the paper, the smell of the ink. I can read something faster than someone can read it to me. And a book's batteries never die.

They look good on that bike, especially as they complement the OD paint.

I've just found out two of the characters in my WIP don't like each other. I didn't plan that--it was a complete surprise--but it's better than what I had in mind for them so I'm leaving it in. If you can't trust people you made up, who can you trust? #amwriting #author #charactermutiny

I'm reading my 103-year-old copy of "A Tale of Two Cities." The style in Dickens's day dictated a lot of unnecessary (and confusing) commas. If he had deleted all of the ones in this book there'd have been enough room left over to call it "A Tale of Three Cities." #writingcommunity #bookskychat

Early this morning a golden bedbug hopped up on the bed, settled in, and was too damn cute to wake up. We both got an extra hour of sleep. #goldenretriever #dogsofbluesky

AKA "pantsing," as in writing by the seat of your pants, with no clear notion of where the story is going, just a general idea of landmarks along the route.

Settings/Content and Media/Enable Trending Topics

I once bought a zipper repair kit from Aerostich, probably thinking, "I might need it someday." That was about 20 years ago. It sat on a shelf in the garage unopened until today when I fixed a broken Darien pants zipper. That must set some kind of record for foresight. #motosky #motorcycle

I'm going to write a book about writing. The first part will list the writing tips of famous authors. The second part will cross-reference the tips to show how many times two or more authors disagree about the same tip. I figure 800 pages ought to cover them all. #amwriting #author #writing

Compared to the tubeless dual-compound Dunlops on my Ninja, the KLR's tubed 70/30 Shinkos feel like riding on balloon animals. But they soak up the bumps like the Dunlops never could. I had a fine run today on a rough road I've avoided for a long time. No pain, all gain. #motosky #motorcycle

Adjust your moderation settings (click the gear-shaped icon, bottom left, then click moderation) and thereafter make liberal use of the "block account" function (click the three horizontal dots at the bottom right of a post). Worked for me.

I found a lot of this sort of thing on the KLR650 I just refurbished. I feel like I bought it from the luckiest rider in the world because he survived riding it in that condition long enough to sell it.

I confirmed my earlier sighting of a bright glowing ball in the sky. It put out welcome light but not nearly enough heat. Still, the roads were clean and dry, and the KLR acquitted itself admirably for a 22-year-old former POS. I eagerly await summer nonetheless. #motosky #motorcycle

There's a bright glowing thing in the sky this morning the likes of which hasn't been seen around here for weeks. I might have to get on a motorcycle later and go investigate this strange phenomenon. #motosky #motorcycle #cabinfever

My motobiography has a 100% 5-star rating, which is several stars more than the actual life it's based on deserves (I should know, I was there). It won't take you as long to read it as it took me to live it and it'll cost you a lot less, only $2.99. www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBNQ792H #motosky #motorcycle

You might be surprised by how heavy they are.

I went to town today to run some errands. The rain came down in buckets. I saw only two motorcycles on the road, both KLR650s. This happened a month ago in the same conditions. Both times I was in my car, not on my KLR. I feel like I'm letting the team down. #motosky #motorcycle

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight Twitter: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

This popped up in my YouTube recs this morning. Yet more reasons to leave.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZG...

Sophie is having a crisis of faith. I am in many ways godlike to her--I can make food and water appear out of nowhere, tell what she wants just by the look on her face, transport us to the beach and back--but I can't make the rain stop. "Stupid human. You suck." #dogsofbluesky #goldenretriever

The day you sold it, right?

I'm rewatching this riveting series of Shakespeare plays on DVD. Here's the real game of thrones, straight out of
England's history by way of its greatest dramatist, starring (among others) Irons, Cumberbatch, Hiddleston, and Dench. Dragons? We don't need no stinkin' dragons! We got Richard III!