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Well my friends that time has come that I have to head back.  I didnt think that it would be this hard it has been a great leave.

The first couple of weeks were filled with family and friends and waiting to go to the meet and greet.  When the big weekend came we were all excited and it was wonderful.  It was the first time Red and I had gotten to ride together and her first big trip.  The ride was great and the meet and greet was fantastic.  We got to meet some great people and had some good times.

I really dont know if there was a favorite part of my time home it was all good, but believe it or not mowing the lawn and working in my yard was some of the best for some reason.  I got to buy some little parts for the bike and put them on.  I will decide on what else to do as far as chrome and such as I go.  The painter said get everything I want on it wheels, tires and so on and he will adjust the colors from there.

We all need to take a minute and sit back and look at what we have and how much the little things mean.

Take care and keep the comments coming

Robert a.k.a. tacman 605

My passion in life has always been firearms.  I have owned one of probably everything from muskets to machine guns in my life.

Today a police officer friend of mine called and hinted that he was looking for an AR-15 rifle to use on the SWAT team and he had some tools to trade.  Now I am not a mechanic of any sorts, although since I am now the owner of two Harleys I am learning quick,  so I agreed to go look at what he had.

He and his wife run a large mini storage facility and when someone doesnt pay the items are auctioned off.  When we got there he showed me to tools he had.  Now in addition to not being a mechanic I also do not watch NASCAR but what he had peaked my interest.

The first thing I saw was the limited edition Dale Earnhart 1994 Snap On head high tool box with a gizillion drawers.  Each drawer was full of Snap On tools some new in the wrapper.  Three different sized air rachets all attachments, an airbrushing gun, and half a dozen more air and impact wrenches.  Each drawer had complete sets of tools 4 large cardboard boxes worth.  After we decided on the trade we broke it all down and loaded it into reds van and headed home.

My father in law who it a mechanic for john deere came by and started telling me what some of the tools were and about what they cost.  In addition there was a stack of receipts from where the owner had bought the tools.  As best we can figure between the receipts and what he identified for me there is approx $12,000 worth of tools including two new air hammers which I just found.

If anyone had ever told me I would give up a gun for tools I would have laughed at them.  After the kids crash out tonight red and I are going to go through some more of the boxes and see what else is in there.  I will post a pic or two of this thing and maybe some of you will know what some of this stuff is.

Alright I am not a computer genius but where the hell did the chat room go?

Love the upgrades but give us dumbases a break.

 

Tacman

Well we made it to and from Tennesee without any major mishaps and had a great time doing it.  We did learn a few things along the way good and bad but overall it was great.

This was the first trip Red and I have taken together so I preplanned to death but it all worked out in the long run.

We packed the bikes the night before except for some of Red's little stuff and the kid/dog/house sitter was arriving at six am so it was supposed to be an early night.  At about 1 am I drifted off thinking about the ride and Red was still on the computer I think.  The alarm sounded at 5 and of course we both jumped up and were ready to go, yeah right, we were laying there thinking "Do we really want to do this".

We got the bikes out warmed them up and the house sitter arrived at about 6:15 and we were off to meet SaddleTramp in Lonoke about 30 minutes from the house.  After arriving in Lonoke and introductions done we made some trip planing.  Saddle and I were both riding Glides and Red was on her Sporty so we would have to ride around her fuel tank.  Once on the road the first thing that happened was the engine light on her Sporty came on at about 70 mph.  We did a quick check and since the light went off and on we figured it was something loose and the bike ran fine so we pushed on.

The traffic was good and although it was overcast and looked like it would pour down at any minute we never felt a drop the whole trip.  At West Memphis the light was really bothering Red so we called HD in North Little Rock where she got it and he somewhat agreed that since it was not staying on it was probably something loose but to be safe stop by the HD shop in Memphis and have them check it real quick.

Now we had two important stops in Memphis, both at the airport.  We had to pick up ZenJen at 9:30 and LARockstar and her hubby Richard at noon so we were just about on schedule.  I would like to add a note her about Memphis drivers, they suck badly.  Dont look for shit and are in their own little world.  Memphis is the truck hub for the south so tractor trailers are everywhere so it was a little hectic and imtimidating to drive so fast in such close quarters throught the city.

Jen's plane had just arrived and true to her word she was standing outside smoking when we got there and after introductions and rearranging gear we headed out to wait for Lynne and hubby.  After a quick bite at Mcdonald's in a not so good neighborhood, lol, we were off to find HD and wait for Lynne. Well we got directions to the HD dealer and when we arrived at Graceland Harley Davidson the first words I said was there is no service center here.  Beautiful shop for T shirts, jewelry and so on but no mechanics.  We did see an Elvis Presley edition HD that was kinda neat.  The main dealership was about 6 miles away in Mississippi so we decided to just head to the airport to get Lynne.

Richard and Lynne arrived on time and were greeted by an official LARockstar sign.  She and tammy were texting and talking right till they hugged.  After gathering luggage they were off to pick up there rental car and we were just going to meet them there.  Well the directions were kinda screwy and we ended up in the same bad neighborhood we ate in so more calls and we were finally on the right path to meet them.  As I was riding down the street I felt something hit my foot and went to shift but there was nothing there.  It seems my shifter peg decided to come off and landed in the street so after pulling over I ran back out into traffic and found it complete with the bolt so a little roadside wrenching and some loctite and we were back on the way.

Saddle led the way, thank god, and our little convoy continued down Hwy. 40.  The light was really bothering red and continued to come on and off without any ill effects so we pressed on.  I will say this about Tennesee, if you ever get a chance to ride there the roads and highways are fantastic.  Well maintained, clean and smooth as silk.  Red only had one close call when she misjudged the sharpness of an exit ramp and went onto the shoulder which brought her back into reality quick.

Just outside Milan, Tennesee after stopping for a break Red's bike refused to start no power at all.  Well figuring she was doing something wrong I got on and same thing no power then I happened to lean the bike slightly and we had power, straighten up nothing.  Loose something somewhere so we got it into the lot and unpacked got the seat, and sideplate off and sure enough loose battery connection.  I cannot stress enough about taking tools with you between Saddle and I we probably had one of everything so we were up and running in a few minutes with Lynne snapping pics with her disco light camera.

Now the State of Tennesee names every road, highway, turnpike and cowtrail you would think they would spend the extra money to put up some signs for the state parks but no such luck so back on the phone to Shelley and Gene for more directions.

After looping around for 30 minutes and finally having someone come out to meet us we arrived at the campsite.  I think 20 something was the final tally for the first ever meet and greet which I think is damn good.  I will leave details of the weekend to Shelley but it was worth the trip and the ride was great and the fellowship was even better.  Evreyone behaved themselves and even though alcohol was not allowed in the park we just about all partook in in the spirits and there was not one problem.

Thanks to Gene, Shelley, Jammer, Big Dave and all the others who set this up and made it a success.  Cant wait til the next one.

Hello All,

Just letting everyone know made it home safe and sound.  Flights were great, but long, and had to run at Detroit, my entry point into the US, across the airport to get my flight to Memphis with 2 minutes before it left the gate.
Got home and Red and I decided to take a quick ride before we picked the kids up.  I am so impressed with her riding she has done very well although I do need to find a way to slow her down a little before someone else does she is quite the speed demon.
We are both ready for the Tennesee trip and to meet all who come.

Take care guys and I will be on as often as I can.

Tacman

Ok gang I will fly out of this place tommorow, Sunday, at midnight go to Amsterdam, Detroit then Memphis where Tammy will pick me up.
I am ready for the meet and greet in Tenn and to ride and see the kids.
This has been an 8 month stretch for me which seems like a lifetime.  I will keep in touch and be in chat so give me a shout.

Thanks for all the comments and bulletins they have kept me sane.

Tacman

Well I have finally recovered from my trip to Dubai last weekend.  It was a good trip and lord knows I needed it.

I had arranged to get off early from work so I brought my bag with me.  I decided just to take a military duffel bag with my stuff and with any luck I could just carry it on.
I changed clothes at work got cleaned up and just stuck my uniform in the bag with my clothes.
Got to the airport a little early got to eat at a McDonalds and went to check in.  The clerk asked if I had any bags to check and when I held up my duffle he just waved so I could carry it on.
Now Dubai is a 1 hour flight from Kuwait but this flight was going onto Beirut, Lebanon and as I waited some of the most beautiful women started gathering for the flight.  I was thinking to myself hey this will be good.
In through security and the x ray again before boarding and that is when it hit me.  I had just stuffed my duty uniform in the bag after gathering what I needed from the pockets.  Well one thing I didnt think I would need was my large Benchmade folding knife I carry on duty it was still in the pocket of my uniform, which was in the duffle which I am now carrying on an international flight.
As thoughts of a Middle Eastern Prison flashed in my head I put the bag on the x ray, hey they missed it once right.  Well through it went without a problem never saw it.
Made me feel safe. LOL
Once on the plane got to my seat and watched all these women get on the plane and thought well one will surely sit by me right.  Wrong.  A Pakastani guy comes and plops down beside me and first thing he does is take off his shoes and puts his feet up in the seat.  Wonderful.  Then a rather large woman sits on the outside row.  She is dressed well in a white linen sheer skirt and blouse and she dropped something out of her purse well as she bends to pick it up she looked at me as she was bending over and all I saw was the straps of the thong she was wearing.  She smiled as she bent over attempting the best stripper puts ass in the air impression then had to grab the seat to stand up.
The airline I used has very cheap flights but you pay for everything food, drinks and when the flight folks come by you just pay in whatever currency you have and they will do there best to convert it for you
Well big girl was hungry and as they got closer she started asking them questions.  What is on this sandwich?  Does this taste good? Well when they got to her she had her menu planned out.  The only problem was all she had was big bills in both Euro's and in Dirham (from Dubai) well they had no change for bills that big.  Now she was getting mad and upset, obviously from lack of food.   The pakastani was getting worried he was not big enough to defend himself from her and I had a knife in my bag if i could reach it.  Well I ordered my water and candy bar she eyed it as they handed it to me and when I got my change I handed her 3-4 Kuwaiti dinars, about 10 bucks US and told her please order something.  She at first said no it is ok I dont want to take your money but I kept on and finally both the flight attendant and the Pakastani said at the same time Please take it, eat, he is being kind.  I think they were afraid of her to.
Well the rest of the flight was uneventful thank god.  Upon arrival at the hotel the rooms werent ready so they told me to have a seat and they would call me so I figured this would be a great time to head to the bar.
I had purchased two fifth's of Jack at the airport and for some reason bought two little airline bottles for whatever reason.
Well as I headed to the stairs to the bar the security guy told me it did not open unitl noon, this was about 11:15 so I went to the restaurant in the lobby.  They didnt serve alcohol.  Now it has been 7 months since I have had a drink and now I am in sight of the bar and still cant get one.
But wait, it was fate that I bought the little bottles of JD.  So I ordered a pepsi and being as sly as I could mixed a Jack and sat back to enjoy.  About that time a voice over my shoulder said in a familiar accent "If you run out of that mate we have quite a selection in the wifes bag".  The Aussie couple from Sydney had puchased several little bottles and were happily enjoying there wait in the lobby as I was.
Well the next three days were great the food was great the bar was awesome and the room was off the chain.  The mini bar was complimentary in the room and was fully stocked and in the drawer above the bar in there owned felt lined case was a bottle of Johnny Walker Black, Red and Blue Label also comped.  It was then I decided that this was going to be a long weekend.
Didnt go out much did get to the HD shop and bought and traded for some t shirts.  Visitors bring a t shirt in and trade for a Dubai HD shirt and then they sell the ones they brought makes for a cool way to get shirts.
Anyways had a great time behaved myself ate, drank, slept without the mosque waking me up with the call to prayer or the Kuwaiti's celebrating something by shooting an AK in the air a midnight.
If you ever get a chance to go take it you will love it.

Tacman

Well guys and gals the time has come for me to sacrifice to God and Country.
I will be travelling to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for three lovely days of R&RADJDTITIABH  (Rest and Recreation and Drinking Jack Daniels Til I Think I Am Back Home)

I have a room at a 5 Star hotel and fly out at 0800 in the morning getting to Dubai about 10.  By 1100 hrs I will be eating and drinking til my heart is content.

I probably will not be online but I will post photos when I get back.  Take care all and the 30 day countdown has begun for leave we are at day 26 until I leave this place for a little while anyways.  Hope to see everyone in June I am ready.

Take Care All,

Tacman

Hey,
I made this video for all my friends to show that I appreciate all the comments and friendships that I've made here on MS!!
Thanks,
Tacman605


http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii256/tacman605/?action=view&current=MSbikevideo-2.flv

Hello All,

Because of my lengthy police background and my time in Afghanistan I have been selected to become a DOD Police Officer here at the base.
This includes a raise and much better working conditions which is great for me.
I will complete their policies and procedures class in about 10 days then will go to work.

I had to tell my friends I am proud of myself.  LOL

Tacman

Well my beloved Red now has her own ride.  For Christmas she picked out her own pearl white ride.  I will save the details for her to give you with pics.
She does not know how to ride yet and to many that may seem putting the cart before the horse but now at least she has a horse to ride.
Write her and let her know she is in for the thrill of her life getting to ride and she will love it.  She is a little bit nervous about it so reassure her as much as you can.
Take care all

tacman

Tommorow November 10th a very special day will occur.  On this date in 1775 a group of men came together in Tun Tavern and formed what is known today as the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.

For 232 years the men and women of the Marine Corps have literally fought in "Every clime and place where they could take a gun".  Some would call it stuck up but the pride and disipline that is you receive as a Marine will continue with you for life.

No matter what age you are now or when you served the saying "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" will ring true.  So if you see a Marine or know someone who served wish them a Happy Birthday I know they will appreciate it.

And as always keep your thoughts and prayers with the troops over here, no matter what your thoughts on politics or the war they are fighting and dying everday not by choice but for Duty,Honor and Country.

Semper Fidelis "Always Faithful"

Robert Retford-United States Marine Corps 1979-1983

I was informed today that my military history and photo have been selected for use on the HD USA website.    Just go to veterans stories under riders and I am there.

I am honored that they selected my story to be on the page.  It may not be a big deal to some but being I am back over here in the sand it really made my day.

 Robert