New Tiger Rider in Roswell Georgia

[WIDGIN]

Hey,

Just think of all the fun stuff you get to do up north that I've missed for the last 30 years:  Sledding, Snowmobiling, ripping through 2' of fresh powder on a mountain road in a Jeep, throwing a 50' snow rooster from the back of a powersliding dirt bike, and ice-skating.  Yeah, I miss those things.  :(  But, as an e-mail recently received states:

DIARY OF A SNOW SHOVELER

December 8: 6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!
 
December 9: We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shovelled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.

December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbour tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas w ould be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbour.

December 14: Snow, lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shovelling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shovelling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Goddamn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have
another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white shit fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think the asshole is lying.

December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she...nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's damn well lying.

December 24: 6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shove lling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the goddamn snowplow.

December 25: Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of the !=3D@x@!x!x1 slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shovelling makes my blood boil. God I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's a Wonderful Life"
one more time, I'm going to kill her.

December 26: Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27: Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze.

December 28: Warmed up to above -50. Still snowed in. THE BITCH is driving me crazy!!!

December 29: 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave-in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30: Roof caved in. The snowplow driver is suing me for a million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.

December 31: Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shovelling.

January 8: I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me.

[Stretch]

Yep.  This is as far north as I ever need to live.  After having lived in Hawaii for three years, I even detest Georgia winters.

[HappyMan]

As difficult as the winter season can be because all I want to do is get out and ride I'd still never give up my four seasons.  Winter is beautiful.  It's just easy to bitch about it when you hear of all the people able to just get out and  ride.  However, I've always enjoyed the winter rides that I can get in.  I was an avid snowmobiler for many years.  I lived in the snow belt up north and my town was second to Yellowstone for snowmobiling.  I rode hundreds of miles at a time and also took my snowmobile to high school.  I loved it!  However, riding in a ditch around Minneapolis greater suburbs would never fly for me nor would trailering.  On the other hand, I can get out on my bike quite often (this winter has been a little more difficult) and compared to a snowmobile I can ride further, faster, better gas mileage, warmer and my trail system kicks butt!  Now, it isn't as gorgeous as riding in the middle of a National Forrest on fresh powder but I'll take my motorcycle any day over my sled.  

I'll keep my four seasons and don't let it bother you too much when I bitch about it.....I've got to let off steam!
 :roll:

[TigerTrax]

Happy.... I'm down here in Omaha....
This winter has been a bitch for us.... mostly frigid cold with a few blasts of snow.....
My wife is from Alabama... she talks to her sister every Saturday morning..  yesterday they are working in the back yard in shorts.... I'm saying, "I think there's a gun show somewhere!"

Jane says 'we still have a lot of snow in the yard'..... I said, ' It ain't going anywhere!'

[Stretch]

Truck it down here.  We can melt it down and refill these damned lakes.

[HappyMan]

Truck it down here.  We can melt it down and refill these damned lakes.

I hear you guys want to take water from Lake Superior too!!  I'd rather give you my snow.....

I feel your pain TigerTrax.  We've really gotten used to these mild winters.  There's not much left.  Our snow has really started to melt pretty thin here.  We'll get hit hard a couple of times in March but it will melt quickly as it always does and before we know it April is here and it feels like the vail has been lifted.  I've already got a bike trip planned in April.  I'm headed to Port Washington, WI and then on to Chicago and back.  April can be a gorgeous time to ride.  We'll get through March!!!

[WIDGIN]

Let me know if you (or anyone else) wants to ride the N. GA mountains tomorrow (Sunday 03/02).  Supposed to be sunny and 67 degrees.    :D  :D

[TigerTrax]

Hey Widgin...
Be sure to make plans to join us at the Tiger Ride-In....

June 19-22 2008   Davis, WV

[flux]

Good to meet ya up at Dales yesterday Widgin, and Jay (I don't recall you saying you post here or not).  Hope you guys had a good ride.  Didja convince Jay to head offroad at all?

[WIDGIN]

flux,  real nice to meet you too (and Coates on his 950.)  

Yeah, jaeman (he started this thread) and I went up and hit Old Dial Rd. and then did a loop through parts of Coopers Creek.  Was a great riding day.  We finished up in Roswell after riding 220 miles on a single tank (averaged 47mph and 41mpg.)  Not too shabby considering 20-30 miles were on dirt and we only did 5 miles of superslab.  

jaeman seemed quite comfortable on his Tiger.  He said my 955 pulled away exiting corners but he was usually right there in my mirrors, despite his worn out rear Anakee. :o  Certainly looking to repeat in the very near future.  

We definitely need to get a couple of GA Tiger rally's together, considering how many Tigers are in the area and how many great roads we have.  :idea:  I'd like to pick up some of your dirt route knowledge of the area.

[jaeman]

Want to say thanks to WIDGIN for a proper intoduction to the new Tiger.
It was nothing but all day of fun on and off road.  Really got a chance to get used to the bike and I really love riding this thing.  Cant wait to go again soon.

[flux]

I'd be more than happy to show y'all some good dirt routes.  I am stuck to the simple roads at least until I can afford some crashbars and skidplate.  You went up Old Dial Rd?  Have you ever taken a left after the boat launch if headed north?  This brings you out to a neat one lane bridge to Aska Rd.  From there you can head south, make a few turns and end up on Doublehead Gap Rd or take a right and head north to Blue Ridge.