South of Sunnyside

Last summer I learned that my mother had sold her Harley (yes, she had a Harley). Upon uttering that I would have potentially been interested in buying it, she mentioned that her husband, John, had also put his up for sale. She sent pictures. I saved money. In November, Kim and I drove 1,800 (each way) to pick it up.

The bike is registered as a 1973, but the engine is a rebuilt 1984 Shovelhead FLH. John’s life has consisted almost entirely of tearing down and rebuilding engines, cars, lawnmowers, trucks, Harleys—you get the idea. This was his baby, and despite a bit of dirt from sitting in the garage (he’s suffered a herniated disc for over a year and couldn’t ride it), it was clean, and ready to ride. He signed over the title, and Kim and I loaded it in the back of her truck.

The bike has a clean title, but because the engine was rebuilt, there are no identifying numbers on it. When I took it to the DMV for registration, the inspecting officer couldn’t verify the VIN, and deferred me to California Highway Patrol for investigation.

I began calling the number furnished by the DMV that day, leaving a message for Officer Clay, the only VIN officer in Fresno County (as I later discovered). I continued to leave messages over the next six months, never receiving a returned phone call; I didn’t hesitate to ride during this time, despite the fact that my temporary tags expired after only 30 days.

In preparation for my ride to the coast over July 4, I started calling other offices, desperation apparent in my voice. I finally received the advice I needed: contact Officer Clay’s staff sergeant. The staff sergeant answered my call, and within 30 seconds he was able to transfer me to Officer Clay (who just happened to be available at the time…). I finally had an appointment.

On July 1, I scrambled to get to CHP in time, but once I arrived I was told Officer Clay wasn’t available. Instead, two men in jeans and flannel shirts accepted my paperwork and began inspecting the bike. An hour later, they explained that a state-issued identification number would be fastened to the engine, and that I could now return to the DMV to finalize registration.

The next day (the day before my trip), I sat at the DMV for another hour, only to discover that the two men who performed the inspection hadn’t completed the paperwork. After yelling at the clerk, and subsequently apologizing, I received an extension for my temporary tags (though, only after asking what would happen if I were pulled over without a completed registration).

Hopefully next week I can get back to the CHP, then back to the DMV…

As if the Monday after a long weekend out of town wasn’t terrifying enough, today’s Business Journal briefing delivered this gem:

(AP) — A new statewide report says seven of California’s 10 unhealthiest counties are in the San Joaquin Valley.

The study released Tuesday says residents of Tulare, Kings, Merced, Fresno, San Joaquin, Madera and Kern counties breathe some of the dirtiest air, and live farthest from grocery stores and playgrounds.

The Having Our Say Coalition argues those conditions lead to higher rates of obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure.

The community groups are pressing for legislative reforms that would direct extra resources to the valley.

Counties scoring the worst had high poverty, and large minority populations with limited access to health insurance and a lack of green space.

That we have poor air quality is not news, though the reminder does come as a bit of a slap in the face. What I do find interesting is the implied link to poverty, health insurance and lack of green space.

*I don’t smoke, but sometimes wonder if it would harm me any more than summer in the Valley.

In route on my motorcycle to the Central Coast for a camping trip, I started to reminisce about my childhood travels. Each summer my grandparents would take my sister and me across the South and Southwest, camping and exploring the attractions. I still have countless photos from the Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Big Ben State Park and other places.

With the continuing escalation in gas prices, and the perpetual shift in thought about personal transportation, I wonder if my grandchildren will take similar trips.

This is certainly not my area of study, but it seems to me that travel can be divided somewhat naturally into three distance categories: short-range (0-25 miles one-way), mid-range (26-300 one-way), and long-range (301+ miles one-way)—or something along those lines. The former and latter have existed for centuries, but I’m guessing that until the birth of the automobile, mid-range travel was not very common (that’s really more of a question than a statement).

It seems (to me, at least) that long-range travel has become stagnant—with regards to evolution and potentional for growth—while mid- and short-range travel have been challenged by rising fuel prices and ozone depletion. It may now be more attractive to take public transportation or a bicycle/moped to get to work, or to a store a few miles away, rather than a car.

I’m not sure if this makes sense anywhere but in my head, but I wonder what travel will look like in 20, 50, 100 years. Will we still visit the Grand Canyon? Will historical landmarks still be relevant? (Note that I’m not saying they won’t; I’m also not equating relevance with value.) Will we still take road trips?

It’s days like this that I want to move.

Since I was a child I’ve dealt with allergies: a runny nose, a seasonal cough, and the occasional ear or sinus infection. I didn’t expect for my ailments to disappear when I moved from the humidity and pollen of the South, but I did think that they dry air might help a bit.

Unfortunately, my symptoms went from seasonal to daily. I now wake up with a dry, scratchy throat, and when I exert myself a little too much (like working in the yard for eight hours while it’s 108 degrees), I feel the onset of asthma.

Today I started coughing; I don’t expect it to clear until the smoke from the wildfires dissipate. Maybe it’s all a conspiracy—if I could breathe the air outside, I would be able to open the windows and save on energy costs…