I have not seen him post lately or I have missed them so just checking to make sure the guy is ok.
Thanks -- Bobby

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Rook is just fine. I see him post on Facebook all the time.

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Thank You Sir. When I see someone who post all the time have a lack in their postings I hope they are ok.
Thanks again - Bobby

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I quit Facebook years ago. Far too left leaning and woke for my taste, and to support them as an organization/business.

I talk to Rook all the time and he's doing fine, just going through a lot of life changes that have put motorcycles on the back burner. I think losing his ZX-14 in a crash a few years ago put a damper on his enthusiasm. He still has the Hayabusa but it's been in storage for a couple years. I have tried to get him to get the Busa out and get it rolling again but no luck so far. I think eventually he will come back, I'll let him know you guys are asking about him.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/30/2023 @ 7:00 AM *

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Thanks Kruz.

Please pass him my best also...

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Thank You Mr Kruz and greatly appreciate the info

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HI GUYS!!!!

First, thanks for checking up on me. I just decided to pop in but I haven't been here in months. Yeah, crashing that 08 ZX-14 I rode for 13 years really took the wind out my sails. I still have the bike and I haven't started any kind of a rebuild. The busa is still sitting there too, 170 miles away.

I was an art teacher for four years in a backwater town in NE Wisconsin. For the average guy, it was a crappy place to live but I liked working with the students and that was keeping me going. My life outside of work was depressing except for the bikes. Too bad the riding conditions weren't more favorable, I hit a deer and the bike flipped at least twice causing the destruction of my beautiful 14 as described in full detail in my "I crashed, the 14 is destroyed. I'm ok" thread. The job started to suck as I mentioned in my "Head on the Chopping Block at Work" thread. I quit...actually got asked to resign a couple months early after I already resigned effective the end of the school year. I had 17 interviews across the state and only one offer which was too low to accept. I figure this job search cost me about 5 grand. If it's that hard to find a teaching job, it's too expensive to look. I went back to my hometown where I had moved from 4 years earlier. I got a job right away delivering auto parts for O'Reilly. I've been doing that for 7 months and although it doesn't pay much, I enjoy it. I miss the students I got to know and I'd like to be teaching again but only if it's in my hometown or one of the surrounding communities. This is a nice place to live. I'm a lot happier with my life in and out of work but I feel like i should be teaching or doing something that has more personal meaning to me.

Auto insurance is going to cost over $100/month on the 2018 Toyota Tundra I own, maybe $200/month. The truck was cheap to insure in Wisconsin but I live just across the border in Michigan now where we have no-fault insurance. Everybody hates it and it costs a bundle. I may downgrade to an old beater that will cost less to insure. I'm thinking if I sell the truck, maybe I'll get a new ZX-14R. ...just a thought I've been rolling around.

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Since moving back to Michigan, I got myself some hair. If you were a guy who obsessively fussed with your thinning hair in your twenties, one of these little jobbies will be no problem. It's way easier than doing a comeover that you hope won't look too much like a comeover. Sprucing up my wardrobe has become an ongoing project too. Here's just a few. I have 20 ensembles and I'm working on finishing off the last few. Then it's time to hold back because I have very little occasion to actually wear any of this stuff. I'm working on some more casual outfits for summer too. It's come to this after all these years!! I know, you're speechless.

* Last updated by: Rookpics on 6/2/2023 @ 9:16 PM *

God damn!!!
Speechless?????
I would never have even recognised you!
Not even close.
From stinking biker to Mr Smooth!
Very schmick operator mate.
At least you will kill it with the local ladies.
Forget teaching. Go the modelling career.

So, I thought there was a shortage of teachers everywhere?
I guess thats complete BS!
And potentially a new 14R?
Thats the most exciting news Ive heard for ages.

I wish you the very best mate.
If I was anywhere near there I'd take you out for a beer or two.
And as I said, you come down this neck of the woods you won't need accomodation as you'll be staying with us.

Keep rocking mate...

P.S.
You inspired me!

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So, I thought there was a shortage of teachers everywhere?
I guess thats complete BS!

That's what they've been saying the last 20 years and Wisconsin, art is one of the high need areas right up there with special ed. I don't know if it's my age, the pay I was getting or I was getting a bad recomendation from my last employer but the cards weren't in my favor. It was actually just about as difficult to get hired the previous time I tried in 2018. I had 14 interviews that time and two offers. This time around I had a much better response to applications but about the same number of interviews with one offer that was too low. I won't give up but I'm not putting a lot of money into looking further.

Smashing photo mate! That's you on the right with the darker skin? No worries with that head of hair. You're looking sharp!

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Just don't give up on what you are after Rook.
As Gary Player famously said,
"Isn't it funny how the more I practice, the luckier I get!"

P.S.
I drink beer not wine, and purple is my favourite colour...

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Rook, definitely looking good ...As for work n stuff.. Have you thought about some kind of offering for a private art class, maybe volunteer thru local civic group and then start an art school? Even one student two or three hours a week would be a start and you know what they say about one foot in front of the other :) Any way Good luck on whatever road you choose..

I drink beer not wine, and purple is my favourite colour...

Well, even better head of hair then!! Purple works for you! I'm putting together a summer outfit with a beige plaid jacket and a lavender shirt. Dark purple pants and purple tie. I'll go with gray if the purple pants are too loud.

Have you thought about some kind of offering for a private art class

That's one thing I've been contemplating, chrly. You know Bob Ross? That, I can teach anyone. It's a great way to learn to mix color and manipulate oil paint and just about everyone relates to it. I'm also thinking about continuing my study of Adobe software because that has transfers to teaching as well as business. Another thing I have always wanted to do is create and rent portable murals and props for special event decor. I'll have to pick one of those avenues and go with it. I can't do all of it right away. Maybe I could do all of it at some point in the future. One things for sure, it has to look promising from the get go. I'm running out of time at this point in life. I hope I can keep going another 20 years but one never knows.

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A STAR IS BORN !!!

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Thanks lytnin. The start was born a long time ago. It'll keep burning a while yet.

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Good to hear you're doing OK, probably like most of us. Dealing with the day to day ups and downs of life. I'd say move down to Indiana but unless you move way down southern Indiana riding is... pointless. But you never know might be able to get a teaching job here too probably be treated better as long as you stay away from Indy.

Thanks Vic. I've lived in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan all my life and although the riding isn't the best, Idianna couldn't possibly worse. June through September, you can push it a couple months in either direction but there's not much point in my opinion. I don't need to ride unless I can go fast and mid November is no time to go fast especially not in the twisties. ...then there's the deer thing. Best to stick to hot weather mid day when they're in the woods.

I'd have to get certified for Indiana to teach there. That would probably not be too big of a deal. One thing I learned is you can't do a lot of 200+ mile interview trips every few years for a teaching job, they don't pay enough if you get one. Then there's the cost of moving. I think you're best to go where you want to live and look for a teaching job nearby. If it's not a heavily populated area, you probably will wait a long time. Maybe you set your sites on any job in a district you see will become vacant soon and get certified for that one.

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Rook is there any other interest you have that could be something you could try to change careers to? I really believe someone should do something they love, and as necessary, adjust their lifestyle to suit.

IT for example, even someone mid-life could get into it and after a few years be doing quite well.

What I love are motorcycles and art. I also love my hometown and I'm not planning on moving away again unless it's for something really spectacular. I have some art related business ideas. I'd like to continue to learn the Adobe Suite software I started teaching at the high school level. That could also lead to producing digital art for pay. I've been thinking about creating and renting special event decor for years. Theme based portable murals, sculpture and lighting, that sort of thing. Also teaching the Bob Ross approach to painting. It's fun and a great start to learning more complex painting methods if one should choose. One thing's for sure, whatever I do has to be profitable within a short time without me investing a huge amount of my time or money (especially because I have very little money). I don't think many people get to love what they do for work. If they like it, they're fortunate. People end up adjusting their passion to the job. You gotta pay the bills first, passion comes in second for most of us. Take a bike mechanic, I'm sure they all have very specific jobs they would like to do and t do those jobs exactly the way they feel they should be done. They all have to do what the average client needs and can afford and then make a few bucks for themselves to make a living. Maybe they even give up on bikes to work on diesels where they can make a lot more money. Compromises...

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Rook, I was never married, because most of them said to get rid of the bike and grow up. I followed my passion, became a bike mechanic and never looked back. Bad thing today is you'd be working on side-by seater dirt cars, that or jet skies.

Right now side-by's have been hot for a few years or more. You'd still have to diagnose and work on some bent up, rolled over dirt car, but that's how it is. Now if no lakes, or laws prohibit jet skies, no designated land for side-by's, just bike dealers, then that's a plus.

The car scene is more like working on honda cars is like a bike, where you work from front to back, while American dealers have categories like heavy-line, which is trans, rear ends oil and water leaks, 4x4 transfer cases. Then there's the 15A category that deal with interior only, then the tune up guys.

They threw me in heavy line and had 5 years of dealer level with cars. I was burned out at a bike dealership and wanted a backup career in cars. Was told by my manager who was a trans expert, said it would take me 10yrs to pinpoint what is happening once you take a drive, basically.

Bikes you can handle now so the season is busy, walk in a dealer or independent shop and show what you've got. Take a salary, be a lot boy, till they let you work on a [new] get ready. Going in salary wise, they'd hand you off what they'd have to pay the line mechanics, so you get a routine of the basic adjustments.

Thing is, you're getting up in age and any of those [car] categories takes years to rotate so many cars in a day off your stall and onto the next one. Bikes are easier to work on handling heavy type work till you can retire. That should pad your SS some.

The only other is paying yourself by throwing darts at the top S&P 500 dividend paying stocks. Let the dividends reinvest and compound for a few decades. I'm sure you won't make it on SS when it's time to collect. Unless you have a teacher's state salary, then that's different.

* Last updated by: Hub on 6/14/2023 @ 8:12 PM *

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Rook, a few years ago I worked at a college of visual communications and design. I'm not an artists and my job was IT related. While there I was able to learn tidbits here and there about the art world. I was frequently blown away at student projects. One thing I learned is, art as a profession is extremely challenging and that really, only the best of the best, or maybe the best "connected", are those that will make a good career out of the field.

Most will struggle, unless they do at least choose something that's related and probably not creative directly.

I suppose when get into the "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" really depends on your specifics. "Motorcycle mechanic" may be fairly specific, not that there isn't obviously a field. But it's like say "I want to be a motorcycle mechanic, at blah blah bike shop, work in bay 5, have 787 tools snap-on tools, with 3 blue tool chest, and come to work every day at 7:42 pm, go on break at 11:45, and leave at 4:15, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, make $45/hr + any OT, and my supervisor's name will be Ted, and...." So if someone "loves" to do mechanic type stuff, it may be too specific to say motorcycle, or auto, or diesel, or maybe even something to with vehicles. Wrenches are turned in many a careers that aren't vehicle related.

I work in IT. I do love what I do. But I'm not so specific in it to it has to be this exact thing. And it is work, but everything i have to "put up with" to do the parts that I love is "part of the job". IE, without those things, there would be none of the part I "love to do".

It'd be like you saying "well, I want to be a art consultant, but I don't want to deal with customers". There would be nothing for you to do, as customers, are what enable you to do the artsy part and therefore while a pain in the ass, are essential to the process.

I've known people who loved what they do, even assembly line workers, truck drivers, machinists, maintenance, contractors, etc. And to be fair, and honest, probably as many that had the "it's just a job/paycheck". And then a few that "I hate my job but I have to do it."

You mentioned enjoying your current job which involves a lot of driving. Maybe you could get a CDL and drive dump trucks or something.

And I encourage you to try the art for hire concept. Given you've been a good enough artists to have related job/careers, IMO it probably gives you a better chance at being successful compared to someone completely inexperienced that thinks they have art talent someone will pay them for (I've known a few of those, and it's not ended well).

Thanks Hub. Yeah, I see lots of snowmobiles, off road carts and such around bike shops. It's true, you take what there is to make a living. Most people I know don't have a very glamorous job no matter what they do. I don't but I'm pretty happy making a few bucks and looking for ways to do better. I'm still at the point where I'd grab a job as a bike mechanic for low pay. I even made that perfectly clear when I tried for one last fall. If I got such a job, the worse case scenario, I'd get a better paying job doing something other than being a mechanic apprentice. In fact, the job I was hired to probably is paying more than the shop I would liked to have worked at. You might say I'm already a step ahead of the game. Hell, I talked to a certified car mechanic with several years of experience and he's only making a couple dollars an hour more than I do delivering the parts he installs. I like bikes though. I'd go with it because I'm in a position where I can and I like it. I think a couple years at a tech school would sure help a lot though and I'm not investing that. There's too many other things I could do and get paid rather than paying to learn something that doesn't pay much.

Salaries...I found by experience that 40k is what a single person needs to live a meager lifestyle. I made a few more than that as a teacher and I only saved two or three thousand a year having a $400/month apartment and no need to start my truck more than once a week. BTW, that new truck is nice but it was a gift from Mom. No way could I have afforded that on what I made. If a guy can get married, he can share expenses but yeah, as you said, then you start making concessions. It's tough to find a woman worth that at my age. Really, you don't look for hot anymore, you look for someone you really enjoy being around. That and no health or financial problems.

As for investments, Mom does have her days of making 30-40k. She made 167k in 23 hours last month. I stand to inherit half of everything along with a house. I'm actually very lucky when you look at the whole picture. That's why I'm here, Mom and Dad are old and they need help and living 170 miles away and just making ends meet wasn't making my life any better. I have 9 years into the Wisconsin public employee retirement fund too. You could retire with a not too bad pension after 11 years. I'm where I want to be and the future looks OK.

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Vic,

One thing I learned is, art as a profession is extremely challenging and that really, only the best of the best, or maybe the best "connected", are those that will make a good career out of the field

Yeah, I was one of those best of the best and teaching looked like a better life and was. Teaching hasn't been easy either though, at least not getting hired. The work isn't too bad. A lot better thing to depend on to make a living and a lot less stressful in my experience.

Maybe you could get a CDL and drive dump trucks or something.

There's one thing I'm working toward. A school bus driver job would work fine for me. I was almost hired to that job 9 months ago...actually I was hired and then they backed out to hire a person who already had experience and the CDL. I'll try again though and I probably won't stop there. I was driving a semi with dump trailer, dump trucks, cement trucks and front end loaders when I was a high school kid.

And I encourage you to try the art for hire concept. Given you've been a good enough artists to have related job/careers, IMO it probably gives you a better chance at being successful compared to someone completely inexperienced that thinks they have art talent someone will pay them for (I've known a few of those, and it's not ended well).

Now you know one more but that was decades ago. I'd try again. The key is you only work for what you should be paid and it has to be enough to support ALL of your living expenses and work expenses. ...otherwise don't do it. Go work at McDonald's, you'll be better off and have better future prospects. Hard truth but it's the truth. Fuck, you might even become a teacher!

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and Vic, it works the other way in reverse too: You love something but you're not that good at it, go ahead and do it for cheap. You'll learn and you'll get paid something for it rather than learning and paying to learn. The other OTHER side of the coin is the client. They pay small potatoes for an inexperienced artist, they get what the hell they paid for. I've seen that happen a couple times and was hired to come in and clean up the mess. It probably cost the client a lot more than if they just paid what they should in the first place. I'm not in that league. You pay what I need to be a successful professional or I'll do a job anyone can do and get paid what anyone would get paid. I don't need to do a job that requires highly specific skills and pays shit. That's not a job. A job is what you make a living at. That's why I got into teaching. I'd like to teach again but if it's that hard to get a job, I can do a lot of other things and just get paid. No big dreams anymore just pay me what the f I earned. I'll be out the door in 8 hours and enjoying the life I pay for with that job. I know lots of people who have done this their entire life.

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