What's making you happy today?

[lumberjim]

I sold my 03 motorcycle for $100 more than i paid for it 3 years ago

[footfootfoot]

What percent ROI is that?

[glatt]

So did you buy low, or sell high?

[lumberjim]

I got a good deal at the time, justified buying an older bike by telling myself I could sell it for what I paid. I was not wrong. I did put about $800 into it over the years, with the amp, speakers, new tire and battery... But I also kept the windshield and saddle bags...

It turned out pretty well over all.

Now I have a newer {07}version with 2k miles.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sure you put money into it, but got a bunch of miles out of it, didn't you?
I seem to remember you saying it was saving you a lot of gas.

[lumberjim]

I only put 4500 miles on it, actually. I've ridden the new one 1200 since I got it last September. But yeah, 45mpg beats the piss out of 11.3 mpg

[glatt]

ok. 4,500 miles at 45 mpg is 100 gallons or about $300, if I remember my historical gas prices correctly. Add to that the $800 and subtract the $100 profit when you sold, an that's about $1,000 for 4,500 miles. That's about 22 cents a mile. Not counting any insurance you had to pay, that's actually pretty good. As a comparison, the IRS mileage deduction rate is 56 cents a mile but was probably around 45-50 cents a mile during that time frame. I'd say you made out well financially and any fun you had was just the icing on the cake.

[lumberjim]

I live for the icing


Oh, and gas around here has been in the 3.39-3.69/gal range for a couple years
... But then I use high test, so make that closer to $4

[orthodoc]

None of you has mentioned the satisfaction LJ got out of it, until the last post. That's ROI as well, probably the best kind.

[lumberjim]

It was kind of cool having 2. I had buddies ride the other one a couple times...

Oh, I need to remember to take it off my insurance.... And transfer my SMRT tag to the new bike.

[Carruthers]

1. The conservatory roof no longer leaks. Yes, you’re quite right, it doesn’t take very much to make me happy.

The conservatory is showing signs of age and a leak started at the edge of one of the roof panels.

So, it was off to Wickes (Home Depot clone) for a cartridge of silicone sealant, clipped it into the gun and applied the treatment. Smoothed it off with the back of a plastic spoon and hoped for the best.

In the early hours of Friday morning we experienced a massive thunderstorm with a deluge of Biblical proportions and not one drop penetrated the conservatory roof. Let joy be unconfined!

As an added bonus, the water butts which were almost empty were substantially replenished.

At 0230, and at the height of the storm, I stood under the car port and watched the the lightning and enjoyed the air that had been cooled by the torrential rain.

I’ve put a couple of lightning images on IOTD recently but I hope that you’ll excuse another one here. It was also taken during the above storm.

Thunder storm captured by storm chaser Jamie Russell last night as electrical storm swept over the south coast of England. Jamie took the photo from the Isle of Wight looking north east across Sandown bay to the Solent and mainland.

2. Dad had his cataract operation a few days ago. I knew that it would be done on a day surgery basis, but when I dropped him at the hospital at 0730 I didn’t expect to receive a phone call just after 1030 with news that he was ready to be collected.

He was sporting a barcoded wristband that bore a striking resemblance to an airline baggage tag and I remarked that he had only narrowly avoided being flown to Tokyo.
He wasn’t wearing his hearing aids so I’m afraid that one missed its target.

All seems to be going well although the administration of different eye drops up to ten times a day has required a fair amount of planning and attention to detail.

It was his eighty-ninth birthday this week and, at his request, I bought him a number of books. He does a lot of reading and I think life would have been intolerable had his sight deteriorated to such an extent that reading became difficult or even out of the question.

The only downside is that he is already becoming even more adept at spotting jobs that need doing and delegating them to you know who.

3. Banked my tax rebate cheque!

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Carruthers

1. The conservatory roof no longer leaks. Yes, you’re quite right, it doesn’t take very much to make me happy.

Quite the contrary, I know stopping the water is a huge relief.

[Sundae]

So pleased about your Dad, Carr.
Mum is giving me regular weather reports; it's so odd to sit in the park in the sunshine and get a text about monsoon conditions in Aylesbury. For my first six weeks here it was the other way round!

I too had a barcode bangle in hospital. I proudly wore it home. Well, mostly to give other people an unspoken clue as to why I had to concentrate to stay upright, and also so I could easily be returned to sender if I did indeed fall down.

Happy today because as long as the house sale goes through (OMG, seriously? still waiting!) the 'rents are coming up both in September and for Christmas. Depending on Dad's health of course. But Mum says why not have a last hurrah while they still can. She's abandoned the idea of us going abroad; just too much for Dad sadly. And these days they have a gorgeous garden to enjoy with no work to do to it. Ditto house-maintenance. And they live in the centre of town, so even with Dad's poor mobility they can walk to eat/ drink/ relax. It's almost like being on their hols (except for housework).

I got them to join the Victoria Club, which is easy walking distance. There is a waiting list and you have to be proposed by an existing member and pay an annual fee - but it means the drinks (both soft and alcoholic) are dirt cheap. It also has two outside terraces, one where people go to smoke and another further back where they don't.

So I called the Vic Club to ask how to get on the waiting list, how long it was and what the annual fee was. It turns out they're both old enough for NONE of that to count. They have free membership for life and go about once a fortnight. Yay. Something good I did without even having to pay.

ANYWAY. Back to them coming up. Mum says now she "knows" Otley I don't even have to take time off, although it would be lovely to leave Dad in the B&B for the day and go to Leeds market and Yo! Sushi. Dad will be quite happy in a a garden, but we'd put the B&B number in his mobile in case he went out and got lost.

And Mum says Laura is so busy these days with her extended family that she won't have time for them over Christmas (no criticism implied). So she says as soon as the house sells I'm to book for them, to make sure they get a vacancy. Something to really look forward to.

They'll get a taxi across London (arrival station is not the same as departure stations) to cut down on the stress. Like Mum says, this may be the last time Dad gets to travel. Taxis and First Class trains are luxuries, but hardly like buying a luxury yacht, and you're a long time dead.

[limey]

These sound like great plans Sundae. I meant to suggest a taxi across town in London. It makes things so much easier
And well done on the clubs membership! It's the little things that matter x

Sent by thought transference

[Lola Bunny]

Sundae: Happy for you!