My Last Season Making Custom Pipes before retirement.

[MarkT]

First, I'd like to thank all in our family for the 24 years of support for my work, building pipes and accessories for our awesome Valkyrie Super Cruiser.  It's been a great ride!

I am heading into the next chapter of my tenancy on this Mortal Coil.  I am several years past most folks' retirement age, having collected SS for several years now while still supporting our community.  Now it's nearly time to hang up my shop equipment.  Frankly, I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, noticing less strength available to me, including new aches and pains.  Tennis elbow even in my LEFT ARM - and I'm right handed and can't play tennis (or do impact sports) due to bone spurs in an ankle from a bike wreck in 1970 - has become pronounced.  Both shoulders damaged in years past with torn rotator cuffs from motorcycle and hang gliding crashes.  Broken many bones in various incidents, broken multiple ribs several times, several fingers, right fibula three times, destroyed my right kneecap.  Damaged hearing, tinnitus, A-fib, asthma, hypothyroid, neuropathy, diabetes, prostate... geez I'm a mess. (If I'd known I'd live this long I might have taken better care... NAH!  What's that saying, "if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space." )   Not to mention, the VA has declared me 90% disabled due to Agent Orange poisoning; has resulted in multiple chronic issues requiring my use of (at present) 16 Rx meds twice daily including injections.  My VSO says I may be able to get bumped up another 10% which is OK by me; that will result in another $1500/mo from the VA.  (It's not as bad as it sounds, the meds keep me mostly normal in function, other than getting weaker due to age.)  Meanwhile I get a large check every month from the VA, lifetime free state park access, discounts on camping, free vehicle registration, lifetime free hunting & fishing licenses, lifetime free access to nat'l parks (OK that's not from the VA), and great parking.  OK I'm not using the last.  Yet.  

I'm just waiting to see what breaks next.

I need to clean up the mess I've created over the decades - parts, metal pieces (huge metal pile down behind the barn), and tooling, before I kick off and leave the mess for the wife.  I'm assuming I'll check out first, being 10 years older and dudes live shorter on the average anyway even without chronic issues.

We have picked up an RV and are setting up to do some adventuring with it.

So.  This is my last season making pipes.  The season being, probably the remainder of this year, approximately.  If you have been putting off getting your MarkT custom Valkyrie pipes, it's a good time to fit that into your calendar.  I plan to use up the inventory of glasspacks I have now, and that will be the end.  Time to wrap it up and get busy reducing the mess and tooling.

I expect to continue part time making smaller stuff like lift adapters, footpeg extender kits, parking pucks & whatever as they take less time, effort and tooling.

My contact info is at www.horseapple.com .  I don't surf the net here or at FB as much as I used to - surprisingly I have other things taking my time.  Email is the best contact method. valkstuff-at-horseapple-dot-com.

Thanks for the ride!

[old2soon]

     Well THANK YOU for your Friendship and All you bring to this community.  Far as that health thingy I TRULY GIT IT. And sooner or later the health thingy catches up with EVERYONE! And you alluded to it I'll say it outright-NO ONE gits outs this life alive. Fair winds and foloowing seas on yer R V treks you have planned!  RIDE SAFE.

[hubcapsc]

I hope you come to some more InZanes and keep posting
here. I wish Then Came Bronson could continue to flash
in the banner ad!

-Mike

[98valk]

Congrats mark for full retirement. God Bless you and the family.

look into taking creatine for health and strength, most studies recommend everybody 40 and older should be taking it but not loading it and high levels that top level athletes take.

good info here

https://draxe.com/nutrition/creatine-monohydrate/

[..]

 

[LTD]

Met you at the Taos Inzane and when you got into the technical aspect of the valkyrie you completely lost me you are one sharp guy I just stood there and nodded like I knew what you were talking about.  Always enjoyed your posts especially your friend that bought the Harleys and you  gave out the warning donT he did anyway and now the bikes are in a shed with dust all over them inoperable should have listened lol.

[Valkorado]

Dang, Mark, I never could save enough pennies up to get some of your beautiful pipes but both my bikes are sporting your excellent mounted lift adapters.

You're going to hold on to a bike or two, right?

What kind of an exploration rig did you get?  We've been thinking about a smaller pull behind RV in the near future.  I need to stay under 4,000 pounds on one, so we will be limited to tight quarters.  Even with the smaller units, there is a huge variety to choose from.  It'll take lots of research, and maybe even a rental or two to decide exactly what we're after.

[Oss]

Well I will continue to save you a slice of pie at the next Inzane  but if you dont show up you aint gonna eat it 

Always wanted a set of your pipes but not in the cards

Appreciate your friendship all these years and look forward to seeing you down the line

[cookiedough]

congrats on your retirement, long overdue for sure with lots of health issues along the way.  I say you deserved the retirement part LONG ago and about time.  I am only age 53 and had only 2 medical issues so far being BAD both hips needing replacing already, but not done yet,  and last year mild case of diverticulitis that coulda been deadly but turned out so far o.k., no idea how that one happened.

My wife and I talk about retirement EVERY single week both same age.  We both have had enough working past 30+ years to already last 2 lifetimes dealing with constant 'not so brilliant' (for lack of a BETTER word that would be banned) bosses and co-workers and companies and for that all around BS that should NOT be allowed.