By Joe Berk
The New Year hits tonight. The years keep rolling by and it’s time for my 2024 resolutions. I’ve made a few, and with your indulgence, I’ll share them here.
I’m going to continue to hold my tongue (and my keyboard) on all things political. I’ve never seen anyone read a social media post or a blog or listen to someone with an opposing viewpoint and suddenly exclaim, “ah, now I understand…of course you’re right, and I was wrong all along…” Nope, the era of intelligent political discourse ended in the 1960s with the Vietnam War protests. Back then, and now, everyone is convinced their opinion is the only true path. I’m never going to call anyone ever again a leftwing idiot or a rightwing idiot, partly because of this resolution and partly because I hate being redundant.
I’m going to stop getting upset with people at the gym tying up machines while screwing around on their cell phones. Nope, you can sit on a machine and text to your heart’s content. I’ll just move on to another piece of equipment. Someday, though, when you’re standing in front of the Pearly Gates, you’ll have to answer. And I’ll be there. Just in case there are any questions.
I’m going to lose weight. The answer is to use that calorie tracker on my cell phone and exercise. Really. This time I mean it. I want to be skinny like Gresh.
I’m going to cook more, but in line with the resolution above I’ll eat less. I do a great barbequed salmon, a marvelous Italian meat sauce, delicious stuffed shells, a wonderful chili, incredible stuffed peppers, a great wild pork sausage and mushrooms casserole, tasty chicken tostadas, and a few others. I want to try making my own chile rellenos this year and find at least three more dishes to add to my repertoire.
I’m going to sell a few guns. I own too many to enjoy and more than a few that I don’t shoot. It’s time to convert these investments into cash and let others have some fun.
I’m going to ride my motorcycle and my bicycle more. I’ve slowed down on my riding quite a bit in the last three years. Part of it is the pandemic…law enforcement on our public roads has dropped to nearly nothing, and there are too many people driving like maniacs out there…speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and screwing around on their cell phones. I’ve been hit by cars twice in my life while on two wheels (once on a motorcycle and once on a bicycle), and I don’t care to add a third bone-breaking event to my resume. But I haven’t been riding enough and I want to get out and ride. Get my knees in the breeze. You know the feeling.
It’s time to put more pork on the table. I’m going to do at least two hunts in 2024. One will be a varmint hunt for coyotes in Arizona with Baja John; the other will be a pig hunt with my 6.5 Creedmoor (location to be determined). If you’re a vegetarian or fundamentally opposed to hunting, you have my permission to skip any blogs I write about these events.
I’m not going to buy any more watches. I came across Segal’s Law last year, which holds that a man with a watch knows what time it is, but a man with many watches is never sure. I’m the guy who’s never sure, raised to an exponent.
I’m going to do Baja again, most likely in March so I can see the whales, eat a chile relleno in San Ignacio, and visit Javier at the La Casitas in Mulegé. I think Gresh wants to go, too. Maybe we’ll get our other ExNotes writers in on the action. You’ll read all about it here on ExNotes.
I’m retiring, for real this time. I’ll still write for the ExNotes blog and Motorcycle Classics magazine (I enjoy writing for both and I never viewed either as work), but I’m done with everything else. It’s time.
There you go…my 2024 resolutions. How about yours?
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I took off my watch when I retired and haven’t worn one since. Perhaps now that you are fully retiring, you will follow suit. It’s liberating or at least provides the perception of being liberated.
I’ll still wear a watch. Just no new ones. Happy New Year, John.
Congrats on really retireing this time. I was commenting recently to a mutual freind the other day on the quality and quanity of the guns you own and when is enough. I’ve said I own enough knives and I really need to sell some. I’ve only gotten far as thinking about it, it’s a lot tougher than I thought.
T.K.
Ain’t that the truth, TK! Have a great New Year and enjoy your new digs. Things are getting crazier and crazier out here in the Peoples Republik. You did well moving to a better place.
All sounds great! Happy new year Joe! AATW
Thanks, Mike. Stay safe.
I’ll be in Baja on Tippi in March! Same for me, time to see the whales and do some beach camping! 🙂
Let’s coordinate on the dates. Would be cool to see you in Baja.
Great list! They all sound life improving. Happy New Year, Berk!
You always have a place to stay and a spare car to use when you visit Atlanta.
Thanks very much, Ren. That’s a generous offer. All the best.
The most interesting man I know simply can’t retire !!!
You must continue to be interesting!!
Happy new year!
Thanks, Carl. Our best to you and Mary, and have a great 2024.
Each gun you sell deserves a blog. Same for any motorcycle. When I sell something of value I ask the buyer their intentions. just want to know where it is going. And meet a like minded “friend”.
Recently bought two of your books. The one on China was signed – a bonus, bought used on the internet.
A very enlightening tale on China – thanks for the fresh perspective.
Next will be Columbia – one thought/plan is to buy a new CSC there, ride it a couple months about South America Then
sell it cheap back in Columbia. A win Win buy/sell, crossing borders one needs to own the bike.
David, thanks for commenting. Glad you liked the China book. I still think about that trip a lot. The bike you’ll want in Colombia is the AKT version of the RX3. Ride safe and a have a great 2024.
Happy new year , Berk!
I don’t know what you are actually retiring from , but good luck with that.
Be forewarned. The last 5 years I worked dragged on seemingly forever .
The last 15 years of retirement when by in a flash!
All though being a mr mom all these years and with my youngest graduating high school this year, I am looking at actually a real retirement .
I am not big on NY resolutions . I used to quit drinking from jan2 to my bday in Feb ever year for many years . These days it isn’t necessary as I don’t drink often anymore anyway .
Otherwise my “resolutions “ are not calendar specific,
I do hope the doctors can fix my back so I can ride more. Speaking of which there is plenty of Mexico right here thanks to joe Biden’s immigrant invasion . There are more fish taco trucks here in New Haven than I bet in all of Baja Mexico .
Now if I had to say NY resolutions for 2024 then –
Not to go anywhere near Mexico or Chinese motorcycles .
To go shooting more often
Go fishing
Finish my garage
Sell some project bikes.
And double my efforts opposing anti semitism.
Wishing you all peace and prosperity !
Hack, thanks for commenting. Going shooting more often seems like a great plan. Back problems are a pain; I wish you well with that endeavor. Best wishes for a safe and healthy 2024. Keep those comments coming.
And to all of you on exhaust notes.
Especially Gresh !
Happy new year to readers and writers alike
Congratulations on your retirement Joe! . I have enjoyed the blog for a couple years now. Thanks for turning me on to Janus Motorcycles. My resolution is to ride more and enjoy the backroads! Cheers!
Mike
Hey, that’s great, Mike. Ride safe!
Well I’ll be. I thought you were already retired. Take it from someone retired… it’s true, time flies. While I try not to buy watches either, every now and then an irresistible one comes along. I don’t mind it, it’s motorcycles that’s the problem. And just tonight my brother was talking about the most redneck of hunting possible… helicopter wild boar hunting. I don’t know how you feel about such a thing but it seems an interesting way to rid the land of destructive animals. Anyways, taking care of your health is number one. Let’s hope each New Year is better than the last. Cheers.
Yeah, I thought so, too. I will still do a bit of work for friends on occasion and I may do short overseas gigs on occasion, but I am cutting way back.
Watches are cool, but that has run its course for me. I may do some little things like changing a band here or there (just did on an Orient and it looks great), but as far as acquiring any more goes, that’s over.
Pig hunting from helicopters? That sounds like fun, although some folks would give you grief for that I suppose. My unsolicited advice is to ignore them. The US has a runaway wild pig problem; anything to cut back on the population is okay by me.
Thanks for commenting, Marcus.