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Tuesday, 24 November 2020

What made you cut your dad out of your life?

I didn’t cut him out of my life. He cut me out of his. His name isn’t even on my birth certificate.

Do I miss him? No.

Do I wonder about him? Sometimes. I wonder how he could have left a pregnant 19-year-old girl strung out on drugs by herself to take care of herself and her child.

She didn’t end up keeping me.

On the court day of legalizing my adoption, she didn’t even show up.

Here I am, sixteen years later, a few months shy from graduating, with two loving parents and an unpredictable brother.

My legal dad is more than just “legal.” He raised me.

He taught me how to tie my shoes. When I was about five years old, my brother got to play outside while my dad took me aside to teach me how to tie my shoes. It took at least 45 minutes. He could have spent that time in a meeting, or writing his dissertation. But he chose to spend it with me and teach me a valuable skill that has served me well since.

He built my brother and me a teepee in our old backyard. When I was six or so, my dad cut down a few dying aspen trees in our back yard. Instead of letting the trunks go to waste, he went out and bought a cloth to cover them and made my brother and me a teepee. So many of my summer days were spent imagining life away in that little teepee.

He would send post cards when he traveled for work. Even though he would usually be back home before the post card arrived, it was always super comforting to see him tending to his fatherly duties while still being responsible for his work. I still have all of the post cards he sent to this day.

He’s the one teaching me to drive. I’m finally at the age where I am able to drive, and my dad has taken up the responsibility of teaching me. My dad spends more time in meetings every day than I do on my phone and computer combined, yet he still makes time for me to learn the skills I need to be successful as an adult.

My dad calls me out on my bullshit. I know so many kids whose parents don’t hold them accountable for what they say and do, which later bites them in the butt when they are independent and on their own. Sometimes I feel like I get called out for things that are unfair or minor, but at the end of the day, I am reminded that he calls me out because he wants me to be successful on my own. And he wants the best for me because he loves me.

He has been there for me. Through it all, regardless of the hundreds of times I have tried to push him away.

There was a time when my dad lived halfway across the country for work. I’m crying as I write this, because I remember how hard it was without him. We would fight when he came home every few months, but when he would leave again, the pit inside of me would open up again. His presence has always been a comfort, even when things have been tense.

I can’t wait for him to watch me graduate. For him to walk me down the aisle when I get married. For him to play with my future children and take them camping like he did my brother and me.

I was given a second chance, and I would be a fool to write him out.

What's something you don't "get"?

My father and Kareena Kapoor Khan were in the same elevator and he did not even recognize her.

In the year 2014, my father had to visit Mumbai ( the film capital of India) a couple of times for professional trips.

It was one such busy evening in Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport, and my father walked into the elevator with one of his juniors.

Just as they walked in, a lady surrounded by a few men entered.

As soon as my father’s junior saw that lady, he started sweating profusely. He was acting strangely and appeared much like an absolute fool. The lady smiled at him, and he was almost on the verge of fainting.

My father, on the other hand, stared at his junior, being absolutely clueless regarding why he had suddenly started acting like a buffoon.

“ Sir..s..i..r “

his junior fumbled as the lady and the men stepped out of the elevator.

“ Yes. What’s wrong?”

my father questioned, shifting his eyes from his cell phone.

“ Kareena Kapoor!”

he fumbled.

“ No, my name is Ujjal Dutta Gupta, not Kareena Kapoor,”

he replied.

His junior let out a long sigh and then asserted

“Sir, Kareena Kapoor was just here! In this very elevator!”
“Oh! Good! I did not notice”

my father replied, smiling a bit.

“Sir! How can you not notice this!”

his junior said, almost in a great state of shock.

“ What do you want me to do? Dance?”

my father questioned, almost laughing now.

“Sir! She is Kareena Kapoor! How Can you not recognize her!”

his junior said. He was almost going insane at my father’s indifference.

My father was getting a little irritated at this point and said

“ Yes. Even she did not recognize me. Fair deal you see!”

My father remembers this incident exactly word to word to date not because he had stood next to the diva, but because his junior was acting like an absolute idiot.

“What is something I don’t ‘get’?” you ask.

“ The blind idolization of celebrities,” I say.

While traveling in parts of South India, our tour guide has mentioned that it is a very common practice there to bathe the statutes and posters of film stars with milk.

( Poster of legendary film actor Rajnikant being drained in milk.)

On the other hand, these are the scenes noticed in certain parts of the country:-

“ Just like I can handle clients in a conference hall, Kareena Kapoor can act beautifully in front of cameras.” my father stated.
“ I can not dance in front of the cameras. Similarly, she does not possess the skill to handle clients. That’s all!” he added.

In the strongest desire to be just like our gorgeous idols, we are growing increasingly insecure regarding our existing beauty.

“ Make your life such a story…that it never loses its glory.”

How To Clean And Repair Leaking Fork Seals On Your Dirt Bike

The first thing you need to know about leaking fork seals is how to recognize you have them. This is easily done by checking the fork tube (inner tube) just below the dust seal. If it’s leaking you will see fork oil on the outside of the tube. If ignored, the oil will drain out of the fork, severely affecting its performance, which can also make the bike unsafe to ride.

Once spotted, leaking fork seals need to be replaced straight away, and you should ideally replace the oil and seals in both forks at the same time. If you don’t know how to do this your local bike mechanic will do it for less than $100 US.

Also, before you fix this problem, you’ll save yourself some headache by preventing it from having to fix it again later. Spend $15 on some cheap seal savers from Amazon, and then go ahead and work on repairing the broken seal.

Causes of leaking fork seals

Wear & tear: The seals have a hell of a job of keeping dirt and crap out of the inside of the fork. They have a hard life but should last at least 40 hours riding time before they need changing. It depends on how and where you ride and how well you clean and maintain them. Every couple of years you should change the oil and seals regardless.
Imperfections on the inner tube: Stone chips, dents, scratches and elevations on the inner tubes will wear away the fork seals as they slide over them during use and cause them to leak prematurely. When changing the seals you should always check for imperfections and sand them off using very fine sandpaper (400 grit). Make sure you only sand using side to side motions – not up and down the fork.I had problems with my YZ 250 rhs front fork seal which was shitting itself every 8-10 hours. Turns out it had a number of small chips on the fork which can’t be sanded out 100% and may need re-chroming if it goes again. Joy.
Dirt, dust & grit caught inside: Your leaky seal may simply have some sand or dirt wedged between the fork seal and the inner tube causing an incomplete seal. In this case it is possible to repair it by carefully cleaning the muck out using a piece of film strip as explained below..

How to clean fork and dust seals

You should clean under the dust seals often especially after muddy, sandy or dusty conditions.

Carefully pry open the dust seal using a flat head screwdriver. Make sure you don’t damage the dust seal or scratch the fork by being too rough.
Use a clean (lint free) cloth over the tip of a small screwdriver to clean out any muck that is up under the lip. A Q-tip (cotton swab) seems to work well also.
Once it’s clean, push the dust seal firmly back in place using your fingers.

Tip: If mud is allowed to dry up on the fork tubes make sure you remove it before riding again as the crusty stuff will only wear away the seals.

That is all you need to do to clean ’em each time. But if you’ve just spotted a leak you can try this method before taking it to the shop. (This should only be attempted if there is already a leak – not as a precautionary measure.)

Remove the dust seal.
Using a piece of film strip carefully slide it up under the inner fork seal and move it up and down and around the circumference of the fork tube. The idea here is to extract any muck that may be caught in the seal so make sure you move the film in a forward direction with the top of the film at the front. You don’t want to force the muck deeper inside.

If you think the fork has lost a fair bit of oil you should replace the oil and seal.

Tip: Next time you change the seals invest in a pair of seal savers to help keep the crap out. They’re cheap as chips and are brilliant for sand riders. In muddy conditions, it’s best to slide them up over the outer fork out of the way as they only tend to trap mud.

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Jim Harmer

I'm the co-owner of DBP. I live in Star, Idaho and enjoy dirt biking with my wife and two boys throughout the Idaho mountains.

Repairing Your Dirt Bike Exhaust Pipe

If you consider yourself a bit of a backyard mechanic and your dirt bike exhaust pipe (two stroke) has more craters in it than a teenagers face, and you don’t have the cash for a sparkling new FMF pipe… then follow these simple steps to bring her back to shape.

With a bit of effort you can increase the performance and sharpen up the look of your bike which will add to the resale price.

The process goes something like this..

You need to seal tight both ends of the pipe with some sort of plug, or bung, then apply air pressure into one end while heating up the trouble spots with a blow torch. This will push out most larger dents your pipe has to offer.

Find or make up a couple of plugs to block both ends of the pipe. We used a bolt and nut system with a thick rubber bush. When tightened inside one end of the pipe, it expands forming a tight seal. On one of the plugs you need to have an air valve so you can apply air pressure into the pipe. Make sure you stand clear of the plug ends. Too much air pressure and these puppies blow out like rockets!
Using a gas torch – apply heat directly to and around the trouble spot. You will need to get it red hot. Be careful that you don’t burn a hole right through the pipe though. Apply air pressure carefully at the same time and watch the dents pop out.
Once you have taken all the dents out, give your dirt bike exhaust pipe a good ol’ sanding to smooth it over and prepare it for a paint job.
Give her a paint job! Make sure you use heat resistant paint here, otherwise it’ll peel off. I used a matt black paint which helps to hide the smaller dents. A glossy finish will only reveal them.

And there you have it… almost as good as new!

Final Note: If you are not mechanically inclined – find someone who is who can do this. This is a potentially dangerous procedure so make sure you wear the proper protective clothing and be sensible about it.

Return From Dirt Bike Exhaust Pipe To Dirt Bike Maintenance Hub

Dirt Bike Exhaust Pipe Fixed? Head To Dirt Bike Home Page

Jim Harmer

I'm the co-owner of DBP. I live in Star, Idaho and enjoy dirt biking with my wife and two boys throughout the Idaho mountains.

How To Change The Chain And Sprockets On Your Dirt Bike

This is an easy task but there are a few important things you should know when learning how to change the chain and sprockets. The first thing you should always do is change the chain and sprockets at the same time. Chains stretch and sprocket teeth wear thin and lose shape. Fitting only one new item will cause it to wear out faster than it normally would as the parts won’t interlock or fit together properly.

Start by removing the front sprocket. You need the chain on to do this as it offers resistance when you attempt to loosen off the sprocket nut. Have someone apply the rear brake at the same time that you loosen off the nut using a large socket.
Some bikes have a circlip which needs removing first. My YZ250 has this lock washer in place, which needed the ‘flaps’ to be straightened out using a small screwdriver.
Now take off the chain. Some chains have a removable connecting link (as shown here) that you can remove with a pair of long nosed pliers or a screwdriver. If it is a fixed or solid link you need to bust out the angle grinder or chain breaker to remove it.
Remove the rear wheel and swap the sprockets over. All you’ll need for this is an allen key and a spanner.
Reassemble the rear wheel.
Slide the new front sprocket on and finger tighten the nut as you won’t be able to tighten it properly until you put the chain back on.
Feed the new chain through the front sprocket all the way around ready to join. Chances are you’ll need to shorten the chain. This is where you need to be very careful! The links need to be removed in two’s (male and female connecting parts). If you shorten it too much – there’s no going back and you will need to buy another chain.

Line the chain up with the chain adjuster bolts wound in and take a look at where the best join will be. You don’t want the chain to be too tight once it’s on so you’ll need a little bit of slack that you can take up with the adjuster bolts.

To remove the links you’ll need a chain breaker (a specialized tool) or an angle grinder to grind away the burred end of the joining pin.

Once you’ve done that, connect the chain using the joining link. Make sure the clip that secures it has the rounded end facing the direction of the drive. This prevents the possibility of something snagging the clip (while riding) and tearing it off.

If you are using a solid link you’ll need to get someone to hold a mallet or hammer on the backside of the link while you use a hammer and punch to roll over the ends of it (the same way the rest of the links are secured). Make sure you do this correctly otherwise it won’t hold! If you haven’t done this before it’s probably a good idea to watch someone who has.

Apply the rear brake again and tighten the front sprocket. Fold over the lock washer – or re-secure the circlip, and tighten the chain adjuster bolts.