Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Biker Mice From Mars
I know a lot of us are having some Sons Of Anarchy withdrawals, and I imagine it must be worse for those of you who can't even ride right now due to the weather. I found a new show about bikers that might be able to fill the void until the new season of SOA starts and the weather dries up.
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiRNvsrT9sU
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiRNvsrT9sU
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Snow Angel
For those of us who think that riding a motorcycle in the snow is dangerous..............
Saturday, December 13, 2008
My Christmas Wish List
As all of the children in my life have been writing their "wish lists" I've been thinking about what would be on my wish list. First let me start by saying that there are a lot of things I wish for that are priceless and can't be found in stores or on-line, but for this post........it's all material baby!
B.B.'s Christmas Wish List 2008:
1. HIGH FLOW AIR FILTER
B.B.'s Christmas Wish List 2008:
1. HIGH FLOW AIR FILTER
2. EFI CONVERSION KIT
3. CHAPS 
4. WINTER RIDING JACKET
5. WINTER RIDING GLOVES
I think that's enough for now. If anybody feels like playing Santa I will email you my address. LOL
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Sunset With My Son
Last week was an exceptionally crappy one for me. I won't go into the details, because they don't matter, but I knew it was affecting those around me when my son asked me one day if I was having another bad day....shhhh....can you hear it? That was the sound of my heart breaking.
On Thursday I decided enough was enough and rushed to pick Riley up after I got off work. We jumped in the car and I started to drive. Riley kept asking where we were going and I told him to just relax and he would find out soon enough.
I drove us about 20 miles to Moss Landing to the beach just as the sun was about to set. We watched the Sea Lions as they swam and played only a few feet from the shore. We sat on a log and watched the sunset while we had a nice conversation and I apologized for being "grumpy mom". Riley gave me a big hug and told me that I was a great mom. I sat there thinking about how truly blessed I am, and how no matter what happens I need to remember my blessings and live my life so that others, especially my son, can see those blessings as well.
I hadn't really considered posting about this until I read the post "2 CUPS OF COFFEE" over at Mr. Motorcycle's blog. It really touched me and made me feel like sharing.
My advice to anyone having a bad day....spend a few minutes with someone you love, there really is no better cure.
On Thursday I decided enough was enough and rushed to pick Riley up after I got off work. We jumped in the car and I started to drive. Riley kept asking where we were going and I told him to just relax and he would find out soon enough.
I drove us about 20 miles to Moss Landing to the beach just as the sun was about to set. We watched the Sea Lions as they swam and played only a few feet from the shore. We sat on a log and watched the sunset while we had a nice conversation and I apologized for being "grumpy mom". Riley gave me a big hug and told me that I was a great mom. I sat there thinking about how truly blessed I am, and how no matter what happens I need to remember my blessings and live my life so that others, especially my son, can see those blessings as well.
I hadn't really considered posting about this until I read the post "2 CUPS OF COFFEE" over at Mr. Motorcycle's blog. It really touched me and made me feel like sharing.
My advice to anyone having a bad day....spend a few minutes with someone you love, there really is no better cure.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Main Roads, and Back Roads, and Freeways, OH MY!
Saturday started out chilly and windy so I wasn't sure if we would ride much. Dave, as most of you know, will ride no matter what. I, on the other hand, am not sure yet how much wind or cold I can handle, especially since I don't have any really cold weather gear. I don't have chaps, and my gloves and jacket are both pretty lightweight.
By late morning the wind started to die down and the sun was out and warming up. I decided we should get out for a little bit even if it didn't turn into a long ride. We started out at the Harley dealership, as usual. We met Willy D. and Carol there and got our Saturday staple of hot dogs and chips.
We headed out with no destination in mind. Dave was the leader for the day, and lead he did. He led us on some of the crappiest roads I've ever been on, thanks Dave. No, I really mean that, thanks. I need to learn to deal with all kinds of riding situations, and when better to do it than when I am following a great rider, and have one behind me as well.
The first road Dave took us on was nothing but potholes. Dave would point out a big hole in the road, and I would think to myself, "maybe he should just point to a part of the road that isn't destroyed."
When we got to a stop sign I asked if he had ever been on that road before, and he said no. Well at least I know he didn't know what he was getting me into.
Other than that if you asked me where we went that day, I couldn't really be specific. I know we took a lot of roads I have never been on before, some of them were pretty curvy, and I think I did ok. I'm doing better about keeping up, while still staying within my own comfort zone.
We ended up in San Juan Bautista at some point, and it was absolutely beautiful over there, I'm guessing high 70's or maybe even low 80's. We sat around for a little bit and then the boys asked which way I wanted to go home. I opted for the freeway (shhh...don't tell, I'm not supposed to be on the freeway with my permit) At that point it wasn't windy and it was a good time of day, so there wouldn't be too much traffic. The ride on the freeway was great, I feel so much better about my ability to keep up with Dave. I am really starting to figure out exactly how much power my little baby has in her.
Our ride ended like most of the others, at the coffee shop to relax and visit before ending the day. I checked my odometer, 60 miles for the day. Sixty miles of pure enjoyment, sixty miles of variety on new roads. And I noticed, only 51 miles to go until I have put 1,000 miles on my girl since I got her. To some of you that may not seem like a lot, but to me, it will be a milestone. I don't want to start sounding redundant, but it will be 1,000 miles of doing something I never expected to do in my lifetime.
By late morning the wind started to die down and the sun was out and warming up. I decided we should get out for a little bit even if it didn't turn into a long ride. We started out at the Harley dealership, as usual. We met Willy D. and Carol there and got our Saturday staple of hot dogs and chips.
We headed out with no destination in mind. Dave was the leader for the day, and lead he did. He led us on some of the crappiest roads I've ever been on, thanks Dave. No, I really mean that, thanks. I need to learn to deal with all kinds of riding situations, and when better to do it than when I am following a great rider, and have one behind me as well.
The first road Dave took us on was nothing but potholes. Dave would point out a big hole in the road, and I would think to myself, "maybe he should just point to a part of the road that isn't destroyed."
When we got to a stop sign I asked if he had ever been on that road before, and he said no. Well at least I know he didn't know what he was getting me into.
Other than that if you asked me where we went that day, I couldn't really be specific. I know we took a lot of roads I have never been on before, some of them were pretty curvy, and I think I did ok. I'm doing better about keeping up, while still staying within my own comfort zone.
We ended up in San Juan Bautista at some point, and it was absolutely beautiful over there, I'm guessing high 70's or maybe even low 80's. We sat around for a little bit and then the boys asked which way I wanted to go home. I opted for the freeway (shhh...don't tell, I'm not supposed to be on the freeway with my permit) At that point it wasn't windy and it was a good time of day, so there wouldn't be too much traffic. The ride on the freeway was great, I feel so much better about my ability to keep up with Dave. I am really starting to figure out exactly how much power my little baby has in her.
Our ride ended like most of the others, at the coffee shop to relax and visit before ending the day. I checked my odometer, 60 miles for the day. Sixty miles of pure enjoyment, sixty miles of variety on new roads. And I noticed, only 51 miles to go until I have put 1,000 miles on my girl since I got her. To some of you that may not seem like a lot, but to me, it will be a milestone. I don't want to start sounding redundant, but it will be 1,000 miles of doing something I never expected to do in my lifetime.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My Thanksgiving Thoughts
As I was reading Thanksgiving posts of my fellow bloggers, I was thinking about all that I am thankful for. Of course there are the obvious things, that everyone knows I'm thankful for, but I decided to dig a little deeper and here is what I came up with.
I am thankful for all the people who have been placed in my life. This includes the ones who I wouldn't consider 'good'. I'm thankful for the people who have treated me badly, who have stolen from me, cheated on me, beaten me up (figuratively and literally), doubted me, and basically pushed me to the brink.
I am thankful for these people because I have learned so much from them and the experiences I have encountered because of them. I have learned how strong I am, and how I can get by with almost nothing. I have learned that even though I have gone through some horrible stuff at the hands of these people, I came out of it with a better perspective of life and a deeper understanding of myself. I have learned that I could live my life as a victim and be miserable, or I could focus on the good and look forward to the future and be happy and hopeful. I am thankful because if it weren't for the 'bad' people in my life, I may not be able to fully appreciate the wonderful people in my life.
Whatever you are thankful for today, I hope it is a positive day and you all find joy in the good and the bad. Of course it's easier to be joyful in the good times, but just think, were it not for the bad times, how would you even know when you were in the good times?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I am thankful for all the people who have been placed in my life. This includes the ones who I wouldn't consider 'good'. I'm thankful for the people who have treated me badly, who have stolen from me, cheated on me, beaten me up (figuratively and literally), doubted me, and basically pushed me to the brink.
I am thankful for these people because I have learned so much from them and the experiences I have encountered because of them. I have learned how strong I am, and how I can get by with almost nothing. I have learned that even though I have gone through some horrible stuff at the hands of these people, I came out of it with a better perspective of life and a deeper understanding of myself. I have learned that I could live my life as a victim and be miserable, or I could focus on the good and look forward to the future and be happy and hopeful. I am thankful because if it weren't for the 'bad' people in my life, I may not be able to fully appreciate the wonderful people in my life.
Whatever you are thankful for today, I hope it is a positive day and you all find joy in the good and the bad. Of course it's easier to be joyful in the good times, but just think, were it not for the bad times, how would you even know when you were in the good times?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Friday, November 21, 2008
SOME OF MY FAVORITE READING
I know a lot of you already know Big D. and are familiar with what a wonderful writer he is. I wanted to post this so that those of you who have not had the pleasure of reading his work could go and check it out.
Big D. is an awesome author. His imagination and attention to detail will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. There isn't a lot more I can say that will do justice to the amazing stories that this man can write.
All I can suggest is to take a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee, and check him out..........Big Daddy's Idle Thoughts
If you like what you read, which I know you will, be sure to leave him a comment and tell him so!
Big D. is an awesome author. His imagination and attention to detail will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. There isn't a lot more I can say that will do justice to the amazing stories that this man can write.
All I can suggest is to take a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee, and check him out..........Big Daddy's Idle Thoughts
If you like what you read, which I know you will, be sure to leave him a comment and tell him so!
Monday, November 17, 2008
My first solo ride
Today is a beautiful day! It's about 70 degrees outside with no clouds in the sky. A perfect day for riding. Dave is working at the shop so I decided to take my baby out to come down and see him. This is the first time I've gone out on my own. I was a little bit nervous but it's only a few blocks away and I've ridden over here so many times with Dave that I knew I could do it.
I pulled out of the driveway with a feeling of excitement. As I pulled onto the street and really got going I had a decision to make. I could take the back way through the neighborhoods or I could head out to the main street and cruise all the way downtown. I opted for the main street. It was awesome! What a feeling of accomplishment. Willy D. has been telling me ever since I got my bike that I should take her out for a solo ride, but I didn't feel ready until today.
When I walked into the shop Dave smiled, and then got a proud look on his face when he realized I was wearing my riding gear. I was beaming as I said, "I rode all by myself." I feel like a little kid who just realized they can do something without the help of mom or dad.
Every time I ride I think about how far I've come since the day I first decided I wanted to ride. I remember the first day in the Harley Davidson parking lot and wondering if I was ever going to get my feet off the ground and if I would ever feel comfortable, and wondering if I had done the right thing buying a bike. I still have a long way to go, but I did get my feet off the ground, I do feel comfortable, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I did the right thing getting my bike.
Now only one more decision for the day....do I want to go home, or do I want to see where else the road might take me today?.............................
I pulled out of the driveway with a feeling of excitement. As I pulled onto the street and really got going I had a decision to make. I could take the back way through the neighborhoods or I could head out to the main street and cruise all the way downtown. I opted for the main street. It was awesome! What a feeling of accomplishment. Willy D. has been telling me ever since I got my bike that I should take her out for a solo ride, but I didn't feel ready until today.
When I walked into the shop Dave smiled, and then got a proud look on his face when he realized I was wearing my riding gear. I was beaming as I said, "I rode all by myself." I feel like a little kid who just realized they can do something without the help of mom or dad.
Every time I ride I think about how far I've come since the day I first decided I wanted to ride. I remember the first day in the Harley Davidson parking lot and wondering if I was ever going to get my feet off the ground and if I would ever feel comfortable, and wondering if I had done the right thing buying a bike. I still have a long way to go, but I did get my feet off the ground, I do feel comfortable, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I did the right thing getting my bike.
Now only one more decision for the day....do I want to go home, or do I want to see where else the road might take me today?.............................
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A TRIBUTE TO THE MAN I LOVE
At the risk of embarrassing my Dave, I have decided today to pay a special tribute to him. It's not a special occasion, no birthdays, or anniversaries, just a day that I wanted to let you all know how I really feel about the man you all know as "FLHX DAVE".
Dave is so many things to me. He is my soul mate, the man of my dreams, and my best friend. He is the one person in this world who knows everything there is to know about me, and yet he still loves and accepts me. He has taught me the meaning of unconditional love. I don't know if I can say that I'm a better person since I met him, but he makes me want to be a better woman. He has taught me so many things about myself. Sometimes I think he is way better to me than I am to him, and I wonder how I ended up as fortunate as I am.
He is a wonderful father, not just to his children, but to my son. I know he gets down because he doesn't see his kids as much as he'd like, but he does his best to be in contact with them as much as possible. They may be 500 miles apart, but he is more connected with them than a lot of parents who live in the same house as their children. I respect the fact that he really tries and doesn't just give up.
When we first started hanging out I think people thought that we were an unlikely couple, and that we were probably just a fling. But anyone who wants to see two people who truly love and respect each other can just take a look over here.
Our relationship is not perfect, as nothing is. Dave does some really annoying things and since he knows me so well, he can definitely push my buttons. And believe me, I know how to push his. But the fact is that I love this man for all that he is. I know who he is, and I don't expect him to change. We bicker quite a bit, mostly in fun. We are both head strong and think we're right most of the time, but when we realize that we'd rather be happy we can usually let it go. I have gone through, and continue to go through, things in my life that can make it difficult to be around me sometimes, but he does what he can to understand, and when he can't he just gives me time and space to work things out.
I could go on for days about how much I love Dave, but I think I've gotten my point across. I put together a slide show, and Dave really hates it when I post pictures of him, but hopefully my kind words will soften him and he won't be too mad at me. :)
I love you very much Dave, I cherish the memories we have made so far, and I look forward to a lifetime of making more!
Make sure to click the speaker to hear the music. :)
Dave is so many things to me. He is my soul mate, the man of my dreams, and my best friend. He is the one person in this world who knows everything there is to know about me, and yet he still loves and accepts me. He has taught me the meaning of unconditional love. I don't know if I can say that I'm a better person since I met him, but he makes me want to be a better woman. He has taught me so many things about myself. Sometimes I think he is way better to me than I am to him, and I wonder how I ended up as fortunate as I am.
He is a wonderful father, not just to his children, but to my son. I know he gets down because he doesn't see his kids as much as he'd like, but he does his best to be in contact with them as much as possible. They may be 500 miles apart, but he is more connected with them than a lot of parents who live in the same house as their children. I respect the fact that he really tries and doesn't just give up.
When we first started hanging out I think people thought that we were an unlikely couple, and that we were probably just a fling. But anyone who wants to see two people who truly love and respect each other can just take a look over here.
Our relationship is not perfect, as nothing is. Dave does some really annoying things and since he knows me so well, he can definitely push my buttons. And believe me, I know how to push his. But the fact is that I love this man for all that he is. I know who he is, and I don't expect him to change. We bicker quite a bit, mostly in fun. We are both head strong and think we're right most of the time, but when we realize that we'd rather be happy we can usually let it go. I have gone through, and continue to go through, things in my life that can make it difficult to be around me sometimes, but he does what he can to understand, and when he can't he just gives me time and space to work things out.
I could go on for days about how much I love Dave, but I think I've gotten my point across. I put together a slide show, and Dave really hates it when I post pictures of him, but hopefully my kind words will soften him and he won't be too mad at me. :)
I love you very much Dave, I cherish the memories we have made so far, and I look forward to a lifetime of making more!
Make sure to click the speaker to hear the music. :)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
It's about friggin' time!
Yesterday was the first time in two weeks that I was able to get my baby out for a ride. It had been one thing or another and I was getting really sick of it!
We woke up in the morning and I was all anticipation and nerves. I was worried that I might have forgotten everything that I had learned about riding. I know two weeks isn't that long, but when you're still a newbie you worry you might have to start from scratch. Thankfully that wasn't the case. When I got going I felt great, I think I was actually feeling more comfortable than the last time I rode. It just felt so good to get out and go.
First stop was the Harley dealership. We met Willy D. and Carol there and got our free hot dogs. Free hot dogs are usually good, but when you eat one the morning after a night of J.D. they don't taste so good. That's all I'll say about that, I'll leave the potty posts for Dave!
While we were there Carol and I signed up for the garage party they are having this week. I am really looking forward to checking it out. I will definitely post about it.
We left the dealership and went to pick Riley up at his friend's house. He had spent the night and I had promised if the weather was nice that we would pick him up on the bikes. Well, the weather wasn't really nice, but it wasn't bad either. Just a little overcast and on the chilly side without being too cold. The friend's house he stayed at also happens to be one of the family's that I work for, and they have been wanting to check out my bike since I got it. After showing off my baby a little bit and gearing up the kid we took off for our little ride.
We took a nice little road that I've been on a lot so it was a nice relaxing ride. It was starting to get windy and cold and I was wondering if it would rain on us. As much as I didn't want it to rain, I thought if it did it would be a first for me and a new experience, but then the more I thought about it I realized there are some things that are probably better not experiencing.
We rode for a little bit and stopped at the coffee shop on the way home. Once we got home and the babies were safely in the garage the clouds let loose and it poured. Yeah, I can do without that experience for now.
All I can say to those of you who are getting ready to put your bikes away for the winter season....My deepest condolences. Two weeks almost killed me, I can't imagine two months without getting out on my girl. Hopefully you all have lots of stuff to keep you busy, and those of us who can ride all year will try to ride enough for you! :)
We woke up in the morning and I was all anticipation and nerves. I was worried that I might have forgotten everything that I had learned about riding. I know two weeks isn't that long, but when you're still a newbie you worry you might have to start from scratch. Thankfully that wasn't the case. When I got going I felt great, I think I was actually feeling more comfortable than the last time I rode. It just felt so good to get out and go.
First stop was the Harley dealership. We met Willy D. and Carol there and got our free hot dogs. Free hot dogs are usually good, but when you eat one the morning after a night of J.D. they don't taste so good. That's all I'll say about that, I'll leave the potty posts for Dave!
While we were there Carol and I signed up for the garage party they are having this week. I am really looking forward to checking it out. I will definitely post about it.
We left the dealership and went to pick Riley up at his friend's house. He had spent the night and I had promised if the weather was nice that we would pick him up on the bikes. Well, the weather wasn't really nice, but it wasn't bad either. Just a little overcast and on the chilly side without being too cold. The friend's house he stayed at also happens to be one of the family's that I work for, and they have been wanting to check out my bike since I got it. After showing off my baby a little bit and gearing up the kid we took off for our little ride.
We took a nice little road that I've been on a lot so it was a nice relaxing ride. It was starting to get windy and cold and I was wondering if it would rain on us. As much as I didn't want it to rain, I thought if it did it would be a first for me and a new experience, but then the more I thought about it I realized there are some things that are probably better not experiencing.
We rode for a little bit and stopped at the coffee shop on the way home. Once we got home and the babies were safely in the garage the clouds let loose and it poured. Yeah, I can do without that experience for now.
All I can say to those of you who are getting ready to put your bikes away for the winter season....My deepest condolences. Two weeks almost killed me, I can't imagine two months without getting out on my girl. Hopefully you all have lots of stuff to keep you busy, and those of us who can ride all year will try to ride enough for you! :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I'm here, but I'm not really here
The last few weeks I feel like I have been walking around in a fog. It all started with the stomach flu, or a mild case of food poisoning, not sure really. That lasted for about two days. That joy was immediately followed by the worst case of P.M.S. that I have ever suffered. I was seriously the biggest bitch for days, ask Dave, poor guy just smiled and blew me kisses in fear for his life. I did manage to enjoy my birthday in the middle of it, thanks to my wonderful man who may not always know exactly what to do, but whose trying makes it all okay.
Just when I was starting to get over the bitchies I got a bad cold. Since I don't get paid sick days, and I can't afford not to get paid, I had to work through it. Pretty much every minute I wasn't working I was sleeping. I haven't felt that miserable in a long time. I thought I may have a sinus infection, but it's now clearing up, so I think it was just a cold.
Riley was with going to be with his dad for the weekend and I really wanted to ride, but I still wasn't feeling great Friday night when I went to bed. I woke up Saturday feeling decent, but not 100%. I decided it might be best for me to ride bitch for the day. At least I would get to ride one way or another. But then when I got out of the shower I felt good so I opened up the garage and pulled the girl out to warm her up, she takes awhile to get going. Dave walked out and asked what I was doing, and I told him I needed to ride. We had a great day Saturday, I will post about that later, but then I feel a huge let down after the weekend.
While I was sick I was thinking about my job a lot. I love my job, but I'm seriously considering a career move. My job allows for a lot of freedom and flexibility, but that can also equal instability. I have no benefits of any kind. Thankfully Ry is covered under his dad's insurance, but I have no medical, dental, vision, nothing. I just found out yesterday that a place I used to work is hiring, and I know that they would hire me back. It's totally different from what I'm doing now. It's an office job, Monday through Friday 9-6, totally structured, not much freedom or flexibility. But.... there are benefits. Paid sick time and vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401K. It's hard to compare the pay because my hours always change with my current job, and I pay self employment taxes and crap, but I think it would be a little bit more than what I'm making now. I just don't know what to do. Sometimes I sit here and think, "When did this become my life?" Don't get me wrong, I love my life, and there are very few things about it that I would change, but sometimes it just seems like I'm watching my life like a movie on a screen and it's going by so fast and I'm not sure if I'm actually living it, or just being dragged along.
Whoa, I'm getting way too deep here. I think I've had way too much down time the last two weeks, not a good thing! Anyways, just wanted to share what's been going on with me, I'm sure you can all relate to some degree.
Just when I was starting to get over the bitchies I got a bad cold. Since I don't get paid sick days, and I can't afford not to get paid, I had to work through it. Pretty much every minute I wasn't working I was sleeping. I haven't felt that miserable in a long time. I thought I may have a sinus infection, but it's now clearing up, so I think it was just a cold.
Riley was with going to be with his dad for the weekend and I really wanted to ride, but I still wasn't feeling great Friday night when I went to bed. I woke up Saturday feeling decent, but not 100%. I decided it might be best for me to ride bitch for the day. At least I would get to ride one way or another. But then when I got out of the shower I felt good so I opened up the garage and pulled the girl out to warm her up, she takes awhile to get going. Dave walked out and asked what I was doing, and I told him I needed to ride. We had a great day Saturday, I will post about that later, but then I feel a huge let down after the weekend.
While I was sick I was thinking about my job a lot. I love my job, but I'm seriously considering a career move. My job allows for a lot of freedom and flexibility, but that can also equal instability. I have no benefits of any kind. Thankfully Ry is covered under his dad's insurance, but I have no medical, dental, vision, nothing. I just found out yesterday that a place I used to work is hiring, and I know that they would hire me back. It's totally different from what I'm doing now. It's an office job, Monday through Friday 9-6, totally structured, not much freedom or flexibility. But.... there are benefits. Paid sick time and vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401K. It's hard to compare the pay because my hours always change with my current job, and I pay self employment taxes and crap, but I think it would be a little bit more than what I'm making now. I just don't know what to do. Sometimes I sit here and think, "When did this become my life?" Don't get me wrong, I love my life, and there are very few things about it that I would change, but sometimes it just seems like I'm watching my life like a movie on a screen and it's going by so fast and I'm not sure if I'm actually living it, or just being dragged along.
Whoa, I'm getting way too deep here. I think I've had way too much down time the last two weeks, not a good thing! Anyways, just wanted to share what's been going on with me, I'm sure you can all relate to some degree.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
My 18th Birthday! Ha Ha!
Thank you all for the Birthday wishes. I'm sure you all know that Dave was kidding when he said it was my 18th, he's such a kidder. No, this was a milestone for me though....21. Yes, now I can finally go check out some of these biker bars I've been hearing about.
I had a great day. It was a pretty low key celebration, but I had everything I needed, my two favorite boys, good friends, and food! The only thing I didn't get to do that I wanted to was ride, but it was just too busy.
We had a great dinner with Willy D. and Carol. She was also celebrating her 21st Birthday! Unfortunately we forgot the camera at dinner, I would've loved to share pics of Willy D. in his nice clothes. (Not that leather isn't nice, but you know.)
Willy D. and Carol bought me a cute little Teddy Bear.
After dinner we came home and had cake. Dave and Riley made the cake for me, it was so good!
Then we watched a movie that I got to rent free from Hollywood Video. I don't know how many of you have Hollywood Video where you are, but if you're a member you get a free rental on your Birthday, cool huh! We got "The Forbidden Kingdom". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, it was awesome!
Riley fell asleep right after the movie so Dave and I decided to open up the bottle of wine that my boss had given me. I'm not usually much of a wine drinker, but I'm not going to turn it down if someone gives it to me. It was White Merlot, I'd never even heard of it, but it was pretty good.
Only problem was that the wine glasses were too small, so I had to find something better to drink out of.
As for the spankings....well a lady doesn't kiss and tell.....hmmm, I don't know really if I'm a lady....ok, well let's just say that the rest of the evening was very good....you can all use your imaginations.
Thanks again for the Birthday wishes. Thanks Willy D. and Carol for sharing the day with us. Thanks Riley and Dave for a wonderful cake, and Dave thanks for everything else!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Thought you might find this interesting
I found this on AMA's website and wanted to share it with you all since this has been a hot topic lately.
AMA urges DOT to accelerate motorcycle crash study
Posted October 6, 2008
AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman called for the U.S. Department of Transportation to accelerate a long-overdue federal study into the causes of motorcycle crashes in a meeting with the agency's head, Secretary Mary Peters, on Friday, October 3. Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) David Kelly, and AMA Vice President of Government Relations Ed Moreland also attended the meeting.
"There are an estimated 10 million motorcyclists on the road today, more than at any time in America's history," said Dingman, who heads the nation's 300,000-member non-profit association. "As a direct result of this growth and increased usage, we are experiencing more crashes, injuries and fatalities. Our meeting with Secretary Peters--a motorcyclist herself--was cordial yet frank. We believe she understands the sense of urgency to get this crash research underway."
According to NHTSA statistics released by Peter's office in September, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on U.S. roads in 2007 increased 6.6 percent over 2006, while the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to the lowest number since 1994.
"Some time ago, Congress and the motorcycling community committed the necessary funds for this study," said Dingman. "For too long, NHTSA has simply focused on a strategy of advocating mandatory helmet use, while doing little to prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. With a new administration set to take office on January 20, we can't afford any more delays while motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities continue to mount. The time to begin the study is now."
Dingman stressed that while the AMA strongly supports voluntary helmet use as one element of a comprehensive approach to motorcycle safety, a higher priority must be given by NHTSA to crash prevention, which must include greater emphasis on motorist awareness programs to educate road users about motorcycles.
The crash study is being undertaken by the Oklahoma Transportation Center, an independent and well-respected research facility at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The last major motorcycle crash study was completed in 1980, and it provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer on the road. In the decades since, the traffic environment has changed enormously, prompting the AMA to begin campaigning for a new study several years ago.
"The idea behind the motorcycle crash causation study is to help us understand the causes of crashes so that effective countermeasures can be developed," said Dingman. "Absent this study, countermeasures will continue to be developed in a vacuum, with no way to know which measures will be effective."
In their meeting Friday, Dingman also urged Secretary Peters to reject New York City's request to ban motorcycles from high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Federal law stipulates that HOV lanes must allow motorcycles to use the lanes unless proven to pose a safety hazard.
"Secretary Peters was supportive of our desire to end New York City's illegal ticketing of motorcyclists in HOV lanes," said Dingman.
AMA urges DOT to accelerate motorcycle crash study
Posted October 6, 2008
AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman called for the U.S. Department of Transportation to accelerate a long-overdue federal study into the causes of motorcycle crashes in a meeting with the agency's head, Secretary Mary Peters, on Friday, October 3. Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) David Kelly, and AMA Vice President of Government Relations Ed Moreland also attended the meeting.
"There are an estimated 10 million motorcyclists on the road today, more than at any time in America's history," said Dingman, who heads the nation's 300,000-member non-profit association. "As a direct result of this growth and increased usage, we are experiencing more crashes, injuries and fatalities. Our meeting with Secretary Peters--a motorcyclist herself--was cordial yet frank. We believe she understands the sense of urgency to get this crash research underway."
According to NHTSA statistics released by Peter's office in September, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on U.S. roads in 2007 increased 6.6 percent over 2006, while the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to the lowest number since 1994.
"Some time ago, Congress and the motorcycling community committed the necessary funds for this study," said Dingman. "For too long, NHTSA has simply focused on a strategy of advocating mandatory helmet use, while doing little to prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. With a new administration set to take office on January 20, we can't afford any more delays while motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities continue to mount. The time to begin the study is now."
Dingman stressed that while the AMA strongly supports voluntary helmet use as one element of a comprehensive approach to motorcycle safety, a higher priority must be given by NHTSA to crash prevention, which must include greater emphasis on motorist awareness programs to educate road users about motorcycles.
The crash study is being undertaken by the Oklahoma Transportation Center, an independent and well-respected research facility at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The last major motorcycle crash study was completed in 1980, and it provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer on the road. In the decades since, the traffic environment has changed enormously, prompting the AMA to begin campaigning for a new study several years ago.
"The idea behind the motorcycle crash causation study is to help us understand the causes of crashes so that effective countermeasures can be developed," said Dingman. "Absent this study, countermeasures will continue to be developed in a vacuum, with no way to know which measures will be effective."
In their meeting Friday, Dingman also urged Secretary Peters to reject New York City's request to ban motorcycles from high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Federal law stipulates that HOV lanes must allow motorcycles to use the lanes unless proven to pose a safety hazard.
"Secretary Peters was supportive of our desire to end New York City's illegal ticketing of motorcyclists in HOV lanes," said Dingman.
Friday, October 3, 2008
B.B.'s Bike Garage
My engine guards finally came in. (One side note, it really bothers me that they are called engine "guards" plural when it's only one piece.)
So any way, my engine guard(s) came in and Dave told me he wanted me to put them on myself. It's not that he's a total loser jerk, it's just that he thinks it would be good for me to do as much as I can myself when it comes to my bike. I agree, I think that's the best way to learn.
Just as I was getting everything that I needed together, a thought occurred to me. Willy D, our prospect needed to do something to prove to me that he was worthy.
I immediately grabbed the phone. "Willy D." I said. "Get your ass over here and put my guard(s) on. He was over here before I could even open my beer. Good boy! The prospect did a good job in a timely manner. (With a little bit of my assistance.)
But then.......
I think he did that on purpose.
After giving him a good piece of my mind, I realized that this was at least a good opportunity to see if the engine guard(s) worked. It was also a good time to practice picking the bike up myself.
I did it mostly by myself, with just a little support from Willy D. It wasn't too bad, but I was thinking once again that I'm glad I didn't get a bigger bike.
I was a little disappointed about one thing. There's a sticker on my guard(s) that basically says they won't help in a collision with another vehicle. WTF? I thought it was a force field!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Riding with the boys
This morning we got the bikes out and rode to the coffee shop and then to the Harley dealership. It's exciting for me anytime I get to ride, but these are two places I've already ridden to. I'm not in a hurry to really get out and go crazy, but I do want to expand my horizons just a little bit every time.
Dave knows me so well, he already knew what I was thinking. He asked if I wanted to ride for a while before I had to go to work this afternoon. He had an idea where he wanted to go, and asked Bernie and Dale if they wanted to go with us. The thought of riding in a group, even if it was just four bikes, was a little bit intimidating to me. I'm used to riding with Dave, and he knows where I have problems and what he needs to look out for. I would never want to cause anybody else to go down if I were to make some stupid move they weren't prepared for. I told Dave I wanted to pick the order we rode. I wanted Bernie to lead and then me, Dave behind me, and Dale in the very back. I mean no offense to Dale, but he doesn't have as much experience as Bernie and Dave, and I didn't think it was a good idea to have the two riders with the least experience right next to each other. And the reason I wanted Dave behind me was because like I said before, he knows where I have problems, and where he may need to back off. I felt good with Bernie leading because he is a great rider, but I knew he wouldn't push me to go beyond my ability.
We decided to take a ride down River Road. River Road is kind of a backwoods type road. It has some long straight shots, some mild curves, some small hills, just a few bumps, and usually very little traffic. And I have a new high speed, 60 mph.
It was such a nice day and we did see some other bikes out, and guess what? I waved! Yeah! I had already told myself not to expect to be comfortable taking my hand off for quite awhile, but when I saw a bike approach I would assess the situation and if I felt ok and the road was clear ahead I would go for it. It's funny how something as small as a wave can be so exciting.
I felt good about going for this ride. Some of my nervousness is slowly starting to be replaced with just good old fashioned cautiousness and awareness. I am learning more about my bike every time I ride. I'm getting comfortable with how she reacts to certain situations, and how I react to her reactions. LOL. Although I really can't wait to take the basic riders course. I know it will help me a lot, especially with my maneuvering in parking lots and driveways.
I did notice that I eased up my grip on the throttle, and didn't rev when I was trying to stop. Every time we go out Dave gives me very honest feedback about how I'm doing and what I need to work on. I take his advice seriously and everything that I've done that he's told me to has helped with whatever the problem has been.
I'm getting more confident, but not too confident. I know that I still have a lot to learn and I am still very inexperienced. I'm just so excited that I'm progressing in a forward direction. And I hope that you all aren't getting sick of me spouting off about my accomplishments. I worry that this may be taken as me patting myself on the back, but it is really meant to be an encouragement to any body else who's in the same position, as well as a progress report for myself. :)
Oh, and one more thing...I made it into the driveway without stalling, or dropping her, or ending up on the neighbors grass. Whoo hoo!
Dave knows me so well, he already knew what I was thinking. He asked if I wanted to ride for a while before I had to go to work this afternoon. He had an idea where he wanted to go, and asked Bernie and Dale if they wanted to go with us. The thought of riding in a group, even if it was just four bikes, was a little bit intimidating to me. I'm used to riding with Dave, and he knows where I have problems and what he needs to look out for. I would never want to cause anybody else to go down if I were to make some stupid move they weren't prepared for. I told Dave I wanted to pick the order we rode. I wanted Bernie to lead and then me, Dave behind me, and Dale in the very back. I mean no offense to Dale, but he doesn't have as much experience as Bernie and Dave, and I didn't think it was a good idea to have the two riders with the least experience right next to each other. And the reason I wanted Dave behind me was because like I said before, he knows where I have problems, and where he may need to back off. I felt good with Bernie leading because he is a great rider, but I knew he wouldn't push me to go beyond my ability.
We decided to take a ride down River Road. River Road is kind of a backwoods type road. It has some long straight shots, some mild curves, some small hills, just a few bumps, and usually very little traffic. And I have a new high speed, 60 mph.
It was such a nice day and we did see some other bikes out, and guess what? I waved! Yeah! I had already told myself not to expect to be comfortable taking my hand off for quite awhile, but when I saw a bike approach I would assess the situation and if I felt ok and the road was clear ahead I would go for it. It's funny how something as small as a wave can be so exciting.
I felt good about going for this ride. Some of my nervousness is slowly starting to be replaced with just good old fashioned cautiousness and awareness. I am learning more about my bike every time I ride. I'm getting comfortable with how she reacts to certain situations, and how I react to her reactions. LOL. Although I really can't wait to take the basic riders course. I know it will help me a lot, especially with my maneuvering in parking lots and driveways.
I did notice that I eased up my grip on the throttle, and didn't rev when I was trying to stop. Every time we go out Dave gives me very honest feedback about how I'm doing and what I need to work on. I take his advice seriously and everything that I've done that he's told me to has helped with whatever the problem has been.
I'm getting more confident, but not too confident. I know that I still have a lot to learn and I am still very inexperienced. I'm just so excited that I'm progressing in a forward direction. And I hope that you all aren't getting sick of me spouting off about my accomplishments. I worry that this may be taken as me patting myself on the back, but it is really meant to be an encouragement to any body else who's in the same position, as well as a progress report for myself. :)
Oh, and one more thing...I made it into the driveway without stalling, or dropping her, or ending up on the neighbors grass. Whoo hoo!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Today's accomplishments!
1. I rode Miss Patience to the Harley Davidson dealership. It isn't far, but I had to ride on a couple of BIG streets to get there, with traffic and everything. LOL.
2. I got up to 5th gear and almost 50 MPH. Previously I had only reached 3rd gear.
3. I was able to downshift when I needed to without any trouble.
4. I changed the bulbs in my turn signals. I know it isn't hard, but it's the first semi-mechanical thing I've done myself to my bike.
5. I rode to one of my jobs. Dave was nice enough to escort me, and then come back when I was done. (He's so awesome!)
6. We rode over to the hospital to see our friends and their beautiful new baby girl. Dave took me through the hospital parking lot, which was far scarier than any road I've been on.
7. I got a "thumbs up" from an elderly woman who was stopped next to me at a light.
Okay, now, so you don't think I'm just patting myself on the back, I'll tell you the bad stuff. (Well not bad, just things I need to work on.)
1. I have this really bad habit of gripping the throttle very tightly while I am stopping, and/or stopped, so at the same time I'm braking, I'm giving it throttle and revving up the engine.
2. I have some kind of mental block when pulling into the driveway at Dave's house. As you may recall that is where I dropped my bike. Well, today, I pulled in the driveway and then ended up on the neighbors grass. It sounds worse than it was, he uses it like a driveway anyway.
2. I got up to 5th gear and almost 50 MPH. Previously I had only reached 3rd gear.
3. I was able to downshift when I needed to without any trouble.
4. I changed the bulbs in my turn signals. I know it isn't hard, but it's the first semi-mechanical thing I've done myself to my bike.
5. I rode to one of my jobs. Dave was nice enough to escort me, and then come back when I was done. (He's so awesome!)
6. We rode over to the hospital to see our friends and their beautiful new baby girl. Dave took me through the hospital parking lot, which was far scarier than any road I've been on.
7. I got a "thumbs up" from an elderly woman who was stopped next to me at a light.
Okay, now, so you don't think I'm just patting myself on the back, I'll tell you the bad stuff. (Well not bad, just things I need to work on.)
1. I have this really bad habit of gripping the throttle very tightly while I am stopping, and/or stopped, so at the same time I'm braking, I'm giving it throttle and revving up the engine.
2. I have some kind of mental block when pulling into the driveway at Dave's house. As you may recall that is where I dropped my bike. Well, today, I pulled in the driveway and then ended up on the neighbors grass. It sounds worse than it was, he uses it like a driveway anyway.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
My Saturday Ride
Last week was a busy week, with that and my broken toe, I didn't ride. Since Riley would be at his dad's house this weekend I was looking forward to getting on Patience and getting out for a little bit of practice.
As soon as we pulled up to the coffee shop, I turned off my bike, and let out a "Whoo hoo!" People were looking at me like I was crazy, they had no idea what an amazing accomplishment this was for me. But I knew. This was so exciting for me. It's a great feeling to know that I just go a little bit further every time. 
Well, plans changed, as they sometimes do. We ended up riding with Bernie and Carol over to Seaside. Since Seaside is 20 miles away, and you have to go on the freeway, it looked like I was going to be bitch for the day. (Some might say I'm a bitch every day no matter where I sit.) But it was ok, we had a nice ride over there. I was kicking myself that I didn't have my camera, there were some great photo ops. After we got to Seaside we made several stops just for trivial stuff and then took the long way home.
We stopped at the coffee shop to get some coffee. Duh! We were just sitting around talking and Dave asked if I wanted to keep riding (with him) or go and get my bike and practice. I definitely wanted to go practice. Bernie had some work he was doing on one of his bikes so they were going home to do that. He has a windshield that he said would fit on my bike and we could put it on and see if I liked it, so Dave told him we would ride over to his house. What? He lives five miles away, and I have to ride across busy streets to get there. Hmmm, can I do this?
Dave assured me that I could do it. He told me just to stay calm and relax and I could do it, but could I try to increase my speed this time so we were at least going the speed limit. LOL.
So we went to get my bike. I started her up and tried to stay calm, telling myself I could do it. As soon as we pulled out of the first street I almost popped a wheelie, oh no. That freaked me out, and I really got nervous. Then Dave turned left, I went to put on my turn signal and hit the horn instead, it startled me. Dave heard the horn and pulled over thinking that I was honking at him. He asked if I was ok, and I said, "No, I don't think I am. I'm just really freaked out." He didn't know about my little stunt so he couldn't figure out why I was so nervous. He gave me a little pep talk, and calmed me down, and then we were off again.
I relaxed a little bit and told myself to just take it one stop sign at a time. And guess what? I remembered the clutch every time. I have this little mantra now when I go to stop. It goes, "Clutch and brakes, and downshift, clutch and brakes, and downshift." Hey, it worked. My stopping is getting much better, and I didn't have any problems with the turns this time, even some that were a little bit harder than what I'm used to. I was starting to feel really good. I had a few assholes that got on my ass, but I just kept my cool and kept going. Before I knew it we were at Bernie's house. Yeah! That was the farthest I had been away from home. I felt good. We sat and chatted for a little bit, and Bernie put the windshield on for me and we were on our way again.
We decided to stop by and see Wolf before we went home. The ride from Bernie's to Wolf's was even better. I felt totally comfortable, ok, almost totally comfortable. No wheelies, no stalls, just riding. I was keeping up with Dave (for the most part), and I was happy.
While we were at Wolf's, Dave asked if I wanted to try to make it to the coffee shop. Well, it isn't as far as Bernie's and I did that ok. One of the streets we would have to go down is kind of busy, but not too bad. I figured I could handle it. By this point, the nervousness was gone, and I was aware of the other cars and stuff around me, but not paranoid.
As soon as we pulled up to the coffee shop, I turned off my bike, and let out a "Whoo hoo!" People were looking at me like I was crazy, they had no idea what an amazing accomplishment this was for me. But I knew. This was so exciting for me. It's a great feeling to know that I just go a little bit further every time. 
The ride home was good, although I did stall a couple of times, just a reminder not to get too cocky, I am still learning.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Baja Cantina
This post was meant to go up over a month ago, but somehow with all my excitement I over looked it. This was one of our rides over to Baja Cantina. Sorry, no music, I'm lazy.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Ouch! Don't vacuum barefoot!
Last night I got a shot of motivation right before bed and decided to vacuum the living room. We have this little tray table, like for serving breakfast in bed, Riley uses it for a homework table. It was in the middle of the floor in my way, and I didn't want to turn off the vacuum to move it, so I just kicked it with my bare foot. Well, the wrong part of my foot, hit the wrong part of the table, and I jammed one of my toes pretty hard. At first I didn't think anything about it, just hurt like any time you hit your toe. But then I was up most of the night in pain, and this morning I could tell it was broken. I didn't go to the Dr., because for one thing, I don't have insurance, but also I've had broken toes before (I'm kinda a Klutz!) and I know all they can do is tape it up. So, that's what I did.
The first thing I thought was, "I don't think I can ride, I won't be able to shift." But this week is pretty busy so I probably wouldn't have gotten out anyways. And in my experience with my other broken toes, they all healed up pretty quickly.
So, anyways, the moral of the story is....
Don't vacuum barefoot.
Or don't be lazy and kick stuff out of the way.
Or just don't vacuum at all.
The first thing I thought was, "I don't think I can ride, I won't be able to shift." But this week is pretty busy so I probably wouldn't have gotten out anyways. And in my experience with my other broken toes, they all healed up pretty quickly.
So, anyways, the moral of the story is....
Don't vacuum barefoot.
Or don't be lazy and kick stuff out of the way.
Or just don't vacuum at all.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Out of the parking lot, into the dump
This morning Dave asked if I wanted to ride my bike over to the Harley dealership. I don't think he expected me to say yes, because when I did he said, "Really? Are you sure?"
So we decided that we would ride around the neighborhood for awhile and see how I felt. Dave was a nervous wreck, Riley was a nervous wreck, and to be honest, I was more nervous than I let either of them know. Before today I had only ridden in the parking lot. No traffic to worry about, plenty of room, and speed so low I never had to shift. But, I needed to get out of the parking lot sometime, right?
We rode around the neighborhood for about an hour and a half. I was feeling good, except I kept getting a cramp in my left thigh. Dave said that's normal, just part of getting used to the ride. I felt confident in my starting out, stopping, turning, and even the shifting was going pretty good. The only thing that was really bothering me was the other traffic on the road. Since we weren't on any busy streets, there weren't a lot of cars, but enough to make me nervous. I decided that I need more experience before I got out onto the main streets. The best piece of advice I have received since starting this journey is, "Never out ride your ability." I was keeping that in mind.
I told Dave we should ride the bikes home, and I could get my car and we could all still go over to the dealership to get our Saturday hot dogs.
I pulled into the driveway okay, but when I went to stop, my brain forgot to communicate with my left hand telling it to pull in the clutch. Well, you all know what happens when you forget to do that. She tried to keep going while I was trying to stop. I could tell we were going over, so I jumped off and tried to control the dump as well as I could. She went down slowly, landed on the mirror, and thankfully it held up. No major damage. There are a couple little scratches on the pipe, but no damage to the engine or the tank. I'm amazed that the mirror didn't break. All I could say was, "Aw shit!" And all Dave could say was, "Clutch baby, always remember the clutch." Then he and Riley both asked if I was ok. I'm ok, just glad it happened in the driveway and not out on the road.
Then I got a demonstration on the proper way to pick up a dropped bike. I thought that the first time this happened to me I would be upset, but I really wasn't. I have heard many stories about people dumping their bikes so I know it isn't just me, I'm just starting out, and I feel good about riding. Even with that little mishap I still feel really good about my ride today. There was one point while we were going down the street that I thought to myself, "Wow, look at me, I'm really riding a motorcycle." I'm proud of myself for taking on this adventure, it's something that I never would have imagined just a couple of years ago. And I have to admit, it felt really good riding by the little boys who were all looking at me like I was a cool chick. I'm not into this to be seen as a cool chick, it's about the ride, but it still felt good.
After we got my baby settled in, and I got my car, we went over to the dealership and got our lunch. Dave ordered my engine guards, ha ha, that's one way to get them sooner rather than later. LOL.
Ever since I got my bike, I've been thinking about giving her a name, I just couldn't think of anything that would be perfect. Well, I came up with one today....I have decided to name her Patience. She is very forgiving, I can't imagine a better bike to learn on. I am very happy with the choice I made when I decided to buy this bike. I look forward to being able to share many more stories about our adventures together, one baby step at a time.
So we decided that we would ride around the neighborhood for awhile and see how I felt. Dave was a nervous wreck, Riley was a nervous wreck, and to be honest, I was more nervous than I let either of them know. Before today I had only ridden in the parking lot. No traffic to worry about, plenty of room, and speed so low I never had to shift. But, I needed to get out of the parking lot sometime, right?
We rode around the neighborhood for about an hour and a half. I was feeling good, except I kept getting a cramp in my left thigh. Dave said that's normal, just part of getting used to the ride. I felt confident in my starting out, stopping, turning, and even the shifting was going pretty good. The only thing that was really bothering me was the other traffic on the road. Since we weren't on any busy streets, there weren't a lot of cars, but enough to make me nervous. I decided that I need more experience before I got out onto the main streets. The best piece of advice I have received since starting this journey is, "Never out ride your ability." I was keeping that in mind.
I told Dave we should ride the bikes home, and I could get my car and we could all still go over to the dealership to get our Saturday hot dogs.
I pulled into the driveway okay, but when I went to stop, my brain forgot to communicate with my left hand telling it to pull in the clutch. Well, you all know what happens when you forget to do that. She tried to keep going while I was trying to stop. I could tell we were going over, so I jumped off and tried to control the dump as well as I could. She went down slowly, landed on the mirror, and thankfully it held up. No major damage. There are a couple little scratches on the pipe, but no damage to the engine or the tank. I'm amazed that the mirror didn't break. All I could say was, "Aw shit!" And all Dave could say was, "Clutch baby, always remember the clutch." Then he and Riley both asked if I was ok. I'm ok, just glad it happened in the driveway and not out on the road.
Then I got a demonstration on the proper way to pick up a dropped bike. I thought that the first time this happened to me I would be upset, but I really wasn't. I have heard many stories about people dumping their bikes so I know it isn't just me, I'm just starting out, and I feel good about riding. Even with that little mishap I still feel really good about my ride today. There was one point while we were going down the street that I thought to myself, "Wow, look at me, I'm really riding a motorcycle." I'm proud of myself for taking on this adventure, it's something that I never would have imagined just a couple of years ago. And I have to admit, it felt really good riding by the little boys who were all looking at me like I was a cool chick. I'm not into this to be seen as a cool chick, it's about the ride, but it still felt good.
After we got my baby settled in, and I got my car, we went over to the dealership and got our lunch. Dave ordered my engine guards, ha ha, that's one way to get them sooner rather than later. LOL.
Ever since I got my bike, I've been thinking about giving her a name, I just couldn't think of anything that would be perfect. Well, I came up with one today....I have decided to name her Patience. She is very forgiving, I can't imagine a better bike to learn on. I am very happy with the choice I made when I decided to buy this bike. I look forward to being able to share many more stories about our adventures together, one baby step at a time.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Wells Fargo can suck my big.......
I have to vent. I am extremely pissed off at Wells Fargo Bank. I recently opened an account there because it was convenient. Some of my clients bank there, and if I couldn't get to my credit union, it made it easy to cash their checks. I hardly use the account but for that purpose. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to have my Netflix fees deducted from that checking, rather than putting it on my credit card and paying finance charges on it. I made sure to have enough money to cover the Netflix fees and haven't paid attention to the account since.
Well, last night, for whatever reason, I decided to check my account on-line. Imagine my surprise to see that my account was negative a significant amount. It appears that Netflix charged my account twice. Now, this is not Wells Fargo's fault. However, when the second charge caused my account to go negative, I never received any notification from the bank informing me of this. So in addition to the $35.00 fee for the initial negative balance, I have been charged $5.00 a day for over a week for a "reoccurring negative balance." WTF?
I am pissed. What pisses me off even more, is that I supposedly have on-line alerts from Wells Fargo, and should have been emailed immediately that my account was negative. If that would have happened I could have taken care of the matter, and then dealt with Netflix about the double charge, but now I'm out a bunch of money, almost enough to make my bike payment. Uggghhhhh!
Okay, now that I have vented to all of you, I can go to the bank on Monday, and in my sweetest manner explain the situation and try to get them to reverse some fees. Maybe I'll wear some of that perfume that seemed to help Ann land her job! :)
Well, last night, for whatever reason, I decided to check my account on-line. Imagine my surprise to see that my account was negative a significant amount. It appears that Netflix charged my account twice. Now, this is not Wells Fargo's fault. However, when the second charge caused my account to go negative, I never received any notification from the bank informing me of this. So in addition to the $35.00 fee for the initial negative balance, I have been charged $5.00 a day for over a week for a "reoccurring negative balance." WTF?
I am pissed. What pisses me off even more, is that I supposedly have on-line alerts from Wells Fargo, and should have been emailed immediately that my account was negative. If that would have happened I could have taken care of the matter, and then dealt with Netflix about the double charge, but now I'm out a bunch of money, almost enough to make my bike payment. Uggghhhhh!
Okay, now that I have vented to all of you, I can go to the bank on Monday, and in my sweetest manner explain the situation and try to get them to reverse some fees. Maybe I'll wear some of that perfume that seemed to help Ann land her job! :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Just a little update
This is going to be short and sweet, but I just wanted to post a little update. I got my motorcycle permit last week. Whoo hoo!
I went online to enroll in the Basic Riders Course, but the one that is closest to us doesn't have any open classes until November...Ugghhh. But then somebody told me just to enroll, then go up there and if someone doesn't show up then I could get it sooner. So I think I will try that.
I got out on the bike a little bit on Monday. I was more nervous than the first time, but I think it's because Riley was there watching me, and I know he would freak if something happened. After awhile I got more comfortable, and I'm feeling pretty good with my turns, after some great advice from my hot motorcycle man!
Anyways, that is pretty much where it's at right now. I will post a better post in a few days, I've just been super busy with all sorts of crap! :)
I went online to enroll in the Basic Riders Course, but the one that is closest to us doesn't have any open classes until November...Ugghhh. But then somebody told me just to enroll, then go up there and if someone doesn't show up then I could get it sooner. So I think I will try that.
I got out on the bike a little bit on Monday. I was more nervous than the first time, but I think it's because Riley was there watching me, and I know he would freak if something happened. After awhile I got more comfortable, and I'm feeling pretty good with my turns, after some great advice from my hot motorcycle man!
Anyways, that is pretty much where it's at right now. I will post a better post in a few days, I've just been super busy with all sorts of crap! :)
Monday, August 25, 2008
My first time
Edited 2/1/14: So, I just realized that the video for this now longer works....so sad, it was incredibly funny!
Today Dave rode my baby over to the parking lot of Harley Davidson for me. We figured since they were closed today and they have a huge parking lot it would be a great place for me to practice riding. Poor Dave was a nervous wreck! He was white faced and sweating before I even got on the bike. He said, "I think maybe someone else should teach you how to ride. I don't think I can do this." I have never seen him like that before. I almost said never mind. But I couldn't. I am going to take the riders course as soon as I can, but in the meantime I need to get acquainted with my girl. Even if I never got my feet off the ground today, I just needed to do something. Well, I got my feet off the ground. It felt so good. I think I did okay for my first ride. There were a couple of times that could have gotten hairy, but I just remembered Dave telling me never to panic. So I talked to myself (a lot) and stayed as calm as I could, and with the help of my beautiful baby girl, managed to keep the rubber on the road.
When Dave finally stopped shaking he managed to get some videos and pictures, which he made into a little video for me. I just watched the video and laughed my ass off at myself. You'll notice towards the first part where I am trying to push off on the bike with my foot. Not a good thing, but it looks funny!
Thanks Dave....for the video, for being so wonderful today, and for introducing me to motorcycles and helping me to where I am today! It never would have happened without you!
Today Dave rode my baby over to the parking lot of Harley Davidson for me. We figured since they were closed today and they have a huge parking lot it would be a great place for me to practice riding. Poor Dave was a nervous wreck! He was white faced and sweating before I even got on the bike. He said, "I think maybe someone else should teach you how to ride. I don't think I can do this." I have never seen him like that before. I almost said never mind. But I couldn't. I am going to take the riders course as soon as I can, but in the meantime I need to get acquainted with my girl. Even if I never got my feet off the ground today, I just needed to do something. Well, I got my feet off the ground. It felt so good. I think I did okay for my first ride. There were a couple of times that could have gotten hairy, but I just remembered Dave telling me never to panic. So I talked to myself (a lot) and stayed as calm as I could, and with the help of my beautiful baby girl, managed to keep the rubber on the road.
When Dave finally stopped shaking he managed to get some videos and pictures, which he made into a little video for me. I just watched the video and laughed my ass off at myself. You'll notice towards the first part where I am trying to push off on the bike with my foot. Not a good thing, but it looks funny!
Thanks Dave....for the video, for being so wonderful today, and for introducing me to motorcycles and helping me to where I am today! It never would have happened without you!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Unnamed baby girl
The most exciting laundry day EVER!
Last night Dave and I were talking about all the different runs that would be taking place today. There were three that I knew of and they were all either leaving from, or returning to, Monterey County Harley Davidson. I asked Dave which run he would be going on, and he said that he hadn't really talked to anyone so he wasn't sure what he was going to be doing. Well, I knew exactly what I would be doing....laundry. Or at least the was the plan.
This morning I woke up motivated to get something done. I had just started my laundry and Wolf showed up at Dave's house. He had just been over to the Harley dealership and said it was crazy. All sorts of bikes, people, all that jazz. Immediately Riley asked, "Mom can I go with Dave?" I wasn't really sure what Dave even had planned so I told Riley to ask him, and Dave said ok. Then Dave asked if I wanted to go. HMM...I've kind of been avoiding the dealership. One reason is, I get depressed every time I find a bike I like, and realize I just can't afford it right now, and the other reason is that I feel like the sales guys down there think that I'm just yanking them around every time I go in. That and the fact that I did have a plan to do laundry, I think I'll stay home. But then Wolf said those four little words that always get me, "They had food there." Count me in!
So Dave, Riley and Wolf all geared up and headed off. I got in my car and rolled down the window and stuck my head out to feel the wind in my face. Aww, to be on a bike right now.
Once we got to the dealership, Tom, one of the finance guys grabbed me and said, "Bec, I just took this bike in trade last night, and it is just YOU!" Reluctantly I followed him over to a beautiful fire red pearl Sportster 883. Now, a lot of you may know that I had recently decided against a Sportster, but this one was real "purdy". Tom said, "Come on, sit on her." So I did. To me sitting on a bike is a lot like a first kiss with a new flame, either you feel it, or you don't. I felt it alright. Now why was it that I decided a Sportster wouldn't be right for me...I don't even remember. It felt so good, looked so good. And then Tom told me how much they were asking for her and I had to say, "What was that?" It is a 2004 with barely over 2,000 miles. The man who owned her, bought her in Germany while he was stationed there, and mostly drove around post. When he was deployed he would lock her up in storage. His wife recently decided she wanted to ride with him so he traded in for a bigger bike.
Tom asked what I thought, and I wasn't really sure what to say. I hadn't planned on buying a bike today, but I really liked her, and the price was so great. I knew that if I waited, she would surely be gone. Tom asked Dave if he wanted to go for a test ride for me. I looked and Dave and said, "Would you please?" That is when Dave said, "Wow, you're serious aren't you?"
Dave took her out and tested her for me. I have to say that he looked really funny on the Sportster, after being so used to seeing him on his Street Glide. When he came back he said that she would be a good bike for me. He said she handled really well, and went fast. I won't say how fast, because I would like to make sure that the dealership will allow Dave to test ride bikes in the future.
Tom worked up some numbers for me, came out and told me how much down and my monthly payments and said, "So?"
I said, "Let me go and get my purse."
The paperwork was relatively quick, because they had already been working with me on credit apps and all that stuff, so just sign here, initial here, and that was that!
To make a long story short, (too late) I am the proud new owner of a Fire Red Pearl, 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster 883. Yeah for me!
I will post pictures up later today, it is late and I'm very tired. But I was just really excited and didn't want to wait to share the good news with all my friends! :)
This morning I woke up motivated to get something done. I had just started my laundry and Wolf showed up at Dave's house. He had just been over to the Harley dealership and said it was crazy. All sorts of bikes, people, all that jazz. Immediately Riley asked, "Mom can I go with Dave?" I wasn't really sure what Dave even had planned so I told Riley to ask him, and Dave said ok. Then Dave asked if I wanted to go. HMM...I've kind of been avoiding the dealership. One reason is, I get depressed every time I find a bike I like, and realize I just can't afford it right now, and the other reason is that I feel like the sales guys down there think that I'm just yanking them around every time I go in. That and the fact that I did have a plan to do laundry, I think I'll stay home. But then Wolf said those four little words that always get me, "They had food there." Count me in!
So Dave, Riley and Wolf all geared up and headed off. I got in my car and rolled down the window and stuck my head out to feel the wind in my face. Aww, to be on a bike right now.
Once we got to the dealership, Tom, one of the finance guys grabbed me and said, "Bec, I just took this bike in trade last night, and it is just YOU!" Reluctantly I followed him over to a beautiful fire red pearl Sportster 883. Now, a lot of you may know that I had recently decided against a Sportster, but this one was real "purdy". Tom said, "Come on, sit on her." So I did. To me sitting on a bike is a lot like a first kiss with a new flame, either you feel it, or you don't. I felt it alright. Now why was it that I decided a Sportster wouldn't be right for me...I don't even remember. It felt so good, looked so good. And then Tom told me how much they were asking for her and I had to say, "What was that?" It is a 2004 with barely over 2,000 miles. The man who owned her, bought her in Germany while he was stationed there, and mostly drove around post. When he was deployed he would lock her up in storage. His wife recently decided she wanted to ride with him so he traded in for a bigger bike.
Tom asked what I thought, and I wasn't really sure what to say. I hadn't planned on buying a bike today, but I really liked her, and the price was so great. I knew that if I waited, she would surely be gone. Tom asked Dave if he wanted to go for a test ride for me. I looked and Dave and said, "Would you please?" That is when Dave said, "Wow, you're serious aren't you?"
Dave took her out and tested her for me. I have to say that he looked really funny on the Sportster, after being so used to seeing him on his Street Glide. When he came back he said that she would be a good bike for me. He said she handled really well, and went fast. I won't say how fast, because I would like to make sure that the dealership will allow Dave to test ride bikes in the future.
Tom worked up some numbers for me, came out and told me how much down and my monthly payments and said, "So?"
I said, "Let me go and get my purse."
The paperwork was relatively quick, because they had already been working with me on credit apps and all that stuff, so just sign here, initial here, and that was that!
To make a long story short, (too late) I am the proud new owner of a Fire Red Pearl, 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster 883. Yeah for me!
I will post pictures up later today, it is late and I'm very tired. But I was just really excited and didn't want to wait to share the good news with all my friends! :)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Happy Friday! Go out and screw!
It's the summer of 1957 and Harold goes to pick up his date, Peggy Sue. Harold's a pretty hip guy with his own car and a duck tail hairdo. When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. 'Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?' she says. That's cool. Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do. Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive in movie. Peggy Sue's mother responds, 'Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it.' Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold and he says 'Wha...aaat? ''Yeah,' says Peggy Sue's mother, 'We know Peggy Sue really likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!' Harold's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately, he has revised the plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes, and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying,'Have a good Evening kids,' with a small wink for Harold. About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother:
'It's The Twist, Mother! The Twist! It's called The Twist!'
'It's The Twist, Mother! The Twist! It's called The Twist!'
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Catching my breath!
It has been a busy few weeks for me. Besides the normal stuff, like work and all that crap, I was trying to fit in as much riding with Dave as I could get before Riley came home. We had some really fun rides, and I will have to post about them later, but since my boy finally came home after being gone for sooooo long (7 weeks) I decided I need to post about that first. 
The next thing he showed me was this huge bag of popcorn that his aunt got him from the movie theater she delivers to. Thanks Aunt Cathy!
Riley came home last Tuesday. Yeah! I missed him so much, as most of you know. Dave went with me to pick him up and I probably drove him crazy with my excitement during the hour and a half drive. The first thing Riley did when I saw him was show me this ugly bruise on his leg. When I looked at it I could tell that it was already getting better, so I could only imagine how bad it looked to start. I asked him how he did it and he told me that he crashed a quad. Wow, my boy, only 8 and already has a wreck out of the way. Apparently when they taught him how to ride it, they failed to show him how to brake, so he used the next best thing....the garage door. Thankfully he hit the frame, and didn't go through the door completely, and he was wearing a helmet, so I feel okay.
After Riley came home we only had one week to try to get all his school stuff, and to try to have a little bit of end of summer fun. Dave and I took Riley and one of his friends to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It was a lot of fun spending time with my two favorite people, and I was so proud of Riley for going on rides that he normally wouldn't. I think maybe the quad accident toughened him up a little bit. LOL.
Well, today Riley started fourth grade. He was not happy about going back to school. Don't let the picture fool you, this was after I told him to act excited. Maybe you can see his smart-ass side here. I think he might get that from me. But he had a great first day, and he likes his teacher (so far). 
So now it's back to normal, which for me is not normal at all, it's utter chaos. But when my boy is here, even chaos is wonderful!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Never run into a burning building!
I have always heard that phrase, and I always thought it was stupid. Duh! Why would I run into a burning building. (Unless of course my child was in there.) Well, tonight I learned that sometimes that is only a metaphor; the building isn't always in flames, sometimes it's just a bad situation.
I was hanging out with Dave at his coffee shop, and we were just getting ready to leave to get some dinner. Dave says, "Turn around and look behind you." I turned around and saw two cops peeking around the corner, when I turned back around I looked down the street and saw six cop cars, and a whole bunch of cops with guns drawn. Most of them had out their big guns, AR-15's I think. I told Dave, "I'm not getting caught in any one's cross hair, I'm going inside." So I promptly sought safety inside the coffee shop.
Once I was inside, I told one of Dave's employees what was going on, and he locked the front door and told all the customers who were sitting next to the windows to move to the back. We were looking out the front and he said, "Doesn't it look like they're pointing their guns right at us?" Yeah it did.
One of the customers insisted that she needed to leave. We told her that she should just stay put because we didn't know what was going on. She insisted, and he let her out the back door that goes into an alley. Next thing I know, he's gone. I decided to poke my head out the back door and see what he was doing. Well, this is where it gets fun. I put my head out the back door and down the alley were about 5 cops, 2 of them pointing their big guns at me. One of them yelled at me to come out of the building. I walk out, and immediately put my hands up before they can even say anything else. I see them frisking Dave's employee and the customer who had just left. At this point I realize that I have my keys in my hand, and I start thinking about how you hear about people who get shot because the cops thought they had a weapon. I calmly tell the cops, "I have keys in my left hand, they're just keys." One of them said ok, and told me to turn around and walk backwards toward the sound of his voice. All of a sudden he says, "SLOW!" Okay, I slow down, I think. Then when I was about half way, I hear the guns click. WTF? What are they doing? Now I'm freaked. I finally get to them and the cop tells me to put my hands behind my back, which of course, I did. He then checks my pockets, and tells me to go behind the building with his partner. His partner told me that a woman had called and said that she was calling from inside the coffee shop and there was a man with a gun. Then he tells me if someone comes out and shots are being fired that I should jump behind the planter box and lay on the ground. I looked at him and said, "Good plan."
While all of this was going on, the police were on the phone with the other employee who was still inside, they instructed her to send the customers out one by one. As each customer comes out, they check them all. Nobody had anything on them, so the cops went in and checked the place out and couldn't find anything. So that was that.
It was crazy. And poor Dave was scarred because I guess right after I ran inside, the cop told him what was going on. He wanted to come in after me, but of course they wouldn't let him. You can get Dave's full perspective over on his blog.
AH, another day in our wonderful city!
I was hanging out with Dave at his coffee shop, and we were just getting ready to leave to get some dinner. Dave says, "Turn around and look behind you." I turned around and saw two cops peeking around the corner, when I turned back around I looked down the street and saw six cop cars, and a whole bunch of cops with guns drawn. Most of them had out their big guns, AR-15's I think. I told Dave, "I'm not getting caught in any one's cross hair, I'm going inside." So I promptly sought safety inside the coffee shop.
Once I was inside, I told one of Dave's employees what was going on, and he locked the front door and told all the customers who were sitting next to the windows to move to the back. We were looking out the front and he said, "Doesn't it look like they're pointing their guns right at us?" Yeah it did.
One of the customers insisted that she needed to leave. We told her that she should just stay put because we didn't know what was going on. She insisted, and he let her out the back door that goes into an alley. Next thing I know, he's gone. I decided to poke my head out the back door and see what he was doing. Well, this is where it gets fun. I put my head out the back door and down the alley were about 5 cops, 2 of them pointing their big guns at me. One of them yelled at me to come out of the building. I walk out, and immediately put my hands up before they can even say anything else. I see them frisking Dave's employee and the customer who had just left. At this point I realize that I have my keys in my hand, and I start thinking about how you hear about people who get shot because the cops thought they had a weapon. I calmly tell the cops, "I have keys in my left hand, they're just keys." One of them said ok, and told me to turn around and walk backwards toward the sound of his voice. All of a sudden he says, "SLOW!" Okay, I slow down, I think. Then when I was about half way, I hear the guns click. WTF? What are they doing? Now I'm freaked. I finally get to them and the cop tells me to put my hands behind my back, which of course, I did. He then checks my pockets, and tells me to go behind the building with his partner. His partner told me that a woman had called and said that she was calling from inside the coffee shop and there was a man with a gun. Then he tells me if someone comes out and shots are being fired that I should jump behind the planter box and lay on the ground. I looked at him and said, "Good plan."
While all of this was going on, the police were on the phone with the other employee who was still inside, they instructed her to send the customers out one by one. As each customer comes out, they check them all. Nobody had anything on them, so the cops went in and checked the place out and couldn't find anything. So that was that.
It was crazy. And poor Dave was scarred because I guess right after I ran inside, the cop told him what was going on. He wanted to come in after me, but of course they wouldn't let him. You can get Dave's full perspective over on his blog.
AH, another day in our wonderful city!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Musical Motorcycle Montage
Well, it really is no secret by now how badly I want my own bike. Over the past few months I have been trying a lot of bikes on for size. I think this makes me an informed consumer, Dave says "Yeah, either that or you're just a bike whore." Hey thanks babe! I know he loves me and that is the only reason he is still breathing right now. LOL.
Please enjoy my musical motorcycle montage. I would love to hear from you on which one I look best on, and see if you can guess which one is my favorite!
If the pics are too small to see, you can click on "view all images" and watch it bigger, but if you do that just make sure when it comes up to click on "original view" so you can get the whole effect. :)
Oh yeah, and there is music! Just click the little speaker. :)
Please enjoy my musical motorcycle montage. I would love to hear from you on which one I look best on, and see if you can guess which one is my favorite!
If the pics are too small to see, you can click on "view all images" and watch it bigger, but if you do that just make sure when it comes up to click on "original view" so you can get the whole effect. :)
Oh yeah, and there is music! Just click the little speaker. :)
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