The Cadillac of Bikes

Last night, Big D took me for my first ride on the new bike. My first reaction: WOW! I've been on the back of many, many bikes, but this was like no other. It was definitely the most comfortable bike I've ever been on. The seat was perfect and I felt comfortable leaning back on the padded sissy bar. Even the ride itself was better. And WOW is that bike loud!! It has drag pipes on it with no baffles, so Big D won't be riding it to work that much. He leaves at 4:30 a.m. and the neighbors would not be happy with us. He's thinking about putting the kind of baffles in it that have a switch to turn them on and off. That way he can leave the house semi-quietly. All in all, we are very pleased with the new bike. Big D left at 8:30 this morning for the Laughlin River Run with Aaron. They were going to meet some more people at Greg's house and leave from there. I wish them sunny skies and clear roads. Can't wait to see the pics from the trip!

Our New Toy & Two Of The Nicest Peeps Around!

Last night, Big D got the title to the coveted 1988 Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster in Candy Brandywine. See Random Photo. He is totally stoked! I'm really happy for him, it's been a long haul! In our usual fashion, it was right down to the wire! About 3 months ago, we put the '65 Fury up for sale. Big D wanted a bike. Then about two weeks later, he found this Sportster. Our neighbors Ted & Julie were selling it. Big D talked to Ted about it and explained that he wanted to buy it in time for the Laughlin River Run (which happens to be this weekend). Ted stopped running the ad for the bike, and even turned down a few offers on it because he knew how badly Big D wanted it. Now, when you think about that for a minute and let it sink in, you figure out that Ted is a really good guy. Well, Ted & Julie are great people, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Read on. Naturally, we had trouble selling the Fury. Big D would go and check in with Ted every once in a while to make sure the bike was still there. He thought for sure that Ted would sell it before we sold the Fury. Then, we are contacted by Toon (yes, that's his name) from Holland. Toon wants to buy the Fury. So, last Friday, I opened a paypal account and Toon sent the money. In the meantime, Big D went to Ted's house to tell him the car was sold and he'd be back to buy the bike in a few days. Ted told him to take it home that night. He would hold the title until Big D gave him the money. On Saturday, Ted & Julie were having a yard sale, so we went over to say hi. Ted gave us a few chromed parts for the bike, and we bought a better seat and some saddle bags from him. We invited Ted & Julie over for steaks on the grill that night. Everyone had a good time. On Sunday, I checked my paypal account and they had "limited" my access because it was a brand new account and they didn't know what the large sum of money was for. I called them and told them what it was for, and also that it really wasn't any of their business what it's for. They told me the account would be under review for 24-48 hours. Ok, fine. But the issue was: the bank transfer took 3-4 days after the 24-48 hours. So now it would be too late to get the bike registered and ready to go to Laughlin. Big D was absolutely frantic. Monday morning I found that our paypal access had been "restored". I initiated the bank transfer immediately, and after countless hours of Big D getting hysterical about it, the transfer went through on Wednesday morning! O Happy Day!!! Yesterday afternoon, Big D went to the bank, and got the money. Problem: Big D was short some cash because paypal took their cut. I told him to relax and just talk to Ted. Maybe they could make a deal. Big D went to Ted's house about 3-4 times yesterday. They weren't home. He just kept doing drive-bys. I told him Ted's neighbors were going to call the cops and have him brought up on stalking charges if he kept it up! Finally, he left a note on the front door with his phone number. Ted called at 8:30 last night and they came over to the house. Julie and I sat out on the patio talking, and Julie told me that Ted said, "If Daryl doesn't get the money by tomorrow, I'm just going to sign the title over to him and put myself down as the lienholder, so he can take it to Laughlin." Remember when I said they were nice people? We've never met people this nice in our lives. They stayed a while, and Ted, Big D and Aaron (our motorcycle mechanic extraordinaire) worked on getting the bike ready for the trip to Laughlin. It was a good night. But, in true Nelson family style, it was down to the very last minute! We're used to it, though. Note: Big D wasn't going to take the bike to work this morning, but when he started the Honda, his headlight was totally out and it was dark. So, off he went on the HD. I heard him stall and thought it sounded funny so when I talked to him, I asked about it. He forgot to turn the fuel on!

Dubbya's Lie-Clock

A man died and went to Heaven. As he stood in front of the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him. He asked, "What are all those clocks?" St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie, the hands on your clock move. "Oh", said the man. "Whose clock is that?" "That's Mother Teresa's," replied St. Peter. "The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie." "Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?" St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abraham told only two lies in his entire life." "Where's Bush's clock?" asked the man. "Bush's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan.

My New Ink (See Random Photo)

OK. I finally decided on my new tattoo. I wanted to do something to remember Dad. I didn't want it to be gaudy, and I didn't want anything huge. So, I just figured I would go with my heart, literally. And the flag theme is not necessary to explain if you knew my Dad. To me, he is the red, white and blue personified. Nuff said. I hope you all like it, but even if you don't, that's ok. I love it.

My New Favorite Website

www.ihatestarbucks.com Sorry Starbucks' lovers!

New Ink

Friday night, Big D got his new ink. It's a tattoo created in the memory of his brother Mark, who recently passed away. It looks good, but is scabbed over right now, so when it clears up a pic will be posted. Tonight, it's my turn in the chair. I'm going to my girl V's tattoo guy, and I know he does really good work. I'm still a little jumpy about it. I'm going to get it on my back, opposite the fairy that is already there. I will not reveal the identity of it, though, until it has healed and can be posted. I will say this: it has been 2 years in the making, and I cannot wait to get it! Happy Wednesday everyone!!

Too Busy To Blog?

The weekend was a trip...Eric and his lovely wife Toshia came to visit us from Tucson. They are both in the military and will be leaving for Korea in a few short weeks for a year. Then it's on to England for 3 years. We will miss them terribly, but look forward to visiting them once they are settled in England! So that's why I was too busy to blog over the weekend. Now, Vicki is sick and has been since Sunday night. Her fever finally broke, so hopefully she'll be back to school tomorrow and I can get back to life as usual. I don't have internet service at home (yes, I'm a holdout). So, here I sit at Kramer's computer blogging my little heart out. Just wanted everyone to know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth just yet. Take care and be good to yourselves!

I Really Need My Coffee!!!

I am not a Starbuck's fan. I am from Massachusetts where there is a Dunkin' Donuts on every corner. This is not an exaggeration! Pick a corner, any corner, and you will find a Dunks! We don't believe in Starbucks in New England. We're serious about our coffee. When I lived back east, I had a Dunks coffee in hand at all times. Here in Arizona, not so much. There are only 15 Dunkin' Donuts locations in the Phoenix Valley. How disheartening is that?? When we first moved here, I went through some withdrawals. Then I had people sending me the stuff so I could brew it at home. (NOT the same!) Then I found some locations here, but since the water is so freaking hard here, it just doesn't taste right. But, it will do. So now, every time I go back east to visit family & friends, the first stop (even before baggage claim) is Dunks!! ThankGod there is one each at Logan and at TF Green in Providence. I can almost taste it now. Anyway, the issue is, of the 15 locations here in the Valley, NONE of them are on my way to work! This is really becoming an issue for me. My faithful readers understand my work issues, so they also understand that having a decent cup of joe in the morning is going to help me cope. But if I want that decent cup, I have to drive 25 minutes out of my way to get it! I could open a franchise, but I think we all know that's not going to happen...I would drink all the profits! I may have to start leaving the house earlier to get my coffee, because I can't possibly *gasp* be late for work! ;o)~ I hope everyone has a great day today! Enjoy your coffee!

I'm A One-Trick Pony!

A few weeks ago, (I think) Big D and I were driving to or from somewhere in the car, and I recall him saying to me, "You're a one-trick pony, hon." For some reason, this popped into my mind on my drive home from work yesterday. I was sitting in traffic on good ol' Grand Avenue (a.k.a. doing the Grand Avenue shuffle), and all of a sudden I could not stop laughing! I'm sure the other Grand Ave shufflers thought I was either laughing at something on the radio, talking on my celly, or just plain crazy. I really don't care. The fact of the matter is, I don't remember why Big D called me a one-trick pony! When I got home, I asked him about it, and he couldn't remember, either. Then it hit us: I can never remember anything! That's my one trick! If we see that a movie is coming out on DVD, I'll ask him, "Did we see that?" And usually his answer is yes. I can't remember it, though! Now that I think about it, it's pretty amazing that I was a successful administrative assistant for over 12 years, because I really don't remember much. I must write everything down, or it's gone. So, I'm a one-trick pony, but apparently, Big D is also a one-trick pony with the same trick, because it took a while for him to remember why he called me that!

Explanation for the Random Photo

The photo is not so random. It is of Big D's 1965 Plymouth Fury. It was formerly known as 'The Black Bomber' because it was done in black primer. Now it's for sale, so it's painted 'Silver Bullet Gray" with metal-fleck red on the trim, and a low-gloss black hood. Big D and Kramer painted it over the weekend, and I have to say, it really looks good. Big D bought the Silver Bullet (a.k.a. the Black Bomber) on his 40th birthday on e-bay. I think it was his mid-life crisis car. The engine is a 440, we put in a racing transmission, shifter, console, etc. I believe it has a new cam, among other things. In short, we dumped quite a bit of money into this car. Now, Big D's passion has gone from cars to motorcycles. He has a Honda and a Triumph, but now he has his eyes on a Harley. So, the Silver Bullet is for sale. If you know anybody looking for a really fast car, let me know. It's street legal, but will run high 13's in the 1/4 mile.

Looking for Dad's Car

Recently, Mom told me that the person who bought my Dad's car after he passed, sold it to someone in Phoenix, Arizona. The car is a Ford Galaxie 500XL Convertible. It is white with a new black top and a red interior. It is gorgeous. Dad kept this car in great condition and it was always kept in the garage. This particular car holds a lot of good memories for me; we were in several parades with it in the town I grew up in. Dad belonged to a car club and there were metal license plates with the club name on it that only members could get. Dad had me paint the plate red and the raised lettering white so it would match the Ford. He loved the paint job, and put the plate on the dashboard because he didn't want it to be "out in the elements" where it would have been ruined. After Dad's funeral, Mom gave me that plate, knowing how much it meant to me. Dad had other cool cars, too. He had a 1930 Ford Model A with a rumble seat. That was before the '66 Ford. We did a lot of parades in that one, too. I can remember throwing candy from the rumble seat in the Christmas parade for many years. I also recall towing it with a tow rope and Dad's jeep, too. Good times. We had towing down to an art. We mastered our hand-signals, and after we had towed either the Model A or my car five or six times, Dad didn't even have to yell at me any more! ;o) Dad's Jeep was a 1977 CJ7 with an AMC 304 and a 3-speed tranny. What a ride! Dad was teaching me to drive a stick in the Jeep one day, and I played along. What he didn't realize was, my boyfriend had already taught me how to drive a stick shift about a year before. So we went through the motions, learned about the clutch, etc. Then I was allowed to start the Jeep and try her out. I pulled out of the driveway very carefully and headed down the street. Stopped at the stop sign, and when I pulled out, I burned up the tires for about 20 yards. Dad knew he'd been had. He told me to turn around and take him home. Thank God he had a good sense of humor! Dad also had a 1970 Ford Pickup that we called "The White Ghost". There were many weekends on Cape Cod when Dad would say, "Everybody in the truck" and we would all pile in and go to the beach or somwhere. We probably looked like the Beverly Hillbillies riding around in that truck. On one occasion, my best friend Donna and I were riding in the back of the truck when it broke down on top of the Sagamore bridge (Cape Cod). This was a fairly normal occurrence to me. I got out and Donna just looked at me. She said, "What are you doing?" "I'm going to push the truck," I replied. Donna was absolutely horrified! She told my Dad she wasn't going to push the truck, and my Dad told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to push it. Well, she did, but she wasn't happy about it and it took a long time before she would get back into that truck again. But she did. She was also with us when the motor went out on our 17-ft ski boat, and when Dad handed her an oar, I thought she would die. But she rowed. And she never went out on the boat again! Anyway, my whole point is that now, Dad's car is somewhere in Arizona. I will be combing the auto shows, gatherings, show & shines, and swap meets for his car. I just want to see it again. Maybe take a picture of it, if the owner lets me. There are just so many good memories associated with it. I wish I could buy it back.

Some of My Favorite Things

I have been asked many times, what is your favorite [blah]. So, I have decided post this list to my blog. These are not in any particular order...just random. 1. Animals 2. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream 3. Antique cars & hot rods 4. Riding the motorcycle 5. Big D 6. "All My Children" - Not the show 7. A day at the spa 8. My morning coffee 9. My Buick - in ethnic red 10. Mom, Dad, Chris, Ed, Jen, Michelle, Gayle, Steve, Stevie & Amanda 11. Beer 12. Being silly 13. Laughing a big belly laugh - the kind that makes you cry 14. Taking a drive 15. The beach 16. Cape Cod, Massachusetts 17. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico - Riu Palace Mexico - Uno mas cerveza, por favor! 18. Volunteering for a cause 19. Crown King, Arizona 20. Friends like Corey & Kramer - irreplaceable 21. Union Villa Pizza 22. Clam Chowda - in Cape Cod, Massachsetts 23. Trisha, Cyndi, Dee, Savina & Wendy - All my girls back east 24. Donna Lynn P. Clarke-Mathers...my best friend for 24 years! 25. Veronnica, Kathleen, Jeanine, Jackie, Jenn, Toni, Tanya, Kim & Molly - My girls in 'Zona & CA! 26. Doing something that counts There are many more favorites, but I could be here all day thinking about them! These are the ones that came to me easily. What are some of your favorite things?

Killer Biscuits Wanted for Attempted Murder

Lisa Burnett, 23, a resident of San Diego was visiting her in-laws, and while there went to a nearby supermarket to pick up some groceries. Several people noticed her sitting in her car with the windows rolled up and with her eyes closed, with both hands behind the back of her head. One customer who had been at the store for a while became concerned and walked over to the car. He noticed that Lisa's eyes were now open, and she looked very strange. He asked her if she was okay, and Lisa replied that she'd been shot in the back of the head and had been holding her brains in for over an hour. The man called the paramedics, who broke into the car because the doors were locked and Lisa refused to remove her hands from her head. When they finally got in, they found that Lisa had a wad of bread dough on the back of her head...a Pillsbury biscuit canister had exploded from the heat, making a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot, and the wad of dough hit her in the back of her head. When she reached back to find out what it was, she felt the dough and thought it was her brains. She initially passed out, but quickly recovered and tried to hold her brains in for over an hour until someone noticed and came to her aid. Lisa is blonde. OK. I received this in an email from my dear mother this morning. I was LOL for a while. The email says that this was an actual AP news story. I'm not sure if I believe it but it sure makes for a good laugh, anyway! I love the last line; I don't think it needed to be there...it was pretty clear to me. Thanks for the laugh, Mom!

Ragging About The Boss, Again

Recently, I have had the pleasure of working for an extremely toxic boss. If you've been reading my blog, you know this. If you need to catch up, click on Toxic Boss under Posts by Label on the right hand side of the screen. OK. Now that you've read up on this issue, I'll continue. I was talking to some others that work with us (I will not be naming names), and it has been said to me on several occasions, by several different individuals (managers and peers) that the Toxic Boss will hang herself eventually. I am still waiting. But, from what I have heard, she is very unprofessional. Not just with me; in meetings with our top execs like the CE, COO, CFO among others. I've heard that she has a rotten attitude. I have had people ask me, "Is she ever actually in the office?" My co-worker and I both agree that the boss has not worked a full week since she started here in November. She is either "feeling ill" or "working from home today". That would normally be fine, except for the fact that when she is "working from home", she does nothing! Additionally, we work at a client site, and the client has specifically stated that they do not want managers working from home. Hmmm, so how does she do it? Once again, this goes back to Our Values. Specifically, "Lead by Example". We were told that working from home is a privelege. How did she earn it? I've been here for 1.5 years and I haven't earned it yet! Now I'm just trying to figure out how to let someone know what is going on, just in casual conversation. I'll have to work on that. It is very encouraging, however, to hear that my peers and some others (including managers) have noticed her behavior. I'm thinking less and less of leaving this great company, and more and more about ways to get her unacceptable behavior highlighted. If you have any suggestions, please comment on this post. I'm open to almost anything! I really need help with this issue. Thanks Readers!

Bike Week Was A Blast!

Yesterday, Big D announced that we needed to go to the bike show at University of Phoenix Stadium, or Cardinals Stadium for the non-initiated. It was the last day of Arizona Bike Week 2007. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and there was very little wind. It was the perfect day for a ride on the scooter. We arrived at the stadium and went to the motorcycle parking section. We have not purchased the 88 HD Sportster yet, so we were riding the Honda. The parking lot was full of HD's, Triumphs and Indians. There were some really gorgeous bikes just in the parking lot. We parked right next to some of the prettiest bikes I've seen. I thought maybe our bike might get knocked over, just for being an ugly Honda. But, to my surprise, it didn't! Needless to say, we were grateful! Buying the tickets: $18.00 each! I thought that was a little steep, but what the hell, we were there to have fun. Inside, I zoom right to the first bar I see. Miller Lite in a plastic bottle: $7! I predicted $9, so I wasn't that far off the mark. Big D's Diet Coke was $4. Can you say total rip-off? Anyway, we bought a pair of chaps for Big D, at an extreme discount! They look great on him, too. I'll post a pic soon. I got a new vest and some patches for it. (Pic to come soon). Big D got some patches for his vest, too. We heard someone say there was a vendor selling as many T-shirts as you can stuff into a bag for $30. So we roamed around until we found them, and now have a bunch of Bike Week 2007 shirts. Big D wears them to work, so it was definitely a bargain! After the stadium, we brought all our goods home, then headed out to Casey Jones Grill at 43rd Ave & Thunderbird in Glendale. They have special bike parking that's covered. Had a nice late lunch there, with a few more beers for me. Then on the way home, decided to stop by and visit some friends in the old neighborhood. Really enjoyed the day. Wish there could be more like that one! Maybe next year we'll get out to do some runs for Bike Week. By then we'll have the sporty ready to go! Next event: Big D's Laughlin River Run later this month.