Riding Today?

It s going to be a beautiful day here in sunny Arizona. The weather man is calling for sunny skies and a high of 75° today. Perfect riding weather. BACA is holding a child ride today, so it really is the perfect day. Instead of taking pics during this day, I will give you a preview of how our day will go: There will be none of this... Due to this... Unfortunately, the bike is down. Really down this time. There will be no MacGuyvering out of this one. I don't know the technical/mechanical names of everything, but I know clutch basket. The thing with magnets on it has no more magnets on it, and that's bad. Bikie no run without magnets. Addtionally, I know this isn't a simple $30 fix. This is a $350 fix, which unfortunately is not in the budget any time soon. The really bad part is, this is Big D's only form of transportation. So hopefully, people will need a lot of work done on their bikes, and they will bring them here for him to fix, and pay him generously. I'm hoping he can find someone with this part he needs who is willing to trade...we've got lots to trade. But for now, we're stuck in the cage. :( Doesn't she look sad and lonely up there on that lift?

Dear Jackass,

To the jackass in the white Cadillac STS with the my-child-is-better-than-your-stupid-child bumper stickers ALL OVER YOUR CAR: Maybe you should have let your fucking kid do the driving if he's so damned smart! You couldn't drive a tricycle, jackhole! Next time you make a left turn, make sure there's no RED BUICK in your fucking way ASSHOLE! And now we return to your regularly scheduled blog!

Update on the Bike

Well, Big D came to bed around 3:30-ish this morning and said the bike is now running. He started working on it at 9:00 last night (is he dedicated or what?!) He had to buy a $22 sprocket and a master-link. I'm sure there are more technical details that you mechanical-types will want, but you won't get them here. Sorry. I'm more of a we-got-a-comfy-new-seat girl, not a we-got-a-new-sprocket-thingamajig-doodad girl. :) This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate Big D's mechanical aptitude and his hard work and dedication, I just don't get some of the real technical stuff. So this weekend we have a BACA child ride (which is what BACA is really all about) and the Superbowl (GO CARDS!). Our background checks just came back clear last week, so now we can go on the child rides. I'll post more later, but said I would update when the bike was running again. Thanks, everyone for your concern. ;) BTW...I'm only rooting for the Cardinals because the Patriots aren't in the Superbowl this year. :)

Our Weekend

We had a BACA event on Saturday night that wasn't a great turn-out but we still had a great time. On the way home, however, we ran into some issues. It was 2:00 a.m. and the master link broke. For those of you that are not bikers, this means we broke down. (More on this in another post.) A very nice cop pulled in behind us and offered his assistance. He gave me a ride to our house, and I called our good friend Mike. We got Mike's trailer and picked up Big D and Annabelle. By the time we got into bed it was 3:30 a.m. We had plans to be at Phoenix International Raceway at 12:30 on Sunday. Marlboro invited us to their Hot Laps promotional event to ride in the IROCs around the oval, and to ride in some Mustangs on the drift track. We waited almost 2 hours to get into the track, but it was well worth the wait. Friends of ours were there too, but they didn't make it in. They were offered $40 in gas cards and some Gatorade for their trouble, and told to come back on Wednesday. Even though we were dragging ass from being up til 3:30 a.m., we had a GREAT day! The cars were great, the food and the gifts, too. The whole promotion was for Marlboro Snus...it's a new product just released in the Phoenix market. It's 'Spitless Chewing Tobacco'. Yeah, sounds gross, but we got samples, so I'm willing to try it once. Anyway, here's my slideshow for the Hot Laps event. I apologize for the lack of music. Our computer crashed and we lost over 3,000 mp3 files....OUCH. Don't get me started...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

More On The Wave...

I was reminded of this by Willy D's comment on my last post regarding the random "10 HP Hona-yama-zuki Scooter" rider giving him the "hand up in the air haven’t seen you in a year wave". I would like to mention that the post was originally written in 2006 and has had 89 comments on it since then. The blog owner, Jeff, said he would be honored to have me use part of his post here. If you want to see the whole post, click here. This post made me literally LMFAO. To bikers, it's clearly satirical, though to others, not so much. Equity and the Odds of Engagement The odds of receiving a wave from an oncoming biker are first and foremost governed by the "laws of equity." This means that the more things you have in common with him the better chance he will engage as either the initiator or the replier.There are basically three categories in the laws of equity: 1. Brand equity. This means that if you both are riding the same brand of bike, the odds of a wave transaction are increased. 2. Style equity. If you both are riding the same "type" of bike, such as chopper, rocket or touring motorcycle, then your odds are increased as well. 3. Helmet equity. If you both are either wearing or not wearing helmets - odds increased again. The Big Five When a fellow biker is approaching, his left arm and hand will tell the story. Whether he is the initiator or the replier, the signals are the same. Following are the five main hand gestures you may encounter: 1. The Nothing - This is the "default" hand position of most cross-encounters. Simply leaving his left hand on the handle bar can mean anything from "not paying attention to the fact you're approaching" to "I see you but I'm not interested in exchanging a greeting" - to the harsher, "I see you but since we don't enjoy any 'equity,' I'm not going to acknowledge your existence." Of course since no words are ever exchanged to clarify, all the rider can do is simply speculate. 2. The Two-finger Flip - The most casual AND most common acknowledgement. Left hand still on the hand grip, but the index and middle fingers raised briefly. This one simply says "dude, how's it going?" Most of the time the receiver will respond just out of courtesy. Of course the whole issue of who goes first really boils down to nothing more than a game of greeting chicken - or who ever is in the better mood at time. 3. The Big One - This is the granddaddy of all greetings. Left hand down off of the handlebar and out to the side. Fingers may either show a "peace" sign or be spread open palm side out. Here, the initiator is sending a clear signal that he acknowledges you. Not replying to this blatant plea for hospitality may be considered rude - and could possibly be interpreted as a strong message of inequity. 4. The Dis - Left hand down and resting on the thigh. This could be viewed as a request to treat the opposing party as a hostile witness - ESPECIALLY if it is moved there while you are approaching. Dating back to the days when rival motorcycle gangs roamed the streets, this signal indicated disrespect to the other rider(s) and was clearly meant as negative and often times led to confrontation. Today, however, the old cultural significance has been lost, and could simply just mean your arm is tired and resting on your leg. 5. The Geek - Left hand raised high in the air as if to say, "Hi mom!" This one is specifically reserved for the new rider, who is "SO excited to be one of the gang!" Also may be seen being used by Moped or scooter riders. Recommendation: Just don't. So there they are. All the secrets behind those mysterious motorcycle hand greetings revealed (not to be confused with the standard hand "turn" signals). So the next time you approach an oncoming rider, take note. He could be sending you a very intentional message! Or not. I believe Willy D experienced The Geek from the scooter ride. I prefer using The Big One. :) Many thanks to Jeff for allowing me to use his material!

Regarding the Wave...

I found this somewhere on the 'internets' today, and thought it was a riot! I hope you all enjoy! TOP 10 REASONS WHY HARLEY RIDERS DON’T WAVE BACK: 10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty. 9. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm. 8. Refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for. 7. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off. 6. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos. 5. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on new Harley. 4. Just discovered that fine print in owner’s manual and realized that H-D is partially owned by Honda. 3. Can’t tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover their ears like everyone else. 2. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his hand on helmet spike. 1. They’re too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome to lift their arms. TOP TEN REASONS WHY GOLDWING RIDERS DON’T WAVE BACK: 10. Wasn’t sure whether other riders was waving or making an obscene gesture. 9. Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip. 8. Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to raise arm. 7. Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him. 6. The espresso machine just finished. 5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved. 4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and accessories dealer. 3. Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen. 2. Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height, programmable CD player, seat temperature, and satellite navigation system. 1. Couldn’t find the “auto wave back” button on dashboard. TOP 10 REASONS CROTCHROCKETS DON’T WAVE BACK: 10. They have not been riding long enough to know they’re supposed to. 9. They’re going too fast to have enough time to register the movement and respond. 8. You weren’t wearing bright enough gear. 7. If they stick their arm out going that fast, they’ll rip it out of the socket. 6. They’re too occupied with trying to get rid of chicken strips. 5. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don’t want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank. 4. Their skin tight-kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits prevent any position other than fetal. 3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops. 2. It’s too hard to do one-handed stoppies. 1. They were too busy slipping their flip-flops back on. TOP 10 REASONS WHY BMW RIDERS DON’T WAVE BACK: 10. New Aerostitch suit too stiff to raise arm. 9. Removing a hand from the bars is considered “bad form”. 8. Your bike isn’t weird enough looking to justify acknowledgement. 7. Too sore from an 800-mile day ride on a stock “comfort” seat. 6. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to Ipod, XM, or talking on the cell phone. 5. He’s an Iron Butt rider and you’re not! 4. Wires from Gerbings are too short. 3. You’re not riding the “right kind” of BMW. 2. You haven’t been properly introduced. 1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture. As you can see, this is an equal opportunity rant. I hope this didn't offend anyone, but if it did, I'm sure you'll comment about it. :)

Bike Extravaganza at The Trackside

This event benefiting BACA will be held on the third Saturday of each month. Since the BACA National Meeting was held this weekend (in St. Louis, I think), our trusty board members were not present for this inaugural event. It would have been nice to see more BACA members and supporters out there yesterday, but in their defense, we were given short notice of the event. The venue was The Trackside Sports Bar and Grill. It's a really cool bar, and a little out of the way, unless you're headed to Vegas from Phoenix. It's a great venue because there is nothing around it but open desert; you can pretty much be as loud as you want. They have a great menu for lunch and dinner, and they have breakfast for $1.99 on the weekends! This breakfast includes 3 eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns and toast. It's a screamin' deal...I wish we had arrived early enough to take advantage of it. Big D had a serious burger there; the Monsta Burger. Two half-pound patties on this giant burger, and they were juicy! I opted for the mushroom-swiss burger and was not disappointed. Delish! Pops had a philly cheesesteak that was likely the best philly cheesesteak this side of the Mississippi. (Can you tell I'm hungry right now?) The Ridenow girls sold raffle tickets and tickets were drawn every hour from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. They were quite effective at selling the tickets! The ticket drawn at 8 p.m. was for the 50/50 raffle. The total raised for BACA was more than $165! And, the band was selling their CDs and decided that they would donate $5 from every CD purchase that night to BACA...they were awesome for doing that. Lance, the owner of the Trackside was really cool. After the last raffle ticket was drawn, he brought his bike inside the bar and did a burnout! It was reminiscent of the old days in Laconia. ~sigh~ It was a beautiful day for the event. It was about 80°F and we had to send Big D to get our canopy for the booth, as we were sweating while sitting out there in the hot desert sun. :) Here are some pics from the event. Pops set up the BACA information booth outside. I helped, along with Big D, Ice, and Polar Bear. Ice and Polar Bear had to leave early and then it was just we three. We were set up next to the Bikerlicious booth, and being next to the Bikerlicious babes was exciting for Pops and Big D.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

101 Things About Me: 76-101

76. I'm coming up on my two-year bloggiversary. Wow...can't believe it's been that long. 77. My first post was funny and true and had nothing to do with motorcycles. 78. I LOVE to make people laugh. 79. I'm usually successful at it, too. (As evidenced by BB's comment on this post over at Dave's blog.) 80. I was in the chorus in high school, and sang a solo from Phantom of the Opera at Disney Village in Florida. 81. It's going to be 80°F here today. :) 82. I can't believe the Arizona Cardinals are in the playoffs. Traffic will suck tomorrow (we live 5 miles from the stadium). 83. I don't mind doing laundry, and I actually sort of like vacuuming, but I HATE dusting. And if you don't dust every week in the desert, it gets ugly pretty quick! 84. We have 33 books on motorcycles on our desk, but I know there's WAY more than that around here somewhere. 85. If I had a day free of responsibilities, I would steal Big D's bike and practice my turning. :) 86. When he reads that, he's going to be disturbed. 87. Fortunately for both of us, I never have a day free of responsibilites. 88. I have won the bad-boss lottery several times. My first bad boss fired me the day after I bought my first house. The last one presented my work as her own and took full credit for it. 89. I have a great boss, now. 90. There is much to be said for quality of life in your job. I took a $13K pay cut and that hurt, but when I get up in the morning my focus is getting to work, not thinking up ways to avoid going. 91. I talked to John Travolta on the phone when I was 10 or 11. Long story short: my cousin was a records executive and John was making an album. So my cousin Donny called me when he was with John, and put him on the phone. I screamed, then I talked, but don't remember what was said. 92. I think this was the album he was making. Was he hot, or what?! 93. I can remember going to Scusset Beach with my family and the water was so cold that me, Dad and my brother-in-law Ed were the only ones who would go in the water. And we had to run and dive, or we'd never get in. 94. When I was in my early 20's I went to the beach with my Dad a lot. We used to fill a cooler with some beer, and bring Pepsi cans to pour them into so we wouldn't get kicked off the beach. :) 95. I have a huge shot glass collection that I keep in a locked metal and glass Oakley sunglasses display case. 96. I also have a seashell collection from Cape Cod and Mexico, but it's not displayed yet. 97. Thursday night I laughed so hard that milk came out my nose. 98. I haven't done that in years. 99. I'm glad I decided to do these posts. 100. It's almost like a walk down memory lane. 101. I have to get ready to go ride now. :)

101 Things About Me: 51-75

51. I learned something new today. 52. I signed up for yoga classes today. 53. I didn’t cheat on my diet today. 54. I’m listening to a drill right now (at work). 55. I’m frustrated with the instructor of the course I’m currently taking. I ask for constructive feedback and I get "Great job!" WTF?? 56. I hate peas. 57. Favorite ice cream: Chocolate chip cookie dough. 58. I want to be on a tropical island somewhere. 59. Someday I’m going to win the Powerball. 60. And then you can find me on that tropical island somewhere. 61. I have two dogs: Rascal (a.k.a. Fatboy) and Spotsy. 62. Rascal is 9, and Spotsy is 14. 63. I’m craving some really good Greek food. 64. I need some new shoes. 65. I LOVE leather. 66. I tried on a pink and black HD leather jacket earlier this year, and fell in love with it. It was on sale for $282.00. We didn’t buy it, but I still love it. 67. I just want to reiterate how done I am with drama. 68. LadyR’s ‘Pic of the Week’ posts on Monday mornings always put a smile on my face. 69. I have three tattoos and want to get more. Many more. 70. Big D has 5 tattoos and I know he wants more. 71. I just saw Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof last week. It’s really a good movie. 72. Vicki was crabby when I woke her up for school this morning. 73. I’m waiting for a $50 refund to appear in my checking account, but it hasn’t yet. 74. I have processed 8 wage garnishments in the 3.5 months that I’ve been in this job. 75. I hate that part of my job.

101 Things About Me: 26-50

26. I discovered today what a powerful calming effect my husband’s voice has on me. 27. I worry WAY too much. About everything. 28. I don’t drink as much water as I should. 29. As a child, I used to wish I could fly, and sometimes I still do. 30. I want more time to spend with my daughter. 31. I love broccoli. 32. My Mom proofread my school paper that’s due tomorrow. She’s the best. (E-mail rocks!) 33. I had to write my self-assessment at work and discovered once again how difficult it is to ‘toot my own horn’. 34. I need more quality time alone with my husband. (Yes, quality time can be defined as road-time!) 35. Like BB, I also snore like a man. But not so much anymore, now that I’ve started using my CPAP again. (I swear we're soul sisters!) 36. My job is boring. It’s not that I hate it; I’m just not being challenged. 37. Staying up until 4:30 a.m. drinking vodka is a bad idea. 38. Waking up at 9:00 a.m. the next day is an even worse idea. 39. My favorite color is purple. 40. It used to be pink. 41. I’m afraid of heights, but I loved my hot air balloon ride. 42. I don’t do bridges. 43. I find the wind irritating - except when I'm on the bike. 44. I love taking the bus to work. 45. I hate driving to work on Tuesdays because I have school that night. 46. I am donating blood at work tomorrow. 47. I cry when I hear certain songs. 48. Lately I have been examining my friendships very closely and have determined that I absolutely cannot tolerate any extra drama in my life. No drama queens allowed. 49. I cried when I read Joker’s last post. 50. I could live on pizza from Nick’s Pizza all day, every day of the year. Mmmmm-mmmmm good!

101 Things About Me: 1-25

I just saw this on Connie's blog, and I thought I would do my own version for your reading pleasure. :) 1. I'm happy that the holidays are over. 2. I really miss my cat. (She was killed by a car last spring.) 3. I'm so glad Mr. M's post promted me to start using my CPAP machine again. Sleep apnea's a bitch. 4. Organized religion...not so much. 5. When I was little, my Dad called me #3 (because I was the third daughter), and my Mom called me Oonie-Banoonie (a variation of Annie-Bananny). 6. I've never told that to anyone before. 7. I'm sad that my Dad has been gone almost 5 years now. But I'm so happy I have so many great memories. 8. I'm looking forward to several bike runs this year, the most important right now being our Yuma run for BACA in April. 9. I wish we could make the Sturgis rally this year, but it's not likely. 10. After a hard day at work, I love to come home to my husband's hugs and kisses. There's nothing like them in the world. 11. School is frustrating the hell out of me right now. I have 3 papers due in the next two weeks, and I have only started one. 12. I'm selling my old wedding dress on Craigslist, and a cross-dresser has offered to buy it. Apparently he's getting married. 13. I'm looking forward to getting a small settlement from my car accident soon. (I hope.) 14. We desperately need a new mattress. 15. When I was 17, I had my hair my hair frosted. The woman pulled so much of my hair through the cap, it came out almost totally platinum blonde. I loved it! 16. My first car was a black 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo. It hauled ass. 17. My best friend Kathy called it 'The Limo'. 18. I have never gotten a speeding ticket, ever. 19. I was pulled over once when I was about 16. I was driving my boyfriend's car and the police thought it was stolen. I was doing 72 mph in a 30 mph zone. I dumped my purse on the passenger's seat and cried. The cop told me to go home and park it. No ticket. :) 20. I'm happy my kids are all healthy and happy. 21. Our son Eric just shipped out to Qatar for 6 months. 22. I hate those 'good luck' chain emails. They suck. 23. According to all the detritus in my Spam folder, I can't get a hard-on, and need to go on a diet. 24. I really do need to go on a diet. I guess my Slimmies will be in cognito again. 25. Some random guy stopped by today because he saw Big D working on a friend's motorcycle, and he needed some work done on his bike. Very random.

Special Delivery

A friend sent me this picture today, and it was titled 'Redneck Mailbox'. However, I think I'm installing one this weekend!

The mailman will probably just deliver my mail in Bigfoot or Gravedigger! Just my luck!

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly - Updated

The Good: Today is the 12th Annual British and European Only Bike Show and Swap Meet at the Steel Horse Saloon. Being that Big D has numerous BSA and Triumph parts, etc., he is ready for this swap meet. His friend Aaron showed up at 7:30 a.m. and they loaded up his truck and off they went. The Bad: This is what it looks like outside today: Yes, it's a steady rain that we really need. But do we really need it today? I think not. The Ugly: Big D is at the swap meet to sell his stuff because we need the money. People are less likely to go to a swap meet and bike show in the rain. It's cold out, too. However, it is Arizona, and some of these crazy folks actually like the rain! Let's hope those desert-dwellers that like British bikes also like the rain! Another thing on the plus side is the fact that The Steel Horse is a popular bar within the biker community. It's very well known and these shows are usually well-supported. I'm counting on it. I will try to post an update later on just how ugly it was. He does have a rare '65 BSA frame and motor to sell. I'm hoping that's the first thing to go. :) Update: The rain stopped for a short time, but it was still pretty nasty out. It's a good thing they brought the canopy with them. The day's take: $50. That's $50 we didn't have before. Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. :)

Happy New Year - A Bit Late

I'm a wee bit late on posting this, but my hangover lasted all day yesterday, so please excuse me for that. :) We spent New Year's Eve at our friend Nicole's house. We had a great time, and (surprise) I have a slideshow of a few pics from the night. If you like Aerosmith, crank it; if you don't, turn off your damned speakers!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. And I hope 2009 doesn't suck for anyone. :)