It's not hell, it's just Jacksonville, Florida

Sometimes it's nice to get away.  To do something different and unique and break out of your comfort zone a bit.  I found myself in Jacksonville, Florida to help train some others and take a little mini-vacation from the other job that I do.  I have to admit that I've also been playing around with the idea of applying for an open management position here in Jacksonville and wanted to look about some.

In the end I decided not to apply for it.  Yea, I want to move up in the company (and frankly feel that I've been passed over one to many times), but Jacksonville isn't for me.  I've got to much going on right now to consider moving.  Still though...it's a nice idea and the Jacksonville/St Augustine area offers a lot for a guy like me.  The lovely Sue ended up visiting me over the weekend and we visited the beaches, looked about and had two days of relaxation.

A monster hunts on the beaches

Unlike my last trip to Jacksonville, I was actually able to get away and do some exploring.  I even considered renting a scooter for a few hours as I meandered the back streets of St Augustine.  I opted out of that option, but did consider it.  Despite the title of this blog, it was a good trip and if travel has taught me anything - personal, pleasure or business - it's to be open to the possibilities.

Their might be a proverbial diamond in the rough, a three star restaurant in what you think might be a hick back-ass town in the middle of nowhere Florida.  Or how the guy that used to sell you pot in college and haven't seen in years just might own a farm now just about an hour north of Jacksonville, and have the (2nd) coolest woman ever as his wife. So I got to spend about two hours with them and, at the end, he offered to sell me some pot (which I did turn down).

A little winery in St Augustine which offered some very sweet (almost to sweet) wines but also offered jazz on the roof top over looking the St Johns River.  Watching the World Cup in a bar full of strangers and the joy and disappointment that the beautiful game grants us.   Strangers enter and friends emerge, united by the colors of their chosen side.

A visit to one of the local museums lead to an odd moment.  I walked into one of the old clapboard homes that were on display, only dating only back 100 years, and realizing that I was alone.  Realizing that I could slip behind the velvet ropes and actually touch some history...do I dare to do so?

Another room contained an old train.  An iron and steel ghost of the influence of Henry Flagler.  Who for all practical purposes built up the east coast of Florida and developed the Keys.  Florida owes a lot to the rails and the state was not really developed until the 1920's and Flagler's various hotels and rail efforts.  Disney of course was another developing force in the state but that is another topic for another blog.

One of the trains that built modern Florida

An old church in Jacksonville beach

Behind the ropes.

An old clapboard style Florida home

Old School Kitchen

Something from nothing?

At work the other day, I was asked about my Kimmie again.  The usual questions about speed, licensing, safety and costs.  It's that time of year again, as I look at the statistics on this site show that my posts about what to look for when buying a scooter and what maxi scooter may work for someone seem to grow.  I'm happy with that.  If one person buys something that suits them because of me, then as a blogger I did something right.

I passed on the info to them.  I had recommending a motorcycle safety class and a dealer I trust.

I've been commuting pretty regularly lately and even have taken a few back roads in just to break up the commute and for the change of scenery.  It's felt good.  I'm still not sure if I'm ready to take on unknown roads and I'll admit I'm a little more weary of rainy weather than I used to be.  For example today there will be a 50% percent chance of rain.  In the past I would have debated all day about riding in and would have ridden in if the rain chance was under 45% for sure.  Now, I know I'm taking the car because I'm reducing the risk of incident or accident.

But I'm riding again.  I'm riding more than I did.  I'm starting to feel that fever grow.  I'm not back 100% but I will be soon enough.  I rode more this week than the week before, and the week before that.  I am gaining my confidence back

The lawyers still are not allowing me to talk about the events earlier this year.    Things need to be settled and debated and I'm still processing things.   So, truth be told, there is not much to report this week...and considering how I'll be in Jacksonville, FL on business starting the 18th for a week.  Nothing to report then either.

I do hope to get out a little more this time to explore Jacksonville, I will be honest and state there is a position there that I may apply for, although that means giving up a lot of what I've worked so hard to build here in Tampa; and therefore may not be worth it.

Sadly though...there is really nothing to report.  It happens sometimes to even the best of writers (of which I am not one).  So this week I think I'll just watch the World Cup.  Ride when and where I can and read up on things to do in Jacksonville.    When I return, I'll have something interesting.

Of Memorial Day and soccer players.

I could not let the Memorial Day weekend go by without some recreational riding.  I didn't get to do much of it.  I didn't even manage to go that far, but I did finally get off the beaten track of my day to day commute and take some different roads.  Finally I was able to hit the back roads, the side roads, the strange little ally's that cut parallel or through the main strips.

So I rode to work and made it on time, but at least I got to ride something that was different.  Traffic was light on Friday and Saturday but by Sunday it was again packed with church goers and those heading to the beach for one more day of frolic.

I needed those side roads with their little twists and blind curves.  One day by accident I found a side road near where I work, it's got 15 or 16 curves in a little bit over 3 miles of road.  Kimmie handled them them like a champ and again I felt the spark flair up a little.  After nearly 5 months of not being able or allowed to ride...it just felt right.

Speaking of Memorial Day, it would be wrong of me not to say "Thank you" to the various men and woman that have served in our armed forces to protect the rights and freedoms we have today.  That being said, I feel that it is also my duty to remind people that just because we have that freedom does not mean we should take it for granted.  A citizen must always watch their government to ensure that they are serving the people, and not themselves or another Master.  So if you don't vote, don't bitch.  You can register to vote here if your not registered already.

Just in case your new to this blog, I'm a soccer fan.  Since this is my blog I'm going to talk about soccer for a moment.   You may want to stop reading now.

Still here?

Good.

Ever since I kicked a ball around in grade school I've been a fan of the beautiful game, and it's been a difficult ride for me.  From watching indoor soccer in the late 70's and early 80's to the feeling of amazement I had when I opened up the paper in 1993 to find the Charleston Battery on the front page.  At times I've felt like a voice out in the wilderness.  So to see what the sport has become here in the US, and what it has the potential to become, makes my heart fill with pride.  We have three, count them three, viable leagues.  The big one, the MLS, the second tier NASL (which is the league the local Tampa Bay Rowdies play in)  and the third tier USL; which is the league my beloved Pittsburgh Riverhounds play in.

Without going into to much detail, I've watched the interest around the upcoming World Cup with a bit of bemusement.  The recent controversy over the dropping of Landon Donovan from the US squad has helped propel the sport even more into the public conscious.  After all, he has scored 57 goals for the USA over his career, many of which of helped the team advanced further then many felt possible.  His 2010 goal against Algeria helped ignite a nation.

In the end though you have to trust the coach.  Donovan has had a bit of a "prima donna complex" follow him throughout his career and his commitment to the sport has wavered over the last few years.

To hear the arguments about why or why not he should have been included are interesting to me.  At the end of the day though...it's the coach that decides, and it's him that will reap the rewards or the disgrace.  Personally I think it's a good move.  If the team somehow manages to get out to the group (The USA is grouped with Germany - the second best team in the world right now), Portugal (which is ranked the third best team in the world) and Ghana.  They were the country that knocked the USA out of the last two world cups.  Most of us that follow the game understand that it is an uphill battle and the key is the first two games.  The US can not afford to lose the first game.  It can afford a tie in the second game, but may require help.  A win against Portugal is possible, and has been done before.

Even if they don't advance, the USA is looking good for the next World Cup (the USA has qualified for every World Cup since 1990).  The young players will have experience at the world stage and Mr Donovan will only be 36.  Old by a soccer player standards but he may still be able to provide a spark at that age.

It's going to be an interesting ride.

Going home...a love letter to Pittsburgh

Plan for the immediate, understand what is coming down the road and prepare for the future.  This will most likely be my last blog entry for the month of April.  Starting on the 17th I'll be traveling back to Pittsburgh, my home town, and I will not be back till the end of the month.

Photo by Renee Duncan-Tabak

I'm looking forward to going home.  It's the city of my birth, where I spent my misplaced youth.  The waters of the three rivers run through my veins deep and thick.  "Yinzers," as Pittsburgh's natives are likely to call them themselves, have a saying..."You can leave the burgh, but the burgh never leaves you."  It has something to do of course with our storied sports teams.  But it's more than that.  The neighborhoods of Pittsburgh are a little microcosm of the American experience.

Bloomfield is "Little Italy."  Polish Hill lives up to it's name.  People party and dance the night away in the South Side, but the natives will tell you that the "slopes" are where you want to live.   Within walking distance of the nightlife, yet offering views of the city like no other.  All the little funky shops and restaurants crammed into to "Strip".  Little cites in a larger city brought about by geology and topography.

Yea, I'm a little homesick.

Lately I've been thinking about family.  About friends.  About those I've loved and lost.  About how the "Capital of Appalachia", a city of over 306 thousand people can maintain a small town feel.  How we invented the Zombie.

Somewhere there is a photo of my family, I'm in my hockey uniform.  It was taken at the Monroeville mall which is also where they shot Dawn of the Dead.  I don't know how many times my dad got up at 4 AM in the morning so I could dream of following my hero's at the time.  He must of known his kid stunk.

I remember catching fireflies out on the lawn on warm endless summer nights, the stars were different then.  More numerous.  More Luminous.  I remember riding my bike, my bicycle, up and down the street for thousands of miles.

I remember soccer games in the backyard.  Hitting golf balls at the neighbors house, and no, I never broke a window.  Drinking my dad's beer in the basement.  

One of my fondest memories was seeing my Dad, drunk on the euphoria of the Penguins first Stanley Cup win.  He had been a fan from the very beginning, and this was a sweet victory for him.  This was Pittsburgh, fans in the street yet no violence...no fires and only a few arrests.  My friends, musicians all, blowing trumpets at the airport to triumph the conquering heroes.  

This was home.  

I am going home for several reasons.  It's been over a year since I touch Pennsylvania soil.  I have a new niece that is celebrating her first birthday, and is my parents first grandchild.  Like my father, who fell in love with the Pens from the very beginning...I fell in love with the Riverhounds.  They have a new stadium that was a long time coming and I feel the need to see a game there, considering that I wrote their match reports for a bit at the turn of the century.  It seems a lifetime ago.  


I've celebrated a birthday, my father celebrated his eighty-second birthday a month before.  My mother is ten years younger and celebrated hers a few days later.  Time is running out.  So why not go home and celebrate my being an uncle?  Why not get a family photo?  Why not create memories?  

Home is where the heart is they say...but it's also where the memories are.  My heart, my soul is in Pittsburgh.  I am going home to connect with old friends.  To re-establish ties and to make sure that the people I love are cared for.  

I am going home.  

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.” Or....to much of a good thing(s)

This coming weekend was going to be busy.  There was a lot going on that demand my attention.  First was the AIM Expo in Orlando.  Like I mentioned in my last post; I really had no desire to go in the beginning but as the event approached the seeds of excitement grew.  The idea of looking at new farkles and trying out

Copyright TB Rowdies

new bikes appealed to me.  The event certainly peaked my interest and I had was certainly tempted to go.  I will also admit the interest in the expo would drive up my blog numbers and I want some neat swag.

My Tampa Bay Rowdies were also playing on Saturday night.  They are currently in second place in the standings and are pushing hard to defend their championship from last year.  There is frankly no room for error in the last three games and the reborn New York Cosmo's would have to collapse.  The odds are stacked against the Rowdies but soccer is a funny old sport.  I've not been able to attend as many games this year as I would have liked but with only two home games left I am running out of time!

Saturday is also the Rattlesnake Festival in nearby San Antonio, FL.  Just another of those goofy little festivals celebrated all over the United States to boost the local economy for a day or two.  I enjoy going to these little things simply because where else can I see Gopher Tortoise race?

This Saturday is also Sweethearts day and Sue and I had not been on any romantic adventures in some time.   The Bahama's cruise was more about my wanting to ride in a another country.  What romantic thing could I do that involved us riding on the bike?  Could we create our own Roman Holiday?  Two weeks ago we traveled to Tarpon Springs by bike and it had been a wonderful trip.  The last weekend we visited Strong Tower Vineyards and overall had a disappointing trip.  We drove up in the car and was disappointed in the wine and their fall festival overall.  The event was to small, there was nothing to do other than sample a rather poorly made wine.

As I write this I have a few things in my mind.  A few ideas forming.  The first was taking her down to a glass blowing workshop where she would learn to make her own pumpkin, to complete her love of Halloween.  I even went as far as ordering tickets...only to realize that the workshop I ordered the tickets for was in Corning, New York.  A red faced call to them got the issue resolved, much to their amusement.  So much for the world wide web!

Glass blowing example via the web.

At this moment I am not sure what I will do.  I know I seek adventure, but a little bit of romance is never a bad thing.  Getting out of the house to do something...anything is never a bad thing.  Even just having her wrap her arms about me and saying "Lets go." is a good thing.  A picnic on the beach, watching the sun set into the Gulf while reading poetry.  Trying new food at Veg Fest.  I want whatever life has to offer me.

Working six days a week like I do, staying at home is good too.  In the words of the immortal Jack Kerouac, who died some 44 years ago this week:  “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”  Speaking of Jack, another venture starts to form in my head.

Ah endless possibilities.

This Blogging Life

I try to come up with a topic every week, it's sometimes a challenge.  After all, most of my riding is commuting over the same 35 miles every day with a little variation.  Sometimes it's fun to go off and do something different or take a group ride, these however are few and far between mostly due to my weird work schedule and secondary self-employed income.  So I don't feel weird telling you that this blog post is a little different, a little off topic but I think important enough to read and talk about.  This post was inspired by my second job in a way.

My little company supplies and stocks various magazines into the local grocery stores.  I don't deliver Ride Now, Full Throttle or Go Far magazines.  These are delivered by the publisher and each of these magazines in geared to the "Motorcycle Lifestyle" and are free publications.  I'll pick them up and often just browse through the pages.  With the exception of Go Far (the magazine withe the Map) most of these fine publications end up in my trash can.

They just don't apply to me.

Maybe if I had a Harley, maybe if I wore a lot of leather, maybe if I had a beard...OK, I do have a beard.

The blogger in his natural state.

Frankly there is no content in these magazines.  Nearly 50 to 75% of them are advertisements and what often passes for content is light or non-sensible.   One of them offers the ramblings of old man where he uses nicknames, slang and lingo.  Great if you're part of the inter circle but  horrible writing if you're actually looking for content.  Another offers safety tips but their lifted directly from the MSF website.

Go Far at least provides you with a map of a route (which is how I learned about the Green Swamp) which is great for riding, but even that magazine is mostly advertisements.  Still though, they offer content.  Perhaps not content directly related to me, but some content.

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not knocking one magazine or another.  The point I'm trying to make is that if you want a review of a particular bike, a particular jacket or helmet...your not going to find it in the pages of a magazine anymore.  Your going to find it in the hands of a blogger.

Magazines and websites count on there advertising dollars to keep publishing.  In order not to upset this "gravy train" you often get reviews that rave about a product or gloss over the rough points. Don't believe me?  When was the last time Rolling Stone gave any piece of music a rating under 3 stars?  Go and look, you'll be shocked.

This lack of content is self feeding.  A publication needs to advertise to pay it's costs.  Advertisements then become the majority of the magazine, pushing original content into a smaller and smaller space.  No one buys the publication since it lacks content.  To pay for the magazine you have to have more advertisements.  What little content may be in the magazine is supplied by giant companies that often provide bland or superficial material that provides no in depth analysis.  I am looking at you Associated Press!

Self feeding circles

Is it any wonder that publishing is dying?

So here I am, a (relatively young) scooterist.  I want to learn about the newest bikes, the newest farkles and get a honest opinion on them.  The only place I can turn is the internet.  The only place I can read something honest is the internet.  One of the original goals, which I believe I've  failed in. is to answer questions I had about riding, about the products, about the farkles.  I've learned a lot, but have I passed that knowledge on to other new riders?

I've been considering adding advertising to this blog.  Not that I expect to make much, but as a business man it only makes sense.  I've used Amazon with little success and I've considered adding a link to Bike Bandit or similar site.  What I worry about is writing a good review of a product because I want to deliver you to one of the websites that advertise with me.  So they will pay me.

I enjoy writing, I like having you, the gentle reader, provide feedback and support and even a slap upside the head when it's deserved.  It's been said that a writers job is to write.  I disagree, a writers job is to get you to think. If I do that then this is successful.   I have written for soccer publications and websites.  I've written about relationships and politics.  One year, I actually made $3000 from my writing for a now defunct soccer site (and have not got paid for my writing since).  That writing stopped being fun because I was getting pressure from the editors to stop being critical of the (then) new MLS as well as a well established minor league.  Who ever tells you advertising dollars don't matter is lying to you.

So yea, this blog is going to take a slightly different tack and offer product reviews in the future.  I'm still not sure if I'll accept advertising.   Time will tell.

Resetting the Odometer

On the way home from work tonight I was thinking about my bike, riding and how many miles I put in this year.  I accomplished a few goals, I finally found the time to do some pleasure riding...traveling just to travel and hitting part of the Green Swamp Encounter; which I had been wanting to do for some time.

Maybe add a "bumper"?

At this time I don't know what my final mileage for the year was.  I am under doctors orders not to ride for a bit, and my bike is in the shop getting healed anyway.  I know I was close to a milestone.  20K?  15K?  I may call up Affordable Motorsports after the new year and find out, just to have a record.  At this time I am planning on riding, once I get my bike back, and in 2013 have several goals I want to accomplish.   It's slow baby steps...but this accident was also a wake up call.  They really are out to get me.

In a lot of ways with the coming of the new year I will be "resetting the odometer."  While I like my job at 3M, I've also reached the conclusion that it's probably a dead end for me.  BUT, that is okay for now.  It has killer medical benefits and a decent retirement program...and at this point in my life (I'll be 47 this coming year) that matters.  Plus what really interests me right now is my secondary job.  I know I'm just a glorified paper boy...but I'm my own boss.  If all goes according to plan next year I'll make about 15K.  Not great money to be sure but good money.  This job has paid for oriental rugs (a passion of mine ever since I worked at a rug store one year in college), furniture and cruises.  Now if I can only get the Goufrais Chocolates into a few stores life would be grand!

I'm also planning to purchase a second home in January for rental income.  Well neither of these little side projects will replace 3M it's nice to have options.

from http://webecoist.momtastic.com

We have to reset the odometer in another way as well.  Due to some health reasons (not mine), our household is going on a low-glycemic diet.  It will take some getting used to...but I will cheer her on, she will cheer me on...that's what you do in successful relationships.  Lucky for us our little garden in the backyard is growing nicely.  We are using a one-pot system, meaning that one or several plants is grown in a container.  It saves time on weeding, prevents erosion and keeps bugs to a minimum. Another added benefit is bending is kept to a minimum as well!  I'm old damn it!  Right now we have two pots going but are planning on expending our garden in other ways.

I've been tempted to start a food blog about this new adventure, but I don't feel qualified.  I eat well, but if left to my own design it be mac and cheese and pizza most nights.  Lets be honest, nothing beats the taste of food grown and picked fresh out of your own backyard.  In case your wondering, we are not allowed to plant a full garden in our community...so we are using urban gardening ideas.

Speaking of blogging, I am considering doing a political blog.  I'm a dyed in the wool Dem but don't always agree with my party.  I actually joined the Green Party a few years ago and believe that there has to be an alternative to the current sad state of affairs were in.

Or I might just take up the challenge of something I was working on years ago.  I was part of a team that was trying to edit and publish a "rough guide" to US soccer.  It fell apart due to various egos, mine included, but such a thing would be easier today...and easier to publish as well.

So lets reset the odometer, look down the road and consider the possibilities.  2012 is gone, 2013 is coming and it's going to be an interesting year.  That is a given.

Happy New Year to you where ever you may be!

Highways, bridges and soccer.....a punishing night on the Burgie

I've been wanting to ride the Burgie down into St Petersburg for some time.  After all I would be able to get some glorious shots of my ride against the ocean, the yacht club and other interesting things.  This past Saturday night the local soccer team, called the Rowdies were playing, and I could not think of a better reason to ride down.

As it so happened though life through me a couple of twisties before I could even start to plan to go to the game. My camera went boom, meaning that any picture I took with it was a fuzzy mess. My wallet was either lost or stolen, and since my bank is up north it would take several days to get my bank cards straightened out.  My license reissued, etc.  I questioned if I should even bother going down but as a nearly perfect Saturday dawned I had my answer.  I would ride the sixty miles down to the game, enjoy it and spend some time exploring the city.  So I jumped on the Burgie and went.

Traffic was not this bad on Saturday.

Frankly there are lots of ways to get into St. Pete but generally speaking the easiest and quickest is to cross one of the three bridges that connect Tampa to St. Pete.  The Howard Frankland being the one I choose.  This is also a major highway (I-275) and a very long bridge which is open to the water on both sides (remember this, it's important for later).  At various times I've seen dolphins leaping from the water, sea birds hunting from fish and several species of fish break the waterline for whatever reason.  All while traveling at a nice clip of 70 miles per hour.  The ride down into St Pete was uneventful, I don't care for driving on highways but felt pretty secure and sure of myself on the way in.

Photo courtesy of Jay Anthony

Once into St Pete I drove past the famed Dali museum, the Pier with its upside down pyramid (which has since closed and is being rebuilt.  For pictures of the old pier please use this link), around the lovely yacht club with the boats flying their multicolored flags. The real fun started when you get to the game.  I'm a member of Ralph's Mob, where your expected to stand, sing, clap and generally yell yourself hoarse for the entire 90 minutes of a soccer game.   It was a pretty good game, with the Rowdies dominating it for the most part - but their is an old saying in soccer.  "Football is a lot like life sometimes despite the effort, it's disappointing in the end."  The Rowdies lost 2 - 1 in a game that they should have won.  The reasons for that loss is for another blog.  So I considered my options and decided that after the game instead of enjoying a soft drink or two at the after-game party, I would head home; after all I lived 60+ minutes away.

Courtesy of Jay Anthony (find the author as well)

St Pete's offers a lot of motorcycle/scooter parking which is nice, I found a spot 2 blocks from the stadium earlier that eveing and started home.  I pulled out and the wind off the water hit me like a ton of bricks.  It got worse as I entered the highway...hitting me from both the side and the front of bike.  My speed dropped as I turned the throttle up, but if I turned it to much I didn't feel safe from the side winds that seemed to want to drive me into the next lane over.   I moved over to the right as far as I could, feeling the bike be pushed, fishtailing a bit, the wind relentlessly pushing me over to the left.  The bridge went on and on, I leaned forward and into the wind never feeling that I would lose control but feeling I was on the edge.  Again and again I was buffeted.  It seemed to take forever to cross that three mile span.

I got off the bridge safely and I'll be honest, feeling a bit lucky but decided to cut through town to avoid the rest of the highway as the wind was still playing havoc on the bike.   What I didn't think about was the part of town I would be riding through.  I was riding through an area of town so rough that even the cockroaches were packing guns.  I never feared for my safety, I actually thought I was safer on the city streets then on the highway at the time and besides...I was on a scooter.

The last 15+ miles of ride was into a strong headwind but this I could manage.  So eventually I made it home, safe and sound and with some knowledge under my belt about how to drive in unpredictable gusts of winds.  I would have to work on that.

Oh the Rowdies are....a kick in the Grass!

I'm a big fan of soccer, so when I realized that I would be able to attend the next FC Tampa Bay (better known as the Rowdies) football game I knew I was going.
(WARNING - the theme song from the late 70's is very catchy)

The problem is, of course, how to get there.   I want to take the Burgie down for several reasons.  It's a hell of a lot easier to park, better on gas, and besides...it be the longest ride (120 miles roughly round trip) I've taken yet on my new machine and that thrill of adventure is tempting.

It would involve me riding on busy freeways, at night, and I knew there would be beer involved.   Not that I would ever drink and ride, but I know damn well I would have a few at the game (soccer fans by definition enjoy beer).  Plus, it's still freaking hot in Tampa.  I know it's late September but the temperature still hovers in the mid 90's.  All these things would have to be addressed in one way or another.  Plus there is a solid chance of rain, which, logic would dictate I should take my car.

But to hell with logic!  I want to ride my scooter to the game!

The ride itself would only take a little over an hour as it's about 55 to 60 miles from here to there which truthfully is not that bad even through I suffer from Numb Butt on my 35 mile commute every day.  My girlfriend has some sort of frozen ice pack thing that fits around her neck and shoulders that keeps the wearer very cool and would fit perfectly under my riding jacket.  So I got a route and a way to stay cool.  At night on the ride back I would not need the pack.

Beer...easily to take care of.  One or two or three at the tailgate before the game then hydrate with lots of water.  No drinking in the 2nd half at all.  There is a old saying.  "There are drunk riders. There are old riders. There are NO old, drunk riders."  I plan on being an old rider.

Sadly I can't do anything about the weather, other than hope it really doesn't rain but it it must that the storm abates quickly and I can put the rain in the rear view mirror as quickly as possible.  I really do need to invest in good rain gear.  I am however in no hurry to get home either.  I would rather be safe than sorry.

Some retro reflective tape added to the bike and helmet recently will help with the visibility at night. Safety most of the time is just good planning.  


A little bit of planning and I'm all set to take the Burgie down to the game. I can just see my Ralph's Mob scarf blowing in the wind behind me as I eat up the miles to the game.




Sing it with me now, you know the words! OH THE ROWDIES RUN HERE, THE ROWDIES RUN THERE.....