Step Choreography, motorcycle trip choreography, they are my outlet, my fun, my self.

I'm setting up, working through choreography/step movements and music in between office tasks (so yeah, I'm combining two jobs within one mind, no sweat!) and realizing that I'm anal when it comes to aerobic choreography and music, and motorcycle trips. I realize that in some weird way, setting up aerobic choreography and motorcycle trips can each have some similar elements i.e. planning the way to go, whether it's on a bike or a plastic aerobic step: wearing the correct attire: having/bringing the correct equipment based on the activity, the people involved, the level of expertise of all parties....YUP, it all fits. At least it occupies my mind with something creative.

Tomorrow, Advanced Step class at Fullerton Bally's 8:15 AM then a little MC jaunt to No Pork to buy Bub some highway pegs and maybe look at some of those tank leather protection goodies for his MC that he wants, and maybe a little trip, get out and enjoy the weather while we can.
SOOOO...
Friday for Saturday plan:
-Dress in stuff that a) will get me sweating EARLY, and b) that I can throw off the moment I hit the door, grab an EXTREMELY quick shower then put on jeans and MC gear and go pick up another MC friend and get on over to Norco.
-Have all music and choreography ready to go by the close of business today so all I have to do is throw on my workout stuff tomorrow morning at 6:45 AM and GO. This means I have to ALSO do some moderate field testing with the step choreography and look like a dork in my office at breaktime, doing 'step' moves without the step.
-Have all my clothes ready for both activities; gas up and wipe bike down; calc to see if I'll need tank bag, or will Bub's saddlebags work out if we go shopping or something. Plus have on clothing that's par for motorcycle riding and are easy to take off and on if we're shopping for motorcycle clothing...I mean, if I see an UNBELIEVEABLY jacket or something...
-Set up a smallish MC trip that is doable but will get us home by 5 pm aka dark aka when the temp starts to drop. OK, OK, just thought of something, need to shop and hunt for some leather chaps for me because my old ones do NOT fit anymore, you can only add so many holes to the belt part before you come back to the beginning and my chaps are that way now. The leather jackets I can swap with Barry now, but I need new bottoms, or I freeze. So I gotta look and see what leather chaps places are in the area, maybe Slappin' Leather in Temecula. Nice jaunt down the 15, maybe tool around that area, if I find some chaps then I can wear them and ride a little longer. Maybe even go over Ortega if we get done and it's still light, or MAYBE check out the shopping in front of Hell's Kitchen....hmmmm, that would combine BOTH worlds, MC trip and shopping!!! I LOVE it.
First things first: Step moves.
(and if you know 'step', you'll know what the nomenclature refers to. If not, the explanation in parens () will guide you. And if you REALLY don't know step, you'll be befuddled at the technical wording. Kinda like me when somebody talks about pulling a 'something' from a motorcycle...)

COMBO 1 32/64
1 'I' Step (up, up, jack out, jack in, down, down)
2 Over the top 'scissors'
1 Turn straddle/lunges
(turn straddle down R down L, up R, up L, lunge R, lunge L, double lunge R, down R, tap L)
repeat Left lead

MODIFICATION: 16 cts, would need to add 4 V-steps and 2 more Over Scissors and delete the single 'I' step for the above to work
"Double 'I' lunges"
Up, up, jack out, jack in, jack out, jack in (all while up on top of the step), lunge, lunge, down, down, jack out, jack in, jack out, jack in.

COMBO 2 64
1 slow V step (1/2 time)
1 repeater
1 slow V step
1 repeater
2 6-lunge Indecisions (up R, up L, lunge R, lunge L, lunge R, lunge L, lunge R, lunge L, down R, tap L)


COMBO 3 32/64
1 Basic lunges (up, up, lunge, lunge, down, down)
1 triple Mambo (mambo, ball-change, mambo, cha-cha-cha)
4 Kicks around the world
repeat L lead

COMBO 4 32/64
2 Charleston (single kicks)
1 Diagonal over
Walk around the corner to the left (or 1/2 hop pivot around the corner)
4 Turn steps
repeat Left lead

COMBO 5 32
1 Slow squat over R
2 Shuffle turns (from the front side, now)
1 Slow squat over L
2 shuffle turns

COMBO 6 32/64
1/2 Rocking horse L-steps off the end then back to the side, left lead
Slow Squat over (end up on front side, right lead)
Indecision (end up on back side, left lead)
2 Mambo cha-chas
repeat Left lead

COMBO 7 32/64
2 over scissors (to put class into position for the horseshoe)
1 horseshoe (turn straddle turn, finish on left foot, front side)
1 helicopter (2 diagonal 1/2 hop pivots, end up in same place)
2 shuffle turns
repeat Left lead from the front side

COMBO 8 'JOGGIE SET' 32/64
Knee lift L step (right foot off the left end)
March fwd 3 & tap, march back 3 & tap (so that you are in position right next to the end of the step)
Across the top (the long way)
Tap up, tap down
6 Marches (or jogs) across the top
Down, tap
Knee lift L step from the end to the back side, tap.
repeat Left lead

ESOTERIC REPEATERS, all change the lead legs
REGULAR-3 knee repeater, down, down
2-knee repeater-Up, knee-knee, down, down, up, up, lunge, lunge, down, down, jumping jack in, jack out
4 knee repeater-Up, knee-knee-knee-knee, down, down, up, up, down, down, jumping jack in, jack out
"5 X 5" 5 knee repeater with a basic-Up, knee-knee-knee-knee-knee, down, down, basic up/up/down/down.
"7 & 7" or "7-sie" 7-knee repeater, just like the regular except an extra 4 knees are thrown in there...
Up, 7 knees, down, down.

Close (VERY close) family member has either chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.

2009 is beginning to look a lot like Hell.
And YES, I mean 2009. We don't know about 2010, but I do know and have seen 2009.

The MONTH from hell so far

It's been 1 1/2 weeks since December 1st, the beginning of the month.
A very black day.





I'm sad. Very sad.
But also scared. It's not pride, it's fear. I never thought I'd be so afraid of the unknown, but I am.
Is it safer to not know, to continue with the status quo and hope for a miracle on the other side, or swallow one's pride and run the risk of finding out forever no more?
I don't know. I think I'm doing right to allow space & time, but how much time? How much space?
I feel like I just need a sign, some indication that I'm, well, that stuff happens to everyone and that everyone is human. We all fuck up our lives and sometimes others', but they don't stay screwed up because of us being human.
Do they?


This is just whirling around in my brain a lot these days.
I hurt.

'Watch The Kill Switch', good info provided by Gary Felkel

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle. ...............
Learned from experience.
1. Do not use the kill switch to stop your bike.
2. Do not get distracted by police pulling over another biker with ape hangers or any thing else.
3. Do not then run into a resturant for a long lunch leaving your key in the bike and especially turned on.
Result!!
1.Dead battery
2. As a result of either trying to push start or jumping the main fusable link is blown and I did not have a spare.
3. Must get a tow truck , at the same time it is getting dark and rainy.
4. Tow truck obviously does not cater to bikes with only 2 straps both oily and old to tie down your bike on a oily, slippery truck bed.
5. Gettin home 3 hours later finally and after tow truck leaves finding a large oil puddle from the tow truck in your driveway.
6. Bike was fixed the next day with a $1.98 fuse. (bought a spare).
Lesson learned... Check key before you leave your bike!!!! Watch using that kill switch. Have all the spare fuses .
My thanks to Glenn, Charley, Carol, Brian that tried to get me going and stayed as long as they could. Sent them home before it started raining.

Thank you, Gary, for that marvelous description of what NOT to do. I'll DEFINITELY take it to heart and soul.

In IT we have an acronym...
PEBKAC*

Maybe we should have a modified acronym...
PEBIAS**

*Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair
**Problem Exists Between Ignition And Saddle

The week from HELL 12-07 to 12-11-09

This week sucks.
1. One of our managers/directors and a coworker of mine, known him for years, passed away suddenly Tuesday morning. This was Shock #1.
2. One of our workers at my work, a much-loved person whom I had seen every single day at work, passed away suddenly on Tuesday afternoon. Now this was Shock #2.
3. A VERY close family member went into the hospital on (I think) Tuesday morning with pneumonia. She's hooked up to IV's up the kazoo and can't really move because it'll set off alarms. Came on really suddenly, within a 24 hour period. So far, Shock #3.
4. My old boss and a good friend has been admitted to the hospital for testing and checking out some health issues. I'm starting not to like this stuff-Shock #4.
5. ANOTHER Manager in my Division (and a good friend to Barry and I) was admitted on Tuesday (what IS it with Tuesday?) to the hospital for heart issues and is hoping to get out today-he just felt weird palpitations so they admitted him and have been doing uber amounts of tests. He had had an TIA about 8 months ago or so, so this is scary. He kept it really quiet, I just accidentally found out. You know, for all this to go on 2 weeks before Christmas...Shock #5

I'm really glad I'm already 'out there', otherwise I'd fall into a heap of mush.

On December 8, 2009, I never thought I'd have to put on my thermals that I usually use for motorcycle riding.

Enough said.
BRRRRRR

Internat'l Motorcycle Show 12-5 & 12-6 2009 (the days I'm working it for the Women's Motorcycle Foundation)

I came, I volunteered, it was AWESOME. Sue Slate emailed me awhile ago asking for volunteers, and of course I said yes. Of COURSE. 'Quack'.
(more on that later, 'way 'WAY below)
I worked it Saturday from 5-8 PM and Sunday from 10 AM-1 PM. Bit of a schedule change but I'm flexible, especially for a great worthy cause! I DIDN'T, however, ride Lambie, because a) I might've bought some stuff that I couldn't take home (yeah, right, there isn't really ANYTHING I can't take home if I put my mind to it!) b) my chaps are too big, so if any guys who are bigger around the waist and maybe average height, lemme know, and c) I HATE cold, especially if it's under 54 degrees. IT WAS under 54 degrees when I'd come home on Saturday or go on Sunday, plus I came directly from class on Sunday morning and DIDN'T FEEL LIKE wearing my gear to aerobics at 8AM, changing into shorts, tennies & T-shirt, then showering and changing BACK into my riding gear. It was just easier to take an outfit and change into it.
To the above left is/are another volunteer/seminar presenter, "Trapper" and I. Trapper gave a GREAT seminar on 'What To Expect At The Basic Rider Course'. She's a RideCoach and trains riders.

I feel so weird because I REALLY don't have a special 'name' or moniker, except, hmmm, maybe I can use "Alpha B".
Maybe.

The first thing I did when I got there was go over to the Yamaha STAR area-I wanted to check out the new STAR models and saw Rick Sherrill standing there chatting with some guy in a mustache. Rick introduced me and this gentleman (whom I've heard of but had never met) and I had a really great LONG conversation! (See 'way below for the pic of he and I)
I saw this tricked-out Raider, below-it's the Ken Griffey, Jr. special Raider. Note the signed baseballs in the tank.

The WMF was at the Women's Center where all sorts of riding gear, helmets and seminars were available for women to check out, try on, see how different the gear is and how it's specifically made for our shapes. I've had a couple of instances where I had to buy men's XL JUST to get the damn thing around my hips, so it FLOATED on my torso, the sleeves came down to my fingertips, and so the elbow and shoulder pads were below my elbow and shoulder. Not good.
We weren't selling the clothing, we were giving information re: looking for the correct fit and gear, plus tips on helmets (did you know that when you wear your helmet, if you sweat, the grunge stays in there, so a microfiber headwrap is the way to go, PLUS it keeps your hairdo better than just the helmet! Oh, YEAH. That's what I'M talking about.
Seminars included "Space-the Final Frustration" (packing intelligently for a MC trip presented by 'Pink'): "Dual Sportbike Riding" (presented on the mainstage by Sue); "Riding the Twisties" (put on by Walt Fulton from Streetmasters, below left). His 'Twisties" seminar was pretty much about late apex turns in curves & was awesome. You can see my 'take' on late apex turns at http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1987800715075266325&postID=4631942931320240340




The pic above right is Walt, Nancy Foote and I-they run Streetmasters. I've heard extremely great things about them and the program. http://www.streetmasters.info/

Some info about the Women’s Motorcyclist
Foundation, Inc.
WMF is not a club, it’s a 501(c)3 charitable, networking and educational organization. In
existence since 1984, WMF, Inc. began its work by hosting multi-day gatherings to share and enhance the riding, mechanical and touring skills of and with women motorcyclists.
In 1993, WMF, Inc began its efforts towards the eradication of breast cancer. Through the Women's Arctic Tour – Ride for Research, four national PONY EXPRESS TOURS involving women and men from around the country plus a program billed as ON TRACK FOR A CURE, well over two million dollars has been raised to fight breast cancer. To date, WMF, inc has raised over 2.2 million dollars to aid in the fight against breast cancer. Check our website to see how you can get involved. http://www.womensmotorcyclistfoundation.org/about_us.html

To the right, the CUTEST helmet! Reminds me of Marge Cunningham's mouse ears on her helmet (which, by the way, one fell off)




Above, a picture of a gentleman who is also a motor (short way of saying 'motor officer' with Baldwin Park PD and a member of STAR Chapter 109, & also somehow affiliated with STAR International, Vince Greva.

To the right, above, is a future motorcyclist/leather lover, following in her mother's bootsteps.
On Sunday I DID run into Wayne and Bill from Chapter 230, plus saw Marge and Colin Cunningham at the STAR area. Marge looks SO good. She invited me (again) to come ride with them, and since I love all those guys (Marge, Colin, Leonard who will be President, Connie, and Joyce, oh yeah, SORRY Tony B!), I think that Bub and I will check them out. I've ridden with them before, so I know their MO.

NOW, about the QUACK.
Sue and Trapper cornered me because I (I guess) I had shown promise as a budding volunteer (I took pics and videod some of their seminars), so Sue had me repeat after her:
"Quack"
"Quack, Quack".
I was now obliged to FOLLOW Momma Duck (Sue) into that realm known as Active Volunteerism, BECAUSE I didn't DUCK. Get it?!
Dang, got nailed again.