I realize that old pictures and thoughts will be needed someday, updated 01-17-10.

I'm limited -Just look at me -
I'm limited -And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do, so now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...
I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them and we help them in return
I believe that's true, I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good
It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you,because I knew you
I have been changed for good
And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know there's blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore
Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood
Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
And because I knew you
Because I knew you...
Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good...


I realized that we all need to find photos and scan them in of our loved ones, plus get appropriate music together 'just in case' there is a need for historical information and appropriate music. To remember them.

Make videos of yourself an d your loved ones: make CD's or let others know where they are and the subject matter.
Set them aside in folders marked for that person. Make CD's if you have to, with the photos and music, perhaps Windows Movie Maker. With WMM you can put in a slide show of pics and videos PLUS music.

Things you'd need to have in case:
A GOOD photo of whomever for whoever'd need a photo to use. A REALLY REALLY GOOD COLOR PHOTO. Possibly photos of them doing the things they love.
Would you like a family member to sing something, if possible.

GOOD songs for children/kids:
"River Lullaby" (from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack-Disney movie)
"Love Of My Life" (Carly Simon)
'This Used To Be My Playground" (Madonna)
"I've Been This Way Before" (Sarah Brightman)
"Everybody Hurts" (REM)
"Different Wings" (Trans Siberian Orchestra)
"Lullaby" (Goodnight, My Angel by Billy Joel)
"How Could This Happen To Me" (Simple Plan)
"Blessed" (Elton John)

Good Songs for parents:
"Hear You Me" (Jimmy Eat World)
"I've Been This Way Before" (Sarah Brightman)
"Everybody Hurts" (REM)
"You Raise Me Up" (I personally like the Celtic Woman version)

Good songs for a female girlfriend/spouse:
"Softly" (Gordon Lightfood)


Good songs for any spouse/significant other
"Evergreen" (Barbra Streisand)
"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" (Carly Simon)
"Nights Are Forever Without You" (England Dan and John Ford Coley)


Good Songs for anyone (besides those above, * are especially great):
"Amazing Grace" (Sarah Brightman is pretty good)
"My Immortal" (Evanescence)
"Touched By The Sun" (Carly Simon)
"Rain" (Madonna)
‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ sung my Lee Greenwood
‘My Love Song’ by Mercury Rev
‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’ sung by Judy Collins
‘The Voice’ from the CD Celtic Woman
‘Blessed’ sung by Elton John
‘Amazing Grace’ sung by Judy Collins
‘Con Te Partiro’ (Time To Say Goodbye) sung by Sarah Brightman
‘My Heart Will Go On’ sung by Celine Dion (from the Titanic soundtrack)
‘Candle In The Wind’ sung by Elton John
‘You Raise Me Up’ from the CD Celtic Women
‘Everybody Hurts’ sung by REM
‘How Do I Live’ sung by Trisha Yearwood
‘Longer’ sung by Dan Fogelberg
‘Celebrate Me Home’ sung by Kenny Loggins
"Golden Moments" (James Taylor)
"I Love You, Goodbye" (Celine Dion)
"The Soft Goodbye" (Celtic Woman)
"Only The Heart May Know" (Dan Fogelberg)
"Can You Feel The Love Tonight" (Elton John)
"Fire and Rain" (James Taylor)
"You Can Close Your Eyes" (James Taylor)
"I'll Be Here Where The Heart Is" (Kim Carnes)
"The Blessing" (Celtic Woman)
"I Will Be With You "(Where The Lost Ones Go, from the Tigger Movie, Sarah Brightman)
"With This Tear" Celine Dion
"The Prayer" (Celtic Woman, A New Journey CD)
"The One" (Elton John)
"One Day I'll Fly Away" (from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack)
"Song For A Winter's Night" (Gordon Lightfoot, specific to wintertime)
"Time Of Your Life" (Green Day)
"Hold On Hope" (Guided By Voices)
"For Good" (From the Wicked Soundtrack)
>Not ALL songs have to be downers!
"(I've Had The) Time of My Life (Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes)
"Cherish" (Madonna)

And this song would be LAST...
"Shower The People You Love With Love" (James Taylor)

CAVEAT:
Before you listen to any of these, go and tell those you care for how much they mean to you; forgive and forget anything you feel you've been hurt by. You may never get another chance to make up and have that person back into your life. We all enrich each others' lives in some way, have in the past and will (hopefully) continue to in the future.

New Year's Day Annual Grace Community Church Ride 2010 thru PV to Roscoe's Chix & Waffles

The whole group, above. Below, Stan and Bub exchanging some yuks.
Below right, we went past King Harbor. One of these days I'll stop by.

On Artesia Blvd. I couldn't resist trying to get a reverse shot.

The first park we stopped at. Below are Bub, me, John R. and Jill.

It was hard to snap pics even though I have a system re: I have to be going anywhere between 20 and 35 MPH, because that's 3rd and it has that wide of a range whereby I don't have to clutch/shift quite as much so I can use my left hand to quickly grab a shot.

"Captain! There be WHALES here!"

On Ocean Blvd-can you see Jill and John's faces in the rear view mirror??!!

As I did last year, this year Bub went and we joined Stan's church peeps (you know, Stan of "Friends of Stan") on their annual jaunt thru Palos Verdes Peninsula and end up brunch at Roscoes.

This time, this year the weather was still a little cold at the beginning, 49-50 but warmed up to 70 and was UNBELIEVEABLY clear and beautiful. We even did some whale watching.

From the Chapter, Stan (Of course), Bub and I, and John R. & his great and gorgeous daughter Jill went. This girl is a saint-she ACTUALLY LIKED Laine last week when we met up at Tutto Fresco's!

A note about clothing: this year was a little different. I had new leather chaps that are specific to girls, wore boots instead of my EMT shoes, and wore 3 layers of shirts, my regular leather jacket AND my big Xelement all-weather lined jacket with the shoulder and elbow protection. ALL AT ONCE.

*Do you see the significance of that statement? I am now a size 8 and still gradually decreasing.Of course, we had to stop at Cycle Gear to do a little shopping!

At least I know where Jackie is on New Year's Eve 2009 UPDATED 01-05-10

**Cost of a couple of RockStar drinks on December 30th, 2009 while driving earlier than planned from Santa Fe NM to Fullerton, CA, in order to stay awake all night through for the drive-$4.75
**Cost of Verizon Roadside Assistance service to allow daughter to call anytime from anywhere for emergency roadside assistance or advice - $3/month
**Cost of eardrum surgery to mom when blond daughter shrilly yells in her ear that she's in the middle of nowhere dead center stuck between Grants, NM and Flagstaff, AZ in 17 degree cold at 12 midnight, that her truck suddenly died and that she and her buds are freezing - To Be Determined, Hope The Medical Insurance Deductible Isn't Too Huge
**Cost of towing, parts and labor for repairs to her Ford Ranger's fuel pump - $684.00
**Cost of motel room for 3 nights; New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and the day after, until the part comes in - $135.14

***Cost of experience for a sadder but wiser daughter who SHOULDN'T hve been driving overnight and who now has to spend New Year’s Eve in Podunkt, Nowheretown instead of partying with her friends in LA-PRICELESS

Yup, she ain't going to be partying or driving while drinking on New Year's.

Did I mention that she forgot her cell phone charger (except the car charger, which doesn't do much good because her car's in the shop!) so her cell is dead, and the netbook wireless modem isn't working?

You couldn't be more cut off from the world if you'd-a gone camping in the Himalayas!

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE 1

She's in SoCal, came in last night. Mommy arranged for lodging (since we have dogs, one of whom isn't the friendliest to strangers) and our mechanic has her car as I write this (1:53 PM Sunday).

So she has my car until tomorrow night and probably thru Tuesday morning. I'll be riding my bike or driving the other Ranger.

Pain in the ass.

MOMMY paid for the fuel pump, folks, plus whatever our mechanic finds. I mean, she has a RENT CHECK to make good.

Our mechanic, BTW, is the BEST, UNBELIEVEABLY TRUSTWORTHY, VERY FAIR, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, VERY FAST.

He's Wahid Hloul, owns Foreign Automotive Center at 2700 E. Lambert Road, La Habra, at the corner of Palm and Lambert directly across from In 'N' Out Burger, 562-690-8441.

HIGHLY recommended.

UPDATE 2 UPDATE 2 UPDATE 2

01-05-10

She's on the road now, our mechanic checked her truck out, replaced the cut-off ('inertia') switch, fixed her horn and alarm, and changed out her battery cables.

This was an expensive vacation for her, and she HAD to leave a reminder of her visit for me...They spilled Jack in the trunk of my Pontiac. Great. There goes a GALLON of Febreeze.

Will I miss her? 50-50. Mostly yes. I guess. Even though I got to see her maybe 4 hours.

Rhetorical question:

If I track her, I'm the first person she calls when she's in trouble or needs help or advice... WHY does she run to her Dadu, hugging and crying, and all I get is a 'lick' on the cheek & not even a hug unless somebody makes her do it?

Birch St. Starbucks, shopping for a cruise dress, Laine in town, riding Barry's Roadie, Tutto Fresco 2night, awesome Christmas Eve Day 2009

Check out Laine to the right-I have always loved his smile.

Birch Street Promenade has some AWESOME shops, but FIRST...Daniece and I hit STARBUCKS! Where we saw 1/2 of Brea and people we knew!!
1st off, Laine came by after getting an oil change & going to Verizon. He's a nut.
We saw one of the Personal Trainers from Bally's there, then Daniece's daughter Gianna came by, then Daniece's friend Bill, then a coworker from Goodwill, Jose came by with some of his grandkids!
D & I went to the shop she's been meaning to try called "KANZ of CALIFORNIA" at 260 W. Birch St., Suite 8 in Brea. OMG, it's MY HEAVEN-SO many cute, CUTE things! Got 2 sweaters and a dress for about a C-note & D got some CUTE stuff too!!!
I dropped her off and decided I was gonna bite the bullet and take Barry's bike out for a spin-I had only ridden it the day we got it, so I didn't put it through its paces myself.
HOLY MERDE-that sucker ROCKS and sounds like 'Watch out, you have a hellhound (or the female equivalent) behind you!'.
I REALLY feel the part of the Alpha B--ch on THAT thing.

Of course I went by Best Buy and all I had to do was pull up and rev it and EVERYBODY knew who was out there on BARRY'S bike. He wagged his finger at me to say, "Now, now, be nice to my bike".
I was.

VERY nice.

We're talking a little Brea Canyon, a little freeway (0-80 in lightspeed!! I didn't even REALIZE it), a little city streets, and over to Daniece's to show it off. (Barry later said that I looked better on his bike than HE does, & I replied that he was absolutely correct EXCEPT that I'd still ride mine because he looks like an absolute DORK on my bike)
I WILL replace the windows I blew in when I rev'd Bub's bike.
Hope the insurance will cover it.

Tonight, Tutto Frescos (Laine and I will ride a bit and we'll stop by to say "Merry Christmas" to whoever's there and get dinner for Daddy.

Laine and I stopped in there, said a very Merry Christmas to the die-hards Joe, John R. and his daughter Jill!

Awesome day. AWESOME.
Then the ride tomorrow to Oak Glen!!!

Christmas Day ride to Oak Glen as suggested by 'Doc' Thomas

Leave sometime between 9 and 10, depending on when it gets to the 50 degrees mark, probably from the Denny's parking lot at Imperial and the 57 freeway.

Any takers, lemme know.

lynne_shapiro@vzw.blackberry.net

A weekend of riding and shopping ..."These are a few of my fav'rite things..."

Combine perfect riding weather and the 'need' for more stuff for the bikes, and you have a motorshopping weekend event.
Saturday, No Pork and now Sunday going to San Pedro/Port's O'Call and probably a few other places since I gave my chaps to my sis in law and my vest to my bro in law. (Oh, yeah, I need aerobic tennies too.)
Bub said 'let's take a run out to No Pork for some pegs' and we let a friend know. That turned into two friends then three friends, so we met Chuck at Starbucks in Brea (yeah, WHICH one, Lynne?! There are only, oh, SIX now...) then toodled on over to Richard's place where Stan was waiting also.
We were nasty. We were mean and nasty scofflaws. We ACTUALLY ONLY SLOWED THROUGH STOPSIGNS INSTEAD OF FULLY STOPPING. I love pushing the rules.
<Ahem>
Anyway, we took a scenic back route to the 91 which worked out ok because I would glance at the 91 when we came close and noticed that OF COURSE the damn thing was going slower than all get out, but we got on at Gypsum Canyon and Richard led us to 2nd Street where Stan took over.
(Ok, this IS sarcasm, kinda) I mostly bought out the place (No Pork). Now, repeat the following to the tune of 'On The First Day Of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me'...
20 screw-in pinbacks, another spider bungee, 5 bikers shopping, 4 fleecy jackets, 3 pieces of advice, 2 No Pork T shirts, and a leather tank protector ordered. Below, Barry reacting to Brian telling him that new tires will cost around $600 for whitewalls. PSYCH!! Just kidding. Bub wants Bridgestones but PERSONALLY, I think Dunlop would be ok, but you know Barry-a manly man whose opinions I CANNOT change on certain things. I gotta hand it to Barry and the guys for getting EVERYTHING (except the leather tank thingy) into his two saddlebags! BUT they had everything stuffed so much that there wasn't room for the spider bungee, so my little tank bag had to take that. Luckily the tank bag 'telescopes' up.
A bargain-hunting celebration lunch at Miguel's was then had by all and a victory picture, with thanks to Richard for taking it. (No, Joe, not a Victory picture, a victory picture! We all went our separate ways and Bub and I went the back way towards Brea, but NOT without stopping at a really nice place for pie and coffee. You know the place...on the back way between Norco and Brea? Hmmm, off Merrill and Euclid? Hmmm, RIGHT BY AN AIRPORT??

Today (Sunday the 20th) will be a trip to San Pedro then some shopping for me for chaps and tennies.
Highs in the low-mid 70's, PERFECT. We gave 2 of those fleecy jackets to Ted and Rhoda, and they LOVED THEM. Bub's wearing his today. Thanks, NO PORK Boutique!!! Lemme know when you get some No Pork halter tops in, Lynn...
10:30 AM Sunday Dec. 20th 2009
I ZOOM home from class, blow dry my wet sweaty hair (I figure that since we'll be on the road, the smell won't be too bad), jump into my riding gear, CHECK Sigalert.com and weather.com (anal, anal, ANAL).
CRAP, CRAP, CRAP-so we're getting ready to go, Ted & Rhoda on their trike and Eric & Michelle on the Suzuki cruiser (I think it's a suzuki, don't really care right now), and Eric all of a sudden loses the use of his clutch.

Ok, we're off, Eric and Michelle followed us in their car.
Port's o' Call is, well, kind of a shadow of its former heyday. Disappointing.
To the left is what MY bike feels like after riding Barry's! To the above right, well, do you notice where the trike is in relation to the handicapped parking sign? Hmmm...

What came next was a bit of a surprise-Lunch! Well, not the actual fact of lunch, but ROSCOE'S in Long Beach lunch!
To the above right, going over the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

Next stop, Cycle Gear to see if we can get some chaps for me. No go, tried on some, enh.
A friend of ours, Johney, suggested Lifestyle Cycles, so since it's right down the street, we went on the day that they were having their Christmas Harley bash with free food and beer. No, I didn't eat and drink, I was too busy feeling weird about having a Yamaha in a Harley parking lot. I also realized that I was taking my life in my hands wearing a No Pork t-shirt into a Harley place! Sometimes I amaze myself with stupidity.
I did get me some CHAPS. NICE CHAPS. Below. Had to take the pic of the chaps with the No Pork t-shirt. I think I'm getting bow-legged from my bike.

Next and last stop, Bub's work for his schedule and to schmooze with the folks and for me to use the facilities. (you know, 650? Light bike? Lotsa vibration? YEAH, you got it)
An awesome day, beautiful, see pics, I lucked out. PLUS Bub got 39 MPG on Saturday and 43 on Sunday. I got 52 and 60, BELIEVE it or not. I did the math twice.

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.