Sheesh...
After months of arm twisting, my sister in law and hubs finally convinced me to go on another cruise. 5-day, 4 night, the usual LA-Catalina-Ensenada-LA type thing.
ONE INTERESTING THING I have ALREADY picked up on...
Topless sunbathing is allowed at the base of the stack, located aft and accessed via a stairway from Deck 11. No cameras are allowed, including cell phone cameras, and security will confiscate them if they are found.
Soooo...
I'm already being anal, pulling out old lists from previous years, updating information, noting what worked, what didn't, finding out about this cruiseline and this particular ship, yada, yada, yada...
Of course, we'll be going with about 70 of Barry's sister's closest old Jewish friends, which means I'll get to hear a LOT about medical conditions. (Remind me that this is NOT the time I want it spread around that I'm EMT-trained!!)
Herein lies a tale or two, of family, good friends, and times past. All my wonderful (and not-so-wonderful but still memorable) memories in e-form will now forever last. An e-scrapbook of people and places I love, protected from the ravages of the years, and I can now share these tales with others, eliciting laughter, e-kisses and tears. (although quite frankly, an e-kiss is a DEFINITE waste of energy in MY opinion. No caloric content whatsoever. Sigh. Oh well, I'll take it.)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Saturday errands and shopping on our bikes & I SCORE a cool piece of luggage for trips!
Bub wanted to go to Cook's for lunch then I had the idea to go over Ortega...DIDN'T HAPPEN.
Went instead to lunch at a place Bub had gone to, right by Best Buy in Fullerton called 'Midori Japanese Grill No. 7' next to Albertson's.
4090 N Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92835 (714) 449-1950.
It's Japanese with lots of those special raw fish 'rolls' but also teriyaki and tempura.
We sat down to steaming bowls of miso soup (YES, I know 'miso' in Japanese is 'soup' so I just said "soup-soup'...) and got the teriyaki chix and beef teriyaki. I figured we could share. Just like a woman, huh, guys? It DOESN'T matter what YOU have, she ALWAYS wants some of yours! And it doesn't matter who I'm with or even if there's more than one person like Bub, Jax, Laine, Rhoda, Tori, Nancy my previous boss, Johney, I always want some of theirs, just because I CAN. I WILL tell you that in the past each and every one of them has sampled MY food.
I think Rhoda was the one who started me on it...
It was absolutely wonderful, my beef teriyaki came with rice and japanese crunchy cole slaw which was great. Everything is made fresh there including the dressing, which she told me was a combination of a little bit of mayo, some sesame dressing and a little bit of that red hot stuff. The prices were great, and I actually figured out how those DAMN chopsticks worked. (see pic to the right) Except on the rice... That I just shoveled in with a fork.
Yes, I KNOW, I gotta use more sunscreen on my nose, ok, I get it, I look like a female WC Fields...I can't help it if my nose is the first thing that sticks out from under the helmet! I HATE this pic, but at least it shows me actually USING those damned chopsticks. Hmm, it also looks like a quasi-hate stare from the AB...
Next stop, HOME to drop off the leftovers, then we were going to be-bop over Carbon Canyon and points east, but I needed to grab my boots at the repair place and knew the place was open 'til 3, so we sped over to Capri Shoes on Commonwealth between Harbor and Richman in Fullerton. They did a fantastic job and I asked if they could put more tread on the bottom of them, so gave 'em back. Great job repairing my boots, putting new heels on, shining them up. They had to work from the inside out for the split sides where my toes were.
http://www.caprishoes.com/
NOW back up Harbor to Brea and finally to Carbon Canyon rd. I noticed that as SOON as we hit the San Bernardino County line, the temperature went UP about 15 degrees.
I had an idea because I was getting pretty dry and wanted something, so I led Bub to the Chino airport to Flo's Airport Cafe, some iced tea and some funny repartee from Shirley, a server there. She's actually not just a server, she's an INSTITUTION. Anybody who's ANYBODY knows Shirley.
NO, WE DIDN'T PARK IN THE HANDICAPPED SPACE.
We met some new friends there who own a dairy nearby, John and Mary Jakes (I think that's how they spell their name). They had a BLT split and each of their halves was about as big as an actual one! Flo's Cafe is pretty damn good. It's on the airport premises at 7000 Merrill Ave # 8 in Chino, CA 91710-9027 (909) 597-3416.
The Jake's put together a huge Christmas setup in their home with a train and little scenes, like dairys, a football field, a fair, just all sorts of stuff. He keeps adding to it, it's amazing. He starts decorating just after Halloween, and it takes him about 1 1/2 weeks to set up. Great people.
Next we went back over Carbon Canyon and got stuck behind a VW beetle, so we just relaxed to the inevitable and enjoyed the ride. I got ANOTHER idea, i.e. SHOPPING.
Heard earlier that Hahm's was redoing their building and their layout so got on the 57 and checked out Hahm's. They only had 4-5 Star M/C's and one was a 2004 Roadie that was so low that it only had about 3-4" clearance between the ground and the swingarm. I'm NOT joking, ask Bub. It was beige, really chromed up and studded out, 6,000 miles on it, one owner. It was consignment, $7,000 plus tax. So it being a 2004, it was 1700 and hmmm, wasn't that one of the years that those Roadies had problems with their staters??.... Doc? Stan? Tommy?
So the old building is now just warehouse stuff and the front building (which I never REALLY paid much attention to, anyway) is where all the bikes and motorcraft are. Parts is (are? somebody let me know re: grammar) upstairs. Just a little smaller than the other parts area but the GLOVES AND HELMETS AREA is really a lot smaller now.
I went upstairs to the parts area, checked some fancier half-helmets with silver flames, but I'm looking for a REALLY good cleaner for Bub's pipes. Besides the recommended Easy-Off Oven Cleaner...
I love this big blow-up Suzuki. It's SO cute.
Got another shopping idea, and this one TOTALLY paid off! Next stop, Cycle Gear in the same parking lot as my 'other' work, Ballys Fullerton. I love Cycle Gear. I know the people, they know me, I always come in and shop and they're so great even if I don't buy anything. Bub reminded me that my Guardian Angel Bell from STAR BQ Vegas got ripped off (from my work!) so he got me one that says, "Lady Rider" on it. I grabbed another oil filter for my bike (always have a spare). I checked out how much batteries were for Bub's bike and the manufacturer/number, so I'll put that info into my pda with the rest of the M/C info. I was also checking out the 'under-seat' saddlebags for my bike for any overnighters (like Death Valley in November) and I saw the NEATEST mini tank bag. Now, I love my regular tank bag, it has come in SO handy for almost EVERYWHERE we go, but sometimes it's a little bulky, I have to haul it in wherever we go, or if we're walking use it as a backpack THEN try to put all the straps back in so they don't flap out at 80 MPH on the freeway, yada, yada, yada.. .THIS mini tankbag is AWESOME. It's called a Cargo Endurance mini tank bag & it's got a handle on top; a long detachable strap for carrying; a hard plastic camera or phone compartment; two small canvas compartments on either side for film/batteries/makeup; a larger inside square canvas compartment for a wallet and bigger camera, and has an expansion zipper to make it bigger. I can use IT instead of having to bring my big tank bag AND my purse, because it can just be the purse. It is so cool, check out the pics, plus at CycleGear it was $20 off the regular price!
If you look closely, you can see how big (or small) it is compared to my tank. It's on my tank, right up against the seat. Below, that hard plastic cover on the top is 
open to show the neat velcro sturdy area for a cell phone and/or camera-again, see how compact it is on my tank? It's ACTUALLY smaller than it looks here. Pic aboveis the main compartment and one of the side compartments, unzipped. Little sucker holds a LOT. There's a small handle on the top and a longer strap for the shoulder. It also came with a waterproof bag to put it in in case of rain. (for a second there, when I took it out, it looked like a shower cap.)
Bub DIDN'T even know it was a magnetized tank bag! He thought it was some dumb shoulder-strap purse that I didn't need (since I have tons of purses) and didn't realize until I put it on my tank that it was a tank bag. DUH.
After that, 6 PM, time for home and about 10 gallons of water, drinking AND bathing.
Made me VERY glad that somebody I know suggested strongly that I buy a half-helmet for comfort, and not just to look nasty wearing it while riding.
Which is still ok. Looking like a nasty AB, that is. People can get to know the 'butter' underneath later, I just look mean. Well, if the shoe fits...
Went instead to lunch at a place Bub had gone to, right by Best Buy in Fullerton called 'Midori Japanese Grill No. 7' next to Albertson's.
4090 N Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92835 (714) 449-1950.
It's Japanese with lots of those special raw fish 'rolls' but also teriyaki and tempura.
We sat down to steaming bowls of miso soup (YES, I know 'miso' in Japanese is 'soup' so I just said "soup-soup'...) and got the teriyaki chix and beef teriyaki. I figured we could share. Just like a woman, huh, guys? It DOESN'T matter what YOU have, she ALWAYS wants some of yours! And it doesn't matter who I'm with or even if there's more than one person like Bub, Jax, Laine, Rhoda, Tori, Nancy my previous boss, Johney, I always want some of theirs, just because I CAN. I WILL tell you that in the past each and every one of them has sampled MY food.
I think Rhoda was the one who started me on it...
It was absolutely wonderful, my beef teriyaki came with rice and japanese crunchy cole slaw which was great. Everything is made fresh there including the dressing, which she told me was a combination of a little bit of mayo, some sesame dressing and a little bit of that red hot stuff. The prices were great, and I actually figured out how those DAMN chopsticks worked. (see pic to the right) Except on the rice... That I just shoveled in with a fork.
Yes, I KNOW, I gotta use more sunscreen on my nose, ok, I get it, I look like a female WC Fields...I can't help it if my nose is the first thing that sticks out from under the helmet! I HATE this pic, but at least it shows me actually USING those damned chopsticks. Hmm, it also looks like a quasi-hate stare from the AB...
Next stop, HOME to drop off the leftovers, then we were going to be-bop over Carbon Canyon and points east, but I needed to grab my boots at the repair place and knew the place was open 'til 3, so we sped over to Capri Shoes on Commonwealth between Harbor and Richman in Fullerton. They did a fantastic job and I asked if they could put more tread on the bottom of them, so gave 'em back. Great job repairing my boots, putting new heels on, shining them up. They had to work from the inside out for the split sides where my toes were.
http://www.caprishoes.com/
NOW back up Harbor to Brea and finally to Carbon Canyon rd. I noticed that as SOON as we hit the San Bernardino County line, the temperature went UP about 15 degrees.
I had an idea because I was getting pretty dry and wanted something, so I led Bub to the Chino airport to Flo's Airport Cafe, some iced tea and some funny repartee from Shirley, a server there. She's actually not just a server, she's an INSTITUTION. Anybody who's ANYBODY knows Shirley.
NO, WE DIDN'T PARK IN THE HANDICAPPED SPACE.We met some new friends there who own a dairy nearby, John and Mary Jakes (I think that's how they spell their name). They had a BLT split and each of their halves was about as big as an actual one! Flo's Cafe is pretty damn good. It's on the airport premises at 7000 Merrill Ave # 8 in Chino, CA 91710-9027 (909) 597-3416.
The Jake's put together a huge Christmas setup in their home with a train and little scenes, like dairys, a football field, a fair, just all sorts of stuff. He keeps adding to it, it's amazing. He starts decorating just after Halloween, and it takes him about 1 1/2 weeks to set up. Great people.
Next we went back over Carbon Canyon and got stuck behind a VW beetle, so we just relaxed to the inevitable and enjoyed the ride. I got ANOTHER idea, i.e. SHOPPING.
Heard earlier that Hahm's was redoing their building and their layout so got on the 57 and checked out Hahm's. They only had 4-5 Star M/C's and one was a 2004 Roadie that was so low that it only had about 3-4" clearance between the ground and the swingarm. I'm NOT joking, ask Bub. It was beige, really chromed up and studded out, 6,000 miles on it, one owner. It was consignment, $7,000 plus tax. So it being a 2004, it was 1700 and hmmm, wasn't that one of the years that those Roadies had problems with their staters??.... Doc? Stan? Tommy?So the old building is now just warehouse stuff and the front building (which I never REALLY paid much attention to, anyway) is where all the bikes and motorcraft are. Parts is (are? somebody let me know re: grammar) upstairs. Just a little smaller than the other parts area but the GLOVES AND HELMETS AREA is really a lot smaller now.
I went upstairs to the parts area, checked some fancier half-helmets with silver flames, but I'm looking for a REALLY good cleaner for Bub's pipes. Besides the recommended Easy-Off Oven Cleaner...
I love this big blow-up Suzuki. It's SO cute.
Got another shopping idea, and this one TOTALLY paid off! Next stop, Cycle Gear in the same parking lot as my 'other' work, Ballys Fullerton. I love Cycle Gear. I know the people, they know me, I always come in and shop and they're so great even if I don't buy anything. Bub reminded me that my Guardian Angel Bell from STAR BQ Vegas got ripped off (from my work!) so he got me one that says, "Lady Rider" on it. I grabbed another oil filter for my bike (always have a spare). I checked out how much batteries were for Bub's bike and the manufacturer/number, so I'll put that info into my pda with the rest of the M/C info. I was also checking out the 'under-seat' saddlebags for my bike for any overnighters (like Death Valley in November) and I saw the NEATEST mini tank bag. Now, I love my regular tank bag, it has come in SO handy for almost EVERYWHERE we go, but sometimes it's a little bulky, I have to haul it in wherever we go, or if we're walking use it as a backpack THEN try to put all the straps back in so they don't flap out at 80 MPH on the freeway, yada, yada, yada.. .THIS mini tankbag is AWESOME. It's called a Cargo Endurance mini tank bag & it's got a handle on top; a long detachable strap for carrying; a hard plastic camera or phone compartment; two small canvas compartments on either side for film/batteries/makeup; a larger inside square canvas compartment for a wallet and bigger camera, and has an expansion zipper to make it bigger. I can use IT instead of having to bring my big tank bag AND my purse, because it can just be the purse. It is so cool, check out the pics, plus at CycleGear it was $20 off the regular price!
If you look closely, you can see how big (or small) it is compared to my tank. It's on my tank, right up against the seat. Below, that hard plastic cover on the top is 
open to show the neat velcro sturdy area for a cell phone and/or camera-again, see how compact it is on my tank? It's ACTUALLY smaller than it looks here. Pic aboveis the main compartment and one of the side compartments, unzipped. Little sucker holds a LOT. There's a small handle on the top and a longer strap for the shoulder. It also came with a waterproof bag to put it in in case of rain. (for a second there, when I took it out, it looked like a shower cap.)Bub DIDN'T even know it was a magnetized tank bag! He thought it was some dumb shoulder-strap purse that I didn't need (since I have tons of purses) and didn't realize until I put it on my tank that it was a tank bag. DUH.
After that, 6 PM, time for home and about 10 gallons of water, drinking AND bathing.
Made me VERY glad that somebody I know suggested strongly that I buy a half-helmet for comfort, and not just to look nasty wearing it while riding.
Which is still ok. Looking like a nasty AB, that is. People can get to know the 'butter' underneath later, I just look mean. Well, if the shoe fits...
Monday, July 13, 2009
071209 Wrightwood-Angeles Crest-Mt. Wilson-Glendale-OC
1st stop for gas in Wrightwood.
Barry needs to smile more.
Mt. Wilson antennae and repeaters. Went up the smaller "Mt. Wilson Circle" road (the one that doesn't lead to the parking lot where you can take a small hike up to the observatory) and 2 dear bounded (I say BOUNDED) across the road right in front of me. Youngish deer, very cute. I remembered a video of a deer leaping over a motorcyclist from about a year back and thanked all powers past and present that I wasn't going all that fast. Of COURSE Barry didn't see them. I gotta go back there.
There are great views up there and from Angeles Crest Hwy 2.
Dinner at Gaucho Village in Glendale. Churrascerrias are known for 10-14 kinds of grilled & BBQ'd meats on skewers that waiters come by and slice for you. Johney had eaten at this one before.
Perfect weather, low 80's all the way.
Left at 12:50 PM, back around 7-7:30 PM, timed perfectly, about 200 miles.
I could either ride or take pictures.
I rode.
Still need to DEFINITELY work on my left curves.
And I need front brake bads.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Types of Riders in a Ride Boss's 'Herd'
I was writing today's ride info and I just dashed this off.
This is a work in progress. I wrote this in 20 minutes, just using the people I’ve ridden with in the past 6 months, but I’m DEFINITELY going to have to add more as time goes on.
The opinions herein stated have no basis in fact or fiction, or have basis of any person, place or thing, real or imaginary, or anything else that will get me into trouble. I don't worry about censors, I don't worry about lawsuits, I worry about other stuff.
In smaller groups that I've led, I have noticed that there are different types of riders. I’ll use a horse and herd analogy, and if some of you read this and take offense at my analogy, oh well, too bad, so sad. It's MY BLOG, dammit, so see the disclaimer above. Even if you recognize yourself in here, it ain't YOU.
There is of course, the Ride Boss Mare (Yeah, 3 GUESSES who THAT IS, and I don't EVEN want to hear anyone singing, 'The ol' grey mare, she ain't what she used to be'...OR ELSE) who manages the herd and gets them from point A to point B with the most amount of enjoyment and the smallest amount of hassle. The Ride Boss knows that a happy herd is a manageable herd, so she tries to make sure all members of the herd are, if not happy, at least content with their experience. Some Ride Bosses are Alpha Mares. Hmm, they probably would have to be Alphas in order to handle the myriad types of riders presented.
On freeways, the Ride Boss is strict, making sure that the herd stays together so that she can protect and guide them. ANY of the herd that try to bend the Ride Boss’s rules WILL gently be positioned back into their place in the herd. Or ELSE. (Oh yes, another moniker for the mare Ride Boss is 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' . Just FYI.)
The Ride Boss does realize however that there are different members of the herd that need to be handled according to their riding inclinations and preferences. The Ride Boss has to quickly identify members of her herd and their idiosyncrasies so that she can offer the most enjoyable trip possible to all. Hey, it's worked SO FAR.
The Contented Horse is happy to ride with or behind the Ride Boss, just enjoying being with the herd, going somewhere interesting, and/or making sure the Ride Boss is protected and safe. They are more of an ‘endurance’ horse. Sometimes the Contented Horse likes to run with the wind and take off, so the wise Ride Boss encourages and urges them to go for it.
Next, there is the Mustang in the herd. The Ride Boss can actually sense their impatience when they're pawing the ground, snorting (with their LOUD exhaust pipes) and rearing up (usually up the Ride Bosses’ ass), so she will encourage and urge any and all Mustangs to unbridle themselves, take off and enjoy (and also to get them off her ass). This usually happens on roads with lots and lots and LOTS of curves. It will almost, practially ever NEVER happen on a freeway. Again, OR ELSE. (see above freeway reference.) There ARE certain occasions where a Mustang will take off and leave the Ride Boss and herd in the dust, but these are few and far between and usually have some sort of urgency going on for the Mustang.
Then there’s the Pony. The (usually) young Pony doesn’t even really ride with the herd-he’ll take off in a way like the Mustang, will not slow down until he reaches the destination, and then when the others get there, will take off again. Ponies usually don’t like to run with the herd. The Ride Boss DOES welcome Ponies because the Ride Boss is not only a Mom but ALSO an EMT, so when the Pony overextends himself, the Ride Boss can scrape up the pieces of the Pony so that not only will the Pony be able to post the crash on Facebook from his LG phone while he's in the ambulance, but also so that his mom can recognize him afterwards. This is so she can kill him, put him in "Time Out" for a couple of decades, and take away the keys to his bike. Actually, a worse fate for the Pony would be for his Mom to NOT kill him, but sell his bike (or what's left of it) on Craigslist.
There’s the Parade Horse. The Parade Horse is much like the Contented Horse, except the Parade Horse is much heavier and ‘decked out’ than any of the other horses. I will take a quote from Wikipedia regarding the Parade Horse:
“A Parade horse refers specifically to a type of horse attired in elaborate, specialized equipment that is more often seen today in specialized competitions and exhibitions as well as parades. (see Gold Wing)”
Ok, ok, I just added that Gold Wing part myself, cut me some slack. It’s MY frickin’ blog, after all.
The Parade Horse usually has an additional horse perched on the back, either reading, sleeping, or waving to the crowd in a 'Disney-esque princess on a float' type of way.
The Slow, Plodding Draft Horse isn't really a 'draft' workhorse at all, but IS slow and plodding, has kind of a 'dum-de-dum-de-dum, dum, dump da-dum' gait. (Hum it to yourself a couple of times, you'll eventually 'get it'). I hate to say it, but it's been my experience (and I've only had one, one was QUITE enough, thank 'q) that these folks drive trikes, and always wear out their clutches by not only feathering out the clutch, but feathering it out to the point that they pluck the whole chicken. They are also usually well off, because to replace a trike's clutch isn't exactly cheap but does take a while.
There are many riders who show portions or parts of different types, such as a Contented Horse with Mustang tendencies, depending on their comfort level with the road: a Pony with some Contented Horse tendencies (this rider usually has more than one bike and can choose the type of ride they wish to do); a Mustang with some Parade Horse tendencies, depending on how much freakin’ CHROME he has; or even a Ride Boss with some Mustang overtones, especially entering and riding freeways. But you will NEVER, EVER see a Mustang, a Pony or a Ride Boss with Slow, Plodding Draft Horse tendencies. NEVER. Unless they didn't take their medication that morning, or need new front brakes.
One may note that usually most of the other herd (mares, contented horses, parade horses, etc) are considered easier to handle than stallions or mustangs. Unless the mare is the Ride Boss. I leave it to your imagination how IMPOSSIBLE it would be and IS to handle a Ride Boss mare.
This is a work in progress. I wrote this in 20 minutes, just using the people I’ve ridden with in the past 6 months, but I’m DEFINITELY going to have to add more as time goes on.
The opinions herein stated have no basis in fact or fiction, or have basis of any person, place or thing, real or imaginary, or anything else that will get me into trouble. I don't worry about censors, I don't worry about lawsuits, I worry about other stuff.
In smaller groups that I've led, I have noticed that there are different types of riders. I’ll use a horse and herd analogy, and if some of you read this and take offense at my analogy, oh well, too bad, so sad. It's MY BLOG, dammit, so see the disclaimer above. Even if you recognize yourself in here, it ain't YOU.
There is of course, the Ride Boss Mare (Yeah, 3 GUESSES who THAT IS, and I don't EVEN want to hear anyone singing, 'The ol' grey mare, she ain't what she used to be'...OR ELSE) who manages the herd and gets them from point A to point B with the most amount of enjoyment and the smallest amount of hassle. The Ride Boss knows that a happy herd is a manageable herd, so she tries to make sure all members of the herd are, if not happy, at least content with their experience. Some Ride Bosses are Alpha Mares. Hmm, they probably would have to be Alphas in order to handle the myriad types of riders presented.
On freeways, the Ride Boss is strict, making sure that the herd stays together so that she can protect and guide them. ANY of the herd that try to bend the Ride Boss’s rules WILL gently be positioned back into their place in the herd. Or ELSE. (Oh yes, another moniker for the mare Ride Boss is 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' . Just FYI.)
The Ride Boss does realize however that there are different members of the herd that need to be handled according to their riding inclinations and preferences. The Ride Boss has to quickly identify members of her herd and their idiosyncrasies so that she can offer the most enjoyable trip possible to all. Hey, it's worked SO FAR.
The Contented Horse is happy to ride with or behind the Ride Boss, just enjoying being with the herd, going somewhere interesting, and/or making sure the Ride Boss is protected and safe. They are more of an ‘endurance’ horse. Sometimes the Contented Horse likes to run with the wind and take off, so the wise Ride Boss encourages and urges them to go for it.
Next, there is the Mustang in the herd. The Ride Boss can actually sense their impatience when they're pawing the ground, snorting (with their LOUD exhaust pipes) and rearing up (usually up the Ride Bosses’ ass), so she will encourage and urge any and all Mustangs to unbridle themselves, take off and enjoy (and also to get them off her ass). This usually happens on roads with lots and lots and LOTS of curves. It will almost, practially ever NEVER happen on a freeway. Again, OR ELSE. (see above freeway reference.) There ARE certain occasions where a Mustang will take off and leave the Ride Boss and herd in the dust, but these are few and far between and usually have some sort of urgency going on for the Mustang.
Then there’s the Pony. The (usually) young Pony doesn’t even really ride with the herd-he’ll take off in a way like the Mustang, will not slow down until he reaches the destination, and then when the others get there, will take off again. Ponies usually don’t like to run with the herd. The Ride Boss DOES welcome Ponies because the Ride Boss is not only a Mom but ALSO an EMT, so when the Pony overextends himself, the Ride Boss can scrape up the pieces of the Pony so that not only will the Pony be able to post the crash on Facebook from his LG phone while he's in the ambulance, but also so that his mom can recognize him afterwards. This is so she can kill him, put him in "Time Out" for a couple of decades, and take away the keys to his bike. Actually, a worse fate for the Pony would be for his Mom to NOT kill him, but sell his bike (or what's left of it) on Craigslist.
There’s the Parade Horse. The Parade Horse is much like the Contented Horse, except the Parade Horse is much heavier and ‘decked out’ than any of the other horses. I will take a quote from Wikipedia regarding the Parade Horse:
“A Parade horse refers specifically to a type of horse attired in elaborate, specialized equipment that is more often seen today in specialized competitions and exhibitions as well as parades. (see Gold Wing)”
Ok, ok, I just added that Gold Wing part myself, cut me some slack. It’s MY frickin’ blog, after all.
The Parade Horse usually has an additional horse perched on the back, either reading, sleeping, or waving to the crowd in a 'Disney-esque princess on a float' type of way.
The Slow, Plodding Draft Horse isn't really a 'draft' workhorse at all, but IS slow and plodding, has kind of a 'dum-de-dum-de-dum, dum, dump da-dum' gait. (Hum it to yourself a couple of times, you'll eventually 'get it'). I hate to say it, but it's been my experience (and I've only had one, one was QUITE enough, thank 'q) that these folks drive trikes, and always wear out their clutches by not only feathering out the clutch, but feathering it out to the point that they pluck the whole chicken. They are also usually well off, because to replace a trike's clutch isn't exactly cheap but does take a while.
There are many riders who show portions or parts of different types, such as a Contented Horse with Mustang tendencies, depending on their comfort level with the road: a Pony with some Contented Horse tendencies (this rider usually has more than one bike and can choose the type of ride they wish to do); a Mustang with some Parade Horse tendencies, depending on how much freakin’ CHROME he has; or even a Ride Boss with some Mustang overtones, especially entering and riding freeways. But you will NEVER, EVER see a Mustang, a Pony or a Ride Boss with Slow, Plodding Draft Horse tendencies. NEVER. Unless they didn't take their medication that morning, or need new front brakes.
One may note that usually most of the other herd (mares, contented horses, parade horses, etc) are considered easier to handle than stallions or mustangs. Unless the mare is the Ride Boss. I leave it to your imagination how IMPOSSIBLE it would be and IS to handle a Ride Boss mare.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
My own 'take' on funerals (besides the fact that I don't like them)
Sorry, 'Memorial services', not funerals.
Some people may find this rambling, some might be spurred to anger or express surprise, but my whole purpose is to relate my thoughts on the subject and as a secondary purpose, get you to think, to feel, and to get off your duff and do something BEFOREHAND.
Ahem.
What GOOD are funerals? What’s the whole point to them? (Besides keeping the flower and kleenex industries florishing)
A bunch of people get together that the deceased may or (probably) may not have seen for years, to say goodbye to a shell of a person that they could’ve said something to in life.
We see people daily-friends, relatives, coworkers, acquaintances during our days, people who could, in some way, be taken from us in a flash. But do we say anything to them or recognize them for their contributions (however small) to our lives? NO, we don’t. Do we feel guilty that we weren’t as ‘nice’ or caring or even friendly to the deceased, even if we didn’t want to be?
Why don’t we SAY something?
We cry at funerals; WHY? Is it for the deceased and their family and friends, or is it for ourselves, that another person is taken from us, from our lives? Do we cry and feel pity for the families that have to work through their grief, or is it a premature pity for ourselves for when we will have to go through it? What are the emotions that we feel obligatory to experience, either silently or not? Sadness that they’re gone, happiness that they’ve presumably gone to a better place, or both? Happy that the deceased doesn’t have to deal with the hassles of life? What about agnostics or atheists?
Now, personally speaking, I’m really not a religious person.
I don’t go to church but I do pray daily:
I don’t tithe to any religion but I do help the needy:
I don’t sing hymns on Sundays, but rather have a constant, joyous song in my heart.
I WILL and DO say “Amen” not only whenever a prayer is offered up to Our Heavenly Father, but also to acknowledge the prayer’s sentiment and truth.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that BEFORE you go to a funeral next, think about how people fit into your life, what you’d like to say to them before something happens, and how you yourself will be remembered.
To answer my own question, “What good are funerals and what’s their point?” I say for you to remind yourself that we canNOT choose how or when we die, but we CAN choose how we live. Funerals remind us of that fact, rub our noses in it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * *
*Oh, yeah...when you've been to as many funerals as I have and have been the Estate Administrator 3X in your life at ages 18, 23 and 46, you begin to HATE the smell of fresh flowers.
*We need to stop a tradition-the tradition of wearing black at a funeral. At least in summer.
*When I pass on, I hope it'll be around Thanksgiving. People have more time off, and the garage sale of my things will make nice gifts for others at Christmas.
*Some people I know want to be cremated and then their ashes spread
Some people may find this rambling, some might be spurred to anger or express surprise, but my whole purpose is to relate my thoughts on the subject and as a secondary purpose, get you to think, to feel, and to get off your duff and do something BEFOREHAND.
Ahem.
What GOOD are funerals? What’s the whole point to them? (Besides keeping the flower and kleenex industries florishing)
A bunch of people get together that the deceased may or (probably) may not have seen for years, to say goodbye to a shell of a person that they could’ve said something to in life.
We see people daily-friends, relatives, coworkers, acquaintances during our days, people who could, in some way, be taken from us in a flash. But do we say anything to them or recognize them for their contributions (however small) to our lives? NO, we don’t. Do we feel guilty that we weren’t as ‘nice’ or caring or even friendly to the deceased, even if we didn’t want to be?
Why don’t we SAY something?
We cry at funerals; WHY? Is it for the deceased and their family and friends, or is it for ourselves, that another person is taken from us, from our lives? Do we cry and feel pity for the families that have to work through their grief, or is it a premature pity for ourselves for when we will have to go through it? What are the emotions that we feel obligatory to experience, either silently or not? Sadness that they’re gone, happiness that they’ve presumably gone to a better place, or both? Happy that the deceased doesn’t have to deal with the hassles of life? What about agnostics or atheists?
Now, personally speaking, I’m really not a religious person.
I don’t go to church but I do pray daily:
I don’t tithe to any religion but I do help the needy:
I don’t sing hymns on Sundays, but rather have a constant, joyous song in my heart.
I WILL and DO say “Amen” not only whenever a prayer is offered up to Our Heavenly Father, but also to acknowledge the prayer’s sentiment and truth.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that BEFORE you go to a funeral next, think about how people fit into your life, what you’d like to say to them before something happens, and how you yourself will be remembered.
To answer my own question, “What good are funerals and what’s their point?” I say for you to remind yourself that we canNOT choose how or when we die, but we CAN choose how we live. Funerals remind us of that fact, rub our noses in it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * *
*Oh, yeah...when you've been to as many funerals as I have and have been the Estate Administrator 3X in your life at ages 18, 23 and 46, you begin to HATE the smell of fresh flowers.
*We need to stop a tradition-the tradition of wearing black at a funeral. At least in summer.
*When I pass on, I hope it'll be around Thanksgiving. People have more time off, and the garage sale of my things will make nice gifts for others at Christmas.
*Some people I know want to be cremated and then their ashes spread
Friday, July 10, 2009
Places to ride to, things to experience...a work in progress.
-Descanso Gardens
-Huntington Library
-The Getty
-S. Pasadena, Gus' BBQ
-Guadalupe, the Far Western
-Griffith Park; grab some grub at Peco's Bills, ride thru the park, have a picnic, go see the trains
-Maricopa (I forget why, but it's written down for some reason)
-Joshua Tree (maybe around November or December)
-Malibu and around some of those roads. The problem is I just HATE to go west towards LA. Not my cup of tea, but maybe with a few more Muttz, I'd go, just to NOT lose 'face'.
-Back to Lompoc/Solvang. That was one of my first LONG trips on my bike and I have extremely fond memories of it. Gotta do it again, maybe back to Nojoqui Falls, check out the Mission, shop a little more...
-Scripps Birch Aquarium
-Hwy 2/138
...more to come...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
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