Moving On

My much neglected blog.

It's been more than a year since I sold the Buell and Reflex and bought a Honda 599. It was in sorta sorry shape, but, as Michael says, I saved it. I've dolled it up to my personal fit and taste and now it is a singular beast. It even has its own UFO on the back.

But after having frothed my way through most of the year chomping on the bit of accessories and minor modifications, I've hit a bit of a slump with the warm weather. Today I actually got up off the stick and got the bits for an oil change. Starting back in with the basics. It's been so hot my mind has just left it and wandered into the freezer. No longer. Today I rode into work and it was gloriously cool for the 10 minute freeway excursion. Thanks to my fabulous Olympia-poke-your-eyes-out jacket, the venting kept me from melting completely on the long way home on side streets.

My new facebook/mafia wars fascination has kept me from revealing all here in my blog. Poor "old" tech. Along with actually exercising regularly, I'm going to turn over a semi-new leaf and make an attempt to actually post to the blog every now and again. Maybe even look up the necessaries to post from the old iPhone. We shall see. Perhaps inspiration will strike.

Coming topics I have thought to write about, but haven't: My motorcycle, or More obsessive behavior; People I Know are Dying All Around Me; Enjoying the Small Things: A Cynics Oddly Uncynical View; What Is Wrong With People? To The Bottom Of The...and others that I have yet to remember and/or think about. I don't even know if anyone is reading any of this, so, I won't feel as constrained, except that perhaps my parents might remember that it is here and pop in (well, maybe Mom and my brother).

iPhone Post Test

This is a test of the emergency iPhone blog post. If this had been a
real emergency you would have been told where to go, ya know?=}

MacWorld Expo 2008!

So, I'm here at the MacWorld Expo with Mom and my brother and a friend. Mom and brother's first time! I feel like an old hand. Last night, we watched the Steve Jobs keynote on Mom's Macbook, and it was a lot of fun. I didn't expect to be sucked into the new stuff, but now I see possibilities, as a true gearhead. The file was quick and seamless, and began playing flawlessly (with a couple pauses in between even) within seconds. So much nicer than two years ago when the Quicktime download took more than a half hour on our DSL.

Ogling all the stuff and trying hard to not pick up a lot of promo materials. I still have stuff from ten years ago...in a bag...still sitting in my room. Bleah. Don't laugh. I sometimes have a hard time throwing stuff away. I still have an old Soviet style Power Computing poster! Those were the days, when being a mac head was like being in an embattled camp. Ah, sweet revenge!!

So, it's only been an hour or so here, and already I'm a whoring my body with PR from a couple companyies: Storyist ("I stand with the writers", which I actually do as a good union worker and believer in such things), and DriveSavers, which I've never had the money to use, since none of my weeny little data was ever worth trying to save with outlays of money. :( Just shows what you can really stand to lose. But, a very good service, from my brief contact with the company years ago.

All kinds of doo-dads, which I always love. Beautiful weather outside, too! Not that we will be seeing much of it. Har. Good temp inside, feet doing ok so far. We have just enough gack between the four of us to be thoroughly entertained by the possibilities and accessories. Now I'm thinkin' I may "need" a new iPod so I can accessorize with the new stuff that's out there, because my poor little third gen, black and white, 20G iPod doesn't have a lot of "followers" with accoutrements. :( Yes, this "need" thing.

The AppleTV has my newest attention after the keynote last night. I need a life. Badly. But the couch is still one of my favorite friends. Too bad the couch doesn't have a dispenser (yet) for the medications I'm gonna have to start taking because of all the sitting about on my bum, listening to my arteries harden along with whatever is playing on the Pod.

Good times! Get out there and enjoy the show! I am!

My First Blast

I have been remiss in adding to the blog for a couple months.

Back in late May, I became the proud owner of a 2003 Buell Blast, delivered to me courtesy of the Harley Davidson dealer that did the 1K service. It was all very exciting. The seller was very nice and allowed me to test ride it around the neighborhood to be sure I wanted it. It was so different than the MSF class bikes or my Reflex. So...burbly. The Blast is a very different ride than your standard rice burner or even a UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). For starters, it's American made. Buell is owned by Harley Davidson, started by a former HD guy. It is much more elemental. The term "thumper" is definitely accurate at idle and very low speeds, even at 492cc's. But, as others have noted, it smooths out in the higher gears. I'm just psyched to have "my first motorcyle," and put my newly-learned MSF skills to use finally. Great class, but, oh, how fast the skills seem to fade without use! Shocking. As they say after passing the class, "you are now qualified to ride a motorcycle at 20mph in a closed parking lot." Very true. Actually my first motocycle is technically a Honda Reflex, a 250cc scooter. But, no clutch. Automatic transmission. Alot of body fairing. Don't drop or you will be sad and your wallet will be even sadder. Super cute and cool looking and very fun to ride, but not the same. I feel guilty not riding it in favor of the Blast, but I've been trying to get out and gain experience with the manual bike.

I've put about 500 miles now in the last two months, and it has truly been a blast, each and every time I get it out. It is nimble, nimble, nimble and turns on a dime. Corners and curves are so much fun, it can be a little scary. Over, over, over...yes! I have yet to scrape a peg, but don't like idea of it, despite the siren call of the turns. The little thing just goes right over. Quite lovely really. I am afraid I will be spoiled for other bikes. I catch myself thinking about what my next bike will be (a Suzuki sv650, btw), but then feel guilty, as my little Blast is so cool and unusual and fun. How could I? I have yet to see another on the road, but now find that I notice every other bike out there. So I know I haven't seen one. Have gotten a few interesting reactions too. Questions, folks checking it out while parked and one fellow even backed up at a stop to check it out, then gave me a thumbs up. Entertaining and fun, to be sure.<

The Blast is more of a naked bike. I hated the look at first. Went round and back between small cruisers, beginner sports bikes and other naked bikes. Then I had to have a Virago 525, which Yamaha no longer makes. Had to had to had to. But then I came back to the little Blast. This is the nature of obsession.

Now, if I could only find a pair of boots that inspire me and that I could walk in too...

With the weather now hot and hotter, it is a challenge to put on all the gear and take the bike out during much of the day. My new windshield that is so fabulous at freeway speeds unfortunately also keeps my jacket from thoroughly venting as it used to. I found out yesterday that if I lean to the left a bit, I get a little rush of air through the jacket vents. Ahhhhhh! But, I seem to be getting used to that hot, sweaty feeling when sitting at lights especially. It is just so much fun that I can put up with the heat. On the positive, with the windshield in the way I also don't cool down too quickly once the day's swelter begins to die. Riding at night, though dicier for visibility, it truly thrilling. Hypnotic almost. I always liked driving at night, but riding at night is extra enthralling. Fewer cars in general, of course, but, I don't know... Looking forward to the weather cooling down. Never have liked the broiling waves of endless asphalt that seem to be the rule in these parts. Blech. Trees, trees, where are my trees?! Nope, just a lot of road, which, in this case, is just as well, as I can ride onto it on the bike. Despite all the gear (and it's ATGATT, for sure: All the Gear All the Time), even short trips to the store, or Post Office are fun. Who knew?

And, to add to the fun, I managed to solve my first performance problem with the help of a truly awesome and useful Yahoo Group dedicated to the Buell Blast. A couple screw turns and some exploratory part removal later, no more stalling before warm up and occasionally (!) at lights. 'Course, the new-rider-re-start-the-stalled-bike-as-the-light-turns-green moments were, to say the least, character building. And strangely morale-building. Getting oneself out of an unfamiliar sticky situation pumps the ego (as well as the adrenaline). Considering that it sat for most of its previous life of four years with only 1K miles on it, things could have been so much worse. But no! Service manuals are great. Thank you Buell Blast Yahoo Group! I can't recommend it enough for any who are interested.

Keeping a wary eye out for the cages (cars) is the priority, of course, since so many accidents are caused by cars not looking for and not seeing bikes. So, am perfecting the Zen of Motorcycle Riding. Keepin' outa trouble and away from trouble, which is all around, it seems, courtesy of the ubiquitous cell phone, in large measure. More on that later, perhaps. Meantime, I enjoy the ride ever more each and every time I'm out. Mm!! Keep the rubber side up all!