Hi everyone. Hope you're all doing well out there.
I started this blog a few years back with not a lot of direction. Just kind of jumped on the bandwagon without any real direction. A good chunk of what I've written about had to do with my martial arts practice and the occasional personal and motorcycle related stuff.
All of that is still going quite well, but I really don't have much to say about those things in blog form. Henceforth I will be ending this blog and this will be my last post. In the future I might start another blog with a more focused intent, but for now I feel like I'm just taking up space online.
So that's it for here. Thanks for all that took a few minutes every once in a while to read.
Peace, Love, Namaste and all that jive :)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
A Good Summer
Yeah, I've been slacking at my blog yet again. I must have been enjoying my summer or something.
The pretty lady and I got to enjoy some good days off at some nearby attractions, and a couple days of camping near the ocean in Maine. Things have been going well with her and I, to the extent that she's moved in with me. Still counting my lucky stars with her. There is no drama associated with her; just one of the most level headed, calm and caring human beings I've ever met.
Unfortunately I could only attend Aikido one day a week regularly with my girlfriends days off schedule. Still, it was a good summer of training, particularly a couple weeks ago when we had a seminar with the head of the Baltimore school that my aikido sensei trained coming up with a couple other students to spend the day training with us.
That particular day was just a couple different kinds of positive. The head instructor of the Baltimore Dojo was someone that really knew his stuff, and along with that was quite personable and patient with explaining things. He enjoyed training with us so much that he stated he hopes to make this an annual event. Good stuff learned that day, with all of us regular students able to attend. One of my fellow students also tested, achieving 4th Kyu. I was happy to oblige by letting him toss me around for his test. I'll be testing for my 2nd Kyu in November. Looking forward to that, as training has been going well.
All summer something had been bugging me however, and I'd felt a cosmic pull back to a particular aspect of the Ninpo Chuan Fa I was taught, the Tai Chi aspect. And so some of my summer reading has been about that noble art. My old instructor John taught me a short form and a long form. I remember a good part of the short form, and have used some video to help practice it. The long form I barely remember, and once I feel like I've gotten the short form back in my noggin, I'm going to do some internet research to try and learn the long form again. And if I get that back, I'm going to try to learn the special Tai Chi style Aikido kata created by an Aikido Master that also studied Tai Chi. Just have that interest right now I guess.
No major trips with the motorcycle, but I have enjoyed some decent riding this summer around home.
So overall a good summer, but now I'm looking forward to the Autumn season, my favorite time of year. Almost time for some bundled up fall riding, some New England style cooking and baking.
And most importantly, the pretty lady that now lives with me is an excellent baker...
The pretty lady and I got to enjoy some good days off at some nearby attractions, and a couple days of camping near the ocean in Maine. Things have been going well with her and I, to the extent that she's moved in with me. Still counting my lucky stars with her. There is no drama associated with her; just one of the most level headed, calm and caring human beings I've ever met.
Unfortunately I could only attend Aikido one day a week regularly with my girlfriends days off schedule. Still, it was a good summer of training, particularly a couple weeks ago when we had a seminar with the head of the Baltimore school that my aikido sensei trained coming up with a couple other students to spend the day training with us.
That particular day was just a couple different kinds of positive. The head instructor of the Baltimore Dojo was someone that really knew his stuff, and along with that was quite personable and patient with explaining things. He enjoyed training with us so much that he stated he hopes to make this an annual event. Good stuff learned that day, with all of us regular students able to attend. One of my fellow students also tested, achieving 4th Kyu. I was happy to oblige by letting him toss me around for his test. I'll be testing for my 2nd Kyu in November. Looking forward to that, as training has been going well.
All summer something had been bugging me however, and I'd felt a cosmic pull back to a particular aspect of the Ninpo Chuan Fa I was taught, the Tai Chi aspect. And so some of my summer reading has been about that noble art. My old instructor John taught me a short form and a long form. I remember a good part of the short form, and have used some video to help practice it. The long form I barely remember, and once I feel like I've gotten the short form back in my noggin, I'm going to do some internet research to try and learn the long form again. And if I get that back, I'm going to try to learn the special Tai Chi style Aikido kata created by an Aikido Master that also studied Tai Chi. Just have that interest right now I guess.
No major trips with the motorcycle, but I have enjoyed some decent riding this summer around home.
So overall a good summer, but now I'm looking forward to the Autumn season, my favorite time of year. Almost time for some bundled up fall riding, some New England style cooking and baking.
And most importantly, the pretty lady that now lives with me is an excellent baker...
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Just busy enough...
Over the past couple months I'd found myself leaning towards Tai Chi searches on the internet. This will happen from time to time, my interest in looking up stuff on one art over another. In the art of Ninpo Chuan Fa, Wu style Tai Chi was mixed in. I always liked the two forms I was taught by John, along with the Tai Chi sword form. There's a fluidity to it that reminds me of Aikido. Wu style particularly is known for portraying more of the martial side of Tai Chi. What a lot of people don't know is that their are many varying styles of Tai Chi, with pretty much most of them arguing that they are the originator of said style. This argument gets thrown up in the air as well when it comes to other Chinese martial arts.
Nearby where I take my Aikido class is a studio set up by the Taoist Tai Chi Society. I'd always wondered about this organization, even way back in high school, but never bothered to check out what they do. This group has been around since the 1970's, started by Taoist monk Moy Lin Shin, who emigrated to Canada and created his own 108 set Tai Chi (or Taiji, take your pick), focusing mostly on the health benefits, so people of all abilities could learn.
The society has grown exponentially , even since the founder's death in '98. There are chapters in nearly every state in the US and a multitude of countries. One thing I found a little humorous: none of the countries on the list are Asian. It's a non profit organization, with all of their instructors unpaid volunteers that pass a certain certification within the group.
So I checked out their schedule to see if it matched up decently to the days I was usually down in Conway for Aikido. One day I did, a few hours before my usual Aikido class, so I figured I'd check out a class and get some more info. I emailed their North Conway branch, and was welcomed to visit and observe and/or join in on one of their classes.
When I showed up, I was impressed by their beautiful little studio. It has a nice, calming presence. I sat down and observed the class focusing on a particular section of the 108 form they practiced.
My first observation: "yup, a lot of old folks in here", which makes sense really. One of the ladies in the class sat down to take a break, telling me her left ankle was recovering from a minor injury. she told me she had been a member of the group for over 20 years, and still loved going to class. Another told me she has Multiple Sclerosis, and that practicing Tai Chi has improved her condition greatly. I also got to talk to one of the instructors, who explained their set and teachings in excellent detail. I got a brochure with class schedules and such.
Usually they have people take a beginners course over 8 weeks, once or twice a week where they learn the basics of the form in it's entirety. The other classes were continuing and other variations, like Health Recovery.
After consideration, I decided to not join... for now. My schedule only matched up with one day a week, and I figured twice a week would be more optimal to learn their form. Another reason is that Aikido overall keeps me busy enough as far as the martial arts hobby goes for practice time. It was about time that I'd finally gone in to check it out though. Nice group of people and an impressive organization.
Nearby where I take my Aikido class is a studio set up by the Taoist Tai Chi Society. I'd always wondered about this organization, even way back in high school, but never bothered to check out what they do. This group has been around since the 1970's, started by Taoist monk Moy Lin Shin, who emigrated to Canada and created his own 108 set Tai Chi (or Taiji, take your pick), focusing mostly on the health benefits, so people of all abilities could learn.
The society has grown exponentially , even since the founder's death in '98. There are chapters in nearly every state in the US and a multitude of countries. One thing I found a little humorous: none of the countries on the list are Asian. It's a non profit organization, with all of their instructors unpaid volunteers that pass a certain certification within the group.
So I checked out their schedule to see if it matched up decently to the days I was usually down in Conway for Aikido. One day I did, a few hours before my usual Aikido class, so I figured I'd check out a class and get some more info. I emailed their North Conway branch, and was welcomed to visit and observe and/or join in on one of their classes.
When I showed up, I was impressed by their beautiful little studio. It has a nice, calming presence. I sat down and observed the class focusing on a particular section of the 108 form they practiced.
My first observation: "yup, a lot of old folks in here", which makes sense really. One of the ladies in the class sat down to take a break, telling me her left ankle was recovering from a minor injury. she told me she had been a member of the group for over 20 years, and still loved going to class. Another told me she has Multiple Sclerosis, and that practicing Tai Chi has improved her condition greatly. I also got to talk to one of the instructors, who explained their set and teachings in excellent detail. I got a brochure with class schedules and such.
Usually they have people take a beginners course over 8 weeks, once or twice a week where they learn the basics of the form in it's entirety. The other classes were continuing and other variations, like Health Recovery.
After consideration, I decided to not join... for now. My schedule only matched up with one day a week, and I figured twice a week would be more optimal to learn their form. Another reason is that Aikido overall keeps me busy enough as far as the martial arts hobby goes for practice time. It was about time that I'd finally gone in to check it out though. Nice group of people and an impressive organization.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Arizona Trip Part 4
It's taken me way too long to get these blog posts out. Anyways...
The day we returned the bikes we took another scenic loop around the Phoenix area with my old man leading the way. It was another good morning of riding. My brother and his fiancee followed us in my father's BMW sports coupe. It was another good day of riding.
We dropped off the bikes at the dealerships and enjoyed some drinks before my mom got out of work, then we were off to a nice semi-fancy restaurant for a Cinco De Mayo dinner. Excellent food all around, although not many of us got any real southwest type dishes. It's kind of funny for my father, loving the retired life in AZ, but not a fan of spicy or southwest cuisine. My time with my family was well spent, with some great memories that I'll gladly hold onto. I think I was finally also able to guilt my parents enough to come home and visit us for a change!
As far as the rental bike goes, I was quite impressed with the HD 1200 Sportster Custom. I'm not converted, but I did enjoy the ride.
The next day was all about the travel back to NH. Had a 5 hour flight, and losing 3 hours due to time zones, and then a 3 hour drive back home. I was pretty tired, and scheduled to go into work for a 24 hour shift the next morning. Only ended up using half a vacation week though, so not too shabby.
It's a strange feeling when I'm on a traveling vacation and then go back to the usual life. It can be weird, but good to get out of the usual routine.
The first thing I noticed when I got my first chance to ride my motorcycle again was how heavy it felt! The Sporty was at least 100 lbs lighter! I guess you get used to a bike when you put over 500 miles on it!
The day we returned the bikes we took another scenic loop around the Phoenix area with my old man leading the way. It was another good morning of riding. My brother and his fiancee followed us in my father's BMW sports coupe. It was another good day of riding.
We dropped off the bikes at the dealerships and enjoyed some drinks before my mom got out of work, then we were off to a nice semi-fancy restaurant for a Cinco De Mayo dinner. Excellent food all around, although not many of us got any real southwest type dishes. It's kind of funny for my father, loving the retired life in AZ, but not a fan of spicy or southwest cuisine. My time with my family was well spent, with some great memories that I'll gladly hold onto. I think I was finally also able to guilt my parents enough to come home and visit us for a change!
As far as the rental bike goes, I was quite impressed with the HD 1200 Sportster Custom. I'm not converted, but I did enjoy the ride.
The next day was all about the travel back to NH. Had a 5 hour flight, and losing 3 hours due to time zones, and then a 3 hour drive back home. I was pretty tired, and scheduled to go into work for a 24 hour shift the next morning. Only ended up using half a vacation week though, so not too shabby.
It's a strange feeling when I'm on a traveling vacation and then go back to the usual life. It can be weird, but good to get out of the usual routine.
The first thing I noticed when I got my first chance to ride my motorcycle again was how heavy it felt! The Sporty was at least 100 lbs lighter! I guess you get used to a bike when you put over 500 miles on it!
Friday, May 16, 2014
Trip to Arizona: Part 3- The Rental Bike
Back in 2005 when I was shopping for a new bike, I test rode 4 different motorcycle, including my VTX. I test rode at (Yamaha) V-Star 1100, a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, and a Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom.
From what I've been told, owning a Harley gets you into the cool-kids club when it comes to riding. Being one of those guys that preferred to hang out with the weirder bunch in high school, I kinda thought Harley wouldn't be for me. More importantly, HD's reputation for reliability was sorely lacking. Most people I spoke to either had issues with oil leaks or some other foolishness from their HD's, and I wanted none of that. If I'm going to spend good money on a big toy, I want it to run, and run well.
My experience at the HD dealership was decent. The only bike in their lineup that I liked as far as specs and price range was the 1200 Sportster Custom. It was an ok ride, but the thing shook me like a paint can. I left their thinking "maybe", but was then swayed when I test rode the Vulcan and the VTX, both rides being much smoother. Strangely enough, I ended up choosing the VTX over the Vulcan (honestly, touch choice) just due to the fact the VTX looked less like a Harley.
And fast forward 9 years later! My Aunt Cathy chose a HD dealership to rent from. Their cheapest option was the HD 1200 Custom, which had been revamped a few years prior, and looked even better than the last one I tried. I thought, "why not?" and signed the papers for the rental. My two sets of aunts/uncles got HD Electra Glides (think HD's version of the Goldwing). We picked up the bikes the day after my mom's birthday party.
I was immediately impressed with this revamped version. It had bigger tires, clean basic look. Most important, very little vibration! It sits a couple inches higher than the VTX, but I could still place my feet flat on the ground. My VTX is a 1300, and I figured the HD 1200 would feel about the same since the engine size is similar. But what a difference! The HD felt quite agile and nimble compared to my heavier bike. However it also felt that much lighter, that if I wanted another person to ride with me, that they wouldn't be as comfortable as my VTX.
We had the bike for 48 hours. and the first day kicked us in rears with 100 degree weather in the Phoenix area. That first night we rode to Alice Cooperstown (yep, Alice Cooper's themed restaurant) in downtown Phoenix. Uncle Dave and I got separated from Aunt Cathy & Uncle Rick due to heavy Interstate traffic and confusion with the GPS. Took my Uncle and I about an hour longer to get to the restaurant due to strange road closures because of some event downtown, and the GPS not making up it's mind on my Uncle's bike. We got there, had a good meal, and enjoyed some night time riding, even though I gotta admit that motorcycle riding on the interstates at night in the big city can be rather sketchy.
The next day my father led us on a long day trip. My father, in pure snowbird old man style, owns a BMW 650cc scooter. This was the luxury style scooter. I took it for a ride around his neighborhood the day before. Fun ride. So my old man, in his silver helmet and long sleeved nitro yellow-green Reebok shirt led the way on his red BMW. My Aunt Cathy was not happy with this, being the cool chick that she was. I told her tough cookies, and I'm following the guy that lives here and knows all these roads.
We started up Interstate 17, with 75 mph speed limits. The old man was cruisin' well ahead of us slow pokes on this ride! We then shot up route 179 to Sedona. which is essentially Mars on Earth. Lots of red rocks. Big tourist town. And now we were in the elevations, so we were riding in 80 something degree weather instead of 100. We got lunch in Sedona, then road down Route 89A, eventually getting to Jerome, an old mining town turned tourist attraction (thanks hippies!) with a lot of steep hills and quick turns. Pretty cool place. Next we went down to Prescott, with the ride over the mountain being the curviest and scenic stretcher I've ever ridden. This made me thankful for the agile HD 1200, which performed beautifully. We stopped in Prescott at it's oldest Saloon for a frosty adult beverage and then made the long ride back to Surprise at the rental house.
We put over 285 miles on the bikes (and scooter) that day. My old man was an excellent tour guide, especially considering how much we fit into a day. Our butt's were a little sore, but we were all quite happy. There was also the realization early on how special it was to go on such a trip with my father, and my aunt's/uncles that day. Considering we all collectively live in 4 different states now. Yes it was a very good day.
My next post will be the last as far as the AZ trip goes. Thanks for reading!
From what I've been told, owning a Harley gets you into the cool-kids club when it comes to riding. Being one of those guys that preferred to hang out with the weirder bunch in high school, I kinda thought Harley wouldn't be for me. More importantly, HD's reputation for reliability was sorely lacking. Most people I spoke to either had issues with oil leaks or some other foolishness from their HD's, and I wanted none of that. If I'm going to spend good money on a big toy, I want it to run, and run well.
My experience at the HD dealership was decent. The only bike in their lineup that I liked as far as specs and price range was the 1200 Sportster Custom. It was an ok ride, but the thing shook me like a paint can. I left their thinking "maybe", but was then swayed when I test rode the Vulcan and the VTX, both rides being much smoother. Strangely enough, I ended up choosing the VTX over the Vulcan (honestly, touch choice) just due to the fact the VTX looked less like a Harley.
And fast forward 9 years later! My Aunt Cathy chose a HD dealership to rent from. Their cheapest option was the HD 1200 Custom, which had been revamped a few years prior, and looked even better than the last one I tried. I thought, "why not?" and signed the papers for the rental. My two sets of aunts/uncles got HD Electra Glides (think HD's version of the Goldwing). We picked up the bikes the day after my mom's birthday party.
I was immediately impressed with this revamped version. It had bigger tires, clean basic look. Most important, very little vibration! It sits a couple inches higher than the VTX, but I could still place my feet flat on the ground. My VTX is a 1300, and I figured the HD 1200 would feel about the same since the engine size is similar. But what a difference! The HD felt quite agile and nimble compared to my heavier bike. However it also felt that much lighter, that if I wanted another person to ride with me, that they wouldn't be as comfortable as my VTX.
We had the bike for 48 hours. and the first day kicked us in rears with 100 degree weather in the Phoenix area. That first night we rode to Alice Cooperstown (yep, Alice Cooper's themed restaurant) in downtown Phoenix. Uncle Dave and I got separated from Aunt Cathy & Uncle Rick due to heavy Interstate traffic and confusion with the GPS. Took my Uncle and I about an hour longer to get to the restaurant due to strange road closures because of some event downtown, and the GPS not making up it's mind on my Uncle's bike. We got there, had a good meal, and enjoyed some night time riding, even though I gotta admit that motorcycle riding on the interstates at night in the big city can be rather sketchy.
The next day my father led us on a long day trip. My father, in pure snowbird old man style, owns a BMW 650cc scooter. This was the luxury style scooter. I took it for a ride around his neighborhood the day before. Fun ride. So my old man, in his silver helmet and long sleeved nitro yellow-green Reebok shirt led the way on his red BMW. My Aunt Cathy was not happy with this, being the cool chick that she was. I told her tough cookies, and I'm following the guy that lives here and knows all these roads.
We started up Interstate 17, with 75 mph speed limits. The old man was cruisin' well ahead of us slow pokes on this ride! We then shot up route 179 to Sedona. which is essentially Mars on Earth. Lots of red rocks. Big tourist town. And now we were in the elevations, so we were riding in 80 something degree weather instead of 100. We got lunch in Sedona, then road down Route 89A, eventually getting to Jerome, an old mining town turned tourist attraction (thanks hippies!) with a lot of steep hills and quick turns. Pretty cool place. Next we went down to Prescott, with the ride over the mountain being the curviest and scenic stretcher I've ever ridden. This made me thankful for the agile HD 1200, which performed beautifully. We stopped in Prescott at it's oldest Saloon for a frosty adult beverage and then made the long ride back to Surprise at the rental house.
We put over 285 miles on the bikes (and scooter) that day. My old man was an excellent tour guide, especially considering how much we fit into a day. Our butt's were a little sore, but we were all quite happy. There was also the realization early on how special it was to go on such a trip with my father, and my aunt's/uncles that day. Considering we all collectively live in 4 different states now. Yes it was a very good day.
My next post will be the last as far as the AZ trip goes. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Trip to Arizona: Part 2
My parents live in a retirement community, where my mother works at the nearby hospital as a nurse. My father however, a retired firefighter, notoriously known for being a workaholic, has embraced retirement like a kid in a candy store. Sun City West truly is a candy store for retirees.
Just to own a home in the area, one of the married entities in the marriage must be at least 55 years old and up. My mother was 55 and my father 53 when they got their house, a 2 bedroom 2 bath one level home in the community. Kids are only allowed to visit for certain amount of time, and everyone pays a fee for the multiple community centers, 9 golf courses and other various forms of entertainment. Taxes are relatively low due to there being no schools. As for their home, they don't have a lawn, so nothing to mow. They have a backyard with lots of crushed rock, cactus and citrus trees in which they get fresh squeezed juice during the spring. They also have a nice backyard patio. Jackrabbits like to run around there sometimes.
My parents have made a nice home for themselves there, putting in all the pieces they like, from some unique bathroom sinks to granite kitchen counter tops. My folks will add things here and there, and I gotta say they're quite happy in Sun City West.
My father keeps busy with the "Boomers Club", even running it a some point. The group gets together for events that they'll agree on. My second night in AZ, many from the Boomer's club and my family got together at one of the community centers for my mother's 60th birthday party. There had to have been at least 60 or more people there, along with my younger brother, his fiancee, two sets of aunts and uncles (mom's siblings), along with my cousin Rob and his wife Demecia. There was a live band made up of some members of the Boomers, and my father and I got up to sing a couple times.
One song in particular, American Pie, is my father's favorite. He and I both know the words, and usually when my father is enjoying a few frosty adult beverages, if that song plays the man has to sing! Always a good time. A good time was had by all, especially my mom, who truly deserves that kind of party.
Coming up: riding a rental Harley in AZ....
Just to own a home in the area, one of the married entities in the marriage must be at least 55 years old and up. My mother was 55 and my father 53 when they got their house, a 2 bedroom 2 bath one level home in the community. Kids are only allowed to visit for certain amount of time, and everyone pays a fee for the multiple community centers, 9 golf courses and other various forms of entertainment. Taxes are relatively low due to there being no schools. As for their home, they don't have a lawn, so nothing to mow. They have a backyard with lots of crushed rock, cactus and citrus trees in which they get fresh squeezed juice during the spring. They also have a nice backyard patio. Jackrabbits like to run around there sometimes.
My parents have made a nice home for themselves there, putting in all the pieces they like, from some unique bathroom sinks to granite kitchen counter tops. My folks will add things here and there, and I gotta say they're quite happy in Sun City West.
My father keeps busy with the "Boomers Club", even running it a some point. The group gets together for events that they'll agree on. My second night in AZ, many from the Boomer's club and my family got together at one of the community centers for my mother's 60th birthday party. There had to have been at least 60 or more people there, along with my younger brother, his fiancee, two sets of aunts and uncles (mom's siblings), along with my cousin Rob and his wife Demecia. There was a live band made up of some members of the Boomers, and my father and I got up to sing a couple times.
One song in particular, American Pie, is my father's favorite. He and I both know the words, and usually when my father is enjoying a few frosty adult beverages, if that song plays the man has to sing! Always a good time. A good time was had by all, especially my mom, who truly deserves that kind of party.
Coming up: riding a rental Harley in AZ....
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Trip to Arizona: Part 1
I'm writing this en route back to New Hampshire in the air. I was out in the Phoenix, Arizona area for almost a week to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday party. Most of my mom's side of the family along with my brother and his fiancee were there.
My parents live in a retirement community where one of the household members has to be at least 55 years old. My parents bought the place about 5 years ago when my mom was 55 and my father was 53. The small city of Sun City West is a retirement community with 9 golf courses, multiple gyms and various recreation areas for sports, crafts and even automobile restoration. She works at a nearby hospital, where a lot of her days her commute is a nice 2 mile flat ride on her bicycle. My old man, a retired firefighter, is enjoying enjoying retirement as a full time job. He has an exercise regimen, is heavily involved in the local "Boomer's Club"(baby boomer generation) and goes off on scooter adventures with his BMW 650cc.
I've got two sets of aunts/uncles that ride Harleys. One couple lives in Vermont, my mom's sister Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick, while mom's brother Uncle Dave and Aunt Denise live in Texas, near my cousin Rob and his wife Demecia. They all rented a house in the next town over while staying in the area for the festivities. Aunt Cathy suggested to me a couple months ago that we should rent motorcycles and tour some of the area.
Having gone on some car trips before with my folks, this got me excited. Get to try a rental bike and ride on some gnarly mountain roads. After some exchanged emails about where to rent, I just told Aunt Cathy to pick a place and I'll rent what I like from there. She chose a Harley dealership... which would not have been my first choice. The handful of people that read my blog know that I'm not a big fan of HD, and how much I love my Honda VTX1300. There was one HD model I'd been wanting to try however, and this would be a great opportunity.
Over the next week I'll be posting on my excellent vacation in Arizona; from hanging out with the family, to my mother's birthday party, good food, and some excellent riding (even when we got lost... a couple times).
Stay tuned folks :)
My parents live in a retirement community where one of the household members has to be at least 55 years old. My parents bought the place about 5 years ago when my mom was 55 and my father was 53. The small city of Sun City West is a retirement community with 9 golf courses, multiple gyms and various recreation areas for sports, crafts and even automobile restoration. She works at a nearby hospital, where a lot of her days her commute is a nice 2 mile flat ride on her bicycle. My old man, a retired firefighter, is enjoying enjoying retirement as a full time job. He has an exercise regimen, is heavily involved in the local "Boomer's Club"(baby boomer generation) and goes off on scooter adventures with his BMW 650cc.
I've got two sets of aunts/uncles that ride Harleys. One couple lives in Vermont, my mom's sister Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick, while mom's brother Uncle Dave and Aunt Denise live in Texas, near my cousin Rob and his wife Demecia. They all rented a house in the next town over while staying in the area for the festivities. Aunt Cathy suggested to me a couple months ago that we should rent motorcycles and tour some of the area.
Having gone on some car trips before with my folks, this got me excited. Get to try a rental bike and ride on some gnarly mountain roads. After some exchanged emails about where to rent, I just told Aunt Cathy to pick a place and I'll rent what I like from there. She chose a Harley dealership... which would not have been my first choice. The handful of people that read my blog know that I'm not a big fan of HD, and how much I love my Honda VTX1300. There was one HD model I'd been wanting to try however, and this would be a great opportunity.
Over the next week I'll be posting on my excellent vacation in Arizona; from hanging out with the family, to my mother's birthday party, good food, and some excellent riding (even when we got lost... a couple times).
Stay tuned folks :)
Friday, April 25, 2014
Got a Mac
So the replacement Dell laptop was running fine, and then within a week a backlight went out and then the I started to get "media fail" messages. That was enough. I didn't even want to call Dell or anyone else to deal with this. Time for something new.
Thanks to peer pressure from my parents, my brother, most of my friends on Facebook and my girlfriend, I got a Macbook Pro. Big step. Expensive step. About three times what I would usually pay for a laptop.
I've had the Mac a couple weeks now, and I must say, I'm impressed. Thanks to a tutorial by my lovely lady, I'm finding the Mac overall much easier to use than any computer I've had in the past. Also, there's just good solid quality to this product. And from what most of my friends have said, they're quite reliable. Being an owner of a Honda car and motorcycle, I like reliability.
The funniest thing though, is the one person that told me not to do it: my co-worker with the bachelor's degree in computers (information technology?) His own personal preference though. He eventually said that for my use, it's probably a good choice.
So hopefully I'm done with any computer troubles for the foreseeable future. My Facebook friends are overjoyed that they won't see any more posts about me complaining about my computer.
Thanks to peer pressure from my parents, my brother, most of my friends on Facebook and my girlfriend, I got a Macbook Pro. Big step. Expensive step. About three times what I would usually pay for a laptop.
I've had the Mac a couple weeks now, and I must say, I'm impressed. Thanks to a tutorial by my lovely lady, I'm finding the Mac overall much easier to use than any computer I've had in the past. Also, there's just good solid quality to this product. And from what most of my friends have said, they're quite reliable. Being an owner of a Honda car and motorcycle, I like reliability.
The funniest thing though, is the one person that told me not to do it: my co-worker with the bachelor's degree in computers (information technology?) His own personal preference though. He eventually said that for my use, it's probably a good choice.
So hopefully I'm done with any computer troubles for the foreseeable future. My Facebook friends are overjoyed that they won't see any more posts about me complaining about my computer.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Spring/Mud Season
In northern New England we don't have what some would call a traditional Spring. We have what we refer to as Mud Season. The snow clears, at first as a tease before coming back to mock us for a couple more weeks. And then when it does finally melt, we're reminded of all the salt/sand that was used to keep our vehicles on the road for the winter. However, this makes the first month of our motorcycle riding season a bit tricky.
Sand is slick, so your traction is greatly reduced. Even maneuvering the bike in your driveway can be tricky if it doesn't get a good sweep. A lot of times riders should be aware of the lack of pavement we'll have before we get a few good rain showers to wash some of the sand away before the summer. Oh, and those pot-holes and frost heaves can give us a good test of our shocks too! In the Fall we have another slick enemy on the road we need to contend with once those pretty leaves have fallen. I've been lucky enough to avoid any catastrophes on the road due to natural occurrences, but I have taken care of folks due to my Paramedic career from such accidents.
Speaking of the Paramedic career, I just applied for a part time job working out of a hospital about an hour's drive away. Hospital based EMS is something I've always wanted to try. Essentially you work in the Emergency Room, helping out where needed until another ambulance company calls for assistance, at which point the hospital medic will drive out in a specific intercept vehicle to meet up with the crew and provide whatever treatments us high falootin' ambulance monkeys have in our utility belts. I sometimes end up doing this very thing for nearby towns when they're in need of such assistance. If this hospital likes me, and I can make it work with my full time schedule, this could be an excellent new experience. One of my former co-workers that lives near that hospital loves the job.
Back to motorcycling. Glad I've gotten a chance to ride my trusty Honda VTX before I head to Arizona later next week. I'll be heading over to meet up with family for a big celebration: Mom's 60th birthday! Some aunt's/uncles and cousins are renting a house for the week I'll be staying at. One of my aunt's got the idea for us to all rent motorcycles too for a few days. We discussed a few places to rent from, and eventually I just told my aunt to pick a place and I'll just get whatever from the selection. My Aunt Cathy (Mom's sister) and Uncle Rick ride on a big ol' Harley, along with my Uncle Dave (Mom's brother) and Aunt Denise also ride a big full dresser Harley.
So of course they pick a Harley dealership. Good rates for three days, but I was hoping to rent something other than a Harley. Kinda wanted to try a Kawasaki Concours or a Triumph Bonneville, just to try something different. Thankfully they have one of the newer Sportster 1200 Custom with the big bobber tires I've been wanting to try over the past couple years. I'm somewhat convinced my Aunt just wants to convert me to Harley, but I doubt that'll happen.
My 2005 Honda VTX 1300s is going on it's 9th year of service, and ti's just been excellent for me.
Next time I post I might be in AZ, but we'll see. I tend to only write this blog in a couple week spurts every now and then.
Ok, I've finished my green tea with honey at the cafe... time to ride!
Sand is slick, so your traction is greatly reduced. Even maneuvering the bike in your driveway can be tricky if it doesn't get a good sweep. A lot of times riders should be aware of the lack of pavement we'll have before we get a few good rain showers to wash some of the sand away before the summer. Oh, and those pot-holes and frost heaves can give us a good test of our shocks too! In the Fall we have another slick enemy on the road we need to contend with once those pretty leaves have fallen. I've been lucky enough to avoid any catastrophes on the road due to natural occurrences, but I have taken care of folks due to my Paramedic career from such accidents.
Speaking of the Paramedic career, I just applied for a part time job working out of a hospital about an hour's drive away. Hospital based EMS is something I've always wanted to try. Essentially you work in the Emergency Room, helping out where needed until another ambulance company calls for assistance, at which point the hospital medic will drive out in a specific intercept vehicle to meet up with the crew and provide whatever treatments us high falootin' ambulance monkeys have in our utility belts. I sometimes end up doing this very thing for nearby towns when they're in need of such assistance. If this hospital likes me, and I can make it work with my full time schedule, this could be an excellent new experience. One of my former co-workers that lives near that hospital loves the job.
Back to motorcycling. Glad I've gotten a chance to ride my trusty Honda VTX before I head to Arizona later next week. I'll be heading over to meet up with family for a big celebration: Mom's 60th birthday! Some aunt's/uncles and cousins are renting a house for the week I'll be staying at. One of my aunt's got the idea for us to all rent motorcycles too for a few days. We discussed a few places to rent from, and eventually I just told my aunt to pick a place and I'll just get whatever from the selection. My Aunt Cathy (Mom's sister) and Uncle Rick ride on a big ol' Harley, along with my Uncle Dave (Mom's brother) and Aunt Denise also ride a big full dresser Harley.
So of course they pick a Harley dealership. Good rates for three days, but I was hoping to rent something other than a Harley. Kinda wanted to try a Kawasaki Concours or a Triumph Bonneville, just to try something different. Thankfully they have one of the newer Sportster 1200 Custom with the big bobber tires I've been wanting to try over the past couple years. I'm somewhat convinced my Aunt just wants to convert me to Harley, but I doubt that'll happen.
My 2005 Honda VTX 1300s is going on it's 9th year of service, and ti's just been excellent for me.
Next time I post I might be in AZ, but we'll see. I tend to only write this blog in a couple week spurts every now and then.
Ok, I've finished my green tea with honey at the cafe... time to ride!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
S.A.D. for the motorcycle rider
Seasonal Affective Disorder! That's gotta be it. Right? There has to be a psychological explanation for us northern folk that can't ride our motorcycles in the winter!
We've been having some arctic cold spells in northern New Hampshire off and on over the past month, and I'm actually surprised that I hadn't had my usual stare-at-my-motorcycle-in-the-garage moment until this past week. But man, this time it hit me hard. Think about the sad man staring at his beautiful black Honda VTX 1300 in the garage with really sad violin music in the background. Maybe show the scene in black and white with Italian or French subtitles.
Now I actually do know a couple people that suffer from the real form of S.A.D. Most of these people could do with some outside winter sports fun in my opinion. But I'm not a psychologist, so maybe my advice shouldn't be taken all that seriously. Apologies to them if my humorous attempt at the plight of the motorcycle rider's winter blues makes them angry.
Maybe the S.A.D. motorcycle version hit me harder since my girlfriend and I have only gone out for a snowshoe hike once this winter. The super-cold arctic chill coerced me to stay indoors on certain days.
Might try cross country skiing again, but need to find a less-steep place to try it and get some practice, since our usual trail area has some pretty steep hills. And the less I fall on my ass the more likely I'll be to try the cross country ski stuff in the future.
Just a few more months...
We've been having some arctic cold spells in northern New Hampshire off and on over the past month, and I'm actually surprised that I hadn't had my usual stare-at-my-motorcycle-in-the-garage moment until this past week. But man, this time it hit me hard. Think about the sad man staring at his beautiful black Honda VTX 1300 in the garage with really sad violin music in the background. Maybe show the scene in black and white with Italian or French subtitles.
Now I actually do know a couple people that suffer from the real form of S.A.D. Most of these people could do with some outside winter sports fun in my opinion. But I'm not a psychologist, so maybe my advice shouldn't be taken all that seriously. Apologies to them if my humorous attempt at the plight of the motorcycle rider's winter blues makes them angry.
Maybe the S.A.D. motorcycle version hit me harder since my girlfriend and I have only gone out for a snowshoe hike once this winter. The super-cold arctic chill coerced me to stay indoors on certain days.
Might try cross country skiing again, but need to find a less-steep place to try it and get some practice, since our usual trail area has some pretty steep hills. And the less I fall on my ass the more likely I'll be to try the cross country ski stuff in the future.
Just a few more months...
Friday, January 10, 2014
One New Year's resolution...
Got a few resolutions for the new year, but on this post I'm just going to mention one of them.
I recently bought the Rosetta Stone program for French. Being as how my ancestry is nearly 85% French Canadian, I've been kind of ashamed that I never really learned the language. My great grandparents on my father's side moved to the US in the early 1900's, when my grandfather (Pepere) was born. The area where I live has a lot of Quebecois people that speak the language, particularly the elderly folks.
French got passed down to my parents generation, but not mine so much. Just how it goes becoming assimilated to America. With my job and all the Quebecois old folk in my area, being a Paramedic that can understand them will help somewhat. Also, I've got a new "pen-pal" on Facebook from northern Quebec that shares some ancestry, who also likes to hike and ride the motorcycle. He's also a Paramedic! He speaks English pretty well, but he primarily speaks French way up north where he lives and when he visits I'll have another person to help me with my French.
I'm gonna recruit my father as well when I call every once in a while. He speaks if fluently and can also point out the subtle differences between the Quebecois and the Parisian style speaking.
And if I get comfortable enough, may even post this blog in French. We'll see...
Happy New Year!
I recently bought the Rosetta Stone program for French. Being as how my ancestry is nearly 85% French Canadian, I've been kind of ashamed that I never really learned the language. My great grandparents on my father's side moved to the US in the early 1900's, when my grandfather (Pepere) was born. The area where I live has a lot of Quebecois people that speak the language, particularly the elderly folks.
French got passed down to my parents generation, but not mine so much. Just how it goes becoming assimilated to America. With my job and all the Quebecois old folk in my area, being a Paramedic that can understand them will help somewhat. Also, I've got a new "pen-pal" on Facebook from northern Quebec that shares some ancestry, who also likes to hike and ride the motorcycle. He's also a Paramedic! He speaks English pretty well, but he primarily speaks French way up north where he lives and when he visits I'll have another person to help me with my French.
I'm gonna recruit my father as well when I call every once in a while. He speaks if fluently and can also point out the subtle differences between the Quebecois and the Parisian style speaking.
And if I get comfortable enough, may even post this blog in French. We'll see...
Happy New Year!
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