At (the ungodly hour of) 7am on Tuesday, October 19 (tomorrow!), Operation: Boob Tour 2010 will commence! I'll be hitting the road with my dear friends Mark and Alicia on the backs of our respective motorcycles which will be loaded down with riding gear and damn near everything pink we own and can stuff into our poor saddlebags.
I met Mark and Alicia in early 2008. We were all members of the Route (aka Moto) Safety crew for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. When my mom, sister and I walked this 2-day, 39.3 mile event in Boston in 2007, the moto crew members were my personal heroes. I had just gotten my first motorcycle - a 1996 Suzuki Bandit 600 - and this was the first weekend-long event in which I had ever participated, though not for my mom who walked the walks when they were 3 days long and journeyed from Baltimore and Frederick, MD to DC. The Route Safety Crew was *full* of energy, egging us on to take just one more step while also making sure that we were ok to keep going. We decided to try crewing in DC (which is a tad closer to home) in 2008 and that's how I found myself a part of one of the most amazing families around. Mark, Alicia and I got a lot closer that fall when we were all a part of the moto crew for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk and well, not to be cliche, but the rest is history!
The three of us are hitching our horses to our wagons (slash, loading down our bikes) and heading to the wild blue yonder (and/ or the southeastern US). Our journey will first take us through Charlotte, NC, where we get to reminisce with friends that we met last year at the Avon Charlotte 2-Day Walk, which was our first big road trip/ out-of-town walk that we did together, and then down to Athens where I'll get to show off the beloved town that holds the darn-toot'n-ist university in this fine land (that's UGA for those playing the home game). By the end of the week we'll be participating in the 2nd breast cancer walk event of October in Atlanta, GA. The following week will include a trip to Mickey Mouse's house which, if I may take a moment, has the kid in me tickled 8 shades of pink. Maybe even 9.5 shades. Yes, I think it's more like 9.5 shades of pink. The weekend of Halloween will find our little trio participating in the 3rd 3-Day Walk of October and our final collective event of the year. I'm sure we'll have a number of bittersweet feelings to mull over as we sip margaritas overlooking the ocean when we get over to Daytona Beach. On the way home we'll stick to primarily smaller coastal roads that will allow us to visit old friends before finally returning on Wednesday, November 3.
So strap yourselves in to this crazy ride we've dubbed the Boob Tour 2010 and hold onto your teeth as it's guaranteed to be wicked, wild and all together wonderful.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
You Know You're a Member of the Breast Cancer Walk Moto Crew If...
1. You drive to work looking at people walking along the road to make sure they're not limping.
2. You want to hug a stranger walking down the sidewalk.
3. You see someone in an orange t-shirt at the grocery store and think they're your best buddy.
4. You want to high five a woman just because she's in pink.
5. You park your motorcycle on random street corners... usually on the sidewalk
6. You spend hours and hours putting together the ideal booty-shaking playlist
7. That playlist is full of things like the "Chicken Dance," "Boogie Man" and "We Are Family"
8. You think putting those songs on repeat for hours on end is a great idea
9. You see a woman with short hair and wonder if she just finished treatment
10. You respond like Pavlov's Dogs to the word "pie"
11. You try to grab a stranger's cell phone because they're not supposed to text and walk at the same time
12. You consider one way street, stop and do not enter signs more suggestions than rules
13. You think that a whistle and a little flag will protect you from the speeding cars you step in front of
14. You tell people "I'm working this corner" and they don't think of "Pretty Woman"
15. You ride really slowly in the right lane with your hazards on staring intently at pedestrians
16. You feel entitled to hold your hand out and stop cars while crossing the street, and glare at them if they yell or honk at you
17. You pole dance on a lamp post
18. You think it's acceptable to ride down the street blaring your horn when there is no traffic, often to a catchy tune such as "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits"
19. It feels strange to NOT be using a port-o-potty
20. You wake up at 6am and think of how nice it was to sleep in
21. You think flashy vests, obnoxiously bright colors, fishnets and tutus are normal attire
22. Your idea of a quality lunch is string cheese, peanut butter graham cracker sandwiches and gatorade
23. You walk through the grocery store expounding on the comparative merits of the purple versus yellow gatorade
24. You have at least one good joke a day.... which you tell over and over and over again, and no one gets tired of it but you
25. You want to eat dinner last
26. Spaghetti sounds like a meal fit for kings
27. You feel like four wheels is overkill
28. You study traffic light patterns while riding around to see how many walkers you would be able to get across
29. You wave at and thank people who honk at you
30. You wonder why people don't wave and cheer when you honk at them
31. You cross your arms above your head when you're thirsty or can't do the potty dance any longer, and expect someone to come take your place
32. You wonder why the guy on the highway crew with the safety flag isn't dancing
33. Your idea of honoring someone is to wave the shoe you've been wearing for 4 straight days in the air
34. The combination of pink, inspiring music and story time makes you cry
35. You'll cry on a stranger's shoulder
36. You walk around whistling "Pink Warrior"
37. You send hugs and butt pinches by proxy to your friends
38. Your friends have names like Ass Pick, Repo, TuckBack and Short Bus
39. You put stickers, flags, flamingos, bras and anything pink on your (custom painted) bike
**Thanks to Mark, Astrid, Marmalade, Bicycle Kevin, Robin and Tape for helping out
2. You want to hug a stranger walking down the sidewalk.
3. You see someone in an orange t-shirt at the grocery store and think they're your best buddy.
4. You want to high five a woman just because she's in pink.
5. You park your motorcycle on random street corners... usually on the sidewalk
6. You spend hours and hours putting together the ideal booty-shaking playlist
7. That playlist is full of things like the "Chicken Dance," "Boogie Man" and "We Are Family"
8. You think putting those songs on repeat for hours on end is a great idea
9. You see a woman with short hair and wonder if she just finished treatment
10. You respond like Pavlov's Dogs to the word "pie"
11. You try to grab a stranger's cell phone because they're not supposed to text and walk at the same time
12. You consider one way street, stop and do not enter signs more suggestions than rules
13. You think that a whistle and a little flag will protect you from the speeding cars you step in front of
14. You tell people "I'm working this corner" and they don't think of "Pretty Woman"
15. You ride really slowly in the right lane with your hazards on staring intently at pedestrians
16. You feel entitled to hold your hand out and stop cars while crossing the street, and glare at them if they yell or honk at you
17. You pole dance on a lamp post
18. You think it's acceptable to ride down the street blaring your horn when there is no traffic, often to a catchy tune such as "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits"
19. It feels strange to NOT be using a port-o-potty
20. You wake up at 6am and think of how nice it was to sleep in
21. You think flashy vests, obnoxiously bright colors, fishnets and tutus are normal attire
22. Your idea of a quality lunch is string cheese, peanut butter graham cracker sandwiches and gatorade
23. You walk through the grocery store expounding on the comparative merits of the purple versus yellow gatorade
24. You have at least one good joke a day.... which you tell over and over and over again, and no one gets tired of it but you
25. You want to eat dinner last
26. Spaghetti sounds like a meal fit for kings
27. You feel like four wheels is overkill
28. You study traffic light patterns while riding around to see how many walkers you would be able to get across
29. You wave at and thank people who honk at you
30. You wonder why people don't wave and cheer when you honk at them
31. You cross your arms above your head when you're thirsty or can't do the potty dance any longer, and expect someone to come take your place
32. You wonder why the guy on the highway crew with the safety flag isn't dancing
33. Your idea of honoring someone is to wave the shoe you've been wearing for 4 straight days in the air
34. The combination of pink, inspiring music and story time makes you cry
35. You'll cry on a stranger's shoulder
36. You walk around whistling "Pink Warrior"
37. You send hugs and butt pinches by proxy to your friends
38. Your friends have names like Ass Pick, Repo, TuckBack and Short Bus
39. You put stickers, flags, flamingos, bras and anything pink on your (custom painted) bike
**Thanks to Mark, Astrid, Marmalade, Bicycle Kevin, Robin and Tape for helping out
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
To Pink or Not to Pink?
I got word from a friend (I should say something about him being the bestest or tallest or something) that the Lofty Salon and Wellness Center in Vienna, VA, is offering pink streaks for just $10. I've always wanted to die my hair, but I've never done a crazy color.
In the past I spray painted my hair, but you have to be uber careful on that when riding with a helmet. I have to cover my head with an old bandanna before shoving it into my lid or I get pink all up in my helmet (and though that stuff comes out of hair, it doesn't seem to want to come out of helmet pads). That and it usually wears off pretty quickly :(
So... do I pink-ify and hope that my boss doesn't mind? Or accept that after one hour of standing around my hair is going to go either up in a pony-tail or under a hat and therefore its kind of pointless?
In the past I spray painted my hair, but you have to be uber careful on that when riding with a helmet. I have to cover my head with an old bandanna before shoving it into my lid or I get pink all up in my helmet (and though that stuff comes out of hair, it doesn't seem to want to come out of helmet pads). That and it usually wears off pretty quickly :(
So... do I pink-ify and hope that my boss doesn't mind? Or accept that after one hour of standing around my hair is going to go either up in a pony-tail or under a hat and therefore its kind of pointless?
Monday, October 4, 2010
October: The Month of Madness!
It's also the national month of breast cancer awareness, but "month of madness" rolled off the tongue so well! I'm super excited for the month though and (so far at least) only mildly overwhelmed.
I'm a proud member of the route safety crew for breast cancer walks (as well as any other good cause that will have me such as the Face of America ride for wounded vets and the Tour de Cure ride for Diabetes), though ask any of us and we'll tell you that we're actually the moto crew (bicycles and all). In 2007 my mom, sister and I walked in our first event together (though by that time my mom had already walked several on her own) to honor my mom's 8th year as a survivor. Because of scheduling complications, we flew up to Boston (cue Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping Up to Boston") and spent 2 days stomping through puddles as we rocked our neon spandex leggings and bright yellow Mickey Mouse ponchos. As soon as I saw the moto crew on that walk, I knew my calling! I signed up for the DC walk as soon as I got home from Boston and have been doing both the Avon Walk (which is 2 days, 39 miles long) and the Komen 3-Day (which is 3 days and 60 miles long) ever since.
The breast cancer walks are hands down some of the most emotional events I've ever been a part of, save maybe the Face of America ride (but they were emotional for very different reasons). When I say emotional, I don't mean all sad and weepy (though there are plenty of tears). I mean that in the course of 3 or 4 days, I hit every strong emotion a human being is capable of hitting.
Happy: enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure, eagerly disposed to act or to be of service
Happy is admittedly a bit of an understatement. First, I'm ECSTATIC to see friends that, unfortunately, I sometimes only see once or twice a year. People come from all over the country to crew in the various cities and DC is no exception. When you put kindred souls together - which, as cliche as that sounds, we are - and give them but a short time to catch up and hang out and in general be a family, madness will ensue. Every day I find myself laughing to the point of tears at some silliness or joke or moment of ding-dong.
On top of the camaraderie within the crew, there is also the joy of meeting new people who are your family for 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days and sometimes years to come. Throw in the knowledge that you're giving a not-so-nice disease, which affects nearly 200,000 women AND men a year, a single-finger salute and let's just say the smiles are flowing!
Reflective: deeply or seriously thoughtful; contemplative
I spend a lot of my time reflecting throughout these weekends. When I see mothers and daughters walking together I remember the times I've shared - both on the walks and outside of them - with my own mother. A bandanna covering a bald head takes me back to the time when bandannas and hats were common in my house as my mom went through multiple rounds of chemo. Looking around the dinner table as I'm surrounded by orange on either side of me, I'm reminded that I'm not alone in my journey and all at once I am unable to remember a time without these amazing people standing shoulder to shoulder with me on street corners, in fields and in lines for port-o-pottys (something I try NOT to reflect on too often).
Heartbroken: crushed with sorrow, grief or disappointment
I tried to avoid this emotion the first few times I participated in these events, but discovered that the downs are part of the experience. I look around and see so many people in pink and cannot help but to think of those that are not there with us. I try not to spend too much time in this emotion, but I also believe grief is a healthy emotion. It's extremely helpful to be surrounded by so much strength and joy to catch me when I fall into this, hold my hand through it and hug me as I come out of the other side with even stronger resolve.
Exhausted: drained of energy, force or strength, physically or mentally
Or in this case - all of the above. Let's just say that 4 and 5am wakeup calls + 16-20 hour days = one pooped puppy!
Determined: devoting full strength and concentrated attention to, strongly motivated to succeed
Throw all of that into a blender, hit "frappe" and pour it into a silly looking glass (complete with a curly cue straw of course!) and that's about how I feel when all is said and done. I take the strength and resolve that I feel after these events and use them throughout tough times during the rest of the year. I feel like I could conquer the world (and usually make plans to do just that, until I realize I have to go back to reality at some point).
No matter how hard I try to prepare myself for what I know is coming, something new hits me by surprise every time (cue whirlwind).
So bring it on October!
I'm a proud member of the route safety crew for breast cancer walks (as well as any other good cause that will have me such as the Face of America ride for wounded vets and the Tour de Cure ride for Diabetes), though ask any of us and we'll tell you that we're actually the moto crew (bicycles and all). In 2007 my mom, sister and I walked in our first event together (though by that time my mom had already walked several on her own) to honor my mom's 8th year as a survivor. Because of scheduling complications, we flew up to Boston (cue Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping Up to Boston") and spent 2 days stomping through puddles as we rocked our neon spandex leggings and bright yellow Mickey Mouse ponchos. As soon as I saw the moto crew on that walk, I knew my calling! I signed up for the DC walk as soon as I got home from Boston and have been doing both the Avon Walk (which is 2 days, 39 miles long) and the Komen 3-Day (which is 3 days and 60 miles long) ever since.
The breast cancer walks are hands down some of the most emotional events I've ever been a part of, save maybe the Face of America ride (but they were emotional for very different reasons). When I say emotional, I don't mean all sad and weepy (though there are plenty of tears). I mean that in the course of 3 or 4 days, I hit every strong emotion a human being is capable of hitting.
Happy: enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure, eagerly disposed to act or to be of service
Happy is admittedly a bit of an understatement. First, I'm ECSTATIC to see friends that, unfortunately, I sometimes only see once or twice a year. People come from all over the country to crew in the various cities and DC is no exception. When you put kindred souls together - which, as cliche as that sounds, we are - and give them but a short time to catch up and hang out and in general be a family, madness will ensue. Every day I find myself laughing to the point of tears at some silliness or joke or moment of ding-dong.
On top of the camaraderie within the crew, there is also the joy of meeting new people who are your family for 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days and sometimes years to come. Throw in the knowledge that you're giving a not-so-nice disease, which affects nearly 200,000 women AND men a year, a single-finger salute and let's just say the smiles are flowing!
Reflective: deeply or seriously thoughtful; contemplative
I spend a lot of my time reflecting throughout these weekends. When I see mothers and daughters walking together I remember the times I've shared - both on the walks and outside of them - with my own mother. A bandanna covering a bald head takes me back to the time when bandannas and hats were common in my house as my mom went through multiple rounds of chemo. Looking around the dinner table as I'm surrounded by orange on either side of me, I'm reminded that I'm not alone in my journey and all at once I am unable to remember a time without these amazing people standing shoulder to shoulder with me on street corners, in fields and in lines for port-o-pottys (something I try NOT to reflect on too often).
Heartbroken: crushed with sorrow, grief or disappointment
I tried to avoid this emotion the first few times I participated in these events, but discovered that the downs are part of the experience. I look around and see so many people in pink and cannot help but to think of those that are not there with us. I try not to spend too much time in this emotion, but I also believe grief is a healthy emotion. It's extremely helpful to be surrounded by so much strength and joy to catch me when I fall into this, hold my hand through it and hug me as I come out of the other side with even stronger resolve.
Exhausted: drained of energy, force or strength, physically or mentally
Or in this case - all of the above. Let's just say that 4 and 5am wakeup calls + 16-20 hour days = one pooped puppy!
Determined: devoting full strength and concentrated attention to, strongly motivated to succeed
Throw all of that into a blender, hit "frappe" and pour it into a silly looking glass (complete with a curly cue straw of course!) and that's about how I feel when all is said and done. I take the strength and resolve that I feel after these events and use them throughout tough times during the rest of the year. I feel like I could conquer the world (and usually make plans to do just that, until I realize I have to go back to reality at some point).
No matter how hard I try to prepare myself for what I know is coming, something new hits me by surprise every time (cue whirlwind).
So bring it on October!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Oh I'm Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot!
Apparently I didn't get enough of the heat during the trip to AC. Or at least that's the justification I'm using for why I decided to - less than a week later - take Lucille and head back north before hooking a right and heading for Ocean City.
Oh, and it was the OC Fastest Bartender Finals.
For those who don't know, I help out with the Fastest Bartender Contest which is held in multiple cities all up and down the east coast. This is one of the cooler charitable organizations I've had the priviledge of working with. And, as a bonus, they happen to be fairly fond of my photography skillz which means that I get to practice my paparazzi talents while folks raise money (gotta love combining two loves)!
(ok, enough plugging for one post)
Anywhosit - the finals are kind of a big deal so I make every effort to attend them, regardless of location. Besides, who is going to pass up a prime opportunity to chill at the beach?! So here I have the chance to combine beach, photography, raising money AND motorcycling.... um yeah, sign my ass up por favor.
Ride up was largely uneventful thankfully. It wasn't nearly as painfully hot as the trip to AC was and my riding mood was a little more pleasant. We were all goofing off and having a grand ol' time - I was taking lots of pictures, everyone was really getting into the contest which was awesome...
Unfortunately, I got a call that I'd expected but been dreading and honestly... had been avoiding even thinking about that day. Our beloved family dog, Jack, passed away late that night. He was an old, happy boy who was fortunate enough to not only be at home when he passed but also did not suffer. The poor guy's heart had just had enough that night after one last walk.
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| Jack: Thanksgiving 1997 - July 13, 2010 |
This dog was truly amazing. I know everyone says that about their dogs, but Jack was special. My aunt called him "one of my all-time favorite canines." He had boundless levels of love to hand out to anyone with a hand to pet him. He and my brother grew up together. I remember how he would play so much differently with my brother when he was little (my brother was about 4 when we got Jack) than he would play with my sister and I or my parents. I'd catch my sister talking to Jack constantly, which was reassuring to me because I felt like everyone - even a strong-willed girl like Moo - needed someone to just listen. My dad always tried to play the rough-and-tough man and at first acted like he was unphased by Jack. It was very obvious very quickly though that Dad would spoil this dog silly, and was often the one getting him all riled up to play at all hours of the night. And my mom... there is no doubt that Jack played a key role in my mom's quality of life and healing process while she was going through breast cancer treatments. Jack was every kind of dog he needed to be, and always had room in his heart to be just a little more.
The phone call from my mom tore me apart. I was sick with pain from losing such an amazing piece of my life and felt like I had a hole that was eating me from the inside out. I felt so guilty for not being there - for him and for my family. My heart was not ready to bear the load of death just a week after Mike's funeral. I was so far from home and my own dogs and just wanted to curl up and cry, which is exactly what happened on that Ocean City street corner. I was fortunate enough to be with good friends and even now I can't honestly explain the feeling of reassurance I had just from them being there. Thanks for the hugs, you know who you are~*
Needless to say the rest of the night was a bit of a blur. Though my coping mechanism may not have been the most ideal, I had cried all that my body was capable of crying in a week's time and I needed to have a good time. But hey - I had a drink renamed after me :D For the curious cats in the audience, a "Shoe Bomb" (dear FBI/ homeland security, I'm not a terrorist. Though this drink may cause night terrors) is a shot of Jameson bombed in a glass of Smirnoff Ice. I know I know, initial instinct is to recoil. However, trust me when I say it's delicious. Tastes like ginger ale. I do strongly suggest you stick with just one though...
Riding home the next day was therapeutic. Though my head appreciated the fresh air, my heart appreciated the solitude that riding a bike provides. It's just you and the road and the engine - you can reach out and feel the world flow through your fingertips like water in a forest stream. It's invigorating and difficult to describe. If you ride and you can't remember the last time you felt this way on your bike, I encourage you to find a road - any road will do - and just go and put your hands out and take a deep breath in as you eat up the pavement.
The only way you can understand your destination is to appreciate the journey for all it's worth.
2 days.
Another 500 miles.
Another loss for the world, but another big gain for heaven.
Sleep tight puppers...
Dear Summer,
... we get it. You're hot. But was 105 degrees *really* necessary for the trip to AC?
A whopping three days after making Lucille mine, I hit the road with 3 amazing people. All members of the route safety crews for various events including the breast cancer walks, we were headed to a small town just west of Atlantic City to celebrate the life of another crew mate, Michael "Tiny" Ray. To many he was Michael "Big Daddy" Ray, but to the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day crew, he'll always be Tiny.
Mike and his wife, Michelle, ventured down to DC to do what we all love to do - kick cancer in it's ass. They fit into our family like two crazy gloves and were stuck with us from that day forward. Holy cute couple batman is the best way I can describe them. So when we learned that Mike was involved in a fatal car accident on Tuesday, June 29, heartbroken is only the beginning of the emotions that I can adequately describe. I mean here was this young guy - he had turned 43 in March - who had so many amazing things falling into place in his life. He and Michelle were to celebrate their 3rd wedding anniversary just days after his death, not to mention the sheer joy they were sharing with the news of a baby Ray on the way. I remember them talking about wanting kids when they were in DC with us.
The first few days after I found out about his death, I was a mess. I bounced between aching sadness to confusion at the pain I felt over a man I really only knew for 4 days to anger towards myself for questioning my emotions to an overpowering feeling of "life is short so start living it." It's taken time for me to be able to come to terms with it all - the death of such an amazing guy who had so much happiness in his life, the impact he had on my life and the lives of my friends regardless of the physical time we spent with him and the knowledge that living for today didn't mean I could run off and camp out on the beach for the rest of my life.
What I love about the moto crew is that we are in so many ways a family. We have many differences, but fundamentally we're all wired the same way. Just as I was speaking to one friend about making plans to attend the funeral, another was sending an email to the group saying "kickstands up at 8." Things like that helped me come to terms with the feelings I was going through - "you're not alone" is a nice feeling sometimes.
By the time all plans were made, there were 4 of us physically headed north, with the hearts and minds of the rest of our crew strapped to our backseats.
Now, normally when you head north it gets cooler and when you head south it gets warmer. This is a basic principle we all know and understand. Well, all of us except mother nature. The temperature just kept climbing and climbing and climbing... and I can't say that the ridiculous amount of traffic we battled helped keep the asphalt cool. Many pit stops and enough sweat to water a farm in the desert later...
We decided to have dinner in AC. Though we were there for somber reasons, we felt the need to at least experience the city a tad (that and my friend Mark was craving soft serve ice cream... we had to get him soft serve ice cream). This is where we encountered the most. awesome. mullet. ever.
A whopping three days after making Lucille mine, I hit the road with 3 amazing people. All members of the route safety crews for various events including the breast cancer walks, we were headed to a small town just west of Atlantic City to celebrate the life of another crew mate, Michael "Tiny" Ray. To many he was Michael "Big Daddy" Ray, but to the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day crew, he'll always be Tiny.
Mike and his wife, Michelle, ventured down to DC to do what we all love to do - kick cancer in it's ass. They fit into our family like two crazy gloves and were stuck with us from that day forward. Holy cute couple batman is the best way I can describe them. So when we learned that Mike was involved in a fatal car accident on Tuesday, June 29, heartbroken is only the beginning of the emotions that I can adequately describe. I mean here was this young guy - he had turned 43 in March - who had so many amazing things falling into place in his life. He and Michelle were to celebrate their 3rd wedding anniversary just days after his death, not to mention the sheer joy they were sharing with the news of a baby Ray on the way. I remember them talking about wanting kids when they were in DC with us.
The first few days after I found out about his death, I was a mess. I bounced between aching sadness to confusion at the pain I felt over a man I really only knew for 4 days to anger towards myself for questioning my emotions to an overpowering feeling of "life is short so start living it." It's taken time for me to be able to come to terms with it all - the death of such an amazing guy who had so much happiness in his life, the impact he had on my life and the lives of my friends regardless of the physical time we spent with him and the knowledge that living for today didn't mean I could run off and camp out on the beach for the rest of my life.
What I love about the moto crew is that we are in so many ways a family. We have many differences, but fundamentally we're all wired the same way. Just as I was speaking to one friend about making plans to attend the funeral, another was sending an email to the group saying "kickstands up at 8." Things like that helped me come to terms with the feelings I was going through - "you're not alone" is a nice feeling sometimes.
By the time all plans were made, there were 4 of us physically headed north, with the hearts and minds of the rest of our crew strapped to our backseats.
Now, normally when you head north it gets cooler and when you head south it gets warmer. This is a basic principle we all know and understand. Well, all of us except mother nature. The temperature just kept climbing and climbing and climbing... and I can't say that the ridiculous amount of traffic we battled helped keep the asphalt cool. Many pit stops and enough sweat to water a farm in the desert later...
We decided to have dinner in AC. Though we were there for somber reasons, we felt the need to at least experience the city a tad (that and my friend Mark was craving soft serve ice cream... we had to get him soft serve ice cream). This is where we encountered the most. awesome. mullet. ever.
- It's a mullet in AC
- It's on a Russian gentleman.
- He had semi-curly hair in the back
- He had TINY little curly-cues up top...
- ... which were pulled into - no joke - a faux hawk
I rest my case on le mullet.
In the morning we all polished ourselves up and rode over to the funeral home for the viewing. Upon arrival we learned that at the viewing the night before, there had been a line of people waiting to express their condolences for over 4 hours. This is a man who truly had an incredible impact on a ton of people from all walks of life. There were dozens of photos set up around the parlor of Mike - as he grew up, his siblings, his football days, his time as a DJ, photos from Mike and Michelle's wedding, and even several photos of the weekend they spent in DC with us for the walks. We were able to see sonograms of Baby Ray ("Peanut") and finally able to pay our respects to Michelle and their families.
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| Once a moto - Always a moto. |
As we headed out of the viewing room we spoke with a few people we met along the way and remarked at the number of cops. One woman we met was a close friend of the family and rode with Mike. After she found out we had riden in, she had a brief conversation with Michelle and we suddenly found ourselves escorting the processional through town to the church. Even now it brings tears to my eyes to remember the feeling of honor I know we all shared at that moment.
Now, as any woman rider knows, there are occasions that call for both a skirt/ dress and a motorcycle. Since you cannot control a motorcycle while side-saddle, it becomes a bit of a logistical problem - how do you ride your bike AND show up looking like a respectable member of female society? Though there are many ways to solve this dilemma, Alicia and I chose door #2 - hike your skirt up around your waist, put your jeans on under your skirt and throw your heels in a saddle bag. The major downside of this option is the "switcheroo" - aka making the change from rider to lady. You can either wander around looking for a bathroom/ private spot to change OR you can simply negotiate your skirt down to a respectable place while also convincing your jeans to come down as well. Warning: the latter may result in funny looks.
After the beautiful catholic ceremony, we said goodbye to Michelle and promised to visit. Though we wanted to stay, we knew that we had to hit the road or we'd never make it back. Sitting at a small diner table munching on lunch we all came up with a great way to stay in touch with Michelle and her baby - I won't share anymore so that I don't spoil the surprise :)
At this point we realized that mother nature hadn't quite had enough of the heat. In fact, she opened up her attic and found about another 5 degrees of the stuff and felt the need to share. We actually drove by a bank that couldn't register the temperature because it was higher than its gauge could measure! Turns out - it is in fact possible to sweat your ass literally off. I think I left mine in northern Maryland somewhere.
After a beer stop with other moto friends (we weren't ready to give up the feeling of camaraderie we'd been swelling with for the last couple of days) and a ri-donk-ulous amount of DC traffic at 9pm at night on the beltway, we finally made it home.
Two days.
500 miles.
Buckets of sweat.
Truckloads of love and emotion.
All in all - I could not have imagined a better maiden voyage for Lucille.
::UPDATE:: Michelle is having a baby boy! Her little daddy, Rexford James Ray (Rex) is due at the end of this year!!
Two Weeks. 2500 Miles.
On Friday, July 9, Lucille came into my life. Boy was she a sight - big and blue, full of potential. She's a 2003 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Peace Officer Edition. Typically these models are only available to active and retired law enforcement and firefighting officials, and the gentleman that sold her to me was a retired cop of 30 years. As someone who has not served in such a capacity, it's an honor to ride this special edition bike, especially since I have many friends in the field.
Enough mushy-gushy :D
In the first 2 weeks of owning Lucille, I put her through serious runnings in the dead heat of summer. I've decided I need to have separate posts on each trip, but the general summation is:
- Atlantic City, NJ - 2 days, 500 miles round trip
- Ocean City, MD - 2 days, 500 miles round trip
- Augusta, GA - 4 days, 1500 miles round trip
Needless to say - two weeks on the bike is a long time, no matter how hardened of a rider you are. However, the sheer fact that I was able to walk after each trip (and after the final trip was over) was plenty to convince me that Lucille has been the best purchase in my life thus far.
I plan on taking Lucille all over the place and I want to share these adventures with you. I'm sure there will be a number of trials and tribulations along the way - everything from maintenance to jackass drivers to weather - but I'll do my best not to get my butt in too much trouble while on the road and share what is worth sharing. I'm largely a goob so I'm positive that most of my posts will be goob-ious, but I warn you that I have a habit of falling into the sentimental when it comes to the charity work that I do (especially on the bike).
Anywho - I hope you enjoy the adventures Lucille and I have.
Enough mushy-gushy :D
In the first 2 weeks of owning Lucille, I put her through serious runnings in the dead heat of summer. I've decided I need to have separate posts on each trip, but the general summation is:
- Atlantic City, NJ - 2 days, 500 miles round trip
- Ocean City, MD - 2 days, 500 miles round trip
- Augusta, GA - 4 days, 1500 miles round trip
Needless to say - two weeks on the bike is a long time, no matter how hardened of a rider you are. However, the sheer fact that I was able to walk after each trip (and after the final trip was over) was plenty to convince me that Lucille has been the best purchase in my life thus far.
I plan on taking Lucille all over the place and I want to share these adventures with you. I'm sure there will be a number of trials and tribulations along the way - everything from maintenance to jackass drivers to weather - but I'll do my best not to get my butt in too much trouble while on the road and share what is worth sharing. I'm largely a goob so I'm positive that most of my posts will be goob-ious, but I warn you that I have a habit of falling into the sentimental when it comes to the charity work that I do (especially on the bike).
Anywho - I hope you enjoy the adventures Lucille and I have.
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