A Fine Day Out

Kevin had a little get off on his Road King, two night earlier, the crash bar was bent but good, so he borrowed SPARE for our Saturday ride. I just love having the two bikes out at once. They both behaved themselves.

I've not done many club events this season. So when I saw a gathering forming on the MOA Forum, I signed up. The plan was to meet for lunch in North Adams and then ride up Mt. Graylock.

It was a crazy weather day! I really enjoyed meeting everybody and having lunch together, but some of the riding was unpleasant.

It was 60 and sunny in Nashua at 8:45AM, we dropped a layer as we gassed up, We headed west on 101 and immediately saw that we were driving into the clouds. We'd lost 15 degrees by the time we darted between leaf peepers at the top of Hogback Mt. There was moisture in the air and on the road, but no real rain.

Things improved slightly as we headed south on Rte 8 through Vt, and down into North Adams for lunch. While we ate and told lies, the storms caught up with us, and it was pouring as we left. Conditions worsened as we headed East on Rte 2. The wind was howling, the leaves where pelting us...it reminded me of the kind of day one would curl up on the couch with a good book and a warm beverage, look outside at the wind and rain and the leaves being slapped against the window and think how nice it is to be warm and dry. That is what I was thinking....I wish I were warm and dry.

File Photo of a nice day at Graylock


My wish came true about an hour later. We stopped in Shelburne for a cappuccino, and to remove some rain gear. The rain had given away to noticeably bluer skies. Another half hour east and you couldn't find a cloud, it was like a different day!

And we set off for a new ride. We got off rte 2 and with the bad weather behind us managed to find the worse road in the Commonwealth. MA 32 We finally rolled home as the light faded. A good time was eventually had by all and perhaps I've ridden the last of the rain for 2009?

Rode My Bike to Work

There are so many good things about this picture.
That is my K1200GT.
It is parked at work.
It is fall.

So that means, the K12 is back on the road, after a long 6 month hiatus
It means that I'm back to work after an 8 months of unemployment
And it's fall, a beautiful time of year to have some gas money and a fast bike.

I am a "real" employee now, first time in...uh...close to 5 years. Contracting pays well, but there is a lot of wear & tear worrying about assignments. I'm at a small company Wellpet, they make healthy top of the line pet food. Kitty is happy about this, as there are employee discounts.

Yeah yeah yeah, I'm going to miss my free time, but I was at the point I needed to trade the freedom for the paycheck. We all know how that goes. At least it's a pleasant 25 minute commute, with a casual dress code, so riding there works out ok.

And now, the weekends feel like weekends...very short, lots to fit in! Hope your weekends are packed with great sMiles.

A Mug of Coffee and an Internet Connection

A mug of coffee ($1.95) is the price I pay for admission. Today I am a roofing refuge, seeking shelter at Panera Breads. I’m not alone here. There are a half dozen laptop luggers cozied up to power plugs all around the café. Some paid the admission, some did not. I imagine many of them are economic refugees, like myself; I wonder if any of them are from my condo? The roofing project at the condo will be going on for a couple of more days, today, my unit is undergoing intensive work, the skylight will be replaced, the dormer window reworked. When I sit at my desk, it sounds like the next hammer blow will breach the ceiling. Probably a good day to get away.

Taking the bike out of the garage was out of the question, I would have had to extricate it before the protective shroud was draped at 7:00 AM; then there are the nails to worry about. No, better to enjoy the beautiful day bikeless, than to spend it getting a tire changed!

As I drove over here I started thinking about free fun things to do…some of the ideas are a little wacked.

1. Wait in line at Unemployment office to get a status of my claim (wacked)
2. Take new cars out for test drive – done right, this could take most of the day
3. Take new bikes out of test drive – ditto above
4. Visit local gyms and sign up for the one week free – do this sequentially so as to work out all month for free
5. Donate blood (not wacked)
6. Apply for jobs (brilliant, but not fun)
7. Create cardboard sign, sit in park with open computer bag: Will write HTML for $$. LMAO
8. Update blog
9. I don’t think I have 10…

Yesterday’s noise was not to bad in the AM, so I made bread pudding


Over the weekend, I collected my 3rd strike (in a row) on ADV, coincidentally it was the 3rd tag with “there are two of these signs” , I’m officially sticking to tags with only ONE STINKING DESTINATION. Ahem….yeah, it pissed me off. But I’m over it.
Sandwich Notch Road, Campton, NH

Hope your weather is favorable, and your driveway clear of nails!

The Continued Tales of the Unemployed Motorcyclist

My blog has always been motorcycle centric. When my life is not feeling motorcycle centric, I loose the zest to blog. These days my life has been unemployment centric. I’d be better suited to blog about money saving dinner ideas and who makes good quality coffee on the cheap.

My youth was spent without a penny in my pocket. We weren’t poor, my dad managed to send us two girls to private school. What a struggle that must have been on his modest pressman’s check. We had 20 year old cars, didn’t go on vacations, didn’t dine out and there was no spending money until you got a job. In college, I was chronically broke. I was there on a combination of scholarships, grants and loans. My dad would “slip” me a $5 on occasions. He couldn’t help.


For 3 years during college I lived with two different families in exchange for room & board, I took care of their kid(s). During the summers, I took two elective classes at the local college. This allowed me to carry 4 courses per semester. I scheduled those classes before noon, so I could work from 12-4. Then I went home, made dinner, took care of the kids and did homework. Still not a lot of spending money; my then beau must have carried much of the entertainment expenses.

I can remember that on the last day of school, each year, I would sell my books, take the money to the Registrar’s office, and make my final tuition payment; it was that tight.

New Castle, NH


There is no fondness in my memory of those times, nothing sentimental about living through the struggle. Only pride in how far I’ve come. So in times of unemployment, I know how to cut back, I have no sense of entitlement. I’ve earned my way up the ladder. This is not my first round of layoffs, although this stretch has been much different. I have put a lot of thought, and work into working for myself. But the financial pressures are mounting and no start up will pay for my desired lifestyle, so I’m looking for a “real” job in earnest. Sigh...

On a brighter note, Lisa & I got a nice ride in before school started.


And I did get to the Yankee Beemer Rally in Heath last month, it's my favorite little rally. Enjoy the pics!

Goin Camping


Air Time


Fun with Friends


Make Mine A Red


Motto Guzzi