http://arizonaheartspoetry.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Introduction to Drag Racing

that's me, in the far lane :)

Well, after years of saying "I'd like to do that" I can add one more thing to the list of what I did the summer I played hookie. I'm trying my hand at drag racing.
I admit, I was scared to death. Not so much afraid of wrecking, or getting hurt, but afraid of looking stupid. That's something I've struggled with all of my life.
I'm a contradiction in terms, I love to turn heads, which you would think meant love to be looked at, right? I do like the "you did WHAT?!?" reaction, or the "Holy crap, that's a GIRL, how cool" look and or point. I get that a lot with my Night Rod Special. No matter where I go, someone at a light or in traffic either gives me a thumbs up, does a double take (one guy almost crashed his truck into a cement pillar because he was watching) or quite often, they stop someone in my group and ask questions about my bike. I love that...but really, I'm not one that likes to be looked at. I love to be impressive is more like it.
I've always had this over critical part of me, obsessing about being perfect. I know that I can't be perfect, and my appearance and my house are testaments to that knowledge, but I do like to be as good as the next guy...or in some cases, better.

So, anyway, a couple months ago, while watching friends race at the AMRA races in Bowling Green KY, after seeing a hand full of girls do well and have fun, I did the "if she can do that, so can I" speech in my head. A couple months later, here I am, learning to drag race.

I was coached on how to launch, and it was so frustrating because I was sure I wasn't doing it right because it wasn't this big dramatic frightening rocket experience. So I had someone else launch my bike for me. Turns out, I just had way too high of an expectation of the fear level on my part. I was doing it...needed to perfect it, but still, I was doing it. I practiced on back roads, but it isn't the same as a sticky drag strip with a light tree. I've gotten a lot of helpful information from several good friends, and I'm trying to keep them all in my head like a computer. Body position, staging, hand position, rpm, and psychological advice, and I'm thankful to all of you who are helping me. (Jase @hellcatcustoms, Brian from Valley Racing, Steve, Eddie, Tracy from Heathens & Hardheads Racing) I want to make you all proud of me.

My first attempt down the strip I was so not ready. Went to the tech, he looked at the bike, was told it was my very first time, so he let me go alone...but RIGHT NOW! I was like wait...no, I wanted to watch a couple people stage! But I wasn't going to be a baby and say something, so I went up there as directed, the good little soldier that I am. I staged too quickly and the light was green, GOOOOOO. I didn't go as fast as I could, I was told to take a slower trial run to get used to the track and the turn offs. I did a 13.5 with a reaction time of 1.009seconds.

My second pass, which is what I consider to be my 1st REAL pass... uh oh! I was against someone...a crotch rocket too! OMG. I staged much slower, inching my way forward, getting ready, got the rpm's up, and GONE, hauled ass to the end. The same happened the next time too. I was up against 140mph 10 second rockets! I managed to get my times in the mid 12's though. 12.34 my best, and my reaction time down to .7
I was having fun, still a little nervous, but getting better each try. It started to get dark, so my last 2 passes were fairly consecutive. The total times weren't better, but I was improving on my 60' times, so that's good. It got dark around then, so I decided to call it a night. It's bad enough to be flying 107mph down a track you don't really know, but when it's getting hard to see, I'll save that for when I'm more experienced.

Here are the stats:
1st real pass: RT - .73 / 60' - 1.873 / 1/4MI - 12.369 @ 100.86MPH
2ND: RT - .6968 / 60' - 1.9051 / 1/4MI - 12.3493 @ 107.87MPH
3RD: RT - .7387 / 60' - 1.9683 / 1/4MI - 12.4952 @ 106.18
4TH: RT - .7230 / 60' - 1.8429 / 1/4MI - 12.4548 @ 106.65MPH

All in all, I was pleased with myself. Not bad for a first timer. I impressed some of the boys I told my times to, that's good for me. My next goal, test and tune one more time, then it's off to Bowling Green KY the last weekend in September, to race in the AMRA finals! I'm aimin' high!!!

I usually try to tie in a life lesson or spiritual message to my blog posts, and this is what I've come up with. I was so nervous, fear of failure and the unknown had me making myself a bundle of nerves. But I had practiced and prepared, and in the end, it paid off. Everyone has to start somewhere, and we were all beginners in the beginning. You have to put your head down and press forward and do your best. If you do that, at the end, you just might impress someone, and yourself too! If you do your best, it will all be ok in the end :)



Btw, if you're interested in that sorta thing...I've separated my poetry to a new blog page, and there happens to be a new entry there as well, the link is at the top of this page.

Monday, August 16, 2010

A blessing and a curse

I scored tickets to a concert the other day. John Mayer is one of my favorite artists. He happens to be a fabulous entertainer. Every musician performs, but they don’t all ENTERTAIN. You can go to a concert and watch a band or a person play their music, and do it well, but they don’t all entertain. A true entertainer will engage the audience, cares about the people in front of them and the ones in the far back, they will take a chance and wander off the path of their usual boring stuff, and take an adventure, inviting their audience to come along. A fabulous journey. John Mayer is such an entertainer. He’s witty, funny, considerate and talented beyond measure. I could watch him play guitar for hours. When he plays, you can see him BECOME the guitar, the guitar becomes him. It’s like the music seeps out of his pores and beams all around him like glowing rays of sunlight. Other people may not like his songs, label them as girly music, or too soft, or too pop, but you really haven’t experienced what a talented musician he is until you’ve seen him play.

As I was sitting in probably the best seats I’ve ever had at a concert, I was far enough in front to be able to turn back and look out at the sea of faces. When the spotlights were out on the crows I could turn around and almost get a feeling for what it must be like being up there with thousands of people smiling and moving to the music. I am talentless, so there is no way I could ever really experience that, of course. But that got me to thinking…yeah, I know, ME think!?!? LOL There was an ocean of people simultaneously happy, enjoying life, savoring moments in that amphitheater that night, all there to see this one person, who is lucky enough to do what he loves, touch people's souls, and get paid a lot of money for it. What a blessing that must be. It is a blessing, but it’s also a curse.

I’ve followed John Mayer on twitter and facebook for some time. I really enjoy reading his posts. While many of his posts are silly, it does give you insight into his mind. He’s a very intelligent person, and silly too. I love that. He thinks of things that are so off the beaten path that you’re like how the HELL did he come up with THAT! He’s also mentioned things about his life that the rest of us probably wouldn’t think of. The price of being an entertainer is you’re on the road all the time. Living out of a suitcase, waking up in different hotels all the time. Aside from playing venues, there’s a lot of travel involved promoting your music, collaborating your creations, etc. and the sleeplessness. As an artist, when you go out there on stage, it’s a high, a rush, a wild ride. When you finish and the audience goes home, you can’t just turn that off, you have to let it wind itself down. And, aside from the other musicians who play with you, you’re all alone in the wee hours of the night, ringing ears and all, just waiting to come down. I can relate to the sleeplessness. Everyone else is comfortably in dreamland, it’s a quiet loneliness. Also a price of fame, your entire life is scrutinized, and it’s next to impossible to find someone who can accept and tolerate the lifestyle, the long distance relationship, the hours, the demands of a musician. Yes, some of them contributed to the demise of their relationships, but think about it, it’s almost a set up for failure from the beginning. Then there’s the lack of privacy, and the complete judgment by the general public. Paparazzi following you, quotes being taken out of context, and everything you say gets dissected and scrutinized. Granted, sometimes they say things they deserved to be called out on, but imagine how awful it must feel to have SO MANY people voicing their opinion of you. And last, but not least, the perks of fame, and the money, has to be an issue when you assess the people around you, to protect yourself from being taken advantage of.

The price of fame is steep, it’s a blessing and a curse. Just about everything in life comes with a price, or a curse, some small and insignificant, some much more serious. Sharing your love for animals and becoming a pet owner comes with the territory of commitment, clean up, and the cost of loving and losing, getting married, having a family limits your freedom and your finances, being a homeowner costs you time and maintenance, having a fantastic career can cost you a family or a delay in family. If all we did was think about the price of what we want out of life, we would never reach out for anything that we wanted. It’s what you do with the price, or how you allow the ‘curse’ to affect you that can increase or decrease the value of the blessing. Focus on the positive, don’t allow the downside that comes with that positive to pull you down, if the blessing you experienced was worth the effort, you can handle the downside. Eyes on the prize, and summon your inner strength to pull you through the rough stuff, and believe you are worthy of the blessing, have FAITH in yourself and the powers that be.


For you JM fans out there, here's a link to the pictures
PHOTOS

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Turbulece of Change & The Calm Before the Storm

I've just gotten home from a trip to Kansas City and Hannibal Mo. Normally the optimum choice for a long road trip like this would be to ride the longest leg or all the way to the destination on the first day while fresh, and break up the ride home into two days. But, due to weather, this ride was the exact opposite. It was a long 630 miles home, to say the least. Lots of time in the saddle to think about this blog post. But, actually, the title of the blog hit me in the first 50 miles, and the rest of it just fell into place as the trip unfolded.

While on the wide open highway I encountered so many Semi trailers, and experienced the turbulence associated with riding near them. I'd brace myself in anticipation of the wind that would throw me around, hold on tight and ride the storm until I got to clear air again. But I had to ride it out over and over again if I wanted to get where I was going. What a metaphor for life! Blissfully cruising along in a comfort zone, then something comes along to shake things up, and you have to hold on tight until it's over.

Change happens to everyone. Change always happens. There's change everywhere you look if you pay attention. Day changes to night, children change to adults, friendships come and go, businesses thrive and fail, births and deaths, even the earth is ever changing.

My first realizations of change on this road trip came when I was checking out the Rockcliffe Mansion. Built between 1898 and 1900, the owners paid 100 carpenters $1 a day plus meals for 2 years. The house was built on the hill to overlook the Mississippi River. Now, from the front porch the view is obstructed by many buildings constructed over the years. You can't really see the river at all. Secondly, while riding the riverboat touring the river and hearing stories and facts, I found myself thinking about how the banks of this river must have changed over the past 100 years, and how many buildings have been flooded away, and how they must have had to learn the hard way what was a safe distance to build. Mark Twain (Samuel Clements) grew up in Hannibal, Mo. where he, like most other boys dreamed of becoming a riverboat pilot. He lived his dream and traveled up & down the river for 4 years, 2 as an apprentice, and 2 as a pilot. During the war, Riverboats were being shot at, and not liking that experience, he quit. Eventually he would become famous for writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Fin. A change for the better.

On the obligatory trip to the Harley Dealer after crossing the Kansas border, more change was encountered. The dealership had recently been purchased by an owner from Arizona. Racks of clothes that bear the name of the old dealer on clearance, I loved it! Change for the better, and good deals!

Next up, Harley Davidson's Powertrain Operations Facility tour. First off, you watch a movie on the history of Harley Davidson. In 1969 Harley Davidson merged with AMF, and then in 1981 13 executives bought the company back. However, by 1987 the company was only hours away from bankruptcy, and in 1988 Harley Davidson was the most purchased motorcycle, with over 1000 dealerships. Change from one extreme to the other. Also changing, Harley comes up with the liquid cooled Revolution engine. There are many naysayers out there that frown upon the V-rod, but the changes allow it to have the most horsepower. At first, I didn't care for the new V-rods, the ugly silver & how tall they were...but then they came out with the black beauty Night Rod Special, and I changed my mind!

So, the common thread here is things can be quiet for a long time, and make sure you enjoy it. Change will happen, there is no avoiding it. Most of the time, though, eventually the changes lead to something better. And just like an overflowing river, or a failing company or personal hardship, if you hold on tight and ride the storm, you should come out the other side better for it.

In many ways, right now in my life, this seems like the calm before the storm. I'm sitting idle, listening and watching for signs of what to do next. That just might lead to a lot of change, hopefully for the better. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen without turbulence. I might have to hold on tight for a while in order to get to where I really want to be, but it will be for the better.


p.s.
If you're interested in the dreaded vacation photos of my ride to Kansas, Missouri & Illinois, the pictures can be found here :
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052136&id=1271155693