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.

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

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

Just relax

I'm now two months into the enjoy life project. Every day I try to find something that makes me feel good or happy, no matter how little or 'insignificant' it may be. So far I've taken inventory of the smells of flowers, the color of farm fields and trees, storm clouds, freshly paved and curvy roads, the joy my dogs bring me, the taste of Rocky Road ice cream, all the little things that go by unnoticed on a normal day. I don't know if it's a result of paying attention and filling myself with happy moments, or if it's just the fact that I'm away from an extremely stressful job and free to do whatever I want whenever I want, but I feel lighter, happier. I still have major problems, don't get me wrong, but I do feel that because I'm taking note of the good stuff, I feel better, and better things are happening. So I'm looking forward to the snowball effect of joy, and eager to find out what's next. Which brings me to the subject of this blog entry.

I've touched on this subject before, so it may be a little redundant, but my recent road trip has again caused me to be conscious of being present. This time I realized that I have this habit of leaning in forward motion. It's a physical and mental manifestation that I must get to the next point, and I must do everything in a timely manner. I'm always in some degree of hurry!

While riding from Home to Sharon, Pa (410 miles) I didn't see it. It was leave early, get there before dark, no problem, the usual plan. The next day, the plan was to ride to DuBois Harley in DuBois Pa. then go straight north through New York state to hit Lake Erie and ride the shoreline as far as possible, stopping in Cleveland OH. to stay over and visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, then ride the rest of the way home. All in all it was 1200 miles in 3 days. On the second day, after visiting the the Harley dealer, on the way to the lake, I kept feeling myself mentally, and physically leaning forward in a hurry. I thought to myself...why? There are no set plans, the trip is about enjoying the lake and the view, so stop that! I'd stop for a little while, then find myself in that tensed up hurried state again. Several times I had to make a concentrated effort to stop doing that. I had no deadline to meet, just to get to Cleveland to stay over at no specific time. So why on earth was I always feeling like I HAD to get there and I had to do it NOW? I've been like that my whole life. I need to STOP THAT. Pay attention to what is now, just relax, dammit and enjoy the good stuff while you can. All this time of ignoring that, now it's such a habit, it's an involuntary reflex. That is going to be a hard one to break!

So, here are a few observations and thoughts, the highlights of the road trip:
Travel through Pa & Ny was very hilly and mountainous. Not as steep as the mountains on the way to Grand Canyon, mind you, but still steep. I found myself in what I call a "Big Dog Moment" It's that moment where you realize that if you're going to run with the big dogs you gotta get off the porch! I was riding the highway and there were semi trucks everywhere. Fine, I've dealt with them before. I never ride along side a semi (advice from a truck driver..never, not even with your car) I catch up, hang for a minute, then throttle it past. But, add steep downgrades and twisty roads to the mix. Eh, not so bad, doable, right? Then put all that together with grated road construction, going 75mph! Tension indeed. Another 'graduation' for me. Been there, done that, don't care to find myself in that position again! I'm sure I will though, and I'll have the confidence that it can be done. I spent about 4o miles behind a dump truck full of dirt. That was painful. Free microdermabrasion, I figure I must look a few years younger now!

The Allegheny National Forest was really pretty to ride through. I've never seen so many trees in my life it's SO GREEN over there. As a person who has lived their entire life in the Plains, I find that I marvel at non flat ground and winding roads. Everything here is a grid, North South, East West, easy navigation, no confusion. Riding through mountains...not so much! It was beautiful, I tried the best I could to take pictures, but riding those roads did not allow for much picture taking! (Kids, don't try this at home) I tied the camera around my neck, and stuffed it down my shirt when I wasn't snapping. A great use of cleavage, sometimes it's good to be a girl! So I indiscriminately snapped away when I felt safe enough to take my left hand off the grip.

Here's an interesting note. So, I spent a lot of time making myself not be in a hurry, but then it started to get late, and I had to hurry to get to the hotel, because it was clouding up...and get this...lightning. For those of you who haven't followed my blog, my Mom loved lightning. The morning after she passed it stormed like crazy. I said that must be Mom up there saying do that again! Back in Feb I took some of her ashes to Arizona to hike my favorite mountain, scattered some ashes into the wind at the top of the trail. The next night...it stormed like crazy in the desert! So, I took a road trip to Memphis, cuz Mom LOVED Elvis. Decided at the last minute to take some ashes. While I was retrieving them I said, hey Mom, no storms this time, ok? Storms on a bike are not cool. If you must, lightning is fine...but no rain, ok? Well, rolling into Memphis as it was getting dark, first heat lightning, then bolts across the sky. It misted for 2 minutes, just enough to get a few spots on my tank, and then nothing else. Lightning, no rain. Coinkydink?
Anyway...on this trip I did not take ashes with me. I'm done with the spiritual travels. So the lightning must have been random, right? Well, it got chilly, I put my jacket on, reached into my pocket and in it was a little stone from Superstition Mountain that I had picked up on my way down from my hike. I had forgotten I had put it in my jacket because I was going to bring it back in the house. I thought I had lost it. I asked the heavens, please don't let it rain until after I'm safely in the hotel room. I got there, checked in, went across the street to eat a very late dinner, and when I walked out the door, it had rained and stopped! Anyway, read into it what you will, but I find it fascinating.

The visit to The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland OH was really nice. You could spend 3 hours there taking in the movies and video exhibits there. I did not, however, as that was the same day I was riding the rest of the way home. I loved the exhibits of clothing and instruments, I found it fascinating that these musicians who were bigger than life in my mind, were actually very small in stature, or very skinny by looking at their clothes. But I was mostly moved by the articles from those gifted artists who were gone, taken from us all too soon. As I approached them, I got goosebumps. I loved reading the writings of the musicians, the lyrics in the making of songs I knew and loved, right there in their own handwriting. There was a display of Jim Morrison, the receipt of his plot in Pere La Chaise cemetery in France, lyrics from Crawling King Snake, a hand made Mother's Day card and a short note he had made in school when he was just a child. It said something like I can't tell you how much I appreciate all you do for me and I love you. So sweet. I was not a big Doors fan, but after finding things out about Jim Morrison, and watching the movie of course, I was infatuated with what a deep thinking and complicated person he was. Another gift of genius lost to us far too soon. I got the same chills at John Lennon's piano, Janis Joplin's scarves and a fringed white leather vest, Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket, Jimmy Hendrix's couch with the cigarette (maybe lol) burn in it, and his fantastic cape. Not so much on the Elvis stuff, because I had just been to Graceland not that long ago. But I still felt the profound feeling of loss when looking at the articles of those who are no longer with us. A "what a shame" sadness.

There was this kick ass Pink Floyd The Wall display there too. Out in the middle of the escalators to the building. You were not allowed to take pictures in there. But of course I'm a rebel, and I snapped a couple of the wall. This wall (pictures in the link at the bottom of this blog) was huge, had a big blow up character in limbo from the ceiling, the armchair with the televison, the Hammer Flags, from the movie The Wall.

It read:
"In the old days, pre Dark Side of the moon, Pink Floyd played to audiences, which, by virtue of their size, allowed an intimacy of connection that was magical. However, success overtook us and by 1977 we were playing in football stadiums...the magic crushed beneath the weight of the numbers we were becoming addicted to the trappings of popularity
I found myself increasingly alienated in that atmosphere of avarice (insatiable greed for riches) and ego, until one night, in the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the boil of my frustrations burst. Some crazed teenage fan was clawing his way up the storm netting that separated us from the human cattle pen in front of the stage, screaming his devotion to the 'demi-gods' beyond his reach. Incensed by his misunderstanding and my own connivance I spat my frustration in his face. Later that night, back at the hotel, shocked with my behavior, I was faced with a choice. To deny my addiction and embrace that 'comfortably numb', but 'magicless existence', or accept the burden of insight, take the road less traveled, and embark on the often painful journey to discover who I was and where I fit. The Wall was the picture I drew for myself to help me make that choice." Roger Waters, Summer, 1995
I sat down in awe and amazement, not just at the display, but at the profoundness of his words. WOW, I just had to sit a while and take it in.

After that, the ride home was very scenic. Traveled as much of Lake Erie Lake shore as I could, lots of HUGE houses that backed up to the lake. You couldn't see much of the lake itself, but the houses were fantastic. Stopped over at Cedar Point (huge amusement park out on a large peninsula) to snap a pic or two of the lake, and again at a parking lot to see the amusement park in the distance, and then the rest of the way home was praying not to intercept the looming storm. That didn't work, but luckily the wind whipped it past quickly, and after hiding under an overpass, it was throttle down the rest of the way home.

For 150 miles I got to watch the sun set. A spectacular display of a kaleidoscope of pastel colors ever changing as time went by. The sun with it's giant beams of light piercing through the clouds. It reminded me of a thousand spot lights shining all around the cloud creating a halo of beams. Whenever I can actually see the rays of the sun, it reminds me of a Rush song that I used to like..."The shifting shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dreams" A large cloud covering most of the sun, rays peeking out upward and down. Above the sun, pastel oranges like dreamcicles, and gold, below shades of pastel lilac and baby blues. As the sun moved slightly over time, so did the colors. It was really beautiful. I could have stopped and watched it for hours. God, The Universe, Mother Earth, and Life, indeed a spectacular sight to behold, and I am blessed to have the ability to bear witness.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050283&id=1271155693 1200 miles in 3 days pictures

Meant To Be

I haven't blogged in some time now, aside from the loss of a friend, I haven't really felt anything powerful enough to compell me to write. So, instead of leaving my blog idle, I decided to post another piece of poetry written some time ago.


Meant To Be

There is a love that’s unlike any other
Love never before felt with another
It’s urgent and tender, spontaneous and deliberate
It’s crazy and normal, it’s forbidden and desperate
These feelings run deep
The heart never sleeps
Deep in my heart, a part of my soul
It consumes all I am, it’s all that I know
It was meant to be
I heard the universe tell me
At first it just whispered
I tried to ignore it, But it wouldn’t let me
It screamed louder, “in time you will see”
I chased it away, because I was scared
To love with all I am, only to lose is not fair
But universe brought me back, this time stronger
Sweet destiny come quickly, I can’t wait any longer

3 1/2 Days to Live

There is a Nickelback song that goes "If today was your last day, and tomorrow was too late, could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last, leave old pictures in the past, donate every dime you had? Would you call old friends you never see, reminisce old memories, would you forgive your enemies?"

Yesterday, a friend Michael was killed in a freak accident, a crane fell on him at work. He was 43. We had just been riding together this past Sunday. Rode with him to his house at the end of the day, he grabbed his things from his brother's bike, we chit chatted for a few and said see ya later. Who knew that he would only hae 3 1/2 more days to live. He passed away early Thursday afternoon, on his daughter's 21st birthday.

I know most of us have heard the news of someone of our own age, tragically passing away, far too young to die. It gets you thinking, doesn't it? Everyone says "Life is short", but do we really, truly realize this? Can you accept it and wrap our mind around the fact that we ALL are on borrowed time. Our days are numbered, and every day that clicks by on the calendar, is one day closer to your last day on earth. The problem is that we don't know how many more days we have, so we keep trudging along doing our daily things, and 'getting around to' whatever it is we need to or should do. We carry on as if we had an unlimited, infinite amount of time to 'get around to it'. Well, yesterday I had a reality check, and I cannot get it out of my head. He had 3 1/2 days left to live. What would you do if you knew something like that?

I found myself wondering if he told his two daughters he loved them. He was a good man, a good Dad, gave his girls everything he could and then some. He got to spend time with his brother over the weekend, I know that, because I was there. I saw no I Love You's, of course, because you just don't do that every day to your family, especially men, even if you only see your brother every few weeks or so. They're only a town away, you can talk to them any time you want. I am close friends with Michael's brother and his wife, and we all rode together fairly often in the summer. Never during any of those rides did I wonder if that would be the last time I saw him.

And so I obsess, 3 1/2 days to live...3 1/2 days left to be someone's friend, someone's Dad, someone's brother, someone's child. 3 1/2 days left to have a friend, have a sibling, a spouse, a child. Can you wrap your head around it? I can't stop thinking. What would you do if you knew?

What would you do...would you call up a friend and tell them what they meant to you...would you repair broken relationships with someone you had a falling out with and miss their presence in your life...would you tell your children, no matter how much trouble and stress they've been for the last 5 years or more, how much you loved them, or would you continue distance for fear they would take it as permission to hurt you even more? Would you walk out of a dysfunctional relationship that you should have ended long ago, but didn't because you were too afraid? Would you seek out and go to your soul mate, or would you turn to your significant other who has been there the past decade or more out of respect for their loyalty? Would you leave the stressful job that only causes you sleepless nights and tension or would you still be trying to fix what you see is so ridiculously wrong?

We all have a bucket list, and it's nice to think that you can do all the things you've always wanted to do. But I'm talking the real core of what they say goes on in those moments right before you die...thoughts about your friends and family.
My thoughts keep going back to the same thing. What would we all do if we knew...and why aren't we doing it now because we don't know when the last time you'll see someone will be?

"Each day's a gift and not a given right" "Every second counts 'cause there's no second try, so live like you'll never live it twice"

Be Present

This past weekend I took advantage of my new found unemployed free time and decided to take a road trip to Memphis. My Mom was a huge Elvis fan, and had never gotten the chance to go there before her Arthritis and Diabetes took it's toll on her. So I thought it would be a good adventure and I'd do it 'for her'. For those of you who don't know, my Mom passed away just before she turned 64, and I am an only child, so it was a devastating loss, which is mentioned many times here on my blog. Mom loved storms, lightning in particular. She loved to sit outside if it wasn't too menacing out, or watch them out the window. The morning after the night she passed, I awoke to a terrible storm going on outside. I said, that's Mom up there saying 'let me see you do that again!'

This past February, I had the chance to go to a place very close to my heart, Superstition Mountain in Arizona (also posted here previously, pictures and details galore!) I chose to take a small amount of my Mom's ashes with me on my hike up Superstition. It's a spiritual place for me, my 'happy' place, profoundly still yet alive. I picked a nice place at the very top of the trail and threw her ashes in the air, she was now a part of my favorite place. It was very meaningful for me. The next night, it stormed like crazy in Arizona. Huge lightning bolts lit up the desert sky. I wondered if it was coincidence...

Well, this trip, I chose to bring some ashes with again, to leave at Graceland, close to Elvis. She was crazy about him. So as I retrieved the small amount of ashes, I said, "Ok Ma, no storms this trip, not on two wheels...lightning, maybe, but rain, not cool please!" On my arrival into Memphis Friday night, after stopping for dinner, on the road to the hotel in Lakeland dusk had passed, they sky was dark, and in the distance.....I saw a flash. I'd been watching the forecast for days, and no rain was expected that I knew of, so I dismissed the flash as some car or something in the distance. Then it happened again, and again. The kind of flash that lights up a piece of sky, but you see no bolt, just illuminated sky. And then, a huge bolt of lightning cut a path across the dark blue sky in front of me. As I parked my bike at the hotel it misted for a moment, just enough to leave a few spots on my tank, and then it was gone. Lightning, just lightning...no storm, no rain. It's getting harder to dismiss as coincidence!

I think the grand total of hours I was on the bike was like 25, with the exception of a couple meals & fuel stops, of course. That was a lot of time in the saddle, a lot of time with myself, just me, thinking, feeling, experiencing the ride. The trip was smooth with one exception. As I was reaching the end of an off ramp on the way to visit the Harley dealer in Effingham, IL, my shift peg fell off! As luck would have it, I happened to look down at the exact moment it fell, and saw it bounce it's way to the side of the road. I put my hazards on, stopped the bike, and spent a few minutes walking the uncut, knee high grass. Tah Dah!!! I found it, put it back on, made sure it was tight, and went on from there. The road angels and my guardian angels smiled upon me that fortunate moment. If it had fallen off anywhere else, there would have been no finding it, and who knows how far I would have had to ride to find somewhere I could get it replaced!

25 hours of thinking is a lot. I think all the time, but riding thinking is different. I feel more connected to the universe. I caught my thoughts wandering back to the events that caused me to walk out of my job, and to all the other things that added far too much tension to my life. I decided to make myself stop and 'smell the roses'. I was the middle of the earth's splendor, witnessing, hearing, smelling, feeling nature. It was hot, sunny, perfect riding weather for me. I could feel the wind, warm and soothing on my skin. I could smell the pockets of spring flower scented air, and see everything growing in it's glory. BE PRESENT. I made myself take notice of the many shades of green there are, from the yellows of the farmers fields to the deep, dark, shaded green of the decades old trees lining the farmland. Nature is, indeed, a spectacular thing to witness if you stop yourself from being too busy to notice.

I understood the term 'be present' before, but now, after having been so stressed for so long, even though I'm unemployed at the moment, I'm making it a point of filling myself back up with moments that make me happy. "Present" moments. I think my soul has been depleted by all the stress and bad events in my life, and I need a refill, a refuel, a life road trip! I want to spend my time off counting 'life is good' moments :)

And if you're interested, the pictures are on my facebook

enjoy!
Ride to Memphis
Elvis' Toys
Route 66
Graceland
Memphis