Shitty April

Ohio takes some getting used to for a southern boy.

Still, the last two days have made for nice riding. 79°F yesterday, 62°F today. I can deal with either, but today it rained up until time for leave for work, then it stopped. While at work, it started raining again, and yet it stopped before I left work. After I got home, again the rain commenced.

I take this as a good sign.

Gonna buy a warm-weather helmet (3/4 with full-face shield) on one of my days off this week -- whichever day is nice enough to let me ride to get it.

Washing Wanda

Yes I did!  In honor of her 26,000th mile.

The view to my south, at 5:50 p.m., CDT.

The view to my north at 5:50 p.m. CDT.

Now, you may speculate as to why I didn't ride to Nashville, tonight.  :)

... but the truth of it?  I could not get the effin' 12mm bolt on Wanda's gearbox drain to break loose. In fact, I ruined my Lifetime Warrantied HDX t-handled driver in the attempt, twisting the motherfathering plastic handle by more than 90° (and will get my refund later this week, as I'm no fookin' brute). Chinese shit, y'all. ALWAYS LOW PRICES.

Wanda Down

Winds must've picked up, last night. Coffee and shower first, then to survey the damages...

Sitting Out

This is the scene out my front door at 6:47 p.m., today. There's thunder.

Now, I couldn't make it to the rally earlier, but was hoping to go and pick up my rally bag tonight, and see if my paltry two tickets won anything. Of course, the main organizer told me I had to be present to win. I couldn't even ask a friend to pick up my rally bag/tickets and have that count for anything. I hope Ed got my text where I asked if he could get my rally bag, to use my tickets to claim any winning for himself. I'd much rather someone  won than my tickets go to waste.

Okay, no big. I don't want special treatment. Certainly not worth risking my life to be there.

Bald rear tire, t-storms. I think I'll play Powerball, instead. Thorntons is just across the street, and they actually think my plastic Thai scooter is at least... well, let's just say Thorntons makes me feel welcome. But they are  a business, and I spend more than $25/year with them, too.

This is a disappointment, but I know what the rules are. I just don't plan to play this game anymore. Rallies are about old Italian bikes, and the people who own them  -- not people who're too poor to afford a car but can't walk everywhere or take a bus/train everywhere they need to go. So, no point in my bothering with rallies, IMO. They aren't relevant to me.

77°F & Pizza Perfect

Scenes from a Tuesday, after work.

Catching Up

Ramps to the moon: the intersection at Briley & Robertson, looking west at dusk, 2/20/2014.

February, 2014 was a freezing, foggy, freezing-fog-fuck of a month for me -- let no one understate that to you. I for one am glad to see it go... and I hope it ends up far up the ass of a groundhog, not even sanded, sideways. Any groundhog will do.

My electric bill was $202, the highest yet. To heat under 1000 square feet, people.

Getting to work many days was a test of endurance. The work was often taxing for the old man.

Some days were better than others. We had one day that was fully 75°F!

... but the reality was COLD, bitter fucking cold. Almost the entire month.

Consolation prize: I bought a refurb Dell Optiplex 755 to toss with my assorted peripherals to make up my first multi-core 3.0GHz CPU machine with 4GB of RAM. I'm living it up, 2007 style.

COB Sky

Directly overhead as I left the plant at the end of my day, today. No processing.

Naked

With today reaching 61°F, I decided to shave off the scruff for the first time in years. I also used the AF-655 to ride, tonight, a welcome change from the AF-M1.

Sunset over the Cumberland River, from Cleese's Ferry. I wanted to get the crescent moon in there.

Except for the black mirrors, this looks just like my last car, a 1994 Ford Mustang convertible.

We've Got To Stop Not Meeting Like This

I know. Winter's hard.

Seriously hard. If you're like me, you've ridden in +12F, been rained on, sleeted on, snowed on, had your breath condense on the inside of your faceshield and then freeze, and suffered the usual indignities, such as knowing married people who've had oral more recently than you, and not winning the effing Powerball.

This Too Shall Pass. And, The South Shall Ride Again!

Tonight's photo is from 7:15 p.m. tonight, at Pizza Perfect, btw.  :)

Senses

We use our senses while riding, of course, but one of my favorites is the sense of  smell. 

Right now, the smell of late-season grilling greets my nose on the commute home. Freshly-cut grass is a favorite no matter the season. Sometimes, the unpleasant diesel and kerosene fumes, near the airport. Or the cigarette (or cannabis) smoke from a car a few yards ahead of me.

Soon will come the scent of dry leaves, wood-burning stoves, and dry, hard air.

Already, I dread the cold.

Stella By Starlight Wanda By Raindusk

At Ed's (again!), tonight. I returned his rain jacket that I borrowed Sunday night, so he and Michele could ride to the meetup in comfort, but instead, we have metaphysical conversations, beer, and pets.

Some Days

... are just better than others.

Petrichor

... is a wonderful scent. I only wish it could be distilled, and added to air-freshening products, don't you?

I Love Springtime

... and no, this photo has nothing to do with spring, other than it was taken today.  :)

All the green, all the smells... OMG. What's not to love?

Ever Feel Like This?

I do, when it's fixin' to rain all weekend.

I took a nap this afternoon, settling in to some Battlestar Galactica,  and as hulu is wont to do, it froze up on the Nexus tablet sometime after I fell asleep. That's the frame on which it froze. "Yeah, that's how I feel."

The Ride To Bare Arms

Birds!  Trees!  Sunshine!  Boomcars!  Pollen!  Birdshit!

All of this... and more! ... await you in lovely middle Tennessee, right this minute!

I rode home with just the work duds on... short-sleeved shop shirt, jeans and steel-toe boots (that almost went in the ass of a Minnesotan who wanted to tailgate me down Woodmont much of the way home). Boy howdy. Like sex without a condom.

ErrMehGerd

Holy carp, has spring finally  arrived?!  Hells yeah!

We'll be rockin' tornado warnings by week's end, yeah. Kickin' it southeast style.

I rode home today, and saw eleventy-hundred motorcycles and several scooters on the way. 77°F, and mostly sunny @ 5 p.m., so even the wimpy Harley riders were out in full-force. With their fake DOT helmets, an' all.

Me?  I'd rather ride than talk about  riding.  ;)

Off to dodge the pollen. Latah!

At Last

I believe in the groundhog.

I think this awfulness is leaving. I know I am ready for it.

I ran some errands, after missing the scootnashville coffee klatch and ride this morning (sorry, folx). My first thought, as the sun shone down on me was, "Hey. My legs. They're warm."

I have the rain gear, so I may get out tomorrow, too. This is the best time of year.

Sproing...?

Just look  at this coming weekend!  It's snowed all day, today (flurries -- nothing stuck).

I'm ready for this miserable shit to end... you?

I'll be sending out the contest winners' goodies on 3/15, btw. I'll need the 1st Place Winner, Skully, to contact me to state their preference (Vespa model or foam-lined safety goggles), and both Skully & Dan Durston to send me their addresses to jprestonian upon the mail-of-g dot com.

スクーター1月25日 (PCX, 1/25)

Photo used under Creative Commons.

Wind induces tears
Winter intensifying
As I gather speed