Toy Runs in Side-by-sides: Adventures in Bako

I didn't expect to be at Valley Cycles before 7 am on a Sunday. The sun wasn't really up. In fact, it was just deciding to shine. Over the course of the next hour, Polaris and Yamaha vehicles lined up in preparation to trek across Bakersfield. With our toys in the back, Christian and I hopped into a red Ranger 500 (the least powerful thing present) and started our off-roading go-cart of a machine.

As we sped down the road, I couldn't help grinning, despite the sandy wind in my face. It's not every day you get a chance to ride in a side-by-side down the road. The four wheel vehicles handle like go-carts, and with their high center of gravity, drifting around corners at any kind of speed is not only possible - it's easy.

Our first stop on the toy run, was a nearby park on Rosedale Highway. Along with our substantial line of side-by-sides, different car and motorcycle groups rallied together to check out vehicles and stage the final step of our journey. After checking out everything from T-buckets, to vintage BMW motorcycles, we made our trek through Bakersfield to the fair grounds.  What everyone neglected  to mention, was our group was a sort of parade. Every intersection was guarded by police who ensured traffic worked with our group. At every corner, business, and house, there were small groups of children, families, teens, and adults waving and smiling to us. A few people had giant American flags and vet symbols, while others had homemade signs wishing us a 'Merry Christmas.' As I waved and smiled, I couldn't help but feel warm inside, no matter how cold my toes might have been. Here we were, providing a little free entertainment in the long line of spectacular vehicles that paraded through Bakersfield. Along with that, we were all donating at least one toy for a child in our community so they could have a happy holiday season. Plus, it didn't hurt that we got to speed through Bakersfield at top speed for our side-by-side.

When we finally got to the fairgrounds, we dropped off our toys and made our way into one of the two major buildings. Inside were booths for different charities, community organizations, and local artisans. In addition, there were different food vendors and a band per building. My favorite was 1916, a band where all the members wore big black boots and different kilts. They even had a bagpiper for a little icing on their celtic-punk musical cake.

Normally I would have felt bad about skipping out on church, but the toy run was worth it. Not only did we get to do some good for the community, but we also had some time to socialize and play on some fun vehicles that are normally relegated to dirt and sand. If you're a motor-head in Bakersfield next holiday season, I would definitely make sure you show up for the toy run. It's super fun and spreads quite a bit of holiday cheer all around.

BMW v. Harley - Divergent Biker Cultures

There are some things Americans aren't as good at. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. It's okay to fess up and admit them.

I know that some people like Harley Davidson. In fact, it's a bit like the following Mac computers has - their fans are religious. And of course, I'm a heretic when it comes to both brands, because I hate them. I hate Harleys. They're loud, obnoxious, covered in chrome and just scream "American" to me, in the worst possible way.

Don't get me wrong, they're powerful bikes. They have a legacy, and people congregate around them. Those things are good and cool and fine - for someone else. But, as my husband tells me, the things about the bike that are so flashy and obnoxious to me, are completely superfluous to how the bike runs. He also likes to make jokes about their engineering... but I don't know anything about that. I just know what he doesn't joke about - BMWs.

BMWs are everything that Harleys are not. They aren't flashy. They don't have anything on the bike without purpose - everything about how the bike is designed is deliberate from the handle bars and seat to the last tiny bolt. Half of their models can be used both on and off-road. The modifications available for the bikes are about increasing their comfort and utilitarianism, not their appearance. And of course, they're German. They embody German engineering in a two-wheeled vehicle. And I like and respect them a lot - and I mean a lot.

As you would expect the owners of each set of bikes are very different. The culture surrounding the bikes is different because they do different things. Last night I got a chance to sit in on a BMW owners meeting. The attendees were relaxed, generally middle aged and older. They wore comfortable clothing, but there were a few button shirts in the group. There were a lot of pairs of trail-sandals and Tevas in the room. Their conversations were about camping, sailing, kayaking, and off-roading on their GS models. But they also weren't shy about owning other brands of vehicles. You got the feeling they would be comfortable in just about any place or situation. There was no peacocking - just love for the outdoors and riding. It felt like a good safe space.

This is in direct contradiction to the Harley owners meetings I've been to - there everyone was talking at once, and loudly (with such loud pipes, you lose your hearing early), and of course there is always excessive amounts of black leather. Often times it feels like Harley riders are awkward, or wouldn't be comfortable in say, an art gallery or seeing a string quartet. They tend towards tattoo parlors, country concerts, and bars. And of course, mentioning owning another brand of bike is some kind of sacrilege - if you do mention it, you should do so in an apologetic tone unless its something Harley doesn't make. Then it's okay - like an ATV or something.

These differences are interesting because despite what most people think, Harleys and BMWs are in the same price range. Frankly, they're both expensive. The poor kids on the block are more likely to own a Suzuki or a Honda than either a Harley or a BMW motorcycle. That being said, the culture of the people is radically different because the bikes are radically different. So despite the fact that each group has to have the income to support their motorcycle habit, money doesn't necessarily imply preference or culture.

I strongly doubt my husband would ever purchase a Harley. He would much rather have that elegant German engineering that he can use in most situations with every part present for a purpose. And after sitting in on a BMW owners meeting, he fits there more than he does with any motorcycle group I've ever seen. And that's saying something, because he's a rare breed. But then again, so are BMW riders.

The Armpit of California - Bakersfield

When people told me Bakersfield was the worst place in California, I didn't believe them.  I thought they were lying to me, or it was a matter of perspective.  It still might be a matter of perspective, but I'm more inclined to side with the people who gave fair warning.

My parents, being the good parents they are as well as withholding judgment until they experience something for themselves, decided we would take a drive to check it out.  Bakersfield was one of the shops that was looking for a master-tech, and it's better to get as much information as possible. Man, am I glad I actually checked the place out because wow - I'm convinced.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate flat.  I also hate dry.  Driving to Bakersfield along the 166 was beautiful, until we hit the farm land.  Rows and rows of artificially organized citrus lined the slender line of asphalt.  We turned on to the 99 and made our way into town.  We had already gone through several whistle stops that made my mother groan and say "God this is sooo depressing!".  I figured, Bakersfield is a big city.  It will have something worth seeing.  Something will be interesting about it.

Thing was, there just wasn't. 

Going into town, there was a large community of large houses that were priced in the mid 100s. That should have been our first clue.  We found one of the malls - it was all average stores - forget designer.  There was, of course, only one major university there to service a city of over 300,000 people. In addition to the lovely culture, education, and shopping available, I was disturbed by the apparent lack of zoning in a large metropolitan area.  Houses were next to businesses and industrial areas.  Classic "American Lawn Art" was everywhere in the middle of the city.  One of the malls actually had boarded up windows!  An entire shopping mall had become empty!  It just looked trashy and rundown - the entire city looked like it had taken on the full brunt of our economic troubles. 

I thought Phoenix was hellish, and that is all I can say about it.  It is at least hellish.  Bakersfield might actually be hell.  I'm not sure.  I guess it depends on how you think about it.  If Hell is meant to have some beauty about it, something insidious about it, then Phoenix is Hell.  You have some art nights, some cool clubs, Tempe, and Scottsdale.  If, however, Hell should just be the most depressing place you've ever been in your life, then Bakersfield takes the cake.

All I know is, even though the closest Nordstrom to Troy NY is in Connecticut, I'd rather have the mountains and the Hudson River than dusty flat uber-farms and Frito Lay factories of Bakersfield.

Coast to Coast - California or New York?

As many of you may know, Christian and I are in the midst of transition.  I like to call this summer our "geographical interlude" because we simply don't know where we might end up living.  This is even more pressing because of the conversation I had with Christian yesterday. It went something like this.

"So how do you feel about Troy?"
"Huh?" I thought about Greece for a minute before it hit me. "You mean Troy NEW YORK? Like across the Hudson from Albany?!"
"Yes."
"There's a BMW Motorcycle shop there?"
"Yes."
"They have work during the winter?"
"Actually yes."

We went back and forth about the details of such a change.  The pros and cons were weighed against the other location possibilities.  The biggest cons are of course, our family and the snow.

I like the Hudson Valley.  It's a good place.  I enjoyed growing up there.  I know a lot of wonderful people and there are many things to do between Troy, Schenectady, and Albany. Plus, it's not a bad place to have kids.

California is a beautiful place.  I love it out here.  I love the salty ocean air and I love the palm trees.  I love fruit all year round and blue skies.  I love my parents. But of course, this place is ridiculously expensive and the infrastructure is broken.  I don't relish the idea of my kids going to California public schools, especially when I know there are places that have college like electives in high-school.

Then again, the question remains where we want to be in order to achieve our goals as a couple, and I'm not sure what location would be best in order to do that.  Christian wants to own a shop - at least one - so the question remains, where would be best to do this? I want to have a couple small businesses myself.  We can't really begin these things until we're settled in a place where we want to stay for any length of time.

Still, the idea of being in the capital region is an interesting one.  I like the idea of having seasons (even if winter and mud aren't my favorites). I like the idea of being in a place that is small enough that I can have the city and the country without too much hassle.  There's water and mountains.  There's culture and low cost of living. But there is snow...lots of snow.

Christian has never lived in snow and part of me wonders if he would be okay with it.  He's always been on the West Coast. Most of that time has been spent on the California coast, with only a short period in the Arizona desert. Seasons are a different kind of animal.  Snow is something that Christian has experienced, but he's never really lived in it.  He hasn't been in a place that was as dark and cold as New York is from November through January.  Part of me worries that he would hate it.  I really don't relish the idea of moving across the country only to find that I will be moving back in a year.  I'm tired of moving like this.  I desperately want to be still.

Nothing has been decided, and we have a lot more information to gather before we come to a final conclusion.  It is a lot and frankly I'm wide-eyed while holding my breath. I just pray for the best thing for all of us.  Say a prayer and cross your fingers!

Stunt Riding - A Show Worth Seeing

Alex Flores doing a burnout.

East Bay Motorsports, Christian's work, and the California Highway Patrol sponsored a free "safety event" at the Oakland Coliseum parking lot.  Just like the true meaning for "safety corridor" this was just as fun.

Yes folks, we got to see stunt riders!  Alex Flores and Jason Pullen were there doing all manner of things, from balancing stunts, stoppies, wheelies, and jumps, to riding a modified dirt-bike that could roll upside down.  I honestly wasn't expecting that much.  I had seen stunting only once before at MotoGP when I saw a race at Laguna Seca.  Christian has made me watch stunting videos occassionaly on TV, but I hadn't seen stunting up close and personal the way I watched it today.  Seeing the burnouts up close, smelling the burning rubber, and watching the facial expressions of the stunt riders adds a whole new dimension to stunting. 

Jason Pullen doing a wheelie.

Of course these guys are hams - they grin and wiggle their eyebrows with the best of them.  Of course they feed off of each other.  Of course they are flirting with danger as they do things with motorcycles that could in theory result with 400 lbs of metal, plastic, and hot solvents falling on your body.  But these guys are good.  They are consistent in their execution and they make it look only moderately difficult (because it's impossible for it to appear easy).

In addition to the entertaining stunt riders, the CHP gave a demonstration of their motorcycle cops riding their BMW R1200 bikes through a cone slalom course, after which anyone could try their hand through the cones. 

Alex's blue & white paisley stunting bike

East Bay Motorsports had a booth where you could check out some of the different kinds of vehicles available at the shop as well as some of the gear.  During the break between stunt shows, you could meet the riders, buy merchandise, and get autographs.  East Bay was giving out free food as well - chips, hot dogs, soda, water, donuts, and other random snacks. All in all it was a pretty good time for a free event with free food. 

Jason's Harley stunt bike

From the announcements, it sounds like this will happen again at least annually if not more often.  When it does I highly recommend going because it's worth the rush of seeing someone stunting up close and personal.  Even if you're not a huge motorcycle fan, it's worth seeing at least once for the experience of it. These guys are phenomenal athletes doing crazy things for our entertainment. A little homage is totally worth it for everyone involved.

The Anticlimax - Preparing for Phase 2 New Jersey & Santa Barbara

Anticlimactic - that's where we are.  It's amazing when you wait and wait and wait for something to happen, once it does, you are less interested in it and possibly put out by the situation it creates.  That's kind of how I feel now.  In all honesty, there's no kinda about it.  I am actually more anxious, more concerned, about all the little details for this summer than I was before I knew that Christian got into the program. 

Don't get me wrong.  I want him to do this.  I want everything that it means for him.  It's a great opportunity and he was one of the top two candidates the executives selected.  I love my husband and I'm excited for him.  I'm worried about entirely unrelated things.

For example, our lease isn't up until after he would be finished with this new program.  So I have to figure out what the best course of action is, or if we only have one course of action.  Ideally we would sublease the place for the final 2 months and then the new tenant could take over the lease as they chose.  Depending on our lease agreement, we may be forced to just break it which is an expensive endeavor.

Then of course, there's managing all of our regular bills that follow us regardless of geography - like student loans and cell phones.  Christian won't be working at that time, and I need to find a short-term position. 

That doesn't account for storing all of our furniture.  We could of course sell it, but when comparing how much we could get for the furniture with how much it would cost to replace it later, it's better to store it.  So then the question is where and how much for 1600 sq ft worth of stuff.

It's alot to think about.  Add the question of the financial solvency of our renters in Phoenix, and it's enough to make me overly snappy.  Literally all I'm thinking about is planning, piece by piece.  We made a list and divided it between the two of us in order to tackle things more efficiently.  Still it feels daunting. 

I feel like I should pare down my clothing.  I still have quite a lot of clothes that are too small in one or two ways that I'm clinging to in order to prevent replacement as I continue through my work out regime.  Do I get rid of it all? Do I keep it? Do I just keep the things I think I am most likely to wear in the next 6 months? Considering my wardrobe, that in itself occupies a special place in my worrying mind.  If only my closet was my biggest concern.

Motorcycles: Facing Fear and Feeling Free

The sky was gray and it drizzled, still, we braved it.  I put on my Bombshell boots, matching gloves, and my Scorpion helmet.  Never having found a motorcycle jacket I liked (in matching white of course) I suffer in my H&M black leather bomber from years ago.  At first I was nervous.  It had been a long time since I had been on the back of a bike.  Yes, I was just on the back, not driving, but still.  I used to be young and fancy free.  I used to swing as high as I could and then jump off at the height of the arc.  Not any more.  Now I have gene survival on the brain and I find it makes me a little more paranoid than I used to be.  Riding outside the box doesn't exactly lead one to believe you'll be on the planet for any length of time.  Riders call it "the fear."

Everyone has to master it at some point, deal with their own particular brand of road demons.  As we drove along Redwood, curving through the misty day, winding our way along the lake, through moss covered trees, and gurgling streams, it came to me.  Why was I afraid? What was I afraid of? I had ridden side saddle on the back of an old purple Kawi in India and had thought nothing of it, and there, God forbid, I wasn't always wearing a helmet.  Of course, speeds were different.  The whole thing was different.  It was more like a tame version of bumper cars, whereas this, this could be life and death.  I knew people who had been hurt, a friend who was killed. 

Yet, for that winding hour, I wasn't worried about the right-hand turns which used to jangle my nerves. Instead I felt free.  I was free to be in the world.  It was okay to know that I could die at any moment, that I would die eventually, and it would be at the time meant for me to go.  We cannot know what happens in the world, and where we are in the balance.  We just have to trust that we live our lives to the fullest every day, in whatever way we can, however we can.  So what was there to be afraid of?

After burgers and wandering through Berkeley, Emeryville, and then finally Oakland, we wandered our way through previously unexplored realms of East Bay.  I will freely admit there is something that happens when you are on a motorcycle that cannot when you are trapped in a car.  You smell and hear everything.  You look down into the other cars on the road.  You feel the heat coming off the school bus engine idling behind you at a stop light.  The changes in temperature and humidity from one location to another are tangible to you in moments.  The world bares itself to a biker in a way it can never for someone driving a car.  I even caught a whiff of a man's cheap cologne as he crossed the street.  It's not always pleasant, but at least its honest.  There is a relief in the truth.

Even after hours of riding, the fear only caught me once, when the freeway home turned into ten plus lanes, with hardly any cars present.  It's times like then I feel exposed.  Even though I was holding on to Christian, I felt like I would fly off at any second.  Nothing was there to break my fall.  When there was a car that happened to pass on either side, I wondered what would happen if I became unbalanced and fell, what would happen to my shell of a body? Would it be over in an instant? All around me was the possibility of death.  I don't know why it happens on those wide open freeways, but every time, like clockwork, the rising tide of fear grabs me.  This time it was short, and we were in Hayward in minutes, so hyperventilating or sobbing on the back wasn't an option like the last time I was on a major highway in Phoenix.

Even though I did have a moment of panic on the freeway, overall, I felt good being back on the bike.  It had been months.  I have the saddle sores to prove it.  Plus, I missed my boots and gloves.  There is something about awesome gear that makes you feel about ten feet taller and puts a swagger in your step.  I might still have some way to go in my relationship with motorcycles, but at least I freed myself enough to ride on one and take in everything the world has to offer on an overcast Friday afternoon.

Supersport Motorcycle Movies

We just got a Blu-ray player for a ridiculously cheap price (which was good because the signals of our DVD player remote were screwing with our TV and visa versa).  To make sure the settings were right, Christian decided to pop in one of his favorite racing movies, Tokyo Drift. Now, I'm not a total gear-head, but I have a serious stereotypical guy movie thing going on, as long as there is some homage to plot and not excessive gore, I will usually watch it once.  Cars, shiny, and hot chicks, it's a definite go.

My question is, why aren't there any good crotch-rocket motorcycle movies? Sure there are documentaries about motorcycle racing, and there is of course the awful Easy Rider which makes me want to blow up myself, or the other chopper/cruiser movies that so many people like to watch, the majority of which are bad.  There are very few to zero things on the market that are fiction, involve sport bikes as central to the plot, and are any good whatsoever.  There is only so much cruiser I can take.  I want something that is sleek, beautiful, fast and makes me salivate.  Not something that looks like it hasn't changed in fifty years, the welds might fall apart, and or the engine will cause me to damage my hearing in two minutes of riding.  Please.  Let's give up that wretched black leather vest image and get a little Icon or Alpinestars in there.  I would love my Bombshell boots on the screen.

Yes... please Hollywood, put a beautiful man (and a woman too, while you're at it) in leathers and a helmet on a fast beautiful Supersport and I will watch him (and her).  Make it about racing and pushing himself (herself) to be awesome.  Make it at least as good as Tokyo Drift.  I will talk about the movie constantly.  I promise. Pre-production soon?

Automatic v. Stick - Truck v. Motorcycle

So we're at a point where we have to make a choice.  The big one. What do we do with the Protege? Do we sell it? Do we suck it up and keep the damn thing? If we sell it, do we buy something or Zip it? If we buy something, what do we buy? We're already selling Christian's bike, a Kawasaki Ninja 650R, and talking about getting one of the most practical and best selling little trucks ever. 

The truck is an easy sell for me, because of it's practicality, safety, and all around usefulness (think: any potential moving, our own, or others'). Christian has access to bikes all the time from his work.  He rides regularly.  Buying another bike would be an easy thing to do even if we bought a truck.  They require a lot less capital than cars and the insurance is a hell of a lot cheaper. But when it comes to buying a car I choke up.  I don't know if I can handle having less than a turbo.  I like driving fast.  I like feeling the road beneath me, having a responsive car where I know the wheel is connected to my thoughts and as soon as I turn it, I am off like a rocket.  There is nothing better than that feeling.  Nothing compares.  As frightening as the engine roll up may be (mostly because I don't want the cops to get curious), it is also exhilarating and liberating.  I will go, that is, as soon as the car is out of the shop.

Since our catalytic converters are being installed and were a special order part, we had to take my mother-in-law's car back to the Bay area, a RAV 4. In addition to the larger body, the innumerable buttons for climate control, and steering column controls for blue tooth and the stereo, it is an automatic, and a Toyota.  There is a reason for automatic cars, and I can say at least one of the biggest reasons is San Francisco itself.  With the crazy intersections (often with about 7 different potential directions in just as many angles) and the hills that feel like Mount Everest with a stick shift, an automatic is an attractive thing.  So when I drove the RAV 4 to Potrero Hill this morning, I really appreciated the automatic while I was waiting for someone to pull out of their 90 degree parking space on the steep Potrero grade. Even during the drive on the 580 back to Hayward, I didn't want for power.  The little SUV has some pick up.  But I still found myself wanting to have more control over how the car handled. I wanted to slip into spaces that the SUV just couldn't, where my Protege could.  Plus, there was no chance I was going to play driving games in the RAV 4.  Let me tell you, there were a few jerks on the road that I really wanted to show up, but of course, it's my mother-in-law's car, and it's definitely not a Mazdaspeed. 

It got me thinking, if I was going to sell the car, what could I possibly get that would make me as happy driving? Everything that looks remotely interesting would require a lot more capital than I have on hand and car payments are definitely not an option at this point.  No, I think I'm committed.  It's a marriage to my car.  My awesome little Mazdaspeed Protege.  I love thee.  And at least for the mean time, we are totally together.  That is, until I have some excess cash for a more reliable sports car.  Maybe an Audi S... or an M series... I could do a Mini S too... maybe.  Oh wait, no... none of them have the ratings of Mazda's.  Yes, thank you GOD for one car company that makes good reasonably priced and powerful vehicles.  They make my shifting hand itch.  I can't wait for my car back!