Jeffrey Dean Morgan And A Ukulele.

     I was listening to Howard Stern this morning, and he had Jeffrey Dean Morgan on. If you don't know who he is, he is an actor who currently plays the role of Negan on The Walking Dead. He's really good at it too. Despite the fact that I've seen him in a few different things, I despise him as Negan. That is actually a compliment to his acting. He plays the role so well, that I don't like him at all. If you are a fan of the show, and feel the same way about him, I wanted to tell you a couple of things I learned about him. He grew up in Seattle Washington, and had his eye on being an artist. He would sell his paintings at his friends rock shows. Those friends just happened to be the guys in Alice in Chains, and Mother Love Bone (who later became Pearl Jam). He even tried his hand at music, but found that he was terrible at it. He began acting, by chance. He accompanied a friend to L.A. and while he was there, he met a casting director that helped him land his first role. After that, it was history. He was an actor now, and I'd have to say that it has worked out so far.

     With all his fame and fortune you'd think he would be living in Hollywood and being part of the glamorous life, but you would be wrong. He lives with his wife and son on a farm in upstate New York. He bought the land and uses it  as a rescue shelter for alpaca, cattle and other animals. He also bought a candy store that was kind of a cultural center of this little town that he calls home with Paul Rudd. They bought it in order to save it from going under or being bought out from someone that would change it to something else. The previous owner was a man that Jeffrey and his wife met when they first visited the town. He died a few years ago, and Jeffrey and Paul wanted to keep his legacy alive, which was that candy store. He is a great actor and a pretty remarkable man. So you can hate his character, but know that he is a pretty good dude.

     I just checked Mya-Moe, so that I could get the link ready for you to see the latest update, and I was surprised to see a new update posted. I honestly expected nothing to be done today, but they got the top glued on and began working on the neck. This new ukulele is coming along faster than I thought it would, and I'm loving it. Here is the link UkeTracker to check out the progress. The top picture is of course the latest shot of the ukulele, but you can go down and click on the other pictures to see everything that has been done so far. The second to last picture is one of the best. It shows the bracing that is inside the bottom and sides. That bracing, which is more detailed on the top piece, is what gives the ukulele a lot of it's intonation. The wood itself does a lot of work there as well, but when they put those braces in, and start shaping them, they tap the wood to hear the tone, and shave little pieces off at a time until the wood sounds just right. It's an incredible process, and if you get the time, you can go on their YouTube channel and watch a series of videos they did called "The Making Of A Mya-Moe". It's really good, and they take you through every step, from ordering to when they send it out to you. It takes some time to watch them all, but you don't have to do it all in one day. Now, that won't help you if you want a custom made ukulele from therm. They have stopped taking orders on custom builds, but they are going to build pre-configured ukuleles. If you have something in particular that you want, you can give them your configuration, and they can see if one that they are going to build comes close to it, and they will give you the option of first choice on buying it. NO, it's not a custom, but it's still a Mya-Moe Ukulele, and they put the same pride in a pre-configured as they do a custom. They are fantastic little instruments and if you want to hear one of them, here is a video of Eddie Vedder playing his Mya-Moe, that he named Clarence.



     Great song, and a great sounding ukulele. If you thought that was the Favorite Song of the Week, you would be mistaken. I'm going to take you back for this one. This is a band that a found out about because of the Purple One himself. Prince put these guys on the map, and wrote a lot of their songs. The were a big part of that Minneapolis sound, that Prince made famous. He put them in his movie Purple Rain as the foils. They played the villains pretty well too. That is still one of my favorite movies, and I can watch it anytime it is on, or I put the dvd in. Here is Morris Day and The Time with The Bird.



     I for one, can't listen to that song and not want to dance. For those of you who are fans of The Time, I'm suer you were expecting me to play Jungle Love. Listen, that's a great song too, but for me, The Bird is the best song that they ever did. The bird caws are what makes it for me.

     That is all I have for you tonight. I'm keeping its short and sweet. Oh wait, I do have one more thing. I did happened to stumble across a location for the model/Saki photoshoot. I told the photographer about it, and he went and checked it out today. He loved it, so we might have something soon. If I am abled to, I try to get permission to use one of the shots for this. It won't be easy either, he prides himself on not putting pictures out there for everyone to see. These shots are for his private use, and the models portfolio, so I'm not making any promises. With that I bid you, peace in and goodnight.

Friday Was A Great Day.

     Friday was a blast. I finally got to ride with a friend of mine. She was a very cautious, I might even say a tad bit overly cautious, but I am also very comfortable on a bike. I'm beginning to see that I might be too comfortable on a bike. By saying that, I'm not saying that I go to extremes with my riding. I always keep both wheels on the ground, and I always make sure that I'm in the clear when changing lanes or overtaking another vehicle. All that in mind, it was a great ride. We basically rode back and forth up the Space Coast of Florida. We even did a short two runs on Airport Rd. It gives you a chance to lay the bike on it's side. Then corners are tight enough that you can get your lean on, but not so tight that you have to be nervous about going in too fast. You still have to watch your speed when entering the corners though, but you have to go by feel. I've heard some motovloggers talk about a formula for how fast you should enter a turn. I don't know anything about that, it all comes down to feel and comfort. If you aren't comfortable going into a corner fast, then slow down. Make sure you do all your braking going into the turn, and not during it.Braking in the middle of the turn, is a great way to put the bike down, or cross the center lane, and that is a big no no.

     I do have a few pictures for you of the bikes. We had a couple of chances to pull off the side of the road for some pretty nice shots. Get ready for some pictures.

     This first one, was pretty early on in the ride. This was on the south end of what we call River Road. It's a very slow ride, the posted speed limit is 20-25 MPH. It varies between those two throughout that stretch of road. This was the first spot we saw that we could pull over and not be on someone's private property. The property parcels there, stretch to across the road for private docks. We snapped a few pictures  here, and dodged traffic, running back and forth across the road. It was  great spot under some shade trees near the water.

     These two here, were on the north end of River Road. Most of the ride, I was looking for places that we could park the bikes without really being on the road. this was the best location for such a thing, and it had that wonderful bush behind us that really added to the shots. The top one is one that I took while the second is from my friend. I've mentioned her before. She is the amateur photographer that is usually snapping great pictures of wildlife, but Friday was an exception. You can check out more of her work right here Elie Wolf 

     It was great riding with her, and I'm sure we will do it again soon. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you what it is she is riding. She has a beautiful Yamaha Bolt that is named Opie Jr.. If you didn't know better, you could probably make the argument that Saki and Opie Jr. are siblings. They are both red heads, with a lot of power, but the look just different enough to not be twins.

     With the ride over, I headed to my favorite watering hole for a bite to eat, and really see my bartenders last day. I got there a little before 5 and the bar was open. It was a fun night. I met a lot of new people, and a few drinks, and got to pick up a friend of mine's tab. He wasn't supposed to know it was me, since he hadn't seen me with no beard yet, but he figured it out, and came over to thank me. I was going to try and let him get out without talking to him that night, so that I could pull off the surprise RAK, and then talk to him the next time I saw him. I guess I wasn't as incognito as I thought I was. Sometimes plans work out, sometimes they don't.

     My bartender told me when I sat down, that she could have gone out for drinks on Thanksgiving night, but she was exhausted from stress. She was having to deal with a roommate issue. I understood, and simply said, some other time. I knew what she was going through, so it's ok. She really did seem interested in having drinks, and that is all that counts.

    While I was sitting at the bar having my dinner. I got a text. It was from someone that I didn't expect to hear from again. Remember the woman that 3W had me meet? The one that I went ahead and asked out on his prompting? Yep, she texted me. I was drinking and my day was going so great, that I didn't want to look at it. Last weekend was so miserable that I didn't want it tainting the great day I was having. I did text a friend for advice on what I should do. In the end, she told me that I would do the right thing, which I'm pretty sure I knew that, I just needed someone to tell me that, and when it comes from someone that you really trust, it holds more of an impact than your own inner voices. So, I didn't even bother reading the text from that woman, until Saturday morning. I'll give you the summary of what she said. Basically she admitted to lying about having a boyfriend, and apologized for doing so. I did respond to her, accepting her apology, and that was pretty much all of it. I didn't ask her out again, and I don't plan on it. I pretty much just threw her the ball to do with what she wants. I am 100% sure that 3W was behind her texting me. Based on the time she texted me, he was probably at the place she works at at the time. That was another reason I didn't look at the text until the next day. If he was there, and she told him my response, he would tell her how to answer. In the end, I was the nice guy. I could have been a dick and railed on her for lying, but why? I wouldn't get anything out of that. She got scared for some reason, and I accepted that, and I am now moving on. Besides, I am solely focusing on my bartender.

       Later Saturday evening, I got a text from my bartender. She was working at her other job and wanted to know if I wanted to come up and have a shot with her. My phone was on about 3% battery life, so I needed to charge it before going anywhere, so I told her it would take me an hour or so to get up there. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity, even though I would be breaking a huge rule of mine to do so. You see, my bartenders other job, si bartending at a strip club, and the rule is, never go to a strip club alone. There are many reasons for this rule, but the main reason is that you need someone else there to push the dancers onto, when you don't want a dance. Plus, I think it's a little creepy to go to a strip club alone. I'm not there to pick up a dancer, I understand the whole fantasy of the place, but going in alone, is saying that you don't bnecesarrrily get that. 

     I finally get there close to 10, and I find a spot at the bar, that is right next to a wall, so I don't have an open area for dancers to come up and hang out. I did have a couple of stools next to me free, but those got filled pretty quick. I was in the clear, I wouldn't have to tell dancers that I didn't want any dances. I could just talk to my bartender when she had a brief moment to do so. The strip clubs are smokey inside, so I wasn't planning on staying long. I figured I would have two drinks and do a shot with my bartender and then I would be home and to bed in no time. You know me and plans like that though. I was there long enough that the bar stools next to me opened back up, and dancers began to arrive. I would talk to them, and then eventually tell them that I was just there to drink, but then one noticed my Twenty One Pilots tattoo. She mentioned that there was another dancer there that loved that band. She called her over, and showed her my arm and then the conversation began. We sat and talked about TOP and how much we loved them, then it went into other things. I mentioned that I have an extra ticket for Panic! At The Disco, and she quickly asked me for my number. Sure, I knew where this was going anyway. I'd give her my number and that would be it. It's all part of that fantasy. She makes me believe that she wants my number and will text or call about the show, and then I think she is really into me, and I get a dance from her, because we now have this connection, and I will have the number of a dancer. That's how it is supposed to go. Here is the way it did go. She immediately texted me, so that I had her information. I was shocked. I actually have a dancers number. I don't have an actual bucket list, but if I did, get a dancers number, would be on it. Here is the thing though, this wan't about that "fantasy" she really doesn't enjoy that music, and loves going to shows. It wasn't a sexual we can hook up thing. I really think I made a friend, that just so happens to be a dancer. I still wan't going to get a dance. She then tells me, that she dances to TOP songs all the time, and she would get the DJ to play one for a dance for me. I couldn't pass that up. i could get a dance from a TOP fan while a TOP song was playing. I needed that experience. Once again, it wasn't sexual at all. She was very attractive, but that had nothing to do with it. The whole time, she is giving the lap dance, we are having a blast singing the song at the top of our lungs. It was great.

     The night ended, and the dancer, who I'm not using her name, because she never gave me her stage name. I only know her real name, and as you know. I don't use anyone's real name on here, to protect their privacy. Mine, I don't care about. What I do is open game for these posts. That is the whole reason behind writing this, but other people should have the right to be able to deny they were ever involved. Anyway, she came up to me, and gave ma a huge hug and thanking me for the most fun dance she has ever given. I thanked her as well. It was fun. That brings me back to my bartender, who looked gorgeous by the way. That was the other reason that it was so easy to turn those dancers down. She came around the bar and gave me a hug goodnight as well, and it was the best hug I've ever gotten. Maybe it was because it was something that I've wanted to do for a very long time now, or maybe it was just that it was her, either way, it was the best.

     I can't help but have a feeling, that this could happen, and we could date. No I haven't asked her officially out, but I feel that she would be up for it. That could be me just reading way more into it than what is really there. I am known to do that, but I really do feel like there is a possibility. I said it before, I only need a chance, and I think that is what I have. I'll keep you informed. For now, I can only say, peace in and goodnight.

Turkey Day Edition.

     Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you ate your fill, and reflected on the things you were thankful for. Among many things, I was thankful that I got to ride Saki today. We went out for a short little ride, and then I cleaned Saki up. Saki has a big day tomorrow. Saki is going to be getting it's picture taken in maybe different locations. This isn't the photo shoot with the model, I'm still looking for a location for that. This is going to be a very dear friend of mine, that I have been waiting to ride with for months now. I'll tell you all about it on Sunday night, and I just might have some pictures for you as well. We will have to wait and see on that last part.

     There is no new update on the ukulele, which I expected. They will surely have something new done by Sunday though. The next step is to glue the top onto the sides, and a few other things. I'll post a link to it if there is anything new.

     I texted my bartender today, and I happened to tell her that if she was up for going out for a drink to let me know. She seemed like she was up for it, but things weren't exactly going her way today, so I knew there was a very good chance that drinks would not happen. Like I said, she seems open to the idea. It may only be as friends, but I'll take that. I might have mentioned it before, that I move very slow, and because of that, I have a tendency to lull women into liking me. They don't see it coming, and then they just sort of always see me there, so they figure "why not". I really don't know if that is true, but I do kind of stick around long enough for them to finally see me. I might finally be breaking her down.

     I have no other plans for this weekend other than trying to ride as much as I can. I may even ride before my ride tomorrow. Get in a morning ride and then a noon time ride. That is when my friends is supposed to arrive at my place. I do know, that I am staying away from stores and sales. I don't want anything to do with Black Friday, and I have no reason to even be involved in it. I do plan to go have a drink or two at my favorite watering hole, but other than that. my weekend is up in the air, and that has me a bit concerned. Why? you ask. Because I am making a conscience effort to distance myself from 3W for a little while. It appears that 3W is in town, so he may or may not contact me to go out for drinks. I will have to try and make plans that he will not want to be a part of. I know the right people to call up, so that he won't want to be around them.

     I do want to see the new Harry Potter film, that really has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I'm not sure of the name. I think it is Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. I'm always up for a Wizarding World film. They are magical (yes, pun intended), and fantastically fun. Who wouldn't want to possess the power to perform magic? I'm sure there are people out there, but I'm not one of them. At some point, I will buy my very own wand at Universal Studios.

     I think I'll leave you with a picture I took of Saki today after I cleaned it up. Here it is, Saki basking in the sun.

     Pulling this picture up reminded me, that I have another picture for you. I took a shot so that you could see the RAM mount and where it is on the handlebars. It looks a little bulky, but it is definitely out of the way where it sits on the bars. So one more picture and then I sign off.

Peace in and goodnight.

Then Fate Walked In.

     Well, I chose the heater in my car for the ride to work on Monday. It was in the lower 40's when I went to work, and Saki just needed to stay in the garage in stay warm. I did however ride in this morning, and it really wasn't much warmer. It made it to the mid 40's for the ride in, and I was cold. My gloves are for more summer and spring riding, so mid 40's at 45 MPH makes for some frozen fingers. It looks like my next gear purchase will be some warmer gloves.

     Not much happened today, but something did happen on Monday. I was miserable all day, and by miserable I mean that I was spiraling downward, because of everything that happened this weekend. I just kept running everything through my head over and over again, and how 3W was being, well we know what he was being. About midday, I remembered something, and that memory gave me hope for redemption. "What was the memory", you ask? It was that my bartender happened to mention that Monday would be her last day. I pulled up y big boy pants and made my way to the watering hole. I walked in, and she had a pretty big smirk on her face for me. "You're here", she said. I told her that I didn't get to say goodby yesterday, and that I wanted to make sure I came in today to do just that. She told me that she was glad I came in. Her saying that she was glad the I came in, was a big deal to me. After she said that, her smirk turned into a grin, and that was an even bigger deal to me.

     I was still feeling pretty low, and was spending all of my time sitting there, trying to figure out the right things to say. I was comping up blank, and that was making me feel even worse. There weren't a whole lot of people there, so she had time to come over to where I was sitting and talk a bit with me. Turns out, that I didn't have to come up with any "right" thing to say, I just followed her lead. She mentioned that she was going to be alone for the holidays, and I told her that if she wanted to do anything, that she could text me. When I said that, she said she would, not, I don't have your number. You may remember form Sunday, 3W was saying that she told him that she didn't have my number and I never gave it to her. There was nothing like that when I spoke to her. That means that my feelings about who was lying to me, were correct. I don't know why he was lying, although I have an idea. It's not worth sharing though.

     During our short conversations, we talked about a few reasons to get together to go to Universal. That's when I go to thinking, that no matter what, I needed to walk out of there with her phone number. This is where Murphy's Law kicks in, and my phone dies. Hey spiral, remember me? Good to see you again in the same day, only moments from when I was starting to climb back up. Could my luck possibly get any worse? I was scrambling in my head, on what to do. I could ask her for pen and paper, or a napkin, something. I would wait until I was ready to leave in that case. I could make this happen. I should mention, that when my phone died, it still had 23% battery life left on it. My phone does that from time to time, and it is usually at the most inopportune times that it does.

     Everyone that was left at the bar was watching Dancing With The Stars. and my bartender told me to move around to a better area to see the TV. I had never watched the show, but I was up for seeing how good these people could dance. It was the finals. I have no idea who won, but there was some talent. I know I'm getting away from what I should be talking about but this is all part of it. A very good friend of mine, when I told them that I had blown it on Sunday with my bartender, said, that if she texted me it was fate giving me a nudge. I told her that fate has never been on my side. I have to amend that statement now, because fate definitely showed up last night. Because that show was on, and I didn't really care about it. I pulled out my phone and tried it out to see if it would turn on. Lately when it shuts down, with extra life still on it, it shuts down for good. It will make an effort to restart, but it will always shut down just before it turns on. Last night, it turned on, and it stayed on. My bartender walks over to me, and I say to her, "My phone came back to life.", and then I spun the phone to her, with a new contact up, so that she could put in her info. It worked, and I got her number. It's a small victory, but it is a victory non the less. Now I have to come up with a really good reason to text hers o that mental battle field should be fun. Oh, and it turns out, that she has one more day of work there, it will be this Friday, so she will be my bartender one more night.

     That brings us to Favorite Song of the Week. This will be the last of the mini highlight series of Walk Off The Earth videos. This is the one, that really shows off their talent. They are paying an instrument called a Harpejji, and they are all playing it at once, and getting some great sounds out of it, and the other little props that they have. I should also point out, that Sarah was in labor during the filming of this song. I guess that's one way to bring a little joy to the world while you bring a bundle of joy into the world. Just becasue this is the last video of this series, it doesn't mean that they won't show up in FSOTW again. Without further adieu though, here is "Can't Feel My Face", which is a cover originally done by The Weeknd.




     I'm sure you noticed that the font changed a bit up there, I tried to fix it without luck, so I'm hoping ash it doesn't bother you too much.  Ok, just previewed what the page will look like, and there is nothing different, so you are probably thinking that I lost my mind, but I can tell you, the box I"m writing this in, looks wonky. With that in mind, I only have one more thing to talk about tonight, and that would be my ukulele. There wasn't any update on Sunday, but they have since did two more things in the process for it. Yesterday they glued in the tail block, and today the braced the top, and glued the back to the sides. You can go here UkeTracker to check out the progress. It may not seem that exciting to you, but to me, it is one of the greatest things ever.

     I hope that anyone that is celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday, has a wonderful one with friends and family, and I will talk to you that night after all the festivities. Peace in and goodnight.

Oh The Rage.

     For the better part of the day, I've been thinking about how to start this. Do I let all the anger that is in me out about today's events, or do a take a more calm and content demeanor to it. As you can see, i chose the latter. I'll get to today, but we have to start with Friday.

     Friday wan't unusual for the most part. I got on Saki and rode around with a bit of a purpose. I needed to find a location for a friend of mine to do a photo shoot. The shoot is going to involve Saki, and a model. We need a location that will have contrasting imagery. The problem I am finding, is that places that are like that around here, are high traffic areas. There are no secluded rundown areas, that don't have a bunch of people moving through in one way or the other. More than likely, wherever we find will be a place that we don't belong, and will have to be able to move out of there in a moments notice. The search is on, but we are running out of time, because we want to do it before it gets cold out. WE have to think about the models comfort as well as safety.

     After that, I went and closed my account with my stock broker. I wasn't seeing any change in my account, well I was seeing a change, the change was going the wrong way. It was a little at a time, but after a while, that  adds up. I'm just going to sit on the money for now, I have another account with someone else, that does much better, so I really don't need this particular money just going for a loss, when I could just put it in the bank and use it for emergency funds.

     I hear ya, "let's get to the part where you go and ask your bartender out.". Ok, I'll get to that part, but you are going to be disappointed. I did go, but it was a bit later than I usually do. There was a reason for that. The crowd would be gone, and I wouldn't have to drink as much, because they would be closed in only 2 hours. I was wrong about both of those things. The place was kind of packed, and I still managed to drink my fill in only those 2 hours. Since it was busy, I didn't get to talk to her much, so the night was a total loss, in the asking her out portion of it. I went home feeling a bit dejected, but knowing that on Saturday, I would be riding Saki over to Orlando for a baby shower.

     The ride over was nice, but windy. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and a little cooler temperature, so that my jacket didn't feel too hot. I even brought my highway hanky with me. Oh by the way, let me talk briefly about this highway hanky. It is fantastic. It's made by Icon and it's made out of a fleece type of material. It's designed so that you where it like a old west bandit, but it has snaps on the ends, so that you don't have to tie it. That is great, because you can still get a helmet over it, because there isn't a bulky knot in the way. It was only $20 bucks too. I didn't need it for the ride over, but I should have worn it on the way back. I'll get to the return trip in a little while.

     I didn't know exactly where this place was at, so I had the phone in the new RAM mount. It worked great by the way. It comes with a little  rubber part, that you can use to strap it down. It's a little added insurance so that your phone doesn't go flying. I had a plan, so that I wouldn't drain my phone battery by using the gps on it, by only turning that on, when I knew I was close. I simply pulled over, and plugged in the address, and away we went. I did move that mount a little closer to my grip on my clutch hand. It sat the phone up a little higher, which meant it was going to take some wind coming over the windshield, but I think the wind flow took most of the wind over it, so it didn't even budge the slightest. I could see it clearly and it didn't disturb the display on Saki. I think that is where I'm going to leave it. If I remember, I will get a shot of where it is on the handle bars so that you can see it on Tuesday night.

    Anyway, I arrived at the location without a problem, and it was a very nice area. It was sort of like a residential neighborhood, that had their own private market and restaurant. It was unique to say the least. It sat on a small lake, that was surrounded by cattle land, with cows wandering the bank of the lake, lazily drinking from it. I got to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while, and it was great. You can tell how good a friendship you have with someone, if you can just pick up a conversation like you've never spent any time apart. That is how it is with all the people I saw on Saturday. Great people that have great memories with.

     The party lasted for 3 hours, and then it was time to leave. I got on Saki, and headed out. This is where I made the poor decision to not where the highway hanky. I thought the weather wasn't cool enough for it, forgetting that when I'm going 70MPH the wind chill is pretty great. We are talking about a 56 degree temperature feeling like 32 degrees. That wouldn't be too bad, since I had my riding jacket, and thicker shoes on, if I was only going 70MPH. That is the speed limit on the road I was on. I planned to stick to that, and the ride back was smoother because the wind was at my back. Well, I got to a point on the way home, where the traffic opened up, and I still didn't now what Saki's top speed was. I gripped the throttle and rolled it back. Saki's muffler came to life, and growled it's approval for what was happening. I quickly passed 100MPH, then 120MPH. I had only gone 115MPH up to this point. I still had more throttle to open up. I rolled back a little more, and shot up to 130MPH. That was when I saw a clutter of traffic ahead of me. I had about 300 yards to slow down, so I had to let off the throttle. Was it stupid to go that fast? Absolutely. Was it exhilarating beyond anything? You bet it was. I loved every short moment of it, and Saki's top speed still remains unknown. I had quite a bit of throttle left, and I was nowhere near the redline. I will find out Saki's top speed some day. Oh, something unusual happened after that. Saki started sounding a bit more burly. It was like howling the pipes for as long as I did, at a high rev range opened up Saki's throat. It had some deeper notes to it. Still not the notes that I will get from a different exhaust, but Saki sounds much better now.

     You know what, mixing up my days a bit. I was just getting ready to tell you about Saturday night, but I realized that that was on Friday, so we are going to have to go back in time a bit. So much for chronological order. I forgot that it was Friday night that I met my drinking buddy up at my favorite watering hole where my bartender works. When I got there, he announced to me, right in front of my bartender, that he has a woman that he wants me to meet, at the place that he likes going. I tried to let it go, and talked to my bartender to find out when her last day was. I was assuming that it would be next Friday, but it turns out, that it si Monday. That severely limited my time to ask her, and since as I already stated, that Friday was busy and I didn't get to talk to her much. I needed to find out when she was working again this weekend. She was off Saturday, but on Sunday, until 2. I give you the time, because that is important to know for later. My drinking buddy, who will from now one, be referred to as, the worlds worst wingman, or 3W for short, tells me that we have to go to that place tonight to see her since she is working. He gives me all this info on how he showed her my picture, and that she said I was cute, and she like my body type. I should have known right there, that something was up. I did ask him, "How does she even know my body type? What picture do you have of me that shows my entire body?" He couldn't answer that. He then went on to tell me, that she has no boyfriend and three kids. She asked if I liked kids, he said that I like everyone. Not far from the truth. After he is done chatting with another woman at the bar, we finally head over to this place to meet this woman.

     I was a little shocked. She was actually attractive. He usually picks out rather homely women for me, which is another reason why he has earned the name of 3W. We got there late, near closing, and she had to do paperwork and count money. It appears that she is a manger. He finally browbeats her into comping over to meet me, and she seems very nice. I try to talk to her a little, but 3W can't stay out of it, and tells her that I am going to plan her birthday for her, that is coming up in January. He tells me to get my phone out, so that she can put her number in, I do, and she does. I text her right in front of her, so that when she gets her phone, she will have my number as well. After a couple of drinks there, we finally leave, and I head home.

     This will get us back to Saturday. 3W texts me Saturday morning, saying that I need to follow up with that woman, and ask her to lunch and talk about her birthday party plans. I was planning on doing that, but I really didn't have any intention of going out with her any time soon. I needed to see how things worked with my bartender first. I've never dated multiple women at one time, and I wasn't really ready to do that now. I texted her, apologizing for 3W's behavior, and then I do ask her if she wants to go to lunch or dinner some time. Some time, could be a couple weeks from now, after I find out if there is anything with my bartender. As I'm riding to the baby shower. I get a return text from her saying that she is sorry, but she has a boyfriend. That was really no problem for me, since I wasn't going to go out with right away anyway, but I did have to rub it in to 3W for picking a woman that was dating someone, that he swore didn't have a boyfriend.

      This finally brings us to today, which was a miserable day. I had drank with a buddy of mine on Saturday night, and was a little bit hungover. The only reason I'm not telling you about that, is that there really sin't anything to tell. We drank beer, and talked until 3 in the morning. The day started out good, other than the slight hangover. I got on Saki and took a short ride. When I got home, I switched vehicles so that I could hit my favorite watering hole, to see my bartender for that last time as my bartender, and then I was off to run my errands. I walked in, sat down at my end of the bar, and one of  the other bartenders comes up to me, and looks shocked. I forgot that she hasn't seen me yet, since I shaved the beard. She complimented me and asked if I wanted my usual, but my bartender was already making it. The place had a good number of people in it, but it wasn't very busy. This was my opportunity. I would have the time to finally ask mer out. She stayed at the other end of the bar most of the time. So I didn't have much time to talk to her, and when my order came up, and I was right at the pick up window, I just said, "hey, that my order" and reached across the bar and got it from the lady on the other side. Another possible interaction denied.

     This is when 3W texts me saying that his lady friend followed up with the other woman that I asked out, and she said that she doesn't have a boyfriend, and that she was shocked that I asked her out so fast. Then he told me about how I should have gone slow like foreplay, and asked her about her job or how her day was. Now, do you remember the text he sent me Saturday morning, telling me how I needed to ask her to lunch and talk to her about her birthday party? Yeah, I do, and I was growing tired of listening to his conflicting advice. I told him that it didn't matter, she lied to me and I was done. As you can see this is when everything starts to turn in a not so positive way.

     I finish my food, and am nearly done with my drink. I had to go run my errands, so I was looking around for my bartender so that I could catch her eye, and talk to her before I left. She was having a conversation with a couple at a table. I tried to drink as slow as I could, but it wasn't slow enough. I was out of time. I had to go, and she was deep in conversation. I left, and that was the end of my dream, but she still has my number and maybe she will text me. That is my last hope at this point. I was bummed, I had completely blew it, and it was all my fault, so I went off and ran my errands.

     When I got home and started doing my laundry, I get a text from 3W telling me that my bartender is upset with me because I left without saying goodbye. I tell him that I had to leave, because I have things that I have to do. He tells me that she wants me to come back, but he isn't supposed to be relaying this information.. I tell him that I can''t come back because I'm too busy. Apparently he told her that, and then said that she should text me. He then tells me that she doesn't have my number. She has my number I gave it to her the Friday before last. I watched her put it in her phone. He then says that he offered to give her my number and that she didn't want it unless I gave it to her. I already gave it to her. He's telling me that i'm blowing it, and that I should come back up there. I reiterate that I can't go back up there, because I was too busy, and that if she doesn't have my number it's because she either didn't save it, or deleted it, and that there is nothing I could do about that. I was getting really angry at this point, because someone is lying, and I'm not sure who it is, but since I'm only hearing from one person, I have to lean heavily on that that is the person that is lying. I was fuming at this point, and I was done. I didn't want to hear form him anymore with his advice on women, because he is a complete disaster when it comes to me. I don't need his help, and I wish he would have stayed out of it. I really don't want to see him for a while. I'm going to have to come up with excuses or make plans with other people so that I'm not free.

     Got that off my chest. I have a decision to make tomorrow. It's going to be in the upper 40's temperature wise tomorrow morning, so here is the decision. Do I ride Saki in to work, and freeze, or do I take the car and sit with the heater on? I think ti's going to e a game time decision on this one. I'll let you know on Tuesday what I chose. In the meantime, peace in and goodnight.

Life On Four Strings.

     I got some great news today. I checked my email around lunch time, and saw that I had one from Mya-Moe. They were informing me, that they had begun work on my new ukulele. They are two weeks ahead of schedule. Work was scheduled to begin on December 1st, so I was surprised an elated to learn that they had begun so soon. I don't think that means that I will get it early though. They do have planned time off during the holidays, so they could be getting the early start, just to guarantee that they keep it on schedule. Either way, I'm still excited. The best part is, that I can watch the progress of the build on their UkeTracker. It's a little feature they have on their website so that you can follow along with each step of the build process, and yes, I'm going to share it here with you, so that you too can follow along. Today's step, was to bend the sides and glue in the neck block.

     It takes them about 30 days to build a ukulele. The projected completion date is January 10th, but as I said before they have time off scheduled for themselves (oh, themselves, are the three people that do all the building of the ukuleles), so they also have a "Committed Completion" date, which is February 9th. That is when I'm assuming that they will send me the email telling me that it is done and ready to ship. It will take about 7-10 days to arrive, and then I will be playing my new Mya-Moe Low G Tenor Ukulele. Enough about that, here is the link so that you can follow the progress. I'll post this with each of my posts, so that you can see the latest progress. UkeTracker

     The first picture you will see each day on the top of the page, is the latest shot of what has gone on with the ukulele. Just to give you an idea of how it will look when it is done, here is a link to the first ukulele I had built by them. Cindy Lou, my first Mya-Moe ukulele , yes, Cindy Lou is the name of that particular ukulele, The full name is Cindy Lou Uke, which is a play on Cindy Lou Who, from Dr. Seuss. I don't have a name for the new one yet, that will come when I get it in my hands. You have to see it in person, and hear the way it sounds and the way it feels, before you can name it. It will have a name, it is just a matter of what it says to me.

     I'm off tomorrow, so it's another 4 day work week, and next week will be a 3 day work week with Thanksgiving falling on Thursday of that week. All this time off, is going to give me plenty of time to ride Saki, and that is just what I plan on doing. Speaking of Saki, I got a RAM Mount for my phone. It clamps on the bar, so that I can put my cell phone where I can see it, and use it as a GPS. It's going to come in handy on Saturday, cause I'm riding over to Orlando for a friends baby shower. I have no idea where the place is that we are all meeting at, so I will get to test it out in action then. I rode to work with it on today, and it seemed to work really great. The only problem is, that it does cover part of my display. not anything important, but it will take some getting used to. I may play around with it a bit, to see if I can move it completely out of the way, and still keep it behind my windshield. I'll let you know if I change anything or just leave it the same. Saturday will be the true test, although I'll be riding around tomorrow with it on as well.

     Since tomorrow is Friday, I should get to see my bartender. let's see if I can muster the courage to ask her out finally. She has my number, and no she hasn't texted or called me yet. I did say that it was for when that guy came in, so that I can pick up his tab, and I was stupid and didn't tell her to use it "whenever". That was of course a failure on my part. I do feel, that if I go in and tell her to use it "whenever" now, it would just go over as somewhat desperate, or stupid. This is how I paint myself in a corner, and can never find a way out of it. I doubt the plan that I had now, and I don't know how to make it better or right. I'll just have to see tomorrow.

     That's all I got for tonight. It should be a busy weekend, so I should have a good deal to tell you on Sunday. Peace in and goodnight.

We Rode Like The Wind (Part 2)

     That's right. It's part 2. I didn't even get finished with Friday, so I guess we better just jump right in where I left  off. Where did I leave off? I remember. I kind of rushed the end of the ride without telling you the most important part about the ride at night. The fact that it was cold. I mentioned a chill during the ride early on, but when you get up to highway speeds at night, when the temperature is dropping, the wind chill becomes excessive. That was the case on Friday night. I do remember at one point passing a bank sign that had the current temperature on it, and it read 66 degrees. We passed that sign at about 70 MPH, which if what my buddy said was true, that meant the temperature we were feeling on the bikes was near freezing. I have to believe his math on this one, because I was frozen when I finally got home. I got home at about 7:30 at night and didn't thaw out until around 8:30.

     After I got home, I was going to stick with a plan that I was running through my head all day, and that was to go to my favorite watering hole, and see my bartender. I walked in and right past the other bartender that I know there. She hadn't seen me the week before and everyone kept quite about me shaving the beard off. She gave me an awkward smile, and then went about her business. My bartender came up and said hi, and that's when the other bartender had feeling that it was me. I could tell that she still wan't completely sure about it though. She came up and asked tentatively if I wanted a Jack & Coke. I said absolutely. That is when she told me that she wasn't sure if it were really me. Keep that last thought in mind, because we will make a return to that a little later.

     This is when we get into the news about my bartender. At some point in the evening, when the crowd had shrunk to a few tables, she walked up to me, and told me to keep what she was about to say quiet. This was a little strange for me, because she was confiding in me something personal, which is something she hasn't really done before. She told me that she was putting in her two weeks notice, and that she was leaving the bar. I was a little bummed to hear this news, but then a revelation occurred to me. She wasn't going to be my bartender anymore. My rule could stay intact. Then something else occurred to me. I only had two weeks to gather the courage to ask her out, and at that time, she would still be my bartender. Oh, how Fate's fickle finger dances over our lives. I thought of a way to make this work. Remember me telling you about the guy that picked up my tab a few weeks back? He has done that several times, so I hatched a plan to pay him back a little, and get her number at the same time. I asked her, that if I gave her my number, would she text me the next time he came in, and she would hold his tab, and I would come in and pay it after he left. She was in, but it only works, if he comes in within the next two weeks. That being said, and I know it sounds like a completely blew it, and didn't take charge of the situation, and it is all in her hands. Here is the thing though, she reiterated wanting to go to Universal with me, and that we were definitely going to do that, and that she had my number now, so that she could get in touch with me. I realize that I'm only a genius if she texts or calls me, and I can live with that. I've already gone through the rollercoaster of my own mind, in giving up, and not giving up, and panic attacks, and trying to drink enough liquid courage to get the job done, and then knowing that I've had too much to get the job done, so I can live with a chance, and a chance is all I need.

     Remember that thought I told you to keep in mind? That comes into play near the end of the night. I was once again, the last patron of the bar there. The two bartenders, mine and the other one, sat at the other end of the bar, and began to share a meal. That is when the other bartender said that I should come down and join them. I made a witty comment about how I'm a "that side of the bar" person, and that I shouldn't be at the end with them. I said this as I was walking with my drink over to them of course. I sat down in the seat next to my bartender, but she had to get up and get something from the kitchen area. That is when the other bartender mentioned again how she wasn't sure if it were me, or a twin. Then she said that if she had my number she was going to text me to ask if I had a twin. I know she heard me give my number to my bartender, and there is a bit of history between me and the other bartender. Is this getting confusing with my bartender and the other bartender yet? Here is a brief look at the history. My drinking buddy, asked the other bartender out a long time ago. She accepted, but on the night they were supposed to go out, she said she had too much homework to do (college homework). That left my buddy wanting to (he wouldn't admit this in a million years) go out and drown his sorrows. We ended up barhopping that night, and the last place we went, guess who was there? If you said,  the other bartender, you would be right. Even though she had stood him up, he tried everything to get her to go home with him. It was a little awkward and sad to watch. I finally had my fill of drinking for the night, and said that I was leaving. He finally accepted his failure and said he was going to. He hugged her goodnight, while I hugged even another bartender that I know from my favorite watering hole, and then we switched. I said goodnight to the other bartender (the original other bartender) and as I hugged her she leaned in and whispered something to me. I'm not going to give he exact words, but let's just say, that it eluded to her being interested in me. She's attractive and I like talking to her at the bar, but she just stood up my buddy, and I wasn't going to do that to him. That's my loyalty kicking in. We have never spoken about that part of that night again. Even at times when that night has come up in conversation, that part has always been eliminated. Because of the final words of that night, and her mentioning not having my number, and me having just gave my number to my bartender, left me feeling like there might be some weird triangle thing going on. That could all be on my though. I could be reading everything horribly wrong, but I just got this weird feeling.

     Just in case you are wondering, this doesn't not create any confusion on my part. I still want my bartender, and although I enjoy the other bartender, I'm not going there. I can hear you, "Oh, you are an idiot. You are passing up a sure thing." Here is the problem with a sure thing, it is often not a "real thing", and that is what I want. Will my bartender be a "real thing"? I would hope so, which is why the only way I can find that out, is if I go out with her. I would much rather take the chance on a "real thing" than a sure thing. That may sound crazy, but I never said I was sane.

     With that in mind. I decided that I would go up there on Saturday night as well. This was the night, that even though I had given my bartender my number the night before, I was going to just roll the dice, and ask her out. Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. My bartender wasn't working that night. My daring plan to finally give into my desire and avoiding anything that is normally me, so that I could ask her out, was foiled by her absence. Such is my life. The plan is still in effect, and I'm sure I will see her on Friday night when I go in there, but will I have the same courage that night that I found on Saturday? Only time will tell.

     That was pretty much my weekend. I did wrap it up, by getting the final few miles on Saki to cross 1500, so I hit that goal, and watch Doctor Strange. It was good, not great, but good. I enjoyed the opening two scenes, but the rest of the first act, and the second act were a bit dull, The third act made it all worth while though. Marvel is still setting up the Infinity Crisis. which if they do right will be fantastic. The actors were really good in the movie, the real problem I had, is that there was seemingly no passage of time. Maybe that was the point though. It was a movie about a guy altering time and space, so maybe Strange learning how to do magic in what seemed like a matter of weeks, makes sense when you look at it that way.

     Let's get to Favorite Song of the Week. I'm sticking with the Walk Off The Earth theme that I mentioned a few weeks ago, and tonight brings you an original song by them. This is one of my favorite songs by them, and it has a folksy, poppy, cool vibe to it. I hope you enjoy it. This is "Gang of Rhythm".



     Next week will wrap-up my little tribute to WOTE. That one will be one of their crazy talent videos. It's wild what they can do and how they put it all together. Peace in and goodnight.

   

We Rode Like The Wind. (Part 1)

     There's a lot to talk about, so lets just dive into it. I went on my ride with my buddy on Friday, and it was an outstanding day. We left his house around noon, and headed north on US 1. Oh wait, I had to gas up first, and I found a place that had gas for $1.98, which was kind of awesome. I set the trip on my bike, so I would know just how far we had gone, and then, we were off.

     We decided to eat at this place on the way to Destination Daytona, that a friend had told me about. He got most of the details about the place wrong. He gave me the wrong name, but it was similar, and he had the wrong city that it was in. He said it was called Little Philly's and it was Famous Philly's, and he also said that it was in Edgewater, and it was in New Smyrna Beach. When we hit New Smyrna and didn't see the place, we opted for a little spot called Pappa's Drive In. The sign said Famous Burgers, so we took a shot. Now, it wasn't the best burger that I've ever had, but it was pretty good, and cheap too. You can't argue with that. Once we were fueled up, we had to get our hoodies out, because on the ride there, it started getting chilly. I had mine tucked under my cargo bungy on the back seat, and he had his in his saddle bags. He rides a Harley Street Glide, which is in complete contrast to Saki. It wasn't about what we were riding, it was about riding.

     We were hoodied up, and ready to go. The next stop was in Daytona Beach at the Ducati dealer. They used to be located at Destination Daytona, but it turns out that they moved. Oh yeah, here is the thing about Destination Daytona, it isn't actually in Daytona, it is just north of Orland Beach, which is north of Daytona. Anyway, the Ducati dealer was easy enough to find, it was Just off of US 1 about a street down. We parked our bikes on their loading ramp, and walked around to the front. They had some beautiful used bikes outside. One of them was the Ducati beast known as the Diavel. It is I guess considered a cruiser bike, but it is just unadulterated power. It has forward foot controls on it, and the guy inside later told us, that it has a 40 degree lean angle. If you don't know what that means, here is the explanation. Bikes don't turn like cars, well they do, but only at slow speeds. At faster speeds, a turn is handled by counter steering. Here is the idea as simple as I can put it. In order to turn a bike left, you turn the bars right. It sounds confusing I know, but stick with me, you'll get it soon enough. The reason for the counter steer, is that the bike also leans into the turn, and in order to keep the front tire from locking up and flipping the bike, you have to steer opposite of what you would expect. I feel like I'm dong a real bad job of explaining this. The lean into that turn dictates how fast you can take that corner, the further the lean, the faster you can go. Every bike has a lean angle that it can reach. Moto GP guys are hitting 65 degree lean angles, When I have a tight turn that I can take at speed, I'm at about a 45 to 50 degree lean angle. A cruiser taking a 40 degree lean angle, would normally have the foot pegs digging into the road, that is why the Diavel's lean angle is so surprising. Enough about that though. The moral of the story is, that the Ducati Diavel scares the hell out of me. It has a huge engine, it's light weight for it's class, and has a severe lean angle for how wide it is. It is truly a beast.

     With the beast out of the way, let's talk about a monster. The Ducati Monster in particular. I think I may have found my next bike. It isn't a super sport like I was thinking it would be, but the new Ducati Monster 797. It isn't out yet, but Ducati was saying that it is an introductory bike to the Ducati line up. The monster is what is known as a "naked bike". It is the original street fighter style bike. They call it naked, because that it is a sport bike without a fairing on it. It has a tiny windshield at best, but more than likely only a headlight and the display are in front of you. I had seen a few things about this new Monster, and I was interested. even though it is being called the 797 it has an 803 cc motor in it, and from what i'm hearing, it is fast, not quite the 1200 cc Monster fast, but it would be a step up from my 650. I asked the guy if he had any idea what the price was going to be on it, and he told me that it was starting at $9300, which seems like a lot, but for a Ducati, that is cheap. You get all the beauty of Italian design at a lower mid range cost. He also told me, that there was going to be a 797 plus model that was going to come with bluetooth. You could run your phone through the display on the bike, and it would tell you then song you were listening to if you had a bluetooth headset in your helmet. I thought that was pretty cool, but he believes that all Ducati's are going to be fitted with that within time. While I was there, I took a good look at the Monsters they had, and I've always liked the look of that bike.

     After taking an extended look at the 1299 Panigale, I'm pretty sure that my buddy was seriously considering that bike< It is a work of art, we said our thank you's to the guy, and made our way out. We stopped just outside the door to take a look at a little Triumph T100 that someone had did a little custom work on. The put saddle bags and matching seat and tank pads on it, that were in brown leather. It was a great looking bike. We couldn't figure out if it was for sale or not, so we just walked back to our bikes. This is when I did something incredibly stupid. I backed my bike down to the side walk, so that I could turn and pull out of where we were parked. It was on an incline, and as I was pulling to get near the road. I stopped in mid turn, which is maybe one of the dumbest things you can do. Saki started tipping over. I caught it, and killed the engine so that if would jolt on me if I let go of the clutch, but I was in such an awkward position, that I couldn't lift it back up. I wasn't beginning to lose it, and thought that I was going to have to try to set it down as gentle as possible, so that I would bend or break anything, when my buddy parked his bike real fast, and ran over to help me get it back up. I was so thankful for that. Lesson learned, and it was a lesson that I already knew, but sometimes you do really dumb things, like stopping in the middle of a turn. You should never have the bars turned on a motorcycle when you are stopped, unless it is on the kickstand. The bike wants to lean when you turn, that brings us back to lean angle and all that good stuff. We won't get into that though. Needless to say, we were finally able to take off, and head to the Harley dealership in Destination.

     We made pretty good time, and got there about 2:45 in the afternoon. The place is huge. I think it is the largest Harley-Davidson dealership in the county if not the world. There are hundreds of new bikes there, and a few more hundred on the second floor that are used, as well as some bikes that are only for display, because they are classic museum type bikes. We walked around and looked at everything they had. They were some beautiful bikes. We went upstairs because we didn't want to miss the used bikes that had some with custom features and what not. The really cool part about the upstairs, is that there is this large wall of windows, and on the other side is the service department. You can look at all the bikes that they are working on right there while you look at bikes for sale.

     While we were up there, we happened across a couple of service bikes. Those were old bikes that were trike style, but they had a large cooler on the back of them. It was so delivery people could transport fresh meat, or milk or anything that needed refrigerated. My buddy is a brewer, and I said that that should be there brewery vehicle. We were thinking of what we could do with something like that, and we came up with the possibility of putting a couple of kegs in the back with taps on it, so you could serve fresh beer. It would be the coolest brewery delivery vehicle anywhere. I don't know if it will happen, but if it does, I want to help with the design of it.

     We spent close to an hour in there, and my buddy was in search of a new helmet, and oddly, they didn't have any there, at least none that we found. In the same complex of buildings, is a place called J&P Cycles. They carry all kinds of motorcycle parts, clothing, helmets, and basically anything bike related.  Nothing there really caught his fancy, so we decided to head south on 95 to hit a beer bar. I know, I said I don't drink when I'm riding, but I will allow myself a single pint from time to time. It was great place known as the House of Beer. They had a bunch of local beers on tap, which I thought was fantastic. I had a sour ale from Grimm, which was rather tasty, and it was only a 12 oz. pour, so I managed to come in under a pint.

     By the time we were done, the sun was down, and it was beginning to get colder, and we had a long ride ahead of us. My buddy asked if I needed gas, but I checked the range on my bike, and it said I had 95 miles to go before I ran out. I said, let's give it a try and see how far I really get. We took off down 95 and headed to a few exits down, so that we could catch a road that would connect us easily back onto US 1. It would take us a little longer to get home, but we wouldn't have to go as fast, so the wind chill wouldn't be as bad, not to mention, that most of US 1 is lit up, and made it easier to see. I kept the range view on the display to see how my mileage was going, with 65 miles left on the range, it began to flash and went to three dashes ---. I couldn't tempt fate any longer, and found the first gas station and pulled in. When I filled up, I only had to put 3 gallons in, which meant that I had 1 gallon left to go on, I probably could have made it home, considering that by that fill up, my trip said that we had gone 155.2 miles, and that I averaged 51.2 miles to the gallon. Not bad for a sport bike. That distance was from fill up to fill up. I rode a little over 200 miles on Friday, and that put me real close to my goal of hitting 1500 miles on Saki by the end of the weekend. A little spoiler here, I hit it today, and ended with 1516 on the odometer. Success.

     We had a great time riding around and looking at beautiful bikes. It was an adventure not without little problems, but ones that made us learn and become better riders in the end. We had to pull over at one point, because my buddy hit something metal, and we had to check his bike for any damage or to see if anything had fallen off. Fortunately everything was alright. I even check my bike to see if anything had fallen off of it. I was in the lead at that time, so anything was possible. Saki was good, nothing was missing.

     There is so much more to talk about from this weekend, like news about my bartender, but I've written enough already, and I'm sure your eyes are sore from reading this off a screen, so I will leave you with a picture I took of Saki yesterday after a ride.

Peace in and goodnight.

You Want It Darker.

     I was correct in thinking that I would have Friday off. I was incorrect in thinking that I would be working today. I would have preferred to work today, but, it wasn't in the cards. Let's get back to Friday. So with Friday off, I am able to go with plan B for riding to Destination Florida. We are leaving the brewery tomorrow around noon. I guess from there, it is about 100 miles, so it should take  us a couple hours to get there, and then a couple back. I think we will go the slow route up US 1 because it will be far more scenic than just riding up I 95. Once we are up there, we will check out some Ducatis and Harleys. It should be a fun day trip. Not to mention, it will get me closer to my goal of hitting 1500 miles on Saki. I'm just over 1200 right now, so I have a little less than 300 to go, I should be able to hit that easily by Saturday. Although I do think I will take some time and see Doctor Strange, since I haven't seen it yet. Don't spoil it for me, I'll watch it early Saturday, we can talk about it on Sunday night.

     Speaking of Saki, I got a couple of little things in the mail for it yesterday. My swingarm spools and valve stem caps arrived, and I immediately put them on. I took a couple of pictures of them to show you, so you can see how well the reds match up. I thought they were going to be quite a bit off, and I was just going to live with it, but they look almost exactly the same.

     You can see the stripe on the wheel in both pictures to some extent, that is the matching color of the paint on Saki, and you can see, that they match up really well. I was quite amazed and pleased by this. Now, you may be asking, "what use are these little things?". I'm glad you asked that question. Let's take them in order. The swingarm spools, are useful in, that when I get my new rear tire stand, it will fit in the gap of those spools and lift the bike up, and I will be able to do work on the back end of Saki, such as removing the tire or chain tightening. Things like that. Also, the offer a little protection to the swingarm, if the bike goes down. The damage will be mostly to them, which are very easily and somewhat cheaply replaceable. They only got $20. The valve stem covers, give a little bit of a better seal to the valve stem than the normal plastic ones do. These metal ones, have a rub gasket inside that helps keep the air from slowly leaking over time. I won't have to air up my tires as often. Which reminds me, I need an air compressor, so if anyone has one that they like, and would like to recommend it, please do. The last thing that makes these two little things useful, is that they just add a little pop of color, and dress Saki up a bit. You gotta look good. After all, Saki is going to have to keep my attention tomorrow after I look at Italian precision, and American muscle. Those are just things to look at, my heart belongs to Saki.

     Should we talk about my bartender? Maybe just briefly. I do plan on going to my favorite watering hole, in hopes of seeing her, and yes, possible finally asking her out. I'm not sure if it will be Friday or Saturday night yet. I'm up for any suggestions that you may have, on which day would be better.

     Just before sitting down to write this, I got a notification across my phone, that Leonard Cohen had died at the age of 82. For those of you who don't know who he was, he was a poet, a songwriter, and a singer. He was wildly influential in the 60's and 70's. He was only out done by Bob Dylan, you know, that guy that just won the Noble prize for literature. Cohen was sought after by many of the great artist of that time, to have him write them a song, and these people were no slouches at songwriting themselves. James Taylor and Willie Nelson were two of them. He released his latest album this year. He was always writing. He had a haunting sound to his songs, which was heavily evident in his most recognizable song "Hallelujah". Like David Bowie's "Dark Star", Leonard's song "You Want it Darker", eludes to his knowing of his impending death, and his acceptance of it. Tonight Leonard is spiraling in then ether and joining the greatest concert lineup in history. I'm sure they can find an open spot for him. 

     I'm going to leave you with "You Want it Darker", so that you can see that even at 82, Leonard could still lay down some deep, heavy, poetic songs for everyone to enjoy.

     Peace in and goodnight.

Let's Plan A Ride.

     Here it is, election night. What am I doing you ask? Not watching election coverage. I've been waiting for tomorrow for about a year now, and yes I know that the campaigning has gone on for 16 months. The longest campaigning in American history. This election has been a terrible ugly thing for this country, and the sooner it is over the better. I have not posted anything here about what candidate that I'm for, and I'm not starting now. I sill support and question whomever becomes president, because that is what you do. I don't say stupid things like, that person isn't my president. I instead support the good things, and question the bad. I'm hoping for the best, but only time will tell if the best is what happens.

     On to better and less political a things. I have a plan for this weekend (oh no, here we go again). It's a good plan, and a plan that involves riding Saki. Here is the plan. I want to ride to Destination Florida, which is about 80 miles or so from my house. There is an enormous Harley-Davidson dealer there, as well as a Ducati dealer. I want to look at bikes, and more importantly, bikes that I can't afford. I already have someone that is up for the ride, but it all depends on timing. Here is where it gets dicey. The plan is for Saturday morning. We ride out early in the morning, and get there around the time that everything opens, and then head back to get home somewhere around early afternoon. The person that is going along with me, has an event to go to on Saturday, but he isn't sure of the time he has to be there. He is going to find all that out. There may be another option though. It is looking very strong that I will have Friday off. If that happens, all those timing issues go away. If I'm off, I will meet him at the brewery early Friday morning, to help him brew, and then we will ride out from there when we are done. Problem solved. I just have to wait and see if I do have Friday off. A memo should go up tomorrow, but sometimes it holds until Thursday. I'm pretty sure that I'll see something tomorrow though.

    I keep forgetting to get a picture of the new Funko Pop vinyls that i've gotten. I will try to get it for you on Thursday. I can however tell you about them. I picked up a Harley Quinne from Suicide Squaed, a White Canary from Legends of Tomorrow, and an Atom from Legends of Tomorrow. I'm not a very good collector anymore. I only get the characters that I like, so complete sets aren't in the cards for me anymore. Speaking of Characters that I like. I noticed that the Star Wars Rogue One Pop vinyls are out. I plan on getting the lead character, whose name that I do not fully know. Ok, "fully know" is my way of saying, that I've seen the name, but can't for the life of me remember it. Without watching the movie, I already know that I'm going to like that character. Why? You ask. Because she is strong female character. I've always loved strong female characters, I think more movies should have strong female leads, and not just as co leads. I've always tried to write strong females in the stories that I've written. I have yet to create a lead female character, but that is the idea I have been trying to press lately, and it's just not coming. I need to just take a break from the thought process, and let it happen. Everything I try to come up with, I realize has already been done. Now, I could rewrite a character as female, but I think that is taking the easy way out, and I don't want her to be a reprocessed character, I want her to be organic and genuine.

      That brings us to Favorite Song of the Week. I said last Thursday, that I was going to put a focus on Walk Off The Earth, and I'm not backing down from that. The song I have for you, is one of the latest covers that they have done. It is from a band called then Chainsmokers. I have not heard the original one, so I can't compare the two, I can only point out the talent of Walk Off The Earth. I'm pretty sure that everyone in the band, plays multiple instruments, and sometimes at the same time, as you will see in this video. They love to take kids toy instruments, and turning them into something that brings an amazing and unique sound to what they are doing. Don't forget to pay attention to Beard Guy, He is the most unusual member of the band, but he has some pretty amazing talent of his own. It sneaks up on you. I hope you enjoy this one, it's pretty fun.



     Kazoos, come on. That's just great stuff right there. Next week, I'll post one of their originals, and then the week after I'll put of one of their truly incredible ones. They do things, that most people would be afraid to try, and that is something that I love about them. Check into them a little more, you might find that you like what you hear, and see. Peace in and goodnight.

Saki At Sunrise.

   
     As you can see, I finally made it out for a ride at sunrise. It was a short but productive ride. I got a few shots, and I'll share the other ones with you a little later. We have a few things to talk about before we get to this morning, which is when the ride took place. The above picture though, is, in my opinion, the best of them. You'll see why in a little while, but first, let's go back in time to Friday.

     Friday, was Guys Night Out, but before that, I had to run an errand and pic up some razor blades, so that I could shave on Saturday. Not really needing razors over the past 5 years, I didn't have a real good one in the house, so I headed out to pick some up. I must have picked the exact wrong time to go to Target, because traffic was terrible, even on the bike. I made it there, but it took me an extra 15 minutes to get there. I picked up my blades and hit the road. I decided that it wasn't worth it to go the way I came, so I headed to the Interstate, which was only slightly better. I only had to go about 300 yards to get on the Interstate, but it took a good 10 minutes, because of that same traffic that held me up. I finally got out of the traffic, and headed up the on ramp. I gunned it up to 70 MPH before I even merged onto the Interstate, but I had to fall back, because I couldn't merge safely so I had to rest behind a box truck. The wind shear coming off of it sucked, so when I got my chance, I throttled up, and got out from behind it. I wan't really paying a attention to my speed, and was only watching the tachometer. I happened to look down after about a mile, and realized I was doing 103 PMH. That was when I noticed that traffic was backing up again, and I had to slow it down, not to mention that I was coming up on a tractor trailer pretty fast, more wind shear. I found an opening and got around that truck, and was off to the races again. I was only going around 95 at that point, but my exit was coming up, and I had to slow it down again. I have to say, I was a little shocked that Saki got up to those speeds so fast. I thought I was only doing the speed limit which was 70 MPH. It didn't even feel fast, and I wasn't blasting past cars, which should tell you about the flow of traffic.

     After I got home form that short errand, I just had to wait a few hours before I met up with my buddy. I was the Designated Driver, so that I wouldn't have to drink, so I was picking him up a little before 6:30 so that we could meet another friend for the Night Out. We started out at a craft beer bar so that we could see yet another of our friends, that had to be there for something. It turns out, that it was for a brewers meet up, for a brewfest that was a make up date form when Hurricane Matthew came through. He works as the taproom manager at my favorite brewery, so he had to be there as the host brewery. There were a ton of people there that I knew and hadn't seen in some time. They all had comments on my lack of beard, which was kind of funny, kind of annoying. We stayed there for a few beers, I had water, and then made our way to the beachside for the strip clubs, which was where I knew we would end up all along. The buddy of mine that I was the DD for, is a bit of a strip club aficionado.

     We only made it to two clubs that night, there are 4 beachside, but they were fun. The first one, is a mix between trashy and not quite classy. I wasn't drinking and I wasn't spending any money other than what it cost to get in, so I was trying to stay somewhat invisible. I grabbed a seat at the bar, got a bottle of water, and watched the games that were on the TV's. The one thing that always attracted the dancers to me, was the beard, and without that, it was kind of easy to keep up the invisibility. It wasn't perfect, but it kept me from a lot of women coming over and trying to get me to get a dance from them. It took a couple of hours before they noticed me, but once they did, my hide and seek efforts were over. I have never had so many women grab my crotch in my life. That is why this place is between trashy and, oh you get the picture. The rules are a bit shady there. The dancers can pretty much do what they want, but the men have to behave as gentlemen. Ok, gentlemen is a bit of a stretch, but they do have to keep their hands with in reason, to themselves. I'm not grabby, so the dancers usually take my hands and put them all over the place. I'm just not comfortable grabbing like that. I felt bad telling the ladies that I couldn't get a dance from them, but they understood, and went of their merry way as soon as I did, but they really worked it until I did tell them.

     It got to around 11 o'clock at night, and the cigarette smoke was getting to me. I was starting to cough real bad, and my throat was sore, so I managed to convince my buddy that we needed to move on, so it was off to the next club, and I got to get a little fresh air on the way there. This second place was in the class range. As a matter of fact, it was almost too nice. I didn't like it as much. Too much polish if you will. The ladies were all beautiful, with no flaws, and even the crowd looked better. It was mostly young college guys that were all dancing with each other, which I thought was really weird considering that they were in a strip club. The bartender was very nice, and kept giving me water, which helped my thrust a bit, but It was getting worse the longer I was in these smokey clubs. I made sure to tip her when we left, cause I felt bad for only getting water. Normally I would be drinking, and the alcohol would numb my throat so I wouldn't be as affected by the smoke, and I wouldn't be coughing all over the place. It was getting close to last call, and although my buddy would tell you that he wasn't drunk, he was hammered. It was time to call it a night. I got him home safely, and then I got home at 2:30 which meant that if I was going to get up in time to do a sunrise ride, i wasn't going to get much sleep at all.

     I choose to sleep instead. Even though I didn't drink, I still ended up with a headache when I woke up, because of all the loud music, and a cough from all the smoke. The good thing though, si that I wasn't all out of sorts, like a usually am. Today was going to be the day, that I ask out my bartender. Let's get into that, shall we. I didn't really do anything all day, except cook meals. It was really relaxing, I did order a couple of things for Saki, some swingers spools, and new anodized red valve stem caps for the tires. The spools are red too. Ok ok, I'll get to the night time which is when some fun and a little sadness happened. I got dressed after a shower and shave I left a little on my chin, in the way that I used to. It's a true goatee. No mustache only the chin. I looked pretty good if I do say so. I had on jeans some zip up brown combat boots, and a beige long sleeve sweater type of thing. It was very thin material, It wouldn't be much good in the cold. I also had my glasses on instead of contacts. I got in the car to drive there, i couldn't take Saki, because I was going to have a few drinks, and while I was driving there, I had a panic attack. Everything part of my buddy was telling me that I need to turn around, this is a horrible idea, you are only going to fail, and there is going to be a bunch of people there to witness you going down in flames. I have these attacks all the time. Well, not quite like that, but in the ballpark. This one was pretty bad, but I worked my way through it, and there weren't a lot of people there. This is where it gets interesting. I walked in, and the manager looked directly at me, said hello, and walked away. That shouldn't be abnormal, but it was the way she said hello. I could tell that she had no idea who I was. The chair at the bar I normally sit in was open, so I took a seat. They always have two bartenders, and a new bartender served me when I got there. I don't get my normal tall glass, which was fine. One of the servers I know walked by, and looked at me, and seemed to have an inkling that I was someone familiar, but let it pass. My bartender who was standing at the other end of the bar, didn't even direct an eye my way, when she finally came up to where I was to throw something away, she smiled at me awkwardly, and looked away. I of course smile back, but still said nothing to anyone other than the young woman that served me. There were three other patrons at the bar that know me, and we have had rather in depth conversations with one another. No recognition.

     I started taking notes on my phone so that I would remember it. This is what I wrote. Sitting in anonymity in a place where everyone knows you, is kind of a fun experience. How long will it take? Will it be when I pay my bill, before, later, maybe days? Interesting questions.

   Maybe it all seems fitting I should just have my last drink, forget about ever asking my bartender out, and just call it an end of an era, and a closing to that part of my life. Enter like a lion, and leave like a lamb. Only a whisper speaks my name as I say goodbye to alcohol.

I've been found out. It took a half hour.

     Yep, it took them a full half hour before anyone recognized me. That only happened because the manager was behind the bar, and saw that my glass was empty and asked if I wanted another cocktail. I said yes, and she asked what I was having. That was more proof that she didn't know who I was. Everyone there, knows exactly what I drink. They don't even ask when I walk in, they just hand it to me. I told her I was having a Jack & Coke, and she took my glass, and began to pour. That was when she audibly said, "Hey! Oh my god. Bob, were you going to say anything?" I told her no, I was keeping my mouth shut until someone figured it out. Everyone that knew me in there, began losing their minds. I could see them look at me once she said who I was, and then they had to look harder at me to believe it. The one server came to the drop off window, and said she knew something was familiar about me, but didn't know what it was. My bartender still didn't know what was going on, when the manager asked her if she knew. She said no, and then looked at me again to figure out what they were talking about, and I could see her face change as she recognized me finally. It was shock mixed with something else. I wasn't sure how to take it.

     That did not boost my confidence by the way. The odd look I got, brought every thought from the panic attack back. You could see in my notes, that I was already backing out on what I wanted to do. Any reason to not do it, seemed like a good one. It was about this time, that I got the real good reason. She walked up to me and said that she wasn't feeling well, and she was tired. I asked her what was wrong, and that I thought she seemed a little off. That is normally something you don't say to a woman, unless you have prior knowledge from them that they are indeed off. I won't go into why she wasn't feeling well, but let's just say, that asking her out at that time, would have been a very bad idea, and this isn't just me justifying my cowardice, it was a legitimate no fly zone. I did find out information that will help me out moving forward though. I now know her work schedule (that doesn't sound stalkerish at all), so I can plan accordingly when I do ask her out, and I will do it, eventually. This of course means, that i'm not quite done with drinking yet, but I am going to highly regulate it. No more 5 and more nights. I will limit myself to two whenever I go out, and that will be it. I think this its a good thing, It's not cold turkey, but it's a start.

     On to this morning. I woke up with the alarm, and hit snooze as many times as I could. I checked the night before for what time the sun would rise, so I knew when I had to actually be up and on the move. I made it, and here are the other shots. Like I said, the one above, is my favorite. None came out the way I described as what I saw in my head, but that one came the closest.

     This was the location that I wanted that glow that is on the top one, but it just didn't happen here. The other building sits right next to this one, but for some reason, I got that fire on the tank look that I wanted. I knew they wouldn't come out the way that I wanted, but I'm happy with what I did get. I did see an opportunity for a better shot at the top photo location. I'll give it a try some other time and see if it works out the way I see it in my head. When and if I get that shot, I'll share it here first. I do plan on putting that to one on Instagram tomorrow. It won't be picture of the day, although I toyed with the idea today, but it will go up about an hour after picture of the day. If you follow me there, you probably have an idea when I post everything.

     Well, that's all for tonight. Peace in and goodnight.