Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow.

     I have to say, that I'm a little upset with the subscription email service for this blog. The post from Sunday was written and published by 10:30 in the morning, but the email wasn't delivered until 7 AM on Monday morning. At some point, I'm going to have to take a look at that application on here, and see if there is a way I can change the delivery time.

     I have quite a bit to get into tonight, so let's just dive straight in. Shall we? I have an update on that ex-girlfriend of mine. It appears that my subconscious was trying to tell me something. Remember how I kept leaving her profile, and then going back, and then how I didn't give her my number until the next day. Well, I was thinking about the time we had together, and something came to me yesterday during those thoughts. I always try to look for the best in people, and maybe that is why this particular memory was buried, and took so long to come up. Here is the thing that I forgot. Now I told you how she broke up with me because of her studying to be an EMT and her mom's battle with cancer, she couldn't maintain a relationship as well? I went on my merry way, and accepted it although I was crushed by it. A couple of weeks later, my best friend came up to me, and told me that he wanted to talk to me about something. We went for a walk around the mall where we were. We always hung out at a comic shop that was in that mall, and he didn't want to talk there. On this walk, he proceeded to tell me that he was dating my now ex-girlfriend. Right up above where I said I was crushed before, now I was like a car in a compactor on the final press. I somehow picked myself off the floor, and acted like I was happy that they were together. I told him about a few things that she liked, that would help him out, and then we went our own way. We were never the same after that. We were friendly and cordial to one another, but never the friends that we once were. I felt betrayed by the both of them, and I didn't know who to be angry more with. Him for breaking the "bro code" or her for lying to me.

     They didn't last long, Maybe only a couple of weeks or a month from what I remember, but as I said, we were only acquaintances by this time, so I had no real idea when the broke up. I just knew at some time that they were no longer seeing each other. Here is where it gets even more sad. I had known him since we were in first grade. He had stayed back a year due to complications from a birth defect with his heart. He was born with a hole in his heart. He was a year older than me because of this, but he was this fantastic artist at that age, because all he could do in the hospital was draw, so he did. I would love to watch him draw when we were kids. He had a talent far beyond our age level, and he liked the attention he got from all the kids. Because of that heart defect, he was on borrowed time. We would always joke that his warranty had expired when he hit 19, because the doctors had told him at one point, that that was his life expectancy. He made it quite a bit longer than that. He died at the age of 30, only a few years after we fell away.

     She was the catalyst to ending that friendship, and I had forgotten that. I don't think I can overlook that. Just before coming on her to write this, I checked my email, and she wrote me a message on OKCupid giving me her number. I'm not the person to hold the over her, or try to get with her so that I can end up screwing her over for what she did. What I am interested in, is seeing if she eventually remembers what she did, and see if she apologizes for it. I don't even know if she knows that my friend died. I am capable of forgiving, but I will never forget. I'm going to mull it over for a few days before I decided whether or not to get back in touch with her. I'll let you know what I finally decide.

     I mentioned that I would talk about Sir John Vincent Hurt tonight, and that is exactly what I'm going to do. He was one of those actors that would just make you smile when he showed up on the screen. He was an amazing talent that led you to believe that he was who he said he was on screen, even though you knew exactly who he really was. When I was a kid, I read Watership Down. I loved it, it was weird and thrilling and tantalizing all at the same time. A few years later, an animated film version of the book came out, and I couldn't wait to see it. Join Hurt voiced the Rabbit Leader Hazel. That voice was forever engrained in my head from that point on as Hazel. I can still hear it as I write this.

    He starred in many films in his lifetime, from The Elephant Man.to Midnight Express, to small roles in films like Spaceballs and the Harry Potter films. Although Olivander is no small role in the Harry Potter world. Without him, you have no wands. The last role I saw him play, was that of the War Doctor in the Doctor Who episode The Day of the Doctor. It was once again, thrilling to see him. He will be greatly missed in this world for his amazing talent, and he is swirling in the ether with all those that we have lost before him. Before I end this part of the post, I just want to share with you, my favorite picture of the great Sir John Vincent Hurt.

     Come on, how great is that picture? Is there anyone cooler than that?

     I can't remember I posted about the new helmet cover, but I do remember saying that I was waiting for it to arrive before I named it, but I had a couple of names in mind. Well, one of them stuck and it came to me immediately on seeing it, when I opened it up today. I would like to introduce you to Melvin.

     Melvin is purple and really awesome. He and Fred are currently sitting side by side, getting aquatinted. I'm sure Fred is telling Melvin all about how it is to ride on Saki. Melvin has not had his maiden voyage yet, because it's kind of cold out, and my back still isn't quite 100%. Melvin will get his chance in the sun though. It is a must, and I'm looking forward to showing him around the Space Coast. 

     I do my very best to keep politics out of this, but sometimes it can't be helped. This picture has been popping up quite a bit over the last few days, and it is incredibly relevant today. It was a small comic penned by Theodor Suess Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess. It was done in 1941 as a small protest for America not allowing refugees Jews to come to the country. We all know what happened after 1941. Here is that small comic. Take particular note of the slogan on the shirt. It looks a little similar and familiar to something, and yes I'm being very passive aggressive.

     The whole reason this country exist is because of religious freedom, and to deny someone entry to this country because of their religion is wrong, not only on a fundamental level, but many moral levels as well. This is not the country I grew up with. Before you say, "Well if you don't like it, you can leave it.", I'm not saying I don't like this country. What I am saying and I said this the night of the election. I will point out when the leadership of this country is doing something wrong, and this is very wrong. We have done things like this in the past, and it appears that we haven't learned from our very own history. Throughout our history, we have looked down upon a race. ethnicity, or religion of a people. It started with the Irish, then the Italians, then the Chinese, then the Mexicans, and it has always seemed to be the African Americans. Now it is the Muslims. We never learn, that this only seems us back. We stop moving forward when we waste time fighting against people that there are no need to fight against. We will never have a perfect world in my lifetime, but I'm going to do all I can to accept people no matter who, what, or where they come from, into my life. I turn away from hate, and I hope that you will do the same. We have so many things in common other than the color of our skin, or the deity we pray to, or the person we choose to love. Sit down and listen to someone once in a while. Hear their story and notice that it probably isn't that much different than you own. Peace in and goodnight.

Blast From The Past.

     I decided to write this a little early today. Well, actually very early today. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first being, that I was really considering writing last night, because something very unusual happened yesterday. The second being, that it's supposed to be a miserable rainy day, and I can't possibly see anything exciting happening for the rest of the day. I could be wrong though.

     Let's get started with, I was able to get back on Saki Friday. It was the first time since I injured my back on Tuesday. It felt good. I also got my new phone, and I'm being extremely careful with it, since my Lifeproof case doesn't arrive until Thursday. I love this new phone. Technology is great. I just went with the iCloud backup, and everything was back on my phone with very little interruption. I had to find a few passwords and such, and a game took be back to the very beginning, but that gave me a reason to get rid of it, and stop playing. The camera is lightyears better so then first picture I took was of Saki when we got back home. You really didn't think I wasn't going to post the picture did you?

     You can see Saki and Fred in all their glory. You can't even notice the scratches on Saki, and this is the side that took the damage. My back still isn't a hundred percent, but it was well enough to get back on for a ride, and it was fantastic. I wanted to get a shot at my new favorite place, and it would have been great. The sun was going down, and there were storms off in the distance. The sky was full of colors, but there was some guy in a truck parked there, and he was right where I would normally park Saki, so I had to settle for this one. Not bad if I do say so myself.

     Ok, let's get to yesterday already. The only thing I did Friday night was watch the rest of Sense 8. It was good, but their Christmas special was a bit odd, and they changed actors for the guy from Nairobi. Anyway, Saturday. I didn't do anything for all of the day. It was cold, and I didn't want that cold air on my back, so Saki stayed warm in the garage. Instead, I messaged a few women I have been talking to on OKCupid, to see how they were. While I was there, I started browsing "matches". I don't normally go on there, but idle hands and all. I came across a woman, that caught my attention. I looked at her profile, and something looked very familiar about her. I went through her pictures, and she looked like an old girlfriend of mine. I read through her profile, and then her stats, and her age and height fit. It couldn't be her though. It;s not possible that I would run across an old love. Even her screen name fit her personality, but it really couldn't be her, it was just all a coincidence.

     A little background now. I was desperately in love with this woman. She was everything that I ever wanted. She was smart, kind, beautiful, and had a rough background that she was rising above. I don't know if I mentioned here, how I have a constant desire and habit of finding women that I feel I can help to become better. I probably never help any of them, but it's there and I am attracted to those women. She broke up with me when she was having some really heavy things happening in her life. She was trying to go to school to be an EMT, and her mom was fighting colon cancer. All of it was a struggle, and trying to maintain a relationship on top of that, wasn't in the cards, so we went our separate ways. I think the last time I saw her and talked to her, was when I took her to visit her mothers grave. I wanted that moment as well, became her mother was a fantastic woman. She was where her daughter got all of her best traits. I thought I saw her one more time, while she was in a passing car at my bank. That was it. Our lives were never meant to cross paths again. Until yesterday?

     After I saw her profile, I just closed down the site. It couldn't be here, and if it was, what could I do about it? After a couple of minutes, I went back on and found her again. I messaged her saying that she looked like someone I knew, and just wanted to say hello. I didn't expect to hear from her. If it was her, why would she want to talk to me, and if it wasn't, there was no reason to talk to me. A few hours later, I got a message. I had named her correctly but it wasn't a confirmation that it was her. She asked me how I knew her, and I briefly told her. It was her.

     We messaged throughout the evening. I'm not sure if she remembers me or not, but it was a good conversation. She told me a few things about herself, and what was going on in her life. It made me happy that she was doing so well. She had overcome all of her adversities and was succeeding. When it was time to go to bed. I cut off the conversation with a good night, and hope that her daughter and her friend wouldn't keep her up all night.

    You're sitting there saying to yourself, "You blew it, why didn't you give her your number?" Well, you're right, I did blow it. I even went to be thinking that I blew it. I woke up this morning, still thinking that I blew it. There is good news though. I have a chance to fix that, and I did. I messaged her directly after breakfast and gave her my number. I don't know if she will ever contact me, and I don't know if I want to turn this into anything other than a possible friendship. The old saying goes, "You can never go home again.". I kind of feel this applies to this. How many times have people form an old relationship, found each other and then picked up where they left off, and made it successful? I don't know of too many. I've heard of a few, but only a few, and my luck isn't that good. If nothing comes of this, I did take the initiative and reach out to her, and that is something that gives me some pride.

     I know that I should be talking about John Hurt in this spot, but I want to save that for Tuesday night. I think this post needs to center on everything above. So, until Tuesday night, peace in, and have a great day.

From Back Pain to, Oh I Don't Know.

     Hooray hoorah, I get to work 5 days this week. Although, to be honest, this is the one week that I would like to have Friday off. Why? You ask. Because I would love to have tomorrow to have my back recover a little faster. It's feeling better for sure, but I'd still put it at about 75%. It's not as sore as the day it happened or yesterday, but there is some pain, and my flexibility is shot. I can barely bend over and touch my knees right now. I'm still having trouble walking with a full stride. It's the right leg and side where the most pain is, and that's the side that all the stress was on when I caught Saki. Oh well, live and learn. Everything in life is a lesson, if you pay close enough attention.

     I broke down and ordered a new phone. It should arrive tomorrow. I also ordered a case at the same time from Lifeproof, but it won't be here until net Thursday it looks like. That is a bit of a bummer. I'm going to have to be exceedingly careful with the new phone in the meantime. I was hoping to get the case either the same day, or a day after, so that I could just take the phone out of the box, and put it directly in the case. Not going to happen now. On the bright side. The phone is going to have a much better camera than what I currently have, so I should get some pretty good pictures to post on here. Yes, they will mostly be of Saki.

     So far, I have been pretty successful at deflecting offers to go out and drink. I have had legitimate excuses not to go, but I think that is going to dry up soon, and I'm going to have to make it public knowledge that I have stopped drinking. I'm sure there will be some that will scoff at this idea, and others that might even be mad about it. I really can't do anything about either reaction, I've stopped and I have no plans of starting anytime soon. I don't feel any need or urge to do so. We will see where it goes from here.

     It's time now to talk about the effervescence that is swirling in the ether tonight. Mary Tyler Moore was born in Brooklyn New York in 1936. I mention this, because this isn't a tragedy, but a triumph, especially when you know that she battled diabetes and alcoholism most of her life. Despite that, she became an icon to women everywhere, she she portrayed Mary Richards on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was even breaking ground when she played Laura Petrie in the Dick Van Dyke Show. It was unheard of at the time for a woman to wear pants on TV. Everyone said that she should be wearing a dress, but Carl Reiner wouldn't hear of it. If you ever got a chance to watch either of these shows, or anything else she was in, you know how spectacular she was. She was genuinely funny and absolutely adorable doing it. It wasn't all fun and games though. In a landmark episode on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, she got a promotion and became the producer of the new show that she worked on. In that episode she noticed that her predecessor, who was male, got $50 dollars more a week than her. When she asked why, Lou Grant, her boss, simply said, "because he is a man". She took up the mantle of equal pay for women way back then. Her character also owned her sexuality. It was the first time that a TV show showed what it was like for an independent woman that was dating really had to go through. The reason why its worked. 1/3rd of the writers on the show were women, and this was at a time, when CBS didn't even have a women's bathroom in the building. Mary Tyler Moore is spinning, throwing her beret in the air, and becoming a bright and shining beacon for women to look towards in a time when they need a champion most. Goodbye funny lady.

     I did want to mention one more thing tonight. I told you that I ordered a new helmet cover a few days ago. The site I ordered it from is rather fantastic. I'm going to tell you why. When I first went on https://motoloot.com there was a pop-up window to sign up for their email list. When you did this, you got a code for 5% off on your first order. I used that when I ordered the new helmet cover. Well, just yesterday, after they shipped then cover out, I got another email from the founder of the site thanking me for my purchase and giving me a 10% off code on my next order. If you are not the bike life, then I highly recommend clicking the link above and checking them out. You might find something you like, or maybe just a gift for a friend that loves to ride.

     And with that, it's time to go to bed. Peace in and goodnight.

From Worse To Worse.

     It has been an incredibly crappy day. You know, one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. Yeah, that's the one.

     It was cold this morning, and the high temperature was going to be that which I could actually wear long pants, and not feel miserable, so Saki was going to ride. Everything was going great, until just before I parked Saki. As I was making my final turn that lined me up with my parking space, I did something that I really didn't need to do, and it cost me. I was doing a low speed turn working on counterbalancing. It's how you turn a motorcycle at slow speeds. The only problem is, that you do need a certain amount of speed to do it. I fell short of that mark, and in doing so, I turned the bars, and the front tire caught and stopped dead. That caused me to lean to far in the counter, and push Saki down. I was luck enough to catch it, so I sat Saki down gently, but Saki still took some damage. Nothing real big, just a bunch of scratches on the fairing, clutch case cover, and the mirror. I picked  Saki up, looked it over, and grieved over the scratches but considered myself lucky. There was no real damage. Until I started walking in the building. That is when I noticed that I had strained my back pretty bad, when I caught Saki on the way down.

     My back is stiffening up as I sit her and type this. It is painful, but I will get through it. Iv'e been doing what I can do try and keep it loose, and to slowly stretch it out. Not too much thought, because that would be counterproductive, and cause more problems. I'm hoping that it will feel better after a nights sleep. Otherwise, I won't be able to ride tomorrow. I was fine on the way home from work, and didn't feel any pain while on the bike, but the way it is now, I'm not sure I could even swing my leg over it.

     Enough about that, let's get on to the next thing. That would be my phone. My battery has been causing me problems lately. I mentioned it once before about a month or so ago. Well, it has gotten worse. My phone will jump from 60% battery life, all the way down to 20% from just looking at the notifications. I was trying to hold out before upgrading my phone, but now I might have to get one by the end of the week, if this keeps up. I did find a temporary solution, and that is a power bank. I was hoping on just using it on the bike for long rides. Something I could share my phone in the middle of nowhere. It arrived today, and is currently charging right now, as well as my phone. I'll take it in to work with me, so that my phone doesn't completely die during the day. I'll see how it goes tomorrow, to see if I can hold out on getting  a new phone.

     Wait, there's more. I've been waiting for an email from Motorcycle Superstore about a leather jacket that I ordered, It was a great deal. They had approved the order, and put an estimated delivery date or the 19th on it. That was last week. The day it was supposed to arrive, they sent me an email saying that it was on order. Well, today, just to pile on, I got an email from them saying that they were cancelling the order. No reason , just cancelling it and refunding me. I was getting this leather jacket for a third of the normal cost, and I was planning on that being my cold weather jacket, but now, I won't have that option. Needless to say, I won't be buying anything from Motorcycle Superstore anymore. I will stick to Revzilla. I haven't checked to see if they have the same jacket or not, they probably do. The bonus of that, is Revzilla will price match, so I might still have a shot at it, but I'm trying to look on the bright side, and I have a feeling that if I try to look for it right now, It will all go to ruins. I'll wait until tomorrow.

     Let's just get to Favorite Song of the Week. Remember LP from last week? Good, cause we have another song by her. I've been listening to the EP Death Valley a lot this week, and this is one of those songs that just grabs a hold of you from the start. I'm not going to explain why, when you listen to it, you will understand. Here is the kicker though, really listen to it. Listen to the lyrics, and what it is about. People don't really listen to lyrics much anymore. Maybe that is because music went through period in the 90's where everyone tried to be cryptic with the meaning in the song. that isn't happening much anymore. Singer songwriters are putting the meaning right there in the open for you, and this is a great case of that. I give you LP with "Strange".


 
      There you have it. I'm calling this a good ending to a bad day, peace in and goodnight.

It Wasn't The Weekend I Wanted, But It Was The Weekend That I Got.

     Yesterday was a bit of a mixed bag. I took Saki for it's appointment, dropped it off, and then walked over to the tattoo shop. The guy at the dealership told me that it would take 5 and a half hours. That meant that I would be getting back over to pick up Saki just before closing time. Ok, I had a bunch of time to waste, and the plan was to hang out at the tattoo shop, and get some touchups done on Bowie.

     I got to the shop, and my artist's client for the day showed up. He thought he was going to be a no show. I was in hang out mode. I took a seat in his room, and relaxed. The guy was getting an eagle on his arm, and had big plans for a huge background and tying it in with his chest piece, but he wasn't up for the challenge. He started tapping out at about the 2 hour mark. He managed to hang in for another hour after that, but he was done. He kept saying that he wanted to get his chest piece worked on, but my artist told him, "you may feel good there right now, but that will change real quick". He finally gave in, and decided to call it a day. About the time he was leaving, I got a call form the dealership. They wanted to know when I wanted my bike back. I told them today of course. That was a shocking answer to the guy. They hadn't even started on the work yet. I have to reschedule for a day other than Saturday, because they only have one tech on Saturday's. Hopefully I'll be off on Friday, and I can get it all done then.

     I told my artist that I had to walk back and pick up Saki, and that I would be back soon to get those touchups done. In the end. one thing worked out with the dealership. A new plan came to me this weekend, and I wanted to go there to look at a couple of things. I'll get to all that in a minute. I made it back to the tattoo shop, and got my touchups. Bowie had his makeup freshened up a bit, and is looking great. I really thought it looked good before, but it does look better. My artist asked what I wanted next, and I laid a few things on him, including the "god arm". I told him what I see, and he didn't scoff at the rams head idea for my shoulder at the top of it all. He actually really liked the idea, so that will be a go at some point. I even mentioned the Princess Leia tattoo, that I showed the picture of her before. I think I might do it. If I do, I think it's going to go on my right thigh. He may have a better idea, if I decide to do it next. We will just have to wait and see. I do have to save my money for something else.

     This is where we get to that other reason I wanted to go to the dealership. Lately, I have been watching a lot of motovlogs, and the people on them have been riding Groms. A Grom is a little 125CC bike made by Honda. Kawasaki also makes one called the Z125 Pro. I want one. They look like they are super fun to ride around on, and you can go off road with them as well. They take a beating and just keep coming back.  I even wrote a little blog piece about it on Moto Amino. I wanted feedback from the 125 community, and they gave it to me. They even brought up a few 125 bikes that I hadn't even heard of. I was able to eliminate those prospects right away, because there aren't reliable dealers for them in the area.

     The dealership I go to just happens to sell both Honda and Kawasakis. Bigger bonus, they had both the bikes I was comparing in person. I was leaning towards the Kawasaki Z125 Pro. It has a more aggressive seating posture, and I'd heard that it is a little faster. The con that it has, is that the breaks aren't as good.That is a tough one to over come, but I could do 1 of 2 things. Either, ride very safe and not get in a situation where I wouldn't need to break suddenly (which would mean never riding it round cars), or 2. I could get better brakes for it and put them on. 2 seems like the smarter option. If I get that one, I would go with the Kawasaki green. I think it looks really sharp in that color scheme.

     There it is there. It looks pretty good. The other one that I was thinking about, and remember they are basically the same bike, but there are little differences, is the Honda Grom in red. The Grom was the first one released in the American market. the Z125 above is going after the market that Honda had a strangle hold on. They've been around for a few years now, and there are tons of parts to modify the bike. The 2017 model has a little redesign in the body, and has boosted some of the features on the bike. In every review that I've seen, the Grom wins out in braking. That is a big plus. It has a more upright sport touring posture when riding, and it turns out, it does have. form the rider review that I've been watching, the more getup and go. 

     Since they are basically the same bike with slight differences, it is really all coming down to, which one looks better. I have to say, seeing them side by side in the dealership, and they did have both of the colors I was looking at, the Grom wins out in appearance. Oh, here is the other difference I forgot to mention. The Grom is a little more expensive, but there is a reason for that. With the redesign, they improved the suspension, they added LED lights to the front and back, and it is supposed to be more ergonomically comfortable. With all that to consider, I think I'm going with the Grom. It just looks more appealing to me, and the brakes and    more pep, give it the edge. I won't be getting this for a few months. I want to save up all the money and buy it outright when I get it. I think I'll have a lot of fun on that bike, and if anyone ever visit is and wants to go ride, I have an extra bike for them to tool around on. It just won't go very fast. The top speed on these little street demons, is around 65 MPH, and that is really pushing it with a tailwind, and maybe needing to go downhill. You are really looking at a top speed of 55 MPH. 

      It's getting to that time, when I should have been asleep about an hour ago, so will bid you a farewell. Peace in and goodnight.

Friday Night? Are You Kidding Me?

     I know I know I know. I didn't write last night. There are a couple of reasons for that. The first one is, that I wanted to just change it up a small bit this week, and the second one is, that I really didn't have anything to write last night, which is why I wanted to change it up a small bit this week.

     I did start a new song in my ukulele class last night. It's the Neil Diamond classic "Sweet Caroline". It's not a personal favorite of mine, but it's a fun song and everyone seems to know it, so what they hey. Let's give it a try and knock this sucker out. He only gave me the intro so far, he still has to fully work out the rest of it. It's the full gambit, of melody and harmony, so it's going to be some hard work, but fun work.

     Since I was off today, I of course rode Saki. I needed 50 more miles to hit the 3000 mark, which isn't completely necessary for the 3000 mile maintenance, but it's always better. I got the 50 and then some. It was just Saki, Fred and me. We rode all over the Space Coast, and it was perfect weather for it. The sun was out, it was around 75 degrees for most of the ride, and it was Florida Beautiful. Even though the ride was great, very early on, I had a woman pull directly out in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and avoided hitting her, and all she did, was raise her hand like, "oops, my bad". I was too busy making sure to stop, and not stall the bike, and not fall off the bike, or drop the bike, that I couldn't even yell at her for not looking. I was on the high side of the road, where there was no excuse to not see me. She didn't even bother to look. She saw a van about two car lengths in front of me, and that was all she saw. She pulled out directly after the van. The good thing is that the speed limit was only 35 MPH right there, so I had time to stop and avoid her, but she also had plenty of time to look and not pull out in front of me. Here is a little pointer for you. When you are pulling across a road, or through an intersection, always look both ways twice. I have done this for most of my driving life. The first time is to see what is there, and the second time is to confirm it. If you only look once, You will get in an accident at some point.

     As I mentioned above, I'm taking Saki in for maintenance tomorrow. I'm dropping Saki off and then walking over to the tattoo shop to either hang out, or get some touchups done. It all depends of if the person that is supposed to come in when I'll be there, actually shows up. They show up, I hang. They don't, I get stabbed with several needles. Bowie looks great, but there are a couple of holidays where the ink was overworked a bit, and didn't take. They are real small, and unless you know where they are, you wouldn't notice them at all. I think my artist has time later in the day, so If the person shows for their appointment, then I'll just walk back to pick up Saki, and ride back over and get stabbed a little later. Either way it's a fun day for me.

     Once I was home from my ride today. I really had nothing to do. I pulled up Netflix and looked for something new to watch. I finished both things I was watching last week, so I tried out Sense 8. I've had it in my Queue since it started last year, but had never gotten around to it. I'm really glad I put it on today. I watched the first 5 episodes, and it is great. It takes some time, so you have to stick with it, but by the time you get a couple of episodes in, you start to understand what is going on. You find out what is happening as the characters are finding out. It's very original, and quite twisty. Give it a try, be warned though, there is a lot of sexual content in it, so, if you aren't into that kind of thing, you may want to take a pass on it, but you will be missing out.

     I'm heading off to bed, so that I can get up early, and take a ride before Saki has it's doctors appointment. If I get up early enough. I might have some sunrise pictures for you on Sunday. Yes, I will be back to the normal schedule. Just look at it this way. You got an extra special Friday Night Edition of the Counterfeit Squirrel. When was the last time that happened? Peace in and goodnight.

What Do You Want To Be?

     Today seems to have a theme. It kept popping up everywhere. From the radio show I listen to in the morning, to the podcast I listened to later in the day, to the TV show I was watching before coming in to write this. What is this underlying theme of the day? Do what you want to do most in this world. It was everywhere today. Go out and be the person you want to be. If you don't know how to do that, then find out how. If you don't think you are good enough to be that person, then get over it, and just do it.

     That is what I have been doing with this. It is my effort to write more, and learn from doing that. I don't do this for money, or notoriety, I do this for me. What I found out when I started the 365, is that I need this. It gets things out of my head, and keeps me balanced. If I did this for any of those other things, I would sensationalize this, and that isn't what this is about at all. My goal was to have honesty in writing, and that is what I am doing. It doesn't get me a whole lot of views, and that really doesn't matter to me. What matters, is that I write with honesty and hopefully you enjoy it, whoever you are. That is my goal, and in doing that, I am doing exactly what I want to do. I'm at a point now where I could monetize this, and try to make money off of it, but I'm not going to do this. Whenever I promote something on here, I do it because I like the product, and believe in it. I don't get anything for it, and I doubt  anyone evolved with anything I promote will ever see this. So know that when I say I like something and I recommend it, it is because I honestly thing it is a good thing.

      I could go into a long paragraph about how you should go out and do what you want to do, but I'm not going to do that, I think you get the point from the two paragraphs above, so I'm going to instead, go into the Favorite Song of the Week, which oddly enough, has a tie in with the theme of the day. The song is by an artist who has written songs for many well known artist, and not just songs, but hit songs. She has quietly released 3 albums and 1 EP, but I think her time has come to step out of the side stage and into the spotlight. Her voice is a mix between Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani, and the writes good songs. She is another one of those artists that has toiled for years  writing for others and seeing them have hits with her songs. For one reason or another, they didn't see themselves as the star, but it turns out, they maybe should have seen themselves as that all along. I know of a couple more songwriters that are going to be coming out with their own albums like this artist soon, and I will more than little feature them right her, but tonight belongs to LP. She was born in Long Island New York as Laura Pergolizzi, and picked up the nickname LP during her time at Walt Whitman High School. From what I can find, she has been performing since that time as well. She is incredibly talented, and guess what? She plays the ukulele, and you know how I have an affection for ukulele artists. I've been blabbering on enough, let's get to the song. Here is LP with "Lost On You".



     While I have been writing this, I have been listening to the EP, It's titled Death Valley and it's really good. If you are in the mood for some new music. Look it up and give it a listen. I think you will enjoy it. Ok, you can't tell this from just reading, but I stopped writing long enough to watch the live version of the song above, and It's really really good. It has a bit of tortured appeal to it. There is a part where she walks away from the mic, and sings from a distance that just breaks your heart, and tears into your soul. If the video above is anything like the one on Youtube, watch the next video that pops up when that one is done. That should be the live version, you won't regret it.

     Time for me to head off to be. It's going to be another 4 day work wee, so I better get to sleep and attack tomorrow like there is no other tomorrow. Peace in and goodnight.

Ride Saki Ride.

     We have a lot to talk about tonight, so we may as well just jump right into it. This is the 100th post on the ol' Counterfeit Squirrel, and it appears that this one will be laden with plenty of pictures. That basically means that you are going to see a great deal of Saki tonight.

     As you know, I was off Friday, and this was also the first weekend of not drinking. It seems that a bunch of people came out of the woodwork to get me to drink. Now, I haven't announced to anyone outside of this, that I have stopped drinking, I figure that it will come up eventually, and I'll tackle that conversation at that point. Even as I was writing Thursday nights post, I was getting a text from someone to go out drinking. I had a real good reason not to go. I was writing. Friday came around and I had met someone who lives the "bike life", and from what I can gather, what that means to them, is riding a lot (which is a good thing), and within those rides, going to biker bars (not such a good thing). She wanted me to meet up with her during the day, and each place was a bar. I mentioned that I don't drink when I'm on the bike, so I would have to pass for now. That was a good thing, because since I was sitting at home waiting for the weather to clear, to actually go riding, a package came for me.

     I know that I mentioned that my latest Mya-Moe would be the last ukulele I bought for a while, but I couldn't pass this one up. It is called a Ohana O'Nina Supranisimo. I saw something similar to this when I was in Portland Oregon and I was captivated by it. I've wanted one ever since seeing it, and I finally found it. Here it is. I haven't named it yet, because nothing has come to me so far.

     I know what you're thinking, "What is so special about that? It looks like a normal ukulele.". Well, the next picture will explain all. I took a shot of the Ohana with Claude the latest Mya-Moe. This will give you an idea of why it is so special.

     There you have it. Claude is a tenor ukulele, which means he is a little bigger than your standard soprano ukulele. If I put my soprano up next to Claude in comparison, it would be about 4 inches shorter. The new Ohana, as you can is, is about a foot shorter than Claude. It is tiny, and playable. It only has 12 frets as opposed to the standard 17 frets on sopranos and tenors. It has a tiny sound to it as well. I played around with it quite a bit, and it is just fun. I can't wait to take it to class on Thursday just to mess with my teacher a bit. I think he will get a kick out of it.

     The little Ohana came a day early, which worked out because of the crappy weather that we were having. Alas, the clouds parted and the sun kind of came out around noon. I hopped on Saki and headed to the bank and to just go for a ride in general. After the bank, I decided to stop by the tattoo shop and talk to my artist. Oh, I forgot to mention that I was wearing Fred. Yes, I'm sticking with Fred. I just sort of works. I pulled my bike up next to the front window on the sidewalk, and had no idea what the scene was that was going on behind me, as I was getting off the bike. Everyone in the shop was going crazy over Fred. When I turned around and saw, I just walked in without taking off my helmet. Everyone was laughing and smiling. My artist was the loudest saying how much he loved it. There was a small child in there with his mom, who was getting a tattoo, that was transfixed on my helmet. He was smiling and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

     My artist wanted to see how Bowie was doing, so I lifted my shirt and showed him. He mentioned that it had a couple of places that needed a touch up, and asked when I wanted to do it. Luck has it, that next Saturday I had a scheduled appointment to get Saki it's 3000 mile maintenance. The bike shop isn't far from the tattoo shop, so After I drop Saki off, I'm just going to walk to the tattoo shop, and if my artist is free, he's going to do some touch ups on the Bowie tat. It's the definition of killing two birds with one stone. Either way, I just walk over to the shop to hang out for a while. It will take them a couple of hours to give Saki the once over. While I was talking to my artist, I got a text from the biker lady that I met. Let's call her Biker Babe for now. She was with friends at another bar, and wanted to know if I wanted to ride over to meet her. Once again, I had a good excuse not to meet up for drinks, because I was talking to my artist. 

     I hung out at the shop for about an hour and watched him give that mom with the baby a tattoo behind her ear. I needed to hit the road though, the skies were starting to could back up, and since I was wearing Fred, I wanted to try to avoid the rain. While I was just bouncing around the area, I got another text from Biker Babe. Her and her friends were on their way to yet another place, and wanted to know if I was interested. This one I didn't need an excuse, because I was running from the rain, so I couldn't go. I turned around and started running south, since it looked like the rain clouds were heading east to west. I thought I could skirt them and keep riding. I failed. I ran into some pretty heavy rain on the road, and got stuck in traffic, so I couldn't outrun it. Fred was getting drenched, and my visor was getting difficult to see out of. This is the picture I took when I got home.

     If you look closely, you can see that my visor is spotted with rain. I had to hang Fred up to dry out, and because of the rain, Saki was filthy, but that would have to wait.

     After getting back home from a rain soaked ride. I picked up watching the rest of A Series of Unfortunate Events. There were only 8 hour long episodes, and they were fantastic. I managed to watch them all on Friday. I was in for the rest of the day, and Biker Babe was at her last stop, and then going home. We never met up. Later in the evening I got a text from 3W. I was eating dinner at the time, so I couldn't go out. He texted later but I was deeply enthralled in another series on Netflix called Troll Hunters. It is an animated show created by Guillermo del Toro. It's really good. There are 26 episodes in the first part, and it was released on December 23rd. I'd seen trailers for it when I went to the movies, and finally sat down and started watching it. The sad thing about the series is, that it starred the voice talent of Anton Yelchin. He was one of the victims of 2016. You might remember that he died in a completely freak accident when his SUV ran down the driveway of his house and pinned him against his mailbox. The show sets up for another season, or part, which is the way they have it on the display, but they will undoubtedly have to find another person to take the voice of the lead character. If you're in the mood for some lighthearted fun with Guillermo del Toro's freaky creatures that come from his mind, give Troll Hunters a try. You might like it.

     Saturday was a new day, and it was a clear day. Saki and I were going to ride. First though, I got a text from Biker Babe. They were riding out, and heading to a place for lunch and drinks. I just wanted to ride. I turned down her offer again, and headed out. I found a new spot for pictures, and took a couple of Saki in all its filth. You can't see it in the pictures, but I know it's there. The back seat was splattered with mud as well as the entire underneath of the frame. The pictures came out pretty good though.

     The pictures look very similar, but they are at slightly different angles, and I wish I could have kept those freaking signs out of the shot, but I managed to get one in each of them. From there, I went to my favorite watering hole. "Wait, you sad that you didn't drink this weekend." I did say that, and I meant it. I went to my favorite watering hole, and drank raspberry tea with my meal. They know that when I'm on the bike, I don't drink, which is why I brought Fred in with me. One again, a couple of kids were at the bar with their dad, and they loved Fred. They all smiled, which made me smile. Boom mission accomplished. While I was eating lunch, I got a call from an old friend. He was inviting me to lunch. I had to decline since I was eating lunch. I'm sure there would have been booze involved, so I dodged another bullet.

     I headed home after that, and I was thinking that I was in for the day, but a thought came to me. I wanted to do a night ride. Of course, I had to wait until nightfall for that to occur, so in the meantime, I watched more Troll Hunters. I once again got another text from Biker Babe, telling me where she was so that we could meet up, but I had my plans and I was sticking to them. I told her what I was doing, but they were already at the next place and getting ready to head to another one.

     Night was finally cast across the land, and I wheeled Saki out of the garage for our dance in the dark. I had a specific plan, and I was going to see it through. I ride at night on practically a daily basis when I go to work in the morning, but I have never rode at night with the specific goal of just riding. I picked the right time to do it. It was early enough in the evening that people weren't out. They were either already at a place or getting ready to go to a place. It left the roads pretty empty and where I was going was going to be light traffic anyway. I had two roads in mind. River Road and South Tropical Trail. They aren't fast roads, they are just cruising roads. There aren't a lot of street lights on them, so I had to go with the high beams quite often, but it was so peaceful and calm. It took me to another world. A worlds where it was just Saki and me. We rode in the cool breeze along the river's edge, and looked into it vast darkness. The waters were still, so the nighttime sky reflected off it. It was beautiful. I stopped about halfway along River Road and got a couple of pictures in different locations. One of them didn't come out to well, since my front reflector caught then flash from my phone, so I'm keeping that one out, but the other two are pretty good. I'm going to show you the second stop first. It is the clearest of the pictures and taken with only light from a street lamp near by.

     It came out pretty good, and the sign has some symbolism of which way to I go, only the road knows. This was in a little area off the side of the road. It was like a one car parking area for that little bench there. Saki is in all it's glory, stalking through the night, but the next picture might show that even more so. This is the picture that in my little blog post on Moto Amino, I said summed up the night. Calm and Peaceful.

     Although calm and peaceful, Saki looks a little ominous, and definitely looks to be living up to it's name of Ninja. Hiding in the night like a dark angel. I got quite a few compliment on this particular photo on Moto Amino. I like it more and more as I look at it. I only used the natural ambient light that was around, and as you can see, there wasn't much of it. That is how Saki and I rode last night, in darkness with only the wind rushing by us, and the river languidly drifting next to us, to keep us company. When I got home, I felt more relaxed and happy than I had felt in a very long time. It was truly exhilarating. Oh, also exhilarating was when I blew the doors off a Corvette on the way home form the ride. he came speeding up behind me, and passed me at the last minute. I wasn't in any hurry. He got stopped at a light, i was going to teach him a little lesson. I was still slowly approaching the light when it turned green. I was in an open lane, and he was at the front of his. I let him get rolling since I was already on the move, but still a cars length behind him, and then I hit it. I wheelied  (I don't do that often) past him, and left him in the rearview in a split second. When he finally caught up to me, became I had to stop at a light because I was turning, he yelled out the window, "YEAH!" He knew I got him, and he appreciated what Saki could do. I couldn't help but laugh.

     Sunday morning arrived, and I need more time with Saki Notice I still haven't talked about cleaning the much off Saki yet. There is good reason for that. That hasn't happened yet. We went south today, and went to Sebastian. It was a nice day for it, but I forgot to take the quilted lining out of my jacket, so it was hot. I hit a beach access just after the bridge that crosses the inlet, and stopped to use the bathroom and just relax a little. I got one last shot of Saki with all my gear sitting on top of it.

     It was a good end to a fun weekend. I put in several hundreds of miles, and when we finally got back to the house, I let Saki cool off for a bit, and then went out, put Saki up on the stand, and wiped all that dirt and grime off of it. I think I even heard Saki sigh from feeling relief that all that dirt was gone. I did ride by a little ice cream shop that had a sign out front that read "Blackberry and Green Apple". I need to go there when they are open, because I need green apple ice cream in my life. Looks like another adventure for Saki and I to go on. 

      I never met up with Biker Babe, but I'm sure I will at some point. I don't know if I'm the right person for her, and I don't know if she is the right person for her, but maybe I can get a riding buddy out of the whole deal. If all she likes to do, si ride to bars, I'm not down with that, even if I am drinking, but if she is up for going places and seeing things, then maybe there is a chance. We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless of that, I had a great weekend, and I spent it with Saki. I don't know if I need anything more. I probably do, but I'll take what I got for now. Peace in and goodnight.

Title? You Can't Handle The Title.

     I only got one vote on the name of my helmet cover. That vote was Red Fred, which is very similar to the name I was leaning towards, which is simply Fred. I think I will leave it open until Sunday, when I will announce the name I have chosen. You still have a chance to get your name in there.

     Neil Patrick Harris was on the Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, and he was promoting a new show that he had coming out tomorrow, which will be Friday the 13th. It is a Netflix original series called, A Series of Unfortunate Events. It's based on the Lemony Snicket books, by Daniel Handler. Neil is playing none other than Count Olaf himself. the scourge of the series. He went all out for the role and shaved his head. I'm looking forward to this series, it should be fun. While he was on the show, he mentioned that he plays four roles in the show. They are all versions of Count Olaf in different disguises, but Neil had to create voices for each one. He did them for Howard, and they made me laugh. I can't wait to see it, and since I'm off tomorrow, I think I will start the bingefest in the morning.

     It warmed up enough to ride to work the past two days. It felt good to be back on Saki. I know that it had only been two days, but those days go long when you are caged in a car. I'm sure I will get a good ride in tomorrow, since I'm off, but I do plan on focusing on that new show. I have the 3000 mile service coming up on Saki, and I have about 250 miles to go. I think I will make an appointment tomorrow for the Saturday after next. That should be enough time for me to get those extra miles in, before it's service time. Not to mention, I gotta take the helmet cover (yet to be officially named) out for a spin or two. I don't leave it on the helmet when I go to work. It would get dirty or torn. Seeing how someone dropped my helmet today, and didn't even mention it to me. I know it was knocked off it's perch, because it was moved and there was dirt and new scuff marks all over it. People can be real jerks some times.

     I'm really tired for some reason tonight, so I think I'm going to keep this short again. Sorry that I don't have more for you, but maybe on Sunday there will be more. Oh, by the way, Sunday's post will be the 100th post for the Counterfeit Squirrel. The century mark, I guess, should be something special. I'll just have to try hard to come up with something that seems special for that one. Peace in and goodnight.

The Name Game.

     I need a name for my helmet cover. I'm thinking Fred, because that is the name that comes to me when I look at it, but I'm offering up a chance for you to name it. Best name gets it (my opinion of best name) or Fred remains. Take another look at it, in all it's glory, and see what comes to you.

     I mean come on. It's looks like a Fred right. Anyway, leave a comment below of the name you think it should be. If there is an overwhelming agreement on what the name should be, I will accept that as well. Look at it, think about it, and name it.

     I haven't ridden in the past two days, and it's killing me. It's been too cold in the morning to ride. I know I was out in 38 degree weather on Sunday, but I could bundle up and stay warm for that. I can't do that when I go to work. If I do, I will be miserable the entire day. the choice is kind of easy. Stay warm for a 15 mixture ride to work, and then be overheated all day, or dress appropriately for work, and make it through the day without a problem. I have to choose the latter. I will ride this week though I think tomorrow will be warm enough to ride in, and that should hold for the rest of the week.

     I think this is going to be a rather short post tonight, because I really don't have much to tell you, but I think I can draw this out for a little longer. Today, as I write this is the anniversary of the death of David Bowie. Only 2 days after what would have been his 70th birthday. While I was thinking about that today. I began thinking about another artist that we lost this past year. One that shaped my childhood. One that helped me accept that being different isn't always a bad thing. I know that could apply to Bowie as well, but the artist I am talking about is the one, the only, Prince. I said it before, but Purple Rain was the first album that I ever bought, so I had to listen to it today. That brought me to Favorite Song of the Week. Here is the catch though. Prince's songs don't stay on Youtube very long, so this may disappear in a few days or so. If it does, I really want you to search it out for yourself.

     The whole album Purple Rain, is a master work. Every song is amazing (yes, that's my opinion, but i'm not wrong about this). Every song has a reason to stand out, but there is one song that just grabs ahold of you because of the searing guitar that starts it out. It's up and down crescendo of scales tickles the very essence of your soul. The Minnesota sound kicks in with the electronic drum beats that Prince made famous. Many tried to duplicate, but none ever did. This song is one of the most introspective songs on the album. It gives you a small taste of his early family life, and how it impacted his life. I give you Prince & the Revolution with one of the greatest songs every written, "When Doves Cry".

      I don't know how long that will stay up, so watch it while you can. Time for me to punch a higher floor. Peace in and goodnight.

Getting Stung By A Bee While Riding A Motorcycle, Kind Of Sucks.

     Where to begin. I guess I should start with Friday, since I had it off. I woke up reasonably early, and made a quick breakfast, because I wanted to hit the road on Saki. A co-worker had told me about the ride going south on A1A to Ft. Pierce. He told of extravagant houses and scenes from the Caribbean. Lush vegetation that just screamed of a different place and time.

     It wasn't all that, and I kind of wonder where exactly he saw all of this, but he does have a history of embellishing things. It was a pretty ride, and it was nice and casual, but I never felt like I entered a Caribbean paradise, or saw the massive structures of the mansions he mentioned. All in all, I was just happy to be riding, and that is really all that mattered. I did get stuck by the drawbridge going over the Intracoastal.

     On my way back home, I had a bit of a painful adventure. It is not uncommon to get hit by large bugs when riding a motorcycle, but what is uncommon, is what happened to me. I was at the halfway point, when I was struck in the neck by a large insect. It stung, so I had to rub my neck a bit. I didn't think much about it after that, until several minutes later, when I felt a stinging on my stomach. It turns out, that what had hit my neck, was a bee. It was knocked out cold by the impact, and managed to fall into my jacket, which I had slightly unzipped to get a little air, because it was rather hot. When the bee regained consciousness, it was of course confused by it's confined surroundings, and did what was natural. It started stinging me like crazy. I began to do the only thing that came natural to me, and that was start punching myself in the stomach while going down the highway at, let's say, close to the speed limit. I had gotten it, but there was still an occasional sting here and there, because the bee carcass was trapped inside my jacket. I actually thought that it was in my shirt. I still had another half hour to go before I was going to stop. I toughed it out, and headed to Red Robin. I was going to get another one of those great burgers.

     I finally pulled into the mall parking lot where Red Robins was and parked. I unzipped my jacket, and there was mister bee, stuck to my shirt. I brushed it off, and began the process of getting my gear off to go inside, and eat. I made a mistake however. In the same parking lot are several restaurants. I was so distracted by the bee and the pain in my stomach, that I actually pulled into BJ's Brewhouse. I didn't realize I was in the wrong place until I was inside. I decided to stay. I don't drink on the bike, but I will occasionally allow myself one pint, with plenty of water and food. That is what I did. I got a Fat Tire, with a water back, and a BJ's Brewhouse Burger. It was a good burger, even though I was looking forward to Red Robin. I paid my tab, and hit the road, so that I could get home, and see the damage the bee had caused to me.

     There was a swollen area in the upper center area of my stomach, with some redness, but it would be fine. My day was over. I had a good long ride, a tasty burger, and some excitement with a bee.

     The next morning I woke up to rain. That was a bummer. It meant that I wasn't going to get to ride Saki, but then the mail came, and I got a package from England. It was my new helmet cover.

     Pretty cool right? I had to find some time to ride. I began checking the news, and the weather apps, to see if there would be a break in the storm. Finally around 4 in the afternoon, the rain stopped. I got the cover on my Arai helmet (it actually fit), and took off for a ride. I got a lot of strange looks, but mostly smiles, thumbs ups, and a few honks. Now for a brief review. it does have a little bit of drag, but it is very manageable. I thought, just by the nature of what it was, that it would disrupt ventilation in my helmet, but it didn't at all. Maybe that will be a little different in warmer weather (the rain brought a cold front through), but right now, it ventilates just fine. If you want one of your own, just go to this site Funny Heeds. They change them quite often, I can see just from yesterday that they have sold out of several of them, and added some new ones. So if there isn't one to your liking right now, check back from time to time, and you might see something that tickles your fancy.

     Later that night, I went to my watering hole. I needed a pizza. I hadn't had one for quite some time, and they have in my opinion, the best. With my pizza, I had a few drinks. Nothing unusual for me there, but it seemed different. I'm beginning to feel like I really don't want to drink anymore. It has truly lost it's appeal to me. It's basically a social crutch that I don't think I need anymore. I will just have to see what the future holds with this. I've mentioned quitting before, and I did that little test with not drinking while out with friends. It can be done, but they did get annoyed with me for not drinking. I thought it was kind of funny actually.

     Oh I forgot, before I go into today's ride, I have one more picture that I took when I went on that first ride with the new helmet cover. I just used the phone mount, so it looks a little strange.

     I can't help but chuckle when I see it. I get a glimpse from time to time, in the reflection of my display, and it cracks me up. Today I saw what my shadow looked like, as the morning sun was directly behind me, and I was howling with laughter. Anyway, on to today. I was up really early today, because it was cold here. It was 36 degrees when I woke up. I made breakfast, showered, and then bundled up like the kid in A Christmas Story. I had a tough time moving around. I was layered everywhere., but it kept me warm. When I got Saki out, it was up to 38 degrees with 13 mph winds. That meant that the feels like temperature was probably somewhere around freezing, but that wasn't going to stop me. I was determined. I got on the bike in my Stay Puft Man puffyness, and rode. I found a good spot to pull over and get a picture os Saki, but when I pulled my phone off the mount to take the picture, I found that my phone had died. so that spot will have to wait for another day.

     It was fun riding out there in the cold. I wouldn't do it for a hundred miles, but the 30 I put in today was just fine. It was a good and productive weekend. I learned to always keep my jacket fully sipped up, and that I may just be tired of drinking. Oh, I learned one more thing. A new David Bowie EP was released today, in honor of his birthday. If you get the chance, give it a listen, It's only 4 songs, and they are really good. I'm off so, peace in and goodnight.

Choices.

     It's a simple title tonight. Yeah, that means I came up with the title right away, so I'm assuming you can guess what this is going to be about. We make choices every second of every day. The vast majority of them, we don't even think about. From the second you come to life in the morning, you make a choice of whether to open your eyes, or keep them closed. From the moment you choose to open your eyes, the next choice is, do I get out of bed, or stay in bed? It goes on and on from there. These are the easy choices that we make. The difficulty comes when you come into contact with other people.

     The first person you see on any given day, can be anyone. There are some exceptions to this of course. If you are married, have a significant other, live with relatives, or roommates. Then you have to decided how you are going to greet them, or whether or not to greet them at all. That first impression is going to stay with them all day. Do you greet them with a smile, or just a nonchalant nod? If you chose that nod, you are probably going to be explaining things later, but that's not where I'm going with this.

     Where I'm going is, when you meet that first person in your day, that you have no attachment with what so ever. How do you greet them, if at all. Is it with a smile, or that nonchalant nod? Either of which should get a welcome response, but you could just sneer at them. What kind of a response does that get you? I'm betting on, not a very good one. Maybe they took the initiative and greeted you first. Same possibilities of greetings as above, how do you respond to the sneer? This is when things get tricky, and the choice you make can affect you day in a profound way. You could take the easy route, and simply ignore it. It goes away, no harm no foul, but what if you don't take the easy route? What if you made a choice earlier, that has already upset your day, and instead of ignoring this sneer, you throw one back? The choice then moves to that other person. What is their response to your response? This is where negativity starts to impact your day in the way that negativity always does.

     Negativity doesn't just move along at a normal pace. Negativity is compounding. It grows and multiplies with each new negative act. It takes over, in a very small amount of time. If you reach for negativity, it is always going to be there for you, but it isn't a warm blanket for you to curl up in. It is a burning hot sauna that inflames your rage. It's easy.

     Showing compassion, and empathy take work. It isn't easy to look at that sneer, and just smile, and say, "Hello". At that moment, that could be the hardest thing you do all day, but in the end, if you do, it will be the most important thing you did. By smiling and saying hello, you possibly changed that persons view of the day they were having. By showing compassion in the face of diversity, made you a stronger person. By doing the least possible positive thing that you could do, you made your world  a better place.

     You have a choice to make. You can choice to be a better and more positive person, or you can be that negative one. I know the one that I'm going to choose. It isn't going to be easy, cause there is a lot of negativity out there, especially right now, but one person at a time, we can come out on top of this. We can be the creators of our own destinies, by simply choosing to be better people, and by doing that, maybe we can make someone else be better as well. It is contagious, and it will spread.

     I know this probably sounds a little preachy and idealistic, but you see, I had a choice tonight. I could have ran through what happened over the last two days since my last post, or I could write something that might give you a little hope, that this world can be better. I think I made the right choice. Peace in and goodnight.

That Took A Rather Strange Turn.

     I had a thought today. Ha ha, I can actually have a thought, it isn't unheard of. Well, anyway, this thought, was about the guy in the story about Teal and Ivy. What is his story? What happened to him, after they found out that they were sisters? I didn't think to ask either one of them about that, so it is all speculation for me. I do have a couple of theories though.

     In my mind, there are two ways this could have gone. Now of course there are for more ways that it could go, but those aren't good stories, in fact, most of them would be rather boring. So here are my two views on the most entertaining of them. The first one, is that he is intrigued by this, but in a fortuitous way. He begins directing and producing pornography that tailors to a man having a threesome with two women that don't know they are sisters only to find out by coincidence. That story of course can only go so far, but here is the darker one. They guy having had this happen right in front of him while trying to live out a fantasy with the help of these two ladies, is pushed further into that fantasy world, that he must have that experience again, and at all costs.

     He starts by going to strip clubs trying to relive the act, and hoping that it plays out the same way, but it never does. He spirals further and further into this obsession, until he has the thought to kidnap actual sisters, and have them perform this act for him over and over. That story, is something that you could turn into a rather twisted tale. Something to thing about, or maybe not. It is rather disturbing.

     On a much lighter note. I got out and did a first ride of the year yesterday with Saki. It wasn't very long, but I managed to go by one of my favorite spots to get a picture. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect picture of Saki, and this one comes pretty close.

     Then color just pops on this shot, in every aspect. the red of Saki, the green of the grass, and the blue of the sky. I just hit it right and got lucky. I did polish Saki up a couple days before, and hadn't ridden since, so the shine was still there, and I think it paid off. The weather looks good enough to ride every day to work this week. It does look like some showers tomorrow, but the last time we had a rain chance like this, nothing happened, so I'm going to roll the dice and ride in anyway. Then I look forward to riding on Saturday, because someone told me of a good place too ride this weekend, so I'm going to give it a go, and see if it is everything they said it wold be. I'll try to take pictures for you if I remember or get the chance.

     Today was the first day back to work for me, and it went fine, but we are still slow, so I'm concerned that this already tailor made 4 day work week, is going to become a 3 day work week, at a moments notice. If it does, I'll just make the most of it, and take that ride a day early.

     I do have some news on my helmet cover. Did I tell you about the helmet cover that I ordered? I think I did, but I didn't share a picture with you, and that is with good reason, I want to get it and take a picture of it, instead of using one from the site I ordered it from. It is coming from Great Britain, and it is on it's way. It is scheduled to arrive anywhere from the 5th to the 13th. that means either this Thursday, or by next Friday. You will definitely see a picture of it by the Sunday after next.

     In other shipping news, my Fleshlight will be here tomorrow. Now, you didn't say you wanted a review of it, but I think I'm going to give you one anyway. I have to take this honesty and shamelessness as far as I can right? I will still try to keep a modicum of discretion though. i won't get vulgar, I will just give you the ins and outs, no pun intended.

     Let's leave that behind us for now, and get on with Favorite Song of the Week. I had something in mind for today, but then I lost it at some point, so I'm kind of scrambling right now. With that in mind, I'm going to go to an all time favorite of mine, but The Piano Guys. Recently they have had some hardship when one of the members lost his daughter in a freak hiking accident in Oregon. So they have been a bit quiet lately, and with good reason. They have always liked to do mash-ups in a way. they tend to make classical music and blend it with contemporary songs, and this one is truly one of their best. It creates such a rich sense of emotion when you listen to it, that you may just tear up. I hope you enjoy "Beethoen's 5 Secrets", by The Piano Guys.

      Well, that is all I have for tonight. I'm keeping it short and sweet. Peace in and goodnight.

Now, That's How You Ring In The New Year.

     It's a brand new year, full of all kinds of possibilities. I'm not sure if I mentioned this here  before, but I know I did in the 365, but I don't do resolutions. Resolutions always seem to fail, they are full of false hope, and normally last as long as the month of January. What I do do, is set goals for the year. I don't succeed in all of them, but I come pretty close. These are always long term goals. I usually sit down with myself in the first week of the new year, and figure out my goals for that year, so I don't have any solidified at this time. Here is the thing though, don't expect to see them on here, I don't speak them out loud or even write them down. If you tell people these types of goals, they have an interest, but that interest can sidetrack you. They will often ask you about those goals, and that takes your focus off the fact that they are long term, and that you need to complete them right away. So I'm sorry, but the goals will not be uttered here. I'll tell you if I reach them though, when I get there.

     In the meantime, let's talk about yesterday. Yesterday was of course New Year's Eve, and it was a bit of a weird one. Not weird in a bad way, but weird in a strange way. I know, that sounds equally bad, but it wasn't. It was definitely interesting. I wanted to make sure that I got one last ride of the year in on Saki, so I hopped on and rode to Melbourne to get some lunch. There is a Red Robin there, that I haven't been to yet. I've been to Red Robin's before, and they are fantastic. A little pricey, but worth the money. It was really windy and riding down the highway was rough. I was being tossed around quite a bit, but I managed. I went with the Guacamole Bacon Burger, which was just great. I had my usual Orange Cream Soda, that they have there, it's expensive, but I love that drink. I get it every time I go to one. When I was done, I hopped on Saki and made my way home. I was meeting a buddy at 4 to start the New Year's festivities. Oh wait, before I go on about that, I have to mention something. I got ear plugs for when I ride. I've noticed that the wind noise was beginning to bother me, so I opted for ear plugs to deafen the sound. I did a little research and found these great plugs by a company called NoNoise. They don't block all the sound out, they have a filter that helps eliminate certain sound levels, and they work great. I could hear everything that was going on but the wind noise was definitely lowered, and I didn't feel like I had a hearing problem when I got off the bike. Here is a link to the plugs I bought NoNoise. I'm sure you will notice two things. one the price. Yeah, they are expensive but I'm telling you, they work like a charm, and 2. that the link takes you to Amazon Smile. If you've never heard about Amazon Smile before, you are about to. Amazon Smile gives you the chance to attach a charity to your purchase. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but a smile portion of your purchase price goes to the charity you have selected. I make an effort to change mine from time to time, to spread the love around. Right now, I have Villlalobos Dog Rescue as my charity, so every time I make a purchase going though Amazon Smile, they get a little bit sent their way. It's a great way to do a little bit of good.

     Now for last night. I met my buddy at his house, and the plan, was to hit a couple of strip clubs early and then get off the beachside before 7 or 8 o'clock. Yeah, that plan was doomed from the start. After that we, were going to head back to our area and get something to eat, and then take a cab into Cocoa Village to bar hop. Here is how it really went. We went to the first club which is my buddies favorite place, and there is a very good reason for that. He knows a lot of the dancers there, and they treat him well. One of his ladies came over to him right after we sat down, and she spent most of the time with him. Here is where the first strange thing happens. He points to one of the dancers, and says that is Teal's sister. You remember Teal right? The dancer I told you about several weeks ago. I thought he must have been out of his mind. I didn't now that she had a sister. He had his lady go up and ask her if Teal was in fact her sister, and said that one of the guys over there was wanting to know. She came back after and confirmed what he had said. She was in fact Teal's sister.

     It was kind of odd. I wasn't sure what to think. I was in a weird place trying to comprehend that I was looking at my friends sister dancing on a stage. My buddy had taken off with his dancer and was getting a few dances as I sat there and stared at my beer trying to get a hold of this information that I had just learned, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and there she was staring me right in the eye, and asking if I was the one that wanted to know if she was Teal's sister. I think I stumbled through my words a bit. I was trying to tell her, that it was my buddy that asked, but I was the one that wanted to know, because he had told me that. Oh, we need a name for her, and I think I have the perfect one, Ivy. There is a reason for that name, and we will get to it soon enough. Ivy and I began talking, and she was really cool. she asked to sit in my lap because her feet were killing her. I of course said yes. Who doesn't want a pretty women to sit in their lap. She then told me the story of how her and Teal realized they were sisters. Here is the second strange thing to happen, and it might just be the best story every.

     They were both dancing at the same club, and I'm not real sure, because I didn't ask either of them, but I don't think they even knew about each other. Well costumer asked them to both do a dance for him, so he could kind of live out a fantasy of being with two women. They agreed, and took him for his dance. They started playing around with each other, and lightly kissing each other, when Teal looked down at Ivy's arm and saw her father's name on Ivy's arm. It was a memorial tattoo. She looked at her and said, "That's my dad's name." "Why do you have my dad's name on your arm?" The reply, "That's my dad's name." Then it hit them, that they were half sisters. The laughed about it, but the dance kind of ended right there. Is that not the best story you've ever heard of siblings meeting for then first time?

     We sat there and talked more, and I mentioned that I saw her when we first came in, and I liked the whole Poison Ivy vibe she had going on, with the bright red hair. She immediately began screaming in joy, and hugged me harder than I think anyone has ever hugged me before. She was thanking me, because I'm the only person to notice it. Everyone else was calling her Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I'm not even going to get into the psychology of the guys that would think that. My buddy finally came back, but disappeared as soon as Ivy asked if I wanted a couple of dances from her. She was leaving soon for the night, and wanted to get a couple more in. I figured what the hell. The writer in me wanted this story and experience, so I did, but I had to wait until he got back, so he wouldn't think I abandoned him. We went back and she began to dance for me, and it was nice, but I felt strange the whole time. I was getting a dance from Teal's sister, and it felt a little like I was cheating on her. I know, that sounds absurd, but that is how I felt. We finished up after a couple of dances, and she asked me what time it was. I looked at my watch and it was already after 6:30. Remember that plan we had laid down? She was supposed to be leaving at 6:30, so she was late getting out of there. We said our goodbyes, I told her how great it was to meet her. She said likewise, and then added, "now you are going to see my sister.". In fact we were, that was the next stop.

     My buddy had talked to Teal a few days earlier, and told her of our plan to get off the beach by 8 at the latest. She told him that she was going to put a wrench in that plan and text me that she was working. She never did, but He had told me that she was working for sure, so I was more than happy to go last night. When we arrived, we walked in and looked around. Teal wasn't there, but we were still a little early, and I think she gets there usually after 7 or so. I texted her to tell her that I had just met her sister, and that we were at her club now. She texted right back, saying that she was on her way, but that she was waiting for her friend that is another dancer. I haven't mentioned her yet, but I have to come up with a name for her too, and I don't know here stage name, so I can't use that, but I don't think I would anyway. I know, she is Puerto Rican so I'll call her Boricua. My buddy was there to see her. I told Teal that we would stay until they got there, and quite frankly, I wasn't going to leave without seeing her. There weren't a hole lot of dancers there at the time we got there, but my buddy knew a few of them, and they would come over to say hi to him, and give me a passing glance. I was fine with that. I don't need all the attention, so I'm fine with him taking it. He likes it, and craves it.

     Teal and Boricua showed up after about 45 minutes I'd say. They of course had to change before they came out on the floor, so we knew it would be some time before we would be going anywhere. One of the dancers that my buddy knew was talking to us, and she was cute, and a bit nerdy. We were talking all kinds of comic book stuff, when I felt an arm drape across my shoulder. It was Teal, and I couldn't have been happier. I know what you are thinking. Oh hell, he's fallen for her. I can't say that I haven't, but I generally enjoy her company. I have a lot of fun talking to her, and we do have quite a few things in common. Would I like to date her? Absolutely, but I'm not going to bring it up, because I don't know that she would want that, so why ruin a good thing.

      I did confirm with her the story of how her and her sister met. It was true, she seemed a little embarrassed by it, which is exactly how I think I would be. Actually I think I would be massively embarrassed by it. After a little while, it was her turn on the stage. I followed her up, so that I could tip her on the stage. As we were walking up, they began playing a Twenty One Pilots song. We both looked at each other and smiled. She said that they DJ didn't even know I was there, and that the song was just a coincidence. I was just fine with that. We were both singing it as she danced. I was the only one at the stage with her, so I was the only one tipping her, so she spent the whole time dancing by me. It was great. I had a front row to the greatest show on that stage. Her songs were over, so I got up and headed back to the bar with my buddy. Normally the girls have to hit the back stage, but that they weren't doing that last night. I'm guessing it was because there weren't' really a lot of people there. The bouncers always help the ladies pick up their money, and when he saw a coupled of $5's thrown in there, he told her that she had just made more money that any of the girls there. I can believe it too, I was watching the stage, and a lot of girls didn't even make any tips while they were dancing.

     Teal came back over and sat back down on my lap, and we talked and laughed more. I truly do have a great time being around her, I hope she does as well. My buddy was getting antsy though. He was a little upset that Boricua wasn't spending any time with him. Like I said before, he likes to be, in his words, The King. He wants to have the women draped all over him, and other than Boricua coming up and saying hi and kissing us each on the cheek, she hadn't been around him. He gets a little upset, and thinks that the women are playing him, but he doesn't take into consideration that there are other customers that are loyal to her, and she has to make her rounds to them. She was stopping by all of them, and making money. That is what she is there to do, and since my buddy has never done anything more than tip her a dollar at a time when she is on stage, she really didn't have to stay by him. His pride was a little wounded, and we did have to leave. I told Teal that we had to leave, and that it was great seeing her again. I could have stayed there all night with her, but I could see that my buddy was fuming at this point, plus we did have that plan.

     As for that plan, we didn't get out of the club until after 9. I'm not sure of the exact time, but it was definitely after 9. We got back to the house, forgot all about getting something to eat, and just called a cab to get us to the Village. Really great cab driver. He was super friendly and had stories to tell about his ventures to certain clubs. He was entertaining to say the least. We got to our first stop, which is where the weirdness picks up again. We were at an English Pub, and there were people everywhere. I saw some old friends and talked with them for a while. Then I noticed this guy with a shirt that light up. It had some sort of LED weaved in the shirt or something so that it would light up and change colors. I started talking to him about the shirt, and he showed me where to get it. it was fantastic. From there, I noticed a group of beautiful women all wearing similar red dresses, and they were great dresses to. They were shear, and were wearing little boy shorts, and red bras underneath them. My friends and I were trying to guess what was going on, so I just walked over and asked them. They were all brides mates to be. I met the bride to be, and congratulated on her upcoming nuptials, and then headed back over to my friends to let them in on what was going on. It was also about this time, that I had to hit the bathroom. It's a small bathroom, pretty much three people can be in there, but it's not comfortable. One guy was at the urinal while I took the toilet. There are no stalls so when someone is at the sink, you are fully exposed, and when the door is opened, you are even more fully exposed. Well, the door opened, and it was the guy with the light up shirt. Now, I was a little drunk at this point, so when he walked in, I believe I said something like, "this is the best night ever, I'm in the bathroom with cool shirt guy". He laughed and began primping in the mirror. I didn't realize that he was stalling for something. I was wrapping this up, and he asked if I did drugs. I don't, so I said no, but then he pulled out a little blue pouch and dumped some cocaine onto the crook of his hand and snorted it. I said, wait a minute, is that coke. He said that it was, and asked again if I wanted any. Here is where the writer in my wanted the story, and took over my body. I said that I'd never tried it, but what the hell, give me a little. I dumped what would have been called back in the day, a key bump onto the crook of my hand. It was way different than I thought it would be. It was very fine, and a lifted my hand up, and snorted away. Once again, way different than I thought it would be. You see in movies all the time when someone does coke, the snort and then they act like it burned their nose. It didn't. I didn't feel anything. Then I started thinking, is this what it was like in the Studio 54 days, with Andy Warhol and that crowd. doing coke in a bar bathroom. I had just had an experience that I thought I would never have. I did it, and now I never have to do it again.

     The experience, was also not like I imagined it would be. You always see were people get really wired and start talking fast, and can't stop moving, but that wasn't the case. Maybe I didn't do enough, but it only felt like I was wired, like I had drank a Red Bull. There was s difference though. I don't drink energy drinks, because they make me real jittery, and when you are drinking that jittery feeling gets compounded by the fact that you want to go to sleep from the booze, but you can't because of the energy drink. This wired didn't feel that way. I was more leveled out. I was wired, but it was more like I was wide awake, and I didn't feel like I wanted to go to sleep.

     We left that pub, and went to a beer bar around the corner. I honestly lost count of how much we drank long before getting there, so we were pretty well into drunkenness. It was well passed the new year, which I only have a fuzzy recollection of counting down to. My buddy was having another crisis, because a woman that had met him at the other place, had kinda of blown him off, so it was a night full of failures for him. Also, booze is a depressant, and he was getting a full hit of it. His wife came and picked us up. Wait, I know what you are thinking. HIs wife, and he is messing with all these other women? They have a very open relationship, and he does't sleep with these women, he only enjoys their company, and she does know about them. As a matter of fact, he told her what had just happened with the woman that blew him off when she showed up. She took it all in stride.

     I paid our bill, which I didn't remember doing, but I have a receipt so everything is good. We hopped in the car, and his wife drove us back to their place, where I promptly passed out on his bathroom floor until 7 in the morning. I woke up with a slightly more than mild hangover, and drove myself home, and then went back to sleep until noon. It was one hell of a night.

     Tomorrow is my last day off before I head back to work. Even though this time of year is rough for me, I have to look back on the last couple of weeks, and say that I truly made the most of it, and had a pretty good time. Yeah, there were some rough spots in there, and I've done my best not to focus on any of them. I just kept moving forward. Let's make this year a whole heaping lot better than last. I welcome you to this new year. Peace in, and goodnight.