70's Ride

Went on a ride today. It was abit on the long side stretching out for 12 1/2 hours. We were on schedule for the most part until the afternoon began. Then somehow time went faster as we went slower.

Started out in Long Beach - where we usually start off. It would have been 250 miles and should have finished around 3 or 4pm. We went on the highways in the 70's.... 74, 76, 78 and I don't remember the rest of them. Very scenic and I was alittle amazed at how country things got between LA and Oceanside, which is close to San Diego. I think we were only 45 miles away to San Diego.

Isn't it strange at how when one is younger you can't wait to do something? When I was a kid I couldn't wait to get outta the house - get out of the country and into civilization... a big city like NYC, LA or even Chicago. There were too many cornfields, wheatfields and especially cows at home. On today's ride, I thought it strange at how happy I was to see cows. And amazed at the bison. Granted they were penned up but there are actually livestock in SoCal!



We stopped in Oceanside for breakfast. It was a little mom and pop type restaurant supposed to be nostalgic or something, right off highway 101. The roads were great - lots of curves, good scenery and most especially very little car traffic our way. I think it was highway 76, something happened and there were lots of cars stopped and waiting to go.



It was a hot day. Maybe in the high 90's and I was really glad I had packed several bottles of cold water. We stopped several times throughout the ride, which was a good thing. One of the riders had heat exhaustion so we doused her with cold water and tried putting her in the shade but after an hour, we ended up stopping off at a fast food restaurant for some cold drinks. I think that helped everyone cool down. Yup, it was that hot out.




Overall, it was a good ride. It wasn't planned for all day but it was amazing that even though there were a few riders I had never ridden with, everyone was a good sport. I think next time, we'll be more prepared as far as staying hydrated. The ride route was great... not too much traffic. The roads were also great and perhaps SoCal is slowly growing on me. It's strange because the other night I had a dream about purchasing a house. I'm not exactly sure where it was but it was close to the ocean yet in the country where I was able to have a big yard and enough space to finally get my dream dog - a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Kinda crazy, eh? On second thought, maybe that was a nightmare! (That means I'm getting old and ready to settle down. Blah!!!) Knowing that most of the dreams I am able to recall do come true, I'm kinda curious as to where this is at. I don't even know if it was in SoCal but after seeing some of the landscapes on our ride, it could be possible.

IBA - Saddlesore

So with my new found free-time, I've already completed a mini-adventure. I was pressed for time so I didn't take any pictures. Well, I did take 3 photos - to keep track of my mileage as part of the paperwork to send in. Most of you know, one of my dreams is to ride the Iron Butt - it is an 11 day motorcycle ride and 11,000 miles. It's a contest more for myself to see if I can do it and of course bragging rights. Other than that, it's quite useless.

I didn't do the Iron Butt ride, although I found out there are some pre-requisites. And the Iron Butt is on a lottery basis. Not everyone that applies can ride. So I figured I would complete as many pre-requistes as possible.

First, is the Saddlesore. It's 1,000 miles in 24 hours. Someone I just met did this awhile back and eventually would also want to do the Iron Butt. She was suppose to go with me - but schedules change. One other person showed interest too but again bad scheduling. So I went by myself. Seems like all my long rides are solo. It's kinda nice too - gives me time to think, get away from civilization, more time to think, eat junk food, oh did I mention more time to think? Yeah, I do miss my alone time and just being able to hear silence - but in this case, all I heard was the rumbling of my bike as I was riding the interstate, oh yeah and my iPod.

But since moving to LA, there is constant noise - I guess that's the part of the seasonal trail I miss the most... listening to the quiet and nature - seeing the animals, mountains, beaches, etc. Maybe I'm just turning into the country rustic the parents raised me to be.

Anyway, the Saddlesore is all documented. To qualify, you actually need witnesses to verify the date, time and mileage on start and end. So I left yesterday morning at 425AM. Behind schedule but still was able to beat the morning traffic and I plotted out my way going East. My turn around point was in Winslow, Arizona. I decided I wanted to ride 500 miles and out and return. I could have returned more soon but wanted to be sure to get the 1,000 miles so I went an extra 70 miles just in case some parts did not count - everyone's mileage counter is not quite accurate and I didn't want to go all that way to find out I was short a couple miles. I had estimated a return time of midnight although I had until 425AM... and actually got back a few minutes before 11PM. Yup! Definately good timing... 18 1/2 hours of riding.



This is me at my turn around point in Winslow, Arizona. I wanted to keep track of my mileage so I took a picture and it looked kinda cool with the reflection. Riding long distances I like to wear my full-face helmet. Keeps the elements out. It also keeps people minding their own business. By this I mean, when I wear my 1/2 helmet around town people point, stare, honk or whatever else you can imagine when they see there's a girl riding a motorcycle. It also draws more attention at the gas stations... strange men come up to me as I'm refilling my gas tank and start talking. Kids and mothers come up (I guess women are less intimidating on a bike) and they ask if their kid can sit on my bike or have their picture taken on my bike, go for a ride, etc. I have no idea why either - there are plenty of women motorcyclists around. Women riders are actually a growing industry. Anyhow, I'm not a carnival ride as I often say to even some friends... I know quite the jerk, right? So a full-faced helmet is a bit more discreet and I think, more safe when riding solo.

But back to my story... I really think back support is the trick. I took a luggage bag and just leaned up on it the entire trip. Of course it was full of snacks and water - I knew going through the desert would be quite warm and the mountains maybe alittle cool. But those mountains were downright cold! And the desert was very hot. I couldn't tell whether I should strip or layer because I had to pass through a couple mountain ranges and a desert. And I can't leave out the rain...

I was so excited about this trip that I wasn't able to sleep. If anything I got about 3 hours in so I was alittle worried that I would have to cancel this trip and try again at a later time. But I layered up pretty good and was quite warm. The cool morning air felt quite nice. Then as the sun rose, it got warm and I'd get alittle sleepy and it would rain. Then I'd wake up from the pelting - it kinda hurts going 80mph then the rain would stop. Then I'd dry off and warm up and get sleepy again. And it would rain again. That happened for almost 250 miles. Then the mountains came and the rain wouldn't stop. It was a good thing I remembered to wax my windshield! I always forget and when it rains the water just sticks to the windshield and I can't see - no windshield wipers. But with the wax, the rain just falls right off. It was awesome!

Flagstaff was a really nice area with mountains and trees. I almost regretted having to keep going. Then there was the dust storm. Luckily, my turnaround point came soon and I only had to ride 100 miles in the dust. Couple of cars were on the side of the road. I guess there was too much dust in the air the the vehicles couldn't run properly. But at least there were lots of police out helping everyone. The sad part is that the rain and dust mixed and clogged up my air horn... yup, and I don't know how to clean it. Luckily, I didn't have to use it on anyone but I really wanted to push the horn button. When I did, no sound came out.

Then on the return trip, there was lightning. Nothing to be scared of though. All in all - the elements were not a bother since I've ridden through way worse on other rides. I think the most difficult part was trying to stay awake. I was so tired. I pulled over a couple times for a quick nap but there was no way I was going to not finish this ride - especially after going 600 miles. After the turn around point, I was in the homestretch and there's no turning back after that. No way!

So this is a record for me... I've never gone 1,000 miles in one day. I've ridden 12 hours in a day and I've ridden 700 miles in one day but this is quite the new record. Oh yeah, once I finish this paperwork I'll be getting a certificate, pin and patch. So... when is the next one? Oh! But there's another ride called the Bunburner. 1,500 miles in 36 hours. That will probably be alittle too easy because people do the Saddlesore and Bunburner at the same time. After their 1,000 they get a hotel room for sleep and finish out the remaining 500 miles the next day. Easy... but maybe that will be next.

Reading people's reviews, I seem to be average. Most people complete the Saddlesore in 18 hours. Hmmm. There's a Saddlesore California ride... going 1,000 miles in 24 hours only in the state of California. Maybe that will be next. Who knows. But I'm up for another ride. Anyone want to come with?

The bummer part is a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in 3 years came to visit me at Bangkok Samurai. She didn't know I'm no longer with them. I met her on my trip to Antarctica and have been trying to meet up with her since but bad scheduling hasn't made it possible. Huge bummer.

bye bye Bangkok

So the three of us partners in Bangkok Samurai have had way too many debates. Since I just got a new job elsewhere, I won't be available to work full-time at Bangkok Samurai, as planned. The silent partner decided she didn't want to be silent anymore and the third partner's wife wanted to take over. With so many changes, the stress level has increased and I have found out people are not whom they present themselves as under 'normal' conditions. I guess this re-enforces the knowledge that I've learned so many years ago in the military - stress can bring out the best or the worst in people. It's how people deal with stress that really matters.

Anyway, the partner's wife and I have been butting heads since she took over. I've had enough of the blame game and have decided to call it quits on this project. Actually, two of us quit and the remaining partner and his wife will be the sole owners of Bangkok Samurai.

It's a bit saddening but in the long run, I think it's good for each of us. I know now when I do open my future restaurant not to have business partners - just wait until I can afford it myself. If anything, Bangkok Samurai was a learning experience. I didn't realize there were so many permits and paperwork that needed to be signed off by the city and county.

Not to fret though, I'll have my hands full with the new job. Perhaps with more time off, I will be able to go on more mini-adventures!

Vacation time

Whew! I'm on vacation. My new job gave us all new hires 2 weeks vacation only after 2 months of being hired. This is day 5 of vacation time and most of it has been spent getting ready to open Bangkok Samurai. Our grand opening is set for June 17th and we're projecting to be very busy. I'm actually shrinking the menu for that day since I'll be the only sushi chef and of course, cannot make rolls as fast as I'd like to. But that is still a work in progress.

There might be some changes coming soon. I keep y'all posted.

air horn

Since moving to LA, I've been almost wiped out on numerous occasions by careless automobile drivers while out on a bike ride. Last week was not any different. Unfortunately, in order to go to a nice serene location, you have to get onto a congested freeway.


I've been dreaming of getting an air horn ever since I lived in Texas, which was quite a few years ago. It's like one of those items that you really want but slides down the priority list whenever something more important arises. It was always wishful thinking and perhaps on a birthday/ special occasion request list.

But again, LA drivers make me a little nervous. After being almost side-swiped while on the bike I decided I was going to get one. Finally! But which one? There are several brands on the market and of course, Harley-Davidson has their own brand, which is how I first heard of them. My current horn is ok but this one is fantastic! I wasn't too keen on the way it looked because of the duel trumpets but once I heard it, I was sold.

I just happened to go to a local biker shop and they were installing a Howard's air horn. Just awesome!

So there is. A duel trumpet air horn that will definately wake up anyone that veers in my lane.

Welcome to the world of being a process engineer

Whew, what a stressful week! So this was finals week for the new job. Classmates have been saying that it was okay to bomb the walk thru and the written and we'd still keep our jobs because they would let us re-test. Plus, there isn't a thing called being fired. You are just re-educated until you pass. Anyway, I didn't want to fail. I wanted to pass on the first shot so studying was my life from Friday the previous week thru last Tuesday. We had two finals - one walk thru, kinda like a hands-on test and one written. Again, like in all the tests we have to get 80% or better. Wednesday was everyone's walk thru. And two people failed. And they got kicked out of the program. Yes, they got fired. Our class was in total shock. As were the instructors... There is a new training manager - our instructors boss who makes the final decision. Since he's new he wants a higher standard, more difficult tests and rules to follow. Our class size shrank to 16. Our second final was suppose to take place Thursday. I think the instructors were more upset than we were. They postponed the final until Friday. That scared all of us although it gave us more time to study. Thankfully, everyone passed. When we first began they told us there were only 15 slots open. Meaning only 15 people were going to retire this year. So we knew some of us would not make it. Then as we got to know the instructors, they informed us if all 18 of us pass they would have to take all 18 and it's never the class that drops people but usually, once we get assigned to our plant area people quit because they fail to adapt. So going by the instructors, no one ever fails a test and no one ever gets fired in the schooling portion. But then some problems arose. Even the remaining 16 students are not needed. No one wants to retire this year. So where would they put us? They still don't know. Usually after you pass the final, you are informed of which plant you will be working at. We have 2 more weeks of school and then they want us to take a one week vacation. It's crazy! I've never worked anywhere that you get a week vacation after 2 months. Usually it's a week off after a year of employment. It's perfect timing because Bangkok Samurai is suppose to open during that week. I guess we are a special class. People tell us that all the time. Of course, on the 4th day of work our place of duty was at Disneyland (1/2 hour away). Yup, they fed us a buffet breakfast, had to listen to a 4 hour lecture, then they provided a buffet lunch. On top of that the company bought each employee a ticket to play at Disneyland for the rest of the day! Amazing, eh?

So there is all 16 of us. Isn't technology interesting? They took a picture of us and it was transposed to an edible film. This is the transposed copy which was put on our congratulations/ graduation cake.

Earthquake #2

Some classmates and I were meeting up at another location after school for a study session. The area is not that great so when the elevator started shaking we just thought it was a really crummy place, vowed not to ride in it again and take the stairs instead! What we didn't know was that it was an aftershock earthquake from the other night. This one was a 4.1 magnitude. It wasn't so scary because we were all together wondering what was going on. There was also a sonic boom sound so we all just assumed it was an airplane. Until of course, one of the classmates said it was an aftershock from the same epicenter.

Earthquake!

My first kinda big one. Was home alone watching a movie when my walls started shaking. At first I thought it was my neighbors running up and down the stairs since they rattle the walls. But the shaking lasted a longer time. Then I got alittle worried since it kind of reminded me of when a helicopter is about to land with all the wind velocity stirring everything up. I really thought a plane was going to crash. But then I figured out it was an earthquake. Switched the movie to the news showed it was a 5.0 shake on the richter scale with the epicenter 7 miles from my place... and 2 miles from the LAX airport.

As I keep watching the news, it's been reduced to a 4.7 magnitude earthquake with people feeling the shake about 100 miles around. I guess there were a few aftershocks of 2.5 and 3.1 but I didn't feel those at all.

It's a good thing I was paying attention to an earthquake preparedness website after the last earthquake that happened last summer. It was a 5.2 but it was 40 miles away. After that, I bolted down as much stuff possible - pictures, shelving, etc. and made an earthquake safety kit in preparation for a big one that's suppose to be coming at anytime.

Thankfully, with this preparation nothing fell and nothing broke in my apartment.

May 1

Wow, a new month already! Time is flying by sooooo quickly.

So here's an update... construction for Bangkok Samurai is on hold. The construction crew needs to order some part and we've been waiting for it for a week now (and I have no idea what part we're waiting for - construction is one of the business partner's responsibility). So until we get that one part, construction is on hold. The hole in the ground is getting bigger and some pipes have been lined up and ready to be assembled for the greasetrap to be installed.

As for work, this new job is so different than anything I've done. I'm alittle lost but am trying to keep up. If we spoke about something in the medical field, I could understand a decent amount of terminology and definately in the food field, I can certainly hold my own in various processes, terminology and technique but this class is about refinery work. Pipes, valves, pumps, drivers, etc. Yeah, say what? I do have a better grasp on pipes and valves. Of course, we tested out on it and everyone passed. Thankfully!

Monday is our big test on pumps. Tuesday is our test on drivers... and starting next week until June, we have a test every day - and one big book per subject. Yes, everyday! Talk about in-depth training. But it's good - at least everyone starts off on the same page and understands an operator's job in detail, step by step...and we climb twice a week.

Luckily, my group only climbed once this week - yesterday. Our first climb and we went up to 100 feet. Whew! Talk about muscle fatigue. On this column, there was a landing every 25 rungs so you can take a breather. We're suppose to wait for the ladder to clear so there's only one person on the ladder at a time. In the meantime, everyone can rest on the landing but all the guys in my group wanted to race so they all ran up the ladder at their turn... me of course, was the slowest, all out of breathe and pounding heart! By the time I got to the top, the guys were all rested and ready to go back down. The other girl in the group wasn't as fast but scaled the ladder quickly.

What a view! You could see almost the whole refinery. I just didn't want to go back down... my arms and legs were very tired. My instructor kept kept yelling quit hugging the ladder because I would stop to hug the ladder for a few minutes. A brief breather on the landing just wasn't enough time to recover... so I'd go 12 rungs or so and hug. This morning he asked if I was scared but no, I wasn't scared... I was trying to rest my biceps and forearms because they were so burning tired... I thought I was going to let go so I'd hug instead. It took a few minutes to get down but I made it. If we were higher, I would have asked to base jump! But for that you have to been extremely high and have a parachute. Huge bummer.

One of the girls in another group actually let go and fell today. Luckily, it was only 8 rungs worth before she hit the landing and didn't break or sprain anything. Muscle failure... she just couldn't hang on. It certainly made the instructors nervous.

Monday will be our 4th week in training... and 4 more weeks to go. With the economy still bad, only 15 people are retiring this year so there are only 15 positions open. We're still wondering who in our class is going to be the 3 people kicked out or drop out. But the instructors said most everyone finishes the training, it's only after we get to our respective plant that people quit (mostly the women). Either it's not really what we were expecting, don't get along with co-workers or just don't like the work.

But everyone is still surprised at how big our class of women is... 8 out of 18. We've been told repeatedly, usually there are only 2-3 women in a group of 25, like in the group hired 5 years ago... out of those 3 women, only 1 stayed. The other 2 quit within the year. And a friend of mine said there were 5 women out of 19, hired 2 years ago... and luckily all 5 still work there. From what I hear, the work isn't difficult but the valves, pipes, pumps, etc are very heavy. In todays class, I went to pick up a 6 inch pump cover with one hand thinking it's small and light but I could barely lift it! It weighed almost 30 pounds and had to use both hands. I guess if anything, I'll gain some muscle endurance!

breaking ground

Our restaurant blueprints have been approved! Initially, we were informed it could take up to 9 weeks for the city's approval and 9 weeks for the fire department. Thankfully, both of them have been approved in 6 weeks! So we've begun construction in the back of the kitchen and broken ground for the grease trap.

The grease trap, is a device that traps all the oil/ grease that would exit through the drains. It catches it and prevents build-up, blockage and back-up in the water pipes. It's mandatory in this city for all new restaurants. Eventually, the trap will be installed the the floor replaced and it will be underground... and out of sight.

This hole will be a new pipe for our prep sink. The previous restaurants in this spot were fast food so they have their prep sink in the front of the store where customers could see them. Since it's a small store, there wasn't any room for a prep sink in the back so we decided to forgo an office area for a prep sink to make food preparation go more quickly. The front prep sink will actually turn into a handwash sink for the cooking staff and waitresses.

Construction should be finished the end of May or early June. We're still opening as soon as possible but it looks like we are not able to open any sooner.

In the meantime, I've found a new job. Last Fall, I felt like I was getting burned out alittle on the food world. I wanted to try a different field. After a bunch of testing, they were suppose to hire the end of Decemeber/ beginning of January and when I didn't hear from them, I had thought I didn't make their cut. That's when some friends and I decided to open a restaurant versus being employees in a restaurant. We signed the lease and began making restaurant plans. Then out of nowhere, I receive a phone call asking if I am interested in the job position. Whew! What a choice... so my business partners and I spoke and I decided it would be better to work part time at the restaurant and full time at this new company.

It's quite a handful so far. I'm currently in training - they even have their own school, which is 8 weeks long. Even with schooling, we have to maintain an 80% or get kicked out. It's amazing to hear the instructors speak about us. There were 2,000 applicants and after the first test, there were alittle over 500 people that still qualified, after the second test there were 297 people. The instructors informed us that usually in the past this last test would disqualify almost everyone with only 60 remaining.

But I guess with the tough economy more qualified people are applying. They interviewed all 297 people. No wonder why it took so long! Then more testing... and more testing... and more testing... and more testing. With the final 18 people they chose for this class. And there are really only 15 slots open so they know 3 people will be either drop out, kicked out or the individual will change his/her mind about working for this company. Again, the instructors have said this is the most women that have applied too! There are 8 females in the class... they said there are usually two classes of 25 students with only 1 or 2 being women.

This is only week 2 of training and to be honest, I'm still unsure of what I'll be doing. I know the it's shift work. I'll be working as a refinery operator in an oil refinery... maybe I'll have to turn a few valves and conduct equipment checks but everyone says its a really easy job. The only difficulty is of course it being shift work. And everyone I speak with is a 25-30 year veteran and preparing to retire within the next few years. So it really must be a good job... everyone is old - the only young people are the new hires!

the big "C"

This whole new year has kind of caught me off guard - medically speaking. First, I found out I have an ulcer - which is a little bit of a relief to know I have an answer to why my stomach hurt so much all the time! It took 3 months to find out... the emergency room doctor had mentioned something about my stomach when I had food poisoning last October. They took x-rays at that time. But by the time he called me and my primary physician was available - well, I found out soon after the new year began.

Then these past 2 weeks has been a bit stressful because some tests results didn't come out very good. I went in for a regular check up but the doctor said something was wrong. Then she said I have cancer but need a biopsy for more information. It took awhile to get that appointment then, it took 2 weeks to get the biopsy results.

All stressed out, I began thinking of how I could go about accelerating my lifes' "to-do" list. What could I prioritize? I didn't get very far with the list since life has been extra busy with work and the new restaurant. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Being pre-occupied with some abnormal cells, I kind of been going through life in a blur - not really paying attention but just going through the motions. Until last week, daydreaming at work, I chopped off almost a quarter inch of my thumb while making sushi. That woke me up just a little bit. Luckily, it's healing quite well.

So these past 2 weeks, I've just been waiting for the biopsy result. I finally got it today in the mail. Thankfully, it came back negative but it was recommended I return in a few months for a check up - just to make sure.

My mother is coming for a visit - she actually was coming to attend the doctor's office with me for the biopsy results. So she'll be at my place all the while I'll be at work. It's just been too busy and there's not enough time to take vacation days.

The restaurant is coming along extremely slow. There was a new law passed for the new year requiring an extensive checklist of requirements for all new restaurants. We actually have to break ground and re-do some pipes, install some city mandated equipment in the floor and it really looks like we'll be opening in June. If we're lucky, perhaps May. In the meantime, my living room is beginning to look like a restarant with dishes, fish case, containers, etc all over the place. My garage and my business partner's garage are both full of restaurant equipment as well. We're just waiting for the city approval so we can begin construction. It takes 5-9 weeks to process the paperwork. The construction should only take 2 weeks.

Bangkok Samurai - Coming Soon

Well folks, this is going to be quite the adventure. Perhaps a never ending one but at a minimum a learning experience to remember. A few of you know that I've been wanting to open my own restaurant for some time. At 32, I still think I'm too young - need more experience but an opportunity popped onto my lap that I couldn't refuse. So, with that being said some friends and I are opening a restaurant soon. It's called Bangkok Samurai - Thai and Japanese Cuisine. Yes, my partners are Thai and they will be taking care of the Thai side while I take care of the Japanese side - more specifically, sushi.

We signed the lease last week and have been frantically hunting down distributors for food, equipment and everything else in between. Needless to say, it's been one long week! There are not enough hours in the day so I've been living on about 3 hours of sleep a night and still working full-time.

We decided to have some construction completed so although I'm aiming for an opening the first week in April, realistically I've been told June. We'll see how this goes! Hehehehehe.

So this is what the restaurant looks like now. We still need the construction crew to come in and make a sushi bar. Then we'll install the equipment. It's a really small place - maybe seating for 30-36 people. The downside is we cannot serve alcohol... the city requires 2 restrooms for any establishment that serves alcohol and we only have one. But I'm sure we'll be okay without it.

We decided to keep the drapery. It's kinda cool looking. The previous business was only open for 6 months before then went out of business. It's a fairly new building - just a few years old. Two businesses have been here in the 1 1/2 years since it's been constructed, so our odds are a bit tough. But we keep thinking optimistically the third time is the charm. I know with the economy not very good, it'll be even more difficult opening a restaurant and it might not be the smartest thing but it's a risk we're willing to take. There are so many restaurants going out of business, there are a lot of leases available and perhaps less competition.

another day in the life

When some friends invited me to lunch and a bike ride, I accepted. I just got my bike fixed last weekend - all the normal stuff like oil change, service, replaced gaskets, etc. I haven't been riding as much lately but decided to go. One because I haven't taken it out since I got it fixed and secondly, because it was such a nice day out.

Riding my bike is a straight shot from my place to my friends. Just get on the highway and go. Yup, going 85mph on the highway is a good speed. Believe me if you will but some of the vehicles pass me by like I'm stopped in traffic! The flow goes abit fast and I usually enjoy riding to my friends house. Today must have been a fiesty day, I just wanted to go a bit faster than average. And with my bike just fixed it felt like a brand new bike. Everything ran so perfect, how could I not want to ride fast?

So we went to our usual spot riding around in the canyon and to a biker hangout. The past few times we've gone it's been a bit boring. The speed limit is only so slow and of course, regular cars go really slow. But to day thankfully the Super Bowl took away alot of traffic and the roads were free to be the speed demon, I wanted to be. And speed demons we were! Riding around the hills and on the curves were so much fun. Good practice too! One of my friends just got her bike license a few months ago. In 4 months, she's already racked up over 1200 miles! She's getting braver and braver - and today was the first time she rode on the highway. She's almost like a biker natural... and it's so great to have other people to ride with!

So today was a really nice bike ride. Great weather and people to ride with. I kept thinking, I really like my bike... and still 9 years later, I'm still saying what a nice bike! Yeah... that Harley and I have been buddies going on 9 years. Amazing, isn't it? Whew!

First ride of the New Year

First ride of the year. A really nice day out - everyone bundled up thinking it was going to be cold but it was 87F! Quite warm - especially with thick leather jackets on. Rode down Pacific Coast Highway all the way down to San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point from Long Beach. Again quite different with stop and go traffic - stop lights all the way down PCH. But all the same it was nice riding with a group of friends. 

We also stopped on the way back to a place in Aliso Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. Nice curvy roads and hills. Once on the top, called "Top of the World" we took a break to enjoy the view of Catalina and San Clemente Islands in the distance. These islands are part of the Channel Islands and back in the day, the Channel Islands were controlled by the US Navy. Now most of the islands - 5 out of the 8 - are the Channel Islands National Park where it is preserved and protected by the Channel Island Marine Sanctuary and run by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

Temple Hill, Top of the World

Carolyn Wood Knoll, Top of the World

  

End of year update

Since moving to LA, life is passing in a blur. There have been so many things to do and of course, lots of work.  There were a few goals in mind for the 2008 year but they seemed to have been moved to my non-priority list... and you know what that means, it doesn't get done.

Looking back it is difficult to imagine living here since August 2007 (initially moving here for school). I keep telling people I've lived here since May 2008, since that is when I returned from Hawaii - working the seasonal trail on a cruiseline for a few months. In a way it seems living in LA has been longer than 7 months - there are familiar people in my life and constant which is great.

Moving every 5 months or so these past 3 years had been a lifestyle adventure. One that makes it seem like I've lived here forever! I keep getting the urge to move again, like some internal alarm that has been set on snooze indefinately. That alarm has been the most difficult to overcome and I'm still working on it. Perhaps it's a commitment phobia - but after moving around for so much, it was a bit strange and very weird to sign a 2 year contract for my apartment internet and cable! It really felt like I was signing my life away. 

In the meantime, I've been enjoying the Southern California weather - it does get cold here and perhaps I've adapted because 40F, is very cold again! At least though, I can ride my bike on a regular basis and have been enjoying the outdoors.

I hope you all have a good Holiday season and a wonderful 2009!  

 

Sedona & Grand Canyon

Went on a short vacation to Sedona and the Grand Canyon - both in Arizona. It was a nice vacation away from civilization and a bit relaxing since I didn't have to go to work for 4 days! It was a 9 hour drive to get there but with good company and lots of breaks, we got there in no time. I didn't realize it got dark so soon. I just haven't been paying attention these past few months. Just know that I look up at work and it's light out then the next thing I know, it's dark. It seems like I'm always at work. 

We arrived at the hotel just in time... 30 minutes before it got dark. So we could at least check-in and orientate ourselves around town quickly. I'd never been to Sedona before so it was a new adventure. I'd only heard of this place and that it's a real popular destination in the summer months. Our plans also included the Grand Canyon - South Rim. I had gone to the North Rim years ago and actually camped out at the bottom so this was a different area that I would be looking at.

There are quite a bit of rocks in Sedona... yup. Lots of rocks. Red rocks. I guess that's the intriguing part of why so many folks visit. Plus, there are lots of parks and hiking trails throughout. And I learned from a friend that there's some sort of energy field called a vortex in the Sedona area that lots of people can feel an energy difference.

We ended up going to Red Rock State Park for a short hike and picnic. It started raining on us which cut our outdoor day short. I was prepared for cold weather - we all brought extra thick clothes and jackets to bundle up in but I guess it's been a while since I've been cold... it was maybe in the low 20's in the evenings and 50's in the day time. COLD! We had a combination of both kinds of weather - very nice and foggy rainy. It was really interesting to see the weather change at that altitude because we went on one of the recommended scenic roads - 89A towards Flagstaff and again on our way home. The first time was nice weather and the second time, we were lucky we didn't have to put snow chains on the vehicle!

  We stopped by this hotel in California. It's off of Route 66 called the Wigwam Motel. I did a little research first to find this place. After seeing the cartoon movie "Cars" I realized places like this really do exist although rare. 

 

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Coconino National Forest - on the way to Grand Canyon

 

 

 

   

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Grand Canyon   

 

 

 

 

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Some of the scenic red rock formations in Sedona. 

 

Red Rock State Park - Cathedral Rock. 

 

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Some man-made rock formations.

 

 

Rainy foggy day in Sedona - made for snow in the mountains!

 

   

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On the way home - Coconino National Forest. 

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October

What a month! October went by so quickly that it's amazing to think it's November already - and almost 1/2 finished! I am lagging behind in my blog... just been busy. With what, I really can't pin-point but time continually runs away!

For the month of October, my mother came to visit. The day after she stepped off the plane, I wisked her off to Las Vegas... Wow! The last time we both were there was 11 years ago - she took me there for my 21st birthday. A lot has changed - there are more casinos and a lot more lights!

(In the MGM lobby)

Before we left, a friend of mine gave me a sight-seeing book and told me all the "cool" places to go. There were so many I couldn't remember and of course, we didn't go to. Most of this trip was sight-seeing, relaxing and of course shopping. A lot of shopping. Maybe we'll hit those places up next time.

It's been 10+ years since mom has been to Los Angeles, and she didn't want to see very much. Her only request was Chinatown and Olvera street. For the whole visit, we did a lot of shopping and going out to various restaurants. Since my moving here, I've been estatic over all the Asian eateries and tried to take her to all my favs but it was too much for her. It was abit of a culture shock for her to see so many Asian people, Asian restaurants, Asian grocery stores... that she asked for plain American food.

Disappointed, I complied and took her to one of her favorite American restaurants... and I ended up going to the hospital the next day for food poisoning although mom was just fine. Never had that before and I hope never again! I really didn't want to go to the emergency room and thought I was okay... but whew... 12 hours later and still sick, my hands clenched up and I couldn't open them. I got alittle nervous and my neighbor took me to the hospital. Just lack of potassium and a little dehydrated but it took them 6 hours of observation, took blood twice, a urine sample and 2 sets of x-rays to figure that out. Strange thing though... at least I thought it was strange - they didn't give me any medication only the saline.

Once I was discharged they gave me 3 tablets and sent me on my way. I thought maybe they would give me the medication first and see what my reaction would be, then discharge me. But nope... they made sure I signed the discharge paper first then gave me the tablets and said drink it with water when you have a chance... but there was no water around - only a vending machine. Cranky, tired, frustrated and starving, all I wanted to do was go home. (And remember, I really dislike doctors... at least 99% of them). So at 4 AM, tired of starving I attempted to eat something and it didn't work... (fluids were not staying down either). Took another day off from work then was fine the following day. What torture!

Also took mom to a comedy... she'd never been before and years ago (while still in the military) I had tickets to Margaret Cho when she was touring in Austin, Texas. I had to give up my tickets because two days prior to her concert date, I was deployed to Kuwait. Ever since then I had decided to wanted to see her live.







Margaret Cho on stage - Long Beach

So mom went home. Life is normal - busy with work.

There are some really bad fires now in Southern California. Couple friends have had to evacuate their homes in Orange and Riverside Counties. The Santa Ana winds have been really strong and out where I live ash has been falling like snowflakes - the fires are about a 30 miles from my place. It's been really difficult to breathe and you can see people in their cars as with police officers with masks around their face. The Santa Ana winds occur annually from October thru February and make fire fighting very difficult.

Tennessee finale

Overall, Tennessee is a very beautiful state - so many green trees, small rural population (at least it seemed like it), courteous and very friendly local folks... a really nice place to visit. Made me remember why I like to ride so much. Reminds me of riding in Texas in a way because all you have is you and the road - just ride and enjoy the scenery, with an occasional animal (deer, elk, etc) sighting. The lack of traffic (vehicles) made it a very nice relaxing (and much called for) biker vacation.

I even recommend the HOG (Harley Owner's Group) ride and fly program. That was the first time I've flown to a location solely to rent a bike and ride. Everything went so smooth. This dental biker event is supposedly going to be an annual event and the 2009 itinerary is already being organized. Perhaps I'll go again next year and take other scenic roads. Hey, maybe I can even convince friends to ride out that way instead of flying into Knoxville!

There's this competition called "iron butt." Yes, it's pretty much the literal translation. I've been wanting to do this for some time but haven't found anyone to go with. It is to ride 11,000 miles in 11 days. It's offered every other year in the United States and the off years, it's held in Australia. You really do need a backside made of iron in order not to be sore! There are also mini-iron butts... like the 1,000 mile in 24 hours (actually called saddlesore) and the bun burner going 1,500 miles in 36 hours. I think I can do these solo since 1,000 miles by bike is not a feat. In fact, had I known about these mini rides, I would have and entered the contest when I moved to Texas last year or even moving my bike from Washington to California earlier this year.

A friend of mine just purchased a new bike - a Harley Nightster... perhaps she just needs alittle more persuasion! I guess though, she should really get her bike license first, eh?

Sue on her new Harley-Davidson Nightster.

ocoee ride

So this was day #2 and the second scheduled ride. We were to ride along the Ocoee river towards Georgia. This was made famous from the 1996 summer Olympics - they did their 1 mile whitewater slalom here. Again, it was going to be a rainy day but at least this time the ride was organized a bit better... we were all given directions just in case we got separated. Yahoo! But I stayed close to the front since I didn't want to be cut off by a traffic signal.

Needed to have somesort of landmark photo - Maryville water tower with my bike.

Just before we left the HD store - people were starting to get lined up.

Georgia and Tennessee border. We parked our bikes in Tennessee and had lunch, then shopped in Georgia. Copperhill is right on the border of Tennessee but half the town is in Georgia with a line separating the town. Meanwhile, there's a huge border dispute regarding Copperhill - should it remain in TN or if GA can expand the border and include the town. Most everyone (TN and GA folks) want it to remain in TN since it would severely injure the economy in the nearby GA town of McCaysville.






Perfect spot to park our bikes... Coperhill, TN. The local folks didn't know what to think when all of us rode through town.












Mike and Jill














A custom paint job on a Harley Softail.













Electroglide Harley tank and engine





















I was informed this is an old church. No one knows the actual date but it's condemned... there were two entrances - one for males and one for females.
















Group photo of lab techs, dentists and their family/ friends.











Ocoee river where they did the Olympics... the water was shut off. There are 3 dams along this river. One of the locals said just a few weeks ago, the river was flowing and a plethora of kayakers were out playing in the water.











Winner (1st place) of the coolest Harley bike











2nd place. Interesting story... the owner rode all the way out to TN from California on his bike. On the first day's ride, he ran over some wood and got a flat tire. When we returned from the Dragon and Cherahala Skyway ride, we found out he traded in his bike for this one.










Nascar smokeout

Riding the Dragon!

A friend of mine was sent to Tennessee to take pictures for her company. She works for a dental company and the person setting up this show wanted to incorporate Harley-Davidson motorcycles in with the itinerary to spice up the lectures. Anyway, I was invited to go along and of course, I accepted. I'd never been to Tennessee and I've always wanted to to go Dollywood!

We flew into Knoxville and as always, each airport has its own identity. This one immediately had a "down home" feeling or perhaps even a bit back-woodsy. So we stopped to check out the gate where there were rocking chairs offered to passengers.

(rocking chair at the airport)

Next up, was the Harley-Davidson dealership where this dental convention was suppose to take place and our home for the next 4 days. The place was huge! Not only was there a HD store but also a pavilion for people to hangout, have a live band, bbq, etc.

(Maryville Harley-Davidson, Tennessee)

(the wall of the Pavillion at the HD store)

(Inside the pavilion)

(Nascar 38 and an old Harley peddle bike)

(inside the Harley store - bikes galore!)

(Course, you can't have a Harley party without the kegs!)

The first day was full of setting-up but the following two days had scheduled rides - the first called Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway. It borders Tennessee and North Carolina and is a hotspot destination for bikers and car enthusiasts. The Tail of the Dragon is a 11 mile stretch of road containing 318 curves in the Smokey Mountains. Unfortunately for us, for these two days it was suppose to rain. But we rode anyway... there's something about 100 bikers all riding in the rain together. When I looked in my rearview mirror it was really cool to see all these headlights strung out for a few miles. I was amazed at the courtesy of all the car drivers. It was a huge change from California driving where people try to run you off the road. These Tennessee folks gave us space, didn't tail-gate, would actually stop on the highway entrance to let us passby before they entered. It was such different riding and most enjoyable for there were hardly any cars on the road!

(I did the HOG (Harley Owner's Group) fly & ride program where you fly in and rent a bike. I got the Heritage Softail... just alittle bigger that mine with an engine of 1584cc and 200 pounds heavier. Amazingly though, it was easier to back up on this bike. But I prefer mine in comfort!)

Over time, the speed limit for the Tail of the Dragon has been reduced in order to decrease the amount of deaths. For 2008, there have been 3 deaths becuase of the curves and trees. People either ride off the road or go so fast they ride into a tree... The highway patrol have a huge presence to monitor the speed limit. In a way, the rain was a blessing because this group of people are from all over the US and each has their own riding style. For the most part, everyone rode well but there were a few that were not as experienced. I think the rain kept everyone in check due to the slippery roads and there were no speed demons.

We took a short break in Deal's Gap, North Carolina. It's the officially ending of the Tail of the Dragon and the beginning of Cherohala Skyway. There is a tribute tree full of scrap motorcycle parts from fallen riders. As we left here, we lost half of our group. Apparently, they didn't take the turn when the road split and they ended up having to go through the dragon once again in order to return to the HD store in Maryville. The group kept getting smaller - people would pull over either for the view or nausea. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take very many pictures - I didn't want to get separated from the group and get lost. I am glad we pulled over a few times for a break... the curvy roads, the slow speed, peaceful traffic - it was all lulling me to sleep! The cool part was there were photographers along the road that took our pics as we rode by. We could view them and pay for them online if we chose to. There were 3 companies total but I forget 2 of them... bad memory!

For the rest of us, Cherohala Skyway was very scenic. Both were but the latter being 60 miles of beautiful scenery full of trees, valleys and the Tellico river. We rode through the Cherokee National Forest (Tenessee)as well as the Natahala National Forest (North Carolina) hence the combined name Chero (from Cherokee) and hala (from Natahala). Going up the mountainside, with an elevation of 5,000 feet was really awesome. The trees were just about changing color so looking around there were the green, yellow and orange in some bits of the forest. Plus, the cool weather and a bit of fog. It looked like we were riding into the clouds!

(Tellico river)

(Carrie and I above Tellico River)

(Smoky Mountains)

(Tree of Shame - tribute to fallen riders at Deal's Gap, North Carolina)

(Deal's Gap, NC)














(View from Cherohala Skyway - Smoky Mtns)

(Taking a break)







In all that ride was about 6 hours... leaving at 11 and returning at 5. There were other events at the Harley store but I was determined to check out Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Considering it was only 38 miles away, I couldn't not go. I was planning on going by myself since many of the other riders were worn out but my friend joined me - I think she didn't want me going by myself which was alot safer. For most of the people that rode, the ride today was the longest. Seems like people only go 50-60 miles or one guy said he rode 100 miles around his house then returned on home. Again, for me that's just a warm up and I was ready to go for more. I guess I am a bit of an extremist... for that 6 hour ride just wasn't enough. But then again, it's beautiful country and it all reminded me why I like riding so much.

Unfortunately, Dollywood is not like California theme parks where there are stores outside of the park. It was just one huge parking lot and you had to take a tram inside. But as we arrived, they were closing so I totally missed out. It also began raining again. I also wanted to check out the other HD stores since there are three that are Smoky Mountain HD. We also wanted to rush back becuase it was getting dark and me of course, having an avid imagination wanted to return as soon as possible. (Even though I don't care for scary movies, I have seen Wrong Turn and Texas Chainsaw for there's alot of forest and it can hide many things.) Anyway, we did go to the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg HD stores. By the time we got on our bikes for our return trip, the rain was quite steady. We had 2 routes to choose from - return the way we came which is longer or take the short cut. The short cut was recommended to me before since it's extremely scenic but this was night time and rain. We decided we'd take the shorter route - highway 73. We were also low on fuel. But if we didn't get lost, we could make it back with a few extra miles to spare in the tank. But one of the guys in the HD store said, make sure you keep fuel in the tank... there's a fuel shortage in North Carolina. But as we passed the gas station, we forgot to stop. The rain was still coming down and we just wanted to hurry back. Little did we know but the road was almost like the Dragon! Tons of curves, we were blinded by oncoming traffic and I was blinded by my friend's headlights who was riding behind me. I didn't dare look around - there were either cliffs or river water if we rode off the road. I spent most of the time concentrating on the road. I noticed there were leaves on the ground and was cautious since you can slip on the wet leaves... then I noticed several were moving - in addition to the leaves there were also frogs jumping across the road. For most of the ride we went 30mph but there were some spots that we just had to go 10mph since we couldn't see that far ahead - it was sooo dark! At one straight away I did look around - I had leathers on so I stayed dry but my friend was wearing jeans. I was looking for a place to stop to see if she wanted to put on her rainsuit. I saw something, I didn't know what it was but some sort of animal was watching us on the side of the road. I didn't want to stop - that creature kind freaked me out so we just kept driving. Later on of course, I looked it up on the internet and found out it was a cougar. I also saw a deer coming back on that road. There wasn't too much traffic either on that road. It wasn't marked very well and since I was leading I began doubting my directional sense. Luckily, every once in a while there was a car but it was always on-coming as with the bikers we passed.

The weather was getting a bit cooler too. When I first got my bike it ran hot - the engine was burning my leg but that night as we rode back to Maryville, I was glad the engine was hot - it kept me warm! I stayed dry except for my boots and the bottom portion of my pants... I'm glad I brought my leather pants with me versus chaps! Watching the news that night, we found out the rain was actually part of Tropical Storm Kyle (that later turned into Hurricane Kyle).






(Went to Dollywood and all I got was this pic)













My hands turned black from my water soaked gloves.













Carrie didn't get as soaked as I thought.













Course, we were almost to the HD store when I slipped. By the time we returned to town it was almost 930PM... Luckily, the event at the Harley store goes until 10 but we weren't sure if anyone would be there except for the live band. Anyway, I knew the entrance was coming up soon but it was so dark you couldn't tell where the highway divided so you could cross into the Harley entrance. We were going slow but still not slow enough. As soon as I saw the divide, I braked (yes, it was still raining). I'm really not sure what happened but I either braked too hard or hit an oil patch but I jacknifed. For sure I thought Carrie was going to drive right into me. But luckily enough, she was further from me than I thought. Then my next thought was I'm going to drop the bike... or ride into the ditch. But the ditch is at least a 3 foot drop so that means, the bike would fall on top of me. 700 pounds of metal just might hurt a bit. But as I eased off the brake I got the bike to straighten out and again luckily enough, I didn't do either one. Whew!







(mini bike - you can actually ride it!)













(Martin, from CA - one of the guest dentist speakers)














(Noel, from FL - one of the sales reps)













(Mark, from TN - the organizer and sells dental products)

(Mark, Carrie, Mark)













(Mark, from CA - one of the lab techs)















(Felicia, from TX - sales rep)
















(Mike and his wife Jill, from CA)

















(Mickey, from NY - our sweep vehicle).











(Lab techs from NC)













We met this guy on the road... yes, that's his dog in his jacket. He's a legend in TN... he takes his dog everywhere. When it was younger it used to sit on the tank.