"I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Monday, June 25, 2012

Welcome Back?!

Okay, so it has been a while since I last visited but I have been thinking of so many things that I need to share.....like this











This was my first motorcycle.  She was a 2008 1200 Sportser Custom Low.  Her color was Merlot Sunglow.  I bought her on 03.30.2012 and traded her in on 04.28.2012.  When I traded her I had put 1769 miles on her in 29 days.  She had great pipes that set off car alarms and a nice backrest.  Otherwise, she was nimble and a great starter.  She rode hard and was very top-heavy (unlike me).  I also had my first accident on her.  A crazy driver who was supposed to go left (left only lane) decided to go straight at the last minute and clipped the front tire.  Due to my training, I was able to hold her up and lay her down in such a way that I only broke the left rear blinker.  It hurt my pride more than anything and made me REALLY angry.  I picked myself off, brushed off the dirt, got back on her and rode the rest of the way to work.  I rode her to the dealer and had the blinker fixed and never looked back.

On 04.29.2012 I drove off with this jewel:









This is a 2012 Softail Deluxe.  Her name is Shug.  Think Sugar but VERY Southern.....My dad calls me Shug....My riding name is Skittles......Shug has almost 3300 miles on her and I love her.  She is like riding a Cadillac.  She is a traditional cruiser and is the most nostalgic bike that Harley makes.  We are quite the team when I ride her to work (daily).  I pass people and then they speed up to make sure that they saw a girl on her.  The men at work that ride are very protective of me and it is amusing.  There is nothing like the feeling of just you and the bike.  I can block out everything and really transcend all my troubles while I focus on the sights and smells as I ride.

I get to smell the Saint Arnold Brewery daily as they are roasting the hops.  It smells like really rich coffee and is a great start to the morning.  I can smell the fresh cut grass the rain, or lack of rain.  I can also smell normal traffic smells but that just adds to the enjoyment.  I have even been caught in a down-pour on the way home and been soaked to the bones.  I wouldn't trade a minute of it and wonder why I didn't get the courage to do it sooner.  I am the poster child for women riders.  I have a "posse" of younger riders that look up to me and we ride when we can so that they can gain experience.  Of course SF has been my "trainer" since she has been riding since she was 12.

I have more to share but I wanted to start here, as this has really helped me get past the depression and pain that I had let fester for way to long.....