If You Want To Get To Know Someone, Go On The Road

I've decided that if you ever really want to know someone, and how well you mesh, one of the best ways to find out is to go on the road with them.  Really.

This was pretty much a defining moment for me.  We'd hit some rain the day before.  But some rain really doesn't count for much.  Anyone can deal with that.  By the time we got to this cute little veranda we were soaked, and it was only going to get worse.

See, cute veranda WITH live music!  :)  Great place to get out of the rain.

I'm not big on group rides.  At all.  The Big White Guy and I have our own little way of doing things that works for us.  It's gets tough for me to step outside of that.  ESPECIALLY when there is a "camp coordinator".  I hate being told what to do and how to do it.  That just pisses me off, and even more so on a ride.  I've only been on a handful of overnight group rides and there have a few I loved and a few I wanted to pull every hair out of my head and punch someone in the face.

However, this time, our own little way of doing things meshed GREAT with the friends we rode with. (I hope they feel the same.)  You really get to see a whole different side of people when you're on a ride and I either end up never wanting anything to do with them again, or with a whole new level of love and respect.  I feel especially honored to have spent those days with these people.  One I knew very well and love her more now than ever.  The others I got to know better and all of them will forever hold a place in my heart.  They were considerate, kind, respectful, funny, fun, interesting, and independent.  I love those qualities in people.  Especially on the road. 

Crazy Rednecks!  Who says Harleys weren't built for dirt roads?  Try telling that to some old school desert racers.  :)

So really, if you ever want to know if you really like someone, and if they really fit in your life, hit the road with them.  After you spend a few days out in the elements, traveling to unknown places, and running without a clock, you'll know for certain.

More on the actual ride in the next few days. :)  Until then here's the latest piece I was inspired to come home and make.

Click here for more pics and details.

 

It's created from a genuine free form amethyst and argentium silver (my favorite).  Enjoy.  :)

Let The Ride Begin.

We head out for our annual vacation ride this evening.  And all I can say is THANK GOD!  After two days of making absolutely nothing, doing laundry, cleaning, taking care of loose ends, I'm about to lose it!  It's time to get the hell out of here for a few days.  The planning of this ride has been nothing less than a complete pain in the ass from the very beginning.  Note to self: DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!  I don't do well with plans.  It's so much better to just jump on and go!  But, it has finally arrived and by tonight I'll be in full on relax mode.

We did get our Street Glide back on Saturday.  This is our driveway now.  :)

After MONTHS of getting jerked around either by our insurance company or the Harley dealership we had fix the bike.  (It had a mishap with a milk truck back in April, thank GOD the Big White Guy wasn't on it).  If you ever find a business that actually provides great customer service please let me know.  It seems to be a lost art these days.  It's all about people collecting their money and not caring about the quality of work they are getting paid to do.  We opted to keep all the banged up parts and I did get a giggle out of this ...

That's half a Harley Davidson in the back of my Montero.  The only time I can say I couldn't ride it but still took it with me.  The Montero was packed!  Even the passenger seat was loaded.  Other than some pretty serious blind spots it made for a nice riding companion.

We did decide to make a few little changes.  New pipes!  And they are LOUD!

I love the look of the Big Radius pipes on a bagger.  It's not something you see everyday.   I guess we will see if I'm going to hate the added noise this weekend, but I'm guessing no.  There's something pretty soothing about that rumble as you're going down the road.

Even Shorty is pretty happy to have the bike home.  She wanted to wash the Street Glide last night.  We had her start with the Sporty for practice.  I don't care who you are, this is freaking CUTE!  It was a great family night washing the bikes in the driveway.

She's always been pretty fascinated with the bikes.  She's the only little girl I've ever seen that would watch Biker Build Off and Orange County Choppers alone.  She's loved them ever since the first one came home.  :)

So here we are.  The day has finally arrived.  And after all the bullshit we WILL be on the road.  That's the payoff.  I'm praying like hell we don't have any issues with the bike.  There's already been a few little things that the dealership screwed up on, which pisses me right off given the fact that it was near a $10,000 repair bill, but hopefully we won't run into anything serious.

It's hard to say if I will be motivated enough to post anything while we are away.  Usually I have a hard time even taking pics.  I get so lost in the moment I don't even think about stuff like that.  I AM going to make more of an effort to take photos though.  We need better logs of our rides, just for future purposes.

Everyone have a great 4th of July weekend!  I'll be back by Monday, hopefully with some pretty good "tales from the road" and lots of inspiration for new jewelry.  :)

So so SPOILED!!! My New Ride!!!

I want to thank everyone who reached out yesterday with the "Happy Birthday" wishes. Everyone honestly made it the best day I could have ever asked for. Thank all of you!!! I have the best family and friends on the planet. I'm sure of it!

I apologize for the terrible picture here. I'm not to crafty with my cell camera just yet. LOL. But I was too excited not to share. Darren surprised me with a new ride last night! This bike was purchased brand new back in 1984 by his Dad and his sister. It's a 1981 Kawasaki CSR and has been hiding out for a few years. Not anymore. We're fixing it up and I'm going to learn how to ride a motorcycle!!! I cannot even begin to tell you what an honor it is for me to learn on this bike. So I have to really express my gratitude to Darren, Greg, Michelle, and everyone who participated in this. Thank all of you for sharing something so meaningful with me. I've already told Darren we have to keep it forever. :) Not only because he and his family have so many memories on it, but because it's just a really really cool bike. And I can honestly say that it means more to me than if I'd have seen a brand new Harley role up in the driveway. I even got a bit teary, then yelled at Darren and Greg for making me cry on my birthday. :)

The guys have already told me I get to help fix it up. Which also is going to be amazing! I've been dying to learn and honestly can't wait to get a little greasy.

So...as it turns out. 35 started off with a bang! And another new chapter of my life begins. I have a little secret I've been sitting on, that hopefully I will be able to share in the next week or two. It's gonna be one hell of a ride! And I can't wait to see how the adventure plays out.

Happy Birthday, I mean Mid Life Crisis, to Me

Happy Birthday, I mean Mid Life Crisis, to Me. I say this with the utmost sarcasm. Over the last few weeks I have joked that once my 35th birthday arrived, I could officially have a mid-life crisis. I guess you could call it that if you really need to define it for yourself. I call it something more like, finding that little girl who loved life again.

I tend to get VERY sentimental around my birthday. Reflecting on the previous years, how my life has changed, how much I have changed, and how much closer I am to reaching goals I've set for myself. And for the first time in YEARS I have been very excited for a birthday.

Looking at this picture, it's hard to believe that is really me. That there was a time I was so little and new. If you look closely, you may see the tape on my head covering the first of many wounds I would sport in this life. I came into this world wounded and no doubt will leave it the same way. But along with the wounds and scars the last 35 years have brought me, I have also found a great amount of love and healing. Especially in the last few.

Watering the garden a few days ago and Darren says to me, "wow, you must have played in the mud a lot when you were a kid." Well, yes I did. I was the Queen of the Mud Pie. And while so many of my childhood memories are much less than stellar, there are a few in there I'd like to hang on to. Like that one. Making mud pies just for the sake of playing in the mud. And I am pleased to announce that my life has come full circle, and I'm back to playing in the mud just for the sake of it.

So while it may be strange to most of you, that at 35 I've developed a huge crush on Nikki Sixx, an insatiable passion for motorcycles, unearthed my desire to be an artist, started wearing hats and bandanas, picked up a few new tattoos, am in love and live with a man everyone thought I should NOT be with, occasionally wear my boots with my capri jeans, watch Oddities with my kids every chance I get, and scream to the top of my lungs to Linkin Park driving in my car with my 13 year old son...it's not strange to me at all. It feels good! It feels like making mud pies. And living life...just because I can!!!