eldridge's 1st annual poker run 2006

i'm not going to go into a lot of detail here. it was a great run on a great day. beautiful weather, a bunch of bikes (just shy of 200) and a lot of riding. the stops were short enough for everyone to get refreshed and the rides were short enough to avoid getting saddle sore.

it started in saint john, went to hampton, then it was through the back roads to fredericton, off to the barbeque and then back to saint john. once back in saint john, it was off to a local bar for the final prize draws. i really don't agree with ending an event like this at a bar, but then again, i don't drink and drive...not even a sip. at least you could get food there.

we both won prizes at the end. the first prize we got was a H-D brand motorcycle cleaning kit. it came with a bunch of sample bottles. the second prize was a H-D brand roll up blanket/ground cover. at least that's what we think it is. it rolls up nice and snug, has grommet holes at each corner and a carry handle. i can't even find the damn thing the H-D web site...lol. anyway, the prizes were an added bonus to an already fun day.

anyway, that's only a small sampling of the pictures that me and joey took (joey took all the good looking ones...hehe). the real story is told with the slideshow. it took me most of the morning to make sure that everything was in a close to exact chronological order, so please enjoy the...

slideshow

coffee please

this mornings ride was 6 degrees C (42.8F). i'm still a little chilled and also found out that my morning coffee shop doesn't open until later on the weekends. i really wish i had my coffee right now...brrr.

i got the rest of joey's pics from the last big ride we went on. i'll be getting a small post ready with a few of the photos as soon as i organize my flickr page...again. she got some really nice pics, it's too bad the people doing the processing didn't know what they were doing.

hibernation

so...that time is almost upon us again. the temperatures will drop, white stuff will fall and we will gleefully pick out what accessories we want for xmas. i'm not looking forward to putting Selene away, the freedom and joy she has brought into my life has been remarkable.

anyway, i've paid my price for not storing a motorcycle properly by turning my Kawasaki into a restoration project. I don't intend to let that happen to Selene, so my web searches have brought me to this:

winter storage

that really covers all the bases for me, seeing that i'm a list kinda guy. i'm hoping to get at least another month worth of riding before i have to put her away and that should give me enough time to pick up the things needed. i already have a jack that needs a slight modification so that it can be used for storage. once she is stored, i can look forward to doing some of the maintenance that needs to be done as well. that mean there will be parts of Selene all over the apartment...hehe.

speaking of which...joey wouldn't let me bring Selene into the apartment, even though i had an entire plan on how to do it. something about getting evicted...psssh.

edit: note to self, don't type when half asleep. it don't make no sense...

billy lane

i seriously couldn't be happier to hear this.

it's coming

it was four degrees celsius out there when i came to work. that's around 39 degrees fahrenheit. yeah, it's getting kind of chilly. none of our days are forecasted for above 20 degrees celsius this week and i can see my morning commutes getting colder. i don't mind the cold. when i'm on bike, it's the farthest thing from my mind. it's the winter that bothers me. the colourless skies and colourless ground. everything so muted and dead looking.

people say that fall is their favorite time of the year, but all i can think about is the impending doom just a few months away. i like the colours of fall and the brisk mornings are kind of nice, but it's still the death knell for summer. the most beautiful and lively part of the year. so bright...so alive.

i've always had problems with winter. i don't deal with cold very well and i really really hate being cooped up inside with fake (read: electric) heat.

the last part to all this and the part that ties it to my motorcycle blog is the fact that i'll soon have to put Selene away. riding through the winter here is not an option. the over night temperatures would kill a battery in heart beat and i have no garage to store her in. it will have to be in the underground garage (pending owner approval) or a storage shed at a local lot. my only solace will be the fact that i have work planned for her over the winter and i'll be ordering new accessories as well.

i do hope i handle this winter better then i did last winter...