You, talking on your phone with one hand and gesturing with the other...

Are you paying attention?  Did you not SEE me?  You were obviously deep in concentration.  BUT NOT ON THE ROAD!!  I'm sure you solved all the worlds problems while you turned right in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes not to go into your passenger door!

AND since I then had to follow you for the next few miles and watch you STILL CONTINUE ON THE SAME CALL and ALMOST HIT SOMEONE ELSE!

That's right YOU, in the small black pickup.  LEARN HOW TO PAY ATTENTION OR GET OFF THE ROAD!!!

Sorry, just had to be said.

You just gotta smile....

We don't have "Motorcycle Parking" here at work.  However due to the way the parking lot is laid out there are two big areas at the near end of the the parking areas that are used by those of us who ride.

This morning was a new one, I decide to ride the bigger scoot (Burgman 400) to work.  I didn't think that I was taking that long to get to work on my Stella, but the few minutes difference caused me to run into a guy I normally pass on the way in.

Now, I do not know this guy.  I'm sure he is a nice guy.  But he was THE personification of a hard-core biker right down to the leather vest with all the patches on it.  So as I'm tooling into the parking lot, he is just getting off of work and getting on his bike to leave.  I'm trying to drive slow so that I can time my entry into the space as he pulls out.

Now to his credit, he quickens his pace a bit to go ahead and move out of my way. (See above, probably IS a nice guy.)  However right as he has his goggles in place and is ready to pull away and right as he rolls onto the throttle the bike dies.

He isn't looking toward me.  But I see his head drop, then shake, then one more jerk as if yelling 'something' at the stupid Harley for dieing right in front of the Scooter Nerd....  Then after a few tries, he gets it started and almost breaks traction leaving the parking lot because he applied a little too much throttle.

It's the small things that just make ones day.

And until then....

I'm going to have to break in here and talk about this because it's been bothering me for some time now.  I just have to say I'm so very sad this year that I'm unable to go to any rallies.  Even though moving home and the new job is great, the process has drained our finances.  The move, the new house, fees, taxes, blah, blah  has left me with no money to go out of town.  Even for the weekend.

I'm seeing my friends post on Facebook about upcoming rallies and I just have to sigh and say "not for me this year".  I remember those fun weekends of meeting with friends, laughter, long rides with close to (or over) 100 scoots all in a line and again, I sigh.  I think of the great bands, the food, the travel too and from (always an adventure) and again, I sigh.

I know it's not forever.  I know I haven't gone to my last rally.  I know that by the fall and especially next summer things will go back to being more normal and I will have the opportunity again.  It's just going to be a long summer.

I also know that with this new venue comes new adventures, and different rallies with new people to meet and with whom to share my passion of riding Scooters.  But not yet.

So until then my friends Scoot lively.  Scoot with passion.  Scoot with a joy that only we know.  And above all, Scoot safely.  I want you all to be there when I'm able to return and see you again.

Follow up: Well, you're scooting now for sure...

OK, just to pass along for those of you in the Simpson/Allen/Warren county area of Ky. 

Pro Masters Transmission in Scottsville, KY.  A1 place.  Great service, very reasonable price.  They got the truck fixed in one day.  Granted, it's a little early since I've only had it back a few days.  But so-far so-good.

Barring any unforeseen issues, I would tell anyone to use these folks.