Beans Don't Burn On The Grill

Sheesh, nobody told me that a roommate moving out would be almost as much work as moving myself - when you have two people living together who both have waaay too much stuff, and one leaves, reordering the stuff that's left to fill the suddenly available space (and cleaning said space) is a lot of work. On top of that, I've been dating someone new (and having a great time, I might add). I've noticed a marked slowdown in the blogging of my contemporaries as well as myself (hopefully due to summertime fun) so I don't feel so bad.

The only moto-related content to mention is that I saw a kickass Goldwing for sale by my house - with a matching sidecar. Sweet! It's completely not my style and undoubtedly way out of my price range, but I think I'll stop and take a look anyway. If I remember, I'll grab some pics...

Alligator Lizards In The Air

I sitting at a stoplight on the drive home from work the other day when a bright red motorcycle going through the intersection caught my eye - it was a Honda Pacific Coast, a bike I've always had a soft spot for. As much as I dig the vibe of V-twin cruisers and the unapologetic impracticality of built-for-speed literbikes, there's something cool about a bike that is built to be completely utilitarian above everything else. The Pacific Coast was a bike for guys who thought the ST1100 was too flashy - a bike that was as reliable as a stone axe, able to commute to work and back and stop for a couple of bags of groceries on the way home. It was, well, the Honda Civic of motorcycles. Most of the guys you see riding them in the Midwest are the truly hardcore - the guys who don't even own a car, just an electric vest and a one-piece textile suit. Plus, they're so freakin' ugly that they're kinda cool - like a prop from a bad sci-fi movie. They look like they should be sitting in the parking lot next to a 6000 SUX.

One bit of good news on the personal front- I found out that both the father & the brother of the lovely young lady that I've been seeing are avid riders, so I'm unlikely to get any friction about that. You know, one less thing...

Does He Bleed Black & Gold?

As a devout Steelers fan and motorcyclist, this made me cringe:

PITTSBURGH, June 13 — The condition of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers, injured in a motorcycle accident Monday while not wearing a helmet, was upgraded today from serious to fair condition, and doctors at Mercy Hospital said he could be released later this week... Doctors confirmed his injuries: fractures to his upper and lower jaws; a mild concussion; a fractured nose; fractured facial bones; multiple head lacerations; multiple abrasions; two lost teeth; and several chipped teeth.

I'm a big Roethlisberger fan not only because he's the Steeler's quarterback, but also an Ohio native and a fellow MAC alum, so my first reaction was concern. My second reaction was: what a dumbass. You go 13-0 your rookie year, pocket $12 million dollars in bonuses, win the superbowl your second season, and you go out and ride the fastest sportbike made WITHOUT A HELMET!?!?! I'd wear a helmet in the shower everyday if my health was worth $12 million dollars. Sheesh.

On the personal front, I didn't get a chance to get a battery for the bike since my roommate has started moving out this week and I've been helping him with that. On the bright side of things, I had a date last weekend that went great - we're getting together again this weekend to see Gone With The Wind. (If you're lucky enough to have any historic theaters in your area, lots of them have summer movie festivals. Check 'em out and see what's playing this summer).

Grrrrr...

...I finally got a chance to do the spring service on the bike today. When I went to warm it up before changing the oil, the battery is totally flat (even though I had it on a float charger for most of the winter). Ah well, I got longer than expected out of it anyway - 5 years, I think (my Honda CB650 demanded a new battery every season, but that might have been due to intermittent electrical gremlins/buying cheap batteries). No riding for me until I get to the shop to pick one up...

Come On You Stranger, You Legend, You Martyr

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I've posted. I have no excuse, other than it was pretty nice out last week and I'm tethered to a computer for 8+ hours a day already.

Spring in Ohio lasted it's traditional 72 hours before the 92-degree heat set in, and now we're getting pummeled by thunderstorms, but I did manage to get a nice barbecue in with some friends for Memorial Day. One cool thing that happened: That weekend, all the dandelions in the state dropped their blooms at the same time. I mean, they were everywhere. You couldn't walk outside without being in a cloud of them. Even driving down the freeway at 70+ MPH, they were floating into the car by the dozens. (I was actually thankful that I let my doctor talk me into taking some allergy medication this year). When I was driving home at dusk, it was pretty cloudy. Right as I drove under a bridge, the sun broke through the clouds, illuminating all the tiny dandelion seeds floating on the air for a split second. At that exact moment, the first verse of one of my favorite songs started playing on the radio:

Remember when you were young

You shone like the sun

I'm sorry Syd Barrett went crazy and all, but that was awesome.