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Showing posts from April, 2019

Riding Season is FINALLY here! And other random ADD moments.....

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 Riding SEASON IS HERE!!!!!! So happy to be back on the road on two wheels... granted there are days when I should definitely check the weather before leaving home, but overall, the days are 'good enough' to ride!!!! HAPPINESS! Other Randomness - My parents are Deer Whisperers..... They literally stalk whoever comes into the yard as though they are the Official Greeters Dart Night Shenanigans for the End of Season - Darts is one of the longest lasting sports in the history of mankind... well, aside from bowling.... While there are weeks where I just don't feel like going to Dart League, it never fails to be FUN once I get there!!!! Free Handouts at Dart Night.... What are they trying to say?!  And then there are DIY projects. Down time is rarely a time to kick back and relax for me... Instead, I get ancy and get creative, and get in WAY over my head on projects outside of my abilities.... although, I put doors on my cube sto

What it's like to live in MN in the Winter....

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Many people I have met ask how I could live in Minnesota - especially with 'the winters' MN has. Here, an insider look at things that only people who have lived through snowstorms know.... During a snowstorm... the plows make one path down the road at a time (usually) - but when the wind is blowing like crazy, the path disappears quickly. So I guess on where the road is and hope for the best.... Sure, the white stuff LOOKS pretty sometimes.... Any car I own MUST have a sunroof... but on days like today it is rendered pretty useless In the winter, I keep my gas tank at least half full.. that way, if I go in the ditch, I still have gas to keep my car running so I don't freeze to death waiting for help Big snow days means schools are closed and parking lots empty.. Snow and high winds while traveling over straight stretches of road with no tree cover on either side mean visibility is bad at best.... I use markers to help me guess where the roadwa

Riding Season in MN - Highs and Lows...literally

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Minnesota is a great state - there are the best of all four seasons, an abundance of lakes, tons of green space, a great music scene, and so much to do in all corners of the state. But sometimes, those four seasons forget their role and winter takes over spring. Take this year for example.... December and January (when I was gone of course) was above average in terms of weather and temperature. February was BELOW average for temps and RECORD breaking for amount of snowfall in one month. It was as if we were buried alive. In white stuff.    There have been a couple of 'nice' days in the past few weeks... and by nice, I mean 50's. Which, after being buried alive in white stuff and stung by below zero degree temps, 50 feels amazing!!! Just when I think spring is really here and I get all excited that I have finally gotten to ride to work a few times.... MOther Nature changes her mind.. or gets her period.. or something... and now, there is a WINTER weather

Vegas in less than 72 hours: Sights & Shenanigans

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I am an impulsive person by nature. Sometimes this works in my favor, other times I should maybe think things through a bit more than I do. But when there is an opportunity for ADVENTURES and Good Times – I rarely say no. Even when I should. This weekend was no different. Relatively last minute I was invited to Las Vegas – to hit up the Wild vs Knights hockey game and/or a VIP Morgan Wallen concert.    Since the Wild don’t have a shot at making hockey playoffs, we opted for the concert, which was far better than I had expected!! I don’t know many of his songs – 3 at best, but I like his style and I like country/country-rock music style. The experience was absolutely awesome! After getting to the Mandalay Bay hotel and waiting in line to be wanded (hand held metal detectors and purse search), we signed for our VIP badges and entered the House of Blues venue.  Everything about the House of Blues was great- from the artwork and design, the setup, the smaller feel of the venue, to the

Random thoughts after coming home from SE Asia

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                              Random Insights and Observations from my Journey in SE Asia People are genuinely kind and helpful. Because they have to be to survive. "Same same, but different".. a slogan that made NO sense to me upon arrival.. and made ALL the sense in the world towards the end of my journey. Temples are everywhere... they are very similar, yet very different. Same is true for many things, including markets, in SE Asia. Traffic is insanity. There are no road rules, just recommendations. In a 2 way street with 8 lanes of traffic and everyone driving 45mph+, if you need to cross the street, you literally just start walking. Traffic (bikes, buses, taxis..) swerve around you. You just stand on the lane line and hop across one by one until you make it to the other side. No honking. No swearing. Just normal everyday life. And I lived to talk about it.  The amount of things they can fit into or onto one vehicle is astounding... Dri

Spring is here (nevermind that SNOW pile..) - time to RIDE!

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Last week brought me a LOT of HAPPINESS as the weather was finally ‘nice’ (enough) to ride to work on two wheels. While the mornings were a bit cool (40’s), the afternoon brought mid to upper 50’s, which by MN terms, is nice enough to ride – considering the temps had been in the 20’s as early as a week before. It always makes me shake my head to think that I am riding on two wheels to work amongst snowbanks, some of which were still 2-3’ high in places. Many probably see me cruise on by and think I am crazy. Some are envious. Me – I am totally content!!     Springtime means fresh new oil! And a reminder to add a BIKE WASH to the to do list - last years mud remnants are hanging on tight   With awareness that the roads are salty and slippery and NO ONE is expecting motorcycles this early in the season, I just ride a little more cautiously  Lots of gravel/sand on the roadways.. And still some icy spots Rode to work on the first day of Spring!