Finally got myself up to College Station and worked a corner at Texas World Speedway for a Ride Smart track day. I was nervous, having had no experience on or around the track before now.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of familiar faces - and a few "hey, Squeaky - what are you doing up this early in the morning?" comments while waiting for the pre-ride meeting.

While being assigned our stations, I made it clear to Mike that I wanted a quiet corner, if that was possible, since I was nervous about the task at hand. He gave me station 4, which is in Turn 7. It turned out to be the only station that ended the day without incident.

I watched as the riders improved throughout the day, lines getting smoother and bodies becoming more relaxed. There were way more red and yellow flags in the morning than after lunch, and when things were starting to wrap up we (as a corner worker team) got to choose the smoothest rider in each group. This was the point at which I realized that I was learning something from watching all these riders go 'round n 'round. I was watching the difference in the lines the riders chose, and was somehow able to differentiate the good from the not-so-good.

Overall, I got some sun, drank way too much water, waved some colorful flags, played with a walkie talkie, and earned myself a free track day. I woke up and was on the road before dawn, and got home well past dusk. I spent some time in the Emergency Room with a new friend. He'll be Ok, but I was reminded how easily riders band together to help each other out when one is in need.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

As Kat walked into the room, her eyes widened as she realized all of these people were here for her - this was her surprise bridal shower and she was, in fact, surprised. As I stood watching her look around, our eyes met and she let out a scream and leaped at me with an enormous hug. Although we'd done nothing more than talk on the phone a few times and exchange emails, she knew exactly who I was (can't say it's a difficult thing - I look just like her future husband).

The expression on her face is permanently imprinted in my mind. That was the moment I met my new sister, and it was a great moment to add to my memory bank. She hugged me before her own mother, best friend, or cousins. I'd flown into NY just for this, and her appreciation in that instant was worth the lack of sleep, hassle of a missed flight, and the five hours I'd be stuck at Newark Airport waiting to get home later that night.

The bridal shower itself was great, and everyone in the bridal party banded together to make it a huge success. Centerpieces, games, prizes, and favors were all wonderfully coordinated and Kat was greatful for the effort.

The gift pile was enormous, but between the five of us us we had it down to a fluid system. I think we make a great bridal party! We moved through them with ease and before long we had two SUVs filled with housewares and assorted gadgetry - mostly for the kitchen, so one of them needs to learn how to cook!

It was great to see my family after so long, even if it was only for a few short hours (or minutes, in the case of Heath and Kenny). When I first moved to Texas I'd fly home three or four times a year. Over time, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time and money to get back up there. Buying the bike is partially to blame, but I know it's just an excuse. Is there such a thing as a mid-year resolution? If there is, mine would be to see my family more and rely less on the internet to keep us close.

Monday Night Football is growing in popularity. Sure, we only had five people this week, but it's more than the three we had last week and it's still just preseason. Word of mouth will play its part from here.

Oh, and I need a new helmet. Mine was tumbled in the dryer. No, it wasn't an accident.

A few weeks ago there were bugs (ants? spiders?) all over my bike. They were mostly centered around the tank and top triple, but they were all over the bike. I WD40'd the whole thing, then wiped it clean. I think I got them all.

Fast forward to today, and you have these same small eerie bugs all over my riding pants, helmet, and gloves as they sat on the table near my door. I decided the best things to spray inside the helmet would be whatever was the least toxic to me but still strong enough to kill the bigs. Lysol and Fabreeze were recruited.

I removed the speakers and mic, along with the full lining and cheek pads. After spraying them down, I came to the sudden realization that I now had to wear this thing. I was about to head out to bike night. For shame, I couldn't take the truck!

And this is where the helmet and liner pieces found their way into the dryer. There were clean clothes still in there (hey, less than 12 hours, I'm still on schedule), so the helmet shouldn't bang around too much, right?

Banged plenty, but dried and got the helmet warm enough that I was convinced nothing would still be alive inside. I suited up and headed out.

Now I need a new helmet.

This weekend was chock-full-o-fun. I didn't put nearly as many miles on the bike as I have been lately, but the ones I did were quality.

Steve and Rita invited me up to their place in Conroe to watch the Texans play Saturday night. As a precursor, we met up after lunch and went for a short northeasterly ride that landed us in Huntsville. We got to spend a little while visiting with Daniel (Beth & Scott's 4 day-old son) and Sarah, but the visit was much too short.

Back in Conroe, we ate some yummy burgers and fixins, then settled in to watch the game. As usual, Steve was never at a loss for words... until he passed out on the couch and started to snore!

I met Brian Sunday morning in Clear Lake, and we went riding south of Houston. I tried using my charm to win him over, but he wouldn't let me ride the Duc. It's got GP shifting, so even if he agreed it'd be one of the most difficult rides I'd taken.

Most of the roads were straight and boring, but they were a necessary evil if any curvy roads would be ridden. Crabb River was the climax of the ride, so we headed back through a second time and back to Clear Lake to watch the Moto GP and AMA races.

460.3 miles on the ODO, the Texans won, and I got to watch racing after a long absence from cable TV!

Well, another paint job is complete - signed, sealed, delivered. Gordon (igoforit2003 on TWT) had scratched up both saddle bags from his FJR1300. Touch-up paint had been used to cover the damage temporarily, and it came time to repair and repaint.

Three weeks from start to finish, but one week of that was waiting for the factory-matched paint to be shipped. The damaged aras were sanded down and the gouges filled, then the entire case sanded to prepare for paint. An adhesion promoter was first used to prevent peeling or chipping, and both a white primer and silver base coat were sprayed prior to the Yamaha color.

When ordering from Color-Rite (my preferred supplier for factory colors) the choices are either 2oz or a quart of paint. A quart was definately too much, but 2oz might be a tight squeeze. To keep the cost to the customer down, HOK Orion Silver was used as a base color to avoid needing three coats of the final color.

The outcome was great, and the base silver was an almost identical match to the final color. Had I painted the final color over the white primer, coverage probably would not have been as even. After a few coats of UV clear, the bags were thoroughly wet sanded from 330 grit all the way up to 2000 grit (which pretty much feels like you're just rubbing notebook paper on the surface). Mother's scratch remover was used to buff the dull, sanded surface to a nice shine, and Maguire's polish was used to top it off.

I used a product on this job that I hadn't before - a rubber/plastic restorer that is meant for bumpers and grilles. I used it on the rubber emblems and the backs of the cases, and I am pleased with the results. It works similarly to Armor-All, but is less greasy.

I met Gordon for lunch to deliver the bags, and he was impressed with the finish. He had a coworker and fellow rider along with him, and he couldn't tell that the bags had been damaged and repaired. Mission accomplished!

I went for a morning ride today with some of the folks over at MotoHouston. I knew that the group on there was on the young and squidly side, but Mike had posted the Friday morning ride as "nothing outrageous", so I figured I'd be safe with whoever showed up.

I was wrong. Granted, nobody got hurt, but I'm shocked about that. I had Candice with me on the back of my Strom and Stacy was on her trusty Ninja 250. The guys (with the exception of Mike) were only interested in going as fast as possible. They don't follow the same group riding guidelines that I'm used to, and they seem dangerous and inexperienced as a whole.

The funniest part (depending on your sense of humor) was a bug getting himself stuck in my sleeve and biting me a few times before I finally pulled over and got it out. I still don't know what kind of flying insect it was, but the bites started to swell almost immediately and they sorta itched and sorta hurt. I keep hydracortisone (sp?) in my tank bag for just such an occasion, and I put lots on at the next stop.

The part I hated the most (and there were lots to choose from) was when I was passed in my own lane. That should NEVER happen. Not once, not twice, but many times. I waved Mike around me and everyone behind him assumed I meant "yeah, all of ya, why not!" Then it happened. I was passed in my lane - in a curve - on a double yellow. I cursed him from inside my helmet and at the next stop I let it be known that behavior like that gets people hurt or killed.

Stacy, Candice, and I had a great morning. This was the first I'd gotten to ride with Mike, and he is a blast. He waited on us while still enjoying his ride.

Maybe it's just because the four of us are 'old farts' compared to the ~19-21 crowd on MH, but I will not be riding with them again. 'Nuff said.

As I was leaving for work, I came upon a box. A white box, with a blue and red stripe. Yes folks, the postman had brought me a present!

My Chatterbox FRS Multi-Sport was finally here, so I scooped it up and brought it to work with me.



While trying to drown out the droning voice of my customers, I read what little instruction was included and got it charging and mounted on my helmet. Candice had her (borrowed) helmet in the car - ready to go for a ride on a whim - and we had the second headset on it lickety-split. Rather than using the included clamp on hers, we just shoved the mounting piece between the liner and shell, and Voila!

Granted, we must have looked like fools sitting at my desk with helmets on, but we connected all the pieces and we were talking! To each other! Well, there's this handy PTT (push to talk) button in case I don't want to use VOX (voice activation). Candice doesn't get a button. hehehe... I am in charge of the conversation!

The headset cord that attaches the two of us is short, and is meant to be used with an extension cord (which I don't yet have). Cycle Gear carries them, but I can't get to one before the morning ride. Wild West Honda opens at 8:30, but I won't know if they have the part I need until I get there.

I'll add the music later; I left that cord at home. I'll finish charging the battery after work, and the cord placement could use a little tweaking. We'll see how it works on the ride out west in the morning.

More progress!
The VFR tank is now back with it's rightful owner. Painted and buffed, ready to be installed on the bike so Gavin can get it tuned up and running. I've still got the rest of the plastics, but almost all of them have been finished and are just waiting to be buffed up to a nice shine.

Maybe this weekend it'll be finito!

In the meantime, I have FJR saddle bags sanded, repaired, and prepped for paint and another helmet arrived yesterday that I'll be doing a simple color change on. I'll get pics posted as I get them.

......................Today I spoiled myself and finally replaced my worn-out boots and gloves. RocketBunny and I were headed back from running an errand in the Woodlands, so we decided to stop by Cycle Gear in Greenspoint. We found a decent selection, but the boots I wanted were a tad bit too small. I thought I was trying on men's sizes, but as it turns out they were women's. Well no wonder the 9 didn't fit! The Almeda store had a pair in my size, so we headed there.

The pair of size 10's fit perfectly (although I didn't have any socks on) and I picked up a pair of Alpinestars gloves and some oil filters that will come in handy.

Snoopster met us for dinner and a movie after getting her bike sorted out and road-worthy again.

It was a fun day out with the girls!

I'm finally nearing the end of the VFR paintwork.
All parts have bene painted and clear-coated. I've started doing the final sanding and buffing one piece at a time, and should have it all ready to go by the end of the weekend. About time, right!

After this, I'll get the studio cleaned up and reorganized (I need to separate out office stuff from painting stuff because the line is getting fuzzy) so that I can keep better tabs on my projects as they come in and go out. Estimates, cost of supplies, and better tracking of time spent on each stage of the project is in order. If I can get myself in the mindset that it's a job and not just a hobby, I can actually make some decent money and enjoy myself in the process.

I've sanded and filled the scratches on a pair of FJR saddle bags, and now I'm just waiting for the Yamaha-matched paint to arrive so I can get them done. The scratches were easy enough to fill because they didn't go all the way through the plastic and nothing was cracked. I'll have to get some before & after pics of that one up on my website.

Speaking of which, I need to work on my website...

A photo narrative of today's Pie Run in Hutto for your viewing pleasure…


I wanted to be at the corner gas station by 5:15. I didn’t quite make it on time, but I was darn close! Left the house @ 5:13 and made it to the first meet-up with John by 5:20.

John: “Good morning.” Morning? It’s still dark out. You sure it’s not still last might? I need coffee. I also need to wipe the sleep from my eyes.

As we got farther away from Houston, the sun started to come up and began to burn off the early morning fog.

Chris: “If the train moves at 15 mph and has 132 cars, how long will we sit here and wait before checking for a way around?”
John: “I don’t know, but let’s go left. I like left.”

John “JasiuTLS”

Alberto “Prancing Pony” or “Stig” or something like that…

Chris: Thumbs Up!
Erin: “Aww, come on dad, you’re a dork.”

We ended up in Elgin. We weren’t planning on it, but we did.

Alberto: “What part of unpaved didn’t they understand?”
John: “I don’t mind the dirt, I just can’t take these u-turns!”

Erin: “How much farther is it?”

Instead of meeting us along the route, Randy saved the day by figuring out where we were and how to get to him.

Some of the bikes. I got to 45 and got distracted, so I didn’t get to finish counting the ones on the side of the building.

Lots of red ones. I guess they like to be near each other.

The girls hop on the hippo for a photo ops.

So of course the big girls have to get one too!

Me: “Can I ride it?”
John: “If you can start it you can ride it.”
Me: “Why do you have two ignition switches?”
John: “One’s a kill switch.”
Me: “What about this?”
John: “Well, you now have a speedometer to tell you you’re going 0 mph.”
Me: “Where’s the key?”
John: “There’s no key.”
Me: “Well then how am I supposed to start it?”

A few minutes later the thrill of watching me fumble around had worn off, and he showed me the magic button. It’s hidden, so no – it’s not my fault I couldn’t start it!

During my test ride, I made the mistake of asking John “Irondawg” to hold the camera.

This ditch is a lot deeper than it looks!

Deb “Snoopster” in front of her pie namesake.

Becca “RocketBunny” met us there and organized the ride back.

I never knew Deb could whistle that loud!
Speech by Chirs “the pieman” aka “wczimmerman”.

Spank showed up for this one. He finally got to meet Kurt “TxMedic” and his wife Rhonda (who happened to ride over here as a passenger, so maybe we’ll have an effect on her and get her on the bike more often!)

Chris: “I wanted to wear the orange today, you know, for visibility. She copied me!”
Erin: “Whatever dad. I just like this shirt.”

Last month I didn’t get pie.
I didn’t get pie this month either.
Sacrilege, I know. Banana puddin’.

We corralled as many of the remaining attendants as we could for a group shot around the Hutto Hippo. (So what was the official count, anyway?)

It was great to see so many members bringing family and friends. It was a nice atmosphere.

Becca: “Put the camera away, put on your helmet, and let’s get going already.”

Raul “houstonredrider”

Deb “Snoopster”

Jeff: “Where are we?”
Deb: “Not sure, but we’re too far out of the way.”
Becca: “This is hilarious. What’s the rush? Let’s just keep riding.”

Check out the cool new shades in Becca’s new modular helmet.

Spank: “They don’t even let me off of here to stretch!”

Saying our goodbyes and preparing to depart together for the last time today.

Artsy Strom shot.

It’s amazing that I even woke up when my phone alarm went off at 6:50 am. I had fallen asleep with the phone in my hand, so it got jumbled in the blanket and sheets overnight. When I opened my eyes, the room was still dark and quiet. Could I possibly have woken up first?

Nope. Becca was already in the shower and preparing for the 500+ miles she had in store for us today. Once she was out it was my turn, then we geared up and headed out. We filled up our Camelbaks with ice from the machine in the hallway, then headed for the free continental breakfast. The coffee was hot, but worth the burnt tongue for a little pick-me-up.

Mile Marker 330.6
Fuel: 4.210 gal / $11.78
Although we probably had half a tank of gas left, the Town & Country filling station next to the hotel was the fastest and easiest way to fill up before heading out toward some of the best roads in central Texas. Becca wasn’t looking much more awake than I was feeling.

I would have led the morning route, but I all could remember was “go down to one of the lights, make a right, then go down a long while after that”. Becca wasn’t amused. She led us over to Stonehenge, which I had heard was out there but had never seen in person. It’s really just a replica of the real thing across the pond, but without the authenticity. Go figure, you can’t get the bike up close and the fence makes the bike pic kinda fugly.

The roads were empty, the sun was rising, and we had miles and miles of this ahead.

We pulled off at a small water crossing to take some pictures. It’s remarkable how little water there’s been at all of the creeks and streams we’ve passed. It’s been a while since this area’s gotten the kind of rain we get (and curse) closer to the gulf.

Leakey, TX / 10:00 am
Frio Canyon Motorcycle Shop
When we got to the intersection in Leakey, Becca didn’t immediately notice the MC Shop on the corner. I motioned her over there, and it was very quiet for a Sunday morning. Maybe it’s too hot for the typical weekend rides in the area? Oh well, more open pavement for us!

Becca’s real uneasy tip-toeing her bike on uneven pavement, so I give her lots of credit for some of the maneuvers we had to do throughout the trip.

11:26
Some water crossing near the end of FM 335
We pulled over, but this time for a “dangerously tired” break. I needed a minute to stretch, sit, and get my head in the game. I was exhausted, but it was going to be a long day and I’d need to know I could do it. I don’t think I was the only one with me head in the clouds, though - Becca thinks she saw a camel.

We head back around the loop towards Leakey, and it’s time for lunch. The Mexican place we ate at on the rally last year was closed, so we looked for anything with cars in the lot and found the Frio Canyon Lodge Restaurant. The parking situation turned out to be a little hairy, but we managed to keep the bikes on their feet this time.

The both ordered the special, roast beef, veggies, hash brown casserole, desert and a drink for only $6.99. I love these places.

There were two bikes outside when we came in, a Hyabusa and a new ZX14. It would stand to reason that there must be (at least) two riders inside. The restaurant was pretty full, but I didn’t immediately spot any helmets. We sat and ate, talked about the roads, and continued to discuss the length of the return trip. We were continuously rehashing the idea of cutting out roads as we went.

I spotted the two riders as they were heading out, so I grabbed two TWT cards from my wallet and went after them. Scott (Tourmeister) has gotten some of us in the habit of chasing down riders to let then know about the forum. When I introduced myself and handed a card over, I was told they'd gotten one of these last weekend when they met Deb and... "the other guy" in Fayetteville. Must be Erik. We got to talking, and they said they'd gotten another business card too - Four Bikers and a Monkey. I proudly declared myself to be one of the four bikers!

Wow, we're famous!

"So not to be mean, but are you the one that only made it four miles into that great road and had to be brought back down?"

Ok, make that infamous...

As we headed out of town and through more twisty bits, it was becoming clear that fuel needed to be a part of the not-so-distant plan. We ran down FM 337, but the only gas stations we saw were primitive and closed. There was an apple festival going on, but apparently everyone attending that thing must have known to fill their tanks on Saturday…

We turned around and headed for what the GPS said was the closest filling station. It was 14 miles away. We’d ridden almost 215 miles since the last refueling. I’d never toured with someone who could keep up with my fuel consumption before this, so I suddenly found myself as the ‘short tank’ on this one. Running on fumes, I did everything I could to keep the revs low. I was running in 5th gear at 40 mph, keeping it barely above lugging. We entered into a set of tight switchbacks, the sharpest we’d encountered so far. Although I’d prefer to ride low gears and power through a bit, I didn’t have the fuel to do it and instead I almost coasted through some of it. As the elevation began to level out, my oil light came on and I suddenly found myself without any go-go. Uhhh… Becca’s got to be about a half mile ahead of me by now.

I start walking my bike, hoping to get some momentum out of the remaining downhill slope. I wanted to get out of these curves at least, because this was not a spot you’d want to have to pull over at. When the road flattened out and I couldn’t get much push from my toes (yeah, the bike’s still a little tall), I decided to try something I’d read online. I rocked the bike back and forth hoping to move around whatever gas might still be in the bottom of my tank, closed my eyes and made a wish as I pressed the magic red button. It started back up!

I got down off the hill as fast as I could and found RocketBunny on the side of the road ahead. I pulled past her, hoping that if the bike died again, at least she’d be behind me and see that I’m in trouble. We finally made it to the gas station, and she told me she thought I might have panicked in the curves when she didn’t see me behind her right away. When I told her what had happened, she and I both had a good laugh.

Mile Marker 556.2
Fuel: 5.499 gal / $15.39
Keep in mind, my tank holds 5.8 gallons and I filled it on the side stand. I don’t think I could have made it another mile.

Just a few of the bugs I scored along the way…

We decided to circumvent San Antonio by taking Hwy 46, but at some point I got us lost. I could have sworn I was just going down the same road, but it turned into a rural street and dead-ended. Becca saw what was going on and passed me to lead me back over to where we were supposed to be. I took the lead again… and got us lost again. Not lost really, just not where we thought we were or wanted to be. It was time to pull over and figure this out.

New Braunfels, TX / 4:45 pm
We stopped at a gas station to stretch, look at the map, and recalculate the route. We were now getting closer to the end of the trip and the planned route was not going to fit into what was left of the day. I went inside for a Starbucks Double Shot (YUM!) and more ice for my Camelbak which was again empty. Considering how much water I’d gone through, I hadn’t needed to pull over nearly as often as previous trips. It must be the heat.

As we sat around talking about the route with the map and GPS, many of the locals came to give Little Caesars their business. Something had gone wrong inside the store and a sign on the door notified customers that they were closed. This did not sit well with many people who apparently HAD to have their fix of pizza pizza or go hungry. They argued with the clerk, asked where the next closest store was, and some waited outside in the parking lot for the store to reopen. It finally did, and they all swarmed in. I guess there isn’t much to eat in this part of town…

Heading back, we stumbled on FM 535, which was a nice road that neither of us had ridden before. Becca was dancing in the saddle to Whitney Houston, while I was bopping my head along to Clapton.

A few traveling shots…

It seems RB only gets pictures of her and/or her bike stopped on the side of the road. Nobody ever takes pictures of her moving – so I felt obliged. Without trying to scare her too badly, I was able to pull up alongside her on a long straight section and snap this. Looks like a BMW ad, doesn’t it?

As we neared La Grange, we opted to head towards the gas station instead of pushing our luck. It meant skipping the dirt section on Post Oak, but it would avoid the potential for running out of fuel again.

Mile Marker 748.0
Fuel: 4.37 gal / $12.59
I looked over at the still-singing RocketBunny, and she was actually smiling! I guess she’s not tired or bored with my pace, so the weekend is working out after all.

We took a wrong turn in Cat Spring. Well, I took a wrong turn on 1094 and Becca assumed I knew where I was going. It didn’t get us lost, but we ended up on 36 just north of Sealy and had passed up a few good roads along the way. These were close enough to hit any weekend, so it was no big deal. We decided to stop at Sonic for some ice cream and picture swapping before getting on the freeway and high-tailing it home. We waited and waited for someone to answer the little red button…

When they finally did, we ordered our ice cream and were told that they were out. Yup, out of ice cream. It was the only reason we were here.

We reluctantly got back on the bikes and headed next door to McDonalds. Frozen yogurt would have to do. We each got a sweet treat and a double cheeseburger to hold us over, and we got the laptop out to laugh at ourselves in pictures as we copied them for each other.

According to her GPS, it was 43 mi from her to Becca’s house. For me? Who knows. We were both content with taking I10 to the Beltway, which is where we split off. Halfway up the ramp, we waved goodbye and parted. The “Odd Couple” had not only survived their first weekend trip, but we’d also grown closer as friends and touring companions.

Mile Marker 851.2
My driveway. Nobody really looks forward to a trip ending, but my body was tired and my mind was exhausted. I didn’t have the energy to take the tailbag off the bike, so I rolled myself into the house, got out of my gear in the kitchen, then called it a night.

A BIG thank you to Becca for inviting me out there for the weekend and putting up with my silliness, pace, and lack of road and route knowledge. Also, thanks to Taryn and her family for accepting me into their home so willingly.

Can’t wait to do it all again!