The Grand Vista of Bards

[MZ33]

Yes, this is definitely serious business that you have to consider. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, may I suggest, again, that you park the bike until you take the course? Perhaps you can use the time to reflect on all that you have going on, and then can take the course armed with perspective and a fresh approach. Once you've reviewed the tools the MSF gives you, you can reassess what "managed risk" means for you, and whether this is the right path for you. (The Ladder of Risk is part of the course curriculum.)

[Gina]

Ode to Broken Record

Around and around and around we go
And where it stops no one can know
I said it often and then again
I am not on the road, my friend.

Repeat yourself a hundred times
But I heard once and heard it fine.
The class is scheduled. I'm off the road.
I need no prod--no blog--no goad.

Thanks for your help and your concern.
I made mistakes and I have learned.
Once again, (in case you skimmed)
I am not on the road, my friend.

[fireguzzi]

Well done.

[MZ33]

Cute!

But my point is that you can reinforce bad habits, that you don't even know you are making, and your fears by practicing out in a field, too.

Not to worry, I shan't flog the horsey any more.

[Gina]

I spent a large part of some of this glorious weather we're experiencing practicing quick stops and starts. I know it's not the same in the field as it is on the road but I am learning a lot.

My husband has put 21,000 miles on his motorcycle and is a good rider. He gives me tips and tells me what I'm doing wrong. I'm looking forward to the MSF class. I want to go to a parking lot and practice some before my class so I'm making plans.

I have a cat named "Brother" who enjoys stalking me as I ride. I've threatened to run over him before and the other day almost did as he sat nonchalantly in my way. Of course, he moved at the last minute but not before making sure that I practiced my stopping technique.

I named him Brother because I intended to name him and his brother after my two brothers. Got that straight? Then I found out that his brother was actually a sister so he just became "Brother." The intended honor I hoped to bestow on my own brothers by naming two cats after them had to be carried by only one cat instead. I hope they don't mind.

So, as I drive around and around the field, Brother will sit in the middle and watch. Then, he will crouch his head low and begin his slow, sneaky movements as though he is going to intercept me and attack. In his dreams, I am probably a gazelle and he a powerful, huge tiger.

The beeps of my cycle don't scare him anymore but at least he never gets very close. I believe he is also bemused by the spectacle of his human going around and around on some kind of thing that sounds like a giant hummingbird.

Sometimes he does jump up on the seat with me but he always hops down when I start to go.
I've toyed with the idea of putting a tiny helmet on him and letting him sit behind me. Of course, then I'd have to get him his own leathers and that could wind up being quite expensive.

So, who says field practice can't be good for you? How else would I learn how to handle a stalking cat?

[Gina]

It has rained torrentially and it has rained steadily and it has rained on and off. There have been light, misty rains, cool, constant rains and thunder and lightening rains.
That's what the weather has been like here in southern KY for the past several days. At least the autoharp got here so I have been able to sit underneath the shelter on my front porch, amid my hanging baskets of flowers and practice. I love the twinkling sounds my harp emits and I've been practicing making my melodies stand out amid the harmonies of the strings.
I believe my cats are drawn to my music, especially Brother. I don't think the fact they gathered around me this morning has anything to do with the fact that it was raining. I just want to believe they have come to love my playing. When the weather clears, we will see if they were only temporary listeners or in the process of becoming diehard mountain music fans. Now, if I could only get them to stroll and prance two by two in time to the music, I'd really have something.
Remember the frog that could dance in the cartoons but would never dance for an audience? I loved that frog.
To make another draw out of my hat of random thoughts though, the Kentucky derby has come and gone and I had no bets on the underdog. (Can you call a horse an underdog?) Well, I guess if I can talk about dancing cats and frogs, I can talk about horses being underdogs. Hey, that rhymes.
Bike Dreams
The garage is closed.
My bike is dry
And undisturbed.
While I wonder
What it would be like
To ride underneath
A black sky
While the rain slashed
My senses
'Til they made
Their own stars.

[Gina]

Sunshine and Mother's Day! Thank God!!
My brothers rode to Mom's on their bikes for that special day. My youngest brother traded his Gold Wing for a Harley so I was out examining that. Beautiful. My other brother from the same mother (lol) has a Vulcan. They both looked so great riding them. Don't ask me about the sizes and stuff. I'm still just learning about those things. I mean, to me, my youngest brother's bike looked like a Gold Wing so that shows you how much I know.
They took the old road, one came from the south and one came from the north so when they left Mom's drive way to go home, they went in different directions.
I kept thinking about how the road that brought them together was the same one that would take them off in different directions...
I got to see all of my children but one and my brothers and I talked bikes all afternoon. Someone in the family brought up the point that some people are bike riders and some people are just riders who hold onto the driver. I guess my wreck several months ago has got them nervous for me. However, my wreck was caused by my own stupidity and impatience and I don't intend to be stupid this time around.
On the other hand, I don't have to prove anything either.
But anyway, it was a great day and I'm just thankful to still have my mother. She's one of the best gifts God ever gave me.

[Gina]

You Brought Me to the King

You prayed for me and raised me in His Word,
And taught me sunsets were His works of art.
Though years have passed and I have grown,
The things I learned from you live on,
And now I know His presence in my heart.
Mother, I’ll always love you,
And be grateful for everything,
But especially,
How your love for me,
Brought me to the King.

Though I let darkness come into my life,
You held on tight and never let me go.
I know you fought in prayer for me,
While I was blinded by a sea,
Of worldly things combating for my soul.
Mother, I’ll always love you,
And be grateful for everything,
But especially,
How your love for me,
Brought me to the King.

Countless times I’ve looked back on those days,
And been so grateful He gave me to you.
It took a love that would persuade,
That saw my sin yet did not fade,
To bring me to the Arms that would hold true.
Mother, I’ll always love you,
And be grateful for everything,
But especially,
How your love for me,
Brought me to the King.

[Gina]

There's a small church very close to where we live and I spent some time there practicing in the tiny parking lot. I hadn't wanted to practice much there before but the field has been so wet with all the rain that it's just not a good place for me to ride.
I would prefer a big parking lot to practice in, however, it's true that good things can come in small packages. Now I see the advantages of practicing in the small parking lot. It's a great place to practice stopping and tight turns. If I can make turns and figure 8's in it then I can do them for the MSF too. I've been watching MSF videos and my husband has been giving me some more pointers.
I learned from one of the instruction videos about the friction zone and I practiced that some in the parking lot too. I was pleased to see that I could actually ride at an extremely slow pace without putting my feet down. I already thought I was fairly good at riding slow because, believe me, you don't want to be going too fast in the field I'd been practicing in. At least I've learned a lot about driving on the grass. Careful!
My son left for the Marines yesterday. We had a party for him before he left and the whole thing exhausted me but it was great fun. Today, I take my daughter to the doctor to see if her collarbone is healing.
Like I said before, I love my little Grand Vista but sometimes I feel a little guilty because my daughter was injured after falling from it. At least I have a pat and sure answer when someone else wants to ride it. Instead of wondering if they might

[Gina]

Hello again. The last blog was supposed to finish with...."instead of wondering if they might be able to ride, I just say, "NO!" No one can blame me either."
Sorry about that!

I went to the library yesterday and found the "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles." The book had Jay Leno's stamp of approval on the front by way of a tiny picture of him with a quote underneath that reads, "As both an idiot and a motorcyclist, I found this book very helpful."
That was pretty funny but that's not the reason I checked out the book. I opened it in the library and found it to be full of information that I needed. A lot of the stuff, I had already read but after just one ten minute sitting, I ran upon two or three things that I thought I might need to know sometime in the future.
I got to talk to one of my brothers yesterday--the one that rides a Harley--and I asked him if he had taken the MSF class. I was surprised to learn that he hadn't. He lives in a fairly large city and didn't start riding until he was in his forties. Where he worked, there was a large parking lot and he left his bike there and practiced whenever he could. He said he started out small and stayed with the smaller bike for a couple of years before getting something bigger.
I could tell he was worried for me but I don't think my Harley driving brother would be ashamed at all to take his bike out with his sister following behind on her little Grand Vista 250 someday. (As long as I let him lead the way.)
It's the stuff that dreams are made of.