tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24849527992611241662024-03-05T20:33:38.052-05:00a shiftless ladmusings on scooters and life on and off the road...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-9787854438181492592013-05-31T12:08:00.000-04:002013-05-31T12:46:20.049-04:00the rest of the recap...That spot several hundred miles from home was by far the toughest part of the ride. It drove home just how dangerous it is to be on two wheels when you don't have your wits about you. In a car when you're tired you might drift around a bit on the road, maybe hit the rumble strip along the side, but unless you ram head-on into something you're not apt to die. On a scooter it wouldn't take much of a mistake to put you on the tarmac or into the guardrail. I would have liked it if that awareness of danger could have snapped me to attention but mostly I was left feeling pretty vulnerable.<br />
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We pulled off for a fuel stop and took a 15+ minute rest stop. Just being able to walk around, drink some Gatorade and talk with the others did the trick and when we got back on the road I was fine again. I even got a bit of a second wind when I realized I'd beaten back the fatigue. I also knew we were essentially one Cannonball day's ride (300 or so miles) from the end and I knew I could pull that off.<br />
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The ride east through West Virginia was the scenic highpoint of the trip. We had miles of long, twisty descent through the mountains. It's nice to be able to sail along at 75+ mph on a big, wide interstate, although there were some turns where the surface was a bit hacked up and tough to hold traction on.<br />
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It got dark with several hours of riding left ahead of us. I don't care much for riding in the dark. I also kept thinking about not having a low beam and what I might have to do if the high also failed me. It turned out not to be a problem but one of the things this ride impressed upon me is that you want to keep things as simple and effortless as possible, and that includes reducing the need to think about anything other than the task at hand.<br />
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Roughly 100 miles from the end we rode through a lengthy construction zone on the highway. It must have just rained since the road surface was wet and it was very dark. The road was a blur of flashing lights and hi-viz lines and barrels and cones. They were whizzing by on either side of me and it felt like I was in the movie Tron or hurtling down some intergalactic landing strip. It was mesmerizing and kind of cool but it also felt a bit dangerous. It was surreal and I felt more like I was flying than riding. We got through it just about the time that I was starting to get sort of freaked out by it.<br />
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70-80 miles from home...our last fuel stop. As we got onto the exit ramp I felt like I was riding drunk. I slowed way down to negotiate the turn and felt wobbly and barely in control of the scooter. When we got to the gas station I realized just how exhausted I was. If we could have gassed up and ridden right out we would have had a chance of getting home at or before midnight, which would have put us at sub-20 hours of riding. A good sign of how wiped we all were is that no one was urging us to hurry up and keep moving.<br />
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The last part wasn't bad because I knew just how close we were to getting it done. Since our route totaled 1,050 miles we passed the end well before the finish line, which meant that the rest of the way was icing on the cake. Even if I had a mechanical and ended up on the side of the road I still had my 1,000 miles in. We were also on road at that point that I travel frequently. Each mile marker and exit sign was familiar. Even so, this stretch wasn't without incident. It's a very rural stretch of highway so it's pitch black. There's also heavy deer population so I was back to worrying about that again. I was riding along just sort of spacing out when suddenly one of the white lines on the road jumped up off the road next to my scooter. I don't think it was a trick of the lighting or a poorly painted line - I actually saw it jump off the road. It's good we were only 15 minutes from the end.<br />
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As we pulled into my driveway my wife came out of the house to snap a photo of us. She'd been following our progress online and decided to wait up instead of going to bed. It was a very nice greeting.<br />
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That was it. We went inside, stripped off our gear, sat around for a little while in a bit of a daze and then went to bed. 20 hours and 15 minutes of riding, nearly all uneventful. No drama, no problems. There were no issues between the three of us on the road, no times when one person wanted to stop while the others wanted to keep going (probably my biggest pre-ride concern).<br />
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Immediately after the ride I decided I could check this off my list and have no need to ever do it again. Now that a little time has elapsed I've begun to think about not only doing it again, but doing the next step up - the "Bun Burner 1500" - 1,500 miles in 36 hours. I don't know if I ever will but I can't say never.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-69760657060620459872013-05-16T15:12:00.003-04:002013-05-16T15:12:56.028-04:00Iron Butt ride recapUp at 2:30 am for a 4:00 am start. I had all of my gear laid out the night before as well as a checklist of everything I needed to do before leaving. It's good that I did - I got maybe 3-4 hours of sleep at best and would have ridden off without any number of things if I didn't have a list handy.<br />
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On our scooters and ready to go at a few minutes before 4:00. Someone notices that my headlight isn't working. I have a high beam but no low. I'm not about to take the time to put in a new bulb so I leave hoping that I don't have a failure along the way and have to figure out a way to complete the ride in the dark.<br />
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The first 50-60 miles is a bit pucker-inducing because it's pitch dark out and we're in the middle of deer country. Having hit a deer on my scooter before I'm more than a little paranoid about doing it again. It turns out that we didn't see any deer on that stretch but it took until it was fully light out before I began to relax.<br />
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The first hitch in my well-laid plans came early on. I had all of our fuel stops plotted out for the entire route. Some were far enough apart that we'd be close to empty but still able to make it as long as we were willing and able to ignore the low fuel light that would likely be on for a good 20-25 miles before each stop. As I figured, our lights came on well short of the first gas station and we chickened out rather than soldiering on. The only problem with this is that it threw us off for the remainder of the stops. It turned out not to be a problem in the end but I knew we would have some bits of road with little on them in the late hours of our run.<br />
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We discovered pretty quickly that we hadn't dressed properly for the weather. All three of us were dressed for the expected daytime highs but not for the morning and evening lows. The first few hours on the road were cold and we were all chilled to the bone. As we climbed in elevation it got colder even as the sun got higher in the sky. Good lesson learned. Pay better attention to the weather and dress accordingly. It's easy to remove layers but it's not possible to add layers if you didn't bring the gear along with you. <br />
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After my fears of deer in the dark didn't manifest, the deer did come out once it was light. The first one appeared out of nowhere and ran across the road between the first and second riders (I was third in line). Several miles later there was another deer standing in the right lane of the interstate and it didn't budge until we were pretty close. That was the end of the live deer for the rest of the trip.<br />
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A bit beyond the midway point we had a planned rest stop where we were met by a fellow rider, wmak from Modern Vespa. He rode for a couple of hours just to come down to have a quick meal with three tired and distracted riders. He also served as a witness at the westernmost point in our route. This could come in handy if the people who certify the ride have any questions about whether we actually did it or not.<br />
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Within the first 100 miles after our rest stop I really hit the wall. My eyes were crossing and I found myself in a downward spiral of negative thoughts. While I wasn't telling myself that I couldn't do it, I was questioning just how the hell I'd be able to make it while feeling that poorly.<br />
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Part II to follow....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-15037950516669346432013-05-10T21:02:00.002-04:002013-05-10T21:02:52.174-04:00countdown to, um, somethingIt's funny to get excited over something that's apt to be tedious, uncomfortable and downright painful, but 24 hours from now I'll be tucking myself into bed for 5-6 hours of sleep and then setting out on my ride. I wish I could leave now and just get on with it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-45483419332883138882013-05-06T17:16:00.001-04:002013-05-06T17:16:58.813-04:00Is it just a ride or is it something more than that?When I was planning my IB ride back in 2010 I noticed as we were getting closer to the date that my riding partner had more or less disappeared. I was putting a lot of thought into the ride and focused particularly on the mental preparation. I felt this wasn't the sort of thing one should enter into lightly. Long rides lead to fatigue and fatigue leads to stupidity and poor decision-making. I really wanted to talk about it with my partner and he had seemingly checked out. After tracking down and pestering him enough to finally get him to respond, he wanted to know just what in the world I wanted to discuss with him. I said I thought it was important that we get together to discuss the ride to make sure we were on the same page. In exasperation he replied, "What's the big deal and what is there to prepare for? You get on your scooter and go. It's just a ride."<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's just a ride.</i><br />
<br />
I was stunned. I don't know what, if anything, I said in response. I should have decided then and there that we were poorly matched to do this together. Instead another week or two passed and several days before the ride he got in touch to tell me he couldn't go because his mother-in-law was coming to visit that weekend. (I still hold a grudge, not so much because he called off the ride but because he used such an insultingly pathetic excuse.) In retrospect I'm glad it didn't come off as planned but it took me some time to get to that point. I remained disappointed for a long while. And I will admit that there's some pleasure to be taken in the fact that I'm planning this current ride for the exact same weekend in May as we were three years ago.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's just a ride.</i><br />
<br />
Well, okay, on a basic level it is just a ride. It's longer than most but like any other ride you sit down, fire it up and head down the road. But it's just a ride in the same way that rafting the Grand Canyon is just a boat trip. It's a ride designed to test your physical and mental stamina and your machine. Call me crazy but I think that demands my attention and respect.<br />
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So now that I've made a case for this event being a really big deal, let me explain why I think it might be best not to make a big deal out of it...<br />
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There are competing schools of thought on whether an Iron Butt ride is best done alone or with a small handful of riders. If you go alone it's just you and your scooter. You and your own thoughts. You and your own mechanical issues, hunger, thirst and fatigue. There's no one else to worry about. On the other hand, there's no one else to worry about you either.<br />
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If you travel with other people you've got some support. You know someone else has your back. If you're starting to have doubts about your ability to finish, the others can help buck you up and keep you going. If your scooter dies you're not left all alone on the side of the road (and least not at first). But with other riders there you have someone else that you might want to impress or you may be concerned about appearing weak if you can't continue while they're feeling fine. Suddenly what felt like support can morph into peer pressure and you keep going beyond your ability.<br />
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Along the same vein, since riding with others can be a negative because of the potential pressure you can put on yourself, what about telling the world that you're about to set out on this ride? What about telling a bunch of people on, say, a scooter forum that you're going to do an Iron Butt ride and they get excited and want to follow your progress online. They want to hear all of your stories at the end and <b>they want you to succeed</b>. So now you've got this other chorus in the back of your mind as you're tooling down the road and beginning to think maybe you've reached your limit and that maybe you kinda sorta should stop? Now you're really going to look lame after you've spent months telling everyone you're gonna do this thing. So I am - or I guess <i>was</i> - of the mind that it would be best to keep it quiet and just report in after the fact. I'll put enough pressure on myself to succeed; I don't need a crew of onlookers. It went another direction and became very public but that's a story for another day.<br />
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Is it still just a ride?<br />
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I'm inclined to over-think and over-prepare. I often get ready for the worst so I'm frequently pleasantly surprised when things turn out well. I want to get home from this ride and think, gee, that really wasn't all that bad after all. But because of the way I'm wired I can't help but go into it thinking of it as the Bataan Death March for scooters. And I can't possibly think of it as just a ride.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-39245793733111191392013-05-05T12:58:00.002-04:002013-05-05T12:58:54.024-04:00So what's this Iron Butt thing all about?As I was writing my previous post my friend Bill was literally in the middle of doing an Iron Butt ride through France. I suppose that was a large part of what started me rethinking the whole blog thing and why I ended up writing something.<br />
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Bill successfully completed his ride and in several days he'll be on a plane to come to the U.S. to do another one with me and our friend Adrian. I rode the Cannonball with Bill last year and we got on very well together. We met Adrian in Abilene, Texas. He helped to organize a BBQ/party for the Cannonball riders and seems like a sane, level-headed guy.<br />
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Anyway, a bit about the Iron Butt. I explained what it is. I have a harder time explaining why I want to do it. When I tell people about it there's usually a bit of a pause before they scrunch up their face a bit, cock their head, and ask why. My answer makes sense to me but I doubt it does to many others. It's really pretty simple: because I can. Really, it's not a whole lot more complex than that. I like to ride - that's a given - and I also like a good challenge. Some people assume there's a competitive aspect to it. Maybe that would make it more understandable; I don't know. But it's not competitive. Not only do you not win anything, you have to pay to have someone validate your ride so they'll give you a certificate and an Iron Butt license plate frame.<br />
<br />
If pressed I'd also say that part of the motivation for this sort of
thing is that I want to do crazy shit while I still can. I'm not old
but I'm getting older. I want to do a 1,000-mile ride on my scooter
when the only ill effects will be some fatigue and stiffness, not a
threat to my life. That's really the best explanation I can give. Most
folks still won't really get it but that's fine with me. It doesn't
need to make sense to anyone but me. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-27959493352910736962013-05-04T16:03:00.000-04:002013-05-04T16:03:08.568-04:00This is kind of embarrassingIt's been a year and a day since I posted here. It's not like I haven't thought about it. I've actually thought about it more than I should but could never seem to get engaged enough to write. Every time I'd slink away feeling guilty that I didn't have it in me. So a day passed, then a week, and so on. It turned into 366 days and I found myself today coming to the decision that if I wasn't going to write, I should delete the blog. Whenever I come across an abandoned blog I find it a bit sad. Someone had something that was important enough to them that they wrote about it, but then it petered out and died. I didn't want to leave this blog carcass lying around like that and was about to delete it and <i>that</i> is what inspired me to write something instead. "Do not go gentle into that good night" and all that...<br />
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I stopped writing because Cannonball seemed to have sucked my interest in scooters right out of me for quite a while. I think I've ridden barely over a thousand miles since I got home a year ago. For a time I didn't think about riding at all. When I did it was only long rides that came to mind. Tooling around for 50 miles on the back roads around home had lost its appeal. I wasn't going to climb on the scooter unless it was going to be for two or three hundred miles. I didn't do that, either; I just thought about it. Sigh.<br />
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Other things intervened, too. We bought a new house with a nice chunk of land just before I left on Cannonball and when I got home I started spending all of my spare time on projects around the place. I put in a 3000 sq. ft. garden and fenced it. I cleared some land and turned it into an orchard. I fixed stuff. I spruced things up. It made me really, really busy and very happy. I still felt guilty for ignoring my scooter but not quite so much because at least I was engaged with other things. <br />
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Fall and winter passed and I could shrug off scooter thoughts by telling myself it was too cold to ride. Spring is here and it's been a chilly one so far but I've finally begun to ride a bit. It only took a couple of rides to remind me how much I enjoy it. But there's one, big overriding reason why I began to ride again and it's called an Iron Butt ride (technically the Saddle Sore 1000, but that doesn't have the same ring to it).<br />
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There are motorcyclists who get their kicks from doing endurance rides. Really crazy endurance rides. And there is a volunteer organization called the <a href="http://www.ironbutt.com/" target="_blank">Iron Butt Association</a> that monitors and certifies these rides. The entry level is the Saddle Sore 1000 - a ride of 1,000 miles that is completed within 24 hours. (Not enough for you? How about the 50cc Quest - a ride across the U.S. in 50 hours or less? Or the annual Iron Butt rally that goes 11,000 miles in 11 days?)<br />
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For three years I've been wanting to do an Iron Butt ride. I actually had one scheduled on the very same date in 2010 as the one I'm about to do but my riding partner bailed on me at the last minute and I opted out instead of going alone. I knew I'd do it eventually but didn't know when. Then talk of a ride sprang organically from idle banter at the end of last year's Cannonball. Not wanting the fun to stop, several of us started to talk about an IB ride in the summer or fall. It never came about but the discussion kept going an a plan began to crystallize.<br />
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[more to come...]<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-86306762907092916362012-05-03T07:17:00.001-04:002012-05-03T07:17:17.959-04:00I did itArrived home late last night and have to go straight to work this morning (boy, was it ever a mistake not to take another couple of vacation days). I'll be doing a lot of writing over the weekend to capture some memories before they blur and fade away.<br />
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Riding the Cannonball was by far one of the coolest things I've done in many years and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.<br />
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More to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-13650212779368747912012-04-21T17:23:00.002-04:002012-04-21T17:23:49.644-04:00I can't begin to explainIf I had a few hours I might be able to write a reasonable recap of the past few days, but I don't. In brief, it was two days of glorious riding followed by two days in a motel parking lot that is part rolling circus, part gypsy camp and part mechanic shop. With nearly 60 scooters and assorted support vehicles with drivers and family tagging along, there are 80+ people here. I won't even try to describe the array of characters and I've only just begun to get to know them.<br />
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Since it's looking highly unlikely that I'll be able to keep up with this blog over the coming week, an even better place to follow this unfolding madcap thing is on the Cannonball thread at the <a href="http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic97180" target="_blank">Modern Vespa</a> forum. A number of us are posting photos to the thread so you'll get a nearly-real time look at what's happening.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-50592124958562418832012-04-16T17:30:00.004-04:002012-04-16T17:31:07.208-04:00Gee, that's a long road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been spending so much time looking at our route on the micro level that it sort of took my breath away when I got another look at the run in its entirety. I've been tweaking the routes in my GPS - making sure the checkpoints are entered in the right place, finding gas stations at appropriate intervals, and checking that I haven't inadvertently routed myself down the wrong roads - and some of this has required looking at maps at the street level. I kind of forgot for a bit that all of those streets run together and add up to cross the whole damn country. I knew this was a big deal but now it <i>really</i> feels like it. <br />
<br />
I also had a bit of a jolt a day or two ago when I was checking our route from Virginia to Georgia via the Blue Ridge Parkway to get to the starting line. I hadn't looked at the total mileage for each of the two days prior to this and what I discovered is that our first day is 410 miles. D'oh! Oh well. That should make every following day seem like a piece of cake, right?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-37696803947808587732012-04-14T08:20:00.000-04:002012-04-14T08:20:27.600-04:00Getting thereThis morning I have to get my gear to the support truck that's hauling things to Savannah for me. I was wide awake at 5:00 and in my garage by 6:00 to go through everything one more time. I feel like I've got a lot of stuff but somehow it fit into a much smaller space than I anticipated. It makes me wonder if I've forgotten something. I suppose that feeling will haunt me for awhile.<br />
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On the forums at <a href="http://www.scootercannonball.com/" target="_blank">Scooter Cannonball</a> and <a href="http://www.modernvespa.com/" target="_blank">Modern Vespa</a> there is a lot of chatter among the riders. I was just reading a post written by one of the veteran riders and was struck by the fact that she sounded just as amped up and giddy as us rookies. It's not that I expected the vets to be blase and ho-hum about the whole thing, but maybe just more matter of fact and not displaying as much emotion. But I don't think there's any way you can plot out and undertake a trip like this without getting excited. It's a big freakin' deal.<br />
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The scooter for Bill Dog arrived from LA the other day. When the driver opened the truck this is what I saw inside. <br />
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The wooden pallet that holds the scooter securely upright was smashed to splinters and when we got the case off I found the scooter lying on its side, which is generally not a good thing. There was also a pretty big dent on the front of it. The driver suggested that maybe I ought to refuse delivery. I laughed and explained why I had to accept it. As the rider of some oversized crotch rocket he was pretty impressed by the audacity of what we're about to do. It's always nice when you can educate a motorcycle rider about what scooters are capable of.<br />
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Once I got the scoot off of the truck it started right up. Whew! And the dent? Well...it turns out that it was there all along but no one had bothered to tell me. If I'd known in advance it would have prevented me from shitting myself when I saw it. Oh well. It's here, it's running and it's beautiful. Bill should be very happy with his new ride.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-45210738313944720932012-04-13T08:06:00.001-04:002012-04-13T08:06:48.147-04:00A note to my colleaguesI wrote a note to my co-workers yesterday to let them know a bit about the craziness I'm about to embark upon. Some knew part of it, some knew none. Most of us work from home offices spread from Massachusetts to South Carolina to Montana, so I haven't had the pleasure of tormenting them with my months of Cannonball obsession. I thought I'd repeat here what I wrote to them. For some of you none of this is new; for others it might be...<br />
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<br />
I recently heard a new definition of adventure that I like: discomfort retold at leisure. I suspect there's going to be a lot of truth to that in this particular adventure.<br /><br />Most of you already know what I'm about to do, but for those who don't a week from today I am hopping on my Vespa to take a 3,000 mile ride. I'll be taking part in an event called the Scooter Cannonball Run (details to be found at http://www.scootercannonball.com/). There will be nearly 60 of us riding from Savannah to San Diego over the course of eight days. Once I get to the left coast I'll be spending a couple of days in LA, then flying home while my scooter gets shipped back east.<br /><br />If you're at all interested in following my progress, there are a couple of ways to do it. First, there's a map online that will provide live tracking information: http://followride.com/rider/7 (I'm rider #7, alias Scutrbrau). I have something called a SPOT tracker that's often used by backcountry skiers and hikers that sends a ping every 10 minutes, which in turn appears on the map. Also, to Pat's great relief and pleasure, it has a help button and an SOS button so I can summon help even if I'm in an area with no cell phone coverage. The help button dispatches roadside assistance. The SOS button brings a search and rescue team. I'm hoping I don't need to test either of those.<br /><br />You can also follow me via my blog at http://vesparazzi.blogspot.com/ though I can't promise I'll be doing a lot of writing along the way. I've read a number of blogs from past years' events that have a lot of entries up until the starting point and then fall silent. I suspect my evenings will be spent in motel parking lots with the other riders, drinking beer and telling stories, and not hanging out in my room writing. At the very least I hope to put up some photos along the way.<br /><br />One side note that's kind of interesting, at least to me, is that I'm going to be riding with a guy, Bill, from England (Maidstone, Kent) who is coming here to participate; I'm picking him up at Dulles next week. We've become good friends via a Vespa forum that I frequent. He is being given a scooter to ride by another member of the forum, David, who is a Vespa dealer in LA. David was undergoing cancer treatment last year. Unbeknownst to everyone, Bill stayed in constant contact with David by phone, e-mail, text messages and postcards to offer encouragement and help get him to the finish line. David is repaying that kindness by shipping a scooter to my house for Bill to use for this cross-country jaunt. Even for a cynic like me I find that very heartwarming.<br /><br />I've been thinking about and planning this for nearly two years. The last time around the run started in Vancouver and ended in Portland, so Pat and I hung out at the finish line to watch some of the riders come in. Somehow or other the sight of those exhausted and bedraggled riders made me begin to obsess over doing it myself. So here I am. I haven't had a proper vacation in quite some time. While the idea of beating the crap out of myself and my bike for a couple of weeks might not sound like a relaxing break, I can assure you that there's nothing else I'd rather be doing with my time.<br /><br />Oh, one other thing that's completely unrelated but of some interest - our house in Portland has finally sold; closing is on Monday. With that monkey off our back we can really focus on getting settled in to our new place. Once I get back home, that is.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />RickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-29158818936343011862012-04-12T07:01:00.000-04:002012-04-12T07:01:17.514-04:00It's certainly starting to feel real nowAt this time a week from now I'll just be setting out on the first leg of my trip. Holy shit.<br />
<br />
I've gotten most of my gear and stuff squared away. I'm carrying enough spare parts to cover anything basic that goes wrong along the way. If there's anything catastrophic that happens, well...game over. The bike goes on a support truck and I ride shotgun the rest of the way. But that won't happen, so I've just got ten days of long rides ahead of me.<br />
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For anyone reading who frequents <a href="http://www.modernvespa.com/" target="_blank">Modern Vespa</a> you'll know some of the cast of characters I'm about to encounter. Bill Dog is flying into Dulles from the UK next Tuesday, where I will collect him and bring him to my place. We'll have a day to finish prepping our rides and ourselves before we leave on Thursday. We'll travel west from Richmond to meet up with Jim and Kristin (JimC and Ivana Tinkle) and spend the next two days riding down the Blue Ridge Parkway and southeast to Savannah. We'll have one full day to enjoy the city and meet up with all of the other crazy bastards doing this thing. At some point during that day I also hope to ride down to the shore and dip my front wheel in the Atlantic.<br />
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And then...eat, drink, sleep (I hope), and leave just after dawn the following day. Let the games begin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-85527243747940301872012-04-07T10:30:00.000-04:002012-04-07T10:30:26.157-04:00Counting downThe six weeks since I last posted have felt more like six months. We closed on our new place, packed our stuff, moved in two phases over the course of a couple of weeks, and now we're getting settled in. Compacted into one, short sentence it doesn't really sound like much but it's been a bitch. And I learned something important along the way: DO NOT buy a house and move just weeks before you're supposed to leave on an epic, 3,000-mile scooter trip.<br />
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In less than two weeks I'm going to hit the road for Savannah and on the 22nd we set out from there for San Diego. I've been following the preparations of my fellow riders online with some interest and more than a little dread. As they've all been doing maintenance and modifications to their scooters, I've been dealing with things that have kept me from even <i>thinking</i> about my scooter, let alone tinkering with it. I feel like I'm running a bit behind and that's not where I was hoping to be at this point on the calendar.<br />
<br />
Thank goodness I started my Cannonball obsession months ago. What seemed premature back in the fall now seems prescient and wise. I started writing lists of gear and parts and things to do back when I had the time and luxury of thinking things through. I ordered parts and marked up maps and entered routes into my GPS long enough ago that it seemed foolish to be giving it so much thought then. But if I hadn't done all of that I believe I'd be in such a state of panic now that I'd consider scrapping the whole thing and waiting for 2014 to ride. This morning I was able to finally begin to use those lists to bring some order to my scooter chaos.<br />
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I began by clearing a large spot in the middle of the garage floor and laying out a tarp. I've been unpacking the boxes that I'd been careful to mark and set aside during the move, placing things in several different piles. There are the things that I need to carry with me on my scooter and those that I will put on a support vehicle. I'm only part way into it and already the mounds are growing large enough that I'm a little concerned. By the time I've got it all spread out it's going to look like enough stuff for a small army. How and what I winnow out will be an interesting exercise.<br />
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Time to stop blabbering and get back to it. I'll try to get some photos as I go to begin documenting the madness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-84484680797069666662012-02-22T11:09:00.002-05:002012-02-22T11:09:40.992-05:00Two months to go<br />
I've been quiet for the past few weeks and actually thinking very little about Cannonball. We are in the middle of buying a house and every step of the way has been ridiculously difficult. We have our closing scheduled a week from today and literally do not know if the deal is still going to go through. The moments of high drama, stress and worry have not only sucked the joy out of what should be a fairly happy event, but it's kept me from thinking about this whole cross-country thing that's coming up soon. <br />
<br />
The Cannonball riders - all 62 of us - will set out from Savannah two months
from today. After obsessing over this for nearly two years it's hard
to believe the time has just about come. I think I'm supposed to be fretting over what's in my tool kit and making sure I've got the spare parts I need but instead I'm undergoing a financial colonoscopy from the mortgage company and wondering if we're going to have a place to move to or have to start over from square one. With any luck this will all be over soon and my worry over buying the house will be displaced by worry over getting packed and moved in the month prior to Cannonball. I know things are going to work out one way or another.<br />
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<br />
I want to give a shout-out to David Masse. I was away over the weekend and when I got home I found a package from Canada waiting for me. David decided to send me a couple of turtle lights for my scooter. They are small LED lights that are super bright, have long battery life, and can be used in either steady or flashing mode. He sent a white one and a red one. I can hang or mount them fore and aft on my scooter to make myself more visible. I don't think a driver could fail to spot me with these things on. Thank you, David, for your thoughtful gift. It's a great addition to my kit.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-81485629697813367472012-02-09T10:05:00.001-05:002012-02-09T10:13:14.431-05:00Home sweet homeRight here, right now, in the middle of all of my pre-Cannonball planning, my wife and I are buying a new house. We went under contract this week after some nerve-wracking negotiations with a crusty old bastard who by all appearances didn't really care whether the house sold or not. We got it done - well, at least the first part - and we set an aggressive timeline by insisting on a Feb. 29 closing - yes, that's now less than three weeks away.<br />
<br />
In many ways there couldn't be a worse time for Cannonball to be happening. I'm supposed to be saving money, not shoveling it out the door on things like spare tires and riding gear and plane tickets. I'm supposed to be packing my belongings, not spreading them out and cataloging them and deciding what will fit on the scooter and what stays behind. Conversely, I have moments of thinking, "hey, wait a minute, I'm supposed to be doing scooter maintenance and route planning, not scheduling home inspections and radon tests and filling out mortgage applications."<br />
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I'm glad that I have Cannonball to think about because it's a pleasant distraction. And I hate that I have Cannonball to think about because I'm already stressed out and the upcoming ride adds to it at times.<br />
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I suspect I'll look back on this in the not-too-distant future and get a chuckle out of it. Of all the problems in the world to have, being stressed over buying a new home and doing a scooter ride of a lifetime are not all that bad.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-63519194042839084732012-02-05T16:51:00.000-05:002012-02-05T16:51:11.873-05:00seeking supportI knew there was no way to do Cannonball on the cheap. Even if you showed up at the starting line with just the clothes on your back you'd have a week and a half of hotels, meals, beer, gasoline, etc. to pay for. And I'm showing up with much more than that - a spare tire, belt and rollers, exhaust header and gaskets, tools, riding gear for all climates and on and on. Oh, and I have to ship my bike back to Virginia when it's done and hop on a plane to get myself home. I haven't dared to do more than a back-of-the-envelope calculation of what it's all going to cost but it's probably going to be at least $2,500. Nope, not cheap.<br />
<br />
But I knew this going in and decided that it was worth it. It hadn't really crossed my mind to ask other people to help since this is a personal endeavor, but I've been watching some of my fellow riders ask for support and see lots of people happily stepping up to pitch in. So here I am.<br />
<br />
<br />
I've been working in professional fundraising for over 15 years. I've asked people for 6-figure gifts. You'd think I'd know how to do this but I'm discovering that it isn't as easy to do when you're asking for yourself rather than a cause.<br />
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I've set up a fundraising page at <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/cannonball2012" target="_blank">GoFundMe.com</a> to make it easy. Half of everything I get is going to charity so it's funding more than my crazy ride. Cheers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-48118652381124206982012-02-02T17:41:00.001-05:002012-02-02T17:41:53.812-05:00This is Cooper<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scutrbrau/6808732613/" title=" "><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6808732613_db5cb8618a.jpg" alt=" by kyoty58" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scutrbrau/6808732613/"> </a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scutrbrau/">kyoty58</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>I'm linking my various accounts and Cooper is my test photo from Flickr. That is all.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-15732222197061796782012-02-02T10:52:00.000-05:002012-02-02T10:52:13.292-05:00Getting connectedI'm an early riser, always have been. I generally wake up on my own somewhere around 5:00. I'm not one of those perky, jump-right-out-of-bed sorts but I also don't spend much time lolling around before I decide to get up. My first thoughts of the day are generally things like, "Huh?" or "I don't want to work today" or "Where am I?", but yesterday when I woke up I realized I was already thinking in full sentences and probably had been for awhile. And what I was thinking was, "What sorts of electrical connectors and how many of them should I pack for Cannonball?"<br />
<br />
My minimalist approach to gearing up is beginning to give way to concern that I'm going to forget to bring some crucial little piece of something that I discover I need only when I've broken down on a Forest Service road in Arizona that's many, many miles from nowhere. One reaction to that, I suppose, would be to think of and then pack all of those crucial bits of something, which is apparently what I was doing yesterday when I woke up.<br />
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Butt connectors? Male and female spade connectors? Good lord, what is happening to me?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-17005920014049995212012-01-31T19:17:00.000-05:002012-01-31T19:17:15.163-05:00In it to win itThere is a handicap system in place for the Cannonball based on the age and engine displacement of the scooter that provides a level playing field for all riders no matter what you're riding (<a href="http://www.scootercannonball.com/rules/" target="_blank">rules [pdf] are here</a>). In theory, anyone ought to be able to win. However, a consensus seems to have developed among many of us on larger scooters that we don't have a hope in hell of winning so we might as well just enjoy the ride. I've been thinking for months now that I'm not going to drive myself all that hard. That I'm just going to have fun riding. That I'm in it for the camaraderie and the beer at night in motel parking lots.<br />
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Well, that's all good but I've given some more thought to the spirit of the competition and have decided that I owe it to the Cannonball - if not myself - to approach this with a more competitive attitude, to show up on the starting line thinking that I've got as good a chance as anyone at winning it. While I still have some serious doubt about that, I'm going to give it a try. This isn't a rally or a group ride or some rolling scooter love fest and I don't want to treat it like it is.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-16827397649172994742012-01-23T08:08:00.000-05:002012-01-23T08:08:54.551-05:00Countdown to ecstasy. Or agony. But probably some of both.Less than 3 months to Cannonball. It's far enough off that I can still be a little lackadaisical about pulling all my stuff together but close enough that I'm getting pretty freakin' excited. Eventually it will get close enough that I'll start to panic and worry that I'm forgetting something important. For now it's restless indolence.<br />
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I've been looking back through forum posts from past CBRs and riders' blogs. One thing about the blogs really stands out - most of them have numerous posts leading up to the run and then virtually nothing after that. A few post recaps at the end but a lot just fall silent. I assume that everyone who was blogging went into the Cannonball with the best of intentions to post all the way across country. The fact that they didn't tells me that I should not assume I'll do any differently. I'm bringing my computer and can also post from my phone and I really want to believe that I'm going to write. What is more likely, however, is that I will speak with Pat every evening and she will post little recaps and updates while I'm at the bar / wrenching in the motel parking lot / lying in a tub / passed out in bed. I, like others before me, will do my best to return from the adventure and try to capture the high points in a retrospective. We'll see.<br />
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Along with my hope of writing my way across the southern U.S., I'd like to return with lots of photos. I've used the Cannonball as an excuse to upgrade to a different camera and I would like to see myself actually use it. There are a few problems with this scheme, however. The only times I'll be stationary during the day are first thing in the morning (when I'm nervously getting myself ready to ride), stopped on the side of the road to pee or refuel (when my camera is apt to be the last thing on my mind), and in the evening (when the scenery consists of 50 other riders and their scooters in a motel parking lot). <br />
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We are going to pass through some gorgeous areas, particularly in the Southwest, and it will be a shame if I can't capture some of it. This means I'll have to stop. Since the Cannonball is a timed run, stopping means losing time. If I was riding to win it would be out of the question to pull over to take photos, but the handicapped scoring system makes it look like winning is the longest of long shots for me. This means I ought to be able to stop and get off my scooter whenever I damn well please and not have to worry that I'll ruin my chance at a podium spot and glory since the chance won't be there to begin with. As with writing, we'll see.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-82234856714509701672012-01-17T09:37:00.000-05:002012-01-17T09:37:01.910-05:00Yet another farkle postThis one actually hadn't made it onto my list of favorite farkles, but only because I forgot that I had it on the scooter. This --> <a href="http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic84440" target="_blank">discussion</a> <-- on Modern Vespa reminded me of it - the <a href="http://www.2wheelride.com/throttle_pro.html" target="_blank">Go Cruise throttle control</a>. <br />
<br />
While having a cruise control on a two-wheeled vehicle may seem dangerous or even suicidal to some, I think if it is used prudently that it can make for a safer ride. Huh? What's that? <br />
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On a short ride you're not apt to have much fatigue or cramping, but on a long ride it's a real problem at times. Holding your throttle hand in the same position for an extended period can be tiring and painful. I use my throttle control for a few minutes at a time to enable me to remove my hand from the grip and stretch my fingers and my arm. You'll often see riders going down the road with their left arm hanging loosely by their side or tucked behind their back. This isn't for show - it helps relieve cramping. The throttle control allows you to do the same with your right arm. Remaining loose and limber and pain-free to me translates into having a safer ride.<br />
<br />
Using the Go Cruise is as simple as depicted in the company's demonstration video. It takes seconds to install (and seconds to remove if you don't like it). Engaging it is effortless. Disengaging it is as simple as manually rolling off the throttle. It's not risk free so if you aren't comfortable with the idea of holding your throttle engaged you probably shouldn't use one.<br />
<br />
Some people use rubber o-rings to achieve the same result. I have a dozen heavy duty yellow Caterpillar o-rings that I bought (I only needed one but the place I ordered from only sold them by the dozen). The idea is that you put the o-ring on your throttle grip and when you want it to hold the throttle in place, you slip it over the end of the grip so it fits in the groove between the grip and the bar end. It works a charm and really does the exact same thing that the Go Cruise does at just a fraction of the price. Why, then, am I not using it?<br />
<br />
When the o-ring is sitting in that groove it's on the outside of your right hand and you can't really see it. Also, when you're wearing gloves it's more difficult to pull it out of that groove. Those downsides kept me from getting comfortable using it. While it may be unlikely that there would be a problem, the thought of taking my hand off the grip and fiddling with the o-ring while hurtling down the road with a stuck throttle...well, you can perform that mental exercise yourself and see how it feels.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-84428593743573730322012-01-07T10:15:00.001-05:002012-01-07T10:15:17.766-05:00This is a test. This is only a test.Just trying out <a href="http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=011MSbcYY2uSq2bckVyVnJCxtrcKQckCK" target="_blank">the public tracking map</a> for my <a href="http://www.findmespot.com/en/" target="_blank">SPOT GPS Messenger.</a> If it works properly, it should get pinged by the unit every 10 minutes while it's on and the track will show up on the map. If not, well, I guess I need to keep working at figuring out the settings on it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-80891436592383704462012-01-05T14:53:00.001-05:002012-01-05T14:53:56.825-05:00My favorite farkles: Part IIOkay, this one maybe doesn't qualify as a farkle since it's not a modification. Eh, so what.<br />
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<a href="http://www.airhawk.net/airhawk-products.aspx" target="_blank">Airhawk seat cushion</a>: This runs a close second to the back rest on my list of favorites and the two work well in tandem. The Airhawk was developed by a company that makes products to relieve bed sores in hospital patients. It’s an inflatable cushion with a sort of waffle pattern and a nylon cover. You inflate it only enough to provide a thin cushion of air between you and the seat so you just barely float above it. It adds about ¾” of height so anyone with short legs who already has trouble reaching the ground might have trouble with it. <br />
<br />
I can say tons of good things about how much better my scooter ride is with it, but as additional testimonial for this product I offer the following: In October 2010 I broke my collarbone in an accident. I was unable to sleep lying down for the first two weeks so I stayed in my recliner in the living room during this time. To make myself as comfortable as I could in this very uncomfortable situation, I put the Airhawk on my chair seat. It made my already comfortable chair even more so. I liked it so much that I left it in place for a number of months afterward. It’s that good. I also recently spent a few nights in my chair again because I had bronchitis and lying down made me hack. I used the Airhawk again and it's staying there for good now.<br /><br />Most people on Modern Vespa advocate for the medium cruiser size. I have both a medium and a large and have to say that the large is the better of the two by a long shot. It covers from the front end of the seat all the way back to the ridge that separates the rider from the pillion. I found that the medium had a tendency to slide forward during long rides; the large never does. I won't argue though; use whatever works for you.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-51564319066841136862011-12-31T16:41:00.000-05:002011-12-31T16:41:59.882-05:00My favorite farkles: Part IOne of the fun things about owning a scooter is making it your own by adding accessories (mods or farkles) to it. It could be something purely decorative like a <a href="http://jettin.com/Visor%20Folder/VisorBlack.jpg" target="_blank">headlight visor</a> or an item that enhances performance or comfort or safety. It’s easy to get carried away with it. If you’ve got deep enough pockets, there’s virtually no limit to the things you can add to your scooter.<br />
<br />
While I was out riding a couple of days ago I was thinking about the various things I’ve done to my scooter and began to rank them in some sort of favorite order.<br />
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<a href="http://www.utpr.com/vespa.html" target="_blank">Utopia back rest</a>: This one item is far and away the best addition I’ve made to my scooter. I’ve had chronic back problems since I was a teenager and long rides really exacerbate the pain and discomfort. This back rest has made my rides far more comfortable and I can stay in the saddle longer without having to stop to stretch.<br />
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It does make my Vespa look a bit like an armchair on wheels but I'm riding for pleasure, not to wow onlookers with my style.<br />
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There is one downside to installing this back rest - it leaves too little room on the back of the seat for a passenger. That's not an issue for me but it might be a deal breaker for some. Also, it is semi-permanent. The bracket the seat back attaches to is bolted to the seat pan and comes up through the foam and seat cover. If you don't like the idea of cutting a slit through your seat this isn't for you.<br />
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Anyone who has back issues and/or does long distance rides ought to give this some serious consideration. When I began ranking my favorite modifications there wasn't anything else in contention for the top spot. Get in touch if you have any questions that I might be able to answer for you.<br />
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<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=dec280c8-5f9a-428b-b698-823cd8e6ca90" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484952799261124166.post-59651901316225506152011-12-31T14:37:00.000-05:002011-12-31T14:37:14.115-05:00“vespa” Museum Of Modern Art - Vespa Scooters<a href="http://www.myvespascooters.com/forsale/vespa-museum-of-modern-art/">“vespa” Museum Of Modern Art - Vespa Scooters</a><br /><br />Some nice scooter pics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0