Victor Creative has chosen the March of Dimes as its official charity for 2010. We will be doing everything that we can to promote the Bikers for Babies program and all of the related rides and events.
I am now part of the Full Throttle Crew for The Carolina's Full Throttle Magazine. I will be covering charity events, along with rides and runs that are held for good causes. Let me know if your group is putting together any charity events, poker runs, toy drives, food drives, or anything else and I will get the information listed on the calendar in the magazine for you. I also enjoy meeting new people so if you see me at an event, please come up and say Hi.
I left in plenty of time to be at L&L by 7pm. However... a guy in a black pickup truck had other plans for me. He decided that he wanted to be in the lane that I was in so he moved over - not letting the fact that I was already in that lane get in his way. To avoid being run into by this jerk, I ended up in the ditch at the side of the road. (He didn't even slow down.) Luckily, I kept the bike upright and came to a stop. I sat there for a while letting my nerves calm down a bit before I proceeded on. A few cars started to stop to check on me - I waved them on. It was nice of them to check though.
I finally made it to L&L but I was preoccupied in my thoughts and rode right past it. I had to turn around and go back.
When I got there I headed straight for the bar. Then, drink in hand, I started looking for familiar faces. I found 3 tables full of people I recognized which was surprising because the place was packed. They were full inside, the outdoor patio area was full, and there were people standing around - both inside and outside. The wait staff seemd unprepared for this.
It took almost 20 minutes before they took my order. One of the people that was there when I arrived had waited almost 30 minutes for his order of wings before he got them. But once it finally came - the Ice Tea was nice and cold and the BBQ wings were nice and hot. This was the second time I have eaten here and I know I will be going back (especially for their Lunch Specials).
I got the chance to talk with the people I knew already and to meet some new people. I had an enjoyable time and I think everyone else did. Good food and friends is always a fun combination. I am looking forward to getting to ride with this group soon.
I met up with several other members of the Just a Bunch of Bikers Meetup Group and we all rode downtown together. We arrived there early enough that we had time to get some coffee at the new Krispy Kreme before the ride. We wanted to go inside and look at some of the exhibits (and the fire trucks) but they werent letting anyone in before 9am.
Shortly after 9am they called all the riders together and we had a pre-ride meeting. They thanked us all for coming and helping out the UNC Burn Center. They discussed the course we would be taking on the ride, discussed hand signals, and where we would be making stops along the way. We then all saddled up and took off.
We left downtown Raleigh and headed towards Clayton then on to the Cleveland Fire Dept. for our first stop. They provided us with bottled water and snacks. We had Police and/or fire trucks leading us through this leg of the ride, with Police and firefighters blocking major intersections for us to proceed through. You can't beat this for an enjoyable ride. After we left Cleveland we proceeded through Fuquay still with Police helping. At one intersection a car drove around one of the Police cars and broke into the line of bikes forcing one off onto the shoulder and a bunch of us to have brake hard. Luckily everyone was okay.
We then rode up around Jordan Lake then on to the Burn Center at UNC Chapel Hill. Even with all the construction going on there the ride through was nice. We then proceeded to the Chapel Hill Fire Department where we had lunch. The Chapel Hill Fire Dept. provided us with hot dogs, potato chips and sodas / water. We owe them a big thanks for this.
After lunch they held the final door prize drawings and the 50/50 drawing. We all gathered for a group photo then broke up into small groups to return to our respective homes. Almost 70 bikes, a hundred mile ride with Police and Fire Dept. escorts, a nice lunch and raising almost $2000 for the UNC Burn Center all made for a very enjoyable day.
Next years ride will be on August 13, 2011. I have already volunteered to be the photographer for the ride. Mark this date on your calendar and plan to ride with us next year. You'll be glad you did.
08/12/10
Met with the SCRC 5 Points Chapter for their monthly dinner meeting. We met at Los Tres Magueyes on Wake Chapel Rd. in Fuquay. There were a couple of people there that I had met already and there were a couple dozen other people I hadn't met yet but they all made me feel welcome. The room we were in was fairly warm (mid-80s), but there were 36 people + the staff in there and it is mid-August. We had a nice dinner, with good prices. The staff seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with our group size but they did good considering. The food was good and tasty. The prices were good and the staff was helpful and friendly. I would recommend Los Tres Magueyes for their food and as a meeting place.
The meeting went well. There were door prizes and a 50/50 drawing. Mike won the 50/50 and donated the money back to the Chapter. When the meeting was over we headed outside for fresh air. It didn't really help. It was still hot and humid. But we talked for a while and I showed off my bike with the running lights and car tire. Afterwords we all headed out and back to home.
On a side note: This was my first time out riding after dark since moving here. I was worried about not finding my way back to where I am staying but I made it home just fine.
08/07/10
I went on a bike ride today. Met up with the Just a Bunch of Bikers Meetup Group for a ride to Allen & Sons BBQ + Maple View Farms Ice Cream. Everyone met at the Panera Bread location on Walnut in Raleigh. We all had something to drink before we got started then we gathered for a pre ride meeting. Roger was the Road Captain for this ride and he was very clear with his instructions on how we were going to ride, the rules for the ride, where we were going, when we would be making stops, etc. This was good as we had several people that had never been on group rides before.
We had a very nice ride on some good roads while getting to Allen & Sons. Lunch here was good and the prices were reasonable. I had the BBQ Pork sandwich with onion rings and a unsweetened tea. I did find one piece of gristle in my sandwich but aside from that I had no complaints. I was told afterwords that I missed out by not ordering a dessert.
The ride back was nice. We rode past Jordan Lake and stopped at the Maple View Farms Store for Ice Cream. This was the highlight of the day for me. :-) While at Maple View Farms there was another bike group that arrived, SCRC out of Raleigh. I got to talk with a couple of them and have since joined SCRC, the 5 Points Chapter (near Garner). A couple of people headed home from here, the rest of us started heading back towards where we started with members pealing off as we passed their areas.
I got to meet some new people. Have a nice ride. Get some lunch and ice cream. It was a good day.
08/01/10
I arrived in Raleigh, NC around midnight last night. I arrived at my friends house shortly thereafter. It was great seeing them again. Sometimes you don't realize how much you have missed someone until you see them again. We went inside and caught up for a little bit then everyone headed to bed since it was so late.
This morning we got up and had breakfast then started unloading the truck. One of the first things we took off was my motorcycle. It was great to see that she had survived the ride. :-) We then headed over to the storage facility where I'm going to be keeping some of my stuff for a while. When we got there, the Manager was out to lunch so we had to wait around (the office was closed). When he returned I made the arrangements for the space and we unloaded the truck.
We then proceded over to a Uhaul facility where we returned the truck, a day early. It feels great to have the initial move and travel done.
05/23/2010
In support of motorcycle awareness and of honoring fallen riders and their families, ride groups all across the nation rode in a Worldwide Motorcycle Awareness Ride on Sunday, May 23. This included riders from all over Missouri who gathered together to ride for Motorcycle Awareness. Riders from Hannibal, Lake Of The Ozarks, Columbia, Mexico, Jefferson City, and other towns too numerous to mention all rode to Kingdom City to Ride for Motorcycle Awareness. These riders were joined by Mark, the owner of the Hideway Grill in Phoenix (The restaurant the Phoenix Riders were heading to when they were run over by the truck). The Missouri State Highway Patrol was on hand in Kingdom City to help the riders get safely from their staging area and onto I-70 for their ride to Wentzville to join up with the riders out of St. Louis.
