for those of you new to " the moped diaries," let me explain.
as a result of my growing hate for myspace, i've decided to transfer my blogs to their very own blogspot. "the moped diaries" began as a kitchy little idea for sharing my summer moped adventures. as a high school teacher, my students wishes are my commands, and reading about my adventures was their dream come true.
in reading "the moped diaries," you will read from the beginning, in which the moped purchase was merely a dream....as you continue reading from end to beginning, ultimately, you'll share its demise. you MUST read to understand.
as a result, these were previously written blogs, but in a new and more convenient package.
more to come.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
the end of a season...
so, considering the weather is about to turn, as my grandma would say, i'm retiring the moped for the season.
yes, i know i've officially only been riding it for 30 seconds or so, BUT, it's time to store it for the winter and re-think its opening come spring 2008. it would be an understatment to say that things can only get better.
so needless to say, this would put an end to my blog for a good 6-7 months, at least where i live, if i simply continued only journaling about my moped adventures. one can only make "the moped continues to be in storage.." fun and exciting for so long.
under the encouragement of some acquaintences i was given the "go-ahead" to write about adventures that live outside of the topic of the moped.
therefore....be prepared to have your minds blown AND to recognize the depths of my inner brain workings which unbeknownst to me, until recently have led me to my "weirdo" reputation. when i'm told that my actions or comments are "weird," which happens quite frequently, i'm often quick to follow it with the question of 'in a cool way or a creepy way?'
usually the lack of response leaves me all too sure that that mystery has yet to be solved.
more to come...
yes, i know i've officially only been riding it for 30 seconds or so, BUT, it's time to store it for the winter and re-think its opening come spring 2008. it would be an understatment to say that things can only get better.
so needless to say, this would put an end to my blog for a good 6-7 months, at least where i live, if i simply continued only journaling about my moped adventures. one can only make "the moped continues to be in storage.." fun and exciting for so long.
under the encouragement of some acquaintences i was given the "go-ahead" to write about adventures that live outside of the topic of the moped.
therefore....be prepared to have your minds blown AND to recognize the depths of my inner brain workings which unbeknownst to me, until recently have led me to my "weirdo" reputation. when i'm told that my actions or comments are "weird," which happens quite frequently, i'm often quick to follow it with the question of 'in a cool way or a creepy way?'
usually the lack of response leaves me all too sure that that mystery has yet to be solved.
more to come...
all i ever wanted...
so last night i experienced what i've been dreaming of since the moment i brought the moped home from minnesota.
i was sitting around last night watching backed-up tivo shows when i suddenly remembered that i had forgotten to get the one thing i needed to get over the weekend.
now there have been some rumors floating around as to what exactly i needed to get....i have heard that it was aspirin...band-aids....gum....and stickers. i'm not sure what that means when people are suddenly fascinated by what it is that necessitated my immediate purchase, and i'm flattered that the teeny-bopper rumormill actually made it back to me, BUT, the truth is i did need stickers. i know that it is a bit far-fecthced to imagine any scenario in which one would desperately need to buy stickers, but, this, without revealing too much of my suspicious personal life, was one of those moments.
being that it was beautiful last night, i quickly thought i would walk to the CVS on the corner and pick up that lamest, cheapest, crappiest stickers i could until i had time to actually go to a real sticker gettin' place. THEN...i remembered that the moped indeed, was running and that i could hop on it and give it a shot.
my whole goal in getting the moped was 1) to enjoy the outdoors a bit more without having to actually walk anywhere 2) save on gas money 3) help the environment... and most importantly 4) zip here and there whilst others envy my sweet life.
so i hopped on, started it up immediately, drove to the CVS, made my sticker purchase, smiley faces...lame as predicted....hopped on the bike, rode home and was back on the couch within 10 minutes.
THIS, as i unintentionally quote classic n'sync, was all i ever wanted.
more to come...
i was sitting around last night watching backed-up tivo shows when i suddenly remembered that i had forgotten to get the one thing i needed to get over the weekend.
now there have been some rumors floating around as to what exactly i needed to get....i have heard that it was aspirin...band-aids....gum....and stickers. i'm not sure what that means when people are suddenly fascinated by what it is that necessitated my immediate purchase, and i'm flattered that the teeny-bopper rumormill actually made it back to me, BUT, the truth is i did need stickers. i know that it is a bit far-fecthced to imagine any scenario in which one would desperately need to buy stickers, but, this, without revealing too much of my suspicious personal life, was one of those moments.
being that it was beautiful last night, i quickly thought i would walk to the CVS on the corner and pick up that lamest, cheapest, crappiest stickers i could until i had time to actually go to a real sticker gettin' place. THEN...i remembered that the moped indeed, was running and that i could hop on it and give it a shot.
my whole goal in getting the moped was 1) to enjoy the outdoors a bit more without having to actually walk anywhere 2) save on gas money 3) help the environment... and most importantly 4) zip here and there whilst others envy my sweet life.
so i hopped on, started it up immediately, drove to the CVS, made my sticker purchase, smiley faces...lame as predicted....hopped on the bike, rode home and was back on the couch within 10 minutes.
THIS, as i unintentionally quote classic n'sync, was all i ever wanted.
more to come...
two become one...
so the other day my friend KC came over to hang out. being that the moped had recently been back in business, as we laughed and joked about this and that, i quickly thought how much fun it would be to take her for a ride around the neighborhood....so i said, "hey, i have a surprise for you." i opened the garage door and we went outside. i had her close her eyes and i got on the bike and rolled it out to the driveway. i said "ok..you can open them now." she said, "pal, i've seen your moped before." and i said, "i know but today you're going for a ride."
after talking about the adventures we could have, she agreed, although she was scared and told me that 73 times. i told her she could her wear the helmet, since i had my protective bandana on my head. i started up the bike, it only took two trips down the driveway, and she hopped on the back. after awkwardly putting her hands a million different places, so as to appear cool and not afraid at all. i said, "just put them around my waist already!" so she latched on and off we flew.
now the thing to know is that when just one person is riding, the bike goes only about 35 mph, with two people, we were cruising at 25 mph down the busy streets of my neighborhood.
with every turn KC screamed like she was a 2-year-old watching "the shining" and with every bump she complained that her crotch was never going to be the same. we cut through the grocery store parking lot and headed up the road to the cemetary where we could ride care-free and where i knew no one there would complain about our snail's pace.
we did that for awhile and decided to head back to my house so KC could learn to walk again. as we cruised down the side roads, again people passing us looked at us as if we were walking down the street on our hands. who knew the moped with backseat rider was such an attraction?
we got home, KC got off and walked around the driveway like a post-rodeo cowboy as i whipped around a bit on my own.
we then went inside, split a diet pepsi and relived our little adventure on the moped and promised to do it again soon.
hours later, KC called me and complained that she could still feel the vibration of the bike in her crotch.
more to come...
after talking about the adventures we could have, she agreed, although she was scared and told me that 73 times. i told her she could her wear the helmet, since i had my protective bandana on my head. i started up the bike, it only took two trips down the driveway, and she hopped on the back. after awkwardly putting her hands a million different places, so as to appear cool and not afraid at all. i said, "just put them around my waist already!" so she latched on and off we flew.
now the thing to know is that when just one person is riding, the bike goes only about 35 mph, with two people, we were cruising at 25 mph down the busy streets of my neighborhood.
with every turn KC screamed like she was a 2-year-old watching "the shining" and with every bump she complained that her crotch was never going to be the same. we cut through the grocery store parking lot and headed up the road to the cemetary where we could ride care-free and where i knew no one there would complain about our snail's pace.
we did that for awhile and decided to head back to my house so KC could learn to walk again. as we cruised down the side roads, again people passing us looked at us as if we were walking down the street on our hands. who knew the moped with backseat rider was such an attraction?
we got home, KC got off and walked around the driveway like a post-rodeo cowboy as i whipped around a bit on my own.
we then went inside, split a diet pepsi and relived our little adventure on the moped and promised to do it again soon.
hours later, KC called me and complained that she could still feel the vibration of the bike in her crotch.
more to come...
team batavus...
so, every wednesday night i have "community" time with newlywed's tim and stephanie and wedding date burt. basically this time is spent talking about a book we're reading together and then sharing our nonsense and loving each other anyway. this past wednesday they came over, we ate pizza, (well, wedding date burt, my friend who likes fishing and hunting and movies that blow lots of things up, ate sushi...hmmmm...yeah?) and discussed briefly. then all four of us headed outside to work on the BAT-mobile.
within the hour tim had screwed and unscrewed stuff, pulled 15 different random tools out of his three-tool-box set (impressive) and burt had mixed the gasoline and oil together and we were ready to give it a shot.
at this point it was about 9:00 p.m. and growing chillier by the moment. in fact stephanie sat on the lawn watching the process with her sweatshirt on and hood up looking homeless and a bit resentful of the attention the batvus was demanding.
for the next 20 minutes burt, stephanie and i stood in my drive-way while time peddled the thing up and down my street trying to get it started. (this took me back to many a summer day when i had unsuccessfully tried the same thing in the blazing heat of summer.) finally tim said to me, "why don't you try it, since you actually know how to start it when it is working..." so i got on and immediately got the motor rumbling, but couldn't keep it going.
we all decided that watching someone ride a moped when the motor is running is amusing, but watching someone ride it by just pedaling is flat out hilarious!!
after 15 more minutes of this, while tim was on it, we finally heard the sound we'd been waiting for....the engine turned, the motor started, the headlight came on and off tim flew down the street.
next it was my turn. as i got on and slowly cruised down the driveway, i thought i could see tears in tim's eyes as he celebrated like a proud father, my joyous first-ride after all the blood, sweat and tears he had put into it. i'm not gonna lie...it was a frickin' AWESOME!
next it was stephanie's turn. though she was cautious at first, she eventually tore out of there fast like the wind. when she returned HER first words were "THIS BIKE IS SWEET!!" (which immediately and thankfully erased the homeless stephanie in my mind from earlier)
then tim and stephanie got on it together to tandom ride. again, i'm not gonna lie....seeing one person riding is hilarious...seeing two people on this tiny motorcycle is like watching a grizzly bear ride a tricycle at the circus. so, so, funny!!
as the night grew colder and the hours grew later we cheered and rode for about a half an hour. i'm sure my neighbors were thinking...'she didn't ride the thing all summer and now, at 10:00 on a school night, she's out there screaming and hollering as if none of us have to get up and work for a living.'
although he was extremely encouraging and supportive, burt opted not to ride. his reasoning was a painful childhood memory of riding his friends' mini bike as a kid and crashing and breaking it so no one else could ride it. he didn't want to be the culprit of that kind of thing again because he said he would never hear the end of it. that's probably true, though we're supporting you, burton, as you heal that emotional scar of childhood.
in the end...all i can say is team batavus ROCKS!!
moer to come...
within the hour tim had screwed and unscrewed stuff, pulled 15 different random tools out of his three-tool-box set (impressive) and burt had mixed the gasoline and oil together and we were ready to give it a shot.
at this point it was about 9:00 p.m. and growing chillier by the moment. in fact stephanie sat on the lawn watching the process with her sweatshirt on and hood up looking homeless and a bit resentful of the attention the batvus was demanding.
for the next 20 minutes burt, stephanie and i stood in my drive-way while time peddled the thing up and down my street trying to get it started. (this took me back to many a summer day when i had unsuccessfully tried the same thing in the blazing heat of summer.) finally tim said to me, "why don't you try it, since you actually know how to start it when it is working..." so i got on and immediately got the motor rumbling, but couldn't keep it going.
we all decided that watching someone ride a moped when the motor is running is amusing, but watching someone ride it by just pedaling is flat out hilarious!!
after 15 more minutes of this, while tim was on it, we finally heard the sound we'd been waiting for....the engine turned, the motor started, the headlight came on and off tim flew down the street.
next it was my turn. as i got on and slowly cruised down the driveway, i thought i could see tears in tim's eyes as he celebrated like a proud father, my joyous first-ride after all the blood, sweat and tears he had put into it. i'm not gonna lie...it was a frickin' AWESOME!
next it was stephanie's turn. though she was cautious at first, she eventually tore out of there fast like the wind. when she returned HER first words were "THIS BIKE IS SWEET!!" (which immediately and thankfully erased the homeless stephanie in my mind from earlier)
then tim and stephanie got on it together to tandom ride. again, i'm not gonna lie....seeing one person riding is hilarious...seeing two people on this tiny motorcycle is like watching a grizzly bear ride a tricycle at the circus. so, so, funny!!
as the night grew colder and the hours grew later we cheered and rode for about a half an hour. i'm sure my neighbors were thinking...'she didn't ride the thing all summer and now, at 10:00 on a school night, she's out there screaming and hollering as if none of us have to get up and work for a living.'
although he was extremely encouraging and supportive, burt opted not to ride. his reasoning was a painful childhood memory of riding his friends' mini bike as a kid and crashing and breaking it so no one else could ride it. he didn't want to be the culprit of that kind of thing again because he said he would never hear the end of it. that's probably true, though we're supporting you, burton, as you heal that emotional scar of childhood.
in the end...all i can say is team batavus ROCKS!!
moer to come...
newlywed tim...
so, on wednesday night newlywed tim called me and said that he had done some reseach on the 1980 batavus regencey and that he was coming over to look at the moped. "finally," he said, "let's figure out what's wrong with this thing and get you riding it before frostbite sets in."
he came over, we chit-chatted, wheeled the bike out of my garage and then he proceeded to give it a meticulous once-over to see what he could find. i brought him a bottle of water, some towels for working and kneeling on and left him, a kid in a candy store, to tinker around with the bike, that he himself declared as "awesome."
a good hour and a half later, i had lost myself in iTunes... i mean studying for graduate school, and didn't realize how long he had been out in the driveway. suddenly i heard him in the kitchen washing his hands. he told me that he had spent most of the last hour or so checking all the parts to see what exactly was missing, before we (as if i had anything to do with the process) could move forward with diagnosing the problem, much less fixing it. then he said throttle a few times, rubber sealant at least once and gas tank. he then told me he was taking the filter and tank with him and declared he would return in a week or so after more research.
i then offered to buy him ice cream for his time and so we walked a couple of blocks to the local ice cream dive in my neighborhood. as we sat eating our sundaes, we talked of mopeds, life, and the good feeling of having people in each other's lives to share, laugh, enjoy, support and care for one another during times of family distress as in his case or moped distress as in my case.
we returned home, i thanked him again, wished him well and off he drove into the crisp night air.
i realized after spending quality time with newlywed tim that moped or not, he and his wife, newlywed stephanie, also my friend, who was on the west coast at the time comforting another friend in distress, are good people.....and those, you don't come across every day. hopefully you know their type, big smiles and even bigger hearts.
THAT is newlywed tim....my personal moped mechanic and friend.
more to come...
he came over, we chit-chatted, wheeled the bike out of my garage and then he proceeded to give it a meticulous once-over to see what he could find. i brought him a bottle of water, some towels for working and kneeling on and left him, a kid in a candy store, to tinker around with the bike, that he himself declared as "awesome."
a good hour and a half later, i had lost myself in iTunes... i mean studying for graduate school, and didn't realize how long he had been out in the driveway. suddenly i heard him in the kitchen washing his hands. he told me that he had spent most of the last hour or so checking all the parts to see what exactly was missing, before we (as if i had anything to do with the process) could move forward with diagnosing the problem, much less fixing it. then he said throttle a few times, rubber sealant at least once and gas tank. he then told me he was taking the filter and tank with him and declared he would return in a week or so after more research.
i then offered to buy him ice cream for his time and so we walked a couple of blocks to the local ice cream dive in my neighborhood. as we sat eating our sundaes, we talked of mopeds, life, and the good feeling of having people in each other's lives to share, laugh, enjoy, support and care for one another during times of family distress as in his case or moped distress as in my case.
we returned home, i thanked him again, wished him well and off he drove into the crisp night air.
i realized after spending quality time with newlywed tim that moped or not, he and his wife, newlywed stephanie, also my friend, who was on the west coast at the time comforting another friend in distress, are good people.....and those, you don't come across every day. hopefully you know their type, big smiles and even bigger hearts.
THAT is newlywed tim....my personal moped mechanic and friend.
more to come...
the fix-it crew...
so last night my friends newlywed tim and wedding date burt came over to check out the moped. while their housemate newlywed stephanie is out of town i lured them over with mexican food and an action movie. (works every time)
as the garage door opened to reveal the idled moped, seeing it for the first time tim said, "that thing is sweet!" those words instantly catapulted me back just a mere four months ago when i too laid eyes on her for the first time. (sigh)
we pulled it out of the garage and he began his inspection. while he crawled around on the ground taking close-ups and wiggling parts, burt threw in his two-cents while i stood there feeling for the first time in months that i may actually get to ride this thing at some point.
after throwing around big words like carburator and rust he then said, "this thing is in great shape...we should have it running in no time." i love newlywed tim, so positive and optimistic. he then said that he would need to do some research and would try to come back over sometime this week to spend some quality time with it.
so we rolled her back into the garage, got in the car and drove off into the sunset with nothing but fajitas and big-screen blood and guts on our minds.
more to come...
as the garage door opened to reveal the idled moped, seeing it for the first time tim said, "that thing is sweet!" those words instantly catapulted me back just a mere four months ago when i too laid eyes on her for the first time. (sigh)
we pulled it out of the garage and he began his inspection. while he crawled around on the ground taking close-ups and wiggling parts, burt threw in his two-cents while i stood there feeling for the first time in months that i may actually get to ride this thing at some point.
after throwing around big words like carburator and rust he then said, "this thing is in great shape...we should have it running in no time." i love newlywed tim, so positive and optimistic. he then said that he would need to do some research and would try to come back over sometime this week to spend some quality time with it.
so we rolled her back into the garage, got in the car and drove off into the sunset with nothing but fajitas and big-screen blood and guts on our minds.
more to come...
the end of an era...
so, you have probably been waiting on the edge of your seat to hear the result of the smack-down with opie on friday....well it didn't happen. he never called me back so office supplies mark and i didn't go. boy, did we sure show him!
i called yet again this morning indicating that absolutely today would be the day i would be coming in to get the bike! i figured that a two week blue collar vacation was pushing it and that he should definitely be back in the shop by now. within minutes of leaving the message my phone vibrated and the caller i.d. said, "opie's motorsports..." i answered it, cheery as ever, and said "hello?" opie apologized for being out of town and that he had just gotten my messages today. he would be expecting me any time to stop by and get it today, however, the bike wasn't yet fixed...."we've been busy," he said. he also indicated that there would be no charge for the lack of repairs he had done on the bike in the six and a half weeks he had had it.
so i recruited my friend KC and her big bad truck to drive me to the shop to get the bike. her kindness in taking me was noted and rewarded handsomely afterwards with a three-cheese quesedilla hot pocket.
we arrived at opies to find the BAT-mobile sitting right outside the garage. sitting on top of the seat was its gas tank which had previously been attached and a side cover that contained a handful of nuts and bolts and pieces that didn't get put back on. opie loaded the bike into the truck, handed me the gas tank and the side cover full of its goodies. i reached for his hand, shook it, thanked him, wished him the best and walked away as both of us silently hoped that we'd never have to see each other again. i got in the car, looked at the side cover in my hand with essential bike parts in it, then looked at KC and said, "THIS is never a good sign."
i decided to check in with a few mechanical wizards i happened to have in my back pocket and hopefully between my friends moped army joel and newlywed tim we can get the thing fixed and running sometime while the michigan temperatures are still above zero.
if not, hopefully we can at least get the pieces back together and i can sell the frickin' thing and buy myself something more reliable like a pony.
more to come...
i called yet again this morning indicating that absolutely today would be the day i would be coming in to get the bike! i figured that a two week blue collar vacation was pushing it and that he should definitely be back in the shop by now. within minutes of leaving the message my phone vibrated and the caller i.d. said, "opie's motorsports..." i answered it, cheery as ever, and said "hello?" opie apologized for being out of town and that he had just gotten my messages today. he would be expecting me any time to stop by and get it today, however, the bike wasn't yet fixed...."we've been busy," he said. he also indicated that there would be no charge for the lack of repairs he had done on the bike in the six and a half weeks he had had it.
so i recruited my friend KC and her big bad truck to drive me to the shop to get the bike. her kindness in taking me was noted and rewarded handsomely afterwards with a three-cheese quesedilla hot pocket.
we arrived at opies to find the BAT-mobile sitting right outside the garage. sitting on top of the seat was its gas tank which had previously been attached and a side cover that contained a handful of nuts and bolts and pieces that didn't get put back on. opie loaded the bike into the truck, handed me the gas tank and the side cover full of its goodies. i reached for his hand, shook it, thanked him, wished him the best and walked away as both of us silently hoped that we'd never have to see each other again. i got in the car, looked at the side cover in my hand with essential bike parts in it, then looked at KC and said, "THIS is never a good sign."
i decided to check in with a few mechanical wizards i happened to have in my back pocket and hopefully between my friends moped army joel and newlywed tim we can get the thing fixed and running sometime while the michigan temperatures are still above zero.
if not, hopefully we can at least get the pieces back together and i can sell the frickin' thing and buy myself something more reliable like a pony.
more to come...
the 411...
so i was in denver, colorado recently visiting some friends. in addition to the myriad of organic grocery stores, croc wearers and potheads, denver also boasts a large population of folks who ride scooters and mopeds. needless to say seeing all those carefree riders with their dreadlocks and hemp clothing whipping in the wind as their bikes zoomed past me, reminded me of the reality of my moped situation.
here's the truth about what has happened. i have called and left opie 5 phone messages in the last week and a half. i have neither heard from him nor felt any sense of relief that this nightmare may actually come to an end. seriously, i have left message after message telling him to call me. having been out of town for the last few weeks, i wasn't able to actually go to his shop and see what the dealio is.
some of my friends have suggested that perhaps opie now recognizes my phone number on his caller i.d. and is simply not answering because he doesn't have it ready. this could be true, but eventually i'm going to find out...right?
so this is what i decided to do....i have requested that my friend office supplies mark go with me to opie's shop at the end of the week. his presence will be helpful for two reasons, 1) he can drive his truck and we can more easily transport the bike that way and 2) though he's a fun-sized guy (small, as in the candybars) he's got more muscles that bulge from his body than pretty much anybody else i know. in other words, he's hot cuz he's fly, i ain't cuz im not.
yes, yes, i feel weak in selling out to the "man" by taking along a "male" simply to show opie that he can't avoid me any more and that he can't bully me any longer, but honestly, that's the reality of the world and it's more legal than taking an automatic weapon. also, office supplies mark will know better how to verbally abuse opie if necessary. i've heard him throwdown the customer service girl at DTE and believe you me, it wasn't pretty.
so today's opie message was, "hey...it's me (he pretty much recognizes my voice by now) i'm frustrated....you haven't called me back...my friend mark and i are coming to get the bike on friday, whether it's done or not........(almost hang up) that's THIS friday.......!!"
more to come...
here's the truth about what has happened. i have called and left opie 5 phone messages in the last week and a half. i have neither heard from him nor felt any sense of relief that this nightmare may actually come to an end. seriously, i have left message after message telling him to call me. having been out of town for the last few weeks, i wasn't able to actually go to his shop and see what the dealio is.
some of my friends have suggested that perhaps opie now recognizes my phone number on his caller i.d. and is simply not answering because he doesn't have it ready. this could be true, but eventually i'm going to find out...right?
so this is what i decided to do....i have requested that my friend office supplies mark go with me to opie's shop at the end of the week. his presence will be helpful for two reasons, 1) he can drive his truck and we can more easily transport the bike that way and 2) though he's a fun-sized guy (small, as in the candybars) he's got more muscles that bulge from his body than pretty much anybody else i know. in other words, he's hot cuz he's fly, i ain't cuz im not.
yes, yes, i feel weak in selling out to the "man" by taking along a "male" simply to show opie that he can't avoid me any more and that he can't bully me any longer, but honestly, that's the reality of the world and it's more legal than taking an automatic weapon. also, office supplies mark will know better how to verbally abuse opie if necessary. i've heard him throwdown the customer service girl at DTE and believe you me, it wasn't pretty.
so today's opie message was, "hey...it's me (he pretty much recognizes my voice by now) i'm frustrated....you haven't called me back...my friend mark and i are coming to get the bike on friday, whether it's done or not........(almost hang up) that's THIS friday.......!!"
more to come...
a warning...
so, tonight as i frantically licked the swiftly melting ice cream off my hand (mmmm raspberry chocolate chip...raspberry is my flavor of choice these days) and listened very meticulously to the heart-felt, personal thoughts my friend was sharing about relationships and other things in life that sometimes suck, my mind couldn't help but think that tomorrow to the very day, opie will have had the moped for FIVE weeks.
granted i've been out of the country, out of the state, or simply out of commission for four of those weeks, i couldn't help but get a bit melancholy when i realized that since i bought the thing, opie has had the BAT-mobile in his possession longer than i have.
naievely, and looking for a little sympathy, when i mentioned that to my parents on the phone today, my dad simply said, "what we get and what we want are often two very different things." i sarcastically thanked him for his condescending words and then pointed out that i was no longer 12 and asking for a strawberry shortcake lunchbox ...but rather i simply wanted my moped back.
upon being released from the wallow of self pity....i picked myself up, hosed myself off and decided right then, no matter what's at stake now, no matter how much it costs, opie and his moped-possessing ways are DEAD TO ME!!
p.s. i can't wait to see if he finally calls me tomorrow.
more to come...
granted i've been out of the country, out of the state, or simply out of commission for four of those weeks, i couldn't help but get a bit melancholy when i realized that since i bought the thing, opie has had the BAT-mobile in his possession longer than i have.
naievely, and looking for a little sympathy, when i mentioned that to my parents on the phone today, my dad simply said, "what we get and what we want are often two very different things." i sarcastically thanked him for his condescending words and then pointed out that i was no longer 12 and asking for a strawberry shortcake lunchbox ...but rather i simply wanted my moped back.
upon being released from the wallow of self pity....i picked myself up, hosed myself off and decided right then, no matter what's at stake now, no matter how much it costs, opie and his moped-possessing ways are DEAD TO ME!!
p.s. i can't wait to see if he finally calls me tomorrow.
more to come...
an epiphany...
so yesterday as i was enjoying my enviable life by laying on the couch, eating golden grahams right out of the box and watching vh-1's "scott baio is 45 and single," i came to a few conclusions worth mentioning...
1) my life is sweet and i may just do online crossword puzzles for the rest of the day to celebrate it.
2) what is more pathetic? scott baio being 45 and single....?? or me watching scott baio being 45 and single....??
3) i'm never going to see my moped again.
you know how in "home alone" (and of course i'm talking about the first one, fools, it's the only one whose existence is worth acknowledging) when the "wet bandits" finally realize what's been going on at the mcallister household and joe pesci's character says to daniel stern's character, "i think we're bein' scammed by a kindy-gart'ner."? well, i think i'm being scammed by an opie..."
more to come...
1) my life is sweet and i may just do online crossword puzzles for the rest of the day to celebrate it.
2) what is more pathetic? scott baio being 45 and single....?? or me watching scott baio being 45 and single....??
3) i'm never going to see my moped again.
you know how in "home alone" (and of course i'm talking about the first one, fools, it's the only one whose existence is worth acknowledging) when the "wet bandits" finally realize what's been going on at the mcallister household and joe pesci's character says to daniel stern's character, "i think we're bein' scammed by a kindy-gart'ner."? well, i think i'm being scammed by an opie..."
more to come...
new friends and a new attitude...
so you might be wondering why the moped diaries have been lacking lately. well, one reason is that the moped is still with opie. more importantly, i´ve been out of the country. (just some silly CIA witness protection situation) BUT, tomorrow i´m back in the good ol US of A.
while here i´ve met some super cool people, many of whom are amused by the moped diaries. unfortunately, though, they think my name is shirley watson and that my life revolves around my bowling league obligations in fon du lac, wisconsin.
regardless, i have a new attitude about life and the moped. and despite the fact that i was stopped by security when i left the country because i was armed with a large bottle of shampoo, i´m ready to head back to the states...(and for those í´ve just met, hopefully bowl a turkey or two this week)
more to come...
while here i´ve met some super cool people, many of whom are amused by the moped diaries. unfortunately, though, they think my name is shirley watson and that my life revolves around my bowling league obligations in fon du lac, wisconsin.
regardless, i have a new attitude about life and the moped. and despite the fact that i was stopped by security when i left the country because i was armed with a large bottle of shampoo, i´m ready to head back to the states...(and for those í´ve just met, hopefully bowl a turkey or two this week)
more to come...
back to rehab...
no, i have no inside scoop on lindsay lohan or any of the other frequent offenders of the bottle....however, the rehab i'm talking about is the kind that cares for mopeds.
yes, after the incident the other day, i can no longer go on riding or in my case, pushing, the BAT-mobile, nor can it be the summer of the moped until my precious gem is healed and running once and for all.
i know you are probably thinking, 'isn't that why you took it to opie in the first place?' yes, indeed, the answer would be yes, however, it seems my understanding of "fix it" and his understanding of "fix it" appear to be different. when i said, "hey, can you fix my moped?" and he said, "yeah, i can fix your moped," something was lost in the translation.
you also may be thinking, 'why would you take it back to him when you've already paid him $300 to fix it and it is clearly not fixed...what are you some sort of chump?' though your support is appreciated, unfortunately after approximately 17 calls in the greater kent county area, no one, NO ONE, services old school mopeds. no one that is, except opie, the moped guy.
it does sadden me that so far, the summer of the moped has been underwhelming or as some might say SUCKY, but i trust that this time, or any of the next five times, it will get fixed and i'll be riding off into the sunset at a full on 30 mph.
my goal....one, just one, refreshing worry free ride around the block, even if it's after our thanksgiving dinner
more to come...
yes, after the incident the other day, i can no longer go on riding or in my case, pushing, the BAT-mobile, nor can it be the summer of the moped until my precious gem is healed and running once and for all.
i know you are probably thinking, 'isn't that why you took it to opie in the first place?' yes, indeed, the answer would be yes, however, it seems my understanding of "fix it" and his understanding of "fix it" appear to be different. when i said, "hey, can you fix my moped?" and he said, "yeah, i can fix your moped," something was lost in the translation.
you also may be thinking, 'why would you take it back to him when you've already paid him $300 to fix it and it is clearly not fixed...what are you some sort of chump?' though your support is appreciated, unfortunately after approximately 17 calls in the greater kent county area, no one, NO ONE, services old school mopeds. no one that is, except opie, the moped guy.
it does sadden me that so far, the summer of the moped has been underwhelming or as some might say SUCKY, but i trust that this time, or any of the next five times, it will get fixed and i'll be riding off into the sunset at a full on 30 mph.
my goal....one, just one, refreshing worry free ride around the block, even if it's after our thanksgiving dinner
more to come...
the ride from hell...
so i decided to ride the moped over to visit with my friend grandville amy...who...lives...in...grandville.
ok...so my biggest nightmare in thinking about riding the thing has not been crashing or following rules or anything like that, but rather that the bike would not function properly and i would look foolish in the middle of a busy street as a result. yesterday, that nightmare became a reality.
now, i can appreciate the more humorous things in life that seem tragic to those that are experiencing them, but frickin' hilarious to everyone else, but yesterday's drama never once crossed my mind as funny, although i'm sure anyone who saw me enjoyed pure delight at my expense.
i chose to take as many back roads as i could to get to grandville so i could avoid lots of traffic. unfortunately, at some point i did have to cross 28th street. i approached the stop light at a less busy intersection and as i rolled to stop behind the escalade in front of me, the motor on the BAT-mobile just shut down. recognizing immediately that this was my hell, i stayed on the bike, and quickly yanked the thing up on the curb off the street in front of a gas station. the sucky thing about restarting the bike is that you have to pedal it like a bike (it is a moPED), hold the clutch, the choke and slowly give it gas to go. so here i am on this tiny motorcylce, pedaling like crazy (it's like pedaling a stationary bike before you adjust it to any speed or incline...very easy to pedal, but very fast, so fast that your legs can hardly keep up) trying desperately not to draw too much attention to myself and praying no one i knew saw me. fortunately i got it started right away and pulled onto the street and as the light turned yellow i speeded through across the intersection.
i thought i was out of trouble, as the streets cleared and it was just me and the moped. but as i rode down the street gradually giving it more and more gas, the speed started dropping and i could tell that the bike was dying again. after three or four times of restarting the thing, my shirt soaked with sweat, being out of breath from the insane pedaling, and only a mile into the trip, i decided to abort the mission and go back home.
again i had to cross 28th street and panicked at the thought of the bike dying again if i slowed down too much. so i kept a good distance behind the other cars on the road and just drove in small circles behind them, like some sort of crappy parade exhibition, until the light turned green and i could proceed without stopping. however, as soon as i got across it died again. again, another four or sevety-three attempts to restart the bike, which included me walking the bike while on it over and over again to get out of the way of other cars and pedaling like a mad man to restart it and i felt like i was going to pass out from dehydration and exhaustion.
once i got it going and could finally see my house, my exhaustion kicked in and my head started tingling, i saw stars in my vision and my hearing went from normal to that high-pitched sound you hear just before you pass out. i had to stop the bike (no problem doing that) or i knew i was going to pass out. i laid it on the side of the road, took off my helmet and with mad sweat dripping from every part of my body, i laid on the grass for a good fifteen minutes trying to regain my sanity.
so an hour into the journey and two blocks from my house, i finally called grandville amy and said i would not be making it over, and that i might not even make it out this stranger's yard. though she had sympathy, she also couldn't stop laughing at the thought of how ridiculously hilarious i probably looked.
i finally made it home, (to which my neighbor said, that was a quick trip) parked the thing in the garage, came inside, guzzled at least a gallon of water and laid on the kitchen floor cooling myself off and contemplating what i should do next with the moped from hell.
more to come...
ok...so my biggest nightmare in thinking about riding the thing has not been crashing or following rules or anything like that, but rather that the bike would not function properly and i would look foolish in the middle of a busy street as a result. yesterday, that nightmare became a reality.
now, i can appreciate the more humorous things in life that seem tragic to those that are experiencing them, but frickin' hilarious to everyone else, but yesterday's drama never once crossed my mind as funny, although i'm sure anyone who saw me enjoyed pure delight at my expense.
i chose to take as many back roads as i could to get to grandville so i could avoid lots of traffic. unfortunately, at some point i did have to cross 28th street. i approached the stop light at a less busy intersection and as i rolled to stop behind the escalade in front of me, the motor on the BAT-mobile just shut down. recognizing immediately that this was my hell, i stayed on the bike, and quickly yanked the thing up on the curb off the street in front of a gas station. the sucky thing about restarting the bike is that you have to pedal it like a bike (it is a moPED), hold the clutch, the choke and slowly give it gas to go. so here i am on this tiny motorcylce, pedaling like crazy (it's like pedaling a stationary bike before you adjust it to any speed or incline...very easy to pedal, but very fast, so fast that your legs can hardly keep up) trying desperately not to draw too much attention to myself and praying no one i knew saw me. fortunately i got it started right away and pulled onto the street and as the light turned yellow i speeded through across the intersection.
i thought i was out of trouble, as the streets cleared and it was just me and the moped. but as i rode down the street gradually giving it more and more gas, the speed started dropping and i could tell that the bike was dying again. after three or four times of restarting the thing, my shirt soaked with sweat, being out of breath from the insane pedaling, and only a mile into the trip, i decided to abort the mission and go back home.
again i had to cross 28th street and panicked at the thought of the bike dying again if i slowed down too much. so i kept a good distance behind the other cars on the road and just drove in small circles behind them, like some sort of crappy parade exhibition, until the light turned green and i could proceed without stopping. however, as soon as i got across it died again. again, another four or sevety-three attempts to restart the bike, which included me walking the bike while on it over and over again to get out of the way of other cars and pedaling like a mad man to restart it and i felt like i was going to pass out from dehydration and exhaustion.
once i got it going and could finally see my house, my exhaustion kicked in and my head started tingling, i saw stars in my vision and my hearing went from normal to that high-pitched sound you hear just before you pass out. i had to stop the bike (no problem doing that) or i knew i was going to pass out. i laid it on the side of the road, took off my helmet and with mad sweat dripping from every part of my body, i laid on the grass for a good fifteen minutes trying to regain my sanity.
so an hour into the journey and two blocks from my house, i finally called grandville amy and said i would not be making it over, and that i might not even make it out this stranger's yard. though she had sympathy, she also couldn't stop laughing at the thought of how ridiculously hilarious i probably looked.
i finally made it home, (to which my neighbor said, that was a quick trip) parked the thing in the garage, came inside, guzzled at least a gallon of water and laid on the kitchen floor cooling myself off and contemplating what i should do next with the moped from hell.
more to come...
good news and bad news...
the good news, i successfully rode the BAT-mobile approximately 3.5 miles to the dentist today without error. the bad news, one of my teeth is dying, i told you something was wrong, and i have to go back tomorrow for a root canal.
the ride was successful. i'm not gonna lie, i was nervous riding out on real roads with real traffic and stop signs and stuff for the first time. i successfully stopped when i was supposed to and better yet, without killing the engine and looking foolish. i just kept reminding myself that i know how to drive a car, and that has four wheels to worry about, this two wheeled vehicle should be cake.
a few observations i made whilst riding among the other commuters:
ONE, people seem fascinated at the idea of one riding a moped. i mean people were staring at me as if i was riding down burton street on a unicorn. i just looked straight ahead and was thankful that i had my helmet and sunglasses on so no one would recognize me at this novice, inexperienced stage of moped-ing.
SECOND, the moped doesn't take off from a stopped position very quickly, thus annoying the crap out of whomever is behind me, as well as throwing me into a stage of panic as i worry that it won't start.
FINALLY, my bike doesn't have turn signals so i need to learn the bicycle hand signals in order to make sure i indicate appropriately when i'm turning, so as to avoid getting hit by some lackidasical driver and shattered into a million pieces. because that would suck big time and definitely bring the summer of the moped to a screaching halt.
i've made some arrangements to ride the moped to visit with some friends tomorrow, pre-root canal, thus more adventures to come..... as for now, i celebrate a successful and purposeful venture on the bike with some club crackers and today's crossword. life is good...
more to come...
the ride was successful. i'm not gonna lie, i was nervous riding out on real roads with real traffic and stop signs and stuff for the first time. i successfully stopped when i was supposed to and better yet, without killing the engine and looking foolish. i just kept reminding myself that i know how to drive a car, and that has four wheels to worry about, this two wheeled vehicle should be cake.
a few observations i made whilst riding among the other commuters:
ONE, people seem fascinated at the idea of one riding a moped. i mean people were staring at me as if i was riding down burton street on a unicorn. i just looked straight ahead and was thankful that i had my helmet and sunglasses on so no one would recognize me at this novice, inexperienced stage of moped-ing.
SECOND, the moped doesn't take off from a stopped position very quickly, thus annoying the crap out of whomever is behind me, as well as throwing me into a stage of panic as i worry that it won't start.
FINALLY, my bike doesn't have turn signals so i need to learn the bicycle hand signals in order to make sure i indicate appropriately when i'm turning, so as to avoid getting hit by some lackidasical driver and shattered into a million pieces. because that would suck big time and definitely bring the summer of the moped to a screaching halt.
i've made some arrangements to ride the moped to visit with some friends tomorrow, pre-root canal, thus more adventures to come..... as for now, i celebrate a successful and purposeful venture on the bike with some club crackers and today's crossword. life is good...
more to come...
THE FLAGSHIP RIDE...
i'll be honest, it didn't start off well, in fact i again struggled to get the bike started knowing this time that the problem was me and not the newly tuned up bike. for a good forty minutes i tried starting it in my driveway and up and down the street in front of my house.
since most people work during the day, it was safe to display my ridiculousness with little scrutiny, save the two little chinese girls next door rolling around on their front lawn. we looked at each other in silence knowing full well that we had both been caught in a state of foolishness, silly 2-year-olds. eventually i gave up...sweaty, blistered and out of breath. it's exhausting pedaling a bike that goes nowhere.
today, with a little advice from my pal black-eyed joel, i got it started and flew like the wind up and down my deadend street. after about 10 minutes of this, i realized that riding up and down the street in front of my house for hours was not the reason i bought the moped, AND, uncertain if i would ever get the thing started again, i decided to make this initial ride worth it.
i ventured out, hoping at each stop sign that the bike wouldn't die, and weaved around the charming streets of my quaint neighborhood. as i three times passed the same lady and grandma pushing a stroller, figured i should changes routes, lest they thought i was stalking them.
i drove down the streets catching the eyes of people walking or working in their yards. i just wanted an open space to zoom around and get used to riding, so i made my way down to the neighborhood cemetary. with paved roads throughout and no one there, well, at least no one that would be bothered, i rode up and down the hills with my helmet and sunglasses on as sweat poured down the sides of my face and all down my back. riding so carefree reminded me of when my dad taught me how to drive a stick shift car on the back country roads of central illinois. at one point i raised my right fist and shook it with pride at my accomplishment and to honor the dead who didn't even know they were sharing this with me.
exhausted and in desperate need of a shower, i rode home, pulled into the garage, stopped the engine, took off my helmet and sat there with a sweaty head and throbbing blisters as i inhaled the sweet aroma of the tiny lawnmower engine as my new ride settled down for a much-deserved rest.
more to come...
since most people work during the day, it was safe to display my ridiculousness with little scrutiny, save the two little chinese girls next door rolling around on their front lawn. we looked at each other in silence knowing full well that we had both been caught in a state of foolishness, silly 2-year-olds. eventually i gave up...sweaty, blistered and out of breath. it's exhausting pedaling a bike that goes nowhere.
today, with a little advice from my pal black-eyed joel, i got it started and flew like the wind up and down my deadend street. after about 10 minutes of this, i realized that riding up and down the street in front of my house for hours was not the reason i bought the moped, AND, uncertain if i would ever get the thing started again, i decided to make this initial ride worth it.
i ventured out, hoping at each stop sign that the bike wouldn't die, and weaved around the charming streets of my quaint neighborhood. as i three times passed the same lady and grandma pushing a stroller, figured i should changes routes, lest they thought i was stalking them.
i drove down the streets catching the eyes of people walking or working in their yards. i just wanted an open space to zoom around and get used to riding, so i made my way down to the neighborhood cemetary. with paved roads throughout and no one there, well, at least no one that would be bothered, i rode up and down the hills with my helmet and sunglasses on as sweat poured down the sides of my face and all down my back. riding so carefree reminded me of when my dad taught me how to drive a stick shift car on the back country roads of central illinois. at one point i raised my right fist and shook it with pride at my accomplishment and to honor the dead who didn't even know they were sharing this with me.
exhausted and in desperate need of a shower, i rode home, pulled into the garage, stopped the engine, took off my helmet and sat there with a sweaty head and throbbing blisters as i inhaled the sweet aroma of the tiny lawnmower engine as my new ride settled down for a much-deserved rest.
more to come...
things to do today...
1) unwrap and put on new moped helmet.
2) go to my dentist and have all my teeth pulled out if that's what will make me feel better.
3) go to the library and pick up book on hold.
4) look at some books in the kid section (hoping to not look too creepy as the adult by herself in th kid section) and pick cool ones for the nieces and nephews.
5) go to the chiropracter and pay him $80 to beat the crap out of me.
6) PICK UP THE MOPED FROM OPIE. (insert your own andy griffith show joke here)
7) watch back episodes of "the next food network star."
8) be witty and charming with my dinner dates.
9) brush my teeth, put on my pajamas, crawl into bed and turn off the light.
10) turn the light back on, take off the moped helmet, turn the light back off.
more to come...
2) go to my dentist and have all my teeth pulled out if that's what will make me feel better.
3) go to the library and pick up book on hold.
4) look at some books in the kid section (hoping to not look too creepy as the adult by herself in th kid section) and pick cool ones for the nieces and nephews.
5) go to the chiropracter and pay him $80 to beat the crap out of me.
6) PICK UP THE MOPED FROM OPIE. (insert your own andy griffith show joke here)
7) watch back episodes of "the next food network star."
8) be witty and charming with my dinner dates.
9) brush my teeth, put on my pajamas, crawl into bed and turn off the light.
10) turn the light back on, take off the moped helmet, turn the light back off.
more to come...
a call from GOD...
so yesterday, while i was in the middle of an emergency visit to my parents' dentist, (story for another time) my phone vibrated and though i couldn't answer it, due to a strangers' hands in my mouth and blood dripping everywhere, it was a call from OPIE THE MOPED GUY, as indicated by the caller i.d. this was the message..."hey..this is josh from opie's, your bike is runnin' great and ready to be picked up anytime." need i say more....?
more to come...
more to come...
the moped army...
a few weeks ago i received an unsolicited message from a black-eyed guy named "joel." he told me that he had seen my myspace and that he was someone i was going to want to know, being that i'm down with mopeds and all. he told me that he was the president of the local grand rapids chapter of the moped army. the moped army, unbeknownst to me, is a national organization that recognizes and encourages one wacky and inexplicible love of the moped. so far my moped romance had merely been folly, but joel tells me that it's justified and there's a group of people right here in grand rapids that would love to meet me, hang out with me and talk about our mutual love of mopeds. he told me they meet every monday night at a bar on the north side of downtown, have a drink and chit-chat and then go for a ride around the city and that THEY would welcome my attendance. at this, i looked beyond the wolves that had raised me and realized that this may indeed be my real family.
so last monday i joined up with the moped army to see what this hoopla was all about. i showed up, recognized joel and his healing black-eye immediately and took a seat by the blonde-curly headed girl eating a happy meal. i was greeted by several of the members, ranging in age and occupation from a hip young factory worker comic book lover to a fashion designer with a perfect nose, as i suggested to her, who was a recent import from kalamazoo. the first question one asks you, in my post-collegiate years of experience, typically is where to do you work. i was expecting this, but actually had a chance to tell no one of my current career pursuit, because the only thing they were concerned about was what kind of bike i rode. though i knew it was a 1980 batavus...that was pretty much where my knowledge subsided. i realized immediately that in this setting of oberon, leather jackets, and war stories of repair jobs on the highway, it was ME that was the geek because i currently had no moped (damn you opie and your inefficiency) to ride, let alone awesome stories of heoric rides through the hills of kentucky. i decided to take the role of furtive observer, something i'm not accustomed to doing, sit back and take it all in.
when they got on their bikes i stood there watching them like a 10-year-old at a cheetah girls concert, watching, waiting and knowing that something magical could happen at any moment. they wished me well, invited me to come back again when my bike was ready, and hopped on an ecclectic variety of old-school mopeds and rode off like a pack of tough-guys into the west michigan sunset.
more to come...
so last monday i joined up with the moped army to see what this hoopla was all about. i showed up, recognized joel and his healing black-eye immediately and took a seat by the blonde-curly headed girl eating a happy meal. i was greeted by several of the members, ranging in age and occupation from a hip young factory worker comic book lover to a fashion designer with a perfect nose, as i suggested to her, who was a recent import from kalamazoo. the first question one asks you, in my post-collegiate years of experience, typically is where to do you work. i was expecting this, but actually had a chance to tell no one of my current career pursuit, because the only thing they were concerned about was what kind of bike i rode. though i knew it was a 1980 batavus...that was pretty much where my knowledge subsided. i realized immediately that in this setting of oberon, leather jackets, and war stories of repair jobs on the highway, it was ME that was the geek because i currently had no moped (damn you opie and your inefficiency) to ride, let alone awesome stories of heoric rides through the hills of kentucky. i decided to take the role of furtive observer, something i'm not accustomed to doing, sit back and take it all in.
when they got on their bikes i stood there watching them like a 10-year-old at a cheetah girls concert, watching, waiting and knowing that something magical could happen at any moment. they wished me well, invited me to come back again when my bike was ready, and hopped on an ecclectic variety of old-school mopeds and rode off like a pack of tough-guys into the west michigan sunset.
more to come...
opie the moped guy...
so i called around town trying to find a bike shop that would service my 1980 beauty. after about seven calls i finally reached someone who knew someone who could fix her up good as new. upon writing down the number to call, i then asked the guy whom i should ask for when i called the number.....he said, "you're gonna ask for opie." currently the bike has been with "opie" for about two weeks....with new spark plugs, new tires and an all around tune-up, the BAT-mobile is well on its way to being my main source of transportation this summer.
more to come...
more to come...
"office supplies" mark
so my friend "office supplies" mark told me to bring the BAT-mobile over and he would take a look at it. i trusted his knowledge of fixing stuff since he had replaced my kitchen faucet for me. plus he owns every tool imaginable, including his very own metal engraver....whereas i own a screwdriver....yeah, i think that's a screwdriver in my watergun drawer at home. anyway, so i loaded the thing into the small backseat of my car, which clearly was not designed for moped transportation, held my breath in order to avoid inhaling the gasoline odor that was pouring out of the bike and headed to his house.
mark got out his tools, hammered this and hammered that, tightened this and tightened that, and just like that he had the thing running. "office supplies" mark, that mechanical genius. he started it up and took her for a spin. though upon seeing the bike for the first time mark was quick to scoff and toss smarmy laughter my way, as he hot-rodded through the neighborhood i caught him totally digging it. once he came back his kids were begging for a ride. he took each of his older sons for a ride and they too had the time of their lives. finally, amy, "office supplies" marks' wife, decided it was her turn so she hopped on the back and they wowed the neighbors with their two-person on one bike riding finesse. their youngest son, 18 months old, was upset at the obvious fun he was missing out on, so they loaded him on in front of mark while amy held onto him from behind mark. IMPRESSIVE! all they needed to do now was to zoom around inside a large metal ball while spectators ate nachos and mountain dew and we'd have ourselves a circus.
once they got back i decided it was my turn. i hopped on and cautiously cruised up the hill by their house, zipped around the block and with the wind blowing in my hair and my flip flops secured on the pedals, i coasted back to their driveway. i was pleased with the swiftness the BAT-mobile provided considering i was only going 30 mph. i stopped the bike, turned off the engine and told mark to show me again how he started it so i wouldn't look like a fool, any more than i already would, once i ventured out and about. as he put his foot on the kick-start and turned the throttle to start it, something snapped and the bike completely died. after a brief investigation mark identified that the throttle valve (whatever that is) had come unattached and the piece that connected the value was now missing. we searched the area for a bit and then realized it was a worthless cause.
i thanked "office supplies" mark for his help, told the boys i'd let them ride it again another time, loaded her back into my car and pondered the next move in leading me to my first summer on the moped.
more to come...
mark got out his tools, hammered this and hammered that, tightened this and tightened that, and just like that he had the thing running. "office supplies" mark, that mechanical genius. he started it up and took her for a spin. though upon seeing the bike for the first time mark was quick to scoff and toss smarmy laughter my way, as he hot-rodded through the neighborhood i caught him totally digging it. once he came back his kids were begging for a ride. he took each of his older sons for a ride and they too had the time of their lives. finally, amy, "office supplies" marks' wife, decided it was her turn so she hopped on the back and they wowed the neighbors with their two-person on one bike riding finesse. their youngest son, 18 months old, was upset at the obvious fun he was missing out on, so they loaded him on in front of mark while amy held onto him from behind mark. IMPRESSIVE! all they needed to do now was to zoom around inside a large metal ball while spectators ate nachos and mountain dew and we'd have ourselves a circus.
once they got back i decided it was my turn. i hopped on and cautiously cruised up the hill by their house, zipped around the block and with the wind blowing in my hair and my flip flops secured on the pedals, i coasted back to their driveway. i was pleased with the swiftness the BAT-mobile provided considering i was only going 30 mph. i stopped the bike, turned off the engine and told mark to show me again how he started it so i wouldn't look like a fool, any more than i already would, once i ventured out and about. as he put his foot on the kick-start and turned the throttle to start it, something snapped and the bike completely died. after a brief investigation mark identified that the throttle valve (whatever that is) had come unattached and the piece that connected the value was now missing. we searched the area for a bit and then realized it was a worthless cause.
i thanked "office supplies" mark for his help, told the boys i'd let them ride it again another time, loaded her back into my car and pondered the next move in leading me to my first summer on the moped.
more to come...
sweat and blisters...
though the title of this entry would make a sweet name for a local garage band...or just another family reunion theme...alas...it is neither. so i took the weekend to venture out for the first time and show my stuff around my neighborhood, the dutch ghetto, as it's known. despite my enthusiasm, passion and determination to roll with confidence, it took only a mere 27 minute inability to start the BAT-mobile before i threw in the towl a dejected and listless fool with sweat dripping everywhere and a trio of blisters on my throttle hand. i rolled her back into the garage and with shaky hands and sticky arms and legs laid on the driveway considering my next move... AND hoping none of the neighbors were watching...
more to come...
more to come...
the land of 10,000 lakes...
over spring break while basking in the sun and dreaming of champagne wishes and caviar dreams with my friends in mexico i realized that life is too short to sit around and wait for it to happen. so i decided to grab the bull by the horns....no, i didn't commit to joining the peace corps for two years, or opt to learn mandarin chinese just for kicks, i decided to enjoy the outdoors more and adventure through the summer on a new bicycle....after i quickly realized that i hate riding bicycles influenced by the memory of my brother dodge-balling me with a basketball while i was riding a bike at age 12, which caused my shoelace to get caught in the spokes and my foot to get eaten and my leg to crushed as my bike fell over on me...i thought now, as the adult, i control my own destiny and chose the sweet retro-ness of an old school pedal start moped, with which to enjoy the summer of 2007....
i wasn't sure what to expect when i rolled into roseville, minnesota to pick up the bike, but i certainly wasn't expecting my salesman to be a 13-year-old 7th grader named jazz. i said, "are you steve?" (the guy i had been cooresponding with...) he said, "no, that's my dad, but i'm not old enough to have my own e-bay site." suddenly the teacher became the student.....we walked into the his garage, jazz, my new 13-year-old best friend and me, and there she was my 1980 black batavus moped with working lights, horn and a backseat luggage rack that could hold anybody's star wars lunchbox. jazz started her up for me and off i rode into the sunset....well, 1/2 a block until i narrowly missed the neighbors' gnome lawn ornament and figured it was best to save my motor-cross moves for my home turf. i gave jazz a check, we loaded the BAT-mobile into the car, we shook hands, then he went inside to study his spelling words and i drove away with nothing but an old school motor bike and a pocketful of dreams....
more to come...
i wasn't sure what to expect when i rolled into roseville, minnesota to pick up the bike, but i certainly wasn't expecting my salesman to be a 13-year-old 7th grader named jazz. i said, "are you steve?" (the guy i had been cooresponding with...) he said, "no, that's my dad, but i'm not old enough to have my own e-bay site." suddenly the teacher became the student.....we walked into the his garage, jazz, my new 13-year-old best friend and me, and there she was my 1980 black batavus moped with working lights, horn and a backseat luggage rack that could hold anybody's star wars lunchbox. jazz started her up for me and off i rode into the sunset....well, 1/2 a block until i narrowly missed the neighbors' gnome lawn ornament and figured it was best to save my motor-cross moves for my home turf. i gave jazz a check, we loaded the BAT-mobile into the car, we shook hands, then he went inside to study his spelling words and i drove away with nothing but an old school motor bike and a pocketful of dreams....
more to come...
life changes...
lately i find myself livin' la vida loca more than usual...hey, i'm not getting any younger (or am i?...someone did suggest that lake michigan was the fountain of youth and i've found myself doused in its fresh water goodness plenty...hmmm...i have been watching an awful lot of cartoons lately and not just the adult swim.....thoughts for later) anyway, so in purchasing the moped i feel i've stepped into a new stage of life, a stage that includes mopeds. in all seriousness i loved her the moment i laid eyes on her and the best part, she loved me too.
more to come...
more to come...
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