Smell the Flowers

I arrived at work at 4:30 this morning...

The stitcher wouldn't boot up properly...took to six to get it running..

At eight  the first client phoned to check on progress.. wasn't happy when I informed him we were behind schedule and his job would not make the 8:30 am deadline..

I then had an argument with one of the stuff...just after one of the other staff went home sick..

Still in a foul mood from the morning's adventures I got in the car to go and get some lunch.  While stopped at the lights I noticed an older gentleman walking along the road..I watched him stop..pause...lean over and smell some flowers that he was walking past...and then he carried on his way.  Sometimes the smallest things speaks the biggest lesson.

Pink Ribbon 2012

So this weekend was the Pink Ribbon ride, a fund raiser for the Breast cancer foundation. Just like in Vancouver.   Always a great cause and  I am sure most of us will know some one who has been affected by this.  For me it was my Auntie who died.  So When Phil from IAM asked for volunteers with marshaling again , I made ever effort to get there.  This included dragging both kids along.  My friend Richard volunteered to take one his bike....of course sorting out who was going on who's turned into a drama...but Dad sorted it :)..as dads do!

The weather on Saturday was diabolical..but it returned to a degree of normality  on the Sunday of the ride.  I am sure there was a big sigh of relief from the organisers, because I doubt any one would of turned up if Sunday had been like Saturday.

We got there bright and early and had the pleasure of getting a coffee....well the kids got me one, that is why I had children after all.  Then we got to watch all the other bikes drift in.  Over 300 in total.  Great to see so many people getting into the spirit of the occasion.

The ride it self is not long, only about 30-40mins to cover the distance to the final destination by Western Springs.

The Marshall's all left about 10 minutes before the ride began to get in position for the bikes coming through.  I was stationed at Pitt street and Hobson street.  A police car was there as well and all I had to ensure is that the bikes went around both sides of the Island to ensure free flow and no bottle necks.  With that done it was back on the bike and we joined the rest of the bikes for the last part of the ride.

All in all a great day for a worthy cause.  The kids really enjoyed being a part of it and I enjoyed having them along for the ride.

Blogsy

After reading Richard talk so well about blogsy on the iPad I wanted To give it a go. I have tried a couple before with out much success.

So if theses proves successful I will be very happy man.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Medicine for the Soul.

It was a fine weekend and the sun was at last forecast to stay out for ALL of the weekend.  I had been itching to get away for some sort of road trip.  Perhaps my winter of discontent was finally over, in more ways than one any way.

I threw a few essentials into the bag Saturday morning, started it up , and then sat there.  Where to go? I had not really thought about it.  Suddenly I needed to decide.  I was overcome with a sense of loss again.  I was indecisive.  I was unsure what to do.   I was on my own, perhaps I should just go back inside, find a chair, it seems so much easier to do.  Everything has seemed so hard lately.

I was on the Sprint and I know I wanted fast flowing open road riding.   I wanted the thrill of searching for that perfect corner, that never ending sweeping left hander.  If I had to ride all weekend to find it....I sure as fuck was gonna..I needed something  to lift my spirit, I needed some medicine for the soul.  

South it was to central north Island.  Some roads I have ridden many times before others I would discover for the first time.  It was not important where I was going...it was important that I went.

The last few months for me have been tough.  Work stresses and family pressure coming close to breaking my spirit.  I needed to ride and it needed to be good.   I needed to know I could smile again.   My wounded heart needed more than a sticking plaster

I headed south on familiar roads, and as each km passed under the wheels of Beth I felt that sense of freedom, of being myself again.  The road become a blur of black seal, never ending and urging me forward.    It took half a  tank of gas before my head was clear, and my spirits began to lift.  But under my tinted visor  I was smiling.  This is why I ride.  This is what I love.  This is why I am passionate about biking.  This is what keeps me sane.  This helps put things in perspective for me.   

Through Te Kuiti then towards Benydayle, the triple was screaming at me, almost demanding more....'is that the best you got Roger"?   Can the sound of a triple engine screaming just below the red line have ever sounder so good.    How do you descibe to anyone the shear thrill and adrenalin rush when 'you get it right' , when you know you have executed the perfect corner and then do it again and again....and again, how do you describe that to any one.   There is no drug, or drink, or video game, food, theme park ride, or hard core  mind altering substance that can create this feeling....none.  

Onwards I went  searching for more, not ever wanting it to end, each km seemed to lift me.  I think I could of ridden to Wellington and back today.  

At some point I stopped, and I could feel myself getting emotional.    Yet there was a smile on my face....perhaps some where along that road I found some peace, I found my spirit again.  I found my heart.   Can motorcycling do this to some one?   For a small time anyway, the dark clouds had moved away giving way to bright sun and hope.

Triumphs All Rounder Duel Purpose.

I still manged some off road!

Dads & Daughters.

Clearly Taylor inherited her good looks from me!

A couple of weeks back Chillertek, that poor Australian cousin from Road to Nowhere fame informed us of the birth of his new daughter.

I commented on his blog about a great thread that is on Adventure Rider.

I have become some what disillusioned with the motorbike forums here in NZ, they were once good but now seem full of arrogant/wannabe opinionated dickheads.  I do find the Adventure Rider forum useful and interesting.  I follow a lot of the ride reports.

This particular thread now runs to 177 pages long and is a must if you are a Dad.  It has some great pics which I am sure you will all enjoy. So poor yourself a wine, click on the link, and enjoying one of the most heart warming and enjoyable threads I have come across for a long time.  Some of the pics and comments are just terrific and heart warming.   So for my poor  Australian cousin here is the link....

Dads & Daughters.

(Deep down we love the Aussie's....but I need to keep up appearances)

"It seemed.....

So Brandy, that well known and internationally famous blogger, vegetarian and long suffering, umm, I mean loving  wife of Brad...posted a pic of of some thing she had seen on Face book.  It had to do with porn and food...., it got me thinking about all the funny ones that do show up.  This one came up on my desktop a few weeks ago.  It made me laugh  as it seems to sum me up pretty well...........actually to well really!

Anyway, that aside I am eagerly awaiting the delivery of some farkles for Betty the Beemer.  Is it possible to add more stuff to that bike I hear you say?  Dam right it is.  This summer I am going to get into some real off road adventures which include obscure places/ great scenery...and cough cough..camping! ( As long as I can get a coffee close by).  So I am making some serious adjustments to the bike in preparation....after all it seems like a good idea.

I am also thinking of changing the name of my blog to "Rogers Rocky Road Adventures"...What do you reckon?  Change it or leave it?  

To Close for Comfort.

It was a nice day on Saturday and with Taylor out reeking havoc with her friends at the mall I put Nathan on the bike and headed for a ride out west.  I needed a ride and I wanted to familiarize myself with a few of the roads out west a bit more.  This is where most of our IAM rides are so it was a good opportunity to plot and plan a few routes.

I was enjoying the ride and had been working on my extreme positioning on corners.  About 5 kms from the Woodcocks road turn off and as I was entering a uphill right hander,  I had the bike positioned almost on the white line on the far left of the road.  It was here I first caught a glimpse of what I though was the rear end of a SUV ahead of me, it only took a fraction to realise that it was not the rear but the front and she was on my side of the road and coming straight towards me.

I aimed the bike for the gap between her and the side of the road (about 7 feet)..eventually we passed she had moved back towards her lane but it was one hell of a scary moment.

I firmly believed that if I had not done my IAM training then I probably would of been hugging the center line and the result would have been very different as I would of had to execute two changes of directions quickly to avoid her.

It took a lot of self control not to turn around and give chase.  I wanted to catch her and give her a piece of my mind.  She put not only myself but my son in danger.  Man was I pissed...

The rest of the ride was uneventful, Nathan seemed oblivious to the whole thing except to say "that the women was a bit close", a classic understatement if ever there was one.