Gearing up

AZ bike week is one of my favorite local biker events. It lasts a week. Dealer parties, bar parties, numerous charity poker rides. A straight week of no work, no worries, except "do we need gas?". Just a few more weeks.

Last year, a few weeks before, our son was diagnosed with Leukemia & lost some bikers in a very tragic accident. (fucking meth head driving a dump truck). We spent quite a bit of bike week hanging around the hospital, seemed that sometimes, we lived there. We did a couple rides & a couple parties.

God (of your choice) has played a very cruel joke on us. Our son's leukemia will come back, it is in his stem cell. Our daughter, his only sibling & most likely match for a bone marrow transplant, has been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, whacked out thyroid & re-accuring shingles. She won't ever be considered for a donor. I encourage every one to be a bone marrow donor, all they need is your blood. (red, not blue)

Wednesday's Riding for Kids, go at your own pace, usually over 200 miles. Raising money for kids that have survived burns, this ride helps pay for a summer camp, so the kids can attend free. Some have small burn scars, some are disfigured & some crippled from burns. But to see the courage & life goes on attitude from these kids is absolutely amazing. I had made a bunch of crazy, flannel material, teddy bears for the kids. Now I'm using the scraps from the bears to make quilts for sick babies in neonatal care.

Pay it forward.

Special Olympics Torch Ride. Wow. 3,000 + bikes all riding in a very, long line. Police escorted. Breakfast served by members of the Special Olympics, seeing their smiles. A ton of money is raised every year, over 50k last year. Rolling thunder.

Haven't heard anything about the Chior Boys ride. They are a bunch of characters & just plain fun. If I don't hear anything soon, I'll register for Logan's Run.

Just a few more weeks.

Bike shows, live bands, vendors, food, same place where all rides end. I bought a raffle ticket for a '11 Sportster today. It's powder blue & I've always been told I look good in blue. I've had my eye on the factory paint pink & blue Sportster Low model, but the powder blue model will bling up just fine.

This past Saturday, we went on a 310 mile ride. at one point, I got a cramp while we were going about 90 down the highway. Papa Bear is yelling to sit still & we ain't stopping. Sunday morning, my thighs & back were stiff & sore. It's time to stop being the bitch on the back & start being the bitch that just passed you.

Just a few more weeks & we will be gearing up.