Winter and stuff

There was a rumor of a sledding party today at the lakefront, actually on a really big hill that I thought would be good for a few pictures. And carnage, lets face it I was looking for some crashes.

I was disappointed though, as no one actually showed up. Or, if they did, they didn't stand out from the family who was already there sledding when I got there.

Still, it was a nice day, for being on a motorcycle in Wisconsin in December. So I took the chance for a Ural photo op -


Okay, I actually took about 10 pictures here, but this one turned out really well. My 'regular' camera didn't survive my recent move, so I've been limited to my phone camera. 3.2 mega pixals, with a LED flash. Its not bad, really, but I do need to replace it. I can, actually, with a free gift catalogue from work...which I lost somewhere in my house. All well.

After bumming around at the lakefront I headed inland to meet my mom for a Christmas lunch. She got me a rather cool book, and I got her a gift card, loving son that I am.

I did some shopping after that, nothing too major. I'm sure I'll mention it again later.

Breakfast

Sunday I rode all the way (okay, not really far) to Johnny V's Classic
Cafe, near the state fairgrounds in West Allis. Located in a strip mall,
it has a sort of charm. Neon signs and an attempt to conjour the classic
diner feel. They don't quite pull it off, but the food is good and I
enjoyed the company I was meeting.

After breakfast, and some virtual tire kicking (I was the only one to
ride, despite the incredibly mild weather) most of the group headed to
the local Harbor Freight, where a motorcycle lift was on sale. I stayed
a bit longer to discuss the Motorcycle Accident Management program
gaining local momentum. It is currently very HD orientated, causing some
non HD groups to shy away. One of my breakfast-mates is involved in the
program but unable to become a lead instructor, though I would be if I
was interested. I'll have to look into it.

After that I headed to Harbor Freight just in time to load 381lbs of
lift onto the back of a truck. Timing, it seems, is everything. That
done, a small caravan headed off to the destination to unload, while the
other half of the group wandered out of the store, wondering where
everyone went. A brief conversation revealed none of us had the correct
phone numbers to get the destination address, so with shrugs we headed
our separate ways.
--andrewpain

Choices

Its hard to know what bike to take when I want to go somewhere, the downside of having more than one bike I suppose.

I would like to do a big ride, like all of the Americas, and write a book, keep a blog (maybe even with video), and have people give me money for it. Would be nice, I know.

I have the Ural, most expensive bike I own to ride around, but everyone loves the ural. It attracts attention in ways no other bike does. Even dirty.

Adultery, my sr250 is the cheapest bike I have. Light too. Riders would be impressed with it, maybe, but I don't know about anyone else.

Then there is the xs11s. Cheaper to run than the Ural, more powerful than the 250. But I don't know if even riders would care too much about those. Of course, those are my favorite bikes.

Hard choices.

I need to be better.

Its easy to say you're going to do better at writing, better at keeping up a blog, better and life in general. But the actual details, the daily grind of it is something else entirely.

I know I am doing good things, but they are not the things I want to be doing. And I get scared and distracted looking at that first step to go from where I am to where I want to be. Its a higher, loftier place, and the fall would be much worse from there. Or even along the way.

Fear is not the way life should be led, though it very often is. Its easy to be afraid, easy to find a reason not to go or do. Easy and comfortable to stay where its warm and safe, with a cat on your lap and a warm cup of cocoa. Its possible you, I, don't even notice the fear anymore.

But its there, curled around the leg of the coffee table and chair, holding us in place. Holding me in place. I know its there, even as I sit comfortable, full and content.

But you can't live in fear.