Morro Bay

The morning along the coast of northern California was typical for the month of September, partially clear skies with just a hint of fog hanging on the coastline. We packed the saddle bags on the motorcycle and we were on our way south towards Morro Bay, CA. The ride down the 280 highway is always a beautiful short route that eventually merges to the 101 via 85. Our 4 hour trip took us past Paso Robles over highway 41 right into Morro Bay.

The countryside seemed to be stuck in time, untouched by the modern world. The short ride on highway 41 has just the right amount of curves and was evenly paved for any seasoned rider. It was however a very short 15 minutes as we rolled into the embarcadero at Morro Bay to have lunch. The Tiki Hut on the docks wasn’t the best food, but it got the job done. Shortly afterwards we headed to the Inn at Morrow Bay. The driveway was lined with red bricks and the landscaping was well kept. It was actually very pleasing to eye upon arrival.

Day one was all about relaxing, so after the long ride and lunch we got back on the bike and headed to Serenity by the bay spa where a 90 minute massage was calling to us. It was long overdue. We recommend Serenity by the Bay with both thumbs up as we would visit them again without question.

Back at the Inn we enjoyed a few drinks by the bar that had a fantastic view of the cove and a jazz band. The fresh catch of the day was Sword fish. It was so fresh off the boat that they were actually carving it to order in the kitchen. Hours old the taste of the fish seemed to stimulate the senses as it melted with every bite. The bartender had a heavy pour with my 15 year old scotch as we enjoyed conversation with him throughout the night.

The second day started with a ride to the local coffee shop, Top Dog Coffee. This had to be one of the best coffee shops I have been in for some time now. Each brew was fresh roasted by the owner Pat which we had the pleasure of meeting on our last day. Then as we rode off to one of the local gas stations we met a group of riders from Denmark called the Wildhogs of Denmark. They were on the tail end of their 2 week trip though CA.

Our last day at Morro Bay was spent at the Top Dog Coffee shop where we enjoyed a couple of hours of conversation with the owner Pat. He extended on open invitation to come down and ride with him and a few friends next time we are in town. During our 6 hour ride home the roads were busy with more riders than I expected for a Monday. We met one group from Rochester, New York. They were making their way north to San Francisco.

Just over 500 miles and over 10 hours of road time the weekend excursion was more than we expected and ended up being a trip of new friends and some pretty good stories to be told at a later time.

Ford F150 4x2 vs. Tacoma 4x4

Recently I have been looking at the the Ford F150 as a replacement to my 2008 Tacoma 4x4 Deluxe Cab. Don't get me wrong the Tacoma is a fine truck and it has been reliable so far, but I feel like there is still something missing. So before I get into it here are the spec's

The Tacoma: 4x4 Club Cad (4 doors) with a V6. Typical equipment, CD, AM/FM Power windows and locks, cruise control, sliding rear glass, alarm and tow package. Nice truck on the exterior, however the interior is somewhat boring and lacks comfort, especially for those long trips which I do often. Almost 20K in 6 months. I average about 19.5 MPG. This was kind of a shock, as I expected better from a smaller truck.

Ford F150: 4x2 extended cab with V8. Most of the same equipment as the Tacoma with the addition of blue tooth synch, back-up assist, power rear window and seats. Also a nice truck on the exterior and by far nicer than the Tacoma on the interior. More leg room and features and a full instrument console. This truck averages about 21 MPG

Taking it from the interior the F150 has two thumbs up offering a easy to read instrument console that is driver friendly. I don't find myself fumbling around looking for radio stations, cruise control, and radio stations like I do in the Tacoma. The Tacoma dashboard is boring and clumsy. The stereo is hard to read as it sits too high on the dash board and the lighting dose not offer any visibility at all.

The interior lighting of the Tacoma is practically non-existence. No dome lights as you open the doors and hard to get out of at night.

Over all I rank the F150 far superior to the Tacoma in every way and if I had to do it over again I would choose the F150 over the Tacoma hands down. But this will have to wait as I am still owing on the Tacoma, but as soon as I can the Tacoma is out the door and the F150 will soon be in my driveway.

100 miles a day

I started a new job 5 weeks ago which is quite some distance from my last place of employment. So instead of a 15 mile commute that only took me 20 minutes, I find myself now doing a 50 mile commute to San Jose in just under an hour. The upside is I get to spend more time on my motorcycle everyday. Seriously, the ride down 280 every morning is one of the most beautiful scenic routes I could take, especially this time of year. By the time I reach the highway the sun is just starting to warm the roads with its brilliance and the sky is full of vibrant colors.

I do admit it does get chilly, however, being witness to that kind of beauty every day is well worth the few moments of cold. The only down side is I now spend 2 hours a day on the road which gives me less time to spend with my amazing girlfriend Elise. She is one of the most understanding women I have know and I thank my lucky stars that we are in each others lives.

Napa Ride 09

Riding up Highway 1 across 35 down the Great Highway we made our way towards the Golden Gate Bridge by way of the coast. The fog wrapped around the tips of the towers, embracing them with a white mist. The trip down highway 101 led us toward highway 37 and past Sears Point Raceway where we continued down highway 29 towards Napa. It was a perfect day for riding the motorcycle in the Napa valley making for a comfortable and pleasing trip as we stopped at Luna winery to meet up with my cousins Karl and Melinda.

The Luna winery was very inviting form the moment we pulled into the parking lot. The warm colors of the court yard and building made for a relaxing and cozy experience. As we entered the beautiful wooden doors we were greeted with smiles by Kathy. The warm dark colors and exposed wooden ceiling drew us in and towards the couch in the entry way were we placed our riding gear and continued to relax as we waited for the rest of the group to show up. The hospitality at Luna’s was fabulous and we spent most of the afternoon tasting some of their extraordinary wine out of their patio. If you are looking for a pleasant way to taste wine for a minimal cost Luna’s is a great place to stop and enjoy the afternoon.

The next stop was about 10 minutes down the road at Rutherford’s winery. The entry was open and there was plenty of space to spread out and take in the fresh air on the patio or inside in the sun room where 2 large couched and table were set up for a small group to comfortable chat and enjoy their tasting of the wines.

The afternoon passed quickly leaving only time for Luna’s and Rutherford’s winery. So we geared up and made our way back down highway 29 toward Vallejo where we spent the remainder of the night with family and great conversation.

Chowchilla Ride 09

It was a chilly morning at the start of the ride from my home in Pacifica, however as I rode over the hill to meet up with Padre and Ghost (club names) the sun began to warm the air, making the conditions perfect for the morning ride. The three of us then proceeded to San Mateo where we got together with Chewy at a small parking lot just off the 101.

Over the bridge on highway 92, was uneventful as we had one more stop to make in Modesto to pick up the last member of the Angry Scotsmen, brother Rev. Chewy did however manage to miss a dead turkey along the route. Once we arrived at Rev’s home we stretched our legs and paid respect to his family. After a short lunch at one of the local fast food establishments the group was ready for the long ride to Chowchilla, CA.

The 7 hour ride took us past the towns of Hornitos, Bear Valley, and Mariposa. Amazing the group only managed to get lost twice on the back roads, but not too far lost where turning around didn’t make sense. The long country roads and hilly twist’s made the ride exciting and at times seem like a small roller coaster ride at a theme park.

Finally arriving in Chowchilla in the late afternoon The Day’s Inn was very welcome site. We started to unpack the motorcycles and after a brief rest and pit stop Ghost, Chewy and I were sent on a scouting mission…finding a bar to sit and have a drink, only to discover that Chowchilla has 3 bars, one of which was directly across the parking lot from our hotel. The bar also doubled as a diner in the next room confirming that we have truly landed in a small town. You know you are out in the middle of nowhere when a gas station, hotel and a bar/diner all share the same parking lot.

After grabbing a bit to eat at the local pizzeria, we made our way towards the bar/diner. It was your typical run of the mill small town building, half the exterior lights were burned out and the red arrow sign pointed the way for all the truckers from the highway to see. Once inside the building all eyes were on the new guys and a scream came from the other side of the room asking to show our patches as the 8 people in the bar were curious at whom we were. We ended up spending the rest of the night with these fine people, drinking and telling stories.

Making a slow start the next day, which might have had something to do with the hangovers; we made our way back to the diner for a late breakfast. Afterwards we packed up the bikes and made our way out of Chowchilla and towards the bay area. Needless to say we took the short route back, making this the longest 3 hour ride I have experienced so far. We cut across San Luis Obispo past the reservoir and up highway 5 towards Gilroy, then making our way to highway 152 towards highway 101. The home stretch up 280 I finally made it home in the last afternoon, which at that point I was barely coherent.

If asked if I would do a ride like this again, the answer would be absolutely. The opportunity to meet new people and see small towns like Chowchilla will always be worth the ride on a motorcycle.

Lost but not forgotten

A good man died March 7, 2009. He was a supporter of the Angry Scotsmen Motorcycle Riding Club and dear friend to one of the founders Tim (Padre) Christopher. The services on March 10, 2009 echoed through Burlingame as the Bagpiper’s played a final farewell to Scotty Mac, and guided family, friends, and acquaintances to the church where we could all say a final prayer and farewell to this man. You can always tell the quality of a man by who shows up when they die. As I watched the benches in the church fill it was without a doubt that Scotty Mac was well loved by all.

After an enlightened service, speeches, and a wonderful letter written and read by his daughter the riding club left the church in formation to the home of Scotty Mac and met the friends and family of this man that I wished I knew better. Tim (Padre) was lucky to have known Scotty Mac the way he did and as a supporter to the club the founders, members and prospects decided to take a ride out of Burlingame together to ponder our thoughts on the open road.

Our journey took us to San Mateo and up highway 92 towards Half Moon Bay, where we stopped for lunch at a local Mexican Restaurant. The eyes of the patrons watched as we pulled in on the motorcycles, engines rumbling, and chrome reflecting the light of the sun as we parked the bikes into the empty stalls.

After lunch we mounted the bikes and left in formation south towards highway 84 and up to Alice’s, a well know stop for bikers looking to stretch their legs after a long ride. There were a few bikers with Harley’s, Triumphs, and rice rockets and we all got acquainted with each other and told stories about our bikes and travels on the them. One amazing story was about a person that bought new Harley 18 months ago and managed to put 94,000 miles on the bike. Serious rider…now that is hard core.

The Angry Scotsmen Motorcycle Riding Club will continue to ride and explore the open road as single riders and as a group. For those that met Scotty Mac I would like to think we are all better people for knowing him, and as we ride we live a dream that he never had the chance to experience. You will be missed Scotty.

Divorce: A better Life

My 18 month marriage and almost 2 years of messy divorce proceedings is coming to an end. During the time of the marriage the community debt reached over $90,000. Part of that debt was the wedding at just under $40,000, but it was the party of the decade for 350 people, mostly acquaintances and family. There are always two sides to every story, and this story is from the perspective of the person that got left with holding the burden of the community debt. The union of two people means to love each other for better or worse. When things get worse you would think a couple would want to work out their differences at all costs. However this isn't always the case, and when one person decides it's over it really is over. Some might say I was taken advantage of, while others may state life isn’t fair, so deal with it. Either way I find myself in a better place emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

Emotionally I have grown stronger, as I recognized and acknowledge my own weakness in this life. This was a difficult lesson to learn. During this time emotions tend to revolve around self doubt, sadness, and blame. Learning that I was not the sole cause of a marriage collapsing was one of the first steps to healing. I won’t lie, leaving the country and taking an adventure down to Costa Rica did help, but I was running from the real issues. The sadness was still there and blame when in all directions. Admitting my own sadness gave me the strength to stop blaming others for my own fears and helped me to communicate openly.

Spiritually my outlook on life has changed as I looked inside universally. Seeking the help from others, such as counselors and doing the actual work needed to accomplish inner peace was essential. There must have been over a dozen books that were read on how to create your own happiness. The lessons that was learned is that there is an enormous power in manifesting the world you want to live in. By keeping a positive emotional position on life and sending those thoughts out into the universe, proved that I can have the life I want. Today I have never been happier with who I am and the world is exactly where it was manifested to be. A new group of wonderful friends, hobbies and adventures awaits me as I move forward in this life.

Financially the drain on my income has become better. Even though we had 2 incomes we were still struggling with payments on the accumulated outflow of cash. The credit cards seemed to get worse every month even with the additional payments that were made. I was mystified by the increasing credit debt that was out of my control. Having cash available wasn’t sufficient; our wants exceeded our means and quickly increased the amount owed. Now that I no longer have the weight of outgoing expenses caused by over use of the credit cards I am able to manage the cash flow that seemed to take over our lives. In addition the amounts paid in attorney fees every month has come to an end and is now being used towards the debt WE got ourselves into. To this day she has not accepted responsibility for this part; however we all know the truth.

Personally I felt the divorce wasn’t fair, but this is all about perspective. I took the lesser of two evils and purposed a settlement that any reasonable person would jump on. Originally I was only asking half the remainder of the wedding debt and the credit card that she used. I wasn’t that lucky and in the end I settled for a very low percentage of the community debt as the cost for going to trial wasn’t worth the effort of attempting to claim what was 50% hers. Accepting responsibility for one actions is a testament that person character. I have accepted the responsibility for my own actions and dealt with them accordingly, if only others could do the same.

We all go through these trials for a reason. The positive side of this trial is I learned who I am, and how to openly communicate, teaching me patience, understanding, and strength that most likely I would not have had without this lesson. Some might say that my marriage was a failure, whereas I look at it as a huge success. I am now with a woman who makes me incredibly happy and gets me. Our communication is beyond extraordinary and we are the couple that most people would be jealous of.