Earache

I'm heading out July 3 for a week of recon. Have a couple of new places I'd like to check out - if they're any good, we can hit them in Sept. Be nice to get a firm headcount of who's going - approaching the time to make hotel arrangements, etc.

:pHappy Burfday!

Anyone going? If not, looks like I might head over to Zanesville with the wife. I'll trailer along a Duc and ride 555 - Hocking - Athens areas instead.

I've never been on a cruise ship before, but I think I may have to do this one... http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3617/85/

We're back home now - was there from May 1 through the 20th. Rain and cold are the norm - year 'round. Although nothing is extreme like we have. Cold days there are 40F and warm ones are 60F, not much of a swing. In general, the weather kinda sucks.

Nope - haven't been to Hawaii and Maine yet. No desire to go to Hawaii and just never got into Maine yet - maybe someday. My map only shows the States that I've ridden in. Map: http://epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/

No doubt. But I still swing a machete over my ass whenever he's around....... just to be safe.

The Race Doctors fuckin' around prior to teh race. These guys are all fast as shit and follow the racers around the course so that they can be right on the scene as soon as needed. Carrying all of their gear and still quick... We'll see some action shots of them later in the story....

Short time before the races begin and the streets are still choked with traffic, dropping oil and shit all over the road, Nice...

Now this is cool. Check out that subframe - it's actually the fuel tank. Located here to lower the center of gravity to make it turn faster. How cool is that? The "tank" is all airbox, as evidenced by the gill slots in the front of it... Very trick shit indeed.

Future go fast chicks...

Yeah, he's really roughin' it. Sold his business and retired last year and spends his days fuckin' around. Kinda hard to feel sorry for him.

Did the obligatory lap through the paddock to check out the scooters. Relentless Suzuki squad... Fast independents... HM PLant ditched Ducati and switched to Honda this year...

The "track" consists of the local streets between the three towns of Colerain, Portrush and Portstewart - about 9 miles long. A lot of the track is located along the ocean and is subject to widely varying type so of weather.... Judy was freezing her patootie off all day, but kept a smile going through it all... Ditto with Mark.... No pics of me as I was cussin' like a sailor about the shit conditions.

Got stupid assed drunk with Mark and his wife this night. So much so, that I didn't take any pictures. Sat in some pub that was playing ABBA at full volume all night. Dunno why. But if I ever hear "Dancin' Queen" one more time, I'm gonna go postal on someone. Got up at 0-dark thirty the next day and headed for the race at Colerain. Another beautiful day. 40F, rainy and windy as Hell..

The Catholics are making up for it though, building some pretty kickass churches in small towns like this one... The Irish don't have a lot of love for the English. The Northern Ireland town of Londonderry is an example. All of the local roadsigns have been vandalized so that they read "Derry" with all mentions of London covered up or scratched out. Ask an Irishman where Londonderry is and he'll reply "Never heard of it". Ask him where Derry is and you'll get some directions and a smile with a wink.

When Oliver Cromwell swept through Ireland in the 1600's, he outlawed practicing Catholicism and tore down a shitload of Catholic churches. The Catholics moved their alter's to weird locations that Cromwell's soldiers wouldn't find them. One such alter is located on Mark's propery and is known as Alter Bridge as it's located under an old bridge... Services are still held there once a year.

Mark lives in a tar paper shack in the middle of 22 acres. Poor bastard...

Above the garage is his office, guitar jam rooms, pool table, flat screen and a mini-bar. Noice! Mark's into custom US Jacksons. I'm more into ESP's, but he has a few of them as well.

Being the only male in a household with 6 females, Mark needs a good man cave. And he built a nice one. My pics suck as I must have hit a button on the camera and messed up the settings, but you'll get the idea. Garage with sccoters for street and track and a car for the curves...

Now we're heading for Northern Ireland to attend the Northwest 200 raod race. My bud Mark picks us up in Dublin and we head for his house for the night. Arrived just at feeding time for his five girls. This one has an eating style that is much like my own - face first...

Bye, bye Beemer....

Paul said he has 100 sets of gear in the shop. I don't doubt it...

The next day is our last on the BMW. Time to hump across Ireland and drop it of at Paul's shop. Nice 160 mile ride in a driving rain and 40F temps. Lovely. We get to teh shop and Paul meets us. Great guy and cool shop. Has all sorts of bikes from cruisers to big dually's for rent. All in great shape and low mileage. Also has a huge assortment of gear - from boots to helmets - that you can use if you don't have your own stuff....

But he swings both ways and has a "thing" for men in uniforms...so watch yer six:D