This past week something seriously bugged me. It was the "Random Act of Kindness" Day on November 1st. I got to my desk and found 5 cards printed with Random Act of Kindness Day - Pay it Forward. These business card sized "tickets" were to be used in an act of kindness and then you were to pass this ticket on to the person who benefited from the kind act and they were to then "pay it forward".
Firstly - random is without pattern, i.e. not predictable. Random act of kindness is not to be advertised, in my personal opinion, for then it becomes an act of ego. Add to that the fact that you also tell the person you are being kind to, "Hey, pay attention! I am being kind to you, and yes, this act is "random". No go out and multiply these acts of kindness that is supposed to be random."
Needless to say many people showed up with little edible treats accompanied by their little cards, and called them their contribution to these little acts of random kindness that I now pay forward. IT IS BLOODY SENSELESS!
Random acts of kindness happens all around us all the time and does not necessarily involve money. I hope that we are going to stop being stupid and continue to do the random acts of kindness we always do anyway without being told to.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
When a road becomes a trail becomes a goat path...
Last weekend we went riding in Pennsylvania. It is one of our favourite places to ride and is not too far from home. Despite the fact that we have to cross the dreaded border between Canada and the US there and back, which for whatever reason has to be so difficult - people go to Europe and learn something! Anyway, I am getting sidetracked...
We crossed into the US, and it is with a sigh of relief when we do, because we have found on numerous trips that the drivers in the US are tolerant of bikes (and I am talking motorcycles here; keep up) and they leave room and they don't tailgate and so on. (States that we've been in on motorcycles, NY, NH, VA, MI, PA, ME.)
Now Pennsylvania has great motorcycling roads (as does many other States, but this one is close to home), and we went into Allegany State Park in New York and rode into PA the next day and was merrily riding some twisties and getting irritable when there weren't enough and went on other roads and did a few more twisties, until our buts were hurting and our eyes were watering and we had to camp somewhere.
We stopped at random at Bald Eagle State Park and loved it there. The park rangers were VERY VERY HELPFUL and we were set up in no time. Of course you cannot drink alcohol, which we don't mind at all because we are there to rest and enjoy nature and sleep until we ride again, so quiet is appreciated, which is often missing in sites where people tend to drink too much (alcohol). In this case though, pristine park and great people everywhere.
Sunday morning we had to head home, because Monday was a work day. Yuk! Since we were no longer on our original route, and we had quite a long trek back to the grid that is Southwestern Ontario, we decided to select fasted route home and we headed out, blissfully unaware that our GPS will take us on a grand adventure.
Shortly after takeoff, we headed off the highway and onto some elegant turns and enjoyed the ride. We were soon following the machine that is our master "GPS" onto an unpaved forest road. When you see a sign - no winter maintenance - that should be a RED FLAG. But to us, still not alarming, since we both ride GS' which means they can do dirt, even if I cannot really do dirt and we both have street tires and my back tire is in need of replacing sometime soon.
However, we went onto the dirt road, which became a dirt track, which became a 90 minute ride down switchbacks on what Herman referred to as a goat trail down the side of a mountain over rocks, barely avoiding sliding off the left rut into the abyss that is thick forest in what I think the site of where I will swear this if need be, Deliverance was originally produced in those woods. I faintly heard banjo music in the background. Really. I was having short moments of hysterical laughter, wild yelling and outright swearing, wondering how long it will be before our mangled bodies will be found.
Luckily, most of all, I was thinking about the trial riding video we watched two years ago on how to ride on dirt trails, and even though at the time, I was thinking I will never go on that, whatever that is, because them thar ain't no roads... My mushy brain actually remembered some of that instruction and I relaxed my hands and braked with my gears and stayed off the front brake and gassed over the rocks (and there were some beauts) and through the sand and used the clutch and my legs to steer and made it down in one piece. AND I LOVED THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
One thing I do know, is that after this experience I am a more confident rider and that is priceless.
We crossed into the US, and it is with a sigh of relief when we do, because we have found on numerous trips that the drivers in the US are tolerant of bikes (and I am talking motorcycles here; keep up) and they leave room and they don't tailgate and so on. (States that we've been in on motorcycles, NY, NH, VA, MI, PA, ME.)
Now Pennsylvania has great motorcycling roads (as does many other States, but this one is close to home), and we went into Allegany State Park in New York and rode into PA the next day and was merrily riding some twisties and getting irritable when there weren't enough and went on other roads and did a few more twisties, until our buts were hurting and our eyes were watering and we had to camp somewhere.
We stopped at random at Bald Eagle State Park and loved it there. The park rangers were VERY VERY HELPFUL and we were set up in no time. Of course you cannot drink alcohol, which we don't mind at all because we are there to rest and enjoy nature and sleep until we ride again, so quiet is appreciated, which is often missing in sites where people tend to drink too much (alcohol). In this case though, pristine park and great people everywhere.
Sunday morning we had to head home, because Monday was a work day. Yuk! Since we were no longer on our original route, and we had quite a long trek back to the grid that is Southwestern Ontario, we decided to select fasted route home and we headed out, blissfully unaware that our GPS will take us on a grand adventure.
Shortly after takeoff, we headed off the highway and onto some elegant turns and enjoyed the ride. We were soon following the machine that is our master "GPS" onto an unpaved forest road. When you see a sign - no winter maintenance - that should be a RED FLAG. But to us, still not alarming, since we both ride GS' which means they can do dirt, even if I cannot really do dirt and we both have street tires and my back tire is in need of replacing sometime soon.
However, we went onto the dirt road, which became a dirt track, which became a 90 minute ride down switchbacks on what Herman referred to as a goat trail down the side of a mountain over rocks, barely avoiding sliding off the left rut into the abyss that is thick forest in what I think the site of where I will swear this if need be, Deliverance was originally produced in those woods. I faintly heard banjo music in the background. Really. I was having short moments of hysterical laughter, wild yelling and outright swearing, wondering how long it will be before our mangled bodies will be found.
Luckily, most of all, I was thinking about the trial riding video we watched two years ago on how to ride on dirt trails, and even though at the time, I was thinking I will never go on that, whatever that is, because them thar ain't no roads... My mushy brain actually remembered some of that instruction and I relaxed my hands and braked with my gears and stayed off the front brake and gassed over the rocks (and there were some beauts) and through the sand and used the clutch and my legs to steer and made it down in one piece. AND I LOVED THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
One thing I do know, is that after this experience I am a more confident rider and that is priceless.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Motorcycling to me is...
I love riding my bike. Not a shattering statement, but it defines me.
I prefer going on long trips, but for now I have to work, so I ride to work most days and enjoy the country roads. I can smell everything flowers, pine trees, skunk spray and cow dung (LOL). I can FEEL the weather; the wind and the warmth or the cold. I can be calm or angry or happy without anyone knowing or judging. It makes me feel alive.
Riding can sometimes be hard work, especially in heavy traffic, thunderstorms or at high speed on a busy highway. The constant concentration required to arrive alive on the other side of the trip, knowing that most motorists are constantly distracted. (Riding on a bike lets you see inside cars and realizing that they text, talk on cells, eat, drink and pick up stuff off the floor. Interestingly you can smell when they smoke, and can often distinguish between tobacco and that other I-did-not-inhale-type.)
Sometimes I am dancing on the bike and singing in my mind and sometimes I sing out loud. I scream at idiots who cut me off and swear at the top of my lungs and my words get lots in the wind, so no one hears it and no one cares.
When I feel like everything else is crap I can fantasize about not turning and just going straight when a tight bend in the road comes up, flying over the cliff like Thelma and Louise. This usually makes me feel better and I laugh out loud and safely lean into the turn.
I am always pretty much inside my own head, but riding is the ultimate in me-time.
I prefer going on long trips, but for now I have to work, so I ride to work most days and enjoy the country roads. I can smell everything flowers, pine trees, skunk spray and cow dung (LOL). I can FEEL the weather; the wind and the warmth or the cold. I can be calm or angry or happy without anyone knowing or judging. It makes me feel alive.
Riding can sometimes be hard work, especially in heavy traffic, thunderstorms or at high speed on a busy highway. The constant concentration required to arrive alive on the other side of the trip, knowing that most motorists are constantly distracted. (Riding on a bike lets you see inside cars and realizing that they text, talk on cells, eat, drink and pick up stuff off the floor. Interestingly you can smell when they smoke, and can often distinguish between tobacco and that other I-did-not-inhale-type.)
Sometimes I am dancing on the bike and singing in my mind and sometimes I sing out loud. I scream at idiots who cut me off and swear at the top of my lungs and my words get lots in the wind, so no one hears it and no one cares.
When I feel like everything else is crap I can fantasize about not turning and just going straight when a tight bend in the road comes up, flying over the cliff like Thelma and Louise. This usually makes me feel better and I laugh out loud and safely lean into the turn.
I am always pretty much inside my own head, but riding is the ultimate in me-time.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Writing every day
So I am now following the blog of Chuck Wendig, called Terrible Minds, and he is demanding that I start writing that novel that I always wanted to write.
Herman got me going on this with his offhanded comment about not being busy enough at work and; "Well write that book you always said you wanted to write and don't have time for." So, who knows if I follow Chuck's no-nonsense advice, I may just do that.
Happy Friday, and a long weekend to boot with several parties planned. It will be great.
Herman got me going on this with his offhanded comment about not being busy enough at work and; "Well write that book you always said you wanted to write and don't have time for." So, who knows if I follow Chuck's no-nonsense advice, I may just do that.
Happy Friday, and a long weekend to boot with several parties planned. It will be great.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
FREAKS AND WEIRDOS
We did our first real adventure ride a couple of summers ago when we took two weeks and rode through Northern New York State, Vermont and Maine to the East Coast of Canada. It was definitely a highlight of my life and got me hooked on Adventure motortycle riding. It's not hard to get into this and there are many forums and site with information on making the experience better and learning from others' mistakes incliding Horizon's unlimited and ADV Rider. When you have the fever you are constantly planning and saving for your next trip, but in the interim you venture out into the closest areas around where you live, taking day trips and weekend trips to areas that are in a reachable radius from your home.
In Southwestern Ontario there are some treasures but there are more grids than anything else, and to get to 10 minutes of curvy roads, you have to usually travel about an hour in any direction. There are lots of places to stop and cute towns all around (try the coffee shop in St George). On every trip you meet lots of interesting and nice people. Some on motorcycles, some on bicycles and some on foot or in cars. Everyone is interesting in their own way. It is an amazing feeling to be on your bike and the attraction to me is the complete isolation that you have when you are riding. It salms me down and puts the rest of our harried lives into perspective.
Today, was a beatiful summer day, these are usually few and far between in Canada, but this year is exceptionally nice, but oru mottos is: you ride when you can, because too soon it's winter again. We were out nice and early, off to a small town not far from Caledon to visit a coffee shop that people have mentioned on a forum. Disappointment when we arrived to find it was a tiny little whole in the wall with pricing that was ridiculous. Even though the area of Belfountaine is really lovely, the little coffee shop won't see me again. Still the ride was great and we met some interesting people who were out riding as well.
On our way back we decided to stop at Kelehers in Cambridge - this is a country western specialty shop that sometimes has riding gear for sale, where we like to browse once a year. We had just pulled in to the parking lot when I noticed that we stopped right outside what looked like an abandoned shack, but when I looked up there was an OPEN sign on it, and as I turned to my partner and said, "This place is open, we should probably move our bikes a little out of the way", the owner of the "Florida Vacations" stormed out of her dilapidated storefront and yelled in one of those erection-killer voices: "Don't park your bikes right in my entrance!" Too bad she didn't have any decent way of asking us to move our bikes, but we rode our bikes to the other end of the lot. When we left a few minutes later, I still didn't see any customers visiting her business. Anyone seen Pay it Forward?
One of the most dangerous things for motorcyclists is being rear ended by cars who don't keep a safe distance. Fatalities are high in these crashes and it's the one thing you're constantly aware of on your bike. It's a daily occurrence to and from work and with distractions such as food and PDAs, it seems to be here to stay. From a motorcycle you often have a very clear view of what people are doing in their cars, and you can immediately spot a distracted driver.
Another serious offense of drivers on the road is that they pass in dangerous areas and will often pass where there are double solid lines in the road or blind hills. So motorcyclists are constantly in defensive mode because for some reason these idiots think that they can overtake cars even when they see you coming from the front, because you can:
A) go on the shoulder of the road, what shoulder?
B) ride onto gravel at 100km/hr without falling?
C) make like Batman and fly the bike?
Sometimes I want to be Mad Max and shoot at them with the canon I installed on the front of my kevlar encased vehicle...
When you pass a car as a motorcyclist, you can often do it more safely, mainly because of the accelleration ability of a bike, but it is still a dangerous thing to do and I personally only pass when I am 100% sure it is safe to do so. What I've noticed lately is that drivers will often accellerate when they realize you want to pass, and this is a really dangerous practice. I ended up behind an old Buick when the driver drove under the posted speed and after about 5 minutes of solid lines and blind turns there was a clear area where I could pass. The minute I indicated that I was going to pass, the geezer grew a lead foot and his old Buick sped up. I had to burn my bike to pass him and then instantly his foot gained some if the helium back and he was left far behind in my rearview mirror. I would like to know why is it so hard for people to be overtaken? Small you-know-whats...
I still love motorcycling and cannot wait for my next ride, which will probably be tomorrow to some other tiny coffee shop somewhere. But if you are interested in riding a motorcycle, just remember: FREAKS AND WEIRDOS ARE EVERYWHERE.
In Southwestern Ontario there are some treasures but there are more grids than anything else, and to get to 10 minutes of curvy roads, you have to usually travel about an hour in any direction. There are lots of places to stop and cute towns all around (try the coffee shop in St George). On every trip you meet lots of interesting and nice people. Some on motorcycles, some on bicycles and some on foot or in cars. Everyone is interesting in their own way. It is an amazing feeling to be on your bike and the attraction to me is the complete isolation that you have when you are riding. It salms me down and puts the rest of our harried lives into perspective.
Today, was a beatiful summer day, these are usually few and far between in Canada, but this year is exceptionally nice, but oru mottos is: you ride when you can, because too soon it's winter again. We were out nice and early, off to a small town not far from Caledon to visit a coffee shop that people have mentioned on a forum. Disappointment when we arrived to find it was a tiny little whole in the wall with pricing that was ridiculous. Even though the area of Belfountaine is really lovely, the little coffee shop won't see me again. Still the ride was great and we met some interesting people who were out riding as well.
On our way back we decided to stop at Kelehers in Cambridge - this is a country western specialty shop that sometimes has riding gear for sale, where we like to browse once a year. We had just pulled in to the parking lot when I noticed that we stopped right outside what looked like an abandoned shack, but when I looked up there was an OPEN sign on it, and as I turned to my partner and said, "This place is open, we should probably move our bikes a little out of the way", the owner of the "Florida Vacations" stormed out of her dilapidated storefront and yelled in one of those erection-killer voices: "Don't park your bikes right in my entrance!" Too bad she didn't have any decent way of asking us to move our bikes, but we rode our bikes to the other end of the lot. When we left a few minutes later, I still didn't see any customers visiting her business. Anyone seen Pay it Forward?
One of the most dangerous things for motorcyclists is being rear ended by cars who don't keep a safe distance. Fatalities are high in these crashes and it's the one thing you're constantly aware of on your bike. It's a daily occurrence to and from work and with distractions such as food and PDAs, it seems to be here to stay. From a motorcycle you often have a very clear view of what people are doing in their cars, and you can immediately spot a distracted driver.
Another serious offense of drivers on the road is that they pass in dangerous areas and will often pass where there are double solid lines in the road or blind hills. So motorcyclists are constantly in defensive mode because for some reason these idiots think that they can overtake cars even when they see you coming from the front, because you can:
A) go on the shoulder of the road, what shoulder?
B) ride onto gravel at 100km/hr without falling?
C) make like Batman and fly the bike?
Sometimes I want to be Mad Max and shoot at them with the canon I installed on the front of my kevlar encased vehicle...
When you pass a car as a motorcyclist, you can often do it more safely, mainly because of the accelleration ability of a bike, but it is still a dangerous thing to do and I personally only pass when I am 100% sure it is safe to do so. What I've noticed lately is that drivers will often accellerate when they realize you want to pass, and this is a really dangerous practice. I ended up behind an old Buick when the driver drove under the posted speed and after about 5 minutes of solid lines and blind turns there was a clear area where I could pass. The minute I indicated that I was going to pass, the geezer grew a lead foot and his old Buick sped up. I had to burn my bike to pass him and then instantly his foot gained some if the helium back and he was left far behind in my rearview mirror. I would like to know why is it so hard for people to be overtaken? Small you-know-whats...
I still love motorcycling and cannot wait for my next ride, which will probably be tomorrow to some other tiny coffee shop somewhere. But if you are interested in riding a motorcycle, just remember: FREAKS AND WEIRDOS ARE EVERYWHERE.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Warning Labels
I wonder who was the first person to use a hair dryer in a shower, or who sprayed the lense cleaner on their contacts? I want to see a picture of the idiot who did the things that we are warned against on the labels. I want to see who they were!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Rules
How many more rules do we need to tell us to use our common sense? When you are texting and you walk into a fountain and someone catches that on video, that used to be called you're on candid camera. Now it's a law suit because someone didn't warn you that you were an idiot. What's next?
I propose a law against anyone with an IQ under 130 to own a cell phone or iPod or iPhone of iPad (hee-hee) or BlackBerry or whatever wireless device allows you, oh brainless one, to walk and text. Hello BlackBerry Helmet - Rick Mercer is a visionary and saw this coming...
I propose a law against anyone with an IQ under 130 to own a cell phone or iPod or iPhone of iPad (hee-hee) or BlackBerry or whatever wireless device allows you, oh brainless one, to walk and text. Hello BlackBerry Helmet - Rick Mercer is a visionary and saw this coming...
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