A Singing Heart and a Permagrin - IHG and Sadie

Sitting here drinking some coffee and watching it rain yet again. Glad I took a little putt on Sadie last night. Sadie you ask...how is it going with that?? Well I'm the type of person that if I haven't mastered something I start getting down about it. I've taken her on a few short trips. Nothing too extreme yet. Not sure why I had it in my head that I'd be riding cross country by now. Thank goodness for some pep talks from Di Green and LadyR. It's good to hear from women on riding their own and what they went through to get to superstar biker status. I've always had respect for bikers but now that I'm actually working on this riding my own thing that respect has grown a million percent. I can see why people like riding out in the middle of nowhere with no other traffic. Cage drivers that don't ride are poopstains!

There have been moments as I've been riding that have made my heart sing and have given me permagrin. The first was when I was shifting gears and getting out of 1st for the first time. FUN!!! I kept saying to myself...you are shifting gears woman...go...go...go! The second was my first biker wave. Dan said he laughed out loud when he saw me drop the wave to a fellow biker. He told me that he instantly thought...My chicks a biker now! I know, I know...don't write comments that I'm not a biker yet...that I need many more miles in the saddle. It is my philosophy that being a biker is in your soul. It's not something that you can just get. If I have to explain...blah, blah, blah.

So that's the latest on me and my pretty chrome horse, Sadie.

Somebody Pinch Me!

Dan and I left on the Glide and were a few blocks down the road when Dan pointed at the speedometer and tachometer. Nothing, nada, zip going on there. We headed back home and after finding that it's not a fuse but possibly the sensor we decided to take Sadie to a parking lot so that I could get some practice in. Here are some pictures from my 2nd time out on her. Dan said I had permagrin on my face the entire time. A few more times of this and I'll be out on the road!





A huge thanks to Dan for his patience with me and the great tips he's given me. It's all clicking and I'm owning it! I'm giddy like a kid at Christmas...the sunshine just keeps on a shining down on me! :)

I'm a Biker Girl on a Steel Horse I Ride!

Wow...thanks to everyone that posted a comment on my last blog entry! This is a very special event in my life and I'm glad your sharing it with me!! I said at the end of the last post, come back for the rest of the story and I got to thinking about that...the rest of the story???...huh? The story is just beginning isn't it. This is the beginning of my big dream.

I took Sadie for her first spin tonight and wouldn't you know it, forgot the camera. Dan and I went to a parking lot and I actually road her, feet up on the pegs. It was a great feeling and for not riding on my own for 3 yrs, I was pretty darn proud of myself. This is going to be a very fun journey for me and I hope you continue to ride with me through it.

Is This a Dream?? No, It's The Answer to One! IHG and Her Motorcycle Become a Reality!

About a month ago Dan said..."Baby, I think we need to get you that motorcycle." I looked at him with that are you pulling my leg look and said..."REALLY?" "Yep...I think we can swing it and you more then deserve a motorcycle of your own." So the hunt began. We looked on craigslist and went to some dealerships. One night Dan said..."Baby, I found the bike for you. Take a look and let me know what you think." I sat down at the computer and looked at the beautiful black Sporty on the eBay site and smiled. I was pretty skeptical about it though because if we won the auction we'd have to drive to Waukesau, Wisconsin to get her. I thought about it for a bit and said to Dan..."Let's bid on her and see what happens." Dan put in the bids and we waited the auction out. I'd look at the auction everyday when I got up, when I got home, and before I went to bed. The auction ended the Saturday before Easter at about 4:15 in the afternoon. When the auction finally ended and the bike was mine I was laughing and crying and jumping up and down. I called Dan at work and was yelling in the phone..."I JUST BOUGHT MYSELF A HARLEY!!! OMG!! IT'S MINE!!!!!"

My folks came on Easter and I told them the great news and asked if we could borrow the pick-up and trailer to go and get my Harley. They of course agreed and wanted to go along to share the experience with me. They have always joked that the Zippy Pickle is their grandchild and now they have another.

The week dragged on but finally Friday night came and Dan and I started out to my parent's place in NE Iowa. About 7 miles outside of Albion, IA, Dan's car overheats and we had to pull over. The car cools down enough to make it to Albion. We park it and call my folks to pick us up. A broken down car was not going to keep me from making my dream a reality. Long story short...the Caddy got towed to a station and is being nursed back to health so Dan can drive it another 100,000 miles. :)

Saturday morning we were up early and on the road to Wisconsin. 4 hours later we were turning into the neighborhood that my new baby currently called home. When I exited the truck I saw her immediately and immediately knew I had made the right choice. She was perfect...beautiful...everything I'd always hoped for when I'd finally be able to purchase a bike of my own. I could tell Angie, the previous owner, was a little sad that she was selling her beloved Harley to someone else. She told me that she was very happy it was being purchased by another female. She won't be without a motorcycle long because she purchased a new one. I could tell though that she loved this bike. It was spotless, it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor. Dan took her for a spin and came back to let me know she ran like a dream. And man oh man when you flip that ignition switch those pipes rumble like no other. She sounds amazing!

I talked to Angie for quite a while. I found out my bike has done the Tail of the Dragon. Angie also rode her as a Road Captain of the Milwaukee Chapter HOG. There are stickers on her windshield that show these two accomplishments and I've decided to leave them there because those are part of her history. One wild thing is that Angie is from Ankeny, IA which is a suburb of Des Moines and about 5 miles from where I currently live.

Angie and I were standing there watching the guys strap my bike into the trailer and I said to her..."You know, I'm having a really hard time not crying right now because my dream is coming true." She looked at me and said..."I'm having a hard time too because I'm really going to miss this bike." I gave her a hug and then we had to look away from each other before we both broke down and cried.

We finally were ready to get back on the road and we said our good-byes to Angie. She stood in her garage and watched us drive away. I'm not sure if she was crying but boy I was. This is something I've wanted for years and it finally was real. I finally had a motorcycle of my very own.

I'd like you all to meet my new beautiful baby, Sadie! I'm so happy that I feel like I'm walking on sunshine.

Come back in a day or two for the rest of the story! :)