Chapters

Just after high school, someone told me “you should write a book.” I’m not much of a writer, but I am beginning to build some great stories in this big adventure.

It’s been three years since I started my blog and I find myself at a crossroad… recovered from pregnancy and childbirth and back on the way up, physically. I now wonder, what next!? I’ve ridden my bike in all but a handful of states in the US, and seen some beautiful stuff, while doing so. I’ve accomplished lots in the bike world. I’ve also got a job I love in an idyllic place, a wonderful family, great friends… and a beautiful green bike (built by my husband, of course) with a trailer for my super cute kiddo! What more could a woman ask for

The current chapter of this life novel, revolves around my beautiful new son, Alexander Ray. Having a kid has made me analyze my list of priorities and he’s number one. I want to provide the best possible for this guy. I don’t just mean financially, but all of the REAL stuff that a kid needs to grow up confident, secure and compassionate. I’ve been working on some cool projects with and for him and find that my blog will be taking a slight turn as I want to share this stuff. I mean… I will continue to adventure and explore, but he will be a consideration in that. I will continue to make cool stuff and learn about the world, but he will be there experiencing all of that with me. It’s a wonderful and exciting time for us both!

Now, to share some of our recent adventures and what we’ve got coming up…

We’ve been caught up a bit lately with Ride the Divide screenings. First Monterey, then Newport Beach, then Idyllwild. We’ve got another one coming up at a super cool pub in San Diego on Adams Ave: Blind Lady Ale House, June 21st

We may also be attending a screening in Tucson July 7th at the Loft Cinema, Tucson’s Nonprofit Independent Art House. Alexander is going to know this movie verbatim by the time we’re done with screenings.

Alexander has also had many personal developments in the last couple of months. He had his first long night with his daddy when I went to Los Angeles for a school fundraiser and tanked some bottles!

He’s four months old now and is holding his head up pretty well and is very engaged with people and toys.

We also made him a garden. Well, we built it and put dirt, compost etc. (been composting for about 8 months) in it, but haven’t planted the plants yet.

Now, just this week, he started rolling onto his side.

We’ve also been working on sign language with him. The only one that he seems to recognize, so far is for MILK. We’re also working on Change, Mommy, Daddy, Water (took him to the creek for that one), Sleepy and Toys. Those are most of the important things in his life right now.

He’s becoming very vocal, too. When we read books to him, or when he’s playing with his toys, he starts cooing. He watches our lips when we read and moves his along with us. It’s just so amazing to see this little guy’s brain soaking things up – we gotta get a video camera!

Brendan and I have decided that we need to concentrate on our own nutrition and exercise even more, so we can keep up with this guy. I’ve added flax and molasses into our diet. I have been making sourdough waffles from the starter that Brendan’s mom gave me and incorporating more nuts and seeds and fresh fruit. Brendan has been running and I have been getting up early to work out. It’s going to be a tough road… getting these core muscles back, and the first week was a bit painful.

We’re pretty lucky, so far, with this happy kid. He seems to soak things up and is growing like a weed. He has doubled his birth weight and his health and demeanor rub off on us!

I think that book will have to be written after I’m dead. The adventures keep happening so fast, there’s not even a break in the action for a different chapter.

She’s heeeeeeeeere.

Well, the maiden voyage for the Ghia was a success. I flew out to NM last week and worked some long days with my dad getting the ship ready to sail. My dad used to be a Volkswagen mechanic, so he had done the hard work before I got there. I’ve wanted a Karmann Ghia for many, many years and last year my brother found me one. You have to understand first that my whole family are Volkswagen nuts – no crazy about them, between them all there’s probably 8-10 vans, bugs, campers, trucks etc. So, I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. We bought the car a year ago and my dad just recently had time to work on it. He pulled the 1200cc engine out of it (wasn’t original anyhow) and put a more appropriate 1600 dualport in it, which he happened to have lying around and rebuilt for the occasion. When I got there, he hadn’t really driven it. He was finishing it up as I pulled in with my sister. We took it for a drive and realized that the clutch wasn’t so hot. He had replaced the clutch, but not the pressure plate. Fortunately we were able to get one in town. So, we pulled the engine back out and threw in a new pressure plate, then tossed the engine back in. That was the easiest thing we did all week on it.

The Ghia had been lowered, so the tires rubbed on the fenders when you turned. I wanted to get new tires, but not waste them because of the rubbing. Solution – find VW disc brake ghia spindles. My brother was on the case. We called all around their small town (Alamogordo) and couldn’t find any. James wanted to drive to Las Cruces to get some stuff for his vanagon anyhow. He ended up spending the whole day driving around looking for the new spindles and was able to get them. In the mean time, my dad and I tore apart the brakes to replace many things in the system. I had to pull the gas tank to get to the Master Cylinder (well, comfortably get to it.) I just bought a new one instead of rebuilding the old one since it was only 15 bucks. I pulled the rear drum brakes apart to clean up the shoes and also replace the wheel cylinders on each wheel. Then we had to bleed the brakes (I like that part cause they’re super similar to my mountain bike brakes – and the pads for the front discs aren’t much bigger) We then pulled some wheels off of an old 411 wagon they have so I could have the half-moon hubcaps instead of the plain rims that were on the Ghia (I prefer the chrome.)

My dad and I took a trip around to some fellow vw friends’ shops to get a new turn signal switch (well, new to me) which I then wired in. Then when James got home with the spindles and new tires, my dad helped me pull the modified ones off and put the new ones on. Then I put the whole front end back together and it looks like normal (stock) size tires will even clear (it had 135s on it – they look like wheel barrow tires and are really hard to find!)

Somewhere in there, I also rebuilt the carburetor for it, which my dad helped me fine tune once we put it in. We also adjusted the timing and the front end alignment and gave her a bath.

Then my parents and brother drove with me to Tucson, where I met up with Brendan. The drive was slow because we had to take it easy on the newly rebuilt engine. Only once, I took it up to 75mph to see how it felt – pretty darn good! We pretty much drove through the night Saturday night as we left pretty late. We went over to Matt’s place Sunday morning to change the oil pack up for the second leg of the drive. I said good bye to my parents and James as they turned around to head back home (yeah, I still consider it home!) It was pretty sad because this was the best time I’ve had with my family in years. My dad and I had so much fun working on the car and my brother and I played childish pranks on each other. My mom kept us fueled with great food and even gave me a homemade quilt for the road. My older sister Cathy played a few pranks too and went shopping with me in El Paso before heading to Alamo. Even my twin, Julie, came down for the adventure – bringing her two boys and husband to cheer me on with my new toy.

Brendan and I headed back to CA for a long lonely drive. My dad had been riding with me on the first leg, now all I had was an ipod. I kinda felt like I was in a movie heading into the Californian sunset and getting waves and looks from everyone on the road. Brendan took it for a pull and got lots of winks and smiles from middle age women and I got lots of bikers and truckers honking at me.

So, enjoy the pics and I’m sure I’ll have many more stories of adventures in this car. We are going to make a roof rack as my bike doesn’t fit well inside. I could take the wheels off and put it in the trunk, but the roof rack should be pretty slick. I think we’ll use a little bamboo!