Ending Mileage

674 miles. The odometer is a little off so that's closer to 650.

Madison Correctional Facility

I think this is the closest I have ever been to a prison. Hopeful I can maintain that status.

Charlestown, IN

I didn't go into the park-again..didn't have time.

New Washington

This is the first time I ever used my side stand.

Waterfall

This was right near Madison.

Madison, IN

Madison is a really neat-looking town. I'd like to explore it sometime, not just drive through. I had intended to visit Clifty Falls State Park, but I figured I didn't have enough time.

Indiana

Just across the bridge, there was this sign.

Places I Stopped - Bedford

Bedford, KY (of course...this is where Mom is buried). They have their first fast-food chain now: Subway

Flowers

Mom would have been 75 today.

Moms Birthday Today

Today was moms Birthday. I rode up to Bedford Kentucky and brought her some flowers.

Long Hair

Lexie's hair is getting so long! She'll be able to put it up in a ponytail soon. It works great with piggy tails right now. Its so long and pretty when she keeps it brushed... She is a typical girl who wants to look pretty, but this goes more toward clothes, jewelry, fingernail polish and lip gloss than hair. I'm not saying she has bad personal hygiene-but I'm saying that its mainly because I won't allow it. I have to tell her al the time "brush your hair", "brush your teeth", "wash your face", "take a shower", etc.

Lexie's Homework

Lexie gets these newspaper things at school on Mondays. This week the subject was political. I learned with her about election process, vetoing, immigrants, gas prices, foreign policy, war...its very good to see them teaching this stuff.

Logan's Homework

This is the short story Logan chose to read tonight for his reading log. Logan is so cool! I love this story. It is in a Scott Foresman Reading book I got for him at half price books.

Lazer [Blade] Blaze

One thing I forgot about Lazer Blaze...we played two games, then took
a diet coke break. After that we played one more game. The last
game, I got really freaked out! They play odd techno music while the
game is going on. Well, here I am, it's all dark and there is smog
and lights, etc. Then the music from the movie Blade starts playing!
It's in the scene where the vampire lady takes the guy to this secret
party and the dj has that music playing. After a couple minutes, the
sprinkler system turns on like there is a fire, but instead--blood is
pumping out of the sprinklers!!! It really freaked me out--if
somebody would have come up behind me at that point, I would
definately have jumped!!!

Beautiful Morning

The kids were a bit gunky today, but other than that, it was a beautiful morning, with a really fantastic sunrise--the one good thing that comes out of daylight savings time.

Snowing today...ok, this is enough

Even Lexie said "I'm tired of this weather." It is coming down in HUGE flakes.

Meanwhile...Lazer Blaze

While Lex was at her birthday party, Logan and I went over and checked out Lazer Blaze. I played it originally when it was called Photon back in the mid 80's, then played Lazer Chase (in this same building) with my best friend Patrick in the early 90's. I remember that you had to wear this 10 lb. belt of battery packs, a huge chest and back plate, and a helmet that was the size of my full m/c helmet. The technology was not that great, and it was a lot of equipment to run around it, but we did it because it was a lot of fun.Now, there is a much simpler set of equipment, it's all a lot lighter and much less cumbersome. Accuracy is much better too. I think Lexie would have fun at it also. We might try to play again in a couple weeks.

Lexie went to Lilly & Lilly's birthday party

Saturday, Lexie went to two classmates birthday party (Lilly Nelson & Lilly Fields). She had a good time. It was at the Cyril Allgier Community Center.

Goofin' around on the scooter

The kids like sitting on the scooter and taking little rides around the parking lot. We're at the end of a no-outlet area in our apartment complex, so I don't take them far, but they act like it is the funnest thing.

A little bummed

I was supposed to go on a ride today up to Bedford to put flowers on my mother's grave and ride my scooter up, taking my time along back roads. My girlfriend is off today too and she wanted to spend time with me. She has to put her car in the shop and won't have anything else to do. I'm disappointed that I don't get to take my first real trip on the scooter today, but I'm sure I'll have a good day anyway. Its hard to have a bad day with her around.

This makes a fantastic point

I'm recently on two-wheels part time. Please take a moment to do this...

http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

It could save my life, or the life of some other 2-wheeler you know.

Ain't photo software grand???

This is a picture Dana made up.

Kelly's Road Trip

Here's a picture Dana did. She likes to photoshop stuff. I asked her
"If this is a roadtrip, then where's the ROAD?!??!"

Dana too

We had to get Dana up on the scooter too. She said she's ridden a
motorcycle before, but she didn't want to try out the scoot for some
reason. ;o)

Scooting around this weekend

I did some scootering around this weekend, and I went to see Joe
Wyzard (my ex-father-in-law) and his wife Dana. I always enjoy
spending time with them. Joe took my scooter down the block and back,
and he liked it.

Under the railroad bridge

I went down the hugely-in-need-of-repair river road. This is under the old train bridge. You can tell the Ohio River is up quite a bit.

bowl of Skyline for lunch

I went over to see Patti and we talked for while. I went to Skyline for lunch, then headed to Indiana. I went via the 2nd street bridge and it was no problem. In fact, it seemed slow--the posted speed limit is 35.

Moving up

logan finished his requirements for Tiger and now is working on his Wolf badge. His tiger badge has to stay upside down until he performs a good deed.

Thursday

the kids were sitting out on the balcony studying and doing homework.

Logan's Snowman

This is the snowman that Logan made this past weekend. He was really
proud of it. I helped with the body some, and Lexie helped dressing
and shaping.

No more Almost-Frostbitten Fingers

There is this web site for m/c gear called www.jafrum.com and they have stuff SUPER CHEAP. I got these leather gloves with 3M Thinsulate and waterproof covers for $14.95 and free shipping! I have some thin leather roper gloves for when its warmer, but by the time I got to work, my fingers were really sore and felt almost locked in place. This morning I almost couldn't get my gloves and helmet off! These ought to do the trick!

Another Co-worker from Monterey

This is David (seen once before) and Andrea. Everyone looks to be having a good time!

Co-workers from Monterey

These are some of my Co-workers from Mexico. This is Ramses, Gabriela, David, and Ricardo.

Weekend

This weekend was pretty cool. Friday there was lots of snow and the kids got to play in it—they stayed with my girlfriend Theresia and had snowball fights with their friend, her daughter Rachael. The snow continued so we were going to get some movies, snacks, and go home, but instead went back to Theresia's house to spend the night. The kids watched "All Dogs go to Heaven" and some Goosebumps movie Logan picked out about a boy with a magic shrunken head. I almost couldn't get out of her driveway on Saturday, but I finally did manage it. We went home and played in the snow some more, played Playstation games, and then I taught the kids how to play Crazy 8's. We played that several times and they are getting really good at it. Sunday afternoon, I took the kids to Gatti Land just so they could get some more play time in. Theresia came, with Rachael and also brought her granddaughter Kendall. That was a lot of fun too. We had wanted to go over to see the kids Grandma Dana and Grandpa Joe, but both Friday
and Saturday was pretty nasty to be driving around—too nasty to try and make it across the bridge. Sunday after Gatti Land, we just came home and played some more. Logan and I made his first snowman, we played cards again, and a little more Playstation (Logan got this game
for his birthday called Thrillville where you manage an amusement park, design the rides, talk to patrons, and even ride the rides and play the games yourself. On the roller coasters, Logan says "It feels like your head's on the roller coaster!"). Then Lexie got her reading log done, and we all went to bed.

Flowers for my Girlfriend

Last month, I moved. The movers were crappy, and I put a lot of stress on my back around that time. I have had back problems before, and I knew better, but did stuff I shouldn't have anyway. Well, right after moving, I tore up the disk in my lower back (I have had problems with it for years). I was really bummed because here is all this stuff to unpack and I was really in no shape to unpack it. Kids can only do so much (although they were also a big help). My girlfriend, Theresia came over that weekend and put enough stuff away so that I could get around and live in the new apartment. I could not have survived the past 30 days without her. So about a week ago, I sent her these flowers as a thank-you.

Rave accessories at Gatti Land

Logan got this for me, but i insisted he keep it. He was the only kid out of our three that thought of me. Such a sweet little guy...

After...

He wore himself out today playing!

Before...

Logan playing in the snow!

Favorite Character Day

To celebrate literacy and Dr. Seuss' birthday, yesterday the Kids got to dress as their favorite character from a book. Lexie dressed as the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz, and Logan dressed as Harry Potter. He won the contest for the whole school, and got a little stuffed Cat in the Hat figure.

My first 100 Chinese "Miles"

Generally speaking, the odometer on this scooter is not going to be real accurate, at least not in U.S. miles (probably closer to kilometers) but I've got my first 100 down now! I used it today to deliver Girlscout cookies for Lexie. I still have to go over into Indiana and deliver more, but I don't think I should drive it across the bridge just yet. I am not going to press beyond my skill level, which is currently negligible. I'm taking the car (or 'cage' as m/c people call it... Perhaps in a couple weeks...