Paradise Found

So ever since C bought his new Harley when he returned from Iraq, we've talked about ME getting a Harley, too. Lots of talk about WHICH model... him loving a Sportster because they can be so heavily modified... me thinking a Sportster would be too small and wimpy after my liter sportbike.

So no decision could really be made until I'd actually ridden a few Harleys, so I could see if I really wanted to make the change, right? So we rode our Hondas to the Harley shop yesterday, looked around and pretty quickly see THE coolest Sportster I'd ever laid my eyes on.

Whoever owned it before changed everything on it. The only thing that is stock is the engine and the frame. LMAO Everything on it has been modded and upgraded. Custom paint job, it's been lowered, etc etc.

So I started the day never having EVER ridden a Harley myself... and now I own one. We traded in one of the Hondas... C's CBR1000rr.

The artwork is part of the custom paint job... they're not stickers. =o)

So this is a 2001 Sportster 1200. It's a rigid hardtail... meaning zero shocks or suspension!! When I hit bumps, I bounce up off the seat and when I land, my glasses need straightening and I have to reseat myself. hehehehe

We've ridden both yesterday and today, now. C on his Harley, me on this one. The clutch is much stiffer than I'm used to w/ the sportbike, so that'll take more getting used to. Having the forward controls for the feet is very WRONG feeling to me, too. Still getting used to putting my feet up and forward.

Oh, and this motor is not rubber mounted. So not only do I not have any shocks... the motor is not contained in ANY way, so the vibrations are really strong. Like my hands and feet feel like they're going to vibrate off the ends if I don't keep readjusting. LOL!

So there we go! I feel like a TOTAL bad ass on this... a little like Jesse James even with those straight bars. hehehe

I ran out of gas sitting at a traffic light today, and switched it over to the reserve like I knew what I was doing! No gas guage, no gas light... I'm going to have to figure out how many miles I can go before the reserve becomes necessary. No clock either! LOL

And NO saddle bags. =:D There are mounts for bags, but I don't plan on using them. =o)

Well.... The Boy just finished up his second round of swimming lessons, and the life guard who was his teacher passed him for both Level 2 and Level 3. So hopefully the lifeguards at the OTHER pool will think he swims well enough to go off the diving boards and slides now!

I took some pics that I just love of him at the pool last week! I hope you can see them in enough detail!

I did take pictures of E then, too, but they're all of her in a bikini... so ya know. =o)

N has been super busy the last 3-4 weeks with swimming lessons, boy scouts, school and track practices.... so when it comes time to do homework.....

Yep! Fell asleep with the pencil in his hand, still. And he stayed like that for almost 2 hours. LMAO

So yesterday was Mother's Day and the kids presented me with their hand made gifts! And then they baked a CAKE!

A Red VELVET cake. With white icing.

So I ate two pieces yesterday. =o)

Then E got the big "present" yesterday... she got her hair done. Her poor hair was looking SO awful... the ugly home dye job was grown out with about 2 1/2 inches of roots showing. And her modeling photo shoot is in two weeks... so it just so happened that her hair appointment fell on Mother's Day.

We had them take her back to her natural color. Everyone who's used to seeing her will be shocked by how dark it is, but we've been coloring the brown out for a few years now. Time to let it get back to natural and healthy again. It took FOUR HOURS to do the job. I had no idea we'd be in there that long.

But...... here she is.

She loves it. LOL

And Rocker Boy!

The last picture I leave you with today is 19 years old. =o) I cannot BELIEVE this picture still exists out there... but a girl I graduated high school with scanned it and sent it to me! Inconceivable! It's from Senior Slave Day... 1988.

I put it up on the computer screen and asked each of the kids, separately... "Look at THAT person!" and they each said something like, "Is that you??!"