Better than ever!

after a couple of days getting the house ready for Fall, they called and told us the "King" (no, no, not Elvis - Big Dog's hog ha!) was all cured and ready to roll. Big Dog had properly diagnosed the problem.....the compensator sprocket had loosened. Had we driven the additional 900 miles we had left to get home, more than likely we would be looking to replace the whole engine. Phew...thank goodness forU-hauls and a very astute Big Dog. So.... "The King's" engine is now quiet, the pipes are loud, and both bikes are ready for whatever roads lie ahead. The trip was wonderful and seeing the family on the way home....priceless!!! As I write this I can hear the leaves and pinecones starting to fall, the shadows are getting long, and the daylight is waining fast.....WAAAA what happened to summer????????? getting chilly flame, still in T-shirts Big Dog

Life in a U-Haul - Day 14

So I guess the title might have a few of you wondering what happend to the loud pipes, wind in our face, vibrating hogs traveling down the country road!!! Well as luck (?) would have it, about ONE MILE from Dad's driveway in North Carolina The King started moaning, groaning and making a terrible racket - OH NO SAY IT AIN'T SO......COULD IT BE THAT THE KING NEEDS SOME ENGINE MASSAGING - when we got to Dad's the assessment wasn't good. We still had over 900 miles left to go and some of it through pretty remote areas in Virginia and Pennsylvania. After a few drinks and a fitful night sleep Big Dog decided that we would rent a truck for the harley's and drive them home. Ahh now here comes the good part..... we had a wonderful visit with Dad and family - lots of laughs, hugs, and stories, and, since we would then be taking the Jersey Turnpike home, we could visit my "new improved - part bionic brother" Now seeing him, Lorraine, Adam, and S&S was just a BLAST !!!! He amazed us at how he is getting around and has seeminly more pep than before - give me some of what he's taking!!!! It was just unbelievable, amazing, awesome, and way cool!!! We are now home and are off to our dear buddies Jon and Loann's for some more drinks, laughs, hugs, and a few bug-in-our teeth war stories..... it just doesn't get any better than this:) Tomorrow we will find out The King's ailments and deal with returning the truck and all of that stuff - but for now it just feels great to be home. Road weary flame and yellow line fever Big Dog

Slayed the dragon Day 10

The tail of the dragon is in Deal's Gap in the Smokey Mountains. Thats where it is but riding it is another story WOW it is one of the most amazing roads I have ever been on -11 miles 311 or so switch back turns.....2nd gear most of the way WOW, WOW, WOW. and all of this incredible riding without even blinking haha!!! Since this is "Thunder in the Valley" week the roads were full of all sorts of b ikers. The sport bikers were particularly neat to watch as they navigated the turns with their knees almost touching the ground - kind of like Jason does on Super Bikers (speed channel - Big Dog's favorite:) All pretty cool!!!! When we got to Maggie Valley we were even able to find a room and then walked our sorry butts over to Hardtails Saloon for lunch. Come to think of it, a sore butt isn't a bad price to pay to see places like this. Now tonight there is a lot of live music to choose from and since most of it will be the shit kicking kind I guess we will have to wear our boots haha! I suppose we will even see our share of some wild and crazy characters - what a town!!!! I will be sure to grab a couple of aspirins before calling it a night - ouch my aching head!!! Tomorrow we will shake off all of that dust and will be off to see Dad, Kashmire, and our NC family Yea!!! You have to hear this place...a second ago about 20 bikes just ROARED past our room - shiver me timbers - that was LOUD - now this is truly Hog Heaven. I will be off the computer while in NC. Will pick up again on Monday when we leave there - till then - have a great weekend and make some noise - Smoking Flame and hard to slow down Big Dog. PS you can find out some cool information if you google Tail of the Dragon

Who knows where, TN Day 9

Today was just one of those days that we kind of just put the bikes in 5th gear and made some time. After about 380 miles - ouch.....yes my butt was beginning to show signs of that last birthday I celebrated - we made it to Farragut Tn. aka Knoxville West. We now have our boots off and all our aches are slowly fading into the sunset - sunset ahh how far behind could cocktail hour be haha. We really had a great time in Memphis - there was actually one thing I did forget to mention to you.... we were there during the NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION!! How could I forget the Church Ladies!!!!! We were surrounded by them and they were all dressed up in either ALL white, green, or Red (I personally would have chosen red to match my hair haha!). Oh yes there were the pumps dyed to match and lets not forget the HATS - there were high ones, big ones, feather ones, short ones and all matched their outfits perfectly - how did they do that???? Now one might wonder how 2 kind of scruffy harley dudes would wind up talking to this group. Well, as the saying goes, what happens on Beale Street stays on Beale Street haha. Picture this - bike night, a light mist is falling, a sultry 90 degrees, there we were sitting at the bar in Rum Buggie Cafe and we spotted the white church ladies sitting down the bar getting loaded and dancing with the blues band playing. It was pretty darn spiritual I tell you. One of them was actually from Harlem - we talked about how cool growing up in New York was and exchanged Bronx accents.....I really like this town. Well tomorrow we are off to the Tail of the Dragon - a motorcycle icon. Till then....bronx flame and still shaking those hips Big Dog

Blingland Day 8

We recovered from last night in fine fashion and today bright and early it is off to "Graceland, Graceland - we're going to Graceland" I think we got there before Elvis was even awake but there we were 10:30am in line with a hundred or so of his closest fans. Graceland itself isn't as big as you would expect - hell I think there are some yuppie starter-homes bigger haha. Ahh but between his 13 or so acres, horses, jet planes, cars, bikes and, lets not forget, all the BLING that surrounded him and made him bigger than life, it was very impressive. But, alas, we all know how it ended - sigh - way to soon and very tragic. Tonight it seems that Beale Street is having its "Bike night" - now how cool is that????? So I guess all that is left for us to do before we leave Elvis Land will be to put on our new "Elvis Bling tank tops" and rock and roll in tribute to the King himself. Who knows maybe there will be an Elvis sighting ....yea, yea, I know there will - Elvis lives Flame and hip shaking Big Dog

"We were walking in Memphin" - Day 7

Tennessee - well what can be said for the "King's" home state??????? Well from Nellie's vibrating seat I would sum it up as hot, wide open random farms, Lots and Lots of gospel type churches, soul food and "singing the blues" kind of people hanging out on their porches. As we rode into Memphis I was amazed at how large (kind of) a city it was. After getting settled we took a walk to Beale Street - it reminded us alot of Burbon Street - kind of the same honky tonk place but with Elvis statues in all the stores!!! Although the crazies are scheduled to appear tomorrow night when they will have "Bike Night" it was still pretty cool. The music is great and the vodka makes you forget that thunderstormes are predicted for the next week Yikes I thought they had better weather in Elvis Land!! Anyway tomorrow it is off to Graceland - yes I will send the King all of your best wishes and try to find out his secret how in the Hell he can make so much money (52 million last year) - GOSH does he still have to pay taxes and health care haha. . And never forget "What happens in Vegas started in Memphis" Gotta love this place the Can't wait to meet Elvis Flame and Hey, what about me Big Dog.

Clarksville TN Soggy day 6

Well the sun Gods have abandoned us and we pretty much rode in the rain most of the day. After a particular hard downpour we stopped for lunch - a couple of other bikers were in MickyD's and we all kind of laughed at each other - but when lunch was over the sun was out and all seemed right with the world again. It was so nice out that when we stopped for gas we even shed some of our foul weather gear. We had only about 8 miles left for the day when mother nature really showed her power........all of a sudden the sky went dark - luckily we pulled over and put the rest of our gear back on and then BAM all hell broke loose....thunder, lightening, wind, hail, yikes for a moment I looked up and expected to see sails....was I back on Alize???? Say it ain't so.......ahhh but I realized we were traveling about 40 miles per hour so EVENTUALLY (what's that song...when the wind turns the minutes to hours) we passed through it and there on the side of the road in the bright sun was our hotel ...an oasis I tell you...how cool is that???? After getting to our room we realized that we were pretty much wet to the bone so I figure it must be time for laundry. Now the laundry is done......we went across the street for a wonderful dinner and are now high and dry in our room with a drink and cable - this life on the road isn't so bad afterall. Tomorrow we will be with the King - Elvis that is - so thank you, thank you very much this is a blast......drying out flame and the king in waiting Big Dog

Blue grass country Day 4 & 5

Well here we are in Lexington KY - the ride here was magnificent - hundreds of miles of rolling hills, farms and pastures WOW !!! Ok, as we all know, NOTHING is perfect - right??? So amidst all of this beauty were endless trucks pulling trailers filled with horses and assorted barnyard critters - I mean REALLY a person could walk faster than they were traveling.....but just to keep you occupied on this slow journey there were yard after yard after yard of yard sales! I mean were did all this stuff come from - there was some house stuff but mostly racks of clothing. It looked like a sale at Filene's basement - we even spotted a wedding gown - I guess just incase you got inspired or something like that - ??? At one point, on one of our stops (burger king), we watched a parade of horses go by.....would have gotten a picture but by the time I found my camera it was over - oh well maybe next time. Lexington is a small city - about 10 square blocks AND they charge you for internet - hense I am sitting in a cafe getting it for free. Last night we walked to a quaint part of the city and found a great restaurant with outdoor seating - met a charming family - he was from Genoa Italy and she was from Thiland - and I though Bob being from Long Island was exotic haha. Gotta love it!!! We topped the evening off by finding a neat bar that had outdoor seats and watched the Lexingtonians go by. This morning we actually walked a mile to find a Duncan Donuts - met a lady from New Jersey who had recently moved here - she said it was quite a culture shock so we decided not to look for realestate haha. Anyway tomorrow we are off again.....till then - happy trails, keep smiling, caffinated Flame and ice tea big dog

Riding through the hills - Day 3

You just HAVE to love this perfect weather - Once we got through Pittsburgh this morning we jumped off - ok rode off - the superslab and on to some beautiful roads along side the Ohio River on the West Virginia side - the woods gave off such fresh cool air that somehow it seemed to smooth out the aches, pains, and vibrations from old Nellie. When we stopped - God only knows where, for a cup of joe we had our first memorable people encounter. Her name was something like "Loulayla" (I couldn't make stuff like that up could I???) Anyway she proceeded to tell us how many, many, years ago she rode with her partner who , not only was a Hell's Angel, but also reminded her of that kidnapper on TV - she too had 2 kids by him but got away, with her kids, I guess in the nick(?) of time. Anyway she looked good and seemed to be enjoying her onion rings in Burger King.....it doesn't get better than that does it???? We are now in a place called Gallipolis, Ohio - there wasn't a big enough town in West Virginia by the Point Pleasant area so we jumped into Ohio. This place even has a HAPPY HOUR - Big Dog sure knows how to pick em!!! Tomorrow it is off to Lexington Ky for a couple of days. Looking forward to a short ride and seeing some of the City. Today we logged in another 230 miles - it sure is fun - hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend and Ed is making tracks - You go Brother Love boots off and feet up Flame and ready to get going Big Dog

Moon over Pittsburgh

Well here we are somewhere right outside of Pittsburgh PA and, possibly unfortunate for this blog, I have ALREADY spent a couple of hours at the bar in Outback!!! Phew, either I am REALLY out of shape, or......riding for 8 hours makes you drink more haha!!! Anyway, I think we traveled back through time - Picture this....we were passing through some beautiful farm land in Pennsylvania when BAM...there we were spack dab in the middle of the Amish country and I, for one, have to tell you it was SCARRY!!!! First of all, not only wasn't there a Duncan Donuts in sight, but for about 50 miles there wasn't a gas station either. Now I know I can't exit without my coffee but Nelly REALLY needs her fuel - expecially now that she is all juiced up. Luckily that ended before we had to call 911 - oops did they even have cell phone service????? Anyway we are now in the land of free wifi, cable, and pick-up trucks so I guess all is good!! Having a blast - drinking possibly too much and can't wait to see what tommorow bring - till then - happy trails to you - beware of people riding horses with long beards and keep laughing - it will keep the neighbors wondering haha Love vibrating Flame and getting thinner Big Dog

Finally the open road

• Hey all - well leaving this morning was kind of like dropping the mooring..... always a million things you could do but we finally bit the bullet and by 9:15 we were zooming up the driveway and off into the wind. We are now in Scranton PA, about 340 miles kind of South West - the moon is either full or almost there and everything seems perfect. We walked about 1/2 mile to have a few drinks and some dinner and now I believe the hot tub is calling us. The moon is shinning in through the window and the big dog is starting to howl....haha!!! Spoke to Ed tonight and he is doing great - so I guess all is right with the world - Love you all - wish you were here - keep those comments comming!!! Love.... bugs in my teeth Flame and howling Big Dog

And we are almost off

Well here we are -----we have possibly already consumed way too much wine and vodka, our bags are packed, the bikes have had their fluids replaced and massaged. The hogs have been cleaned, polished, and pretty much we are ready to roll. Ed has successfully had his bionic hip put in place and hopefully now is in LaLA land with some incredible drugs and, by tomorrow, we will be off on our "new great adventure" Keep in touch.....stay cool, and keep the rubber side down . We love and will miss you all...the Flame and Big Dog

Yearning for the open road again

Well what the heck happened to this summer???? I guess we had ALL of 3 nice weekends - which as unbelievable as it may seem, we spent 2 of them on Bryan's boat!!! It was real nice to get our sea legs back under sunshine and warm breezes. But now that August is fading, or should I say, RAINING into September, thoughts of seat vibrations and paved roadways are beginning to overcome us. When we returned from our trip last year we were so in awe of our incredible journey that we started planning our next trip!!! Soooo... this year "we're going to Graceland" I know, most of you who have seen it think it is very tacky, but hell Flame and Big Dog live for tacky hahaha :) I have started the process of packing, cleaning, and taking care of all those things I find necessary to do - oh well, what can I say, it is a process and I am compelled by some unknown force to follow it. Big Dog is getting the hogs ready to roll and it will take him all of 20 minutes or so to be packed and ready to go.....sigh - sometimes it is a tough act to follow!!! Anyway we are thinking some day next week - we are looking for a weather window of a couple of days - this has been a tough season so far so we are not in the count down mode yet!!! (more time for me to do all those crazy things haha) Will keep you posted - take care and keep the wind in your face - unless you are sailing. Soggy Flame and up to my elbows in oil Big Dog

Low Salt Diet

Well the qestion is this...... what exactly does one do when they return home for the summer, work real hard on getting their house back into shape, and then when it is time to go play....it RAINS EVERYDAY!!!!!! Uggh - this is one lousy start to our very short summer. Last weekend we were so desperate for something to do we even helped Bryan with some maintenance on his boat ....this is seriously wrong haha - ahhh but there is a silver lining to all of these clouds.......we don't have to water our plants, the grass has never looked better, we are not wearing out the tires on our bikes, we don't have to worry about sunburns, we have started planning our trip this September to GraceLane, and cocktail hours are starting a wee bit sooner haha. So now for something completely different - we are sailing off to Provincetown for the 4th of July - with Bryan, Erin, and Danielle. The weather is, well we won't even go into that, but what the heck we should all have a blast. The only thing left to worry about is whether or not Big Dog falls back into love with the sailing lifestyle.....yaaaaaar could we start drinking rum drinks again?????? Till we return to the hard - Soggy Flame and salty(?) big dog

Is it summer yet??

Well guys here it is the beginning of June and it is still cold, damp, and gloomy waaaaa I think I NEED to go back to Florida haha- I do hear it is sunny and 90's down there - now that's what we be talking about!! Sigh.....oh well on a positive note we did manage to get away on Memorial Weekend. We rode up to Woodstock New Hampshire - reconnecting with the mountains, trees, snow, a few of our favorite bartenders and some dear friends. Yes, it was a spectacular weekend - a wee bit on the cool side with, believe it or not, snow still on the highest elevations. The White Mountains are a real treat to ride through right up until October and then the crazy people who pray for snow take over. We rode hundreds of miles winding through small towns and farms, through a couple of covered bridges and eating in some great local fare Yes it is very tempting to get a place up there and, of cause, one in Florida. Ahh when I grow up and decide what I want to do that might be a great plan. For now our daughter is in the process of buying a condo in Cambridge, Boston and I see, in our not so distant future, moving vans, paint, and many, many trips to home depot. Ahh... life in a bikers life is not always with the wind in your face. We are, however, getting out most days if only for my caffeine break. Gotta love those addictions!!! Happy trails....yearning for more saddle time Flame and not happy Big Dog

Summer time?

Well we have raked and hauled all of the winter's nasty dropping to the dump and it is time to start riding again..... phew my body was sure getting out of shape haha!!! This past weekend the temperatures soared into the 80's and off we went into Connecticut. There is a, you better have your fair share of tattoos and leather on, biker bar in Chaplin Ct right on Rt6. We took the highways down there and the back roads home. Good thing we got there before the crowd from the rally showed up - before you knew it the bar was 3 deep and not a "poser" in the bunch haha!!! My one little tattoo, however, looked pretty pathetic - could it be time for another????? On the trip home the roads were just brimming with spring flowers and fresh air it was all pretty spectacular - no palm trees but beautiful none the less. Sooooo I guess this is why we leave the crazy Keys and travel North.....Ahh life is good - Back in the saddle Flame and the Big Dog

riding into the sunset

Well here we are sitting across from sunset beach and watching our wonderful time in the keys come to an end WAWA!!! We had such a blast with our friends and family but the time just went by way too quickly and now we are in our "Oh my we have to have lunch and drinks at our favorite watering holes just one more time before we leave" - so many bars....so many Margaritas...so little time left.... is anyone out there starting to feel the least bit sorry for us yet???? Oh come on now - the snow is melted and I bet the crocus are even starting to bloom so what more could a hearty New Englander want haha!! Hopefully next year there will be easier access to the internet....I feel like I have been gone a long time - when I left home having a blog was still considered to be kind of cool - now all I am hearing about is Facebook!!! I am not sure if I am ready for prime time pictures of me!!! Once you submit a picture does it stay there until it starts to look good to you haha. Soooo take care enjoy the sun and start dusting off the hogs....spring is here enjoy we will see you soon. Tan Flame and hanging in the sun Big Dog

Margaritaville

Living on sponge cake and wearing my flip flops ...aaaah now that's what we be talking about!!! Life in the Conch Republic is all about blue skies, ocean breezes (OK maybe it would be more like canal breezes) and BBQ's NOT TOO SHABBY!!! We have been riding almost everyday - all in all a great way to spend the winter???? Tonight we will be having some friends ride down for a couple of days and Saturday Bryan and Erin will be coming for a week - wahooo.... cocktail hours are going to ROCK!!! I hear the deep freeze is slowly leaving - you guys keep warm and will try to send some good weather up there. Till then - happy trails and remember....it is 5 o'clock somewhere haha. Love the tan flame and beer drinking big dog.

Key West Time

Well here we are back in the saddle and settling into "Key West Time" Ahhh - I know the weather down here isn't quite the perfect temperature it usually is but it sure beats the alternative - 10 deg. and snowing!!! Uggh! Sure hope the weather starts to behave up there! Well I was hoping to have internet service at the house we rent but I guess life isn't perfect haha!!! Anyway for some reason I am unable to send emails out - I have tried for a couple of days and an error appears. I am in a library now using their wireless connection so I will keep trying......oop.... well maybe margarita time might get in the way but I am thinking of you guys and hopefully will get this straightened out. Will keep in touch every couple of days. Love.... sitting in the sun Flame and the Big Warmer Dog

Cabin Fever

Well here it is T-9 days and the weather is just terrible!!! It has snowed somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 feet so far with more expected tomorrow uggh - if this keeps up we just may never return - ahhh now there is a possibility that is starting to sound very doable. Picture this....sunshine, blue skies, frosty margaritas, tank tops, flipflops, and a TAN - and why exactly are we living here????? Ok, I guess the summers - all 6 weeks of them - are wonderful - as are all of our friends and family. But wait, wouldn't they visit us in the bright sunshine???? Humm something to ponder about as we drink hot toddies and snuggle by the fireplace. As we figure it, once we leave here it should take about a week to shed our wool layers and replace them with suntan lotion, summer garb, and sunglasses. For all of those stuck here in the Northeast frigid zone, I hope the sun gods are good to you and the rest of your winter is much, much, milder. Just a note...it has been SO COLD and SNOWY that even my heated grips were not enough to entice me to take a short trip to Duncan Donuts. Now THAT is cold indeed!!! Trying to keep the flame and shivering Big Dog