Modern Vespa

I didn't go to Pisa a second time either. I would only go again to bring the missus if she decided she wanted to go one day, but, based on both of us having the same assessment, she was indifferent. Sans horseface?!

I'm riding up to Bike Shed Moto in East London tomorrow.

Happy days.

This -

The YouTube algorithm strikes again...

Bro.

So insulting sheesh.

This reminds me of my uncle. One day in the 80's he got a phone call from the police.
"Bla bla, we caught a "friend of the police" driving your Fiat. He claims you gave him permission to drive the car. Can you confirm that?"
To which my uncle replied.
"If the can show me how he managed to get the engine running he can use the car, I'll even fill the tank for him."
Good old days.

The Bison in Wind Cave National Park weren't exactly 'cheerful' this afternoon, but were mellowed out enough for some decent photos from the Miata.

I managed a photo of several nearby cows, and was pleased, as always, that they only looked at us and didn't try to roll the little roadster or hop inside to kill us.

Finally, an R18 I like.

175 seats on this plane.

142 are empty.

Havin snackies now.

Yeah, Top that.

And we were just talking about chopped bikes! Lots of rake on the front. Looks like tubeless spoked wheels. Pretty unique job.

You're even uptown with the snackies! I've never gotten something that good on Southwest. Someone likes you on that plane.

Decided to change my mankini pic video thumbnail yesterday. It got me 26 unsubscribers.

Silver lining: 26 fewer people with no sense of fun subscribed to me. It's like purge day!

A previous quote from Mr. Copeland -- "There are many destinations in Italy that are both historically unique and beautiful. I was fortunate enough to live there for several years. I thought Piza (sic) was beautiful - but not somewhere I would go back to.

You could spend two months in Rome and not get to everything. I was underwhelmed with Pisa - not much there and you can cover the whole place in under one hour.

Having said this, I went to go see the famous leaning tower. It just would be lower on the list behind Venice, Florence, Rome, Amalfi Coast and Sicily.

Happy trails and buona fortuna

Bob Copeland"

I have to agree with you, Bob. Pisa, on the whole, was underwhelming, to be sure. But it is as beautiful as it is small...and manicured/landscaped to within an inch of its life!

You left out Napoli, and I would go back there to simply eat...for days! The origin of Margherita Pizza -- eating it at the source was beyond wonderful! The gelato was magnificent, as was the opera cake at the Teatro di San Carlo opera house cafe. Had some of the best lasagna I've ever had at a tiny hole-in-the-wall just off the square in Fierenze, as wall as a fine round of melon gelato from a vendor's cart, again, just off the square.

Next trip, Pontedera!

Victor

Speaking of excessively loud exhaust ...

I've been under a lot of stress lately. Friday a bunch of it came to a head. My IBS kicked into overdrive and - without divulging overmuch - I spent the last hour at work attending to business. On four separate occasions. I left early, at about 10:30am. I've lost about 7lbs in the past two weeks.

Today I decided to go on a therapy ride. I chose my wife's bike because it runs the best and exceeds 40mph.

WARNING : SOME CONTENT MAY BE DISTURBING FOR GROM RIDERS. READER DISCRETION ADVISED.

So, we all know the guy. The Grom rider. They buy the bike because of marketing, and the first thing they do is throw an aftermarket pipe on it to disguise it as something either fast or powerful, when in reality all it does is annoy the bejeebus out of everyone within a half mile radius. I was at a stoplight on 28th St, a 45mp zone where people regularly drive 55+ because it is also M-11.

I heard him pull up behind me from a distance. GROM! Grom-grom-grom-grom! GROOOOM! Grom-grom-grom.

My wife's scooter is cute. It's small, it's a pretty green with a matching top case and whitewall tires. It's also a 170cc fuel injected bike. I heard him revving before the light turned green and when it did I nailed it.

Power to weight ratio is an amazing thing. I heard him revving and shifting furiously as he got quieter and quieter. Of course he caught me at the next light, as one does, but I was there waiting for him for quite some time. Lather, rinse repeat. Two more times.

I know, it's petty, but I can't STAND those guys. It's not the bike, it's the attitude of the riders around here. I see them all the time up on one wheel in traffic just being jerks. It made me feel better, though. And it set the mood for the whole ride. I wound up in Spring Lake right on Lake Michigan. It was about 100 miles round trip, so long-ish (not by Bill's measurement) but long for me.

It was good therapy.

Hope you cleared up some stress on your ride. You're definitely experiencing better weather than me today. And yeah, brings me right back to Wall of Voodoo!! Heads bobbing to the beat as I write!

Have a great week! Rob

You missed a chance when you were in Pisa. It is only about a 20 minute train ride from Pisa to Pontedera, and the Piaggio Museum is not more than a 10 minute walk from the station.

My version of the same story, from 12 years ago: Sport Bike Smokage!

Believe me, I know...but when you're on a motorcoach with 50 other folks, you go where it goes! So, again I say...next trip, Pontedera!

This cheered me up.

A lot.

I think I'm feeling cheered up and I'm not even drinking it.

It was the single best pour I've ever had.

And the guy in the backdrop has the surname Dewar.

Guess where you've seen it before.


My life is frickin weird.

You've convinced me to break out the Good Stuff.

It's literally older than me.

That just amazes me how long that lived in the barrel!

There's a story behind that: https://www.klwines.com/p/i?cid=EML-&i=1282496

That's a great story. Can't believe how inexpensive too.

It was definitely an odd situation. Casks with no actual provenance, only a date, and no clear owners. K&L took a gamble, bought two casks, and it paid off.

I guess that means that the cost didn't include the label markup that a big-name maker would charge for something that old. And the warehouse was probably glad to solve a longstanding problem.

A win is a win.

Quite the sale going on.

Dang! And what I could do with 40% off...

Nope. Not gonna go there.

Reminds me of the contest flyer I had to print at work at my previous job:

Still not gonna go there...😬

Rode the Mantis to work this morning. Beautiful sunrise in my face.

Not sure what the wind chill of 25mph at 44º is, but judging by the fact it's taken my ears half an hour to stop hurting, probably pretty cold.

Still worth it.

Oh, and we got the trucks out last night for the first time this year.

Sprayed my skate helmet, the one I wear on the Mantis, with Albedo Reflective Spray.

So each time I have to visit the Hospital I see a really clean new shape Honda Supercub parked up and I've often wondered how I could get on with one if I found one like it for sale.

Well today I got talking to the guy who was taking photographs of the inside of my eyes and it turns out that he's the owner and it is for sale for a price that I can afford.

Now, is this fate ? Is it destined to be mine or am I kidding myself ?

Dude...you haven't already written him a check (or "cheque")??? I'm pretty much a believer in the idea that stuff happens when it's supposed to. Looks like to me you're supposed to own a Honda Supercub.

And I'm not kidding!

Funny isn't it. I have no idea how many people work at that place but I had to get talking to the only guy in the place who happens to own it.

Uncanny.

I don't believe in fate, but accept that coincidences can often look like fate. My attitude with toys is "If you can afford it, get it. If you don't use it you can always sell it later." Don't worry yourself about why it happened, just take the opportunity if it interests you.

Go for it! All signs say "GO"!

I'll freely admit that I'm probably reading too much into it because a scenario has been presented to me that I've imagined.

However I think that I'd be foolish to turn it down.

Snap into a Slim Jim and buy that scoot!! Randy wouldn't hesitate, plus why not? Your herd is getting small you need that.