Good Bye, Dear Friend

My sweet boy Buster passed on February 21 of a malignant mast cell tumor. We knew it was coming, but it was much too soon.

He was my buddy, my protector, my scooting and hiking pal on many a dirt road when we lived out in the country.

He showed up on our front porch in January of 2007 so I never knew his background or his age, but I fell in love with my "Gorgeous George Cooney" as I used to call him.

He had not an arrogant or vicious bone in his body. He was all about love and loyalty and exploring the nearby woods behind our house.

I'd start the Ruck up and he would do the play bow and howl with delight, dashing off ahead of me down the gravel drive, primed and ready for a romp.

He was a beautifully conformed Tree Walker and he could have been a show dog. He was my "show dog" and I quickly learned about the affectionate, sensitive nature of this breed. The BIG DOG who really wanted to be a "little dog". My baby.

The tumor showed up a year ago, a vicious, deep-reaching cancer that crept through his body and eventually claimed him.

He lived longer than expected and he passed with no pain into a peaceful state of knowing he was loved and never abandoned as he lay in my arms.

Rest easy, my Bustie. I will see you again on some sunny slope of grass on the edge of the trail.

I love you, Buddy. Always will. Miss you so much...

Glorious Day in the Country

Today I traveled back to the rural county that I lived in for the past 6 years. It was a sunny, warm (61 degrees F) day ripe for a ride out on the peaceful back roads.

No, not on the scooter, but in the car. No, I did not have my camera along, sorry. So I will post some photos from last summer.

I found myself driving down some of my favorite scooting routes, remembering fond times last summer and anticipating future ones this spring.

I stopped at our old the dairy bar to have a cheeseburger deluxe. Could not resist!

I said to the lady there, "I sure miss this place since we moved out from the county towards the city. The burgers here are the best!"

She responded, "There's nothing like dairy bar food!" Man oh man is she right!

I sat in the car with Maxi and enjoyed my cheeseburger with onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo along with my fries with ketchup and a frosty root beer.

For just a moment it was spring and I was seated in my mind's eye over at the picnic tables with my scooter parked alongside. Many, many memories of scooting up here for a snack and especially for ice cream!

Then I did a few errands out in the village and drove by our old house, up the twisty rough road that I had traveled a million times on my Rucki and my Met.

My heart was trembling a bit as I recalled so many sweet memories of riding out here, up this road past neighbors front porches, cows lazing in the fields, hawks soaring overhead.

No matter how many times I rode this old chipseal path I never got tired of it on my scooter.

They say "you can't go home again", and well, I guess it's true. As I rounded the bend to look over to our old property and house I was met with a surprize. The entire acreage has been cordoned off by poles and wire strung for horse pasture.

Gone was the vast, open field next door between our house and the older farm house next door. Chopped up by white poles and white wire roping.

Not only that, but there was an Amish buggy in our drive and an Amish family getting into the buggy. Our house has been rented out! My heart gave a little tug of sadness.

You know when you rent, you always sort of believe "it's yours" for a little while. I always did, but deep in my heart I knew there would come a day when we would leave there because it really wasn't ours.

Well, the day "solidified" today when I saw other people living there. It's just an odd feeling, a mixture of emotion. There is no going back, not even in my mind. It's over, gone, done.

So, after that I traveled along the "ride that refreshes" in the car (see that previous post title from last year)...

The covered bridge was in neglect, with wooden exterior pulled off and stacked alongside. Guess some repair work is in progress...

This barn was closed up, no horses in sight...

This pond was semi-frozen over and the trees were bare...

The ground was snow covered here where the shade prevented the melting...

The nursery and landscaping center was shut up tight...

As I wound down the back roads out to the main road I realized that I have never really left here in my heart of hearts. I'd pined for the quiet fields so many times since I'd left them behind.

But today I realized that I had not lost it forever, it was an hour's ride in the car or on the scooter (a BIG scooter!) away, just waiting for me to return!

Since I moved to the burbs two counties over I've really been homesick for these foothills and back roads.

Coming here today, escaping a rough bout of "cabin fever", I realized that this place is forever part of who I was and AM.

It was a glorious day in the country!

Vicarious Winter Riding

Winter is not my friend. I once had a Michigander pal say, "make a friend of winter" and ice skate, ski, snowshoe, and all that. Get out and do winter stuff, blah, blah, blah...

Yeah, right. Now how can I do those things when I hate the cold? Nope, I don't like winter and that is not going to change.

It's not just the cold, it's the whole package: ice and snow; darkness; dreariness; dull gray skies and landscapes. Oh, yeah, and suiting up like Nanook of the North even to go out to the grocery! Yucko!

Mostly it puts my scootin' life in limbo and sets me to longing for the days of warm sunshine and open roads.

How to cope with this drought of scootin' opportunities? Do it "vicariously", which means, more or less, do it "in your head". For me, it is the next best thing to doing it in reality.

Here are some tried and true approaches that I employ:


Haunt scooter/motorcycle forums:

As many as you can find on local, national, manufacturer's, consumer review, moto magazine websites. It is amazing what is out there that might have gone unexplored if you weren't so desperate for a bit of "scooter talk". I've gone back on some of them all the way to the beginning of postings aka "years ago". It is interesting to see trends change, especially as affected by the economy tanking from 2008 onward. I've listed my favorites on this blog, but would love to read more if anyone can suggest.


Haunt scooter/motorcycle blogs (or start your own):

I check into my "community" of bloggers daily. I post on my own when I find something in my head to post. I read other blog links on other blogger sites. It is a blast! I take virtual rides, read about everyday life issues with pals, and just feel a part of a group of enthusiasts who are as obcessed as I am about the two wheels.


Haunt scooter/motorcycle shops:

This one is more of a challenge as it is getting more difficult to find ones that are still open around here. I check out the local scooter shop, Honda/Yamaha Powersports, and that is about all I can see in person around here. Even then the model selection to view is very skimpy. But it gets me out of the house and I enjoy talking to the guys and planning out my test rides for the spring as I contemplate another scooter.


Read scooter/motorcycle related books and magazines:

I have some scooter/motorcycle books and I read a lot on my Kindle too. Most motorcycling magazines don't pertain to me, so I don't buy them, but will look at them in the grocery or library. I am in the process of trying to collect actual hard copy scooter books, but since our local bookstores are all shut down now I am resigned to do it through Amazon before even hard back and paper back books will no longer be sold. I sadly think it is going that way.


Read scooter/motorcycle travel journals:

I love this especially. These can be found by Googling and also on Adventure Rider and Total Ruckus Epic journeys. I am always book-marking websites or blogs that are about cross country trips. Some of them I read over and over. If I have a dream left in my old heart it is to travel on the back roads on a trip for days at a time. I keep hoping I will be able to do this. But in the meantime I read as many stories about this experience by my fellow riders as I can. A girl can dream, can't she?


Explore potential routes on paper or Google Maps:

Now this is something that I really enjoy and it s kind of weird, but I love it. I have Google Maps on my phone and I will sit in the comfort of my winter nest and pick out ride routes. I use the landscape mode and am literally traveling visually down that road and seeing what is on the route and linking it up for hour rides, day rides, or more. Using this method I have about 7 routes set up right now that I can explore directly from my front door and which will get me out into my beloved back roads within 20 minutes of departure. Amazing!


Peruse Ebay, Cycle Trader, Craigslist, etc.:

It's fun to see what others are selling and sometimes why. I have contacted sellers with specific questions as to what they did or did not like about the bike and why they are selling. I've learned a lot that way. I've even set up some test rides that way on bikes that otherwise I would have no way to try out. Sometimes I've made a few email pals in the community or learned about scooter clubs, rides, or routes too. I will be doing more of this in the early summer as I consider another scooter to buy.


Ride around in the car, mapping out routes:

I've even done a bit of this since I moved here. It's a fun way to get out and explore the neighborhood, find out what is hidden on local back roads, and plan exciting scooter rides for warmer weather.


All of the above are my coping activities. I'd love to hear from others as to how they get through the winter when the bike is idle and the soul is longing for the open road!

Please feel free to add your comments...

Meanwhile, happy dreams of Spring!

Snow Rage

And a lot of us are getting mighty tired of it!

Because this morning it was MINUS 11 degrees windchill, 3 more inches of that cold, white STUFF coating the ground and the tree limbs and everything else.

What's with this?

HEY! Mr. Groundhog, are you even going to be able to get OUT of your hole tomorrow? Of will it be frozen over?

I am SO OVER winter and SO ready for spring!

Aren't you?

Princess Scooterpie's Challenge

Meet Squirt, my Met's mascot:

I have a little pic of Squirt on the front inside of my scoot and the name "Squirt".

It's too cold to go over to storage and take a photo, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

I named the Met "Squirt" because it is such a wee scooter...but has a BIG heart!

Hurry Up and Wait!

I grew up an Army brat in the '60s and then went into the Navy myself in the '80s. If any of you have lived that lifestyle you know that it is full of acronyms and "sayings".

One of them is "hurry up and wait".

That's because in the military there is a LOT of waiting around. In basic training or boot camp, you are always waiting. Waiting for orders to do whatever is next, waiting in lines at the PX, commissary, or chow hall. Waiting to deploy. Waiting to come home. Waiting for mail to arrive (in the olden days!). Waiting in line for something all the time.

And so it became a pretty good lesson for life after the military too. Especially if you go on to work in government jobs! LOL

Waiting can be a bitch. Waiting can be a blessing. Waiting can also be a teacher.

Waiting for the impatient person is a trial by fire.

If you have to wait too long and too much it can be maddening.

Think back to times you waited, and waited, and waited. Good times, bad times. Times of adjustment, times of transition, times of loss. Waiting is part of them all.

Now I have been waiting for 4 years for a decent job. A real job. A job with reliable wages, security, a future. Lay-offs, unemployment, contract work, no work, all woven in among this waiting for a job where I can feel again like I am a part of the world around me.

In this respect I've gotten really good (somewhat) at waiting.

Now I am waiting to hear back on a job that I interviewed for almost a month ago. The phone could ring at any moment and the waiting would be over! My whole life would change in just an instant!

As a kid, remember waiting for the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, or Santa Claus? Now that waiting was fun and exciting and was a good childhood preparation for adult life, wasn't it?

Even long past really believing in these things I still got caught up in the "waiting high" that preceded their "arrival"! No, Mom, I did not REALLY still believe in Santa at age 10!

Someone once said that baseball is a game that is "all about waiting". If you think about it, it's true. Waiting for the pitch, the strike out, the base run, the home run. If you're actually in the ball park you're waiting for the pop or hotdog or beer vendor to wander your way.

Damn, I love baseball! I must admit I love the waiting part, the anticipation of what little thing could change the whole outcome. It's addictive!

Waiting teaches patience, but it also teaches the lesson of open mindedness to the outcome. It might not be what you expected, but it might lead to more than what you could have ever imagined.

Waiting permeates our life, but it does not have to stiffle our life in a negative way.

It can open us up to new possibilities, teach us the virtue of patience, and guide us to see that things usually work out ok if we choose to see the positive side of outcomes that we might never have expected.

Right now I am waiting for spring with every fiber of my being.

It will come, it will be glorious, it will bring joy and deep peace to my soul as it always does.

But I have to do the waiting to get to the good stuff, doncha know?

Waiting is a necessary part of life and a launching point for creative change.

In the waiting comes the transformaton to new life.

*Update: I got the job!

What It Comes Down To

Today is an awesome day for a scooter ride in my world: 50+ degrees and sunny! The Met awaits.

But first, I will lay out my ultimate plan for "more power" in 2013.

What it comes down to in my quest for "more power" is pretty simple: I'll take what I can get, it will be used, and it will be affordable.

Oh, yeah, and I am NOT getting rid of my Met! I will own two machines of some type.

One for local run around stuff (the Met) and the other for longer forays into the countryside (the mystery scoot).

It is probably going to be a used unit with low miles bought locally and ridden home. That means it will likely come from an individual, not a dealer. Not unless I get very lucky on that part.

I am on a budget, so I am going to start saving up my cash for this purchase. I am in no hurry. I'd like it by mid-summer at the latest, but we will see.

Here are the "contenders" thus far:

Yamaha Vino 125

Yamaha Zuma 125

Kymco People 150

Kymco Agility 125

Genuine Buddy 125

Genuine Black Jack

Genuine Psycho

And even this one: Honda Elite 110

Maybe this one if the price is right: Honda PCX 125

Definitely this one if the price is right and one can be found:

Honda Big Ruckus

And finally, a very long shot just because it is a classic and it fits:

Honda Helix

I think if the money is right, the scooter is in good to excellent condition, and it is a local seller, any one of these might fulfill my criteria for more power in a comfortable size.

The Big Ruck is the only 250cc that I have handled on a ride and I felt comfortable on it. They are hard to find and usually way over-priced, but I could get lucky.

The Helix is available used all the time and usually the prices are manageable. I think it is one of the ugliest scooters (Yamaha Morphous being the ugliest!) I have ever seen, but I've read that the comfort level for long day rides is unmatched. If I saw one within my budget I'd have to try it out to see for myself.

Meanwhile, I ride my Met on the side and back roads and fate will bring along my second scooter when the time is right!

Unless I win the lottery or Publisher's Clearning House comes to my door!

If that happens then I'd test ride every one of these and pick my first choice, new or used.

Going with my gut right now it would be the Genuine Buddy 125 or the Yamaha Zuma 125.

Right now a new, black Zuma 125 is sitting in a dealership 5 miles from me.

Hmmmm....

I am done obcessing on scooter models on this blog for now.

Meanwhile, I will wait and see where this goes

Hope you can get a little scoot or ride in today, whatever you are riding!

Be safe, be happy, ride on!

I'm An Old Lady and I'll Do What I Like!

Years ago I was working in a dialysis center where 95% of my clients were over age 75.

One of my fondest memories of that experience was seeing my 85 year old client, Gladys, who lived in an assisted living community, come into the unit 3 times a week.

She was fiercely independent, outspoken, and full of life at her advanced age on this planet.

She had a hired companion, Deana, who often accompanied her to dialysis and who also helped her around her apartment with cleaning, cooking, and took her out with her on social occasions to do shopping, restaurants, and concerts.

Her daughter lived in the city and sometimes she would bring her in to her treatment sessions and then sit with me in the office and lament about how feisty and stubborn she found her mom to be.

Then I'd hear about how that whole deal went down that week when Gladys would come in the next time and tell me how her daughter and Deana wanted her to do this and that or wear such and such or eat certain things, etc. On and on and on.

She would roll her eyes and say to me, "I just tell them, 'I'm an old lady and I'll do what I like!'."

Eventually this line became like a punch line to any story she would tell me and it actually became an inside joke during any conversation we would have together. We'd start chuckling and soon enough any story gained a humorous perspective.

I've often thought of her over the years. Her feistiness, her strength, her refusal to compormise her life choices. Even down to her final choice to remove herself from dialysis as her quality of life declined.

I learned many things from clients over the years of doing the work that I did, but Glady's lesson for life has stood out among the many.

"I'm an old lady and I'll do what I like!"

At my age, which is no longer "middle age" (unless I am going to live to age 116!), I find myself constantly aware of sifting through my priorities and trying to keep them aligned in a life-giving way.

Time is getting shorter with aging and it is moving along more swiftly than in my earlier youth.

I don't want to waste any of it doing things that I don't want to do or neglecting to do things that matter most to me.

One of these things is riding a scooter. The wonderous gift that came into my life 6 years ago. Something good that came from living out in the country for all that time.

The simple pleasure of riding a scooter.

I AM an old lady and I'll do what I like...and boy do I love riding a scooter!

Thank you Gladys, wherever you are!

Big Wheels

Kymco People S200

I got nothing to do but sit around and dream about scooters and scootin' and my blog subject matter reflects this fact here lately. It's just too darn cold outside!

Oh, I get in a very tiny ride now and then when I go over to the storage unit and crank up Squirt and MAYBE ride her 150 yards up and back the line in the frigid cold.

Just enough to whet my whistle, just enough to makes me nuts to ride again!

But alas, winter holds her grip and so I retreat into my head again and dream of scooters and scootin' the back roads in the spring.

Mostly my mind wanders to ponderings of a bigger scooter choice for my ride.

Nothing new there.

Since my move to the burbs I have become painfully aware that 50cc (actually 49) put me in a dangerous situation on most of the roads around here.

This is an unhappy acknowledgement, but true none the less.

Most roads are a minimum of 45mph and I can only barely get up to 43mph and then that is optimistic.

I've got no room to maneuver in tricky situations. None.

I am the proverbial "sitting duck".

Not only that, I need more power to get me back out into my beloved rural back roads without it taking all day long.

This is a must for mental survival.

Then there's crosstown expeditions like maybe a scooter club get together. I've got to have more power to get me over the posted speed limit roads and keep up with the crowd once I get there.

Now there's two ultimate solutions to all this: 1) I get a bigger scooter or 2) I add a scooter rack carrier to my SUV and haul my 50cc to the country and ride out from there.

Forget scooter rallys, forget riding around on any local roads where I could get killed anyway. Just sit home most of the time. Right.

I don't like #2, so #1 must be the solution.

Let's talk "bigger scooter". I don't like maxi scoots for their weight, looks, or handling. I need a 150-200cc range ride. Or something faster than 49cc. 50+ mph would be the most versatile option.

More power=more maneuverability and ease of handling. It must be easy to store in the winter. It must have a bigger profile for visibility, but not the weight of a bigger machine.

I've got to feel safe on it, it's got to "fit" me for handling at stops and in motion, and I've got to find it fun to ride.

I think smaller scoots are more fun to ride and I feel safer on one anyway.

Downside? I don't like small wheels if I can get bigger ones. Bigger ones are more stable, less prone to a rough ride on rural back roads, and less squirrely to handle.

Big wheels help to avoid feeling like the ride is that of a roller skate at 55+ mph.

However, big wheels are usuall fitted for taller riders. Hmmm.

Well, let's explore some Big Wheels anyway! Let's look at some of the Big Wheels of the scooter world. The 16 inch Bad Boys.

I've read over and over again that these wheels provide the stable ride of a motorcycle and that is a good thing since I've decided once and for all that I do not want a motorcycle again.

Oh, I know, first thing in your mind is "but a scoot with 16 inch wheels is going to be TOO TALL for a 5'4" woman with a 29 inch inseam".

It IS a possibility, like I already pointed out. But not all of them are as tall as some. Besides, once I am sitting on it rolling down the road will I notice that at all?

No, I don't think so, but I could be wrong! At a stop if I can slide and tippy toe to balance the scoot, then I ought to be ok. At least in theory.

So I've been reading and researching about 3 scoots in particular: Kymco People 150, Kymco People S200, and SYM HD200.

All are fine looking and highly esteemed models with most of the features I would be looking for on an "all around" scooter. By that I mean a nimble about towner or a day ride tourer.

Not the heft of a maxi-scoot, comfortable but easy to handle.

Great for town explorations yet superb for hitting the back roads along the river.

All three have local dealer support in this area. All three have been sold in this area and so the likelihood of finding a used one is pretty high.

Of the 3, the only one I did test ride in 2009 was the People 150 and I do remember it fitting me in terms of sitting at a stop. That is about all that I can recall about how it handled. I need a "do over".

So my short term goal is to find one of each and try it out for a test ride, or at least sit on it to see how, or if, it fits my stature and ergonomics.

All 3 get great reviews for power, smoothness of ride, versatility, reliability, and gas mileage.

All 3 would make great grocery-getters or countryside back road ramblers.

Any one out there riding these Big Wheels, please feel free to expound on your experience here in the comment section.

Meanwhile, enjoyable winter scootin' dreams (or safe riding) to you all!

Kymco People 150

SYM HD 200

Reviews for all three scooters can be found on www.justgottascoot.com

(BTW, some other manufacturers who offer 16 inch wheeled scoots are Aprilia, Piaggio, Roketa, CF Moto, and Honda. Also, Honda offers the 14 inch wheel PCX models. Then you've got the SYM Symba with 17 inch wheels. A special ride for special riders!)

Winter's Gifts

Our world is awash with the gentle silence of the white falling snow...

Everywhere the quiet fills the courtyard with winter's shining glow...

The trees stretch in the cool blue winter air, joyful to be adorned by the angels...

A cozy day inside awaits with hot chocolate, old movies, and a good book...