urban living

well, i have been carless for almost a month now. i have to say, as far as seattle decembers go, it's been a pretty chill month. not a lot of rain (knock on wood), though it has been quite cold. sad to say, as predicted, i have not been out riding much. a few trips to the eastside for some errands/visits to family (they are all still parked on the wrong side of the lake). the unfortunate park of this is that all of my trips have involved the bridges. nice and cold, bad traffic, and everything that goes along with freeway riding.

despite all that, however, everything has been going quite well. vixen has been braving the street parking wonderfully, and starts up on a dime every time i've needed her thusfar. i've narrowly avoided the rain several times as well, timing my rides quite well (though unintentionally), and haven't had to break out the raingear yet. i really don't like wearing all that bulky stuff. it's such a hassle to put on and take off, plus it is not designed with fashion in mind (i know, i'm vain). i've been sticking with my leathers and if i take a few drops on the way, so be it. skin is waterproof (both mine and that of the former cow).

the one problem i've noticed so far with having vixen as my primary mode of transportation is that most of my outings involve imbibing alcohol. being one of the main social activities among people of my generation, it can often be a problem getting to and from these events. now let me make myself perfectly clear on this point. i will not drink and ride. period. this is one area i do not push things (much like ice). driving in a car, though i do not condone it and am always very careful, i will allow myself to have one or two drinks and get myself home (i'm always very safe about it). riding, however, requires a degree of concentration that does not permit any alcohol to be drank, beyond maybe one beer (with food and waiting). needless to say, there have been several points where i have turned down social invitations because i did not wish to ride there/home or take the bus. i know the busses here can be underrated, but i really hate them. i loathe being reliant on unreliable transportation, the cost can add up quickly and they never run often/late enough.

ok, there's my rant about public transportation in this city. yet another reason i am very thankful to have vixen
(and be able to park her for free). i am learning to adapt. many of my friends are in the same neighborhood as me, or are willing to lend a ride. or i just bite the bullet and head out for a sober evening on the bike. it can be fun. i promise (i'm the only writer you'll ever meet who claims you can have sober fun. but not the only motorcyclist).

oh, on a side note which is rather fun, my new coffee shop is an old motorcycle garage. it's called bauhaus (which was also an art movement) and used to be an excelsior motorcycle garage. check it out:

awesome. i can vouch for the "less cold" (and they have good tea).

that's it for now. let's all hope for rainless weather and good riding.

rftc,

scott

cage-free!

it's done! i am officially without car.

as of tomorrow morning i will be a full time inhabitant of seattle proper (as opposed to its lesser cousin on the eastside) and, as was the plan, i will no longer be driving a car. vixen will now be my primary mode of transportation. besides my feet that is.

to be honest i'm still not sure how much riding i'll be doing over the next few months. i'm taking her over to the new place tomorrow morning (it's going to be a cold one!) and parking her next to lots of new friends in the wonderfully available restricted parking zone (where motorcycles park free, i might add). however, one of the advantages of the new digs is that i will be walking distance to my place of business. this will save mucho dinero on commuting costs, but will mean my need for wheels will diminish. with the weather still being what it is, i can't really see a lot of joy riding in the near future, at least until it warms up a bit.

i have to admit (rather shamefully) that i pondered a minute about whether or not to even keep the old girl in my new scenario, since i'll be keeping costs down as much as i can and won't be needing wheels as much. insurance can get a little pricey, and i had a moment or two of weakness. however, after a great evening of drinks with a new friend talking about my trip (he's planning one of his own in the next year or two), i realized just how much a part of my life vixen has become, and bikes in general, and i realized i would truly regret getting rid of her. i also thought back to my pretty blue sportsbike (see one of my first posts) and how much i wish i had held on to her way back in college. i don't want to have that same regret just to potentially have a few more beer bucks per month (because let's face it, how else would i spend the money?), especially with a bike i've been through so much with. i'm hoping we'll be together for a long time to come.

anyway, though, posts may still be scarce for the rest of the (off)season, but rest assured more will be coming as i continue my mission of living a car-less life and planning more madcap adventures as i live life on 2 wheels.

cages are for wimps.

rftc,

scott