The Ride was fantastic

Our schedule was extended by about four hours with numerous extra stops, but the ride was as good as any we have had as a group.

We took the Kingston ferry to Edmonds, stopped in Leavenworth to wait for the straggler (Blaine Inman), had lunch in Cashmere at Rusty's Drive-in, wandered around Roslyn for an hour, and beat ourselves silly from there to highway 18. The I-90 portion of the trip was the least pleasant (especially the grooved pavement part) because the view goes by too quickly at 70 miles per hour, but that didn't detract from the rest of the trip.

I have a few pics that will get posted on our Yahoo Group, but my camera needs a tune-up, so I didn't get as many good photos as I would have liked. There were more cameras this trip, so perhaps some of those pics will get posted also.

For those who weren't able to participate in this ride, I highly recommend it. I know it will show up on the schedule next year, so plan to be there.

Thanks to everyone who did show up.

The Ride is on

The weather should be perfect for our three pass ride this coming Saturday, so get your grin on.

The Port Orchard riders will be meeting at Brother’s around 7:00 AM or so, and the plan is to leave from there for the Kingston ferry dock by 7:15 AM.

We will meet at the ferry dock at 8:00 AM to ensure that we all make it on board the 8:35 AM departure for Edmonds. If anyone is planning to accompany the group in a vehicle rather than motorcycle, let us know ahead of time so we keep you informed regarding scheduled stops.

Using our arrival at Kingston at 8:00 AM as the starting point, we will cover approximately 290 riding miles in about eight and a half hours (including two one hour stops). Leavenworth will show up on the highway at 11:15 AM or so, and that will probably be our first major stop. The next major stop will be North Bend at somewhere around 2:00 PM. At that point, we will have about 220 riding miles behind us. North Bend to Port Orchard is about 70 miles, so the last leg won’t be too rough.

Make sure you bring sun glasses for that last stretch in case we hit I-90 later than I expect. The setting sun can be brutal going west. Bring money for the 50/50 also.

Pete and I are hoping that someone (Bill Culbertson or Doug Mountjoy) will show up that can guide us through Edmonds to Monroe without using too much freeway. There will be about 50 miles of I-90 that we can’t avoid.

Comments, questions and suggestions are encouraged over at the Yahoo Group.

Wisdom shared by Sue

I spent some time going through my pictures this morning (everything related to Star Touring and Riding), and it came to mind that Pete, Sue, John, Lonnie, and Marty spend a lot of time riding to where ever we are going to meet up...so they can ride some more...with us. I know they all enjoy riding as much as anyone, but they also have busy lives outside our club.

I just got an email from Sue that put it all in perspective for me:

A MAYONNAISE JAR AND 2 CUPS OF COFFEE

When things in your life seem almost too much too
handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had
some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill
it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the
jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
jar was full they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured
i t into the jar . Of course, the sand filled up
everything else. He asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar, effectively filling the empty space between
the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents
your life. The golf balls are the important things-
your God, family, your children, your health, your
friends, and your favorite passions--things that if
everything else was lost and only they remained your
life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your
job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time
and energy on the small stuff, you will never have
room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your
happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
Play another 18. There will always be time to clean
the house and fix the disposal."

Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that
really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just
sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what
the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just
goes to show you that no matter how full your life may
seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of
coffee with a friend."

Please share this with someone you care about.

I JUST DID

STAR-B-Q Update

I don’t know what anyone else thought about the NW STAR-B-Q at Little Creek Casino, but this was my first one…and I really enjoyed myself. I took a lot of pictures that will get posted on our Yahoo Group, and I took a lot of pictures that won’t get posted there because some didn’t turn out (some did, but they have to await the censor’s rating).

The vendors brought a lot of Star accessories and apparel for the happy bikers to spend their money on, and I certainly spent my share. The Brother’s Power Sports marked everything down 50%, and that allowed me to get in touch with my inner female side (just can’t pass up a fifty percent sale). I picked up a couple items that would have been out of my normal budget range, so I was able to support the STAR-B-Q event, kick in for the Autism Society of Washington (the NW STAR-B-Q featured charity), and indulge myself with some new goodies for my bike on a limited amount of cash. It was all good.

My overall impression of this entire experience is that it was well worth the time and effort to attend. The Little Creek Casino continues to be one of my favorites (location and food), and they gave us a lot of room to be who we are.

I always enjoy the company of our 403 members, and it was great to finally meet the gal that rides that cool chopper (Jan). We got to mingle with Star Touring and Riding Association members from all over the Northwest, and there wasn’t an unfriendly face in the lot of them.

We already have the flier for the 2008 NW STAR-B-Q to be held on June 27-28 in Post Falls, Idaho, so I am working on a new budget for that event. Star Touring and Riding, Spokane Chapter 174 will be our hosts, so mark your calendars.