The Coyote's Ramblings - 2004A

(January - March)

Copyright © 2000-2004 The Coyote's Den

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1/8/04
Okay, so it HAS been a little longer than normal...gimme a break! (I'm getting old!) The electrical problem was my own fault. Not being satisfied with the rear night visibility of only a tail light, I added a Priority lighting kit to convert my rear turn signals into running and brake lights as well. After a lot of looking, I found a pinched wire in my installation, taped and rerouted it and, viola...problem solved. It did drive me nuts for a while though. I ordered a Kuryakyn battery monitor but still haven't figured out where I'm gonna mount it. Pretty little chrome LED thingie, though.

New Year's Eve was a trip! Native Thunder was playing at the Bluegrass on Blue Angel, so I hopped on the newly energized scoot, intending to just have one beer and come home to celebrate with Dick Clark. Once there, though, somebody kept buying me beer and women needed to be danced with so I wound up on stage singing Auld Lang Syne with Muff. It's a good thing everyone else was drunk. New Year's Day dawned bright and relatively warm, so Ms Lynn and I went back-woodsing on our scoots. Until then, I never realized that you could stay within Escambia County and ride 45 miles between gas stations.

Flash!!! For those of you who remember the band, Mack Daddy, Big Brian is thinking of picking up the harmonica again with another blues band. Stay tuned and I'l try to find out more for you. Life has either been cold or wet (or like tonight, cold AND wet) so there's not much more happening to report on.

1/17/04
Rain, rain, go away...Alas, another Saturday night stuck in the house. Okay, so Muff, Big Papa and I did go out for a bit last night, and all is right with the world. Muff's having to leave early this trip, and going to Iraq, instead of Europe. Over the beer, and surrounded by mostly-naked young ladies, we were discussing the lack of a true biker bar around here. We batted a bunch of ideas around...scooter parking under cover, good pavement, cold beer...but couldn't agree on WHERE!? Any ideas out there. I agreed to try and do a little market research while he was gone and this is the initial feeler. Y'all give me a little feedback.

For an update on the new scoot, I got tired of the wimpy horn and replaced that, but I STILL haven't figured out where I want to mount the battery monitor so it's not in the way of something else. Oh well, it'll come to me in time. The last major item is tough, though; that 3.2 gallon tank is just too small. It's gonna be a while solving that one.

I know it's kinda cool and wet, but it is only six weeks until Bike Week so start thinking of your maintenance now. I think we're going to close down Motorcycle Emporium and go so, please, don't get us backed-up at the last minute. Hmmm, almost time to change the date on this entry if I don't post it soon so, one last reminder of the ABATE meeting in the morning. Ciao, y'all, and see ya on the road.

1/29/04
Back to my old habits, I see..... Well, it IS an up and down life I lead. On the down side, it doesn't look like we're gonna see Big Brian playing the blues harp for a while yet. The band he was auditioning (they thought they were auditioning him!) just wasn't a good match (can you imagine him in a tux, playing a wedding?) so it's a no-go for now. I sure do miss it.

On the up side, I'd heard a rumor of a new bar opening so I've been doing a little ground work (any excuse to ride). Now, the down side of this up-side is that it is in Alabama (helmets, phhheeew!), but it's only a couple hundred yards into Lid-Land. Corliss has come down here from Montgomery to open the Lost Bay Bar and Grill in Lillian, along with his partner, Judy. They're still a couple of weeks away from opening, but I shared a couple of cold ones with him to get the real scoop. See what sacrifices I make for you guys!

For the basics, they have a liquor license, so there'll be hard stuff as well as the brewski's, and food from steak down to good ol' cheeseburgers. Now, if they can just come up with onion rings as good as those at Hawgs Heaven before they closed. Get this, too....the parking lot is paved! Okay, okay..I lost my head there for a while, but I AM glad to find a new place....and Corliss rides a Titan. I'll let you know when they're gonna open.

2/7/04
Okay, once a week is cool...when I get around to it. I popped out last night in the cool, clear night and could only find a few other scoots braving the elements. Interestingly enough, they were at the Navy Blvd Sonic, which didn't act like they wanted us around last year. Who knows? We rode around a bit and wound up at the Mobile Hwy and Saufley McDonald's before I split to find that beer that was calling my name. Since it was close and on the way, I stopped at Mickey's, since they've been pretty biker-friendly in the past. Coming to the door, though, they stopped me for a $5 cover charge. When I asked the young lady what that cover was supposed to get me, she said "nothing"...so that's what THEY got from me.

I rolled on over to Warrington and stopped by Georgia's Laugh-Inn on Navy Blvd. They've just reopened since their fire last fall and the beer is cold, although they don't have their draft operating yet. I hope it's soon! This morning, I was just riding and soaking up the sun (and cold, gusty winds) and wound up at Ruby's, out Mobile Hwy, just before helmet-land. I found out they're having their annual chili cook-off on the 22d of this month. They asked me if I wanted to be a judge this year, but I begged off. I'd rather just pay the $3 and sample all of them. I did last year...and paid the price in heartburn. Whhoooeeee, but it was worth it. If you've got a good chili recipe, go enter so I have even more choices.

Well, that's it for now. Y'all take care and ride safe.

2/14/03
Happy Valentine's Day! Funny, my entry four weeks ago was on a rainy Saturday night, too. This stuff can end any tme, now. It's been so bad I haven't ridden, at all, since last week. Consequently, the only real biker-related stuff to report is that the poker run last Sunday was rather cool, but the 10 or 15 of us who DID show had a pretty good time, and good barbecued chicken at the end. I also got an e-mail from one of you that hte Lost Bay Bar & Grill has officially opened...but he didn't give me a review on the beer! If I can find my helmet, maybe I'll ride over there and check it out...if it EVER stops raining.

On the personal side the continuing revenge of my mis-spent youth in the sun has surfaced in another place (or two). This time they're sending me over to the VA Medical Center in Biloxi for whatever they decide to do. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Long interlude since that last paragraph...my grandson came in to sell me some candy for a school fund-raiser and, being the curmudgeon I am, I made him work for the sale. After that, I stepped outside for a smoke and kinda let the mind wander, watching the rain. I thought about taking the truck out and going someplace for a beer but then I realized, when I go out bar-hopping, I'm not riding the bike someplace to get a beer; the beer is just an excuse to get out and ride someplace else. Hmmm, my mind shouldn't be allowed to wander without adult supervision.

I just hope the stuff stops falling by tomorrow. Even though I'm handling the products for tomorrow's ABATE meeting, I MIGHT just find a way to bungie it to the scoot....hmmmm. Y'all take care and ride safe, when it finally get dry enough to ride again.

2/23/04
...bunch of stuff going on in my life that I just don't feel lke sharing yet, but it HAS cut down on the creativity, or whatever this is. On the up side, we had a GREAT weekend for riding! At Friday night's Mardi Gras parade, there were five of us catching beads and loading Alan's little girl, Harley, down with beads. By the rime the parade was over, I think the beads weighed almost as much as she did. Okay, I did keep one string for myself to add to my collection.

Saturday was "loosen up the 750 day" and the old beast was purring. It still takes me a while to adjust to the difference in the two scoots but the smoothness of the old girl just doesn't compare to the sheer guts of the 1400. For you Harley riders, that's going from a 45 cubic inch in-line four to an 83 inch v-twin. Shift, ride and EVERYTHING is different....but I love them both. I switched over to the Intruder to ride to the ABATE Chapter birthday party at Pat's Pond on Saturday night and the fatter tires sure helped on getting down that dirt track. The air was a tad chilly, but the fellowship around the fire was good. It was really great to see Iron-Butt (or is that Titanium-Hip) Zeno and his Princess out and about.

Sunday dawned bright and ridable so, after dropping in on Ms Lynn (who's still under the bug), I actually dug out a helmet and headed for the border. Stopping by Lost Bay Bar and Grill for a cold Amber Bok and the NASCAR race, Corliss told me they had a great turn-out for their Thursday bike-night.. I'll have to make it over there when there's a CSI re-run. Continuing on into the Alabama back-country, I looped around and arrived at Ruby's by way of Seminole.

Once again, their annual chili cook-off was no disappointment. I got to see a bunch of y'all there and, thanks to Tagamet, I really did enjoy trying out a bunch of the entries. Number 13 seemed to have quite a few fans, but somehow, I just don't care for muchrooms in my chili. Waddling off from there to the scoot, I made The Country Tavern my last stop of the day (and the weekend). More good, cold, beer and good company wrapped up a near-perfect weekend and I rode for the house with the sunset at my back. Let's hope next weekend can be as good. Y'all take care and ride safe!

2/29/04
Seems kinda strange to say after only three months, but I'm putting the Intruder on the market. I love the power of the beast but, overall, I'm just not as comfortable as I am on the old 750. The worst part is I was just getting her set up the way I wanted. I guess I just shouldn't have ridden the Honda to Sonic on Friday night! I'm asking $3800, which is $270 under retail...but we CAN talk. If you're interested, you can reach me at Motorcycle Emporium at 457-7029 from 10 - 3, or via e-mail from here.

Once the rain stopped this week, it was good, if cold, riding. As I mentioned, I rode out to Nine Mile Sonic on Friday night and found out there were only about 10 of us stalwart souls. I'm gonna give some folks the benefit of the doubt since it was the first weekend of Bike Week, but I think mostly it was wusses! I worked Saturday, so the evening was mostly just riding around looking for trouble to get into....without success, thank goodness. It was cold enough that I was comfortable wearing my fleece balaclava, which I haven't done for some time. The only stop I made was at Georgia's Laugh-Inn, and ran into friends there but they were caging it. Geez, guys, it wasn't that cold!

Today was another good riding day until that cloud cover and cold wind stuff moved in. I was out Perdido Key way and thought I was gonna be blown off the road a few times. Well, I've run out of stuff to say and I'm not in Daytona so, y'all take care and I'll catch you next time.

1/21/04
Ha...gotcha. Heeee's baaack! Okay, I'm no court reporter, but I'll do my best to let you know what happened on Tuesday, the 20th. As some of you might know, our Brother Zeno was the victim of a hit-and-run on his scoot last March. Soccer Mommie turned herself in a couple of days later and, in November, pleaded "No Contest" to leaving the scene, with injury. Since Bro Zeno just had the injured hip replaced on the eighth of this month, he was in no shape to attend and asked that someone be there for the sentencing. Seventeen of us showed up in leather.

After a bunch of legal talk I didn't understand, the Judge sentenced her to 60 days in the County Jail. Soccer Mommie got all upset that she had left her 5-year-old in Ohio to fly down and expected to get off scott-free. Now, the Judge was even more po'd that she "assumed" she'd get off and made no arangement for the young'n. After a bunch more jawing back and forth, the Judge came back with a real zinger; he changed the sentence to 18 months in State Prison, suspended, until Monday morning, the 26th at 8AM to appear before him after making arrangements for the care of the child. Is she appears as ordered, the sentence will be reduced to the original 60 days in County but, if she doesn't, the 18 months in State will apply. Now granted, that still doen't do Zeno any good but at least it wasn't a slap on the hand and $100 fine we've seen in other cases. Thanks, Judge Allen.

3/7/04
What can I say but it's been wonderful riding weather! I've taken the Intruder out every day to keep her loose, but the pleasure riding has been on the old 750. I've even dug out the helmet and ridden across the Lillian bridge a couple of times. I guess there were about ten bikes at Lost Bay on Thursday evening, and it was pleasant, if a tad windy, out on the porch, everlooking the bay. I think I was the only non-Harley there but let's see if we can change that.

Y'know, I thought that was supposed to be a cold front moving in, but I've been riding sleeveless all weekend. Well, Saturday night, after dark, I DID put a jacket on, but sure shed it when I got indoors. There was a nice crowd at the Nine Mile Burger King for the street rods, but still not too many bikes were out. Funny thing was, I stopped by the Red Barron on the way back, and the only Harley there was a Buell and the rest were Japanese. After a tall draught, I hit the road, winding up at Georgia's on Navy Blvd and the only other bike there was a Honda. Sunday, though, was when all the Harleys were out. Lost Bay was marvelous out on the porch but I wanted to check out someplace new...at least to me.

Hub Stacey's at Innerarity Point was a pleasant surprise. Not only did we run into a bunch of you already there but, marvel of marvels....they serve the best Reuban sandwich I've had since I left D.C. In fact, it's the only decent one I've had since then. Well, it's time to wrap this up and hope for more good weather. Y'all take care and be safe.