sun shower

Today our sewer line was backed up, so I couldn't run any water in the house 'til Matt could come home and fix it.

It was a hot day, so I put on my bathing suit and took my shampoo bottle out into the back yard.

That was the best shower I have had in a long time.

mine is bigger than yours

I never did finish showing you my trip to Japan. There are just two more cities left. The first place that we visited in Kyoto was the Shogunate Palace. The Shogun spent most of his time in Tokyo, but wanted to show the Emperor who was really boss, and so he build a huge palace designed to make anyone who entered feel small. It was built as a fortress against his enemies as well, with special floor boards that sing like mocking birds when you walk on them. There was no sneaking up on the Shogun.
Everything is on a grand scale, covered in gold leaf and intricate hand carvings. There are beautiful murals throughout the palace on the rice paper walls, but we weren't allowed to take pictures (they want you to buy them). Skilled artists were in the middle of restoring the murals while we were there. Rice paper walls and thatch roofs are not impervious to fluctuations in temperature and moisture, and so these paintings must be restored on a regular basis.
The gardens around the palace looked too good to be true. They were perfectly balanced and so serene - just like a painting.

There were carp and turtles in the moat, expansive lawns that we weren't allowed to walk on, and numerous shops near the exit selling tasty treats and tacky souvenirs.

get your daily dose

This week I saw a very funny show called Flight of the Conchords. In the same vein as Tenacious D, and The Lonely Island, these lads from New Zealand write the most hilarious tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The show is airing on HBO, but for a few more days you can watch the first episode online.

I think Jemaine is quite reminiscent of a young Mick Jagger.

If you need your mood lightened further, Ember Swift has a song that I can totally identify with today. Have a listen to the Underwear Song on CBC Radio 3.

pain

I started kickboxing classes again this week, after a 20 month hiatus.

I hurt.

Bu it's a good kind of hurt.

I'm actually quite pleased with myself that I survived that first class. It will feel really good to put my handwraps on again tonight and beat the living tar out of that heavy bag.

I can't find many ways to relieve stress in my daily life. The only surefire technique for me is hard physical training.

And punching things.

When I turn off my brain and make my body into a machine, I work out all the negativity that builds up during the day.

you must be THIS BIG to go on this ride

OK, I've finally cooled down enough to post about this.

I broke my bike.

It's too heavy for me and I can't maneuver it properly. I'm fine while it's moving. It feels great while I'm cruising down the road, but it becomes a problem when it's stopped.

I dropped it.

Twice.

Both times on an uneven road surface. My right foot was just a little further away from the ground than my left, it started to tilt, and that was the end of it. It takes 2 people to pick it up.

The first time I dropped it there wasn't even a scratch and I was so relieved. The second time things must have been weakened by the first fall. The front brake leaver and the right foot peg snapped off, I scratched up the right mirror, handle bar end, and there are some tiny scratches on the tank from the snaps on my jacket when I fell.

Now I have to pay for replacement parts and try to sell it, then go looking for another bike.

I feel like a huge loser.

I was so eager to ride, and I didn't want to be stuck on the back of Matt's bike. I really did think it was a good fit, and I don't think even a test drive would have convinced me that it was too big. I thought I just needed to adjust to it. It took over a week before I was certain that I couldn't handle it.

Even Matt has difficulty getting it in and out of the garage, and a 3 point turn is tricky indeed. I think you'd need to be over 6 feet tall and have some nice big muscles to really do well with this bike. None of the reviews I read said anything about how top-heavy it is.

If anyone knows of a used 2006 Ninja 650R for sale, please let me know. Now I really have an itch to ride, and every day that I look at that thing stuck in the garage is torture.

I know lots of people survive just fine without a motorcycle, but this was a big dream for me.

Thanks for letting me whine. I promise not to write about motorbikes for a while.

new wheels

OK.

I took this photo with the timer on my camera, so I had no idea that I was obscuring all the important bits of my new Kawasaki Versys with my body and helmet.

I will take another picture tonight and stand behind the bike, so you can see it properly.
This sucker is a lot heavier than the Ninja 650R that I tested. I've been having huge difficulty getting it in and out of the garage. I feel very wimpy. I'm also a little disappointed that I had to buy brand-new instead of used. The break-in period is a real drag.

It is super comfortable to ride, though.

I can't wait 'til my first road trip.

my bike

I bought a 2007 Kawasaki Versys, black, 650 cc.

My first choice was a used BMW F650 GS, but they are hard to come by.

It's big and shiny and intimidates the hell out of me right now.

I'll post a photo tomorrow.

moto-snobs

Motorcycle riders in Medicine Hat are snobs.

Riders in Edmonton are just so happy to have good riding weather, and to see other riders out, that they'll even wave at bicyclists sometimes.

Down here, while buzzing around on my little red scooter, not one person on a 'real' motorcycle has acknowledged my existence.

Well, Friday I'm getting my own motorcycle, and I'm going to be damned-sure to wave at every scooter rider in town.

Hmpf.