Portland Polar Bear Run

Mark your calendar.  The 25th annual Portland Polar Bear Run sponsored by the Trinity Road Riders is Jan 1st!

It’s the first ride of the new year.  The ride originates at Cycle Gear, SE 89th & Stark  St, Portland, Oregon.  There are three different rides for you to choose, ranging from 17 miles to 120 miles.  A ride pin and/or year bar will be available to the first 700 participants.  Registration is 10:00am until noon.  There is a $10.00 registration fee; rider and passenger is $15.00.

For more ride information you can call (503)314-4757 or register HERE or email them at info@trinityroadriders.com

The Trinity Road Riders are a CMA Chapter which supports the National CMA efforts of sharing and showing the love of Jesus Christ to motorcyclists, and supporting the overall ministry of CMA.

 

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My Dear Santa List

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it was a perfect time to ask Santa to grant some of my motorcycle wishes. Here’s what I want this holiday season: 

1. Santa, please save Harley-Davidson from the economic meltdown. I want Harley, the key American motorcycle manufacture and underdog, to overcome all of its issues and be restored to the high-flying innovative motorcycle manufacture it once was. I long for bigger blocks, tight cylinder liners, tight head gaskets, 4 valves per jug, liquid-and-air-cooled, more HP, more torque and fewer problems. A $55 stock price would be nice too.
2. Put an end to those Japanese-Harley clones. Japanese manufactures: stop trying to copy Harley and instead come up with your own breakthrough cruiser that delivers a superb motorcycle riding experience. Even better, make sure your engines sound flawlessly “Harley-like” on the American highway system before you debut them.
3. Help Harley’s SAMCRO motorcycle vision come true. I know there are a lot of naysayers that doubt an OMC vision of a limited edition motorcycle launch will come to fruition, but I’d like to see it happen. I think this savvy idea could challenge traditional branding business models and create much more buzz in the competitive co-branding market.
4. Help Harley win an exclusive product placement in Ben Affleck’s film about Arizona Republic journalist Don Bolles. He was killed in 1976 while working on a story about political corruption and organized crime. Rumor is Clooney will be lead and he rides motorcycles!
5. Help reduce the number of federally protected gray wolves shot in Wisconsin by Harley hunters during deer season.
6. Please, please, please help Harley marketing. The “sex sells” strategy with Marisa Miller is not working. Emotions are clouding their judgment.
7. Hold the line on Summerfest beer prices. A recession is no time to raise beer prices and we need to keep the “suds” charges low.
8. Lastly, please provide riders prolonged exposure to the wind so that all may find extended periods of uncontrolled euphoria.

My list may not be long, but my wishes aren’t going to be easy to grant. I hope Santa has some business-savvy elves ready to buckle down and work on my list. Let’s not stop there — send your wish list or comments below.

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Shopping Focus

Christmas shopping is not the easiest task and finding deals without getting injured in the crowds can be a challenge. 

Yet, I grabbed my list of Harley items, Pet Rock’s, Webkinz and headed for the mall the other day. Walking out through the garage I notice a lot of fallen leaves.  I decided to do a quick spray off of debris on the walk way, but as I turn on the water hose, I looked over at the Harley and decided it needs washing.

I search for the soap bucket and notice boxes stacked on top of the recycle container that I had brought down earlier. I decide to cut down the boxes before I wash the Harley. I head to the tool box looking for the box cutter and notice the neon clock is off an hour. I pull out the step ladder to reach the clock and notice the new furnace filters sitting on the top shelf.  Not knowing when I last changed them this now becomes a priority.

I head toward the furnace, but notice a Diet Coke I brought down earlier is getting warm, and decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.  I head toward the kitchen with the Diet Coke and a limp plant on the end-table catches my eye — it needs water.  I put the Diet Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for.  I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water that plant.

I set my glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and then I spot the TV remote. I left it on the kitchen table and realize that tonight when I go to watch TV, I’ll be looking all over for it, but I won’t remember that it’s on the table, So I better put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water that plant.

I pour some water in the plant, but some of it spills on the floor.  I set the remote back on the table, use up the last of the paper towels to wipe up the spill. I head down the hall for another roll of paper towels trying to remember what was it I was planning to do today?!

At the end of the day there are still leaves piled up on the walk way, the Harley didn’t get washed, the furnace filters need replaced,  there is a warm can of Diet Coke sitting on the counter, the plant was flooded, no gifts purchased and I can’t find my glasses.  I’m feeling really tired and started wondering if I have an attention problem?  I pause briefly thinking about a time management class providing more clarity, but first I’ll check my e-mail…

Happy shopping folks.  There’s only a couple weeks left and if you’re one of those camp out, pre-dawn, stampede frenzied shoppers remember to look both ways before crossing the store aisle!

Shopping line photo courtesy of CNN.

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