Tag: OC BikeFest

A memory of the beer drinkin’ hell raisin’ kind…

~ Stevie ~ Leave a comment

I try to be an easygoing, roll-with-the-punches type of person. It makes life a lot easier, taking any disappointments in stride and finding new opportunities through them. But finding out there won’t be an official Ocean City Bike Week 2020 blindsided me. You know the look on a kid’s face when they drop their ice cream on the sand-coated boardwalk after only one lick? Yep, it stings like that because I’d hoped the rally was scheduled late enough in this surreal year that it would escape the covid closings. While there are still plenty of scenic and fun places to go in that area, it was the band lineup that had me really looking forward to the event this year. Some of the acts will carry over to next September, some won’t. So…time to regroup, eliminate the whining noise coming from my mental engine, and indulge in a fun flashback from OC BikeFest 2019.

When you’re riding, it’s easy to come around a curve to find yourself dealing with something unexpected. Sometimes these surprises are nerve-wracking, maybe gravel or a critter in the road. Sometimes you’re shocked with something awesome like a scenic overlook. In this case, I was on two feet instead of wheels. It started under the big tent at the Inlet where we’d staked out a spot at a makeshift spool table with two other couples. Cheap Trick had finished their set, and people were packing in elbow to elbow for ZZ Top. It would be another hour and a half before they got started, and I realized I wouldn’t make it without an empty and a refill.

I told my boyfriend I was heading out to the bathroom and would grab a couple of beers on the way back. He looked around at the thickening crowd and kissed me stating it was, “in case I never see you again”. I laughed at that, took note of a few markers that might help me find my way back, and started bobbing and weaving my way through the throng of fellow rally goers. Aiming for one of the tent openings, I hunched down and slithered along trying not to annoy anyone when suddenly, I hit a clearing…literally. Once I broke into open air, I accidentally launched into someone. My left cheek came into contact with someone’s shoulder, the corner of my eye scraping across…sequins?

Sequins indeed, I turned to see a sparkling black jacket, long beard, sunglasses, and a Nudu beanie hat. I’d rammed my face into Billy Gibbons himself. As I realized I’d inadvertently crashed a VIP ZZ Top meet and greet, I looked forward to discover a small crowd of people taking pictures of one of their musical heroes. And I have to wonder if I’m in some of those shots, a shocked photo-bomber looking equally awestruck and thoroughly embarrassed. Sorry ‘bout that! Luckily I was able to find my way back to my own sharp dressed man again. Admittedly, it was after emerging at another spool table a few feet in the wrong direction where I realized, “oops…wrong people”. But ultimately, we got to enjoy the concert together. Although plans have changed for the next vacation, I’m sure it will be another great one: wrong turns, pleasant surprises and all!

Priceless Souvenir

~ Stevie ~ 1 Comment

We’ve all experienced the symptoms: sluggish body, nausea, an ache in the chest, tearful eyes. Only in this case it’s not the flu, a hangover, or a bad breakup. It’s returning to work after going out to lunch on a gorgeous day. Walking away from your motorcycle when what you really want to do is fire it back up and ride the rest of the afternoon away. One such day, knowing it’s hard to make a quiet and unnoticeable escape on a Harley, I dragged my feet back inside the workplace. As if proving that riders are more conspicuous than other commuters, a woman in the elevator glanced at the helmet in my hand and said, “I like your bike!” She went on to explain that the day before, she’d left the building with another female coworker. “We heard this motorcycle coming through the parking lot and looked up and it was you! A WOMAN on this big ol’ bike…and we were so proud!” It brightened the rest of my workday considerably, even if she didn’t realize it. Funny how a simple comment or gesture can lift another’s spirit, whether you are on the giving or receiving end. Recently, performing a random act of kindness WHILE on that longed-for road trip left me with a priceless souvenir.

We were on our way to OC Bikefest for a much-needed vacation. Rather than take my bike this year, I opted to snuggle in behind my boyfriend. I’ve had friends say it looks strange when they see me on the back of a motorcycle, but I’ve never taken the “M” endorsement on my driver’s license to mean “man-free zone”. I love being in the wind, whether on my own, or sharing the experience. The ability and freedom of choosing how I ride is a gift I’m always thankful for! As we came to a crawl approaching the Bay Bridge toll plaza, I looked around to check out the bikes of other riders also headed to Ocean City. We passed one particular couple riding tandem and they caught my eye because they appeared to be a father/teenage-daughter duo. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was their first trip together and thought about what awesome memories they would make. My own father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s this year, so I find myself reminded daily of how truly precious a memory can be.

Realizing we were edging closer to one of the toll booths, I started digging cash out of my pocket. As we finally approached a window, I heard a bike pull up behind us. Glancing back I was pleasantly surprised to see it was the twosome I’d noticed before. I handed enough money to the attendant for two bikes to cover our fee as well as theirs, and we were off to maneuver through the rest of the bottleneck. Before everyone made their way back to open road and once again got up to speed, I turned back to smile at the pair. The teen’s face lit up with a big grin and she gave a shy wave as her dad looked up and mouthed a thank you. The expression on her face made my day, leaving me with a huge grin of my own the rest of the way to the beach. Having to concentrate on the road, my boyfriend missed most of that exchange. When I described it to him later, I told him the feeling it left me with made that $4.00 toll the best money I’d spend our whole vacation. It’s definitely a highlight of the trip I’ll always remember.

Now, November brings with it a couple of introspective holidays for me: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for our Vets and the sacrifices they make to protect the cherished freedoms we have. And each year I grow even more grateful for the time I am able to enjoy with my loved ones. Please keep Veterans, family and friends, and even complete strangers in mind when you are inspired to commit a random act of kindness. You’ll be glad you did- paying it forward is such a great gift not only to others, but also to yourself.

Saddle Soar

~ Stevie ~ 4 Comments

I headed to the refrigerator the other day to grab a cold one, and it occurred to me things were looking a little bare. Not INSIDE the fridge, that was well-stocked with plenty of food and drinks. It was the OUTSIDE that seemed to be a bit sparse for some reason. Then I realized that a few months ago, I was sticking flyer after flyer of rides and events I wanted to go to on the side of the refrigerator as a way of saving the dates. Now those happenings have come and gone in a flash of fun, the handouts have come down, and the magnets on the fridge are looking lonely! Guess it’s time to check the calendars for the upcoming weeks and do some planning.

One rally I look forward to each September is OC BikeFest/Delmarva Bike Week. goofin off 2012There’s plenty to do which makes it easy to find something to suit your mood. You can get wild and crazy at any number of cool places, or wild and quiet by checking out the feral horses a quick ride away at Assateague. I’ve seen a lot of awesome concerts there, and I think this year promises more with Kix and Lynyrd Skynyrd in the lineup. In addition to the live shows, I’ve had a great time in Ocean City along with my boyfriend at past rallies. We’ve seen the sun rise over coffee, walking on the beach, and the celebration the sunset becomes when watching it synchronized with music at Fagers Island. But a favorite shared memory actually happened after we’d left the oceanfront and were on our way home.

He was on his Road King, and back then I was riding my Sportster. We left the beach very early that morning, between that and the fact you never know what the weather will be like each year, it was a chilly ride home. On what we figured was the final fuel stop, we decided warming up with some coffee was in order before wrapping up the last hour of the trip. As we stood next to the bikes treating ourselves to that dose of caffeine, a man came over from a nearby van to chat with us. He admitted he had always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but had a disability he felt made it too unsafe. He was the driver of the van however, turns out it was a church group out of North Carolina made up of mostly older folks. While we talked, the van passengers started filtering back to the vehicle from the gas station to join the conversation.

After a few ladies asked me questions about how it was to ride by myself and what I wear to keep warm, one of them wanted to know if she could pose next to my bike for a picture.

“Sure, you can sit of them if you wa-“

That was all it took, before I could warn them about hot parts or anything they were off as if afraid we’d change our minds. It was like watching a few dozen elderly transform into a wild pack of kindergarteners set loose on a jungle gym for the first time. We juggled cameras thrown at us, taking picture after picture as they scrambled on and off the bikes squealing, laughing, and striking poses. Finally, once everyone had their turn and the chaos fizzled out, we parted ways as they all waved frantically while we rode off. Much later, as we reminisced about our vacation, we realized that in the middle of the parking lot confusion neither of us had taken pictures of them with our OWN cameras.

I regret that oversight,fagers island sunset 2012 but the memory works to the front of my mind a few times a year, especially around OC Bike Week. It brings a smile to my face as big as the ones we saw on them that day, joy as contagious as theirs continues to lift my spirit. And that’s my kind of post-ride saddle “soar”.