Monday, April 14, 2008

Motorcycle Mama

This is what happens when I wait too long to blog -- I end up with a list of things I've been wanting to write about and then I consider cramming them all into one post. But I won't. Instead, in the next few days, I'll try to cover motorcycles, kayaking, great reads, and probably a few other things I thought of recently but have now forgot . . .

For today, motorcycles . . .

I still have to head over to the DMV office to get the endorsement added to my drivers' license, but other than that -- I'm now legal to ride a motorcycle! I took a course this past weekend at the local Harley dealership and yesterday I passed my test with almost flying colors. (Seems I forgot to brake going into a curve and that cost me some points -- my instructor told me otherwise I would have aced it . . .).

I've been wanting to learn for a long time. As a kid, my brothers rode, and I spent some time as a passenger and loved the thrill of it. The desire has grown since living in Florida, where we're surrounded by bikers. But what finally compelled me to get out there and take the course is the current novel I'm working on. ("The one that was supposed to be turned into the publisher on March 31," she says with a guilty look on her face . . . Luckily, my editor is very understanding and patient.) As the members of my writing workshop know, my main character rides. So I thought now would be the time to make sure I get the finer points of riding right, before I turn the manuscript in. I'd hate to think readers might later see something I'd written and think to themselves, "she got that all wrong!"

Of course, now I'm itching to get a motorcycle, and Rick says, "Wait a minute, I thought you just wanted to do this for your novel." My poor husband. He's even more patient than my editor.

They don't have pink, but I like this yellow one. :-)