kevinbparsons

Life Choices: The Event

2012-01-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

Have you gotten bogged down with the economy? Do you feel unfulfilled, like you missed an opportunity and are in a funk? Do you need direction, motivation or purpose? Then ‘Life Choices: The Event’ is for you!
Judi Moreo will host this event on March 23rd through the 25th, and will surround you with quality speakers who have overcome incredible obstacles, achieved greatness, and attained their full potential. Wouldn’t you like a step up in your life, be it spiritual, physical, financial or business?
I’ve worked with Judi on numerous books and attended her other classes, and she is the real deal. This seminar will help you with personal, social, economic and health issues. The people she’s put together for this weekend are quality individuals as well.
Check out the website at www.lifechoicesevent.com for more details and registration. Be sure to take advantage of Early Bird registration. I would love to see you there!

Party Time!... Well, Almost

2012-01-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to party? No? Well, you have three months to get ready.
You’re invited to our ’50 States in 50 Weeks’ Launch Party! That’s right; from noon to three o’clock on Sunday the 29th of April, we will party at Mountain Crest Park, at Durango and Lone Mountain. Be there! You live far way? All the more reason to travel to Las Vegas. After a horrible winter of snow, rain and sleet, wouldn’t it be nice to relax in a grassy park with bright blue skies? So jump on the plane and visit us in Vegas. Say hello to the sun you’ve missed for five months.
The park features Frisbee golf (we’ll sponsor a cash prize tournament), water toys for the kids along with slides and swings, and plenty of barbeques. Don’t forget the horseshoes or basketballs too.
If you have a bike, you’re invited to travel with us to Mesquite or Cedar City as we take off, riding through a paper banner at 3 p.m.
Set aside the date, and RSVP to kparsons901@aol.com. Can’t wait to see you!

City Slickers on Bicycles

2012-01-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

As I pedaled along the bike trail, something shot out from the left of my peripheral vision. A coyote! I don’t know. Do you pronounce it ‘ky yote ee’ or ‘ky yote’? I think cowboys call them ‘ky yotes.’ Like, “I was wranglin’ cows at the back forty an’ spotted a ky yote. Shot ‘em.” Doesn’t that sound about right? But a City Slicker would say, “We stopped at a rest area and the sign talked about ky yote ees.” Anyway, that’s what I think.
Meanwhile, it shot out and hauled after Mike, who was last in our group of three. I looked back and it seemed pretty intent on catching Mike. We were cruising at around 23 miles an hour, and the coyote seemed to be pacing Mike. It was just a glance, but the dog seemed pretty mad to me.
So is it a ‘car chasing’ type of coyote, or is it out to bite Mike? I yelled to him but as he looked back, the dog was under his field of vision. The thing must have tracked him for a quarter mile. A hill loomed ahead. I knew our speed would lag. Would the coyote catch us? Would he bite Mike? Perhaps he had friends and they would all take us down. I saw that once on the Discovery Channel, so it must be true. Could we defend ourselves against the critter with our bikes? If it bit Mike would I have to suck the rabies out of his leg and spit it on the ground to save his life? If I had to do that, I would call them ‘ky yotes,’ if you know what I mean.
One of the problems with road bike riding is the person is just about naked. That animal could have a nice chunk of calf for dinner.
Fortunately, the coyote ran out of enthusiasm before we ran out of steam. What an exciting adventure for a group of City Slickers! And the bonus? We spotted another one, not two miles later. Fortunately that one didn’t try to run us down and eat us. Seems us bike riders better start packin’, if you know what I mean, buckshot. Ain’t no ky yote givin’ us no trouble, no sir.

The Year of Jubilee

2012-01-19T02:34:00.000-08:00

The Little Woman and I have considered the '50 States' trip different ways. It could be the Easy Rider style, "Head out on the highway, looking for adventure, whatever comes our way." Sounds pretty cool, but pointless. The movie depicted a couple loser biker trash guys doing drugs and women and getting killed in the end. Oh, sorry. Spoiled a bad movie for you.
However, another perspective is this could be our 'Year of Jubilee.' Some definitions of 'Jubilee:'
1.
a. A specially celebrated anniversary, especially a 50th anniversary.
b. The celebration of such an anniversary.
2. A season or an occasion of joyful celebration.
3. Jubilation; rejoicing.
4. often Jubilee Bible In the Hebrew Scriptures, a year of rest to be observed by the Israelites every 50th year, during which slaves were to be set free, alienated property restored to the former owners, and the lands left untilled.
That's pretty cool. We take a year and celebrate the prosperity God has bestowed on us, rest, regroup, and get back ready to tackle life once again on a day to day basis. You can read about it in Leviticus chapter 25. Go on, dust off that Bible. Or go to Bible.com, easier: http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=Leviticus+25&version1=65
Pretty interesting, as lands are restored to owners, slaves set free, and debt forgiven.
Living in Vegas, 'Jubilee' is quite different, a 'stage spectacular' that has run here for over 28 years. Not quite the same Jubilee, methinks.
So we'll consider this a year of Jubilee.
Who knows? Another 50 years and we may do it again.

The Lady with Class

2012-01-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

This week’s ‘Monthly Rave’ winner is... Judi Moreo! (Thunderous applause, people standing) I met Judi at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference where she spoke about getting out there and selling your books. Her vibrant personality (with a hint of southern charm) lit up the room. I didn’t realize the turn my life took that day.
Later Judi sent invites to the Henderson Writer’s Group for her book, ‘Life Choices; Pursuing Your Passions.’ I submitted my story and she published it in her anthology.
Since then I’ve worked with her in a number of capacities, and she is the real deal; motivational speaker, author, breast cancer survivor and a person of quality and integrity. I am pleased to be associated with her.
On March 23-25, Judi and the great people she surrounds herself with will be hosting ‘Life Choices; The Event,’ where a person can learn about changing his life, from different speakers and leaders that have overcome alcoholism, gambling addictions, death and loss and have found tools to succeed in life. You won’t want to miss this event!
Go to www.lifechoicesevent.com to check it out and register. Use the code PYPKP and I’ll be able to connect with you. Hurry, as the discounted rates are effective until January 31st. You can bring a friend at a discounted rate as well. Judi always signs off with, “You are more than enough.” Come and learn how you can be.
See you there!

Crossing Paths- Events

2012-01-13T02:28:00.000-08:00

We broke bread with our friends Keith and Melody last night and he mentioned they would be in Wisconsin for his parents’ 70th anniversary (70 years. How cool is that??) in June. The Little Woman and I glanced at one another. Nope. We’d be in Alaska.
Funny how people travel in circles, but what are the chances of both being at the same place at the same time? Yet some events trail the country, so certainly we could ’happen’ to cross paths.
Sure enough, we found a NASCAR race that met our needs. Go ahead, call us rednecks. Loudon, New Hampshire holds an event on September 23rd. Cool. We searched for other events. Aha! Arenacross, November 4-6 in Baltimore, Maryland. When I found it, I got all excited. Sherri wanted to know what was so great about Arenacross, and I related the story of a race I saw in Sacramento.
The events take place in smaller venues, and the courses are really tight. Fifteen bikes fighting for position into the first turn provides a thrill, and that night one guy took another racer out. The rider picked up his bike and rolled it off the track and waited on the side of the track. The next lap, he launched into the melee and t-boned the guy ‘s bike with his while the fellow was leading. The entire bunch of racers went down! The crowd went crazy, and I remember that wild event years later. Can’t wait.
Continuing our search, we found a Supercross race at Cowboy Stadium in Texas during February. Again, Supercross makes for an exciting spectator sport. I try to get near a big jump during the race to see just how high those guys jump, and they fly approximately thirty feet in the air. If you watch carefully, they tap their rear brake at the apex of the jump to stop the gyroscope effect, and the bike pitches forward and lands smoothly on the downhill side of the next jump. Amazing. And Cowboy Stadium, how cool is that?
The outdoor Motocross schedule finds them in New Berlin, New York on September first. We’ll be next door in Pennsylvania that week. Motocross is one of the few motor sports where the spectator can get close enough to feel the ground shake as the bikes thunder past. Idiots hang out outside of turns so the bikes can shower them with roost. That would be fun! (Not the roost, but the motocross race.)
We may have to adjust our schedule a bit.

127 Hours Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2012-01-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

First, to clarify this book review, the author Aron Ralston, is an idiot. He set a goal to summit all 53 peaks over 14,000 feet in Colorado. That's a noble goal, but he decided to do it in winter- and solo.
This man has cheated death- literally- numerous times. Yet on a simple hike (for him) in Utah, he experienced a freak accident and his right arm got caught by a rock in a chasm. Again, being an idiot, he had neglected to tell anyone where he was going, so no search started for days.
He also wrote back-story of his life, and one event, in a overdose of arrogance, he skied down a bowl and initiated an avalanche that could have killed him and two friends- people who walked off the hill and never spoke to him again.
That arrogance made him neglect to tell friends and family his destination. Yet, being an idiot and getting into this situation, the man was a genius in keeping his wits about him and surviving over five days in captivity. How he managed to sever his arm from it's captivity with a knife that was unable to cut the bone is truly an act of genius. I'll leave that to the reader to see how he managed this. Also, in a tremendous application of serendipity, he cut his arm off and the clock was really ticking. He will not be able to walk out to his truck without dying. Yet he stumbled across help and a helicopter appeared in magnificent timing. A day sooner, or two or three days, and he would have walked to his death.

This book is an excellent read, very compelling. Would I have survived a saga like his? No way. But then again, I wouldn't have gotten into the situation like him either.
After recovering, Ralston continued his quest of finishing the 53 peaks continued, solo, in winter, with a prosthetic ice axe on his right hand.
As I said, he is an idiot.
Okay he conquered all 53. He is a genius.

The Trailer Hitch Project

2012-01-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

“Only John Deere replacement parts fit and wear like the originals.” Way back when I owned JD equipment, this appeared on every part bag, a warning not to sell our soul for a cheap replacement part that wasn’t quite up to snuff.
Today, I finished the trailer hitch on the Honda. It was not an original Honda part, and not an authorized one either. And it fit… almost. Just like the armrests, it missed by a teeeeny bit. Enough to drive one crazy! When parts are made of steel, a sixteenth of an inch may as well be a mile. Actually it is worse, as one can see that it is sooo close…
At last, the hitch is on, and looks good. I will delegate the wiring of the brakes and lights to an expert, however.
I learned a few things as I worked on the bike. When patience runs thin, stop. There isn’t a deadline (at least, not a close one), and it’s best to take a breather (or a day) to refresh and regroup.
The other lesson is that patience is not my strong suit. And wrenching is for patient people.
Finally, it helps to have help. My son Jonathan gave me a hand wrestling steel rods into place so the bolts could fit. Nothing like another set of hands to expedite the challenges of a sixteenth of an inch.
Happily, the end result is very good.

Resolutions... or Goals?

2012-01-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

Do you struggle with resolutions? Don’t we all. I cannot exercise, just can’t seem to get out there and get after it.
Unless.
Unless I have a goal. Dirt bike racing? Triathlon? Bicycle event? Count me in! I’ll train, because I have a reason. Kevin Odor our senior pastor, says, “The how doesn’t matter if you have the why.” In other words, if you have a compelling reason to do something (a worthy goal) you can get there.
A friend almost died of liver damage from a lifetime of alcohol abuse. The doctor tested his liver and said he would return in a few hours with results to determine if he should go into hospice or not. He spent the next three hours waiting and thinking about the possible end of his life. And what do you know? He stopped drinking. He had the why. A New Year’s Resolution usually isn’t enough why.
What are you needing? Spiritual maturity? Health and wellness? Job security? Healthy marriage and / or family?
Maybe you need a good why first, then you can figure out the how.
Note: Photos from my first and probably last New Year's celebration on the Strip. 315,000 people!

Armrest Project Completion

2011-12-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

Assembling new components on a scratch free bike is daunting, and takes great patience. I'm used to working on dirt bikes, loaded with scratches and dirt (hence the name, 'dirt bike'). With good directions (they were) good components (pretty much), and a great deal of patience, ( I had SOME), the project is complete and looks like a pro did it. I can assure you if a pro did it like I did it, he would have lost a lot of money on that project.
I drug the Little Woman into the garage to climb aboard the Throne and try out the armrests. She wasn't impressed. "D'oh!"
We'll do a test ride to Pahrump soon. I can tell you're jealous. Pahrump.
Next project; the trailer hitch. More at stake. Because if the arms rest falls off, no big deal...

Last Ride

2011-12-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUrtjbQ1gFJ5xXIuJJnGvWQA&feature=player_detailpage&v=uAbghddyIcU
Saying goodbye to an old friend is tough. When it's an inanimate object it’s still tough- and a little weird. I mean, it’s a… thing, made of metal, plastic, rubber, whatever. Yet goodbye is still difficult. Christmas Eve morning, Bob, Tim, Kevin, Mark and I went for a dirt bike ride in Jean. Nothing like blasting up washes, single tracks and trails to get you in the Christmas spirit, right? This being my first ride since the broken foot, I spent a good portion of the day thinking of that foot. Every rock and obstacle on the right seemed huge. When I bounced over a few whoops and hit another, my foot reminded me it was mending. Yet I think the ride was just what the doctor ordered to get the bone working. Apparently the bone, once healed initially, needs to be worked to develop flexibility. We rode up the hills and into a little bit of snow. Very cool, and almost no dust, blue skies with glorious vistas. Thirty –eight miles later we returned to the trucks, tired and happy. Not only happy, we were pleased to find Kevin and Tim, as we lost them halfway through the ride. Then I went home, rinsed the bike off and sold it. Ow. With the ’50 States in 50 Weeks’ coming up, it’s time to part with the dirt bike. Another price to pay for a once in a lifetime experience. I think what we miss when we part with a piece of metal and plastic isn’t the object itself, but the memories that accompanied it. And the ’08 450 carried many wonderful memories of riding and racing, all over the fine state of Nevada. Great rides, great times, great friends.

The Project

2011-12-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

I pushed and squeezed, twisted and muttered. The bolt needed to be a sixteenth of an inch longer. Welcome to my project, installing armrests (including cup holder) on the new Wing. The frightening part? Drilling holes in the perfect finish of the bike. Also, the dreaded specter of the project becoming a Project.
To insure it didn't become a Project I- wait, hang on a second. If you're male and under age fifty DO NOT READ THIS. Okay. I read the directions. I even checked that I received all the parts. Good start.
Step 2 reads: "Place the Right inside Support Bracket (PIC 1) inside right passenger accessory pocket and push the bracket as far back and to the outside of the pocket as possible (PIC 2). Wow. This contains two PICs. However, this made the project a Project, as I failed to get it as far to the outside as possible. At Step 7, the little tiny sixteenth of an inch gap bit me.
Yet by Step 8, the Right Armrest (including cup holder) sat in place, chrome and leather and beautiful, no erroneous holes or upside down armrest.
Two hours. In the product reviews, people took two to four hours to install both armrests. Now that I know what I'm doing, I can get the second one on in an hour, right?
Sure.
After Christmas.
The Project continues.

Christmas Shopping

2011-12-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas approaches- quick! What to do? Shopping, of course. And where is the best place to shop? You can't beat the mall.
At the expense of sounding old, I remember dashing from one store to another in chest deep snow- wait a minute. That was going to school in chest deep snow. But yes, it still was deeper than my elbows. We would rush from store to store, braving the weather. Then those clever American mall designers enclosed them, and voila! 'Shop 'til you drop' took on a whole new meaning.
The Little Woman and I shopped at a New Mall this year, with streets and sidewlaks between the shops. Welcome to the 1950s. Who's stupid idea was this? We suffered through temperatures in the low 50s and calm weather. It was terrible. In their defense, the money saved by not lighting/heating/cooling/decorating all that pedestrian area must be significant. I don't care, give me the mall!
Whether it's the econmoy or just time availability, shopping this year has been- brace yourself- a rather nice experience.
Except for a couple of times when women literally cut in on me and took parking spots, people have shopped in a pleasant manner. The clerks don't seem frazzled and spent. Courtesy abounds!
I hope your preparation for Christmas lacks frazzle too. Remember the Reason for the Season, and have a Merry Christmas.

A Million Things To Do

2011-12-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

I need to order a trailer hitch for the bike. And a trailer wiring kit. Where are they available? Zappos? Amazon? EBay? Need armrests and a cupholder for the Little Woman. (Now THAT sounds like old people talking!) Have to find heated suits. Some kind of heater for the tent too. We talked about doing a wrap on the bike for the trip, that would be cool. Oh yeah, we mentioned putting the website on the trailer cover.
Now Christmas is approaching, so when will I find time to do all this stuff? I need to buy and wrap presents.
Wait a minute.
Why don't I buy and wrap them as presents for myself? Kill two birds with one stone. Great idea!
That's the spirit of Christmas.

Brian Head Skiing

2011-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing funner (Funner? Perhaps ‘more fun’) than skiing a run that’s freshly groomed and untouched. Brain Head, Utah provided myriad opportunities for fresh snow skiing.
I pulled into the parking lot on Sunday morning, my third consecutive day and counted. I was the fourteenth vehicle. Amazing. Riding up the lift a mere ten minutes after getting dressed and paying, the run below looked like a newly plowed field. Freshly groomed powder snow! Doesn’t get any better than this.
But it did. Sunny skies, no wind, and Brian Head even provided a freestyle zone, with rails, jumps, and two really large, intimidating jumps One kid performed front flips over it. I accomplished two amazing feats. I jumped and I’m not exaggerating, for a millisecond there was LIGHT beneath my skis. Yes. And I ran my first rail, for perhaps a second. Wow, those things are slick!
Awesome.
Skiing. Lots of it. I did 27 runs with three half day tickets. Ski down to the lift, get on and do it again. The downside of a lame economy is no crowds. Total wait time for the entire weekend, three minutes, counting ski lines and the ticket windows. Unbelievable.
The snow is thin in a few spots, but storms approach, due Tuesday and Friday. More snow. Get on up there! For a half day ($29 weekdays and $40 weekends) Brian Head is a ticket to white powder paradise.
Note: I have cancelled The Monthly Rant because there's nothing left to Rant about. Okay, there is, but not enough to dedicate an entire post to it. We'll continue Raving and Motivational Minuting (minuting?).

Finding Another Believer

2011-12-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

Isn’t it great to find a believer? Whether your passion is motorcycling, hiking, quilting or computers, another zealot makes the conversation sparkle. Last week at the DMV (my favorite place to go), I ran into Randy, a contractor we worked for in Boulder City. Because his number was 2,000 or so to be served, we had some time to talk to each other. After a bit the fifty states trip subject came up.
Randy’s eyes lit up. “I would love to do a trip like that.”
God bless Randy.
Because most of the time, people either think you’re crazy or that it’s an okay thing to do. But an aficionado? Much better.
We sauntered out to the parking lot (he was down to 1,937) and gawked at the reason for my trip to hell. I showed him the storage, cruise control, the fine appointments of the bike. He’s ready to pull the trigger and get a Gold Wing instead of his- ahem- other bike, of Milwaukee vintage. (Sorry.)
I headed home for more paperwork (this time definitely not the DMV’s fault, but mine) and smiled.
Great to have another fanatic/ friend.
Maybe it’s not so crazy after all.
Whatever your endeavor, find a fellow devotee. It’ll be good for both of you.
And the Rant:
12% tax on a vehicle?
Oh, no it’s only 8% sales tax.
Right. 8% sales tax, registration and tabs equals 12%. It’s ALL tax, just wrapped up in different names! And paid for with after-tax dollars.
Well, at least you get something for it. A cool license plate made by prisoners for nothing, a sticky tab, some paper… and a nice long visit at the DMV.
Two days later, Randy’s number is probably 436.

Persistence: Lessons From a Toddler

2011-12-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

Warning; you need a bit of patience to fully benefit from this week’s lesson. Carefully watch the YouTube video on this link at the bottom image:
It lasts a bit more than six minutes, but hopefully you’re as patient as the baby. Lily Rose, my granddaughter, spent time at the park with Dad, and found a treasure. Four tennis balls! What’s amazing is the persistence and tenacity of a seventeen month old girl, striving for a goal of gathering up and holding four tennis balls. Keep in mind a toddler usually has the attention span of an amoeba.
Some noteworthy things as you watch. Her father is a very positive person, and so is her mom. Listen to his narrative. He started out completely positive. “This is Lily and her talented ‘three tennis ball holding technique.’” Very cool. But what did he say at fifteen seconds? Hmm. At 49 seconds he gave her wise fatherly advice, very good. But at :52, 1:43 and 1:50? Wow.
His narrative was also laced with positives. “Guarantee she’s going to try!” “Four tennis balls. This is Lily’s lucky day.”
What about Lily? Watch her think this through. She tried picking them up from the bench, then moved the project to the ground. At 2:25, disaster! Lily tried to get ball number three and repeatedly kicked it to the other end of the tennis court. Think about this. Lily chased the ball to the furthest extent of her world. She’s never been any farther away from Dad or Mom than this. Yet she got the ball and returned to the project.
And what did Lily say at 4:05? It sure sounds like she said, “This is impossible.”
I think the key to her success (besides her tenacity) is her Dad’s encouragement at this statement. He says, “It’s not impossible, you can do it.” What a great opportunity for Lily, a father who tells her he believes in her.
She looked below the bench for a different perspective (5:04), as if to see from every angle just how she can overcome the challenges of four round balls. Soon after that, success!
What are the lessons here? Set a goal that is beyond your perceived capacity.
Hang in there, even if you’re the one kicking the ball to the other end of your universe.
Find every possible way to achieve your goal. Sometime the answer isn’t what you assume. Lily knew she needed bigger hands to hold the balls, so she used her shoulder, hands and cheek instead.
Finally, the cheering. “Yay Lily, Yay! Good job Lily!” (5:55) We could all use a bit of that now couldn’t we? Whether it’s Dad, Mom, a sibling or friend, we crave the praise for a job well done. Listen to the positive affirmations; forget the negative ones. Find someone who tells you they believe in you. Be the one who believes in someone else.

God made us with the ability to do far more than we think. Let’s push for more than we believe we can do. Shoot, even a toddler can push the limits.

Overcoming Fears

2011-12-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

"Honey, the mean temperatures in Georgia in February are 34 and 55 degrees." Those do sound mean. Would the temperatures be higher if they were average? What's the difference between average and mean? A friend tells me about encountering black ice in Georgia in February.
Great.
The Little Woman looked pensive. Or is it a tenuous look? What's the difference between pensive and tenuous? Or pensive and average? "That sounds really cold."
Snow lays on the mountains above our house, a powdered sugar dusting on the brown hills.
The wind whips today, the chill cutting through fabric, reminding me we need good gear to travel. Got to find a good heater for the trailer.
As we plan (generally) what to visit in each state, I look at the mean temperatures. Summer and winter each contain challenges. and being on a bike and in a tent trailer, we're pretty much outdoors.
What if there is a death in the family? We would need to come back. But what about the house? If we rent it for a year, we have burned the bridge. No turning back. But my bright wife remembers. "We could stay at the cabin."
Cool. Even the word 'cool' sounds cold.
More planning, as we look for options to cater a launch party in April.
So much to do before we go, yet Christmas looms.
What did Jesus say? “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
That is really cool. It still sounds like really cold.

On Baldness

2011-11-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, when is the bald thing going to end? At the expense of sounding racist, it looks great on black men, but white guys? Most of them look like cancer victims. Think Bruce Willis. Grow it out for crying out loud!
It's true. It can't help James Carville's political career. People look at him and think, "That guy reminds me of Uncle Fester. Or a light bulb."
Back in the day, men handled baldness with a combover, a stylish and clever way to hide it. Unless it grew windy, then no one could walk through their hair on the downwind side. Nowadays, they hide their dilemma by shaving everything. What good is it if you look like the eraser on a pencil?
Another option is to spend jillions of dollars fighting it. My brother does the Rogaine/Avacore/ transplant deal, and it works great. Just sell your house, live in a tent, and have hair.
Think Jason Statham. He's balding, yet he has SOME hair. He looks great. He shaves that stuff, and people will think he got stuck in a bowling ball polisher.
God made hair to... well, to be hair. I say grow it! Even though I'm going (okay, went) bald, I've decided to buck the tide and grow mine. I'm not cutting it until after completing the '50 states' trip.
So there!
Men, let's stand against the onslaught of people shaving their heads. We'll stand side by side, our beautiful hair adorning our wonderful heads. We're bald and proud of it. Oh. The hat? I wear it as a fashion statement. Nothing to do with the receding hairline. Really.

A Thanksgiving Remembrance

2011-11-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

"Daddy, there's sparks on the roof."
I bolted upright and looked out the window. Amy, my eight year old daughter, understated it. The snow around our house glowed with an orange hue like frosting on a birthday cake.
"Quick!" I woke the Little Woman. "The house is on fire. Get the kids up and let's get our of here."
We ran through the house yelling "fire" and got shoes and a few clothes on the kids as the house crackled inside the walls. Running past a window, I could see the flames licking up from our roof in the reflection of the neighbor's glass.
Eight of us (Mom, Dad, four kids and two single ladies)stood in the snow, Thanksgiving morning 1986, and watched the house burn as the firefighters climbed the roof with hoses and chainsaws, subduing the inferno.
Within hours, the crew let us go in and get a few clothes and rescue the turkey from the oven. Yes, the oven keeps flames and heat in the oven, but it keeps them out too. The bird survived just fine.
Neighbors and friends gathered and arranged for us to live with them while the house would be repaired.
Worst Thanksgiving ever? On the contrary, it was my best. I remember watching the activity on the roof as I stood in the snow with boots untied and no socks, overcome with gratitude.
We had our family.
Who cares about the house? We'd rebuild. The kids and girls didn't get a scratch on them. And the family pulled together and celebrated that same morning at my brother's house.
Since then Mom is gone, the loss of a great treasure. Dad's 91 and doing fine, and the kids are no longer kids, but having their own little ankle chompers. And the economy stinks.
Yet, once again I remember that moment when standing literally amongst ashes and loss and thanking God for what was important.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Training- The Weaknesses

2011-11-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

This training run (pretty weak training run, since it doesn't include the motorcycle!) is teaching me new tricks and weaknesses for the coming trip.
The Weaknesses:
Photos. Last week the Little Woman and I flew to Seattle and met over a dozen old friends and relatives. I took NO pictures of them. Amazing. I always think people don't want their photo taken, so I don't ask. Why don't I ask and if they don't they can say no? Be brave!
I also need to capture more of God's great creation, even though it's been grey, rainy and drizzly. There's beauty there; just need to shoot it.
Slowing down. I'm driving Dad to Hake Havasu from Seattle and today, he jacked his leg. How? Riding in the car too long. Stop and enjoy the view once in awhile!
Starting up conversations is a weakness of mine, also. Yet, asking questions gets people engaged, and they love to talk. Need to practice that.
New Tricks:
Zelda. That's the name of my GPS on the phone. Like the psychic, Zelda knows all! Want to find a Super 8 Motel? I program it in and in ten minutes we're filling out the paperwork. Zelda is amazing. I need to work on my IT skills like Twitter (shudder) Facebook, and the Blog. Like for instance, I didn't blog this trip. Bad Kevin. Okay, enough of that. We'll take those shots, use Zelda like a rental car, and engage people in conversation!

Love Those Hamstars

2011-11-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hats off to the Kia marketing people. The Little Woman and I rented a Kia Soul (Great name, by the way) and were pleasantly surprised at what a nice car they produced. It runs great, has most of the bells and whistles, and gets good mileage. What about that beautiful boxy design by Ralph, the engineer who was punished for goofing off, so he could only use a T-square to design the body. Right. But the Monthly Rave is really about their advertising program.
Remember the Kia commercial? Hamsters squeaking around town on the hamster wheels, then the Kia Hamstars roll through town, the music playing and they are cool. The entire vid contains no verbiage, just shows us how awesome it would be to drive a Soul.
Now you see the little boxes everywhere! They sold Souls like crazy. No, they didn't sell their souls, they sold their Souls. Forget it.
How do they do that? Imagine bright idea people sitting around a conference table, and they float different inspirations to each other. "No, that's dumb. That's silly. Wait. Hamsters driving our car and looking really cool? Okay!"
Yet marketing people pull it off, usually quite well. Jack, of Jack in the Box fame with his white plastic spherical head and wearing a suit, is cool. I cannot figure out why, but I love the guy. The Geico gecko, pretty cool. The Burger King plastic King? Really, really creepy. One commercial has him appearing in some kids' bedroom, and it looks like something from 'Psycho.' A swing and a miss on that one, people!
More? the Geico caveman. Pretty cool, but worn out. Flo of Progressive Insurance fame? Sometimes she pulls it off and sometimes she just doesn't. Budweiser rocks with Clydesdales, the lizards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and on and on.
Anyway, let's give it up to Kia, the little guys who elbowed their way into the auto arena, (not an easy task!)using the Hamstars. The Little Woman and I roll around town, feeling cool, thinking we may be Hamstars ourselves. Rack the seat back and play the boom boom music. Oh, yeah. Rockin' in our Kia Soul.

Friends With Ideas

2011-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

You're sharing something exciting, profound or prescient and a friend expounds on something better. Doesn't that drive you crazy? Yet planning for 50 States in 50 Weeks, everyone has a great idea, and thank God for them. "Go to the Casita Bonita restaurant in Denver. Divers fly fast and plunge into a pool." "Don't forget the Mall of The Americas." And of course, the World's Largest Ball of Twine in Kansas. Can't miss that. Everyone has been somewhere. Wow. How profound is that? Anyway,friends are a great resource for excellent ideas for places to visit, things to do.
We're looking for events, eateries,points of interest and historical places. The events take a bit of coordination, as we need to be there when the events occur. Check the website under '50 States in 50 Weeks' for the dates.
How about you? Do you know about the coolest waxed paper museum in Arkansas? Or perhaps the Oragami exhibit in Idaho? Let us know what is worth stopping by and checking out. You can comment below, Facebook, E-mail or contact through the website www.kevinbparsons.com.
We wouldn't want to miss something valuable, like the barbed wire museum in Kansas. Yes, there really is one. We will be there, for sure. What else is there to see in Kansas? Oh. Right. The World's Largest Prairie Dog. Can't miss that.

Safety Schmafety!

2011-11-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

No one else has the guts to say it, so I will. Enough safety already! Let's start with children's car seats. Currently we stick the kid in a five point harness like a NASCAR driver, then stick them in the back seat facing the glorious view of the seat back. That's stimulating their little infant minds. What happened to bonding with Mom? Oh,the front airbag could kill them. Simple solution. Grab a sharp kitchen knife. (Why aren't they outlawed yet?) Stab your dashboard. Park the kid in front. Now she can enjoy some visual stimulus and won't grow up to be a serial killer.
Speaking of airbags, how many do we need? Eleven? If you get hit by a train, you are going to die. If the impact doesn't get you, you'll suffocate under the airbags.
The other day, I heard a report on the radio that traffic fatalities have dropped. The woman, a head honcho of the NTSB, said it was good, but wouldn't rest until there were 'no fatalities.' What an idiot! If a person is driving along and a tree falls on the car, the lights go out. Actually, that happened in Connecticut lately.
Back to the train. We build a safe enough car to withstand the impact of a locomotive, so the train gets wrecked and somebody dies.
Being a motorcycle enthusiast, I'm a big believer in helmets. But not in helmet laws. If a person wants to be an idiot and splatter his head on the pavement, I say give him his due! The world will be a smarter place, for sure.
So go outside, stand up, yell, "I'm not going to take it any more!" and run with those scissors!
CORRECTION: a few blogs back I stated the price of the Gold Wing to be $11,500. In reality, the price was $17,500, worth a trip to Iowa. For $11,500, I would have been willing to pick it up in Argentina!

Iowa to Vegas Day 4

2011-11-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

This was a first. I've ridden bikes for forty-five years, and the Little Woman and I did something I've never done before.
We followed a snowplow.
Yes, traveling over the pass between Green River and Salinas, the snow fell. First, it covered the windshield in brown goo from trucks passing us, spraying snow and slush on the bike. Next, the white crept across the roadway from the left like a skin disease. Soon the entire road hid under a thin layer of snow. What can you do? Stopping when it's snowing only exacerbates the problem. Turning back? Again, that's like life throws you a left hook and you lean into it. Stop at the next gas station/convenience store? The next service lay around twenty miles away. We trudged onward. My shoulders ached from holding the bike as straight and true as possible while modulating the throttle to minimize wheelspin. "Dear God, please keep us upright."
The snow continued falling, but so did the elevation. We followed the snowplow for a few miles, then passed it as conditions improved. At last we hit I-15, a busier freeway that probably would have little snow on it from the warm tires of myriad vehicles. Thank God, it proved true. Four inches of snow on the ground, yet a bare and wet roadway. Twenty more miles and we stopped at a Beaver, Utah truck stop for some hot chocolate. This was the Little Woman's low point. We 'warmed up' in the store for fifteen minutes or so, then headed back into the snow. She didn't break down, but it was close. Simply too cold for too long. Even under six layers.
Fortunately, temps climbed as elevations fell and we motored onward to the desert. 1,456 miles later, we wheeled into the driveway, cold, tired and dirty.
We learned a lot as we 'trained' for the fifty states trip:
We can manage real cold.
We need better cold weather gear.
Too cold, rainy, hot or windy and we will check into a motel. The pop top will be a great way to camp, but not suffering through after a long day of bad weather.
The Little Woman is a trooper. Must be the quilting.
The difference between good and bad weather can be a few days, or even a few hours.
Rants and Raves.
The Rants:
Booking Allegiant Airlines. It feels like they are looking for every little way to get more of your money.
Little towns that have you captive serve pretty mediocre food.
The Raves:
Alamo. Cheap rental, little tiny car that worked well, and easy to book and return.
And the car! A little Toyota Yaris (which is Japanese for 'cheap little car') has everything you need, and is tight and user friendly.
The Gold Wing. It's everything I wanted, and more. I got a newer bike with fewer miles for the money than I anticipated. I budgeted $17,500 for a 2007 or newer with 20k miles or less. This is a '10 with 5,600 miles. And thirteen years newer than my old one, it is vastly improved. Way to go, Honda. We should put 65k miles on it in the 50 state year, so we'll be the acid test.