I had a date today...

With a younger woman.  Yes, Joan knows... she helped me pick out what I was wearing.  We had a nice lunch out, walked arm-in-arm, and just had a very special time together.  Of course, I'm talking about our sweet daughter, Stephanie.  It is really nice to have an occasional Daughter/Daddy day.

Dan had a foodie project he was working on at home.  Joan was doing our taxes.  The timing was good for Steph and me to have the time together.  Very nice.

On our way home, we received a text from Dan, letting me know the windshields for the scooters had been delivered.  Another project.

My date brought me back home and walked me to the door... then came inside and visited with my wife.  How often do you get to write that? ;-)

Joan and Steph had plans for the four of us for the night: we're going bowling.

When Steph left, we had less than an hour before they'd be back to pick us up for a night out.  As I went out the door, Joan asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to install some windshields."

"I don't think you have time for that," she said.

"We'll see," I replied confidently.  I had checked it out on YouTube ahead of time.  I not only knew where the connectors were to remove the current little blip of a "windscreen," I knew what tools I'd need for the job.  I had the first one done in 15 minutes, including the time to get the tools out...

The second one took less than 10 minutes.  The before...

And after...

I think they look sportier with the original, but the new windshields are taller and should provide better protection.  I put the tools away and was about to take one of the scoots out on the road for a test ride... but, our "double date" for the night showed up just as I put the key in.

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Bowling ain't what it used to be...

It has been over a decade since I've been in a bowling establishment.  The first thing I noticed was the noise level: pounding music, the bangs and roars from the huge video arcade near the entrance.  The place was packed.  Lots of crowd noises.  I could see this was going to be a very different experience from the nice quiet, discussion-oriented date I had earlier.

While getting shoes, the nice young lady behind the counter looked us over and said, "Everyone here is over 21, right?"

Keen observation.  Steph said, "This is good."  We walked past a sign that read "You must be 21 to enter," and it immediately got quieter.

"Yeah, this is better."

We were apparently the first ones in the "grown-ups" section.  The lights were low.  We walked through a bar area and into another section of bowling lanes... it looked more like a combination of a sports bar and a disco: there were huge TV screens on the wall above the pins... flashing lights between the alleys... swirls of lights on another wall.  I may be able to blame my poor bowling skills (Do you call it a "skill" if you don't have any ability?) on all the distractions.

We put on the shoes (these haven't changed much in the past decade), Steph programmed our names into controller on the lane, and we were ready to go to work... um, play.  No "desk" for someone to keep score - it's all automatic.  No "practice frame" - the automatic controller starts keeping score when the first ball is rolled...

Dan was first up.  He had been on a league... over a decade ago.  When he tossed that first ball, it was apparent the guy had skills.  I was just hoping to not embarrass myself.  Steph put our names in what I assumed was "skill ranking" - Dan, Joan, me, her.  Joan had also been in a league... back in the early 80s.

I was right about the distractions... flashing lights, huge screens, music blasting.  Sensory overload.  Joan showed good form...

Her bowling was pretty good, too.  One thing hadn't changed since was last around the lanes: the jumps of joy and the walk of shame right after the balls were tossed.

The swagger...

The thrill of victory...

And the agony of defeat...

And that automatic scoring was slick...

There were animated pins on the score screen that laughed at you went you missed and looked frightened when you made a strike.  And announced to the world when you left a frame open...

Even told you when you needed to start the next game....

My goal was to break 100.  As you can see, I am an over-achiever.  Even though I was never on a league, my athletic abilities came back - I am proud to say I bowled a 237 (hey, it impressed our waiter later)... well, if you added the first and second games together.

Speaking of the waiter, other people were enjoying food and drink while bowling... and the food looked good!  We dined at the restaurant in the bowling alley.  More over-load: music and bubbling water in the walls.  And, a varied menu.  Steph said, "I'd come back here just for the food, and forget that bowling stuff."  Yes, she is a lot like her father.  ;-)

The kids dropped us off at home.  I did the best I could to hide my aches and pains when we told them, "Good night!"

A date and a double date all in the same day.  Whew!

Announcing the solution to "Helmet Hair"!!!

OK, several people have asked about Joan's invention to eliminate "helmet hair."  I can't reveal the details at this time, but...

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When we used to motorcycle tour, Joan drove her own Goldwing.  She wore a pin that read "Hairdo by Honda."  It seems that isn't enough these days.    I plan to sign her up for "Shark Tank" (the TV show) in the near future. 

Joan generally wears her hair nicely quaffed.  We discussed this... "Let's see.  We need to determine your potential market for sales.  Take the number of women who like to do their hair with some volume: several million.  Now, the number of women who ride motorcycles or scooters: again several million.  Good potential market.  Now, intersect those who ride AND do their hair with some volume... ah, a potential market of 30 or so. 

Joan said, "We could set up a booth at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally."

"Good idea!  Let's see... the number of people who go to Sturgis... about 500,000 +/- 100,000.  The number of those who are female... about 100,000 +/- 20,000.  Not good odds for a guy looking for a date, but a decent potential market.  Now, factor in the number of those who wear a helmet... umm... about 14.  That does limit potential sales a bit." 

Marketing was one of my strong suits back in our working days.  Also, knowing how to price for profitability.  Minimally, it would be good to see $1M in sales.  "So, if we price your invention at $5, you'd need to sell about 200,000 of them.  Alternatively, you could price them at $100,000 each and only have to sell 10!"

I am working on the infomercial...

"Ladies - do you have hair?"  (Several quick cuts of lovely models with perfect hair)

"Do you want it to look good?"  (Model nodding her head)

"Even after wearing a motorcycle helmet for several hours?" (OK, we're going to lose some viewers after that last question, but cut to a model with "helmet hair" stuck to her head, looking distressed)

"Announcing the new: "Helmet Hair Be-Gone®"!!" (Shot of a model from the back, removing helmet, turning head, slow motion as she flips her hair and turns to smile at the camera)

"Gone are the days of this..." (cut to model with helmet hair, facial expression looking distressed)

"Now, you can have this..." (cut to same model with perfect hair, surrounded by handsome men looking longingly at her)

"The new "Helmet Hair Be-Gone®" (quick cut to the product, not long enough for anyone to see the details) is the solution when you're on the go on two wheels."  (Cut to a shot of a slender lass on a scooter with long hair flowing out the back of her helmet, then a shapely babe in leather on a cruiser wearing a full-face helmet emblazoned with flames, followed by a long-legged model straddling a crotch-rocket removing her helmet and shaking out perfect hair).

"Helmet Hair Be-Gone®" - available wherever fine beauty products and motorcycle accessories are sold." (Shot of the packaging, followed by the last model holding a helmet and winking at the camera)

Scootering to the RV Show, and: helping helmet hair...

These "RV Shows" that are actually a dealer who has moved their inventory to another location make me chuckle.  They go through a BUNCH of effort to move several hundred rigs, pay to put them in a different location (in this case, the University of Phoenix Stadium)... and because of that, they can sell 'em cheaper!

Really, you would think it would save them money to just stay in their normal location (in this situation, about 8 or 9 miles away).

Oh well, we enjoy wandering through the RVs when they do this.  And on a weekday, we aren't caught up in the weekend crowd of families with kids who say, "Look, Martha - we could sleep all 8 kids in here!"

"Oh, yes, Melvin.  Let's open and slam closed every cabinet door and drawer in this thing!"

Today, the crowd was very light.  The salespeople outnumbered the lookers.

On the outside of the stadium, the first thing we came to was a display of toy haulers...

"Look - we can haul the new scooters!"  Oh, no - we've been through that.  I would consider something smaller than the HitchHiker down the road, but that is a bit too spartan for my tastes.

We went inside the stadium, where there were rows and rows of RVs...

This one is comfortable...

Pretty sure this one sleeps TWO and a cat...

After nearly two hours of walking and gawking, my belly was telling me it was past time for lunch.  There were still two hundred more RVs outside... yeah, I think we'll pass on that.

Late lunch, then over to Steph and Dan's, where our new windshields for the scooters should be waiting for us.  FedEx had other ideas - there was a door tag saying, "Sorry we missed you."  Even though we left a signature on the door for them.  I was planning on installing them yet today... tomorrow is another day.

The scooter riding was good.  Joan had a few things she wanted at Harbor Freight... I am a lucky guy, since she would rather shop there (most days) instead of Macy's.  ;-)

Warm, sunny, and breezy today.

Joan got tired of having "helmet hair" the past couple weeks... she told me that she is going to make something to help keep her hair from flattening in the front due to the helmet.  I kinda laughed it off.  She did the first prototype today... and it works!  Notice, she is not wearing a hat in any of the above photos.  Like something out of the movies, she takes off the helmet, shakes her hair... and gorgeous!  OK, maybe she picked through it, too... but, it wasn't plastered to her head.  She has an idea for prototype 2.0.  I think she may be on to something!

Speed runs...

That may be an oxymoron with a 153cc scooter. ;-)

We ran some errands and made a lunch stop while out scootering around.  With just under 600 miles on the odometer, I suggested we "run 'em up" to get some high speed miles on them before the break-in service.  After we dropped off the groceries, we headed for a secondary highway.

These little scooters pull just fine to about 55 miles per hour.  With a 15 mph quartering headwind, gaining speed above 55 takes patience.  It was still climbing at 62 mph, but slowly.  I tucked down and the rate of speed increase increased... a little.  Sitting back upright, and it flattened out again.

The motorcycle press says these little scoots will do 70 mph... maybe in a no-wind situation... with someone a bit lighter than me... and room to run.  ;-)  Yep, they're Interstate legal, but they are much happier on secondary roads and byways.  Come to think of it, when I'm on this scooter, I'm happier on the byways, too!

And little Izzy during all this?  She's sleeping in air-conditioned comfort... "Are you two back already?"

Another fuel-up today - I did not break the century mark... Jim's bike: 98 mpg; Joan's bike: 104 mpg.

Comments...

Joan had some "home chores" that she wanted to do today, so I was on my own for some riding.  At a stoplight, a car pulled up next to me and the teenage kid at the passenger window said, "Nice hog!" while snickering.

I said, "I've had a bunch of Harleys, kid - this thing will smoke 'em!"

"Seriously?"

"No.  But it does everything I need.  Bet you wish you had one instead of having to ride with someone else?"

The light turned green.  He didn't say anything else as they sped off.

I stopped at the Post Office to pick up our forwarded mail.  When I came out to the bike, there was an older gentleman in the car next to me.  As I popped open the seat, he said, "I was wondering where you were going to put all that mail - that's pretty neat."

"Yep, it's handy."

I definitely liked the old guy better than the kid.  ;-)

Just boppin'...

Another beautiful day in the desert.  You may have heard me say that the desert isn't my favorite place... we've had a lot of days in a row of warm, sunny, and very light wind.  Perfect scootering weather.

We put about 55 miles on the scooters today - we're getting close to the break-in service miles necessary, and we're a week out for our service appointment.  Main roads, but not highways; out for lunch, doing some shopping.  The under-seat storage was full by the time we got home... it makes me chuckle.  We didn't get as many waves today; I may have to step up my happy face for our next outing.  ;-)  Plenty of comments from people around us when we park... "Did you ride those all the way from..."

I am really enjoying this change of pace.  Watching the local news this morning, the traffic report was telling about all the slow-downs on I-10 and I-17: traffic was down to 25 mph in a lot of places.  They'd be better off getting scooters and staying off those Interstates.  :-D

Ridin' hogs and lookin' for chicks...

That's what we biker types do.  Actually, it was one of the really dumb t-shirts from the old days of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally...

OK, that was one of the tamer versions.  Today, we went by a store, and I just knew it was my kinda place...

No, they were talking about little fuzzy baby chicks.  I thought Izzy might like to have one to play with... umm... "No!"

Since we had some Irish food yesterday to celebrate my heritage, I suggested some German food today, to celebrate Joan's heritage.  Apparently, not what she had in mind...

A 40 mile round-trip to visit the Schnitz.  There used to be one closer, but it went out of business.  Seriously, how can a Wienerschnitzel go out of business??  On the scooters, it was about $2 worth of fuel... yeah, for the both of them combined.  Speaking of which, on fueling up today, I got 100 mpg again, Joan was at 109 mpg.  I did take our daughter for a short ride yesterday, so there was a bit of two-up on mine.  The bike handled the two of us just fine, too.

Live to ride, ride to eat.  It's more than a saying, it's a way of life.  OK, one more cliche': if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.  ;-)