Finding Peace

It was 9am and 80 degrees, after a rough day yesterday, an unhappy client that I could not appease and couldn’t get out of my mind. Failures are not taken lightly. You can’t please everybody all the time, although it’s in my nature to try, unreal expectations will breed dissatisfaction every time. I needed to go for a scooter ride, do a little reflecting and get things back in perspective.
The lake three miles from my home is a perfect destination. Twenty acres, professionally manicured grounds maintained by the county, pristinely manicured walking paths, clean shaded park benches, summer flowers in full bloom, peaceful and quiet. Quiet is relative… crickets, locusts, birds, an airplane, a lawn mower, a tractor, roofers at work a long way off, not a breath of wind. When its quiet on the prairie sound travels.
As I sit here and listen to nature’s song, the sounds get louder and louder and louder as my mind becomes at peace with the world around me.


A little ride goes a long way.

Morning Rush

The cars fly by like ants on a mission, the sun trying to rise behind a peripheral pillow of clouds. Destinations intent on securing a piece of the dream; shelter, sustenance and the opportunity to choose a box or a jar in the end. The journey is lost, the focus has become the prize. Society says “you must conform” or else you’re not like us. Since time began there was someone who wanted to make rules for others to follow, who put them in charge, who put you in charge? I think I’ll be in charge for a while, take a left at the next light.

A Business Trip

Today I needed to find the location of a building I’m doing a bid on tomorrow morning up in Lenexa. A perfect excuse to take the scooter for a ride. Avoiding the interstate, my route took me by Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, where one of my favorite stops is, Barnes & Nobel. I made the 15 mile or so journey up to the business park I was looking for, then made my way back to the mall. I have a Nook Color and do a bit of reading, at B&N you can read any e-book they have for free (on your Nook) as long as you are in range of the store’s Wi-Fi.  Every once in a while I’ll spend a few hours there reading a new best seller and sucking on a Mocha Frappachino. I could have spent a few more hours there, but honestly, it was so cold in there it ran me out.
One of the great trials of going to the mall is always the parking, well I must say the Piaggio Fly 150 solved that issue, we found a perfect spot. It sat there for over 3 hours, unmolested by the mall cops and passersby. I filled up the tank for the second time, I was on about 1/8th of a tank and it cost exactly $4.50 to fill it up with premium grade. I wrote the mileage down so next time I fill it I can see how its doing.
I did see two scooters today, a light blue Vespa just 1/2 mile from home and a mustard color Honda Metropolitan for sale at a local car dealer. Was a great day to work on my sun burn.

The Little Fly 150 that Could

After a full day’s work and a huge dinner, a nice ride in the suburbs was in order. The temps are down to the low 80’s, quite a difference from the 100’s we’ve had for the last 2 weeks. It was such a perfect evening for a putt around. A guy driving an original model A convertible waved at me, I saw a huge baby blue 60’s convertible Cadillac, and another scooter, could have been a Genuine Buddy, didn’t get a real close look. Even stopped to watch a couple of hot air balloons for a few minutes. Ah the easy life.

Buzzed around the little airport we have here in town, no better place to snap a couple photos of the Fly 150 than at the airport.

Back in the Wind – sort of

I bought a scooter last weekend, its not the same as the two Harley’s I sold several years ago but its good to feel the breeze in my face again. I’d forgotten how calm and totally relaxed two wheels makes me feel. I’ve put close to 100,000 miles on two wheels through my lifetime, today was like going home.  Its a little scooter, an Italian made Piaggio Fly 150, has all the same engine and transmission as it famous cousin the Vespa. It doesn’t have the heavy loud thump thump of the massive V-twin I’m used to, instead it has a quiet buzz to it. An automatic transmission is something different, just twist and shout. It won’t do 100+ like some of my Harley’s did, but I got it up to 65mph going downhill. I’m not convinced the speedometer is accurate.

My face is so sun burnt, but who cares.