Things we have used from the truck

We laoded a sheite load of stuff into the truck and I will now begin a list o things that have come in handy:
the shop rags
the hydraulic lift ( not as a lift but as a Macguyver press)
2 ton bottle jack
air compressor
drill
locks and cable locks
windex
muffler header and clamp( for Feb 31)
Mosquito repellant
extra diamond plate,
both gas cans.
extra wood
Yoga mat
Blue moving blanket

WD 40
misc tools

 BEER COOLER

orange cones

duct tape, blue tape ecectrical tape

spare tires, spare rims

we keep saying that it is the fully equipped action vehicle!
well,so far so good! I think we have done a good job of being there for alot of the “ballers” It feels good to have guessed right and thrown something that we really needed on the truck..
this list will continue to grow.
all for now , off to North Bay Ontario, in the rain…..

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Back from the black hole…

WOW, the Cannonball has truly been an awesome event!, we have run out of superlatives to describe the views, scenery and locations that we have run, in our scooters…. loaded with the day’s supply of snacks, water, tools, raingear or other gear that we think that will come in handy…. UNFORTUNATELY, along with the scenery of Glacier national Park, all of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, comes the BLACK HOLE of NO AT&T 3G ??? what’s that?
I have been riding everyday thinking of what to say to really share this experience and I am at a loss.
You look out over the terrain and say Oh my god, look at that , holy sh*t look in the mirror behind( as we left Glacier Park for example, or as the sun was setting on Western Montana on our “road kill run”.
We had no internet in West Glacier, Bowman ND, and Ortonville, MN. The lucky ones who carry verizon I phones or were willing to handg out in truck stops or diners have been posting as you can see. the best part is the instant posting by Simon, Dave B. Bagel, and BKLwashere, Brian, technology…. how cool.

Day One and Beyond

WWhat a wild ride

adiing fuel from the can in middle of the wilderness, Wyoming/Montana border

.  We got inn to seattle on Tuesday evening totally “zoned” from the trip across the continent, Wednesday in Seattle??? RAIN , they say in seattle there are 100 words for rain, this would be considered a “soaking drizzle” or perhaps a “soaking mist” but not a “blowing drizzle” byany means.

The highlight was getting together with My Son and Father for a three generation reunion, we had Breakfast and a good time chatting and catching up etc… I was feeling the butterflies for the first time, as I saw , jimT, geoff, dave B and Brian head out of the lot on thier way north, all geared up and hi vis. This IS happening!

We rode up to Vancouver SImon and I on I-5 a nice 2.5 hour straight shot.

not issues just express lane riding. and we tried out the scala cardo rider G4 headsets which make the ride awesome as two or more riders can communicate along the ride , this makes lane switching and hazard avoidance a dream.

ok we meet up with the Gang at the Motel 2400 and have the big meeting and settle in with Nervous energy coming from all directions. the Day of: the run we pack up and grab a quick but filling and yummy breakfast. and head to the start.

Ok I have to hurry here but here’s the deal:

 we made grand forks, the views were awesome, the roads were steep, twisty, fast, and did I mention how awesome the Brittish columbia mountains are???

 I had done a little research on the local food and we discovered that the word was “Russian” as the dukhobors live in these parts. so with a little caling and driviing around , Bagel , got us set up at the grand forks hotel for some really fine hospitality and Russian cuisine.

 

the next two days are in the Glacier national Park region and communication will be spotty, I may b able to phone in by landline we shall see…

 off to the ford dealer to have the “check engine light” looked at ( more on that later)

Cheers and ride safe, wish us luck and hope that the Navigation Gods are looking out for us.

Cookin’ Corner

Here is a little place to talk about the cookin along the way…
todays highlights, pretty decent beef BBQ burrito ai Burrachos in Wisconsin…. more to come stay tuned for culinary challenges and cool new regional dishes…
BTW the gas station in East Windham NY on RT 23 has an AWESOME selection of fershly baked Italian pastries . Photos to come!
Cheers

Heading West!!!!

We are half way there, heading out to cross the plains, the badlands, Sturgis etc… driving from 6 am to midnight today, let’s see where we end up…

What a crazy day…

why are these guys so happy?

Dr. OZ’s Daughter got Married, in a private ceremony , last saturday, only 8-10 mles from the Cannonball Finish line, BUT you can’t get there from here! guess who did the “Wicked Good Ice”?

 The CRAZY DAY>>>>Ok ,OK you plan for two years, cross your eyes and dot your t’s, and still  seems like there is so much left to do.

6:30 am Lynn is on her morning dog walk so I will empty the truck’s tool box and re organize it for “support truck mode” loading in the jack,air compressor,first aid kit,safety stuff like orange cones a hi vis vest and signal light. spare wiper blades, scooter battery, battery charger, truck/trailer tool bag,tie downs, really big zipties, some rope, makita drill and bits, 50 foot cord, shop rags, CHECK!

Hurricane Earl will arrive by dark today, that is the limit to outdoor activities, so get up early, ( crap I’ve got the beginnings of a cold) ok,before it gets too hot out, move the outdoor plants up under cover, secure the outdoor furniture, take down anything hanging> plants windchimes etc… looks good.

 Now off to the ice studio to put the finishing touches on a sculpture ( a bouquet of roses in ice) for a wedding at the Elks club. Wrap it and deliver to the Elks freezer (freezer drop). Noon.

Home, Pack the truck with Austin’s stuff, one half of a truckload! LAX gear, giant duffles, guitars, amps , boxes etc..Done

Now take the clashmobile and head down to the tire store for a scooter inspection, yes, I didn’t get inspected in May as required by law ( I couldn’t find my registration) Ok happy little red sticker on the front “fork”! CHECK!

 Phone is ringing, logistics from where is Dave the driver? (he flies in from the UK today) to the hows and wheres of the scooter pickup from “Malecopywriter” that is THE malecopywriter my friends….accept no substitute!

Lynn is helping with the errands while I do the final construction on the Trailer, still 2 chocks, and some guides for the rear tires and a system for securing the big ol lift. Lynn is trying to source out a better chock, I have three nice sturdy ones and two cheesy Harbor freight ones , CHECK!

 oh hell its almost 5:30 Ive got to run to Berwick Maine and meetup with “Cooch” moreon this project later….

Back to construction mode, Lynn is helping, we balze through the assembly and mounting of the final chocks and wheel guides, some extra screws in the front guard and good to go, and here it comes IT IS RAINING!!! Earl has arrived… now inside work, downloading photos, trying to get the electronics in order, final packing…….. bloddy hell, so far behind I think I am ahead…

won ton soup from Happy city down the street, gotta go!

adding pictures along the way…

I am trying out ways to give everyone access to pictures that i take along the way, Dave B. ( feb31st) who I will dub “the technology guru” and CBR 08 vet mentioned that I could upload pics to a flickr site and then link to the blog. seems simple and cut and dry. may not be as poloshed as a nicely imbedded photo with caption but it should get the job done along the way… as he mentioned earlier today, we have to ride the ride for the day, maintain the scooters, find food / dining, source any odds and ends in a new town, oh and drink adult beverages and rest.  so this I hope will nmake life easier let’s see.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickedgoodpictures/sets/72157624725488951/

The Route

Here goes nothing…

My Name is Murray and I am a Husband, Father, a Chef and a Teacher, I am also an Artist,an Ice sculptor, a Trainer, and a “Passionate Culinarian” “foodie” and “fat Bastard” if you will.  I answer to “hey you”, “Murph”, “Mo”, “Mojo”, “Murray”,”Chef”,”Chef Long”,”asshole” amongst others. This is my First attemp at a blog and although cliche I must say it. I am not certain that I will have time for this Blog, so at this point I can see it going either way, vacant and sporadic or all consuming. We shall see… I capitalize when not necessary and  tend to use run on sentences…Oh yeah, and I ride a big Vespa and Drive a little Ford Truck. The reason for setting up the log is…

I am planning on going on a scooter adventure called the Scooter Cannonball Run 2010:http://scootercannonball.com/forum/index.php

  

What:

The Scooter Cannonball Run is a coast to coast endurance event for scooters up to 252cc. It is a test of both rider and machine that covers over 3000 miles and takes in some of the best motorcycle roads on the North American continent. It will be run as a time/distance/regularity rally where points are awarded based on miles completed and the ability to maintain the standard pace.

Where:

The Scooter Cannonball Run 2010 will travel from Vancouver, BC to Portland ME.

When:

It starts Thursday, September 9th and ends Saturday, September 18th, with 10 days worth of riding across North America in between

Why:

Your reasons are your reasons. Some ride for charity, some to prove they can do it, some to “win” and others just to see the country.<<< this is bold for no reason 🙂