Galveston here we come!

DATELINE PORKCHOPS ICEHOUSE, POINTBLANK, TEXAS --- This would be the sheik, his military wife and a knife borrowed from a neighboring vendor. This Halloween rally was held in at a really nice multi-acre roadhouse and campground near the massive Lake Livingston, but the turnout was small. That's OK, though! We sold a tire and did some other work and made the nut, barely. I spent a hunk of time being chased by bees - odd, considering I wear nothing of scent - but the plus side was a lot of good marketing for us for Lone Star Rally in Galveston and Three Sisters in Camp Wood.

We met some great folks here. Rick and Susan are from Oklahoma and they sell really nice leather and other merchandise (I bought a great throw blanket). Deb, Harley Riding Woman who has been talking with us online via OFOPOS (Old Farts on Pieces of Shit), came out and she did very well seling and sewing patches and was wonderful about pitching what we do. She had so much fun she decided to come to Gavelston with all of us.

I pushed Don into buying a cool pumpkin chimi-ha-ha fireplace before we got here so evening visiting took place at our camp. Susan and I got talked into the wet T-shirt contest (yes, we had been getting loose) and she won! There were 20 year olds with thousand dollar boob jobs and my 53 year new friend won! Everyone in the bar signed her shirt, including two cops who showed up to visit a small situation.

We have left Porkchops as a group and officially become a canivale carivan. We currently reside in a nice campground a few miles from a giant ferry that we will all board and float to Galveston. The crossing is free and the boat men tell me our 23,000 pound, 60-foot rig will be no problem. We are a group that is Dings Custom Cycle, Deb the patch goddess and seamstress and Rick and Susan, leather and all things extrodinnarie. Rick is a great cook who made exceptional burrittos this morning. Another fellow Tim, who does his own drawings, also spent time at camp.

The Gulf is but a mere few hundred feet away. Our hearts go to the east coast folks who weather the storm.
 More soon,...Hol, Ding, Bob and Thumper

Porkchops, Halloween and hot showers

Flier for this rally.

DATELINE PORKCHOPS ICEHOUSE BAR, GRILL & CAMPGROUND, POINTBLANK, TEXAS --- What a property here! Rolling grassy hills, beautiful huge Lake Livingston and a massive roadhouse that is very well-appointed with bandstand, outdoor seating areas, food, pool tables and lots of giant doors leading outside. This rally is in its first year but the bar has held a Halloween party for several years. So far, the weather is hot and very humid but the watchers say anticipated rain may skirt around us.

Two large pieces of news to report. Our shower is back in working order with hot water. This may ultimately save our sanity for the next few weeks. Secondly, we have purchased the coolest Halloween item around - a giant ceramic pumpkin fireplace. Don was adament this was a weird buy and we didn't have room but has now come full circle and thinks this little slice of seasonal crap (yeah, i wanted it anyway) is fun. We learned a trick in Paris, Texas, at the O'Donnell estate - toast a rice crispy treat inside the chimi-ha-ha vessel and then coat in Hershey syrup - yum-friggin-o. It also helped that since we've landed at Porkchops, a half-dozen people have asked Don where we got it because they think its cool and funky. His apology and acknowledgement were humble and swift! Pictures of "Jack" forthcoming.

We are set up and ready to go. We have a pinstriper adjacent and a nice leather dealing couple across the way. The first of the food vendors has arrived. We await the arrival of Deb - Harley Ridin Woman from Old Farts on Pieces of Shit. She will come down from the Arkadelphia area and sew patches on our site.

Spread the word on this event. It should be really fun.

Cheers from the front line.

Hol, Ding, Thumper and Bob

Texas sunset

C'est la vie mes amies, c'est la vie



La tour effel! Tres bien vino!

O'DONNELL DRIVEWAY, PARIS, TEXAS --- Not that I subscribe too much to these sorts of things but I spent my six month wedding anniversary Friday at a fancy hotel in Dallas, alone. The allure of gay Paree wasn't enough to subdue my wonderlust so I ventured into a new city for me for some adventure. I won't bore you with the "why" other than to say the institution of marriage - likely combined with being business partners with your spouse inside a 20-foot box - is not for the faint of heart. I'm terribly aware - knowing some of my family reads this - that such matters should normally be kept private but frankly it feels a relief to just type this. I've spent three decades never realizing what true partnership entails. Yes, yes, one can claim to understand it with parents, siblings and that incredibly small half-handful of people who are true friends but I don't think a person can appreciate this institution until they have tried it. I believe another portion of my angst or wonder is being a person who has willfully wandered into military territory, particularly being a, ahem, Marine wife - the spouse of a human being who spent 20 plus years doing things most cannot imagine and in fact would have nightmares about. My day-pass of relief consisted of giving a homeless man a C-note, eating a great chili cheese dog from a street vendor and taking a bath. There was a bit more seen and done but I digress.

Fast forward a day and via train, Iraqi Muslim cabbie and a lot of walking, I returned "home." I stopped, of course, at a tav named One Eyed Jacks and availed myself of the local color and spirits (which, in Texas, is both easy and brutal to find on any given day and at many locations, if you can understand that) and then Don picked me up and we headed north to the O'Donnell driveway where we have lived since Wednesday. Today we hit Wally World for supplies and new bedding because the Jefferson rainstorm rendered our accomodations toxic. We have patched, sealed, scrubbed and brought the BFT back to some life, all in spot that is very pretty. John and Chris have a lovely estate in the most wooded of areas in east Texas. There are trees everywhere that are shedding their leaves and other than the occasional yap from a terrier near the manse, the situation is ideal. The dogs run freely and smile constantly. Sun shines through the timber and there is a nice breeze. Air conditioning, though, is still a must.

My return was greeted with hugs and reminders that it's OK to take a break and, well, gifts, of which, of course, I never expect but always appreciate. There was no bended knee, but Don presented me with a lovely opal ring. I was relatively unfamiliar with this stone but Chris, a  connoisseur of these gems (seriously, the woman buys in bulk from Australia), claims the Marine outdid himself. I agree. Later in the day, Chris came roaring up the driveway in her fast car and launched the biggest gift box and bow I'd seen in a while. The contents - a belated wedding present - were wonderful. She, knowing that my favorite city on Earth is Paris, France, gave me a glass set from Paris, Texas that is engraved with the Eiffel Tower. It was complemented by some very lovely candles. I burn one of those as I write, as well as sip Diet Dr. Pepper from one of the new vessels.

We supped at a great pub last night - just the four of us. It was a joy to feast on perfectly chilled raw oysters with three fellow sea bug lovers.Tomorrow, we finish up some laundry and I will make cheeseburgers on the grill for the O'Donnell family. We head south Monday to Point Blank, Texas, which sits on what appears to be a lovely lake. The Porkchops Icehouse rally will be very small but that's OK. If we can assist a rider or two, the event paid for itself. Then, it's off to Galveston for the granddaddy of rallies - the Lone Star.

We still don't know what the off-season holds. My father said Barnum and Bailey usually winter in Sarasota but that Phoenix is a much nicer seasonal destination. I suspect Texas will hold us until Spring. Unless I actually write my book or publish something, there's a likelihood I will land as a copy editor at some local daily rag or be a Walmart greeter, the former being my preference. I am thankful for Don, my family and friends, the dogs, and for being upright and breathing without too much physical pain.

Thanks for bearing with my rambles. Ride safe and be well.

Hol......

 

No Boo-Hoo here!

BOO BENEFIT THOROUGHFARE, JEFFERSON, TEXAS --- I'm not overly religious but I'm humming the phrase "God Bless Texas" a lot. This rally was excellent! Just like the young man in the photo who's toting his first place trophy (granted, he won for having the coolest metrics bike), we too grabbed a gold here. All day Saturday and Sunday we had the bikes "racked and stacked." Our rubber inventory is heavily depleted after changing A LOT of tires, and we did a big recovery operation out of town, as well as several oil changes, brake pads, batteries and minor repairs.

For two solid days we worked solid, and only survived with the help of Billy Gray and his wonderful bride Deb. The timing of the customers and the work that needed to be done was as smooth as Laconia - while Billy changed oil and tires on the rack, Ding did front tires on the ground while Deb handled all the invoices, money, QuickBooks and copying. This freed me to spend a lot of time writing estimates for potential buyers, hawking the merchandise on the tables and hangers and advertise. The rent rate was excellent for a prime location with great access for the riders in and out. We could send folks to easily shop and hit the beer garden and we had great live music from a stage nearby.

Despite a heafty unemployment rate in this Republic, and humidity that could choke a chicken, many riders attend this event. It's smoothly run and family friendly; the"patch' guys can prowl at their leisure; and the cause is a huge draw with all proceeds going to hospital burn units, Shriners hospital and kids who are burn victims. We even worked on Boo's bike --a bad ass ride that needed some adjusting. He gave me a great hug and asked us to come back next year.

In Texas - here and many places we have and will go - folks say the need for motorcycle tires and repairs is big. Dealerships are not location-friendly for most. So, we've decided to stay here and finish the season. We will headed to Point Blank, Texas for a small Porkchops Icehouse rally; then on to Galveston for the mega Lone Star event and then over to Camp Wood for the Three Sisters Veterans rally.

Some highlights from Boo were a fun couple named Tex and Melissa who set up next door. He's a well-known pinstriper who's been on television a bunch. He looks like Guy Fiedi from Diners Drive-Ins and Dives with his blond spikey hair. They gave us great info on future rallies to attend. Some old carnie buddies from Algona who sew patches and sell leather were here and we hung out with them. Don's longtime Marine buddy John and his very funny wife Chris came down from Paris, Texas for the day, too.

Heavy rains ended the rally Sunday but that was OK. Granted, we sustained some water damage to the BFT but it is repairable. We buzzed over to Marshal and took Billy and Deb out to a great Japanese dinner and some fun conversation. Bob and Thumper were a big hit here an it helped to have a big swath of green grass out back.

Jefferson, Texas is a very quaint town reminiscent of old world Lousiana places. Brick streets are lined with great antique stores, old-school candy mercantiles, cafes and bistros and a pretty river runs through it all. The area is very green, hilly and filled with old trees. Ding said from the start he had a good feeling about this rally. I should have known, considering several merchants have giant pink, wrought-iron flamingos outside their shops.

Hugs from the road.....Hol, Ding, Thumper and Bob

Tex the pinstriper

A Marine on his newly pinstriped bike

Tex's work on the Marine's bike

Deb and Don working on a bike

Billy ready to ding Ding

Billy holding court with curious customers

One night's crowd at the rally. Town was packed!

Our camp at Boo

A successful bike recovery

Santa lives, Oklahoma cold, a brother returns

Another Santa - this one in Tecumseh, Oklahoma!

My brother Guy came down from Tulsa for a night - I think he had a really fun time!

THOROUGHFARE, HAWG LAKES 2012 FALL RALLY, TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA --- Hawg Lakes was full of surprises, most notably that my brother Guy came down from Tulsa and spent the night. The four-day stretch here was cold, a bit wet and a little slow but we muscled through with a few good customers, a great visit with Guy, a lot of free firewood and some new interesting characters. Thursday and most of Friday were slow but once the hearty started rolling, we were able to pick up some biz with the burnout pit being nearby. One of our major customers was a young guy who hit the pit hard on Friday. He put on a great show and we got him a new tire but fiery pieces went flying and he scorched his leg pretty bad. Luckily, there were a lot of firefighters camping here and someone was able to patch him up. He will have a good scar and a great story to tell. We met a nice gal named PJ who made great food right next door - excellent B & Gs in the mornings and hot coffee. Another group of people included a funny guy who walked up to camp with an extra hand in his right sleeve (for a total of 3 hands). I thought it was real and acted PC and kind as everyone gathered near the fire had a good laugh. I cracked up when I realized my mistake. Visiting with the man was nice because he is suffering dementia and I believe he enjoyed talking with someone who wanted to hear his stories and was patient. Santa lives here, too. We found him the first day on his giant red trike. It was cold enough I had to dress the flamingos in company shirts and turn the heater on inside the BFT. Temps that dipped into the 30s and 40s stunted ridership but we covered rent and gas so that's OK. Guy had a good time - I think he's amazed his sister is out on the road doing this! I put him in company clothes and Don taught him a thing or two about mounting and balancing tires. He chopped a lot of wood; reveled at the burnpit and the various critters (human and not) roaming the thoroughfare; and hung out a lot with Don. The two of them sipped whiskey by the fire and listened to old Molly Hatchet performing live on the big stage while I lounged indoors and read (by day three, I was getting a little whimpy on the cold). We're off to Boo Benefit in Jefferson, Texas tomorrow or Tuesday and then possibly headed back to Oklahoma for another small rally in Sparks before hitting Galveston (also hoping to possibly visit Twisted Sister en route to one of these events). Dogs are exhausted - they stayed up and played non-stop and ate way too much at PJ's cafe. Thanks for the blessings from the Christian rider folks here and the two pounds of Oklahoma blue and gold sausage from BJ the emcee. Hugs from us. Ding, Hol, Thumper and Bob!

Three-handed man!



This burnout dude was very good and a great customer!



Cold flamingo.

Man on a mini bike in burnout pit.

Robert, a good customer.

Where the wind goes whistlin thru the trees!



Sunset at Hawg Lakes in Tecumseh, Oklahoma.



THOROUGHFARE OF HAWG LAKES 2012 FALL RALLY, TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA --- O-kla-home-a, where the wind goes whistlin through the trees. I'm pretty sure those aren't the correct lyrics but o well, it's what I recall. My god, I'm alive again and it feels great! We had a thorough, laugh-infested visit with my pals Shank and Bob-Oh at Tom Bodette's place in Barstow and then blazed east through northern Arizona, New Mexico, the Texas panhandled and landed here yesterday. It's a gorgeous, green, tree-filled, water-kissed hunk of 80 acres in place most will never visit, let alone have ever heard of. We found this rally on the Internet and decided to sub it in over the Texoma ABATE rally, which I believe draws fewer riders. Our host Lee owns the property and has promised a strong turnout. So far, the signs are good: Met a nice guy named BJ who will emcee the musical acts and he's vowed to announce our services regularly; the weather is exceptionally nice with clear skies and mild temperatures; our immediate vending neighbor is PJ and she cooks breakfast daily; and the camp preacher stopped by this morning and blessed our site and endeavors - even invited us down to his camp for coffee and donated pastries later this week (I think he may believe we are indigent and in need of a hand-out, which would be correct!) Not much more to report. We've had a couple of scrapes on the BFT but Dinger got those patched. We've had a chance to do some reading and watch several movies while parked at various truck stops along Interstate 40, including Deliverance one day. Hadn't seen that flick in a few decades and it sort of made me not want to ever vend in the deep South, if you know what I mean. The dogs are in heaven here - tons of grass to play on and right on the main thoroughfare. If you haven't seen Don's mom's renderings of the black and white ones, check them out at her website at http://www.carrouselgraphics.com . Take care and I'll check back later....
Luv Hol, Don, Thumper and Bob

Bob and Don reading their morning emails and drinking coffee. They are the hyper two while Thumper and Holly are pros and relaxing.

Hol in Death Valley.

Don donning a hat at Tom-Fi's billard room at his ranch in Fernley, Nevada.

More of that Oklahoma sunset.