I'm not a _____ (fill in the blank), BUT

I am/do a lot of things - Harley-Davidson enthusiast, mother, equestrian, teacher, former military spouse, manager, an Irish-American, good at public relations, I love to speed when I'm behind the wheel - the list could go on & on. However, there's quite a few things the world likes to remind me I'm not:

I'm not 'corporate material' since I don't have a 4 year college degree - although I improve on their marketing campaigns all the time and am complimented on my work. I'm not a photographer because I don't haven't gone to school or have the equipment - but I still took my daughter's senior year photos for her yearbook. I'm not a restaurateur because I don't own a restaurant - but with investors/backers I've got the perfect place picked out. I'm not the creator of a television series because I'm not in Hollywood with the right connections - I'm working on that!!

I've finished the first season treatment for a t.v. series I envision to someday be broadcast. My title for it is "Motorcycle Sisters" although that's not set in stone for me. The easiest way for me to describe my vision is it's a cross between Sons of Anarchy and Army Wives with a little bit of Medium thrown in. It's based on my life experiences both on and off my motorcycle.

As I've said, I wrote the treatment and have filed it with the WGAW. I've even submitted it a few times. Problem is I'm not a script writer - I can see how I'd like for it to play out on screen, but when it comes to writing the script, I overthink it. Call it a translation between my vision and the words on the page, and I don't have the tools within me. So maybe this time I need to partner with someone who actually went to school for this. Which is fine with me - I absolutely love working with other people!! It's not that I don't want to learn about it - I'd just prefer to learn while 'on the job' so to speak. I have faith that there is someone else who is better at that part than I would or could be.

Just like this past summer, F.X. Caprara Harley-Davidson teamed with Tunes 92.5 (a local radio station) for FX Caprara HOG radio. Every Saturday Tunes would do a live broadcast, commercial free for 3 hours, that I would write talking points - sort of a "what's happening" - every week. At the end of August - the last broadcast - Matt (the station affiliate) said how much he learned about motorcycles in general and about the Harley culture overall. I didn't know much about radio broadcasting either, but I know a little more now!!


After all, there is no such thing as lost.... There are new ways of getting there. And there seems to be a lot of discovering new things all the time lately. Epic Meal Time is one of the latest to go from YouTube to having a cable television show. Mary Beard, a classics professor at the University of Cambridge, has become a feminist in her own right, even if she didn't exactly mean to head down that path. "It doesn't much matter what line of argument you take as a woman. If you venture into traditional male territory, the abuse comes anyway," Mary has said during a speech filmed by the BBC. I'm wondering if Heather Maranda of Epic Ink has ever come across that? She's an awesome tattoo artist on A&E's latest reality series. I know working in a Harley dealership, sometimes filling in behind the parts counter , I've come across my fair share of "I wanna talk to a guy," only to have one of my male co-workers tell the customer the exact same thing I had said. My main job title is General
Merchandise Manager but thanks to my best friend's dad growing up, I know my way around a motor & how to look up parts on a schematic.

And if we women think it's tough today, I can't even imagine what Dot Robinson or Bessie Springfield (pictured to the right) had to go through! But that's for another blog....

So, for now, I may not be the creator/writer/ producer of a hit tv show, but I'm looking forward to being that person!! And for now, I'm looking to other people - mostly women, that I admire and seem to have a "take no prisoners" attitude. They'll be my guiding light as I keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Close!

My plan was to ask Theo Rossi if he would take a look at my television series concept. Theo, along with Kim Coates - both are actors on the hit show Sons of Anarchy - came to Northern New York recently. It was such a BIG event for this area, there was easily a thousand people who showed up to meet "Juice & Tig". Sure Viggo Mortensen spends summers in the area; he IS Aragorn from the LOTR trilogy.... but I don't even know if he rides a motorcycle. Horses, sure - don't forget Viggo also starred in Hidalgo - but I have yet to see him on two wheels.

But back to the visit by Theo & Kim. My job at the Harley-Davidson dealership, work that I love, paid me to organize & market their visit. That took a lot of writing and attention to detail - and, of course, the usual "What did I forget?" thoughts running through my head. Before their visit, I did research on both of their careers, and found out that Theo had started Dos Dudes Pictures with friends, so I emailed them about my concept/treatment. I hadn't heard a "Yes!", but on the flip side there wasn't a "No!" either. I printed out my Motorcycle Sisters treatment a few days before they arrived. Because both actors had been on a mini vacation prior to their visit, they were coming from different places. I kept hounding my boss with, "I volunteer to pick Theo up from the airport!!" to no avail.... Of course he wanted the honor and I don't blame him. I was left to wait until all of us were done working for the day before asking Theo to take a look at my idea.



The hour of arrival had come! We all road motorcycles to the dealership - we had loaned both guys and their manager bikes for the short jaunt (I rode my own of course!). Once we got there it was practically non-stop rush of fans to see them. Most were kind & respectful, some were trying to cut in line or used the whole, "I spend a lot of money here!" in attempts to make themselves important. It was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time.

Afterwards most of the employees from the dealership, the boys and their manager all went to a locally owned restaurant to grab some grub and decompress a little bit. At first I was overwhelmed by these two Hollywood actors - even if they weren't television stars, I'm sure I'd enjoy hanging out with them, they were that down to earth. Kim & Theo are just regular guys who happen to have a job on television. They are stars with successful careers and they might be able to help me get my series going. Perhaps Theo & Dos Dudes would want to start developing it (fingers crossed!). Although, with all the stress and of the thousand or so people that we all had endured, we were finally relaxing and just 'being themselves'. Theo found out that the restaurant had NY Quick Draw Lottery and began teaching Kim how to play. I just couldn't interrupt that fun.

Some might say that I'm not really committed to seeing Motorcycle Sisters on the small screen. Because I didn't force my own agenda on our guests, I'm the one that's lacking courage and determination. That's all bullshit - bottom line is I didn't want to change the mood of the evening. We were all on a roll, having a good time - I didn't want to be selfish and change all that.

In the end I didn't leave Theo with my television series treatment, but hopefully I left him & Kim with the impression of someone who is hard working and likes to have fun. I certainly have a lot of great memories from that day!! And to top it all off, Dos Dudes still haven't said, "No!", so I'll be submitting my treatment to them soon. I'll also send a note apologizing for temporarily blinding Theo when I took his picture with my daughter!

Fame - I'm gonna live forever

It's been over two years since my last blog.... and - like everyone else - a lot has happened since then. I've had my friends yank the rug out from under me, but maybe I deserved it. I had an idea that the experiences we have shared, our good times and bad, would make a hit television series. I thought it could benefit all of us, make us famous and earn us lots of money. Of course it's would take lots of hard work and is a long shot, yet I firmly believed we had a good chance.

What I didn't realize was the commitment I was asking everyone to take, and that not everyone is willing to take it, despite the potential rewards. To become famous means giving up a certain anonymity. I was seeing it like Irene Cara's song, Fame: "You can shoot me straight to the top, give me love and take all I got to give, baby I'll be tough, too much is not enough.... baby, remember my name." But maybe they were listening to David Bowie's version: "...it's not your brain, it's just the flame, that burns your change to keep you insane - Fame."

Clearly I do not know what is best for everyone, although I like to think I do. Isn't it always easier to give advice and live our friend's lives as if they were our own?? Anywho - for the future I will try not to push my friends into something they're not ready for. I still believe in my idea and will continue on my own from here. And if my long shot does pay off, I'll gladly share it with my friends.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs

Road signs, subliminal signs, direct signs, signs from the catcher to the pitcher, signs of spring, and business signs to name a few.

As a soldier, you look for signs as to what your enemy is planning. As women, we are sometimes taught - sometimes learn the hard way, about signs that a guy isn't all that interested in you. I think all of us are currently looking for signs that America's economy is on the mend. As a mother, you look for signs that your infant is content and healthy. As a person living in a cold climate, among ice & snow, you might be looking for signs that warmer weather is coming your way. If you're investing in the stock market, you are on the lookout for signs that your stocks are going to perform well. And as a motorcyclist, you are constantly looking for signs from others sharing the road as to their intentions as well as road conditions.

Sometimes the signs are hard to interpret. What exactly does it mean when you see more than a few spiders spinning their webs in your house in the fall?? At other times, we may miss the signs all together. We didn’t see the car’s turn signal until they were in our lane. And still we may see the signs yet choose to ignore their meaning….  He hasn’t called, emailed, sent a text, faxed or even poked you on Facebook, but you know he loves you… He just needs a chance to see it!!

To make matters even more complicated, sometimes our attitude plays a part on how we read the signs. The optimist sees signs of spring after a long, hard winter; the pessimist sees a shortened summer. The opportunist makes the best out of every nice/warm weather day she has!! It can be as complicated or as simple as you make it.

Right now the B.O.B. Sisters are anxiously looking for signs of spring. I just checked the weather forecast looking for warmer temperatures – sadly there are none at the moment, but I realize this is still only late February. We’ve been planning our road trips, looking forward to riding with each other out in the summer sun! The B.O.B.s are also adding a new sign to our name- the trademark sign.

A trademark, according to Wikipedia, is a distinctive sign or indicator, used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity, to identify that the products or services with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities. To the left are some trademarked signs that I'm sure you'll recognize - the Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield logo being among them! Now we B.O.B.s will be among that group! The B.O.B. Sisters – Battery Operated Boyfriends, have always been unique, without a doubt!! And now we will have a sign that will prove it to the rest of the world!!

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live! ~Bob Marley

I don’t know if Bob Marley ever rode a Harley, but he definitely seems to be expressing a similar thought to the one I’m trying to convey here.

Those that are B.O.B.s have shown the signs that we are here to stay. That we are here for each other, always & forever. And we are a group of women that can seem intimidating if you misread the signs, but take the chance and get to know us - I think you may see us differently once you do. At the very least, I don't think you'll ever forget us!!

The B.O.B. Sisters from our February 2012 Get Together ~ Looking for signs of Spring!!

Spending time with my BOB sisters has to be one of the highlights of my free time. Whether it's as planned get together or an impromtu lets party. Great bunch of friends that I hope to always have around. Plus they dont mind all my strange habits...lol

What do we do now??

So here we are, halfway through January, after our first real winter storm of the season followed by a very cold couple of nights.... waiting....

This morning as I laid beneath several blankets & quilts, impatiently waiting for my space heater to work it's magic, I was fondly remembering the feel of summer grass under my bare feet, smells of BBQ in the backyard with family & friends, the warm summer breezes, being out in the sun with my horse, and of course, riding my Harley. I just checked the weather on my phone.... it's a balmy four degrees Fahrenheit outside, albeit sunny. And the only thing I smell outside is the salt on the roads.

Not that I'm complaining at all about this winter! To date it has been very mild according to local standards. Northern New York winters are legend with snow fall amounts that can sometimes be as much as a two story house!! Having said that, I'm still tired of waiting for the salt & sand to be off the roads and the temps to warm up to a minimum of 45 degrees before I even think about getting Saraid (that's my Harley-Davidson Dyna Superglide's name - it's Irish and it's means "excellent") out of the garage.

So until that day comes, hopefully soon, the best things I can do to keep myself sane are to read books (call me old fashion but I've yet to fall in love with any electronic reader), watch movies, blog, work at a motorcycle dealership, go out with friends & co-workers, chillin' in the house with my teen aged kids, and hanging out with my B.O.B. Sisters. Due to our various schedules, we may not be able to get us all together all at the same time at the same place, but we make do with what we can - even if it's just two of us for a quick dinner. The great thing about it is that during the time I'm with my other B.O.B. Sisters I can be myself! During that time I'm not Mom, co-worker, manager, a women in her forties, an army wife, an event planner, a female motorcyclist or anything else. The B.O.B. Sisters have accepted me for me and I have accepted them for who they are, so when we get together we don't even have to worry about having a good time - we just do! I have found that, for me, it's almost as relaxing as riding.

When searching for quotes about winter, I came across this one:

"During the fall and winter we built Fort Meade and the town of Sturgis." by Calamity Jane. 

Now, for those of you who may not know, Sturgis, South Dakota is the scene of a very large motorcycle rally every August, during the height of summer riding season. Calamity Jane has always been one of my favorite characters in history - she was the life of the party and made do in life with what she was given. After the death of her father (her mother had died one year earlier) Jane found herself the head of her family of 5 siblings. To support them she found work as a cook, dishwasher, waitress, dance hall girl,  as a prostitute at Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch and as a scout for the military. Finding out that Calamity Jane may have had something to do with building the town of Sturgis just called to me. (Jane was often found to 'embellish' her own history.) Whether or not she was actually involved, it was a nice reminder to me that many good things can happen during the winter months, even though I'm not riding. And perhaps Calamity Jane would have made an excellent addition to our B.O.B. Sisters!!

New Year = New Adventures!!

As 2012 gets itself off the start line, I'd like to take a moment to give thanks to 2011!

At the beginning of any new year, there are allot of people that make resolutions. In my experiences, I've found those new resolutions to be more about getting things- I'm going to loose 20 pounds, I'm going to get that raise, I'm going to get that new game system, I'm going to travel to that far off country. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! It's a good thing to want to better yourself. Although I find, that in order to improve myself in the future, I must give thanks to the lessons I learned in the past. For it's the challenges and how we've dealt with them that make us who we are today.

B.O.B. Sister Harleys

It was the beginning of 2010 that I got my first Harley-Davidson motorcycle - a 2004 Dyna Superglide. One of my goals in 2011 was to become a better rider and to put loads of miles on my bike!! Luckily I'm able to ride to my job, during the riding season that is! (A draw back to living in Northern New York State is the salt & sand that appears on the roads after the snow falls...) However, I wanted more than just riding to & from work, and a great way to do that is to ride with a group of friends.

There are a few motorcycle clubs and riding clubs in the area where I live, mostly guys with a "maiden" or female version of their group. And there are a few 'women only' MC's & LC's also. More than a few friends of mine are in these clubs, however - for one reason or another - I just felt like I didn't fit in. The 2011 summer I was invited out to ride with these ladies to Maine. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take all the time off for the trip, but was able to get a few days, so rode halfway with them before turning round & heading back. I didn't know it at the time, but that was my inaugural ride with the B.O.B. Sisters!

This group of women, despite all their differences, have come together to Live, Love & Laugh all while riding their Harleys! I used to think that "Live, Love, Laugh" was just a nice saying to have on a motivational plaque in the office - but it's not. It is a true way of life that I have found with these women.

So before wishing for fun adventures in 2012, I'd like to give thanks for all the wonderful memories I made in 2011 - to include becoming a B.O.B. Sister!!!

L to R: Black Widow, me (Irish), and Halo