Making It Rain

Tracy and I are doing our collective best to keep the economy rumbling forward. On Saturday, we were throwing money around making it rain in Murrieta. After running my tires for four years, I finally decided to put new meats on the Ford. Compared to the California standard of running 'em to the belts, my tires weren't completely useless. People literally run slicks here in SoCal. It adds up to entertainment when it finally does rain.

$975 later, my truck has new tires from American Tire, sister store of Discount Tire. Truck tires aren't cheap in SoCal, where everything involving cars is a surcharge compared to the Midwest. I went with the new Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors. So far, I'm really pleased. Hardly no lug noise on the highway and my truck is riding and tracking smooth.

For Tracy, we brought the Jetta that will eclipse 170k this week to the dealer to check out some dummy lights. The ABS speed sensor has gone bad, her large cooling fan is no longer working and her catalytic converter is bad, causing a check engine emission light. I'll take care of the ABS sensor and large cooling fan, saving her about $300 there. The catalytic converter estimate was $1,075 from Volkswagen. They are on crack. Sure, we'll spend a grand on a 2003 car that will hit 200k in a year. Sounds like another job for me.

Autozone catalytic converter: $325. Not sure how an exhaust system job can cost $700 more than that at the dealership. Unfortunately, in California you have to pass an emissions test every 2 years. Tracy is good for another 18 months, so we won't be tackling that one anytime soon.

Speaking of that timeframe, I'd be shocked if we lasted another 18 months here. Both our J-O-Bs are becoming a major P-I-T-A. I guess that's why they call it work. But when work egregiously takes advantage of you, it's when you start looking for other work. Our values are upping here in CA, and that means it's harder to be taken advantage of. 50 hour weeks at 40 hour pay can only last so long.

On a good note, we've been very happy outside of work at the beach and spending time with friends. We have slated another trip to the San Diego Zoo with Tracy's friends from Pasadena, so that should be fun. And, while I'm out of town in October for a work trip, Tracy heads up to San Fran / Oakland to see her friend Missy who is from Minnesota / Ehlert!

Week of Traveling

After a relatively calm travel schedule for KTM standards, I'm packing for a week in the midwest. I fly out of San Diego at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, which is a tad early for me but it will be worth it. I get in to Indianapolis at 3:15 p.m. just in time to see the AMA flat track race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 7 p.m. with co-workers.

On Sunday, the biggest motorcycle race of the year goes down in that of the Moto GP. All of the world's fastest super bike racers are in attendance. I'll be helping out at our demo ride truck with customers between races. Nobody misses the main event. I'm pretty sure my bro-in-law Kevin would love to see the Moto GP. Maybe next year!

The fun of the weekend quickly subsides on Monday and Tuesday as our annual KTM dealer meeting gets underway, which is a ton of work for our staff. This year the work will be a little easier because we are working with my old co-workers of Ehlert, who are putting on a professional business seminar for all of our dealers via their magazine Powersports Business. It will be great to catch up with old friends and hopefully learn a little bit more about the dealer business side for two days.

Wednesday is the highlight for our dealers and staff as we get to ride Red Bud in Buchanan, Mich. This is one of the best motocross facilities in the country, and is also where we held our ATV press event last year. Some of you may remember me leaving Friday night from South Bend and huffing it to Milwaukee for Brad and Kristi's wedding. Only to return Sunday morning hungover ... scratch that, really hungover.

Thursday I'm off to Minneapolis hitching a ride with our RSM who is from Fargo. Maybe I'll hit up the dentist while I'm in town, my teeth are looking like a carney in training. No Tracy this trip unfortunately. This will be the longest we have been apart since she moved to CA. With that in mind, I decided to book a Saturday night flight back to SoCal instead of hanging around through the extended Labor Day weekend.

My only plans while I'm in town ... fantasy football draft and hopefully a trip to the State Fair. Anybody in for the Fair?

One Word For The Melting Pot ... Wow!

So, Tracy finally cashed in on my Valentine's Day promise of a nice night out. We both ditched work this afternoon for Friday night date night. First we went and saw Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and it was interesting to say the least. No doubt a Tarantino film as it was graphic from the get-go. Yet, some how he transcended all the queasy violence with a film that was kind of comedic.

After the movie, we headed for Tracy's extremely overdue V-Day dinner of choice at the Melting Pot. Wow. This place zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... sorry I fell asleep while typing, seriously. Major food coma going on. I woke up and the laptop was all sweaty from my palms. Serious meat sweats too. It kind of reminds me of Brad's bachelor party dinner at Fogo de Chao.

OK, for the first course we're going to melt in front of you two pounds of fondue cheese, pile up a loaf of sliced bread and some vegetables and apples to make you feel healthy. Naturally, we ate all of it but a small piece of cauliflower to make us not look entirely like pigs. Next up was the salllaaaaaaaadd. Sorry, coma kicking in again. This course 2 salad was bigger than my head, and that's big folks. We both dug in and ate more than Caesar probably did in a lifetime. We left a few crutons to make it appear like we weren't completely pigging out.

Course 3 was the highlight. Seven dipping sauces, lobster, shrimp, pork tenderloin, chicken, filet mignon. The fondue dinner is cook it yourself, and we didn't screw it up because we weren't in a food coma yet. Once again, Melting Pot provided vegetables including really good mushrooms, potatos and broccoli to make you feel like you are eating healthy. Needless to say, we put the vegetables in the fondue broth but never ate them. The manager stopped by and said, "I'll box up those vegetables for you." We both pretty much laughed him from the table. Oh sure, reheated broccoli is always delicious.

At this point, the wine was stirring with the food in the gut and the comas starting kicking in. The food sweats didn't hit until after dessert. Yes, course 4 ... arguably the best course. Cheesecake, Rice Krispie treats, cake, strawberries, brownies, bananas and marshmellows ... all of which get dipped in a chocolate of your choice. We went with the turtle flame chocolate ... flambeau style complete with a blue flame at the table. It was at this point that the meat sweats hit and they just wouldn't go away. As we were wrapping up the dessert the waitress asked if we wanted more strawberries. I turned her down but Tracy relented and asked for two more ... she brought seven!

What a dinner. A few minutes ago Hinz called and asked if we wanted to rally and meet up with the Hardhats crew for more drinks in Old Town with an 80s rock band the highlight. There's no rallying going on here. We have our fat pants on and are literally stuck to the couch. Maybe next time Hinzy!

Can't .... Stop .... Sweating. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Back From Warshington

Well, after a crabby and tired Monday at work I'm back in the swing of things. It was a long weekend with early mornings at our press event near Olympia, Washington. We arrived on Friday and pinned it to get everything prepared in time for the editors and our 2010 offroad presentation.

It was a typical overcast and misty skies in Warshington (the preferred pronunciation from my co-worker Tom, formally from the state). The event was a success and all of the editors, from all accounts, like the 2010 models.

Tracy managed to hit up the outlet malls in Carlsbad and kept her spending under $1,000,000, which is neat. I did get a nice shirt from the Gap as a just because gift. Naturally, I really liked it and I wore it yesterday! While I was busying working away on Sunday, Tracy cleaned the apartment and went grocery shopping at Target. I'd say I got the better end of the deal there. She only spent $2,000,000 at Target. Hard to stay under that level when you shop there.

We've got a more relaxing weekend in store this go-around. After talking last night the only things we must do is go to the beach to test out our new beach chairs and head to the Melting Pot for dinner. Tracy's friends Jeff and Maria may make a stop done for wine tasting on Saturday, though, and it would be great to see them.

Not much else to report. I did find out that I'm out for the work trip to Idaho, so I guess Tracy and I will have to coordinate a trip there when my parents plan on visiting.

Busy Month Ahead

It looks like work is picking up more so than normal if that's possible, as I will have to balance deadlines and travel over the next month. This weekend I'm off to Seattle / Tacoma for our 2010 KTM and Husaberg offroad model press launch. Thankfully, it's a short Friday to Sunday trip.

After a two weekend break I head to Indianapolis for Moto GP, the biggest road race in the U.S., and our annual dealer meeting. This year's dealer meeting is a solid three-day event from Monday to Wednesday, with the Moto GP the weekend before that I'll be attending representing KTM. The plan is to hook a ride with a Regional Sales Manager from Indy back to Minneapolis on Thursday and fly Tracy up for another weekend in MSP over Labor Day. We'll have to see if flights are affordable of course.

Then, it's a weekend break before traveling to Idaho for our Adventure Rider Rally. In case anybody is wondering, that's the bike my dad "rides". Long story, not that entertaining. I'm hoping to piggyback that trip with a short visit with my grandma and four uncles in the area. I won't have time to visit the fifth in Southern Idaho. If I can work that out, I think it's pretty fortunate I'll be able to see a lot of family over two weeks time piggybacking off work trips.

If we can't get Tracy back to MSP over Labor Day, I really want her to join me at the Rider Rally in Riggins, Idaho so she can meet some of my crazy uncles. We'll see how it all plays out here this week.

I better get back to work or my 11-hour day might end up being 12.