A Quick Update (I'm not in the witness relocation program)

[catalinaflyer]

Since I have gotten a couple of e-mails asking where I have disappeared to here are some pictures from this past week.

Since leaving Wylie and returning to Big Dog I have been running my ass ragged. I started back on Thursday February 26th. I left Thursday afternoon and ran 5 bikes up to Grand Rapids, MI for a new dealer who was participating in a show that weekend. I ran back to Kansas and spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday at home then Monday morning I loaded another load of bikes and headed in the other direction. I made a stop in Salt Lake City and dropped off 1 then on to Reno and dropped 1 then Santa Rosa, CA to pick up 1 then to Newport Beach, CA where I spent 3 days for a photo shoot for a couple of magazines. Once leaving there I made my way towards Kansas stopping in Scottsdale, AZ to drop off 3 bikes and Artesia, NM to pick up a bike. I finally made it back home on Tuesday the 11th of March.

I spent the rest of the week doing some work on my truck and trailer as well as having a full alignment done on both.

On Tuesday the 17th I loaded a new prototype in the back of one of our Dodge pickups and took it to Minden, NV for brake testing. I got back home on Monday the 23rd from that little adventure (the bike passed).

On Wednesday the 25th I loaded 24 bikes for my first official round of shows and headed out to Scottsdale, AZ. On the way there I ran into high winds, blizzard conditions in western NM and a sand storm in Winslow, AZ that had 40 shut down for several hours. I finally got to my room at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Scottsdale at 4:30am on Friday the 27th. Friday was spent at Hacienda Customs in Scottsdale, AZ for the AZ Bike Week Kickoff Party. We finally got done there at midnight then I had to move the truck to the Hideaway Bar in Cave Creek, AZ. Saturday was spent in Cave Creek for the Kickoff Party at the Hideaway. Sunday morning I moved to the Fort McDowell Casino and set up along with Victory Motorcycles for the Taser Foundation charity ride & concert. We got to spend the day rubbing elbows with Mark Wills (country singer) and Don "Hollywood" Yates (Wolf from American Gladiator) as well as some former NFL stars but I don't care for football and can't remember their names.

Monday and Tuesday were spent back at the Hideaway Bar in Cave Creek for different events they were having. Wednesday I set up at the Dirty Dog Saloon in Scottsdale for the Wet T-Shirt contest, which lasted till well past 2:00am Thursday morning. Thursday night was spent at the Billet Bar in Scottsdale for Bike Night and again we were there till almost 3:00am Friday morning. Friday was spent setting up at Mesa Victory. Saturday we gave demo rides all day.

Sunday and Monday were reset days. I rode my bike down to Casa Grande on Sunday to visit my niece and her new baby then on Monday morning I took off and rode NE out of Scottsdale through Payson then over to Camp Verde where I hopped on I-17 and ran up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I rode back past Camp Verde then cut over to Prescott and down through Wickenburg then back to Scottsdale. 541 miles on a 9 1/2' long chopper was a great day.

Tuesday was spent in Scottsdale doing dealer training at Hacienda Customs. We took all the sales staff on demo rides so they would know how the bikes ride when they are talking to customers. Was a hot day so I went against company policy and rode without leathers. Not a big deal till I got in the shower that night and realized how badly wind burnt my arms were. I'm surprised someone didn't call 911 thinking there was a murder being committed in my room.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent on the road heading to Midland, TX where I'm at now sitting in the Hilton getting ready for a dealer open house today. Once I get finished here today I have to swing by Strokers Ice House in Dallas to drop off a couple of bikes that were sold during my stay in Arizona then on home for a couple of days.

Next Saturday morning I will be leaving home to head to Laughlin, NV for the River Run. From there I go to Tulsa, OK for the Iron Lightning Party in the Parking Lot then on out to Hooters in North Myrtle Beach for 2 weeks for the Spring Rally. Once I get done there I will run home for Memorial Day weekend then head out for another round of shows.

Here's a few pictures from this past week - the first one is at Hacienda Customs for the kick start party, the second is my company car (the red one with black flames), the third is at the Dirty Dog Saloon for the wet t-shirt contest and the last one ----- well it doesn't need explanation.

[belpre122]

Wow! Sounds great. Looks like you're back in your element and thriving.

Sure glad to see it. Sure beats Beach, ND huh?

[catalinaflyer]

Wow! Sounds great. Looks like you're back in your element and thriving.

Sure glad to see it. Sure beats Beach, ND huh?

Yup, I'm back where I belong. Not that HH/Specialized was bad but I just needed a few months of it to realize how much I missed the show circuit. (not to mention the scenery is usually better )

Yes it beats the hell out of spending the weekend in Beach, ND. At least now when I have a couple days off somewhere I have a trailer full of motorcycles and generally can find a place to go ride and get my mind reset as well as my log book.

And spending every night in a Hilton or Hampton is certainly better that the Freightliner Inn.............

[belpre122]

Where can I sign up? LOL After coming back to this pic for the third time. I hope that you don't mind that I am going to post a full size copy for all of the diehard motorcycle fans out there.

Not to mention that my hand was getting tired..........from clicking the mouse

[catalinaflyer]

No I don't mind and just to help you while looking at them, Ashley is the blond and Paige is the brunette.

[chris1]

So are you home now or out screwing around?

[catalinaflyer]

So are you home now or out screwing around?

In Midland, TX screwing around. I'll be home tomorrow evening sometime.

[chris1]

I'm doing a little paperwork then go home and see if i can find some eggs.

[dobry4u]

Dang,, their close dryer is on the fritz.

[catalinaflyer]

I'm doing a little paperwork then go home and see if i can find some eggs.

You might want to check at the bottom of your cliff stairs but be sure and call the coast guard first so they can winch you back up to the house

[chris1]

Hey,no smokes for 3 weeks. I can go up and down those stairs fine now. Of course the extra 20 lbs in 3 weeks don't help.

[catalinaflyer]

Hey,no smokes for 3 weeks. I can go up and down those stairs fine now. Of course the extra 20 lbs in 3 weeks don't help.

3 WEEKS without a smoke........................................I'm shocked the world is still turning.

[chris1]

Well,you know the jails are non smoking now.

[b00m]

That must be a nice job for a trucker!!!

[catalinaflyer]

That must be a nice job for a trucker!!!

Yup b00m it beats the heck out of working for a living.

Sun April 19th Update:
Well last weekend went pretty good in Midland, TX at Midessa Motorcycles for their annual open house. The wind blew like h*ll and there was a threat of rain all day Saturday but luckily the rain held off till after the event was over. I don't know how many people actually showed up but they served 178 hamburgers. I didn't have to do the full setup with the awning/floor/walls so it was a pretty easy show, just unload 24 bikes into the parking lot then answer questions all day. I finished packing up about 5:30 then I went into town with some people from the dealership for dinner. It started raining just as we finished eating then on the way back to the dealership it started to hail. We were in a brand spanking new Toyota Tundra 4 door and the hail was between golfball and baseball size so needless to say the Toyota looked like a golfball itself when we got back to the shop. Luckily I had turned the truck aroud to load so it took the hail in the tailgate which is 3/16" stainless so no visible damage. The roof of my trailer on the other hand looks like the surface of the moon, still waiting on Featherlite for the estimate but their guessing somewhere around $8500.

Anyhow I left Midland about 8:30pm Saturday night and made it to the Hampton Inn in Weatherford about 1:00am Sunday morning. I left there at 9:00 and headed to Strokers Ice house then home sweet home.

Spent the week getting a few things taken care of on my trailer and working on my crotch rocket then loaded another show load Friday afternoon. Left home yesterday and made it to the Hampton Inn in Tucumcari for the night and today I made it to the Hampton Inn (beginning to see a pattern - I love their beds) in Kingman, AZ where I'm now at for the night. I'll head over to Laughlin, NV to the Colorado Belle tomorrow morning then begin setting up for the River Run. The rally runs Wednesday through Saturday then I'm off to Newport Beach to deliver a bike to Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider Movie) to ride for a few months.

Once I get the bike delivered to Dennis I'm headed back to Tulsa, OK for Iron Lightnings Party in the Parking Lot then off to Hooters in North Myrtle Beach, SC for two weeks of chaos before Memorial Day weekend at the lake.

[belpre122]

Great posts Catalina! You are indeed living the life!

It definitely shows in your marked change in personality since your return to where you belong. (Beach, ND....never again I'm sure) Sounds like one adventure after another. Good for you! I just hope that at least one of these monkeys on here read your posts and realize that there is so much much more out there in the trucking industry than running coolie carrier freight from A to B.

BTW, when are you coming by Indy with Paige and Ashley? LOL Beer will be ice cold and the steaks thick and juicy.

[catalinaflyer]

Thanks Belpre:
I don't know about "living the life" and all that but it beats the h*ll out of working for a living As for others reading my posts, I'm just answering ahead. Every time I turn the radio on or stop in a truck stop I get hammered with questions about the bikes, the job, if we are hiring and "how can I get a job like that". The money is way better than the average Mega carrier but not as good as specialized except - I eat 3 meals a day that don't come out of my pocket and I sleep in a nice motel every night AND I only work as hard as I want to, I'm not having to cram miles into my day just to make a check, I get a salary so I get the same check every two weeks regardless of ow much I drive. Here's the catch, I will be outside in 100 degree heat today and tomorrow setting up then working the show from 10:00 to 10:00 the next 4 days (which actually translates into 9:00 am till about 1:00 am).

A lot of the people back at the factory think that we just go out to these big rallys and get to run around and party till they have to go work one for a week then they never ask again. They come in at 7:00 and go home at 3:30 Mon - Fri so when they go to a show and have to work a few 14 hour days over a weekend and realize we don't get to go party (very much) they have a whole different opinion. In fact one of them that has been pretty vocal the last couple of months is flying in on Wednesday morning and will be spending 5 days at the truck in the 100 degree heat plus having to help me tear down on Sunday then get on a plane to fly home all hot a sweaty. The up side though, we do get to drink beer while at work as long as we don't let it become a problem. Even the owner of the company will stop by from time to time a drink a cold one with us.

As for coming through Indy, I pass through there a few times a year and in fact we do a show there the end of January every year. I doubt that my wife would be to impressed if I was hauling Paige and Ashley around with me though, they were just local Scottsdale girls who were hanging around the truck that night trying to get some free beer and a ride on the bikes.

I finally got a new phone that has a camera (as well as everything else I never imagined a phone could do) so I will get some pic's the next few days of setting up, the show and tearing down then post them on here.

[ironeagle_2006]

Catalina I here you there if I had to carry those 2 in the truck with me to bike rallies. My WIFE WOULD BE IN THE SEAT BESIDE ME WITH A SHOT GUN going you touch them say bye to your MANHOOD.

[chris1]

Say hello to everyone in Bullhead for me.

[catalinaflyer]

Say hello to everyone in Bullhead for me.

I think you should come down for the weekend - or are you sill waiting on the statute-of-limitations to run out?

Ironeagle_2006 - If those two were in my truck for any reason my wife would throw me under it.