If you’ve read my summer of 2006 Ride Reports then you know RTJohn. Since I just returned to my winter home in AZ after being on the road for a solid month I stopped by to say hello to RT and so he could oversee my replacing one of the Moto Lights on the Strom. Kinda cool to see our bikes together again!
Of course, RT had the everything figured out and fixed in no time flat… 
… and here’s what caused my flickering light:
RT suggested I keep a spare bulb in the middle of a roll of duck tape since the box housing the bulb fits perfectly inside the tape. He never ceases to amaze me the tips and tricks he has for packing a bike and running extended miles. He’s certainly taught this young whippersnapper a helluva lot! 
I gotta plug Moto Lights here… I called last Thurs to say “my right light is flickering do you know what the problem could be?” The response was “what is your name and mailing address” which was followed by “a replacement will be in the mail today.” I was speechless. Literally, I didn’t know what to say. There were no long drawn out questions, no time consuming explanations, no requests for my credit card. Nada. After a long pause I finally just said “are you sure?” and I heard “lifetime warranty means lifetime warranty.” On Monday morning a knock at my door summoned me to my replacement light waiting for me on the other side. Now THAT’S customer service… and why Moto Lights is a member of my “AGirl Five Star A-List” - alongside RTJohn, of course. 
For all you AZ riders you might consider this event in Phoenix the wkend of Nov 3-5th:
I’ll be in the Ton Up Motorcycles booth at some point during the weekend… hoping no one asks me a mechanical question and trying to figure out why a car company is sponsoring a motorcycle show. 
If you are riding in from out of town shoot me an email at AGirl@SeizeTheJourney.com if you need any resources while in Phoenix.
So, I was on my way to see an important young man in my life (Kyle) play in a pre-season basketball scrimmage. He’d say I was his hero, I’d say I’m just merely trying to be what someone was to me when I was young… a mentor, a life coach. One of the reasons for riding in a “sprited pace” to get back to Phoenix recently had to do w/Kyle. He too has ADHD and is having trouble remembering the new plays his coach introduced in a recent practice and wanted my help. Nonetheless, I went to watch his team play at Scottsdale Community College. Now, let me preface this by saying as a former hoopster myself I’ve been in countless gyms from coast to coast. That being said, I have NEVER, EVER seen (or heard) this as a school nickname:
(click to enlarge)
Fighting Artichokes?!!! I think this tops even the UC Santa Cruz “Banana Slugs.” I couldn’t find anyone from the home team to explain the story behind the name. Most schools have nicknames that, well, have a pulse like the Warriors, Ducks, Wolves, Bears, etc., but a vegetable?!
Seeing the Fighting Artichokes (they played with a lot of, er, heart) was preceeded by seeing something else I’d never seen. While leaving my neighboorhood en route for the scrimmage I was met a the top of a small hill and by something you don’t see (much like Fighting Artichokes) everyday…a fighter jet!
I pulled over to keep from ending up in the ditch since my eyes were on the jet and so I could see if I could get a picture. As soon as I got off the bike and from the other side of the road was yet another jet that was at EYE LEVEL. I couldn’t take a picture fast enough so this was when he was higher off the ground:
Soon as I took the photo I heard a roar on the other side of the road:
People were pulling over to see what in the hell was going on. One guy walked up to me and said “are they looking for Osama in our back yards now.” I told him this was probably the newest version of US Border Patrol. A more informed resident soon arrived and told me I was looking at the US Navy’s Blue Angels in a practice session for an upcoming show. He seemed confused as to how I could have missed all the hype about them coming to town but I informed him that, as a snowbird, I had just flown back into town myself. After watching the Blue Angels do their air versions of wheelies and other stunts I decided I’m going to do a fly-by myself and check them out at their show. (The report will be listed on the web site under “Day Rides”).
Am I really starting a blog??! I’m not quite sure how I seem to have gone from a very private person to someone who is looking at my nickname at the top of a web site and posting publically, but I’m going to blame it on a group of virtual friends & followers I acquired while participating in a motorcycle forum pertaining to one of the motorcycles I currently ride, a Suzuki V-Strom. Before joining “Stromtrooper.com” I had never actively participate in any other “forums” (whether they were motorcycle related or not) nor had I ever written a “ride report” of any kind. I honestly can’t explain why or how the “reports” became quite popular for Stromtroopers, other riders and even non-riders, but I’ve chosen to continue this riding and reporting thing. If anything else the 83 year old Matriarch of my family seems to like reading about my experiences and sharing them with her bridge club cronies when she’s not busy playing golf or romping around in her new STS (I have no doubt she could qualify for NASCAR) so that’s reason enough for me to keep writing for now. Many times when I ride I see a road that looks interesting and despite having no clue where it will lead I turn onto it for the simple reason I enjoy adventure and sometimes the best discoveries are the ones you stumble across… who knows, maybe just like this whole blog/website thing we’ve both just found!
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- man I’ve missed being on a sportbike this summer!! 