Ladies, I have found the perfect doo-rag, or helmet liner, whichever you prefer.

I’ve always liked my hair long, rather than wearing it short – it’s just easier for me to keep it that way.  If it’s short, I have to wash it every day, which tends to make it flyaway and brittle. Longer hair I can do every other day, and it’s still manageable.

When I first started riding, I tried regular cotton doo-rags- of course, I always had helmet hair, but I thought that was just part of the deal. While I wore it, though, my head itched, and I could feel the heat coming off my head when I took off the doo rag; my hair was always mashed flat and damp from sweating.  Lately I’d just started putting on my helmet with no doo rag; the helmet interior pulled my hair and my pony tail got tangled, but again, I figured that was part of the deal.

So when Randy and I saw a booth at Thunder Beach with the claim that this doo rag prevented tangles and helmet hair, I had to challenge the lady. She had waist-length hair and said she had invented this new thingie because she got tired of her husband having to wait on her while she got ready to ride.  After she showed me how it worked,  and I felt the material, I thought it was worth a try, so I bought one (tiger stripes!).

You can believe me or not, but that’s been one of the best purchases I’ve made lately.   I wore mine all day Saturday while we rode- when we’d stop, I’d take it off and shake my hair out and it didn’t even look like I’d been riding! While we were riding I couldn’t even really tell I was wearing anything; my head didn’t get hot or itch; and my hair didn’t get mashed down flat.  The material is stretchy and breathable, so no sweat or heat built up underneath it, and it also didn’t cause any static to build up in my hair.

The real test came when we started home and crossed the state line into Alabama- ‘bama has helmet laws so I had to put it back on, but my head still didn’t get as hot as it usually does, and it seemed to fit better.  When we got home that night, again, I took the liner off and brushed my hair with my fingers and fluffed it up and it was fine. Obviously, mine isn’t going to look like I’ve just blow-dried it out (I have a LOT of hair), but just knowing it wasn’t plastered to my head made me appreciate it.

You need to check out Anna’s website to see all the details of how it works and the styles she’s got – Raci-Babi – I’ll be putting in an order for the Avatar Blue on next- its gorgeous!

Ladies, this is a great product! If your hair is at least shoulder-length, this is something you need to check out. Once you try it, I promise you that you won’t want to go back to a regular doo rag.

I get lots of comments on my vest and leathers; some seem to think I’m wearing them as a fashion statement; others think it’s ‘cute’. Yes, when I first started riding, I bought all kinds of patches, because I liked them all and the way they looked on my vest.  I’ve gradually removed patches that weren’t “personal” to me and now everything I have tells something about me.

It’s  like my Facebook wall, or a scrapbook. The patches and pins I wear each have a story. For example, the patch I wear on my back is this one:

Bikers and riders who belong to an MC, RC or MM wear their club patch on their back, usually with nothing else, especially if they have to earn the patch.  Because Randy and I aren’t affiliated with any club, we wear this patch to show honor and respect to our military.  (We do belong to the Patriot Guard, but it’s not considered a club.)

Along the bottom back of our vests, we wear patches that tell about significant events.  I’ve got a patch from the Tail of the Dragon (where I learned to trust myself in curves, as well as trusting God to take care of me in all situations), the Apalachicola  Escort (we were part of a mile’s worth of bikes riding to escort the moving wall through parts of Florida, while thousands of people stood along side the road to salute the Viet Nam veterans who rode with us), and the 2009 Thunder Beach Spring Rally.

The front of my vest has pins that have special meaning to me.  On my right side, under my name patch are ten little metal heart charms, one for each of my grandchildren: Hunter, Dylan,  Chloe, Khloe, Layney, Destiny, Nevaeh, Reid, Talan and Esme.

On the left side, under my PGR patch, are mission pins.  Some missions were funerals for military or emergency first responders; others were welcome-home missions.

Some patches are for specific people- Bill “Snap” Lines was a great friend to everyone in the PGR; when he was killed in a traffic accident, some of his friends had a special patch made up.

And finally, I have some that are funny, but tell a little about me;  for example this one:

I always enjoyed watching “I Dream of Jeannie” when I was young; no matter how much she tried to help, she ended up causing trouble more times than not. I kinda feel like that most days.

Of course, these are only some of my pins and patches; you’ll just have to check out the rest of them the next time you see me. If you have other friends who ride, check out their vest as well.  Every one is individual, so you’ll probably learn something.

And as for the question of leather chaps and jacket – I do enjoy the look and feel of the leather, but  I wear my leathers for the same reason I wear a seatbelt – safety.  If I go down, they offer another layer of protection between the road’s surface and me.

See you on the road!

I had good intentions this morning: I went to the Dollar General and bought several different size storage tubs and stackable drawers, to help get the carport/work area organized. I got the Allen wrenches,  sockets and socket sets, screwdrivers, wrenches,  pliers and wire cutters all sorted into their own containers.  I have a big one that has cleaning rags and pads, and one with all kinds of loose screws (no, not MY loose screws), bolts, nuts and other fasteners to be sorted into drawers by size later. The Allen wrenches also have to sorted – I may just glue a divider into that tub and put the metrics in one side and the ASE in the other.

But that’s where my mechanical knowledge ends. Randy will have to look at the rest to see what’s usable and what isn’t.

I am happy with myself that I know at least that much about tools and what they’re used for; I did recognize the oil filters for our bikes, and the filter wrench that’s used to take them off. I’m also glad I know how to use most of the tools out there – I still have to tell myself ‘righty tighty – lefty loosy’, but that’s OK.  I like wrenching my own ride, and having the self-confidence that comes from knowing how to do some of those things.

Just looking at all those tools out there, I’m tempted to go through them and pick out a set for my own- if I hide them in a pink tool box, you think I might stand a chance?

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