Thursday, January 31, 2013

San Francisco or bust...





Alice's Restaurant

a blue pussy....

China town......Tacky personified!

So I flew out of Atlanta  leaving a trail of destruction and broken hearts behind me,

Well not quite, but I did think it was a great opening line. I had thoroughly enjoyed meeting Lori and Chris but it was now time to hit San Francisco and I was excited about the prospect of meeting a bunch of new people.

But hang on, before I go further, can some one tell me what it is with the US airlines that they take so long to board, and seriously some of the so called hand luggage wont fit in the over head locker, how do they get away with that?

Anyway, arrived in San Francisco and was meet buy the world famous Bob ..so after introductions and discovering I don't have an Aussie accent,  Bob was good enough to take me to Alice's  Cafe, where I enjoyed a free lunch and a free T-Shirt..thanks Bob!    The drive up there is pretty cool as well, and low and behold found dear in the middle of the road......mmmm.... venison.....and thanks for the gift Bob, I am looking forward to trying it out when I finally get of my arse and go camping.






Geoff James Wannabe.....

Margarita for breakfast....Si...Senor..(wonderful Lady's who I wished I had been able to spend more time with Marianne and Katy.

Bob dropped me at my hotel, and as it is 2 stars I was not to be disappointed!

Brad and Brandy the lovely and famous bloggers from Oregon arrived and it was like a meeting of old friends, we headed for lunch and it was just fantastic to chat and talk with people who I felt I all ready knew.

You can read there reports here and here

I could do a report on about the Golden Gate bridge, and Alcatraz, China town, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square etc etc... and I am sure that is all very interesting and no doubt those who have never seen those places would enjoy it.  But for me it was not the places I went, but it was the people I met.








The Sunday morning breakfast in Alchemedia was awesome and again another opportunity to meet great people of like mind.  I think to be honest we could of spent the entire day sitting around the table chatting.
You put together a bunch of people from different parts of the country and the world, with a common interest...namely motorbikes....and you get a lot of laughter, fun ..and friendship which will last a life time.
That really sums me up.  I love hanging with people, I am a crap tourist. But I so enjoy talking and meeting  others.

The Sunday Night Incident...    Some times the best nights are the ones  not planned.  After the  great brunch and hours of walking around the Aircraft Carrier Hornet, Brandy, Brad and myself went back  into San Francisco. A Brief rest before agreeing to meet for some dinner....it gets very murky from here.  

I do know the beer tasted really nice, Sake became a life time friend...who I hope I never meet ever again...The three of us are permanently banned from a certain Sushi restaurant....and unbeknown to me, there is a pub  next door that actually makes screw drivers.  I have never laughed so much for ages, and I am buggered if I can remember what we were actually laughing about!  Who cares, great friendships are built on such occasions...

It was a wonderful experience for me, the whole trip was above my expectations.  Lori, Chris, Bob, Brandy, Brad, Marianne, Guido (His lovely life) and Katy...I feel so very privileged to have meet you all.  I feel very blessed, humbled and honoured to have met you all, the fact so many of you tavelled so far to see me and make my visit special will remain a wonder memory forever.

My Next blog will be dedicated to pictures from the Barber musumn...most of which Lori took....





Friday, January 18, 2013

Dear Lance....

Dear Lance,

Since you have a lot more time on your hands now I thought I would take this opportunity to drop you a line.

I was wondering if you would be so kind as to reimburse me the $39.95 that I paid for your book.  If you care to have a look at the bottom of this blog you will find my email address.  I can send you my account details from there.

And after watching your interview last night with the big O, I though I was gonna have to ask you for a refund on my Chicken curry as well....I almost deposited that in the same place I have now put your book.  Seriously...what the hell....

 Alternatively I could "tweet" you on your "twat" account. Or is that "Twat"you on your "Tweet" account.......Twat seems like a relevant word today.  You know the one, the one where you posted the picture of you lying under  your seven Tour De France victory shirts, you know, the ones you have to give back....

Just on the book thing, I can't decide weather to leave it next to the fire place,  or hang it from the bathroom door in case of emergency's.   After discussing it with the kids we decided that the toilet would be a great idea...good toilet paper to wipe ones arse with is not always easy to find. Although having just tried it, the paper is all ready full of shit so not sure it is going to work anyway.  

You see, I am not sure weather I should feel sorry for you, or just slap you.  I mean come on mate, don't you think you should of come out of the closet at the beginning instead of all these lies when it first came out.  I could probably forgive you for the drug taking, but the orchestrated litany of lies  that you continued with defies belief.

Have you considered moving to Belarus, where another famous drug cheat resides.  The good thing about that is that you would lift the average IQ of both the USA and Belarus...

You see , here in good ole NZ we really hate cheats, fair play is ingrained in our culture. Our "winners" win because they train hard, because they are talented, because they are proud, because money does not mean FUCKING everything!  Most of our athletes never get rich from the sport they love, but are willing to put endless time into it.  

When I was young I tried many times to get into the New Zealand swimming team, I was never quite good enough..but who cares, I still have what you don't...integrity.  Anything that I have achieved in my life, weather it be playing guitar, swimming or learning to ride a bike , I had to work bloody hard to get good at.....that makes me proud, it makes my kids proud.  

I believed in you you right till the end, I defended you to my friends and held you up as an inspiration to my children....it really pisses me off now that I look like a plonker, that you made me look like a plonker.

Please feel free to look me up if you ever down under, but as New Zealand immigration wouldn't let Mike Tyson into the country I fear there is little hope you will be welcome also..



Kind Regards

Roger Fleming














Sunday, January 13, 2013

Atlanta or bust!




New Zealand is famous for its explorers and adventurous spirit.  There was Sir Ed Hillary, Sir Peter Blake, Kate Shepard and ....Wogey!

So off I went to visit some fellow bloggers in the land of  the heart Attack burger, the big gulp, (really is big) up sizing and and the 2nd amendment.

So the evening of the 27th Dec, I left NZ.   In just a short 21 hours I would be drinking Loris alcohol and discussing great biking stories. Ironic then that I arrived just two hours after I left. As fresh as a daisy, or at least one that was picked a day before. The 13 hour direct flight from NZ is made all the more cherry by the very friendly guys at US immigration! Welcoming arms is the only way to describe them.... A few hours rest in LA, before a direct flight to Atlanta.

Lori and I greeted each other as if old friends.  In a sense we were, and even though I had travelled half way around the world it is as if we had been drinking buddies since our youth, not to mention conaciers of MM's and its assorted varieties.

You can read Loris version of events here.

I have never been a great tourist, preferring to immerse myself in the culture of any country I visit.  Enjoying the opportunities to meet people, to talk, to discuss differences  and to generally see how anther country does things as opposed to NZ.

This was the great thing about meeting Lori and Mr Oil burner.  We spent many hours discussing biking stuff, New Zealand, Blogging, guns, driving on the right, all sorts of stuff.  Yet we were comfortable enough to sit in each others company in the evening and just read.  Comfortable silence whilst amongst friends is a wonderful feeling.

The highlights for me..

A few nights in Savannah, wonderful place, fill of character. The little cottage we stayed in even had it's own ghost.  It is actually part of the ghost night tours, and the vans would park out the front and  the tourists would  take a few pics....this of course presented a  opportunity for me to have some fun, which I of course did, much to the amusement of Lori and Chris.  All I can say is, there is one bus load of tourists that are absolutely convinced a ghost exist!



On My last day there Lori threw me the keys to her loved BMW R1200.  Some juggling with gear and we were off.  I admit I was nervous, after all I had been threatened with death in the event of a we off.  So the first 20 Min's I was  dealing with the intricacies of a bike I was not familiar with and riding on the wrong side of the road, while under the watchful gaze of Lori..  But in no time at all I was feeling comfortable.   With Chris leading and Lori behind I was like a rose between two thorns!  Great fun and fulfilled a wish to do some riding while I was there.

The Barber Motorcycle museum in Alabama must be  one of the most amazing bike museums anywhere in the world. Five stories high of just about every bike every made.  To properly go through it and read every single thing about every bike would take days.  I loved the experience and was just in awe of the place.    Every biker at some stage should make a pilgrimage to this place and visit.










We had many a discussing on gun laws and gun control, being in the South I was in doubt as to what the local views are on this topic.  During the discussions I had mentioned that I had never even fired a hand gun, and this was all the encouragement needed for us and Loris neighbour Mark to head off to the firing range and let go a few shots...heaps of fun, in fact....it was a real hoot..or should I say shoot!




All too soon it had to end, San Francisco was beckoning and I had to leave.  A special thanks to Lori and Chris for making my time in Atlanta very special.  I look forward to repaying there generous hospitality and frindship when the visit NZ.







Monday, January 7, 2013

Just to clarify

1). There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Brad, aka..Troubadour on a Triumph, and I we're seen staggering up hills in San Francisco in the early hours of Monday morning.

2) There is also no truth, regardless what Brandy , aka..Trobaritz Tablet, may say, that we will never be able to go back to the best sushi place in sf.

3) What ever Brandy says about the night, it will be full of half truths, and lies.

4) It is true it was a great night, but I am in doubt I will ever remember all the details.

5) Apparently, Stella, Sake, and screw drivers don't mix well.....

6) There is absolutely no truth a supposedly incoherent phone being made to Lori, aka Beemer girl late Sunday night....although there may be a recording that proves me wrong on this.

7) right, now that I have cleared that up, I am off to get some more aspirin and several bottles of water...the best nights are the ones that are never planned.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

A brief update.

I am now sitting in a very cute cafe in San Francisco just across the road form my dumpy motel! Well I suppose you get what you pay for....

Lori looked after me wonderfully well in Atlanta, from going down to Savannah, shooting guns at a firing range, and racking up a few miles on her lovely r1200 r, And a visit to the world famous Barber museum in Alabama. It was a great time, and just a real pleasure to be so well looked after. We had many laughs.

Bob picked me up from the airport when I arrived in San Fran yesterday and we went and had a look at the world famous Alice's cafe. Now I am just awaiting brad and brandy to arrive before we embark on more advenpiture

I will of course post for pics and blogs when I get back to the land of the log white cloud..

Until then everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful new year and are enjoying your holidays.