New York, New York

New York, New York

In a departure from typical Southern Comfort adventures, this trip began with getting the bike tucked safely out of the weather. The Harley definitely wasn’t my chosen mode of transportation to New York City.....arrival at a reception at the Westin New York at Times Square in leathers and engineer boots wasn’t going to cut it. At least not with the crowd I was meeting. And yeah, there’s that fucking helmet-hair thing too. Soooo.............

The hotel.....

The event.....

I work for Thomson Reuters, and was invited to NYC to attend a kickoff meeting for a new business unit I’m proud to be a part of: Governance, Risk and Compliance. Think of it as a business that will help companies and institutions comply with the new legislation and regulation stemming from the recent economic disaster we’re all too familiar with. I met people from around the world who are joining forces to build this new business, and it’s really amazing to have a professional opportunity of this magnitude. I couldn’t imagine doing something like this while sitting on the porch as a kid on Hampton Road. In fact, I couldn’t imagine it even 10 years ago!!

The first order of business had nothing to do with business, however, and I just had to have a Harley Davidson of New York City t-shirt....or two. My nifty iPhone quickly located the closest shop....the only shop in Manhattan, actually..... so I dialed in the address in the GPS and off I went. Walking. I promised my trainer I'd get some exercise, so I wanted to fulfill the promise.

Countless blocks later, walking further and further south on Lexington Ave, I realized I was not anywhere near an area that might have a Harley shop, so I did the unthinkable and asked someone for directions. It turns out I was literally 2 miles off course. My iPhone GPS had led me astray! Sticking to my commitment to Alison, my trainer, I decided to keep on walking, in the opposite direction, ignoring the GPS. There was a bonus. I found that watching the scenery instead of the GPS was far more fun. The girls in NYC definitely dress well, I'll say that. Short skirts and boots EVERYWHERE! Yeeehah!!!!

And I finally found it!

Now, this was a different kind of Harley shop. There was only one bike in it, just for show, and you were not allowed to rummage through all the t-shirts. You picked one from a rack of samples and they'd get yours from the bin. Making a move toward the t-shirt bins earned you a reprimand from one of the Russian/Eastern European staff. Thick accents saying, "NO! Let me help you!", as you made your move on the shirts....LOL. But WTF, I wanted the shirts...2 of them...and they charged me 39 fucking dollars for each. Regular old t-shirts...nothing special. Damn.

So after all that, I stopped in a restaurant for some grub, and the waitress pegged my accent (I have an accent?) for Texan. She liked it so much, she went and got her friends to come over and hear me talk. I was the source of fun for the servers...what an honor!

And 5.6 miles of walking later, I was back at the hotel, with my commitment to my personal trainer fulfilled.

Note to self: Walking 5.6 miles in a pair of mostly new cowboy boots is a very, very bad idea.

The Sunday night meetings were held at the hotel and plenty of great food and beverages were on tap. I met many colleagues I'd only communicated with by phone before, and also hooked up with other folks in the company that had moved onto other locations, and that I hadn't seen in ages. Lots of fun.

I'll confess that what passes for "business casual" in DC (or to an extreme, southern California), doesn't cut it in NYC. Lots of suits, ties, plus (thankfully) heels and dresses, and my jeans and blazer seemed a little out of place, but what the hell, I just rolled with it, and a couple of my buds were dressed the same.

The Thomson Reuters office.....the headquarters....is right smack in the heart of Times Square and what a collage of colors, sights, and sounds in that area.

And from the 30th floor of the TR office, we look directly across at that huge ball that drops each New Year's Eve as the final 10 seconds count down. You can see the ball, along with the 2010 sign, just over my right shoulder in this picture. The ball stays up all year, and is constantly changing colors and designs. Totally cool, and even the TR Execs at the meeting weren't immune to getting photos taken with "the Ball" in the background.

For Monday's meeting we met all the new Team Members and had a chance to learn our new business charter. A very interesting meeting for reasons I just can't get into here. Probably wouldn't make sense anyway.

And what an interesting mix of people from all over the world. This was a long way from East Coast Sturgis, in every sense of the expression!!!

Tuesday

On Tuesday, the scenery changed and I hopped in a cab and headed for the Financial District...the famed Wall Street area. TR has an office down there as well, near the World Trade Center site, Ground Zero.

We hashed over some business issues down there, and met, via a Telepresence system, with colleagues in Bangalore, India. Totally cool system, and it was almost like being in the same room. Later that evening, we were treated to dinner at Tribeca Grill owned by none other than Robert Di Niro.

The next day was light on work and with time on my hands, I walked to Central Park, and yes, in those damn cowboy boots while lugging a suitcase and laptop. More exercise to appease Alison. Central Park was a pleasant surprise and a special treat. I'd always wanted to visit, and just never seemed to have the time. After enjoying the south end of the park, I had a yummy Kobe Burger at Rue 57 and caught a flight back to DC. Awesome trip. Below are some Central Park area photos....

Cowboy (aka Corporate Ken)

PS So far this year, 2010, I have definitely been living the good life, traveling to loads of fun places, and meeting a kaleidoscope of people. It's been simply great, and the year isn't even over yet. Daytona is just weeks away; I'm leaving Christmas day...... Stay tuned.

Retiring the SC introduction....Victim of evolution

It's time to give the old blog introduction a rest. It was certainly relevant when my buddy Pete Marney gave me the kick-ass idea to blog about the trip south, but the blog unexpectedly got a little air under its wings, with a few more readers than I ever expected, so I've kept it up. It's (obviously) becoming something of a personal journal of things I've been up to. Boring to some...interesting to others....entertaining to probably no one. But me.

I'll save the old introduction in this post for Old Times Sake, and write something a little more descriptive of the most recent content. (Damn, that sounds just like something I'd write at work discussing legal content....I need to turn that side of the brain off.)

RIP

"A journal about an idea I had....An urge to take a long motorcycle ride, combined with a second itch of revisiting the South...the real South....and getting some distance between me and DC. This blog is about the itch, the plans, a surprise or two, and the trip itself. Follow along as I try to rediscover the South my Mom and I used to ride through twice every year, going to and from Fort Worth, Texas. Also included are post-trip summer rides of 2010. Enjoy. Ken, aka Cowboy"


Cowboy

Change in Direction - Northern Comfort? Big Apple?

So now I'm thinking the next few blog posts will take a new turn as I head to the Big Apple this weekend. Seems like a better idea that letting the blog continue to collect dust. And what the hell, might as well mix it up a little. The blog has come a long way since I had that crazy idea to ride to New Orleans, hasn't it?

So about New York:

Thomson Reuters, bless its heart, is sending a crew to NYC, setting us up in very nice digs at Times Square, with a reception planned that gives us a chance to meet our colleagues from around the US and other parts of the world! Granted, after all the hand-shaking (No hugs for the girls, Ken, it's a business meeting....) we also have to do some work down in the Wall Street area one day, after which we (I) head back up for a final day in Times Square before flying home.

Folks, this sure ain't rough duty, and I'm not complaining. Details to follow, and pix as I can. This event promises to be the polar opposite of East Coast Sturgis, and I'll bet not one girl is collecting beads....Dammit.

And I have to write a hundred times on the board:
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
I will watch my language.
...
...
...

Stay tuned as I try to photo-journal the business side of my life..... It could be a sleeper....

Cowboy

Go (to) Dallas!

OK, time to get back to trips and sightings....dust is collecting on Southern Comfort, isn't it? Sorry, y'all, for the lack of updates, but I don't want the Southern Comfort blog to become a Facebook-style diary, with daily entries announcing exciting things, like that I just ate a bagel while stuck in traffic.

So what's new? Hell, I just went to Texas, THAT's what's new! I fired up the Harley and.....OK, I really didn't. I flew down. Only had four days to get down and back, so a ride was out of the question, though I sure need to do that one of these days. I'll put that on the Bucket List.

 
Texas was a trip during which I tried to mix fun with family business. I'll say this about the family business stuff: it's one big fucking pain in the ass, but it's what folks do, right? You take care of stuff for family (and some friends too!) who can't help themselves. I love my Aunt Annie, who's 98!, who needed some help, and off I went.

BUT!

You can't do business 24/7, can you, so I zoomed down the Fort Worth Stockyards on Saturday night to see how real working cowboys played. I needed to make sure I hadn't lost touch with my roots.

I also treated myself to a ticket to see the Dallas Cowboys play in that squeaky-new Cowboys stadium. Now I'm here to tell ya, that is one incredible place. It's like a spaceship inside, holds 90,000+ people, and the damn thing is totally air conditioned. I also hear that with the roof and both ends open, it's a lot like an outdoor stadium. And someone told me it costs a cool $1million a day to operate that place, so they hold all sorts of events there besides football. If they start Cheerleader Wrestling, I'm getting a season ticket.

And the crowd outside was, to say the least, equally interesting. Here's a few shots from outside, in the parking lots. Tailgating and partying took on a whole new meaning........

And yeah, I got around the area a little. Fantastic place to spend money. Parking cost anywhere from 30 to 150 bucks...Beers were 8.50, and even the Cokes I was drinking were $6.00. All in all, it was great fun, even though the Cowboys lost to Tennessee.

So enjoy the pix. There's more if I ever get around to uploading them.

Cowboy

Commercial Break

OK, folks, I'm going a little off course with the blog, but I wanted to share some information about a place I found out about last week. While visiting friends, I met Frank and Juliana, who were really cool people.

So here's Frank,

...and here's Juliana

...and this is their back yard. really.

..and on another day.

So how's that!?! Doesn't look anything like that in Alexandria, that's for sure. Frank and Juliana are the owners of Devils Tower Lodge in Wyoming.

So what the hell has that got to do with Southern Comfort? Fair question. They noticed I was riding, and of course I got to talking about my summer adventures, so they asked if I'd been to Sturgis, SD for the annual event. I told them John and I (and a gang of others) wanted to ride out west in 2012, if not in 2011, so the wheels started turning. They let me know I'd be able to stay at their place and ride over! Said that they always fill up with bikers who attend Sturgis, which is a little more than an hour's ride east.

And Frank, who's also a climbing instructor, said he take me to the top of Devil's Tower. Now those who know me well also know that Frank hasn't got a snowball's chance in Hell of getting me to climb a ladder, much less that big-ass rock, but I sure would like to visit the area and stay at the lodge. I also figured I'd share the link with friends, so here 'tis. If you call, tell them Cowboy sent ya. They'll know who I am.

www.devilstowerlodge.com

Cowboy

Rolling in it

Breaking News:

Just checked and the total income from Southern Comfort has reached the staggering sum of $0.54. Who would have thought there would be that kind of money on the line from just writing about my motorcycle adventures? Actually, who would have thought there would be any money at all?!?! That wasn't part of the plan.

Anyway, I'll spend the day perusing catalogs and websites, trying to decide how to spend it all. And contemplating retirement.

Cowboy

2011 Adventure, etc.

The picture's about right to serve as this blog post theme....destination not totally clear... etc. I guess that sets the stage:

Had a busy damn week at work, but busy in a fun sort of way. I enjoy the big-business stuff, and I like strategic planning...feels like a game sometimes, albeit with a lot on the line. And I also joined the Tea Party Movement and the Washington Sports Club gym. And I had some family business in Texas to work on. So how's that for a full week?

I joined the Tea Party mostly because I think Sarah Palin would look just great on the back of my Harley, and I've also written in asking her to wear shorter skirts. And yeah, I like the political stance of that organization too.

The gym thing was a long-time coming, mostly because I ain't liking some of the pictures I've seen of myself lately. And that lady at Delmarva last weekend (who told me that I needed a larger size vest that was more "forgiving") pushed me over the edge. So we'll see how this gym membership works out. There will either be a trimmed down me for 2011, or just a bunch of wasted money on the gym dues.

And I'm struggling to figure out what to do with a little house in Texas that's in dire need of repair, but that's an entirely different story, best left for another forum.

But the big thing on my mind.......

Southern Comfort was far more fun that I could have imagined, and two month's later, I still haven't settled completely back into work-sleep-work-sleep mode of the corporate world. Sure, I mixed some fun with work before, but the Southern Comfort ride gave me a taste of personal freedom I'd never experienced before. So! What to do next year?!

At the risk of much-hated "plan making", I'm considering my options....What can I do...where can I go...in just a couple weeks?!?!

John and I talked about a ride out West, but I just don't see how that works in a 2-week schedule, and running longer isn't an option for me. That's a shame since a western ride would be awesome, but I've got a max window of about 16 days, and I don't want to be riding every day. I like the idea of spending some time at a stop or two along the way. That worked well last time, so I'll do something like it again.

I've looked at one trip that takes me to Daytona for a few days, and onto Key West for a few more. After that, maybe up the Gulf Coast of Florida. The sucky part about that trip is the almost unavoidable I-95 at the beginning and end of the ride. I-95 is the worst motorcycle road in the US. 

Come to think of it, I-10 is no prize either. My ride in July, between DeFuniak Springs, FL, and Jacksonville, partially in the rain, was easily the longest, most boring leg of the entire 3,140 mile trip. At least 95 is scary, since it has the nifty added element of 18-wheelers and tourists in large quantities. Let's hear it for Minivans in the Fast Lane!

The second route I've considered takes me up through New York state, over to Toronto, and around to Montreal and Quebec, finally getting to Nova Scotia. I'd come back through Maine and other parts of New England. Seems like a cooler ride from a temperature perspective, but then I hear stories about the dreaded black flies up in the Canadian woods! I hear those little bastards will eat you alive, and I damn sure ain't battling critters for a week. Need to think some more about that route, though I am aware of a few pleasant distractions in Rochester, New York.

Whatever I do, there will not be a rigid route planned and no fucking itinerary. It's supposed to be fun, right?

As I've mentioned before, the best part about the Southern Comfort trip was not having a plan, and there was no one along to bitch about my frequent decisions to take different routes, just to see what was down those less-traveled side roads. I was also fortunate enough to share part of the trip with friends Linda and Charlie who also didn't want to be joined at the hip. We were able to be together in New Orleans without any set plan; we explored N'awlins independently, hooking up here and there as circumstances presented themselves. That was nice.

So I'm up for suggestions for a ride in July 2011. Also up for company for all or part of it, but only as long as my style of travel works for you. If it doesn't, I'll send you a postcard.

Cowboy

Delmarva, Post-Mortem

Ok, so I wrapped things up a little earlier than expected at the office on Friday, shedding my corporate persona somewhere between the 3rd floor and the parking garage's lower level. Soon after, I rode out of the garage on the Harley, hauling ass outa town on New York Avenue. Kinda like one of those super-hero transformations, 'cept mine takes just a second or two, needing only a Harley, leather jacket, jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. No capes or spandex for me, thanks.

Traffic wasn't too bad after the DC city limits, and soon I was on Rt 50 eastbound, running about 80, enjoying the fresh air and the roar of the bike....The Harley sounded just awesome that day for some reason, which could either be because of sonic vibrations or the new hearing aid batteries! LOL. 

Soon I was running over the Severn River, past Annapolis, and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Kent Island. And when I hit Kent Island, I get hungry for seafood. It's a uncontrollable urge, which I refuse to fight. 

My bike having a chat with a Ferrari

You just can't get near the Eastern Shore of Maryland without sampling the Maryland-style seafood, so I figured I'd get the weekend off to the right start. And for me, if I'm even close, a stop at the Harris Crab House in Piney Narrows is mandatory. I've been eating crabs and other Chesapeake Bay seafood there for over 30 years, and Friday wasn't going to be an exception.

Yum....

Burp.........

So after a great lunch, I find myself just east of Kent Island, and getting serious....Burp.... about getting to Ocean City, Maryland, to attend the last days of the Delmarva Bike Week, which is really only 5 days, but who's counting......

I hadn't seen many cops yet, but that was about to change. From Kent Island on, I began noticing an unusually high number of police cars patrolling US Route 50...They weren't as thick as last year, but there were enough to keep me cruising under my usual 75-80........Hell, I was down to 74 at times!

And I reckon I need to add a word of gratitude to a couple girlies driving on RT 50 who took pity on this biker, making damn sure (it was no accident) there was a lot more leg showing than their boyfriends/husbands would have approved of. Amazing how short those skirts seemed to get....and that's all I'm saying on the subject.

Hell, now that I think about it, there was the other two gals in the Yukon who played leap-frog with me from Cambridge on down to OC, who I ended up having a "riding" date with, but we never were able to find each other again after we got into town. "Lisa, where the hell did you go!?!?!"

But I'm getting ahead of myself....

A couple hours, and about 15 more cops later, I rode over the InterCoastal Bridge connecting the mainland to Ocean City, Maryland, and there were motorcycles EVERYWHERE! All the hotels, bars, and restaurants had full parking lots, which hold far more motorcycles than cars, and I bet no business owners were bitching about "them Goddamn bikers". No Vacancy signs were the norm, and I was immediately glad I'd made my hotel reservations earlier in the week.

After checking in, I hit the grocery store for milk and coffee, and after getting the room situated, I rearranged the bike a little, making sure there was room on the back seat....ya never know!.....finally hitting Coastal Highway to see what was up. And yes, I had my eye out for Lisa and that Silver Yukon.

Unlike other biker events, Delmarva is spread out all over the fucking place, and no one venue has everything. Some locations were lame, with just a few overflow vendors, while others were packed solid with cool vendors, cool people, food, and lots of laughter. One location, bizarrely, was set up 26 miles east in Salisbury, MD, and I never made it there. Getting to Salisbury meant running the State Police gauntlet on 50, not just once, but going both ways!

Everywhere I went, there was a informal motorcycle show. Everyone was riding their latest creations, and I couldn't possibly have seen them all, but I did manage to see some awesome motorcycles.

Aside from the near-showroom-stock Harleys, like mine, there were a lot of crazy choppers, lots of cool bobbers, and an unusually large percentage of old Sportsters which are now, without question, in style. And it seemed the grittier and older those Sportsters were, the more folks liked them.

Actually, that gritty theme went across other bikes, and I saw a lot of older Harleys like this 46 Knucklehead that looked like they were found in a barn, gassed up, the battery charged, and then ridden to Delmarva, dust and all. I would have been one bit surprised to find a bird's nest tucked into a frame.

The absolute, undisputed Grand Prize in the "Cool" department, however, went to a very strange bike I spotted in Hooters parking lot. (Yeah, even at Hooters, I look at motorcycles. Keeps my eyes calibrated) After I parked, I looked to the side, seeing a half-size bobber. At first I thought it was some kind of junk toy out of China, but looking closer, I could see someone went to a lot of trouble hand-machining the springer front end, and almost all the other parts, assembling them around a Harley Sprint (might have been a Bennelli or ??) engine, even including a side shifter. Basically, this was a little chopper/bobber, just like someone shrunk a big one. The real question was whether it ran.

 So a few minutes later, this little midget biker-guy strolls out of Hooters with his crew, fires up the bike and away they ride. Fucking great...I loved it! The bike fit him perfectly and he looked good on it. He also looked like he didn't take any shit from big people..... Look at the guy on the right rear of this bunch in the pic below...there he is! My #1 pick for Coolest Bike/Rider of the Delmarva

I also got to hang with my daughter and grandson while there...yes, biking is in the Robinson blood.....which made the weekend even more fun. And I rode endlessly all weekend, in and out of town, buying stuff and enjoying the scenery. Lots of cute girls, but not a lot of skin showing down there, by the way. It's far more reserved (a relative term) than other biker events, but that's 'cause the normal people get mixed in, and they just wouldn't understand, but I'll bet Junior or Dad wouldn't complain...

Even in my hotel, there was an interesting mix of guests. I saw one East Coast 1%-er wearing colors, a load of other bikers, and a fair number of families, with all the kiddies, trying very hard not to stare at the bikers. Well, except the ladies. They always seem to sneak a peek when the old man isn't looking, and a sly little smile isn't uncommon......

On the bad side of things, some kid and his girlfriend (in a car) pulled out right in front of me Friday night. If that wasn't bad enough, they both had the nerve to laugh at me when I came up alongside. I erased that laugh in a hurry, getting a little support from some other bikers riding nearby. That car got surrounded by Harleys in about 10 seconds, and it stayed surrounded for about 2 blocks. Blondie stopped smiling, and her smart-ass little boyfriend looked like he was going to cry. After they got home, they had a boot print to buff out of the paint on the driver's door. That print might even match the right boot in my closet. Asshole drivers.....that's one of the problems down there. Bikers and cars mixed together.

And one more bad thing....I was at one of the vendors, buying a new leather vest to replace the one my daughter doesn't approve of (too many patches), and the lady suggested I try on a larger size....Hmmm. I did, and while I was checking it out in the mirror, she patted my belly saying that size was more "forgiving". Now, I gotta tell ya, that ain't what I needed to hear.....Damn! But I bought it anyway, getting two patches quickly sewed on before Marianne could complain. 

Forgiving.....Now that's one I hadn't heard before....

After such a traumatic event, I needed to get re-calibrated, requiring another stop at Hooters which works like a charm. If I only understood how that happens.......

And folks, that's about it. Traffic sucked on the way home, but a couple miles of riding on the shoulder cured the worst of it, much to the chagrin of other motorists sitting in trucks and cars. Fuck 'em...that Harley was about to melt down moving at a crawl. Also saw even more cops coming home, making me wonder if I'll do it again next year. It sucks when you're trying to have fun, not really running hard, and there's a cop just waiting in the weeds, literally, for you to run a little too hard.

Got home in time for NASCAR, and to watch my Dallas Cowboys lose. Again. But the weekend was good. Nice riding. 

Cowboy