Saturday at the races!

Words and photos by JK

I had an invitation from ACCs Chris and Michelle Horn of Bullfrog Solutions in Pasadena to visit when in California(http://www.bullfrogsolutions.com/). Chris called me to say that he was racing his Datsun 240Z at Fontana Raceway, just 15 miles north of here, on Saturday 12th July. He said for $20 I could try out the track on my R1!!!! Off we went for a hot day's enthrallment with older racing cars of all sorts. I reckoned I had owned half the cars present from Alfa Romeo to Porsche 911s through Minis and Midgets to Volvo. Unfortunately a racing incident had cancelled the track try-out but it was still great to see Chris Horn take pole position and go on to take the 4th place he predicted. His brakes and tyres were not really up to holding first place (how he managed a 4th looked a miracle to me) and he was planning to fit those items new for Sunday's race. Well, he did, and was moving into second place on Sunday when a rear stub axle broke. Bummer! But "that's racing" as Chris commented. I met many interesting people like Frank Hanrahan (how Irish is that?) and his orange 911, and Greg Helms and his stunning AC Cobra #99 who did amazingly well in his first race. I loved the immaculate Volvo from that old Roger Moore TV show 'The Saint' and the little Minis were so cute. I had a '64 red mini on rubber cone suspension that went round corners like a go-kart tethered to a centre-pin! Loved it! I planned to play a little catch-up on Sunday...both work and rest!

Friday July 11th, Magic Castle Hollywood

Words and photos by JK

I am not a techie. The very thought of giving detailed explanations of how our ACT! add-on products work can rattle me ever so slightly. OK a lot. We arrived at Magic Castle for a luncheon with ACT! users a tad late due to the congestion on HWY 101 but they were not quite ready to go so my demo of Outlook IntegrateR1 and speech about my tour were still on. I parked beside the valet's stunning black Kawasaki ZX6R.

Victoria Marechal and Daniel Graves had organised the event. The ACCs present were Victoria (www.CRM-IT.net), Daniel Graves (http://www.database-la.com), and the ever helpful biker-boy and walking map of California Jay Hudson (www.actprogramming.com), Jacqueline Zimmermann (jax@acttechnology.com) and your's truly (www.designr1.com).

The ACT! users were Ira Goldstein, Richard Freeman EVP Sierra Group who also does magic, Lynda Malerstein of Power Journeys Hypnosis, Erin Kayser of Willis Insurance Services,Julie Brown a manager at KYDS (Keep Youth Doing Something), Gordon Peay a Wellness Consultant and Lynne N. Roach of Integrity wealth management.

I demonstrated all the great things that our Outlook IntegrateR1 can do (like create an activity from an incoming email) and spoke of my tour until I got a gentle kick in the ribs to end it and sit down. I may have caused some consternation with one or two Brit expressions (I have put a Proper English page on our website for fun and to explain to American's what I mean by plonker, duffer, knackered etc). I held a 4 question quiz about motorbikes to win a free copy of OIR1 and Erin won that. The responses were all very close. Here, try your luck. I think the questions are easy...

Motorcycle Knowledge Quiz
1. Which American motorcycle is famous for it’s V-Twin engine?
2. What motorcycle is James Kingstone riding around the USA for The Hole in the Wall Gang Charity?
3. Which Italian motorcycle uses a Desmodromic valve operation?
4. What famous motorcycle comes from Bavaria?

We snapped a few pics and headed back after a nice lunch. Traffic was solid so we took a longer but quicker route to Riverside. Saturday was set to be a great day of fun for me!

Thursday 10th July. LA visits

Words and photos by JK

Thursday we rode to the Sage offices in Irvine California. It was hot and sunny as usual and, although not exactly warned well in advance, everyone was very accommodating. It began with a call to Mike Morper Senior Director of Product Development and Dennis Frahmann the EVP Marketing for BMD (Business Management Division). Irvine boasts a lot of very large corporate headquarters. Life’s hard for these folks with the beach about 10 minutes away and the mountains about an hour east. Permanent sunshine really makes life suck too. Sage has 2 large, white, clean office blocks here on Technology Drive. Appropriate street name. But my favourite Sage offices are still Newcastle-on-Tyne in England and Beaverton OR USA. Like the St. Petersburg FL offices, ducks quack in a pond out front. I caught a mother with her duckling enjoying the sun and the sound of motorway trucks…
So many friendly staff made the effort to break away from meetings and phone calls to come down and say hello.
Mike Morper snapped photos and made sure we had a super-friendly welcome. Jax rolled around on the pavement as stand-in for photographer Garrett. Easier to smile at the camera but Garrett knew his stuff!
Nina Smith, President of Business Management Division just HAD to sit on that R1. Nina, I know you want a fast ride and a wheelie… I am pointing out her special 'executive-style' motorcycle boots.
Chad Gardner Vice President, Corporate Controller (of purple folder fame) has a custom Harley and will bring it in for photos on Thursday 17th although he may be too busy to ride out with me towards San Diego.
Michael Pham a Senior Paralegal and Dennis Frahmann made it down and even Linda Brizendine the Assistant to Sue Swenson President & CEO made the time. She looks comfortable on that fast bike in the photo I think!
Thanks to everyone at Sage in Irvine CA for the support.
On to Z Custom Leathers at their new offices in Santa Ana. Adolph and Diane (from England!) are great and their experience spans years in the motorcycle racing field. I discussed the baggy bum of my leathers (I lost weight on this ride) and some repair work to my tatty boots. I’ll come back after the tour and get these things done. All the best Z!
We finished the day with a visit to Robert Mersky. Robert is an experienced ACC in Anaheim with a nice line in dry humour and ‘fake-grumpy-old-man’ that cracks me up. We had a bite to eat and headed home. I was getting nervous about a presentation in Hollywood the next day and a date to visit the camp for kids.

Death Valley has nothing on this ride!

Monday was hot and sunny as we pulled out of Monterey. To make up for lost time we headed past the little airport, scooted past the famous Laguna Seca Raceway (fabulous motorcycle racing at this place including MotoGP) and in Salinas we took Hwy 101 south to Paso Roblas. As we swung east on Hwy 46 the sign said NO SERVICES FOR 50 MILES. Try 65. Burning heat is a cute little slogan for the conditions on this brown, barren, boring and burning ride. More like a solar flare up your shorts and a hot potato mashed in your t-shirt! We hit the I5 junction and I threw water all over me at the petrol station. Then we braved the I5 south towards LA, past the Lake Hughes turn-off for the Hole in the Wall Gang Painted Turtle Camp, to the 210 east to San Bernardino then south to Riverside and cool rest. Much of this ride was in rush hour. I kept one eye on the tarmac for ripples, one eye on the traffic all around, one eye on the verges for cops, one eye on Jax for signs of fainting and my remaining eyeballs on the speedo, fuel, oil and temp gauges. Pain was the overall memory from this 381 mile non-stop blast. I slept 10 hours.

Tuesday was a day off to work.

Wednesday Jax and I worked and then enjoyed a very tasty, and somewhat exotic, meal at Mario's in Riverside opposite the old mission styled hotel built in 1910. I learned a new treat for salads here that I plan to try on guests when I'm back home in England (200 years from now!)

New friends to the rescue...

Words and photos by JK
Thur. July 3rd 2008: Like two naughty boys we had stayed up very late laughing our heads off. Garrett was imitating some of his local yokels in a funny American accent that had me laughing until I ached. I wrote my blog, eventually, and at 2am I turned in. So… I overslept. As I grabbed a coffee I heard a lady refer to her morning cup of tea and ended up meeting a couple that were from England but now lived in California. We swopped stories, since her husband owned a Honda VFR (good choice dude), and they rode many miles together. The sun is shining and we are OK to make Pleasanton by 1:30pm. We are going to spend a few days with an ACC called Dinah Thompson and I am looking forward to hearing about her recent trip in the UK. As soon as we get fuel, and more coffee for me, we are set to go through the best scenery a biker can find. Wahooo.

I left these words as I had written them. Within an hour the day was wrecked with one busted collarbone and one splintered ZXR636. I am always criticized for rejecting admonition to BE CAREFUL! Why? Because it doesn't work. Garrett and I had just agreed to take it nice and steady and CAREFULLY through these extreme corners. As I gently rolled through a tight downhill/uphill right-hander at the recommended 15mph I heard a bang. I looked in my mirror and saw Garrett low-siding at a very slow speed. The big right-hand exhaust can causes one to tip over instead of gently slide to the tarmac. He never even grazed his knuckles! The bike slid on a shiney tar patch (see photo of the spot) and once away from Garrett the headlight was crunched by a Jeep in the other lane. The chap in that Jeep was Andrew Brennan, an EMT, and fully equipped to assist in such an accident. Andrew is a scuba diver http://www.pyratescuba.com/ and was so professional and friendly one would never know his car was busted up too! Emergency people arrived (one wag said they'd be happy for the action!) and everyone was helpful and kind. Bronwyn and Evan of the ambulance crew were ever so kind and experienced. Thanks a million! I followed the ambulance as it drove from this remote place, with the best sea views on the planet bar none, along that writhing road to arrive 1 1/2 hours later at Santa Rosa Hospital. Garrett was zapped with rays, stuck with needles, drained of blood, strapped up and finally told to clear off home with a sling and some pain killers. I was surprised to learn that apparently there are actually not many motorcycle accidents along that road in spite of the terrain. Garrett joins the battle-scarred elite. I knew exactly what had caused his injury and I would recommend all motorcycles have underseat or stubby low exhausts in future.

In the meantime, Jax had arranged for us all to stay with Dinah Thompson, an ACC in Danville CA http://www.sierrafg.com/, and I was on the mobile to Dinah as Garrett and I had a small meal and a coffee at the hospital cafeteria. I cannot express the enormous gratitude we owe to Dinah and her husband Jim. Dinah cheerfully drove all the way to Oakland airport and picked up Jax, then all the way to Santa Rosa through 4th of July traffic to pick up Garrett and his gear, and led the way back to their gorgeous home. That lady can drive! I have never been so impressed and I have driven millions of miles on many continents and I am on my 110th car and 13th motorcycle. I have followed hundreds of people. She was fast, decisive, clear to indicate, worked as a team leader and I never had a moments hesitation for over an hour in the dark through busy California traffic around San Francisco. The pounding I got from the roads was another matter! Dinah and Jim settled us all in and spoiled us rotten until Jax and I had to leave on Saturday for urgent business she had in Riverside. Dinah also ran Garrett to the airport at 7am for his flight home on the Sunday morning! Geico will see to the bike and Jeep.

On the Friday Dinah cooked about 200lbs of Chippotle pork and made a salad with the world's BEST dressing. I'm getting the recipe. Eat yer hearts out. Time to unwind in the pool and jacuzzi was appreciated and then actor John Lang came by. John is an ACC as well as an actor http://www.johnhale.net/. John took Jax and I to meet his daughter Rebecca and to watch the fire works at a local park. Rebecca was singing in the car for just a few moments and what a lovely voice she has! Another one for the stage? Check out the size of her cat! Jim Thompson is a fascinating and experienced businessman and I want to find a less hectic time to hear his stories. I know he helped Garrett forget his pain with his photos, travels, and anecdotes. Dinah is an energy source. She was so cheerful and lively and organised and relentlessly geared for hospitality and ease that when Jax spotted the little Duracell bunny toy she bought it for Dinah on the spot. We think Duracell should use Dinah instead of the bunny! Dinah is also a SageCRM consultant and her superbly equipped office reflects her organisational skills. The friendship and kindess she displayed to Garrett and I as strangers is beyond words. We owe you sweetheart!

Saturday afternoon saw Jax and I off to Monterey. It was surprisingly cold on the coast after super-warm Danville/Pleasanton and I was disappointed to miss meeting the staff at the Sage offices in Pleasanton, especially Deborah who was so interested in our trip and Garrett's well-being. So I wasn't in the greatest mood to visit Monterey. The Sunday morning drizzle that descended also blotted out much of Carmel (a lovely little town on the beach) as I rode out for fuel and to ascertain the passability of Hwy 1 through the world-renowned Big Sur. It was closed due to the awful fires. We were forced to wait another day as I had left my waterproofs to be shipped to Riverside. I confess that things swirled through my brain as my tour plans were knocked about and I had lost my riding buddy. Get well soon Garrett. Thanks for the photos, the fun, the philosophy and the friendship along those 4000 miles.

The Hills are on Fire

Blog and Photos by Garrett Fulton

This blog title might sound like the name of a great Heavy Metal song by Iron Maiden, but its not. Entering into California, it was unmistakable how smoke laden the mountains were from the thousand fires which were still raging throughout the state. You could smell it, see it and nearly taste it as it hung low in the valleys all around. The ride was long, but breathtaking with nearly 12 hours actually in the saddle that day. We wound our way through forgotten valleys, devoid of all the plastic signs and trappings of American capitalism since the sparse population couldn't support it. Endless twisting roads and hairpin turns had me thoroughly worn out after the days travel. Judging by the houses we saw and the people we encountered, it seemed to me to be the dying remnants of the hippies, who had settled north in an area of nature and timeless existence. It seemed detached to me from western vices where a rocking chair, a porch and a jug of moonshine could while away endless days in warm sunshine. The previous day we found ourselves traveling amongst the giant sentinels of northern California, namely the vast forests of ancient Redwoods. It was as if we had suddenly been transported to some forgotten Jurassic age where everything was large and dangerous. The towering trees were so ancient and enormous that I half expected dinosaurs to come crashing through the vegetation. Finally after several days we hit the coast. What appeared to be thick smoke was this time an enormous bank of fog which rolled in and ruled the land. There before us was the Pacific Ocean in all its splendor, splashing against a ragged coast of rocks and jagged outcropppings. Riding along the coast of California was some of the best scenery I have seen anywhere. I was constantly shaking my head in awed disbelief at the imposing cliffs, the majestic trees and winding roads. It was spectacular. Unfortunately, even though we had done 400 miles of twisties the day before, one hairpin turn got the best of me and my front tire slid into an oncoming car leaving me with a broken collar bone. For me, this wonderful trip came to an abrupt end as I now needed time to heal. Its been a fabulous run however, and I'll be back on my bike once again soon to some other fascinating destination. I'll leave James in charge from here on. Greetings to Debra Keipp and to Roshelle Thomas who are looking on from Point Arena. Adios everyone!...

Click on photos to enlarge

The ULTIMATE ride!

Words and photos by JK
Wed. July 2 2008, Point Arena California, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Arena
I had a bad night. I did manage 31/2 hours sleep but I was doubtful of my endurance this day as I loaded my saddlebags onto the bike at 6:15am. Today, after 17 hours (12 of them in the saddle) I feel I've earned a small badge for endurance. Especially as the roads we traversed were the most exacting I have encountered anywhere in the USA. Fabulous is a pathetic word to describe today’s journey. We rode from the little town of Phoenix Oregon south over the mountains to the smoke hazed valleys around Redding California then across the mountains and through giant redwood forests to the Pacific ocean and south again through freezing fog until succumbing to cold and fatigue at Point Arena. The first motel we saw had to do. Hotel California I nicknamed it. Scary. In the 444.5 miles covered today we saw deer, smelled thick smoke from forest fires as California burns, rode our tyre edges ragged and ourselves more so on the twistiest, corkscrew roads I have ever seen, nearly lost both front and back on sand and gravel strewn corners, cooked in the sun and froze in the fog and stood in awe of the coastline as dusk descended. This land of northern California is without doubt the winner of the BEST PLACE IN THE USA award.
It was chilly as we left this morning and rode over the Cascade Siskiyou mountains. I was desperate for a coffee. Getting Garrett to glance around and actually SEE anything can be a challenge (well, it appears that way from my saddle) so we had quite a few miles covered before we stopped for coffee and fuel. Garrett enjoyed his McDonald's breakfast. I live on coffee until 9pm. He then donned his iPod and thoroughly enjoyed the roads as we swung left and right for mile after focused mile. The air was rich with the aroma of burning wood. I love that smell but it broke my heart as I looked at these magnificent forests and thought of the years it will take to replace them. I know good comes from forest fires but I'd still prefer to see forests that enjoy hundreds of years unmolested. We rode the I5 south as far as Redding and for an Interstate it was a beautiful run. We found the 299 west and began our roller-coaster day. At Douglas City we took Hwy 3 southwest through Hayfork to Rio Dell on the 101 and then off on Hwy 1 at Leggett to ride the coast road. I was hanging out of the saddle and whooping in the left-handers. I noticed that in right-handers my knee turned towards the bike instead of the road. Wierd. By day's end though I was enjoying right-handers just as much. I've waited over 3 years for that to happen after I crashed on a diesel-strewn right-hand bend at Farnham Castle in Surrey. I saw a deer and warned Garrett. I saw another on the other side of the road. A few miles on I saw a mother rush across the road as her tiny fawn wobbled on little stick legs to keep up. I braked hard and Garrett shot past and then stopped ahead. I grabbed my camera as the doe ran up the hillside. I knew the fawn could not keep up and would be trained to lie still in foliage (how does a doe teach that? Can they talk?).
I found the little darling obediently lying in deep grass, quite well hidden actually, and it looked at me with the biggest Bambi eyes I have ever seen. I got 2 quick snaps and it bolted for mummy. And so we rode on, ever twisting until we silently begged for a straight piece of road to rest our limbs. I saw a church with the sign "Carry the light. Ignite the whole valley!" with a picture of some eternal flame torch. Not a great slogan to have when all the 4th of July fireworks were cancelled and 1,400 forest fires burned in that State. We reached Rio Dell and within moments we decided to take Jay Hudson's advice (Jay is an ACC and experienced rider) to ride through the Valley of the Giants. Oh my goodness but this is fantastic. It is not a forest. It is a Cathedral of living wood. Sunlight flashed through the leaves between the trunks like a stained glass backdrop to enormous, dark, Gothic pillars. The sunlight ran down a bare branch like lightning striking me on the shoulder as we swooped through this monumental ode to giant living things. It is peaceful here and awe inspiring.
By the time we reached Leggett and headed westward and south on Hwy 1 we were hoping for some easy roads and not a little perturbed at the sudden change in air temperature. We were in California in July weren’t we? Sorry, but it felt like Iceland in March. I began to shiver and tense up with cold. Garrett was struggling with fog spray on the outside of his visor and his breath fogging the inside. He rode bare-faced into the cold, wet wind. The road got even more twisty in the tightest turns I’ve seen since the Dolomites in Italy. I wished for a supermoto. But the utterly spectacular scenes before us had us mesmerized. Brilliant sunshine floodlit huge fingers of fog that grabbed the coast and lay on the land with a soggy, cold grip. Shark-fin-shaped rocks eerily grew from these fog fingers in the shallow coastal waters far below the unguarded road as waves curled into the bays to meet wide rivers. The road always dipped and corkscrewed at these river mouths. We decided to call it a day and eventually we found a place. Hardly salubrious but better than freezing fog. Just. I grabbed a hot shower to thaw out while Garrett grabbed a cold beer at some local bar to chill out. We reviewed the day and realized it was the best ride imaginable. If only we had a week to do it over and over in bite-sized chunks…