Motorcycle Pastimes in the August Sun

It's been a slow week. Maybe people have finally decided to take a motorcycle vacation since gas prices are starting to inch downward again. Some have gone to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally but I hear that vendors and attendance there are taking a hit this year.

A lot of people are taking staycations this year. I guess I'm one of them. I have to save up to be able to participate in the Polar Bear Grand Tour that starts the last weekend of October. Gasoline for two trikes could end up costing $1000 for that six month tour throughout the winter. I take all the pictures at the various runs and maintain their website.

For those not out on their motorcycles, here's a few things you can do on my website:

• Take my Motorcycle Quizzes to test your knowledge of bikes.
  
• Play around with my online Motorcycle Jigsaw Puzzles. These puzzles use pictures I took on Polar Bear runs.
  
• Check out my Motorcycle Tattoos gallery. Got your own tattoo? Send it in.
  
• Look at my Women on Motorcycles gallery. Be inspired by women who ride their own motorcycles.
  
• Look at my Antique Motorcycle Ads gallery. See how motorcycles were advertised when they sold for only a few hundred dollars.
  

Now if only they had motorcycle racing or motorcycle trials in the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics, there would be more to do.

Internet Troubles, Puzzles, and Pics of the Week

I'm a bit upset today. One of my Web sites has stopped working. It's the one for the Polar Bear Grand Tour. It's hosted by Netmart.com. I've been with them for a few years but recently they have stopped responding to me when I have a problem -- like nobody can reach my Web site. They don't have email that works. Their phone lines go to answering machines that don't identify themselves. They have an online error reporting system that they never look at. To top it off, they sell you domain names through a third party but they still have the responsibility to service the domains. Since they don't respond to problems, they don't respond to servicing of their domains. Right now I'm trying to transfer two of my domains away from them. One is serviced by Network Solutions. No problem with them. The other domain -- for the Polar Bear site -- is serviced by Netmart. I have no idea when I will be able to transfer this domain. I may have to get another domain name and hope that someday Netmart will get around to allowing me to transfer it.

For the time being, I'm putting Polar Bear pics up at a temporary location.

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I'm adding new content every day to the site. I have my Motorcycle Jigsaw Puzzles available now. These are a lot of fun. Kids (and my grandkids) also love to do them. I have 30 puzzles, all from pictures of motorcycle scenes that I personally shot.

I have just released my Pictures of the Week. These feature one woman and one man and their motorcycles. Now I have to tell you that I need more pictures, especially of men with their bikes. If you have a picture of you and your bike, submit it to the Moto Pic Gallery. The Pictures of the Week are chosen from that gallery.

Tomorrow, Jane and I are taking two of our grandkids (6 and 8) to our monthly GWRRA Chapter NJ-F breakfast meeting. After that, I'm heading out on my trike to the Fort Dix Club for a Polar Bear Grand Tour run where I'll be taking pictures. The pictures can be found no later than Monday on the temporary site I mentioned above. I expect to be testing out my electrics on the Fort Dix run. I tried to fix them this week and this will determine if I stay warm or freeze again like I did last week.

Here's hoping the snow will hold off for another day.