What I did on my summer vacation

My beloved BMW R50/2 has been suffering some electrical issues, so instead of riding around the wilds of Maine on two wheels, I saw the sights in a car. And by "saw the sights" I mean, went to yard sales.

Most of the morning was spent trying to find an elusive yard sale which promised 4 stories of accumulation from 4 generations. It yielded nothing - though a giant paper mache Santa's sled did tempt me.

Closer to home I did find one of my holy grails, sort of - a La Creuset pan:


I realized that the heaviness that makes a La Creuset so desirable, is probably what landed it in a yard sale. This bad boy probably weighs 20 pounds, and with a nice curry in it, it's going to need a front end loader.

Also found - lucite/silver side table which will allow me to spill water, without consequence, when I water this crazy curly spider plant:


But it hasn't been all play - I have a bunch of 40's and 50's dresses from a knockout estate, and a pit party worthy buy of 80's concert t-shirts (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Ozzy, though sadly, for me, no Rush).

On a happier note, we fixed my bike today, so for better or for worse, this may be my last weekend of yard sales.

When it rains it pours

I'm going on a big cross state motorcycle trip tomorrow. I am excited. I would be SUPER excited if I weren't missing some cool local stuff.

Day of Destruction. Smash-em-up at the local speedway. Possibly the most irony-free spot in the country.

Picnic Music and Arts Festival. I want to buy, I want to sell, I want to schmooze. I want to see good live music. Might have to come back early for this one.

Meathouse Wine Tasting. Booze and meat!

Space Homecoming Dance. Not to brag, but I have the best prom dresses in town.

Still - this is the kind of trip I will remember forever. As long as the old girl (my BMW) (and me) can make the trip.

9.1

Cleaning up post party beer cans and paper plates never makes me happy, but today, the act actually made me sad, as it's the last "real" day of summer.

Granted, my sadness is nothing like what I would experience as a child, when at the end of our summer on a lake in Maine, we would pack the light blue Ford Econline van (to the gills with all the furniture my father had bought) and drive back to our home in suburban Philadelphia. I would sob from the moment we drove down the dirt road, away from the house, until we made our first rest stop (food always trumped tears).

Happily, it was a glorious end to a glorious summer - 19 of us rode up to the Owls Head Transportation Museum Vintage Motorcycle Show. It was like a checklist for perfection - a dry sunny day, curvy roads through Richmond, Dresden Mills, and Alna, every bike made it to and from the show (almost a statistical impossibility with 19 vintage bikes), over 900 vintage bikes at the show (including a 1950's Harley Flat Track racing bike that filled me with covetous lust).

Though road weary and sunburnt, we all found the strength to come back chez Here to drink and eat and talk with increasing volume (to the chagrin of our neighbors) about the ride.

(And I made the most rocking Thai Peanut Pasta:

6 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1/4 cup water
9 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Tahhini
1/2 cup Seame Oil
2 Tbsp Sherry
5 Tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Honey
4 medium cloves garlic - chopped
2 Tsp fresh ginger - minced (from a jar is fine)
1 - 2 Tbsp Hot Pepper Oil

Blend all until smooth. Add in hot water to give it the consistency of whipping cream.

Add to 1 lb cooked fettucine

Toss. Top with scallions, sesame seeds, peeled carrots, cilantro, cukes...whatever you'd like.

Some of the ingredients are little weird, but once you have them, this is so easy to make, and it makes people insane with its flavor - very rich and spicy.)

Now it's the season that I think about field hockey, and soups, and leather jackets, and all of that is good too.

I'm biased

But early advertising for BMW motorcycles is the coolest. Love that teutonic Deco industrial look!