Ready to move?

Am I ready to move? YES and yet...no. I keep saying how excited I am to be getting done with school and moving back to Kentucky to be closer to our families and friends...and I really am. However, I haven't made any strides in getting things packed and ready. I have consolidated 3 partial tubs of stuff we moved here with into 1 tub to make room for packing stuff, but that is the full extent of what I have accomplished at this time.

Technically I have also reduced my grocery bag stash by converting it into plarn (which takes up much less space), and rinsed a bunch of caprisun pouches and put them away, but I think those things fall more into the crafting category than actually packing.

I have got to get moving with the packing...we are moving all our stuff back in less than 2 weeks! What am I thinking? Still, I just don't want to get up and do it lol.

My New Motorcycle

So, a couple of weeks ago at Daytona Bike Week, my Dad bought himself a 2008 Harley FatBob, and Dave (my husband) bought a 2006 Softail Heritage. By default, I inherited Dave's Harley Sportster 1200...which I was scared to ride because I had never ridden anything bigger than a 550.

Last weekend though, I took the rider course (again) offered at the local Harley dealer here. I rode a 500cc Buell Blast for the course. I was still a bit apprehensive about the bigger bike (which is why it took me 5 days to just get on it), but today I did get on and ride it around the parking lot at my apartment complex. I felt much better after riding it. I was scared of the size and weight and forward controls which I wasn't used to, but that short ride did quite alot to calm my fears.

Actually, the only real issue I had that I didn't like was the large space between first and second gear...particularly when downshifting. The engine starts to lug in 2nd way before 1st seems to be an option...but that shouldn't be a real issue most of the time, because I am not planning on spending much time fiddling around parking lots driving slow! (And Dave says the main reason the difference is so big is because the Sportster has some Screaming Eagle parts to enhance performance and he thinks it has the upgraded cam as well.) Whichever...it's still great to be riding again! I am even thinking about riding to school some this next week...or actually, Dave will ride it to his morning class, then I will ride it home from my afternoon class (cause when we switch, the munchkin is with us...).

Making Plarn

Well, for some reason, I still can't get my post to the top of the page and pictures at the bottom, so here it is anyway...just scroll down for the post.

Braided Rug (made from old scrubs)

Crocheted Rug ("Yarn" made out of old t-shirts)

Aly's Plarn Purse (Recycled grocery bags)

Caprisun Lunchbox (Umm...recycled Caprisun pouches)

Yesterday morning I found myself eating cheerios for breakfast while making "Plarn" (plastic bag yarn...out of recycled grocery bags). I felt a little like a child again...making something from something else (remember macaroni necklaces) or just pretending it was something else. I have made only one thing so far from plarn...a small purse for my daughter to put her things in (it holds 3 or so My Little Ponys...her current favorite). I have plenty of raw material for more now though! I had about 3 grocery bags full of bags which I have now condensed down into a few balls. I used some different types of bags too that were a little thicker, so hopefully they will work as well.

Dave always teases me about repurposing and recycling to make yarn out of strange things, but I know he is happy I am not spending money on real yarn anymore lol...or atleast very rarely. Dave may think I'm crazy, but I recently learned that my dad thinks its neat to repurpose! He came to visit and I was showing him all of my recent creations and he was impressed. I will post some pictures below. He also told me when we move back to KY (next month) he has several bags of grocery bags for me. YAY free material!

Definition of a Paradox

Paradox means a contradiction or puzzle. It's synonyms are: anomoly, inconsistency, ambiguity, enigma, nonsense, opposite and reverse.

I consider myself to be a paradox. I am complicated; my likes, dislikes, and hobbies don't seem to mesh into what you would expect all from the same person.

First and foremost, I am a mother. I am also a motorcycle mechanic and enthusiast. I enjoy crafting, scrapbooking, sewing and crochet. I love using recycled/repurposed materials to make new and useful items. I enjoy reading, rock climbing, white-water rafting, hiking, sunbathing, playing computer games and just about everything in between. I will be graduating from motorcycle mechanic school soon, and plan to start school again in the fall working towards my RN (Registered Nurse) degree.

I am starting this blog because I wanted to consolidate my hobbies and likes into one place for convenience for myself. My life is multi-faceted and this blog will be as well. One post may be about something new I made for dinner, and the next about my trip to Sturgis...my life, pure and simple (complicated though it may be) and in one place.