"You can't always get what you want"

 I've finally gotten some sleep and feel human again. It's been a busy weekend. I'm starting to look forward to the alone time in my helmet. The bike wash on Saturday was a success :) You can check out the pics below!

 There was a punk rock show at Caledonia Lounge this weekend. One of my friends is a huge fan so I was lucky to get introduced to a fun style of music. And I added a few new local bands to my favorites list. Check out Burns Like Fire and Ganges Phalanges the next time you see them on a play bill.

 I got a gentle reminder this weekend the veterans The Wounded Warrior Project are helping could be (and are) my friends and loved ones. Even though I was raised by two military police officers- I find myself disgustingly ignorant of the challenges facing Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. The veterans of my generation. These guys and gals are my firemen, security gaurds, nurses, tutors, bartenders, fellow students, neighbors, and homeboys :)

 I was also reminded our OIF/OEF Veterans are just like me and nothing like me. They have similar dilemmas as I (Like how does my motorcycle collect so many effing bugs? Did I really forget to pay my cell phone bill? And my aging dog is making me anxious about leaving him for this trip...). But veterans are very different from me in the sacrifices they've made and their life experiences. Most vets have spent months or years away from their loved ones on boats and planes. But mostly alternatively baking and freezing in the desert. Sometimes living in tents with an inescapable threat of death or serious bodily injury every day. So take care of the veterans in your life because they took care of you (in ways we won't ever know or understand).

I spoke to a young, veterans wife this weekend that told me about WWP provided her husband with job training and hooked him up with businesses that were hiring. She told me that they recently took him fishing. She explained exactly how valuable that trip was in reducing his stress level, helping him be a better father, husband, and employee. I'm proud to be raising money for WWP. 

 Your next opportunity to come out and have a good time for a worthy cause is May 16th (from 6pm until 11pm....or midnight... or lets see how the night goes ;) We are organizing a bon voyage celebration at Allison Creek Farm. It will be an intimate setting with lots of laughter and cheers, taking advantage of their pavilion and bar area. A friend of my family is gonna cook up some ribs (I'm thinking about begging Trae up at Kumquat Mae to conjure up some delicious food with her magic.)  But I think we are going to keep it to finger style foods and a wet bar downstairs. You can find the address below but please contact me to get on the list. Anyone is welcome to attend. There will of course be music :) I've started working on a play list for this party.

 Also regarding music, I need a few suggestions for music to listen to on my trip, I'd like to know what y`all listen to while you travel. Maybe I'll do a post about it somewhere along the way.

Bike Wash and Cookout Thanks to:
 Everyone who attended, brought bikes, appetites, and smiles :)
 Arienne, Amy, Rachel donated their time and energy to help me wash bikes (also one Vespa and a Porsche) and collect donations. Thank you, my friends, for being willing to get dirty, and doing the tiring work.
 Bob Suter and DJ Clarke as grillers.
 NPRDucati for the pavement, water, hours invested, promotions, and most importantly expertise, I'm sure I'm forgetting somethi
 Kumquat Mae for the delicious cookies :)
 Cori Carter and Justin Morris for taking pics. 
 My father, my sister, and Duarte for the background support. 

 This endeavor has been another reminder of my amazing support system, not just my family but my invaluable friends. I hope I bring half as much value to your lives as you bring to mine. And thank you for putting up with my energy :) 

~Amanda Terranova
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Bike Wash for WWP

Bring your bike for a wash this Saturday (May 10th) to NPR Ducati! Me and a few of my girlfriends are going to be scrubbing bikes and collecting donations from 10a-2p. There will be food near lunchtime :) Most likely burgers and such! Come hang out, eat, and ride a clean bike home (but bring your checkbook ;).

Facebook event page can be found HERE.

I borrowed this pic from ducati.org. Thanks guys!

Funds raised benefitting my Motochicks for The Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser, which you can learn about by clicking this link. 

Please spread the word! And contact me if you have any questions or suggestions! 

~Amanda Terranova 

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Facebook: FromTheRefuge
Twitter: FromTheRefuge
Youtube: Amanda Terranova

"Hey Bulldog"

 I stopped by NPRDucati to pick up some donations for the Wounded Warrior fundraiser this afternoon. It happened to be a demo day... (how convenient right?). After a half of second consideration, I decided to try  the new Monster 1200 (the other tempting option was the Panigale 899, saved for another day ;)

The Monster 1200 on demo day at NPRDucati

 I spend a lot of time on my bike, and I haven't ridden a large number of bikes, so I was a little concerned that I would not ride well. Luckily, the Monster was well trained (and powerful) and she took care of me :) The placement and shape of the tank makes it seem HUGE when you look down on it. It was a good reminder of the power, but it didn't fit well with my long legs. The tank bulged where my legs wanted to rest flat against the tank.

 I left the shop and found a few comfortable, familiar roads. On Malcolm Bridge Rd I passed a small truck where I discovered the difference in power between my Multi and the Monster. Wellington will pick and pass a vehicle pretty quick, but not that quick... not nearly that quick.  I kept it easy through Rays Church Rd (where I found a hilarious and slightly offensive church sign- how am I still surprised by these distasteful signs after so many years in the south?), to Hillsboro Rd, Snows Mill... The Monster was really easy, light and fast through the curves; I didn't have to work hard at all. Turning onto Hwy 78 to head back to the shop

 I nailed the throttle, and discovered  that I was happy to have the bulges on the side of the tank AND what it felt like to ride a wheelie-- coming out of second gear. I bet my smile was a mile wide under my helmet. My Multi just doesn't have the power to do something like that, and thank heaven. Rolling the Monster's throttle put me at WAY-TOO-FAST in second and third. I don't need that speed or power. It was fun. Indescribably, incredibly, indiscriminately fun.

 I forgot how much the wind pulls on you when your bike is missing a windshield. If you want to talk to Paul about test riding the Monster or other Ducs you can contact him here. Paul, I don't think its the right bike for my father. One day I will find one that suits him, but that the 2014 Monster 1200 isn't the one.

I'm off to the islands for the rest of the weekend! Ya'll have fun at Twilight :)



~Amanda Terranova
Follow me on G+: Amanda Terranova
Facebook: FromTheRefuge
Twitter: FromTheRefuge
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Read more about why I chose The Wounded Warrior Project

           

More Info:
NPRDucati Address: 4071 Mars Hill Rd, Bogart GA 30622

Night and Day

 At the NPRDucati party on Saturday I met a man with whom I shared a friend. We were talking about the way we danced at shows with her. We involuntarily started dancing like her, and we danced wildly for a few moments... until a lovely awkward moment when a passerby caught us rocking to imaginary music. I love shit like that :)  Athens has so many people with whom I share a kindred spirit. I am excited to find others between here and the far coast.

 Last night I sound myself in downtown after the dinner rush and before the zombies arrive to party. It had rained all day and downtown was fresh and clean.  I could even smell the fresh air from the trees on Clayton. I will be sad to see them go. I needed to grab some food before heading back to campus to study. My go-to for healthy food on the go, Barbaritos was closed. Pita pit was closed... Downtown was mostly deserted, so I really couldnt blame them for closing early.  I had settled on eating another protein bar when I happened by NONA and saw a young man (dressed like he just got off work from said restaurant) smoking a cigarette and otherwise looking handsome. Knowing that cooks generally know how to eat, I asked him for direction to his healthy food choice. Patrick pointed me to Speakeasy one doorway down on Broad.

 Speakeasy is great for a date night or a small gathering of close friends. However, it gets really loud, so I prefer other restaurants for 4 or more people. The food encourages sharing, with mostly tapa style food. You would think that this wouldnt be enough food, but I've never left Speakeasy hungry. Try the coconut shrimp and the fried asparagus.... and the fondue. Oh the fondue, definitly the chocolate fondue. Last night I got the veggie plate to go. The collards and blackeyed peas were delicious. They even threw in some really good cornbread for me :)

 Tomorrow night (Wednesday at 7pm) is Rabbitbox, storytelling for adults. If you havent given it a chance, you should try it this month. I heard last month they had over 200 people show up to listen. This month's show is at Sandy Creek Nature Center. The theme of this one, "Out On A Limb" hints at some interesting stories already. I will see you there.

Lastly, this weekend Canopy Studio has a show. They teach "flying aireal dance trapeze" students :)  I'm really looking forward to it!

Talk to you soon
~Amanda Terranova

Useful info:
Address for Rabbitbox location this month: Sandy Creek
400 Bob Holeman Rd, Athens, GA 30607

Springtime in Athens

Pastures of Rose Creek 

  There is so much going on in Athens this Saturday--- luckily, the weather is supposed to be an idyllic 75 degrees and sunny :) Okay, so..... The farmer's markets are back!!!! Nowadays farmer's markets aren't just for veggies.  You can find local cheesemakers, soaps, baked goods, flowers... You can buy locally produced meat, I could go on and on. With so many options, farmer's markets are a  fantastic way to support your neighbors and your community. I personally like to pick up a loaf of bread from Cast Iron Bakery. Their bread is dense, and travels well in my motorcycle bag. So when I leave The Refuge in the morning, I wrap up a little cheese to eat with it (so I don't have to choose between starving and spending money on fried fast food). Also, my friend Will Powers usually has delicious grass fed beef (that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND) from his farm, Pastures of Rose Creek, at the Oconee market.  Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park opens 8a-noon this Saturday (and next Wednesday at City Hall from 4p-7p). Oconee's Farmer's Market starts April 5th as well, with Saturday and Tuesday markets in downtown Watkinsville. There are several other local markets... in Washington, Bishop (the tiny town just south of Athens), I'm sure there are others, please let me know about them.

 Also spring related, Plantapalooza is this Saturday. Plantapalooza three location plant sale. They are located at the Trial Gardens at UGA, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and UGA's Horticulture club. According to the website you can collect discount stamps at each location to be used at local nurseries (for up to 15% off total). "What makes this event so special is the variety of traditional and unique plans that you would have difficulty finding anywhere else - plus access to horticulture professors, garden curators and master gardeners to answer questions and help with your selections." (quote from the Bot Garden site).  AND if you're really a garden nerd, the 17th annual Old-Timey Heirloom Seed Swap, in Crawford, GA, is Saturday, 1p-6p, at 10 Legacy Rd. I am putting it on my calendar for next year because I already have plans for this Saturday....

This Saturday afternoon I will be at NPRDucati's Monster 1200 unveil party (1p to 5p). I saw the new beauty at the shop yesterday (when I stopped by to fix my license plate- read about that mildly amusing debacle here). So come by, enjoy a beer (or other refreshment ;), and talk shop with me while ogling (oogling?) and drooling over the sexiness that is Ducati's new Monster. I am very excited to take it on a test drive. I will fill you in on my opinion after I get to ride her. 

Finally, holy pollen count Batman! I drove through a yellow haze on my way to work this morning. It's been a while since I've seen anything like that. Onto slightly less irritating things (pun intended), I've started honking and making obnoxious gestures at people I catch texting and driving. Its easiest on four lane highways, and hopefully no one will go road-rage on me. Mostly, people just put their phone down and try to not look embarrassed. I understand it is difficult not to text and drive (to be fair, I must admit guilt here as well). But I ask you to try-pretty please with a cherry on top- to put your phone down and watch the road. Because if you hit me on my bike (because you don't see me) the chances are fairly good that you will kill me.

 There's a lot of other things going on in Athens this weekend. As in tonight there is a benefit for MyAthens at The GA Theatre, followed by a show featuring The Whiskey Gentry, Radiolucent, and The Defibulators.

 You can view a Google Calendar I use to keep track of the events I want to attend, organized here: Upcoming Events Calendar.  As always, feel free to contact me with ideas for places for me to visit, suggestions... or help me by drawing my attention to typos ;)

~Amanda Terranova

Other useful info:
Seed Swap article 
Bishop Park Address: 705 Sunset Dr, Athens, GA 30606
NPRDucati Address:  4071 Mars Hill Rd, Bogart, GA 30622

My traveling partner

 While talking to a family friend about my upcoming trip he asked that I consider riding for a charity. (The idea being that I convince people to donate a certain amount per mile or a flat amount upon the completion of my trip.) Needless to say, I love this idea. I have a specific charity in mind, but they said I needed to wait for their approval from them for my event before I announce.

My traveling buddy, Margie

Two things while we wait to hear from them... First, I bought a HUGE folding map to take on our trip. Sadly, it probably wont work for navigating because it just doesn't have enough detail. They left out the old forgotten highways that are great for motorcycles :/  Rather than giving this map as a loss, we started using it to catalog couches (or spare bedrooms if we're lucky) of people we know across the country. I'm sure we will be camping some, but it will be nice to visit old friends with whom can share laughs, and spare bedrooms. Also, who knows what kind of trouble two motorcycle chicks will get into, and it always helps to have people nearby to lend a helping hand. I will let ya'll know when I find a good map (or maps). So far I like http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html, but I would really prefer something we can hold , spill coffee on, cross out the out bad roads, and tear accidentally, you get the idea... I love maps, I will probably keep it as the memento of my trip.

Taking a break on a recent trip

Secondly, I finally get to introduce Margie, the extraordinary woman who will be my partner-in-crime for this trip.  I love Margie because she is open minded and tough, She is one of the strongest women I know, second only to my mother (ily Mom!). I'm learning how to be a badass with a feminine touch from Margie.

Margie on the racetrack, yes...
the racetrack.... ON HER DUCATI
RACE BIKE. 

I barely had my license when she introduced me to the Tail of the Dragon. There's nothing like 318 turns in 11 miles to encourage bonding ;) I find Margie to be generous, giving, generally in good spirits, and she makes me feel at home with her dry sense of humor.  Most importantly, she has invested a lot of time in me and I am grateful for her friendship. She races a 2006 Ducati Super sport SS1100ie and her daily traveller is a 2010 Ducati Hypermotard EvoSP (like I said-- she's a badass). 

Margie and I (and a few others) at
2012 Women's Sportbike Rally, Tail of the Dragon.

 We had lunch the other day to discuss logistics. Looks like we will be heading south on May 17th with NPRDucati  on their Annual Shrimp and Grits Run so we can Start and End on opposite coasts.  A few of the places we plan to hit: the Devils Highway, the Grand Canyon; I want to see those giant trees in California (some of the sequoias are 3000 years old!!!), and drink some local wine. Margie and I may split up on the west coast while she visits some family and I go off on my own for a day or two, but we haven't figured any of that out yet.

Hopefully, I information to share on the charity by the end of the week! As always, if you have a suggestion to help me with maps (or want to share a road we need to ride on our trek) please leave a comment below!

~Amanda Terranova

I love my shop

 I've been talking about this trip for a while (pretty much from the first time I straddled a motorcycle). Georgia to California. Now that I've started planning it, I am starting to appreciate the community at my shop, NPRDucati.

Home of the Duc guard Duck 

 After I returned from Charleston, I noticed my rear brakes needed some attention. I notified Paul that I was going to be bringing her in for some tender loving care. And she was pretty effing happy when I picked her up. I dodged work for an additional 45 minutes to take her for a ride. I don't know what magic the guys worked on her, but she positively sang along those Georgia back roads. It had to be Ducati voodoo, because a bike's performance shouldn't improve that much from a new rear tire and tightening the chain. (The throttle is SO sensitive now... Okay, I will stop with the motorcycle porn, before I pass the point of no return.)

My first bike at NPR Ducati

 Back to why I love my shop: they are helping me get together a list of required maintenance to keep me safe on the long, hard road across the country (and back). Before I leave, we plan on a new chain and a valve job, with tire and fluid checks. I'm certain I'll put at least 2k miles on her between now and then, so I'll probably get an oil change before I leave as well.

One of Paul's tips :)

 Last week, I spent several hours with Paul, just hanging out at the shop. Mostly asking questions about long distance traveling and getting some great advice on places to visit, staying safe, what I needed to pack... and a lot more. I really cannot express how valuable it is to be able to have them behind me.

 I cannot thank Paul, Vic, Dusty, and Daniel enough. Also a huge thanks to the rest of the NPRDucati community, without whom I would not know the euphoria and freedom of my baby multi. Plus, you guys are just cool. Only you can pull off a pet, guard DUCK at a DUC shop :)

 Please comment below if you have any suggestions for preparing my bike for this trip... or you want to share your love for NPRDuacti. ~Amanda