Float Trip 2015 | July 17-19th

 

Friday, July 17th Clint, myself, Jade and Kayla took off to Leasburg, MO to meet up with Craig and Bobbie for a fun float trip weekend.

The 7.5 hour drive down was a little daunting, but the company made it fly by.

And, perhaps the pit stops provided a little entertainment as well…

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The boys thought they needed “special” floaties…  I will spare you the photos from inside the store, but perhaps you should brace yourself for the floatie pics to come later. 😉

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Once we made it to Leasburg, we made a pitstop into Skippy’s Route 66, where the drinks were cold, the bartender hilarious and the staffing low.

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Case in point, my husband is behind the bar doing dishes and serving up customers drinks.  They were so far behind that when Clint offered to help, the bartender jumped at the chance.

It’s been YEARS since I have seen Clint work behind a bar.   9 years ago when Clint was trying to win me over 😉 he worked for a little bar called Eli’s in Rockbrook Village.  Oh man… the nights I spent in that little bar.  He was such a cute bartender.   Claire and I hit this spot OFTEN for shenanigans.

Ah, memories.

A few drinks and a shot later, we headed to our little home away from home for the weekend to settle in for some dinner, lounging and good chats.

And apparently, snuggles too.

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Saturday morning it was time to blow up the floaties and slather on the sunscreen for a FULL day of river floating and beer drinking.

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The boys named that hideous blow up doll, Verlene.   Our entire day was based on Verlene.

Verlene, Verlene, Verlene…

Our shuttle picked us up, we hooked our rafts together

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and set out for 7.5 hours of float time

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❤ that man of mine ❤

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We floated, swam, boozed, laughed, relaxed and had just a straight up awesome time.

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My suit is strapless, people.   It’s all ok. 😉

Cheers to a great weekend with friends!

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3 Day Weekend | Part 2

I definitely closed out June with a bang.  Part One found here.  And now for Part Two…

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Just like a real life Thelma and Louise <- link up to Miranda and Carrie Somethin’ Bad

Saturday

Woke up fairly early to get in a jog (a whole 2 miles y’all… careful now!) and was also able to get in a few errands while Clint changed my oil and air filter on the ol’ Harley.

My gosh he’s so good to me.  ❤

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11:30am: Tyree and I were off to the Bikers for Boobies run, benefiting women with breast cancer.  The organizers of this event always donate the poker run entry fees to women currently battling breast cancer.  Always feels good to donate money to a cause so worthy.

First stop – Victory Bar and Grill, Council Bluffs, IA

And so it begins…

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We met two new cool chicks, Terry and Tracy who rode along with us to stop two: Twisted Tail in BeeBee Town.

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And then this is where our plans derailed.   As we were leaving Bee Bee town headed to Loess Hills Harley Davidson (stop 3) I noticed my bike shimmying when I’d round the curves.  The first time I noticed it I thought it might just be the road.  Going into curve two I had to grip a little tighter to keep the front wheel straight.  I slowed up a bit and motioned for Tyree to come up next to me so I could ask if she was getting that feeling.  She wasn’t feeling anything out of the ordinary which lead me to believe there was something going on with my bike, but we continued on anyway.   Nothing I could do at that point and I still had control.  There happened to be a group of bikes in front of us that were riding slow, only going through corners about 50 mph.  On a normal day, I would find this highly annoying.  :/ Curves are FUN to lean into at a decent speed.  I think it honestly was a blessing in disguise this time.   It forced me to slow my roll.   Once in Council Bluffs while sitting at a stop sign, Tyree noticed my back tire was pretty low.

BINGO!

We rolled into a gas station and sure enough, found a nail.   I am very thankful the leak was slow and it didn’t go flat out on the road.  We all know how unfortunate of a situation that could have been.   And no, mom, the shimmying wasn’t terrible and I wasn’t in immediate danger.   Slowing up allowed for more control and she still had air in it… just not as much as it should.  All is good. 🙂

And this is, again, where  I proclaim again how awesome Clint is.   Gave him a call, he told me to hang tight and he’d be right over to plug the tire.

In the meantime…

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Anyone up for a game of “You’re on Candid Camera?”

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And then:

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He pulled the nail, plugged the hole and then so graciously followed us to Stop 3 at Loess Hills HD!

What a guy.

Side note: Ever wonder how girls get ready while out on motorcycles?   We use each others sunglasses.  Duh!

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Etsy for the win on these shirts.  Love that little slice of internet heaven.

Before we left Loess Hills we made a quick check of the tire pressure and sadly found I was down 10lbs.   We made the decision to call it a day, filled the tire back up and headed to Omaha for a brief stop at the 21st Saloon for a few quick drinks.

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And then we swapped out wheels for the Jeep and it was on to Night Three of Country on the River!

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We had a blast dancing and singing along with Thomas Rhett and The Band Perry.

What an incredible ending to a three day run!

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Sunday

Clint and I are headed to Algona for the Freedom Rally over the 4th of July, so we used the morning to get our trailer out of storage and do a once over on all its belongings.   I don’t think we made it anywhere last year to camp, which means our tent and air mattress and everything else has been sealed for almost two years.   That is a little frightening.

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Lucky for us, there were no foul smells coming out of it which means it was sealed up tight.  Thank goodness!    The fun part of unpacking is finding things you totally forgot you had in there!  Like this cute little HD grill.

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We set up the tent to make sure we had all necessary parts:

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And the air mattress to ensure no holes:

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I volunteered to test it out. 😉  Rough day of work I tell ya.

After we had all the items tested, tore back down and packed back in the trailer, Clint took my back tire off so I could take it on up to Butterfield’s for a new inner tube.   Time to get that baby fixed!  The tire itself has life left to live, so we won’t be needing a new one of those quite yet.  Thank goodness!  That is definitely not in my budget right now.

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And this is where she sits… What a sad looking baby.

But, Clint is ready to rock ‘n roll!

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Super stoked for this Rally.   We haven’t been to a local rally since Conesville shut down a few years ago.  Completely bummed about that one.  I am sure Algona will make up for lost time! 🙂

Cheers to a fabulous week ahead!

3 Day Weekend | Part 1

Holy mother of all summer weekends.  This was a good’n!   I had a freaking blast and am sad to see it go, but I can guarantee my wallet and liver are totally cool with it being Monday.

Country on the River in Council Bluffs, IA Thursday night was how I started the weekend off.

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Tyree and I had tickets for all three days of the music festival, and regardless of the fact we weren’t die hard fans of Thursday nights headliners, we still had a great time and enjoyed singing along to the tunes we did know.

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The beers were cold, the weather warm and the company was great!  We even ran into Regeana!

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Can’t beat a good summer night like this!

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We chose to park on the Nebraska side which allowed us to cross the Bob Kerry pedestrian bridge.   Had to pay respect to our states, ya know.

Go Hawks!

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Perfect ending to Day One!

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Friday

Up early, 2 mile run, errands, spa appointment at noon and then it was on to Day 2 shenanigans with Tyree.

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Each year I try to do a partial dry run of the Biker B!tch ride to ensure the roads are good and the mileage is decent.  Tyree and I also do one day each summer where just the two of us go ride, so we combined the two and set out!

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Stop 1 Selfie!  Pacific Junction, IA, where the locals are bellied up to the bar by 1pm on a Friday, drinks are cheap and the bartender is the cutest gentleman you could meet.  Thanks, PJ, for a great start to our stellar day.

Next up: The Wild’s for some lunch!   This stop was the one I was most concerned about.  There is a smaller, winding (and fun) connecting road that runs adjacent to the interstate.   Sadly, a long section of it was turned to gravel last year.  SUPER LAME!    Keeping this location as a stop completely depended on whether or not the road was still gravel and lucky for us, the gravel is gone!  I wouldn’t say the ride is a super smooth one, but that could also just be my bike talking.  We lowered it last year so there is minimal suspension.   Unless you’ve ridden a rigid, you have no idea the toll it takes on your back.  Mine luckily isn’t that rough, but it isn’t a smooth ride like everyone else’s.

The things we do for vanity.  It doesn’t just stop with high heels for this girl.

😉

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After The Wild’s, we adjusted our course since we needed to be back in CB for the evening concerts, so we made a quick stop into Tabor for fuel and then hit up Emerald Isle in Imogene, IA for little beer shots.  If you have never had one of these, you are missing OUT my friends.   So gosh darn delicious. 🙂

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And what bar would be complete without children’s books and fun toys?

                   Ummm…. these were totally for big kids, right?

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Next… Emerson, IA to see Sara, Troy and kiddos!

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We pulled the bikes up to Sara’s dads shop, which is also the NEW home of SW Iowa Primitives, Antiques and Furniture.  <- Linked.  Check it out!

Emerson will always hold a special place in my heart.  ❤   It is where I started riding, really.   I have met some of the GREATEST people in Emerson.  From my BBB, Sara, to countless other people thanks to the many poker runs and camp-overs taken place in this quaint little town.  This shop in-particular held many  “shine nights” before poker runs, lots of beer drinking has been done inside those walls and memory after memory has been made.   It’s fun to see the shop transform into Sara and Troy’s newest business.  Couldn’t be more excited for her.

And of course, stopping in Emerson brings NEW love to my heart with Sara’s little cutie pie’s.

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Lil’ Miss Ady

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Farm girl, Kaeleen.

Taught by the one and only Farmer Tyree.

We stopped into Harley’s Bar and Grill for a quick drink before we had to bounce back to Council Bluffs.  It was time for some live music!

And then Mother Nature decided to make a random appearance.

Rain.   Cold Rain.

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Can you see our handlebars peeking out over the top of the wall?  Weren’t they just so cute tucked away nice and safe while semi’s blew on by?

Sarcasm.

Really thought they might get pushed over at one point.  Slow it down, people!

:/

Camping out under the interstate overpass killed any possibility of us making it to see Casey Donahew Band, but to stay dry and somewhat warm was far more important.   No interest in remaining a wet soggy dog all night.

And, people.  Safety First.  Wear your helmets when not on bike.  It makes an adorable fashion statement, don’t ya say?

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😀

The rain went through as quickly as it came in and we were back on our way.  Sun shining bright in Council Bluffs.  I guess they only got a sprinking.

Best part of rolling in late?  Getting to see this killer scooter gang.   Freaking hilarious!  There had to be at least 20 of them.  I all of a sudden now want a scooter to pimp out.  Anyone up for it?

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FINALLY – we made it to the concert!

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Poor Carrie was stuck for an hour by herself.   Cold beer kept her company though, so she was cool.

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And, apparently my riding boots that I have had for at least 6 years are donezo.  I had some KILLER blisters by the end of the night.   No worries though.  Tyree pulled through with a pair of clean socks.

Don’t ask.

I can’t tell.

😉

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Cheers to a fab Friday!!  Stay tuned for Part 2, including Saturday’s Bikers for Boobies run, a bum back tire experience and Sunday recovery!

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2015 Holstein Harley Davidson Women’s Run

Saturday, May 23rd marked the 2015 Holstein’s Harley All Women’s Run.  Always a fun filled day with a bunch of like minded ladies on two-wheels.

The day always starts with kickstands up at 11am, so around 10:15 I headed down to the garage to load up and head out.

And then…

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Bummer!   Tried calling and texting the hubster and got crickets.   Cue the sad music.  Tyree text in the meantime and said she would come over and hang with me until we found a solution.

At about 10:50 I got an apologetic call from the hubs stating he was on the way!

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Ha!  Oops!   Totally both our faults on this one since Clint and I both had left the house that morning and neither one even thought twice about the road block.  Duh.

Tyree was there shortly afterwards and we were able to catch up with the crew on 72nd street.

First stop: Crescent, IA.

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Forecast: 75.   Real life: 62 and cloudy.  Biker Life: Leather up and soak it in.

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Snack Time!

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Liz and Kimi

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Second Stop: Neola, IA

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Liz & I.  This chick is my jam!

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Me, Jen and Liz

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That cutie DeAnn.

Wonder what Regeana is eyeing?

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Anna and Lora

PS – Thanks for the pics, Lora.  I swiped a few or 10.

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Pepper, Me and Jen!

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Regeana, DeAnn, Heather, Kristen and Anna

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Da girls

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Cheesin’

Third Stop: Avoca, IA

Had my first malfunction with my new bags on the way to Avoca.  Didn’t get latched.  Lid flying wide open.   #dontjudgeme #nocluehowtohandlethesedamnbags #hashtagbecauseican

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Girl talk, cuz girls talk.

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LOOK WHO MADE IT!!!!!

Jenn and Tina met up with us in Avoca.

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Just love this girl. ❤ Heart of gold.

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And these two are like long-lost-foul-mouthed-sarcastic sisters.   Hilarious duo right here.  I anticipate the 10th annual B!tch run to be full of shenanigans with these two involved.

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Tyree, me, Kristen and Tina.  4 of the 7 Vegas girls.

Cyndi, Carrie and Jess… we had a drink on your behalf, I am sure. 😉

Fourth Stop: Oakland, IA

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Gosh, I love these two.   Kristen and her spit-fire ways and Suze – the calm, mama bear who looks out for us all.   One of the kindest, most tender loving woman I know.   You instantly feel so comfortable and at ease when she is around.   Beautiful soul that girl.  Just beautiful. ❤

Kristen was ready to get the crew back to Holstein’s at the appropriate time, so she bounced a little earlier then a smaller group of us.  This happened when Kristen realized Tina wasn’t going to be making the trip to Omaha with us…

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Through the fence, no less.

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And then there were 6.

Jenn and Tina took off back to Clarinda while Tyree, myself, Kimi and Liz headed back to Omaha to close out the night at Holstein’s with the rest of the crew.

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Sassy group of women right here, huh, Marcy?

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Pam & Marcy

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And, THAT’S a wrap, folks.

Cheers to Summer 2015!