Written on May 22, 2008 by Matua
First things first, on Friday, at the TRIV scooter rally in KCKS and KCMO, there was a group ride of 87 scooters.
The Crusaders SC and I ‘blocked’ for the group.
Near the end, at the I-70 off ramp in KCMO I was blocking when - with the green light - a Lexus SUV - who had the red light - began scremaing and yelling for me to move and laid-on his horn.
I looked back and told the driver there were only 5 scooters left to pass. At this point the driver floored his accelerator and struck me (mostly the top case).
I was able to keep the GTS upright and I was unhurt. The GTS suffered some scraping, but there was no mechanical or structural damage.
I immediately dismounted, placed the GTS on the center stand and approached the driver with my mobile phone in one hand and my helmet in the other.
The driver reversed back, then pulled forward and went around cars on the sidewalk and fled.
Police were called, a report was filed - including the SUV’s license number.
The officer (after signing the GTS) informed me it won’t be classified as a “hit-and-run”, but is actually felony assault with a deadly weapon.
When it is resolved, I’ll post more.
Peace & Smiles.
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Written on May 21, 2008 by Matua
Since my last blog entry I’ve been busy.
Since my last entry I stayed with three lovely people in Overland Park, KS - Dory, Tara and Donald.
Since my last entry I attended the Mad Totos Scooter Club’s Tornado R’alley and had the best complete weekend of my trip thus far - even after I was rammed by an SUV.
Since my last entry I’ve gone through states numbers 13 and 14 - Illinois and Indiana. I’m writing this entry from West Lafayette, IN.
Since my last entry I’ve resolved most of the mechanical issues with the GTS. The GTS has gotten a tune-up, a rear tire, new rollers (for the belt) an oil change and a new oil filter courtesy of Vespa Saint Louis.
Since my last entry I’ve had the good fortune to meet even more wonderful people.
Since my last entry I’ve secured accomodation (gratis!) through IN, OH, WV, KY and TN. I’m still working on securing accomodation in AL, FL and the rest of the places along my route.
Since my last entry Palm has emailed to say they’re going to send a new Centro so I can once again have GPS capability. THANK YOU PALM!!!
Since my last entry I’ve been fortunate to meet, stay with and/or ride with some absolutely GREAT folks - MJ, Julian, The Crusaders S.C., The Mad Totos S.C., and a whole list of others. I miss them already.
Since my last entry I’ve been sending emails to specific companies seeking, and in the hopes of securing, sponsorship/backing. Nothing more to report on that.
Since my last post I was interviewed by a television morning program in St. Louis (it airs next Tuesday).
Since my last entry I’ve been contemplating what I’m going to do when Vespadition ends. I haven’t a clue.
Since my last entry I dodged several tornadoes and I was nearly hit directly by a tornado (Photos will be posted a.s.a.p.).
Well, that’s most of what has happened since my last entry.
I’ve decided that I’ll be making atleast one book about Vespadition - a coffee table book of photographs of the hundreds of signatures currently on, and still to be on, the GTS.
Thanks, again, to those who have donated. Thanks to those who have spread the word about Vespadition. I hope you’ll continue your support.
Peace & Smiles.
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Written on May 16, 2008 by Matua
First of all, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of you who made a donation to Vespadition. The response to my last blog was humbling. I hope it continues.
It has been an eventful week.
I first experienced the scare of tornadoes in Mississippi, and then again in Arkansas. Severe storms caused me an unexpected stay in Oxford, MS, and extra day in Little Rock, AR and an unexpected stop in Springfield, MO.
I left Springfield, MO yesterday morning just before noon and after the heavy rains and thunderstorms passed (almost) and rode to Overland Park, KS.
What Oxford, Springfield and Overland Park have in common is the same thing Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans have in common: GREAT PEOPLE!
I was hosted in Oxford by a woman named Ellen, in Springfield by a young woman named Gemma and am now being hosted in Overland Park by Dory and Tara. Wonderful ladies all.
I’m awaiting the arrival of a replacement debit card to arrive here in Overland Park.
I’ll be holding out here in Overland Park until Sunday, at which point I’ll be riding to St Louis, MO, via Jefferson City, MO, to get the GTS looked at (oil change, new rear tire and a thorough ‘once-over’).
The rear tire now has no tread, whatsoever. Thusly, I’ll be hitting Topeka, KS, Lincoln, NE and Des Moines, IA after I come down from Canada in July.
I’ll be attending the Tornado R’ally scooter rally tonight and tomorow with Dory (and her scooter).
Dory and Tara, and their room mate Donald and their friends couldn’t be nicer. They are continuing the theme of lovely people that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet.
It makes all the unavoidable nonsense worth it. It makes all the weather ‘issues‘ worth it and not so bad. It makes all of it - all of it - worth it.
There have been so many people that have really, really touched me. So many people that I already miss. So many people I hope to see again someday. I hope as many of them as possible can make it to Vespa Thousand Oaks when the ride ends for the ‘end of Vespadition bash.’
I’ve uploaded a whole bunch of new photos and will be uploading more.
I will try - TRY - to write more blogs that I’ve not written.
I’ve decided I’ll be making a coffee table book when Vespadition ends. It will be of the many signatures on the GTS.
Well, I must go for now.
I can’t wait to meet those of you I haven’t had the good fortune to, yet.
Peace & Smiles!
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Written on May 14, 2008 by Matua
I arrived in Little Rock, AR on Monday.
Riding to Little Rock through eastern Arkansas was smooth and perhaps one of the best riding days of the trip.
It was predicted Monday night would be full of storms along my route to Missouri. With this in mind, and with a nearly bald rear tire, I opted to stay in Little Rock. Tuesday was a day FULL of severe storms and with the same reasons in mind, I remained reluctantly in Little Rock for another day.
This morning it is cloudy and the ground and roads are wet from overnight storms. The prediction today is for severe storms and possible tornadoes, mostly to the east and to the south of my route.
The weather.com radar at the moment is showing severe storms immediately west and south and east of Little Rock. I’ll wait a couple of hours (it’s 8:30a.m.) to see what the storms do.
I hope to make it to Springfield, MO today, where I have free accomodation and to Overland Park, KS on Thursday.
The rear tire on the GTS, as I mentioned, is nearly bald. It definitely needs replacement. I rode through a bit of sand on Tuesday and noticed the front tire left a good tread mark and the rear tire barely left any mark, at all. The traction on the rear tire is ‘not too good’ in any sort of liquid. I must get it replaced, though I dont think Ill be able to until St. Louis, MO. If anyone out there knows of a reputable Vespa dealer in KS, MO, IA, NE, IL, IN or anywhere in a city I’ll be passing through in the coming days, PLEASE let me know.
There are more photos on the Photos page and I created some sets. I’ll be adding even more soon.
I’m looking forward to having some REAL down time and a couple days to do nothing.
Thanks for all of your support and encouragement.
Peace & Smiles!
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Written on May 11, 2008 by Matua
Yesterday I rode from Jackson, MS towards Little Rock, AR but opted to stop in Oxford, MS for the night because of strong storms and tornadic activity along my route.
I found a free place to stay via couchsurfing.com and spent the evening with a wonderful artist named Ellen.
As the sun went down the thunderstorms kicked-up. The thunder and lightning were incredible. The rains were monsoon like.
Around 9p.m. the town’s civil defence sirens sounded, indicating a tornado. It would be the first of 5 times the sirens would sound. It was scary, creepy and very surreal.
I waited to hear the freight train sound that tornado victims often describe, though fortunately it never came.
Today, it’s sunny and windy with sustained winds out of the west/northwest at 25 to 30 miles per hour. CROSSWINDS AND HEADWINDS! It is also 30 degrees cooler than it was yesterday.
The winds are going to kill my gas mileage, as they always do.
For those of you aren’t aware, the camera raffle that Collin and Meghan set-up is ending in the next couple of days. A minimum $10 donation gets you entered to win a really nice digital camera.
As I was hosted throughout Louisiana, I was able to save A LOT of money, but I am down to $35 in my pocket and still havent gotten the replacement card in the mail, though I should be able to get it sent to me in Kansas this upcoming week. I was able to make it from Austin, TX to here in Oxford, MS on $200!!!
I have never done this, and I hate to do it now, but I really must: please, if you haven’t made a donation to Vespadition, please consider doing so. I keep my expenses as minimal as possible - by finding free accomodation, by limiting meals, etc., but the one thing that I cannot cut back on is fuel. On average I spend at least $40 a day on petrol/gas.
I hope the $35 I have on me will pay for enough gas to get me to and hopefully out of Little Rock, AR. I won’t have money for accomodation, so I will camp somewhere - HOPEFULLY - tonight.
I will make every effort to update tonight or tomorrow, as internet access allows.
Thank you for your on-going support.
Peace & Smiles!
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Written on May 10, 2008 by Matua
A lot has happened since I was last able to update.
Since I last updated I’ve been through Louisianna and Mississippi - states nine and ten -and have gone over the 5,000 miles mark.
I’ve volunteered at a soup kitchen, a woman’s organisation, a post-Hurricane Katrina group, a food bank, an arts & music “Fest For All” and gave free hugs.
I’ve met some of the best people of the trip and enjoyed their company and hospitality.
I’ve ridden through some of the hottest and stickiest weather of the trip thus far.
Yesterday I rode from New Orleans, across the Mississippi gulf coast and to Jackson, MS.
I’m writing this on a laptop that was given to me by Rich (a.k.a. Big Guy) from the New Orleans Scootering group. Rich is just one of a group of utterly fantastic people I met in Louisianna. Louisianna completely caught me off guard - from the moment I entered LA from TX and stopped for petrol to the moment I exited LA and entered MS, everyone I met was simply and genuinely wonderful. To call them kind and generous would be the understatement of the century.
So, I now have a WiFi-capable laptop and will be able to update more frequently - both blogs and photos. I will also need to get caught-up on blogs.
I had intended to begin getting caught-up this morning before riding north today, but as I write this I’m watching the Weather Channel and they’re talking about severe weather. Apparently my route today (Jackson, MS to Little Rock, AR) is the hot spot today for tornadoes. They’re predicting widespreads tornado outbreaks in AR and northern MS today with “lightning, very large hail and ideal conditions for strong tornadoes.”
As a result, I’ll be going from Jackson, MS to Oxford, MS today and hope that I can get there before the storms arrive, and head to Little Rock, AR tomorrow.
I’m going to end this now so I can pack the GTS and get on the road.
I’ll write another update when I get safely to Oxford.
Wish me luck!
Peace & Smiles!
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