Gen the Vespa

4/1/07
For me, April is the turn the corner day. It is the hump month when you start to slide down to scooter days. I took the bike out of storage yesterday, put the battery in place, put air in the tires and cranked her up... zoom.. smooth. Easy. I bought the bike used, well slightly handled since she only had 700 miles on her and not over 4000. It was Suzanne’s bike for the first year and some of the second year. I road it in a timid way and always felt that when I dinged it.. as in dumping it a few times, that I would have to explain to my neighbor as to why I was not being more careful. When I got my first car a old green dodge convertible, was the green pig and then my Peugeots, being French were Andre and Pierre. Then I got cars American cars that I didn’t like and who had no personalities, so they were nameless. I like my Vespa and it is now mine in my head/heart, being Italian is is la signora d'argento (the silver lady) and I nicked name her Gen. What a difference it was to ride her with the thought of the street cooks bike I had in Thailand. My girl has wide soft wheels and a hum for a engine.. the Thai bike had decals, bike wheels and sounded like a mixer that you would buy at a flea market. Gen and I took a spin over to Sheila’s and two banks and down park ave...hmmmmmm it was spring and bonny and Gen were on the road again and like the elephants, I thought I saw a smile on Gen’s headlight.
Spring also got me into thinking of doing some “clean up” in and outside. I look for any excuse not to clean up outside. It is raining in Nevada and headed this way.. so .. oh well can’t work in the rain. On days like yesterday, that start with Yoga and breakfast with nice people and a walk trough BJ’s and irregular meals and TV.. I don’t get much done. I am much better about saying oh well. Another day and knowing that I will hit the floor on a trot when I am ready.. and I am ready. So I gave some more thought to minimal and downsize and cleaning up and away. I have a pile of stuff that I don’t need, want and will never use again and then there is a set of stuff that I am missing and looking for. I just can’t locate, or I have to move lots of stuff to find some really important stuff. So I decided that I am not going to clean up and toss out as a goal, I am going to locate and place in useable spaces, items that I want. To day I have declared, homecoming at bonny’s. I am going to took at and talk to all the thinks that are currently taking the front row seats and ask us (my higher selves – the ones that are not lazy or just sentimental for the sake of sentiment) if this is what I want in the front row and if not, is it time for the object to leave the nest, or rest in reserve or go to the retirement village. I then will find the items that are important, currently in demand and move them to the front row. If need be, I will have a dinner party and say a fond farewell to the items, but I need what I need to be locatable and useable. Rather than cleaning or spring cleaning, I am going to relocate my belongings.