Biker Chicks

Johnny Chop- We'll miss you dude.

2006-03-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yeah, our buddy Johnny Vasko aka Johnny Chop passed away yesterday. He had heart problems. That is all we know. But it doesn't matter how he died, it's how he lived. He was a genuinely sincere and sweet person, as well as being a hell of a bike builder. My first experience with Johhny was at a party in Sturgis 2004. It was one of those little VIP things and I hate those. But I went anyway. I'm standing around bored, ready to leave and I see Johnny. I recognized him from Chica's Biker Builder Off tv show. He walks right up to me and asks me if I'm Crazy Horse, then goes on to tell me how much he loved my work. I took him over to see my chopper which was new at the time. We talked for a while before I left. I was really surprised to find out what a truly nice person he was.
He went on to fame and his own shop. But he never got an atitude and or forgot how to treat people.

Sara just got back from the west coast where she was taking pictures for her Builder and Machine series of photos. She was pretty broke up about it.
The past few years have been pretty tough in our industry. We lost Larry in '04, then we lost a man not many of you know about but who serious chopper builders depended upon. He was Bradley the Polisher and he was also a real good guy. After that it was Gary from Milwaukee Iron that left us. And now we say goodbye to Johnny. I was thinking today as I buzzed around the shop trying to work on the Petty bike, trying to get it done with the deadline pressing down on me. It seems we are always trying to meet some fricking deadline. I don't care who it is. No matter who I talk to, the pressure to get the job for a specific date is always there. NO matter who it, even Hank Young was telling me about some deadline wearing him down, putting in the late hours at his shop. We push, push, push. Then we party hard. It makes for a bad combination. Our bodies and therefore our health as well as our attention to the road while riding get shortchanged. We pay a hard price, then whammo, it's over. We don't truly get to enjoy the incredible gift of life. I have an incredible chopper that sits in my shop. I have a beautiful home, awesome friends. And I don't get to slow down enough to enjoy them.
I made the desision earlier this year, that after I finish book 4, that's it. I'm slowing the pace. Spend some time living the motorcycle life as well as working it.

So all ya out there, this weekend take some time for Johnny, and for Bradley, and Gary and our Larry. Get on that bike and ride. Go to bed early once in a while. Stop stessing over stuff so much. Take better care of yourself. Live your life and remember how very precious it is, even tho sometimes it feels like hell. And never forget our buds that are gone. Don't just look at those old Dave Mann posters, get out there and live it. And if ya see some little old chick on a flamed sportser or chopper on South or North Carolina, you'll know Crazy Horse Paint Shop is closed for the day.

Not much fun here

2006-03-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

The reason you all haven't heard much from us is work. Sara is busy as hell at her shop in Pittsburgh. She's doing a bike for a Pittsburgh Steeler. And other projects are piling up. Same here only the big project for the past 2 weeks has been a bike for the Kyle Petty Ride Across America. This ultra will be auctioned off to benefit the Victory Junction Gang camp. More in the weeks to come.

My car painting book will be released very soon. Wow I'm in fine writing form this morning. It has been a rough week. Gotta a phone call from some tv show. They were interested in having a segment in their show about bike painters. It was odd, as the name of their show was the same as another biker tv show. Turns out this show has nothing to do with the "original" one. I get the call after a very frustrating day when I found out that the paint mask material I was using for a project was less than satisfactory and had to desperately make other arrangements. These things only happen on a Friday just before everything closes for the weekend. I was lucky it happened on Thursday when I could get what I needed overnighted.
So I'm talking on the phone with this person, thinking he's associated with this other, established show. He's asking the kind of questions and making the kind of statements that people make, who ARE NOT familar with the custom bike world.
Needless to say I did not give them what they wanted. They wanted flash. They wanted to hear about how I hang out with biker celebrities and have a flashly shop with painted flames covering the building and chrome covered choppers sitting outside and Snoop Dog hanging around inside.

That is so not me. You would never know from going by my place that a motorcycle has even gone down my driveway, let alone the 4 choppers (3 of which have been featured in magaines, 1 being on the cover of Easyriders) that currently reside in my shop. Plus the two complete chopped frames and parts, that await custom paint, the 2 very radical choppers that are in the paint process or the assortment of killer equipment that services these works of art.
No one comes by. Neighbors have no idea. Today is Saturday. I'll be working and I wont be interupted by people coming by. I'll be able to concentrate on my work and put my full attention into the project at hand.
I'll go away for weeks at a time. My place is fully alarmed, bars on the windows, serious locks. Security cams. I still worry. There are times when there are extremely big bucks sitting in my shop.
If they want flash, they can go to my husband's shop. It's all gleeming chrome, bright neon, polished floors, and hundreds of thousands of $$ of custom bikes.

Actually I think its way cooler to have a shop that doesn't look like a shop. I don't need a big picture window, stylish showroom and work area and the large overhead thatcomes with it, to be a bike painter that continuely puts out work that gets featured in magazines like this month's American Iron or win's bikes shows like the Best of Show I got this year or gets books published. I'll put my time and money into creating killer paint work.
Well gotta go, Snoop is stopping by later.

And then it was Tuesday

2006-03-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here- This is what one of the walls of my office looks like. That gold mask is a Jon Kosmoski creation. The oil painting are originals of mine. Sitting here watching "Seinfeld" reruns. That was a such a silly show. After a long day of dealing with customers, planning my week by ordering things for jobs, making phone calls, and then there's always the very fun "planning out the rest of the year." Sara and I were planning our stratagy for the AMA Women's Conference in June. We went over what we will be doing ad far as events for the rest fo the year. Hell, why don;t we just turn 65 and get it over with? Ah, we'll be there soon enough, that is if we survive another 10 or 20 years in the MC business. And I have to write tonight for about 6 or so hours, so it was nice to take a break and laugh at people being silly.
Speaking of getting old, check out the issue of American Choppers on sale at any newstand. It's put out by the folks at American Iron. Our good buddy Margorie Kleiman edited this issue and it rocks. What loved about it, was looking at old pictures of Dave Perowitz and Donnie Smith. Brought back alot of memories.
My husband Jim is back from Daytona.
As for the any Daytona pictures, he didn't take many. He was staying at Destination Daytona, which is a great place to be but a nightmare to get in and out of. Daytona is always the same, unless I'm there, as drama follows me like a cloud. So in that spirit, I thought you all might want to read one of my crazier Daytona dramas. It happened during Daytona Bike Week 2002.

The email seemed harmless enough. Angie, an old friend of mine from CT would be in Tampa on vacation with her new musclely boyfriend, some tiger tamer-bounty hunter guy. She wanted to get together in Daytona during Bike Week. I didn't take it too seriously. After all she'd be too busy 'being in love', to waste any time with me playing 3rd wheel. Maybe a quick lunch and they'd be off counting the stars in each other's eyes. I emailed Angie my cell phone number.

Her first phone call on Thursday was something about frozen rats and monkey shit. " I gotta get outta here! I'm on my way! You would not believe this place. He picks me up at the Airport in his car he called the Jag. The window on my side didn’t role down and his window didn’t role up. There was dirt and rat shit on the seat and the air was too expensive to fix. It was all dented up. And his house! The whole house smells like monkey shit. Everything is covered with dust and shit. I open up the freezer and there are ziplock bags full of rats. Frozen rats! Oh my god, he's coming. I'll call you when I get close to Daytona."

This did not sound like true love. After several attempts directing Angie to the Ranch, where I was staying, she finally figured out, for a short time anyway, which way north was. She pulled up to the Ranch in her rental car and paced the yard while telling her horrific tale.

"He took me to his house, where there was the smell of dead rats and monkey shit. I started to laugh, saying your kidding me right!!! We had to go shopping. When he saw me get a few things, he got his own cart, so I paid for my own things. At home when I opened the freezer it was full of dead rats with their tails out of the zip lock bags. Didn’t fit. He feeds them to his snakes. I screamed. He called me Barbie and put a rat-tail on my arm and laughed. I put my sweatshirt on the radiator to dry cos it costs too much to run the dryer. Then he goes and put rats on my shirt so they can thaw out. He bought me these new towels at flea market and never washed them. They were full of dirt. I tried washing up and all this black stuff came out of them. He takes me to all-you-can-eat $5.99 buffets and doesn't pay for mine. Yelled at me for not shutting off the lights and told me to take short showers and to flush the toilet once a day because he has to pay for all the water going out of this dump he calls a house. Then he says to me this morning, ' just how much toilet paper do you use anyway? You've already gone through one roll.".…I called Delta and they wanted $658 to take me home so I cried. Then I caught him looking through my diary and he listened in to all my calls on an extension when I called my daughter!"

Geno, associate editor at The Horse had asked me to try and find Jesse James. So I tossed Angie on the back of my sporty and we rode down to his vendor display at The Wreck Bar and Grill on Main St. She had her reservations about riding bitch. She was convinced everyone was watching us. "They're gonna think we're dykes!" she cried. Her own sporty was 1200 miles away. At one point she screamed how people were staring. I looked around. No stares. So we're riding down the crowded streets and she's shouting, "We're not dykes! She's just giving me a ride!"

A number of people stopped us and asked to take pictures. One group of elderly ladies ran up and posed with us. They gushed about how great it was to see "two women out and about on their own, on a motorcycle. Doing just what they want." OK.

At the JJ display, Angie eagerly played Horse Maiden handing out copies of the Horse. I questioned her, when I noticed she wasn't handling many out. 'You said to hand then out to cute guys," she said. "I don't see any." No cute guys. No JJ. We decided to eat at the Wreck and Angie found a few cute guys. She found a few more down on Beach St. Tom the German, had hot chicks posing on his latest custom. I grabbed a few pics, while she grabbed Tom.

"Hey I know a cute guy here!" Angie suddenly remembered. She knows them everywhere. We tore up to the Broken Spoke. The german lady at the gate stopped us immediately.
"Where do you think you're going?" She challenged. " I wanna go with you! You girls look like trouble." She gave us a parking spot right near her post and we set out to find Angie's soon-to-be-boyfriend. Men began throwing themselves at her, but she held out until she found Jimmi Bell guitarist for the Diamondback Band. At that point she immediately began making out with him. He reluctantly tore himself away. The other members of the band were on stage playing, waiting for him to join them.

A phone call gave me a mission, so we headed south to the marina to find my buddy Bob. My paint fumed brain cells had forgotten Bob's instructions on finding him. So we went around to the biggest boats in the Marina, asking for Bob. Suddenly every guy's name was Bob. Some of these boats were pretty nice. I wanted to go aboard a few of them, but Angie wouldn't have it. "What if they kidnap us? They can just drive off into the ocean and we'll be toast!"

Meanwhile the Rat Tail Man was ringing Angie's phone every 4 seconds. She had driven him to a friend's home, halfway between his house and Daytona. She felt very bad for the people there, being stuck with Mr. Cheapskate. Plus her return trip ticket and all her clothes, including her leather bustier collection, were at Ratty's house. In her rush to leave, she had forgotten to bring everything with her.

"He'll burn all my stuff if he gets too pissed!" After a long session with the map, she fled back to Ocala.

Friday morning, after several lengthy phone seminars on how to find south by looking at the sun, Angie found the Ranch again. We flew down to the Boardwalk Bike Show, where the bikes glittered in the hot sun as scantily clad women crawled all over them, posing for the cameras.

As the sun set Saturday, I did a photoshoot on a rigid FXR for The Horse. Angie assisted.
Where to go next was an easy choice as Angie's "Hot Dude of the Moment" was at the Broken Spoke. Angie was perplexed. The Rat Man had effectively forced her to go back to Tampa by going along on her trip, then staying at a friend's. As much as everyone begged her to stay, the odds were against it. She wanted to stay and have hot evening fun with Jimmi Bell. I wanted to spend time with my best bud. She decided to stay in Daytona as long as she could. We tried to think up the perfect lie. Her rental car was parked in at the Ranch. That sounded plausable! She called the psycho and he wasn't there. So she happily left the message that she wouldn’t be there anytime soon. Shortly after, the phone rang ominously. It was Him! The nut was calling.

"I can't answer it here! The band's too loud. I'm supposed to be at your house!" We frantically searched for a quiet place. Next door at Smiley's by the fire in back was 'sorta' quiet. It would have to do. Angie spun her web, with Ratty not believing a word. "Well, get the asshole whose parking you in towed, I'll pay for it." Oh sure he'll pay for that but not even buy her a box of crackers? "With what, ya stupid cheap dick?" She fumed into the phone. We took off and spent the rest of the night dancing to Diamondback as people tossed beads to us. When the band was done playing, the drummer stood up and pointed to Angie. He tossed his drumsticks to her. Suddenly this big dude flew across the dance floor, shoved tiny Angie away and grabbed the sticks, holding his trophy aloft, very proud of his accomplishment. I wanted to pop him with a beer bottle, but I had an appointment with a couple of cute guys later. A night in the pokey did not fit into my plan. Angie disappeared with Jimmi and my cuties showed up for our date. Angie's phone continued it's angry ring, so she said goodbye to me after I pulled her out of a van.

I'll let Angie tell the rest of the story.

" Wow did we have a fight @#$%%$#@. He said 'I didn’t know you were such a Bitch.' I said 'No I’m a Crazy Bitch, don’t fuck with me again.' He got even by dumping Cobra shit down my toilet and splashing it everywhere on my things. I flipped out, hit him, and packed all my stuff called Delta. No way home. I stayed on the couch. Then he came into the room pined me down, held my arms, and farted on me for, I swear 5 minutes. gross. Smelled worse then the Cobra shit, and broke one of my nails. I took a Xanax, to knock myself out. The good things are I lost 8lbs from nerves, I’m nice and tan, and I think I’m seeing an almost rock star. He’s been calling every day since and I’m home in a clean house. Did I mention I had to ride bitch on Joann’s bike to get to town? Did I mention there was NO sex? I told him never touch me anywhere again. That I skive him. Sorry, but how much can a girl take? Joann is writing this in Bikernet. We're calling it “The Rat Tail man that gave No Tail.” This is all true."

meanwhile in the rest of the world...

2006-03-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. I love the bike and the way people used to ride back then. It was a very different world for folks who rode.
Meanwhile, my husband has gotten to Daytona. He's staying at the new Destination Daytona. His boss's condo is very cool, Jim says. He was hanging on the balcony and Cory Ness walked by. Jim says the place is enormous. So far hes having a good time. I wish I were there, but if I were there I could not stay at the condo with Jim, as it is a boys weekend. No wives. Jim doesn't do the guys only thing very often, in fact, he's only gone away without me, maybe 4 times in the past 11 years. But if I were there, I'd be just fine, as I have my own places to be. My friend Rusty Katrina from Denmark is in Daytona. Morgan is there, and Goth, I could crash at my friend Anitas house or sleep in my truck. Plus I'm sure Margorie from American Iron Retailer is buzzing around. So there would be no shortage of friends to hang with. I could even meet my Jim for dinner or drinks. It's funny, a husband and wife at the same event, and not staying together, and it's ok.
I miss him. But it is nice to have the house to myself. About two years ago, Jim went on a Biker Build Off ride and I was alone here for a week. Well not really alone, me with the cats and the dog.
Today is a long day, go into Charlotte, dropping off parts for final clear, pick up soem paint, work on a paint job at my home studio. Get ready to do some major work over the weekend.
I had a horrible headache yesterday. I hate that. I lose so much work time to those headaches. But summer is coming, my bikes await me for summer riding, my hammock waits to be hung up in the woods, my godsons will be here soon and it will be so much "fun" training the 2 yr old not to climb everything in my house or break stuff.

Daytona Bike Week

2006-03-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

The husband leaves for Daytona today. It was a last minute thing. His boss Click is down there. He's a got a condo at Destination Daytona. He's been calling asking if Jim is coming down.Jim's fab shop is not crazy busy right now, so he has the time plus his good friends Micky and Dave, will be there. He seldom gets to see them. So he will stay at Click's condo and hang with the boss, see his good friends, and see bikes. Also Morgan Storm will be riding the Wall right across the street. Jim can go over and watch her ride and congratulate Morgan for getting into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame!
That's right our Morgan, who we all knew, was a legend, will become an offically recognized legend!!!!! We are so excited and happy for her. Her dad, Sonny Peloquin will also be reconized! Imagine, to be inducted along with your dad.
So Jim will have fun. And everyone keeps asking me if I'm going, no I can't. Too much work. Summer will be here before I know. And I want to spend some serious seat time on those bikes.
As for the squirrel picture, that was taken last summer. I was looking out the window and couldn't believe it. Does it have anything to do with Daytona? Yes. There are plenty of people at Daytona this week, with less brains than that squirrel.
Ok time for work. Us Femme Fatales are crazy busy this month. Sara is building a bike for one of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm getting ready to start on the bike paint for the Kyle Petty Ride Across America bike. Not much time for blogging, but I have a bunch of piant that is almost done, so I'll be posting pictures over the next few weeks!
If you're Daytona bound, remember to stop in at Destination Daytona and walk over to the Wall of Death and say hello to our Morgan! Goth may even be there playing keyboards.

Misc Crazy Shit

2006-03-01T05:26:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here, I just got back from a 4 day airbrush class. It was incredible. See pics.
Not much time to write these days. Check in and see the pictures I'll try to post. This time a year is always an crazy race that drives many of us in the custom bike industry to insanity. The warm weather teases and customers go completely nuts driving us to the edge of suicide.
Ladies!!!!!!! This is for the ladies only!!!!! 30 years of skiing, riding, outdoor stuff has beaten my skin to crap. I froze it skiing, the wind dragged it all over the place riding. My face never had a chance. So I'm trying something different. Ok I'll just comeout and confess. I love the Mary Kay face products. They have made such a difference in the texture of my face skin. It is so smooth. Never in a million years would I have ever believed I'd be gushing about that that line of products in pink containers. But I love it. www.marykay.com/mfleming1028 Go this this website and check out Muriel's stuff. Muriel Fleming is my best friend's sister and I become obsessed with trying the MaryKay Timewise products after seeing the difference in MaryAnn's skin.
Ok back to Bike Stuff!!!!!!!
For those of you going to Daytona, have fun. I won't be there. I'll be here working and dreaming of riding.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

The years pass by so quick after age 40. Blink and a year goes by. The big race at Daytons is happening soon. I remember where I was when I heard Dale Sr had died. I was in my truck driving from Columbus, OH to Indy. It was when the Indy M/C trade show used to be worth going to. My husband was showing a bike in Columbus and I left to go back to Indy. For all the wrong reasons. I should have stayed in Columbus and spent time with my husband.
This business can be hard on relationships. So this Valentine's Day I made sure my hubby knew I was thinking of him. He came home to find a little goodie bag of stuff on his work bench. Nothing fancy, some snacks, a wash mitt for his truck, mini mag lights, stuff like that. Oh and a nice card.
He brought me candy and roses. I've spent so much time concentrating on work and survival for so long. It's nice to finally work back into my marriage again, appriciate everyday with him.
Anyhow all the Femme Fatales are busy working, surviving. Summer will be here soon and I want to be out riding, spending time with my godsons, yelling at my brother while he messes stuff up.
Besides the Olympics are on. For a ski bunny like me, there are only one Olympic games, the Winter games.
Ok back to work.

Still Kickin'

2006-02-15T05:29:00.000-08:00

So much has happened I don't know where to start. The first weekend of Feb I was at the VTwin Expo in Cinci with the 3 other Femme Fatales. We had a great time and the Femmes seemed to get a good reception by the press and people. The party scene was pure craziness. I got plenty of blackmail pictures. Brian Klock, Billy Lane, Marilyn Stemp, I won't show anyone the pictures. I'm gonna try and write up a story for Bikernet. Too much to write here. Oh I had a such a great time. Saturday night was pure insanity.
This past weekend was the Easyriders Show here in Charlotte, and the above shovelhead won a second place, beating my bike. Frickin Ben and Ryan. Stupid yellow paint was too good. More drunken antics on a Saturday night. And there was no moonshine till Sunday morning when it was badly needed for hangover assisitance.
And my best friend/brother was here in SC house hunting. He searched all weekend while I was at the show and did not find anything. I began to panic. I want my family here!!!!!! So Monday we went on a last ditch effort and found the prize! 11 minutes from my house. It's a 30 acre paradise where the big lug can sit on the expansive front porch and hunt deer. The brick house is incredible but I love the endless hardwood forest behind the house.
So lets see what Crazy Horse has ahead, paint work to do for customers, my 4th book to write, an airbrush class to take next weekend with the best airbrush artist in the world - Dru Blair, a house deal to buy and close with my bro, articles to write for American Iron and The Horse, and stupid Daytona Bike Week is looming like a greedy monster on the horizon.
I'll be back after I clone myself.

True Confessions

2006-02-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, what does a biker chick do in the morning while she's answering emails and starting her day? Does he watch her dvd of Easyrider or videos of Daytona and Sturgis? Or listen to Ted Nugent loud enough to crack the windows of the office? No she doesn't. Actually the Ted Nugent thing will happen later during wet sanding 100 pices of motorcycle time.
She watches, gasp! Martha Stewart! Why? Because REAL biker chicks love to eat GOOD food. And being picky, we know we can do it better ourselves! So we cook kick ass food. And Martha is always coming up with neat ideas. Like today she had a reciepe for Chili Lime Popcorn.

I had a great time Thanksgiving and Christmas cos I got to cook all day. I roasted a turkey, stuffed it with multigrain bread stuffing and sausage/beef stuffing, using a thick slice of rye bread to keep it all in. Then for veggies - mashed red potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted carrots and pearl onions in onion sauce, cranberry dressing, and of course home made apple pie.
Then I eat for week and then spend 3 months dropping the weight!
But that's my (Crazy Horse) confession. Don't know if Sara, Goth or Morgan watch her. But could you imagine the 4 of us on her show? Goth would be unreal funny as usual. Well, pipedreaming as usual.
Back to reality. The plumber comes today to fix a leaky outdoor spigot. It has been leaking for about 8 years now. I keep trying to fix it myself, tough biker chick ya know, and it always starts leaking again. So this time I'm hiring a professional. Well I hope hes professional. Ben Jordan recommmended him so it will be Ben's fault if all goes wrong.

1:14 am Tuesday morning

2006-01-30T22:14:00.000-08:00

and here I am working. Well sorta. Here's a pic of AJ taken on that FLA trip in 1994. Nice socks!
Well here's the whole horrible tale of that Fla trip. And every word is true, this shit really happened. cast of charators, me (seen in beach picture), Lorin or Earthquake Blake ( the blonde), AJ (skinny guy in funny socks), a pink sporty named Wildchild, a 250 ninja, and big ass Honda rocketship.

I didn't hear my knee break when the dirt bike went down. I didn't even realize it was broken. It did hurt like a mutha tho. My perfect, powerful little legs would never be perfect again. Me and my buddy Bob had been riding the powerlines for an hour. I just fiqured I had sprained my knee really bad, so we rode back to the truck. That’s when I found out just how much trouble it was to push in the clutch on my car. 2 hours later, I was in unbelievable, serious pain and my knee was the size of a basketball. At the hospital looking at an X-ray, the doc shook his head and said to me, "You must have really whacked this hard. Knees don't usually break like this." The upper leg bone had come down against the lower one and sheared off 1/3 of the knee cup. The sweet buzz I got from the vicodans didn't take off the sting from the knowledge that I wouldn't be getting on my recently purchased 1200 sporty, anytime soon.
The next day I was sitting there with my leg in a cast as my roommate Matt told me about a 250 Ninja that was in the paper. The guy wanted $900 for it. An hour and a half later, there we were looking at a white and red ninja. Matt rode the bike around the parking lot and pronounced it mechanically sound. The confused look on the seller's face was priceless as Matt picked me up and set me over, then on the bike. I was wearing a long white dress and a cast. Hey, I had to sit on the bike before I bought it. Even with the cast, the bike felt good. The doc had said after the cast came off, that it would be months before my leg was fully healed. I needed a lightweight bike to ride in those months and this little baby fit the bill. After handing over $600, we loaded the bike on the trailer.
2 months rolled by and even tho the newest x-ray showed a hairline crack that had yet to heal, the doc removed my cast. He advised me to stay away from ski slopes and motorcycles for the rest of my life. I stayed away from ski slopes for 2 years. I stayed away from motorcycles for the entire 10 minutes it took me to drive home from the drs office. My left leg had the muscle tone of a bag of wet oatmeal, but I could put weight on it. I opened up that garage door and rolled out my baby ninja. It was late Nov and the riding season in New England was drawing to a close.
AJ, a bike-painting friend of mine in Memphis called me and said, "Let's go to Florida and check out the bike painting opportunities there." I had to go out to Memphis anyway to drop off 2 paint jobs. AJ figured we could go to Fla from there. I loved Memphis. The blues clubs, the music, the people, it was all-good.
So there I was telling my friend Crazy Angie about this while sitting at the bar in the Red Dog Saloon in Middlefield, CT.

"Then you should meet this chick Lorin!" Angie said. It was at this point that this wild looking blonde woman came over to me and said, "I want to go with you to Florida!" That was how I met Earthquake Blake. She had just gotten laid off her job and had some time on her hands. She also had a brand-new truck, big, shiny, and black. She also had a trailer and one very fine looking custom 1200 Sportster complete with lots of chrome and a wild, black and pink Billy Streeter paint job. The back fender of the bike had "Wild Child" lettered across it. It was most appropriate.

"You'll be on your sporty right?" she asked. I told her no. "Not the ninja!!!!" she cried. Her perfect little nose wrinkled up as she grabbed her beer and drained it. "You mean I've got to ride next to a Ninja?"
She pulled up to my house in a cloud of dust. "Mustang Sally" was blasting out of the stereo. My two friends seeing me off just looked at each other and shook their heads. We loaded up the bikes and took off for Memphis. Yes, we were going to Florida by way of Memphis! We would pick up AJ in Memphis, in addition dropping off some paintwork there to pay for my little adventure.
AJ had told me when I had met him a year earlier that he lived on 160 acres in a house that "looks just like Graceland only bigger. " I had thought it was just another tall tail. He said he was the son of a prominent doctor and raced bikes professionally. Also, he had this insane idea that he wanted to paint bikes. He was 26 years old, very handsome, 6'2" with long brown hair and native America tattoos. He could and frequently did, also charm the pants off most women with his oh-so-sweet southern accent and his sly smile.
We were all young, too young to realize the miracle that lay ahead. We were just going on a simple road trip. Nothing more. None of us had regular jobs, children at home, major bills, or related kinds of responsibilities. I didn't think we'd be making the trip of a lifetime. A trip that none of us would ever experience again. A trip that would change all our lives forever.

It was 800 miles to Memphis. The back of Lorin's truck was filled. Because we weren't restricted by having to pack on the bikes, we could bring as much crap as we wanted. After the many bags of countless pairs of black jeans, sweatshirts, tank tops, belts, who knows how many leather jackets, and 2 large cardboard boxes of riding boots, there was barely enough room for the 2 sets of sheetmetal. Yeah, the bed of that that Dodge Ram was packed full. 2 chicks on a trip and no guys to bitch about how much shit they could bring. The drive west was a small slice of heaven. Great weather, great conversation, wondering about how towns get their names, like Bucksnort, TN. Lorin, a native Alaskan, told me about growing up in Alaska. She had gotten her pilot's license at age 16. She had traveled the entirety of North America for the past 16 years. She had spent a year in Mexico, where she sang in a band at night and tanned on the beach during the day. She ended up in Wallingford, CT; where she lived in her own 2 family house that she was remodeling. There was a bullet hole in the floor where she had shot a man who wouldn't take no for an answer. In Nov, when most of us CT people were wearing leather while riding at night, she wore only jeans, boots, and a tank top. Her thin yet muscled and tanned arms showed off an elegant tribal tattoo than ran just above her left bicep.
We definitely stuck out in a crowd. No matter where we pulled in, everyone's attention was drawn to us. Maybe it was the bikes, maybe it was the fact that two chicks were in the truck, but most likely it was the leggy blonde that was built like a brick shithouse who walked around, as tho she owned the planet.
After carefully following AJ's directions we pulled into what appeared to be the right driveway. I was about to find out of AJ's tale had been fact or fiction. It was a very long driveway, a road really. A brick gate announced we had arrived at the correct place. We came over a hill and looked down past the rolling lawn to a mansion set into the countryside. It looked like Graceland, only bigger.

Next Time---Bike Paint, Tornados, BB King's place and the screams at midnight.

Burnouts Rule!

2006-01-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like burning tire. When ya had a shitty day a burnout will always cheer you up.. Here's my (Liberte) boyfriend RT doing his thing on my 96 XL. Can't wait for some decent weather around here....

Friday Again???

2006-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse- God I'm feeling good these days. Nothing like good news from the dr to lift that 10 ton monkey off a lady's back. But I feel thankful for my life in general. We as a society are so programmed not to be happy. "You're not a millionaire, you can't be happy." "You're not as skinny as a swimsuit model, so once you are, you can be happy." "Unless you live in a macmansion, you are a failure, especially if you live in a trailer." "Your skin sags and ya ain't got the $$ for surgery, go hide under a rock, you're old and worthless."
What crap. We are programmed to buy all this shit in order to make us happy. We have supposed to fit into some narrow definition of what a successful person is or looks like.
But I'm happy. I'm not skinny, I live in a trailer, Im not rich, and my skin is starting to sag. But I feel good about my life. One of the things that make me feel good are my friends. I'm rich when it comes to good friends.
AJ Cates is the dude in the pictures. I met AJ 12 years ago at the HD Drags in Memphis. he said he lived in a mansion liek Graceland only bigger. I though he was full of shit. Then 6 months later I visited him and found out it was true.
We went on to have quite an adventure on the bike trip to Florida. It is a twisted tale that at the time I wished I had realized that I would be the last truly wild ride for any of us complete with sex, drugs, stalkers, strippers, and motorcycles.But I got to see AJ for the first time since that trip. I stopped on my way out to Vegas.
Well more later, as my breakfast in burning and the sun is comin g and warming up the frozen landscape. Tune in again tomorrow!

Tuesday, not Monday

2006-01-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Sitting here about to start working on the airbrush book. VTwin tv is on. Damn how the custom motorcycle industry has changed. Tuesday night on Speed Channel is all motorcycles. Starts off with Texas Hardtails. I like that show. Its silly fun which is what it is meant to be. Then it's Corbin's RideOn, a pretty interesting show. Mike Corbin is always coming up with neat stuff and it did not surprize me the success of his show. Next is VTwin TV and it's very watchable. They really make it intresting to watch with a great variety of material. I like these shows cos they are very real. There's no scripted reality. Speed is doing a fantastic job with their motorcycle content.
As for Crazy Horse Painting, there's a project from American Iron coming into the shop. I'll be handling bodywork and paint duties. For the artwork, I'm teaming up with Ryan White of Indocil Designs. Ryan is a kickass striper and designer. We're gonna come up with a simple yet, striking design to give this bike a different look. There must be thousands of "ol school" chops out there, and we don't want this little chop to get lost in the flat black with pinstripes crowd. So we're going to come up with some evil artwork and bring this baby to life. Keep your eye on American Iron as they detail the entire project in the coming months. The seat guy just finished the seat and it is killer. Sorry cant show yall a picture. Have to wait for the mag to come out.
Big news, well sorta, well almost, a passerby would never even guess that a bike shop is at the end of my driveway. I have the most boring garage building in North Carolina. That will not change, from atleast the street angle. But I will be flaming the side doors of the shop. And I may even do a step by step feature on it for Bikernet.
Anyhow, gotta get to the book. Doing an article for Ol Skool Rods about painting flames on a '39 Ford. The car this part is going on is the talk of the Charlotte area. The owner is digging all the people noticing the car and talking about it. So I guess it was a good idea to take a chance to paint this car last year. I'll post pics here once I finish this last part.

Missing any kind of riding

2006-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here - I was just on The Horse's Back Talk board and someone was writing about riding on crappy days. Well, sitting here on a foggy, rainy, cold Monday morning I was thinking back to the mid 90's whwn I used to ride my Ninja everywhere in any kind of weather. There is a sense of the surreal riding in weather like this, the gray fog and drizzle gives the world a sense that it is all dream. It seems so strange that I miss those days of the old 90's. Never thought I would look back. But I do. I was young, in my 30's and life seemed infinate. Get on the other side of 40 and life feels completely different.
I guess the point of this post is to tell anyone out there who is feeling bad about their life, is to stop seeing all the hell. There is good, and years later when you look back, you'll see it. See between the edges of whatever you feel is wrong in your life and enjoy the good.
Thaqt pic above was taken after a day of riding in the rain and drizzle. I had just done 256 miles of it across the back country of South Carolina. I loved that day. Too bad I came home and let a situation bring me down. It was something I could have walked away from and not allowed it to bother me. But I did. And it was not worth it. Not one bit. I could have kept that golden glow from that ride. Kept it into the evening, shared it with my husband. But I didn't. I let myself get sidetracked.
My old cat is gone, buried out by the shed alongside my Evo cat and Hilda dog. Baby cat nearly made it to be 21 years old. She had a quite a life after she turned 10. That's when my dad died and she moved in with me. She moved to Florida with me, had her own screened porch full of plants where she could watch the birds on the lake, the storms move across the land, I wonder if she ever saw any of that. Then she came here to North Carolina.
Oh now to start my workday.

Boo Hiss Katy Couric

2006-01-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that my old cat is living her last hours or my Cintiq monitor/tablet came with the wrong pen and it took me hours to figure out, it's not a bad Friday. The reason is I'm going to pick up and deliver a paint job today and get paid!!!!!!! The sun is out, I feel good.
Then silly bitch Katy Couric has to come on tv and exhibit nearly every stereotype motorcycle riders have fought years to overcome. She whines and bitches about how dangerous motorcycles are using Gov. Arnie's accident as an example. Uh, if she had been paying attention, sure he didnt have the right endorsement, but a driver in a car pulled out in front of him. The motorcycle was not a danger to him, the idiot driver who pulled into the road in reverse was a danger to anyone on the road.
Then Katy goes on to say how nervous motorcycles makes her as she cringes. Stupid bitch actually cringes! And of course they had the OCC Pauls there and those bikes would have made me cringe too.
So Katy, you suck. Sure it's your opinion, but you're on the highest rated morning tv show and you're influencing millions of people. You could have said alot of things, maybe how Arnie's accident illustrates how vunerable motorcyclists are and how drivers should be aware. You maybe could have saved a life or two, but no you slam bikers and cringe as if you were facing Bin Laden or a morning without your makeup artist.
So thank you you silly worthless person, thanks for perpetuating myths. Between you and the EPA, we can expect more bullshit laws and clueless drivers affecting a group of people whose only crime is driving on two wheels with a motor.
Other than that I feel fine.

Routine Adventures

2006-01-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here - Cornbread said he missed my usual posts so here's one for him. The winter pace is usually brutal, but this year, it's way past that. So many things are happening seemlying all at once here. My best guyfriend who I call my brother wants to move his family down here to SC. And if I had a wish, it would be for him, his wife and my godsons to be only an hour away from me. To see those two little dudes grow up, babysit them, take them to swap meets, Panther games, help them learn about life and watch as they grow and experience it. To be there the day one of them storms away from home, showing up at my front door cos Dad doesn't understand him. To tell them ghost stories in my back yard sitting around a fire and bitch them out when they break their first heart.
To be able to spend time with my sister in law, going out to eat and laughing about the latest situation my brother has gotten into.
But this is the busy season and he's ready to look at land NOW dammit! If I stall him, he'll lost interest.
And my old cat is dying. Now that may not seem like much, but she is all that is left of my parents. They died a while back, and having this old cat around helped me not to miss them too much. To be able to give this cat a good life and I know they loved the cat, so it was one last thing I could do for them, plus I fell in love with the stupid cat and she had a number of adventures in her travels with hubby and I. Now she's stopped eating. And a hard desision must be made.
As for paint work, I just finished a kickass paint job for the Charlotte, Easyriders Show in Feb. I love it.
I'm getting started on a few other paint jobs, pretty wild stuff, and I'm excited to be back working in my studio again.
And I am loving SATA's new airbrush, the SATAgraph 3. It is without a doubt the best airbrush I have ever used.
I started cutting a hiking trail to the back of our property, hell only took me 9 yrars of living here to finally do something.
But overall, despite being so busy with work and family, I'm happier than I was last year, for sure. I'm not taking things or people for granted. I'm enjoying the most of each day, treasuring the sunsets and the sunrises, enjoying the good and not focusing on the less than good.
So thats it. Old cats, new babies, old bikes, new paint. No time for fuckheads.

Winter, Sminter!

2006-01-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Yeah winter down season. Sure. Ya'll just wrapped up in your blankets dreaming about summer riding. For us bike painters and builders, it's almost summer! Most customizer's chedules are booked through March, so the way were thinking, it's May already. Yeah, I'm dreaming of summer too. It's been in the 70s and 60s here in southern NC, bikes rolling by my place. And the cobwebs continue to form on the two bikes in my shop. God, 20 years ago, I couldn't even dream of having the two bikes I have now. Of course if I made wiser desisions in the romance arena......
To hold some of you over until summer, here's some more pics.
Fuckhead Blake update! No Lindsey did not go over to his house to slap his face. She decided it wasn't worth the effort. Of course us ADULTS (I use the words loosely) tried to tell her this before, but like any young adult she had to find this out for herself. Punk Blake has his own problems as his parents are about to cut him off from his limitless funds.
In other Putz news, the putz are still out there, living among us. So enjoy the winter and hope you don't run into any of them.
Enjoy the pictures! More soon. Maybe I'll dip into the Crazy Horse wine cellar and get creative on the keyboard some night and post some silly stuff. Right now my mind is too into work mode, which should make my customers happy.

The Super Glamourous Life of a Bike Painter

2006-01-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's a Friday night. Almost 11pm. I just shut down the airbrush studio and I'm down in my office. My office is actually a living room/sunroom thing that never got used. Jim doesn't come down here. It's nice, tall windows cover most of the walls. Big huge plants all over the place. Incredible clear big tv. I had pretty good speakers but they died this morning. I have two computers going, my laptop which I type on and my desktop which I store and look at pictures on. I find it's handy to have two computers going at once.
I'll work on my airbrush book for a few hours, mindless tv going in the background or maybe I'll shut it off. Get to bed about 1am. Tonight, I cooked whole wheat pasta with sausage tomato alfredo sauce.
I'm painting real flames and they can be bitch to paint. They're easy enough if you just want real flames but for the super true fire effect, it takes a special touch. The oil tank is done and looks great. Started on the rear fender but needed the seat to know where exactly to paint. Front fender is most of the way done.
Gonna get up, and get an early start on it. Maybe go for a jog through the woods in back.
So there you have it. For those who have any illusions, winter is work time for those in this business. Tonight, guys like Hank Young are working. Maybe sitting in the shop, compressor and machines shut down, sitting there staring at a bike on the lift, wondering how to get the curve of a certain part just right. Trying to come up with something as incredible and unique as the last creation.
The Cinci VTwin show is a month away but it may as well next week. Jan will be over faster than Dec.
Man I don't want to work, I want to sit back and relax and go to sleep. If I were at a bike event tonight, I'd be on a bike, breazing through the nighttime streets, taking the long way to where ever I was going. Not wanting the ride to end. It's so weird out in Sturgis. I'll get in at 2am or so from Jose's house. I'll pull up to the bike covered front parking lot of the Spearfish Holiday Inn, not a person around. Just endless lines of bikes sitting there. I'm usually cold and stiff from the ride. It feels sorta like a dream. Ears kinda stunned at the sudden silence that overwhelms when I reach down and shut off the ignition. Back the chopper into a parking space, flip down the kickstand and get off the bike. A day of riding is over and it's time to go to bed.
Each event I go to has it's nightime ritual of winding down from a day of intense riding. I feel alive just thinking about it.

Biker Photos!

2006-01-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here - I've taken a bunch of killer photos over the years that never made into the magazine articles, so every week, I'll post some of those here. So check them out and let us know what you think. You never know, it could be you or your bike. I been traveling taking pictures of people and bikes for 15 years. This weeks photos were taken at Sturgis 2003 on the road, Key West '04, and Daytona '02.

Bring On 2006!

2006-01-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's to 2006 being filled with great times with great friends. Can't wait to get back out on the road with my Pals, Goth, Morgan, Joann, Ice and all our awesome friends, Marj, NY Myke, Jay Allen and all the great dudes we have so much fun with. Funny how sometimes the buds you only get to see once every few months, you have a stronger relationship with, a mutual bond of trust and loyality. At least I'm lucky enough to be able to surrond myself with pals like this. Here's to friends and the Motorcycle Femme Fatales reakin' havoc all over this land! ~Liberte

Life is a frickin picnic

2006-01-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here (I think) - Many years ago I used to live in a place where people actually came over as I did not live in boondockville. Some mornings my landlords son in law, The Rupe would get off working 3rd shift and I'd find him sitting at my kitchen table drinking beers at 7am as the bars were not open yet. He'd always leave money in the fridge, $3 per beer just like the bar. And I told him not to pay but he insisted it just wouldn't be right not to pay.
Anyhow he had this saying, when some horrible thing would happen, and they happened alot to all of us who lived at the end of that dead end street as were all idiots, the Rupe would comment, "It's just like Thanksgiving everyday."
Well that's how this year is starting out. I had a wonderful, incredible Thanksgiving, relaxing Christmas, fun New Years, then whammo!
There are moments that mark your life. When you realize nothing will ever be the same and you divide your life into two parts, what happened before this and what happened after. And sometimes you can feel them before they happen and the strong keep going.
I'm not saying I'm strong. People like Morgan are strong. That woman has paid more dues than most of the toughest men can even imagine.
To see someone you care about hurting and not be able to do anything to help, to change it, now that's hard. I lost someone a long time ago. No warning, just bang, gone. Can't go back and say what you wanted to say, or maybe be nicer.
So today if you're reading this, think of who you are taking for granted. Someone you should treat better than you do. And be nicer. Let down that wall you hide behind. If you're being selfish, stop it. Try and be more thoughtful.
Cos there will come a day when you'll wish you had. And you won't be able to. I went through it once. And it's so easy to get into those selfish ways if people love you enough to let you get away with it.
Hey this might be some way too honest stuff. But like my high school welding teacher used to tell me all the time , "Be nice."
You never know when one of those "moments" will come along.

Lets hear it for the good men!

2006-01-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

There are so few. The guys who don't lie, don't cheat, don't think that they are smarter than everyone else. There should be a special kind of eyeware, what when you're wearing them, you can see what the person inside looks like. Like an arrogant, good looking guy who swears he's for real and never lies, would look as ugly as he truly is inside. He would be twitchy, nervous, stooped over carrying the guilt, wearing his insecurites on his face.
Yes, men you could have these glasses too. But the question is, would you want them? Would you really want to know that the beautiful creature sleeping beside you, the one who all men go nuts when you walk into the bar with her? Would you want to know the truth?
I think that's the main difference between men and woman. Men for the most part seem to want to not ask too many questions when it involves a beautiful woman.
Whereas women - we want to know all the truth. Every little bit. Atleast older women do. We don't have time for bullshit.
If only 2006 could be a bullshit free year. For some it will. but for many, for the victims of the players out there, buy the high water boots, especially if living in the Pacific Northwest.
For the good guys, guys like Jay Allen, Paul Cox, Keith Ball, to name just a few, thanks for being real men!

Happy New Year!

2005-12-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to good health, safe riding (lots if it!), lots less stress (& may our bi-polar friends find some balance). May all evil computer hackers have their little fingers flayed - so every time they go to hurt someone who is NOT hurting anyone else AT ALL (and maybe even doing some good in the world...!) , they will think again and go after someone evil... or themselves... or no one at all! Here's to wind in your hair, sore smile muscles, and lots of true and honest family & friends to spend life with! May your magnetos never lose their charge, your loved ones stay safe, and as Jay Allen (Broken Spoke Saloon) says. "Keep the shiny side up!" (or sideways) - depending!
May our animals live long and healthy lives. For those poor creatures who are homeless or neglected or abused (no matter the reason), may they get a chance to live also... without the pain of hunger, or lack of love they so desperately need. Please help: click here every day to feed 6 animals for free - and tell your friends! It costs you absolutely nothing - 'cept a moment of your time to go & click every day. If there is not enough food donated for all the animals who are in need... well, you know... it's a bad thing..... Please help... Thanks to Rebecca Jackson for the info! Website link is below:
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa

I am hoping that the Motorcycle Femmes Fatales will live up to their goals - doing good stuff for lots of others while adding more positive experiences to their showcase of talents; showing that we all can multitask creatively- and it isn't a BAD thing! Music, art, and motorcycles DO go together - like life and the world... it is what you make it! ...and we make it lots!
For those of you who are not familiar with the first of these women in our group (there are more women involved with whom you will meet as we continue on), they are:
GOTHGIRL- (from San Francisco and Discovery Channel fame) with her music, both popular and her original pieces (which will bring tears to your eyes as they touch your heart), her artistic creativity, shininess, extra quick wit and mischievious sense of humor that the world needs way more of! GOTHGIRL also has her cat, who shares her sensibilities...!) Sara Liberte -artiste extraordinaire, with her creative take on photos she's fused with the machines her subjects love the best - her works are very intense and personal. Along with her artwork and bike designing and building (which she has written a book about), she and her best friend & partner Ron put out some of the most original and finest work from their small shop in Pa. There have been many great articles on Sara and her work in the industry's publications. She & Ron also have 3 energetic(!) ferret guys to keep her busy and fill her life with their ferret-love! Joann Bortles (Crazyhorse) is a motorcycle artist who has taken the technique of painting fire to new heights in her career projects. She has won many awards for her paintjobs and bikes, as have her clients, and she shares her knowledge in the books she writes on doing these techniques yourself. Lots more to come from Joann! Last for now, is S.Morgan Storm, who just wants to ride the Wall (and jump out of airplanes and race vintage bikes (Thanks, Jay A.!). If necessary, she swings a hammer for a living in the off season, but her artwork is her primary business when not performing in the Motor Drome. All her designs are original & everything is custom work -fine art, pen & inks, murals, faux finishing, glass etching, stained glass, etc. Morgan also plays guitar... & is attempting to learn violin & keyboard (& her 2 dogs don't leave as fast as they used to when the fiddle came out!).
The Femmes Fatales site is presentlyunder construction... here's our first cartoon(up top) - thanks to Thunder from Cycle Source Magazine(see below blog). Thanks Thunder and Chris and Ron and Jay and Rodent and Ice and Marjorie and so many more of our friends who have had only positive input for us lately! Everyone have a Safe & Happy! I will have a happy as soon as the top end of Lily is done (arghhh!)
-S.Morgan Storm

Last of 2005

2005-12-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here- There was a time not too long ago when I could not wait to get the hell out of 2005. So much bullshit happened. You know what kind of stuff I mean, the times that involve dishonesty, phoney stuff, just real unnessesary things. It colored my perception during the year. But now, looking back there were some truly awesome moments and most of them involved motorcycles and the people in the bike business.
People like Sara Liberte. Sara is beautiful inside and out. She's talented, witty, energetic and honest. I am honored to call her friend.
Margorie Klieman is another person who came into my life. For those who don't recognize the name, she is editor of American Iron Retailer, as well as a writer for American Iron, AI Choppers, and Thunder Press. She practically lives on her Dyna. Not one of those lady journalists that show up in daisy dukes and in a van. Marge is real.
None of you have heard of Barb Wilson, but any rider, male or female would love to ride alongside this woman. Barb rides like the wind, and she rolls on the miles. Danm this woman rode all the way from NJ down to my place in NC to ride around one day with me this past summer. Then in Sept she rode from Jersey down to Ocean City, MaryLand to help me at a bike event. Now that doesn't sound like much of a ride does it? But try it 2 weeks after having nearly half your lung capacity removed. Major surgery that she did not have a 100% chance of surviving. But she's living life 100% after it. That's Barb riding the Dragon's Tail in the picture above.
Morgan Storm, one person I sure wish I could have spent more time with this year. I don't understand rich folks who run to the head dr every week. Hell, if I had enough money I'd spend my time visiting my friends, riding with them, playing cards, telling stories and creating new ones to tell.
Good friends and good rides are what make life worth living. And my friends new and old were there for me this year. Sometimes it's easy to get lost and lose track of what is truly important. And that's what friends do, they are there for you even tho you're doing stupid shit, they listen while you complain about the aftermath of the stupid shit you did, they try and help you dig yourself out of the shit, and then they are there for you for you're ready to enjoy life again. And the most importantly, they don't judge you cos you're stupid. Cos they know everyone has their moments of stupidity, whether it's trusting the wrong person or trusting your own poor judgement. Yup, and those are the friends worth keeping.
2006 - I have no idea what is in store for me. I just want to enjoy the journey. Stay away from the pitfalls this time, spend more time in the seat of either of my bikes, and watch more sunsets over the Black Hills.

Happy Holidays & New Year!

2005-12-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Just some Holiday pics to brighten your day! "Santa" Alan Ford from England on the wall! The mistletoe cartoon is for Goth's "Skunk" from "Mischief" & "Daisy"(Sam)! ...and of course a "Mischief present"! Happy Holidays & New Year from all of us & our critters, too! -S. Morgan Storm

Hell Froze Over Friday

2005-12-23T04:43:00.000-08:00

A Friday I can enjoy? Got my work done? Yes. No fricking way. All I have to do this morning is burn pictures to a disc and drop it in the Fed Ex box. Unreal.
I thought I'd share the above pic with everyone. It was one of the many cool moments at Sturgis this year. I stopped over Jose's to return a jacket and Billy Lane and my editor Darwin Holmstrom stopped in. We all ended up sitting on the floor of Jose's garage talking about everything from old cars to old days to I can't remember what. No celebrity stuff, no posturing, no bullshit, just bullshitting. Darwin is one wild dude. He's the bald guy. Very extreme. He used to race bikes and knew Hunter Thompson. And he's one guy who could of kept up with Hunter, in fact he could write a book about his "bad old" days. Maybe we all could. I think everyone sitting on that floor has quite the past.
I wish the whole year coulda been like that, and it could have been. Oh well.
Worked in my studio last night. No, not on bikes yet! It was a softball helmet. Present for a little girl. But there are killer evil projects waiting to be worked on. Gotta one of my favorite paint jobs soon to be featured in American Iron. My husband's bike. Poor guy deserves it. He works all day on bikes then comes home to our garage and works on bikes a few more hours. And he barely makes enough to pay his bills. Nope, no celebrity builder stuff here. Just two people who dig bikes. Too much to sell our last 2 projects, both of which were built to sell. But we loved them so much we kept them. See that is how you make money in the bike business. Build them - then - sell them! Guess I missed that lesson. What would I rather have? All my bills paid off and a new roof on the house or a brutal chopper out in the garage? Hum, easy choice for me.
So today ...I will not paint bikes. I will do a very girl thing. I will shop with one of my best girl friends. Ginny is a tall blonde with blue eyes that can kill at 10 paces. She rides. She's cool. More about her later. I'll find a good pic to post. She is beautiful. AND SHE'S SINGLE! Hey guys - maybe we'll have a win a dream date with Ginny contest. Men would have to write an essay on why they should have a date with this incredible lady. No posers or fuckheads please. Ginny will read them and choose her date. More later.
I will not paint bikes tomorrow either! Or the next day. But I may paint some the day after. This is the first holiday in many years, that I have not had to paint during Christmas or Christmas eve. Wow! Just like when I used to work in factories and they gave us time off for Christmas. Gee, do they do that anymore?

Can't believe I'm saying this

2005-12-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

But I miss painting bikes. Not that I painted any today. But I spent some time in the paint booth today for the first time in nearly 2 months. I've been painting, but I've been painting on cars and trucks, working on the car book.
Finishing off the last of the Miata parts. Buffed on the Miata. Did some Christmas shopping today. Sent off more photos for the book. As far as the book goes, got to read through the rest of the edited chapters but sent in 6 of them this morning. I've been running all day.
Outside, the outline of my house glows with blue lights through the darkness of the trees. Blue candles in the windows. Blue lighted wreath on the front of the garage. Many years ago, I used to drive in the night, coming back from delivering bike parts, seeing the houses in the woods lit up with decorations. Those houses looked so cozy and safe.
So right now it feels so very very good to put on my jammies and sit down on the couch. Now I'll curl up under the indian blanket I bought 2 years ago on a trip out west. My husband says he's getting old, well long nights felt tiring 25 years ago. Putting in 16 or 18 hour days has always felt horrible. But atleast I can sit on my comfy couch in my safe warm little house. And that's a hell of alot more than I had 25 years ago. -----Crazy Horse

The Cycle Source Magazine

2005-12-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

Check out one of our favorite mag's the Cycle Source. This is a grass roots motorcycle publication and covers all the great stuff we love in motorcycling. Chris is an awesome dude who supports us and everything about motorcyling. Check out the site and subscribe online.. www.cyclesource.com ~Liberte

Morgan Storm, Wall Of Death Stunt Rider

2005-12-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

This is Morgan Storm, the coolest female Wall Of Death Stunt Rider. Morgan always credits those who rode before her especially her mentor, father and friend, Sonny Pelaquin. Be sure to check out her website for a taste of vintage WALL RIDING DAYS FROM THE EARLY 20'S..... www.thrillarena.com

The Broken Spoke Saloon

2005-12-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Broken Spoke Saloon...where all the cool kids hang
This is the Image Fusion portrait I did of a great friend of mine, and all the Femme Fatales, Jay Allen. Jay owns the biggest, best Biker Bar, the Broken Spoke Saloon. The Spoke is the Femme Fatales FAVORITE spot to hang at during the bike week events. Jay is the real deal man,Morgan even trained him to ride The WALL OF DEATH, and he rocks! so make sure you stop by to say "Hi" when your out at an event. Tell Jay the Femme Fatales sent ya... ~Liberte

Have You Seen This Mystery Woman?

2005-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

The Truth Died yesterday

2005-12-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here- Jack Anderson died yesterday. For those who don't know, who have no idea, Jack was the first of the whole truth journalists. He struck fear into the hearts of corrupt politians everywhere. The column broke a string of big scandals, from Eisenhower assistant Sherman Adams taking a vicuna coat and other gifts from a wealthy industrialist in 1958 to the Reagan administration's secret arms-for-hostages deal with Iran in 1986.
Anderson won a 1972 Pulitzer Prize for reporting that the Nixon administration secretly tilted toward Pakistan in its war with India. He also published the secret transcripts of the Watergate grand jury.
Such scoops earned him a spot on President Nixon's "enemies list." Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy has described how he and other Nixon political operatives planned ways to silence Anderson permanently — such as slipping him LSD or staging a fatal car crash — but the White House nixed the idea.
Over the years, Anderson was threatened by the Mafia and investigated by numerous government agencies trying to trace the sources of his leaks. In 1989, police investigated him for smuggling a gun into the U.S. Capitol to demonstrate security lapses.
Known for his toughness on the trail of a story, he was also praised for personal kindness. Anderson's son Kevin said that when his father's reporting led to the arrest of some involved in the Watergate scandal, he aided their families financially.
So what does this have to do with motorcycles? It's a well known fact the politians don't like motorcycles, especially custom motorcycles, hence that abomination of a law that makes it illegal to own more than one custom bike in your lifetime.
Bikers have always been about truth. And truth in this country is a rare thing to find. It takes guts to stand up for the truth, especially when very powerful people are after you.
But this man did just that. Thanks Jack. You made this world a better place.

There is an evil chop outside

2005-12-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here - Outside my kitchen door is a little shop. Looking at the boring brown structure, you'd never guess what's beyond the nondescript door. There are a few fairly evil bikes in there. Well if I was real cool, I'd call them choppers. One the old man built back in '71. It's the coolest fricking honda hardtail ever. Then there's my old road dog 1200 sporty. It doesn't get washed. Poor bike. I fell off the trailer with it this past summer. Shoulda known better. It don't like trailers and will seldom get on one. Can't leave out the gooseneck. That bike is just plain sweet, rides sweet, looks sweet. And it's mine. Unbelievable.
But this is not about that old stuff. The evil chop? It will not be seen by the public until the Charlotte Easyriders Show. There ain't nothing like it out there. Pure evil. No one is expecting anything like this to come out of my paint shop. I can't want to see the looks on people's faces when they see it.
Meanwhile, I have almost finished painting the Miata. That means I can finish writing my third book. Then my publisher can take my picture off his dartboard. Then I can back to painting bikes. Then my customers can take my picture off their dartboards.
Fuckhead Blake update - Lindsey is due to go over to Blake's house and slap his face next week. Question is - will her dad bail her out if she gets arrested?
Ok, some serious stuff. The Femme Fatales will actually be at the VTwin Show in Cinci. We won't have a booth or anything intelligent like that. No, we'll just be strolling around, sneaking up on people, crashing parties, picking on Brian Klock, blowing kisses at Dave Nichols, harrassing Chris Maita, sweet talking our favorite editor Darwin H, and whatever other evil Goth and Sara can think of.
Ok, I'm going to bed. Gotta be at the paint shop 8am to finish that "car."

No sex for me

2005-12-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here---No sex. Not this week. Not until this book is finished and sent off. Sent out about 360 photos today. The book has to be complete by the end of the week or my writing career will be fucked.
Got to paint a car and flame it this week or my writing career is fucked.
Actually I don't feel quite that tragic even tho what I wrote above it completely true. I don't feel tragic at all, but give me a few days. Or ask me on Friday. Haven't heard from the Poster Boy or as Ginny calls him FPB. Frying Pan Boy. My friends have a variety of names for him.
I just want to get this Miata finished. Finish off the book. Have a nice Christmas and spend the day cooking, watching Christmas movies, hugging the hubby. If it's warm, like above 45, I'll take the chopper out.
Oh my god! The chopper! Oh how I need to take a ride on that baby. Just feel myself stretched out on that long bike. Just pour on that throttle and tear up some curves. I need that so bad.
It's 11 pm. I'm knocking off early. No more working tonight. I'm turning off the computers and watching Sex in the City.

Scumbag Posers Who Pass For Men

2005-12-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

Crazy Horse here - Guys like this are an insult to all the real men out there.
So MaryAnn's oldest daughter, Lindsey calls me. She had some upsetting news. Now last year at this time, she was dating this jive turkey named Blake. Blake was an extremely good looking guy, except for the fact that he waxed his eyebrows. It looked totally ridiculous. Last year he came up to her college here in Charlotte and was hanging out with her family like he was a part of it. We all made him feel welcome. There was a pool on the roof of the hotel and we were all up there when he pulled off his shirt and jumped in, well, it was breathtaking. But if we'd known was he was really all about, we'd a been throwing him off that roof, great bod or not. They broke up this spring after she got fed up with his crap, like not taking her calls and then making her feel bad about it. "well, gee Linds, I've been studying so hard." " I didn't think you'd be calling, I'm not that good looking." "No other girls want me." Oh my god, so sad. Kinda reminds me of someone else, another teller of sad stories.
Linds lived with me this summer when she took a makeup course and we helped each other survive the summer.
Today she gets this call from a girl who says she was in a commited relationship with Flake, I mean, Blake for 2 years. In fact he went on their family vacation on winter break while he was dating Linds. So Linds is real pissed off. She's got too much of her mom in her and her pride needs retribution. She wants to go to Blake's house during winter break, slap him in the face, then spit at him. He works for her dad and she is demanding her dad fire him or else. Meanwhile her parents are in the middle of a nasty divoirce. Atleast I got her bail money, just in case.
Man, I knew he maybe had a booty call other than Linds, but a 2 year steady girl and who knows where else that shit was. Yuk!!!
The man or ah person featured in the picture? No, it's not Blake. But he sure is a "poster" boy.
What does this have to do with motorcycling. Not a damn thing. But it don't matter. You can get involved with shithead posers no matter where ya go or what ya do.
Another crazy winter. What next?

Holiday greeting from Liberte's ferrets

2005-12-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have 3 ferrets, they are the best, when the day sucks these guys cheer me up always! Ferret bueller, Cameron Firebolt and Donovan Hawk. ~Liberte

it's not an easy gig....

2005-12-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

I still can't beleive it's going to be 7 years since I opened my bike shop with RT. The work is getting tougher and tougher, and I have like zero time for my photogrpahy. Crazy Horse nailed it on the head about working on the weekends, man can I relate to that. I used to LOVE friday's, they had that certain feel to them, like the end of the work week. Now I know it's the start of the mad dash to accomplish so much. Oh well, what else am I going to do it's 20 degrees out and my mind only thinks about work anymore anyway... I will say I'm so lucky to be able to do what i actually have a passion for. Now, time to design this ride in my head, I gotta get back to work....~Liberte

Diamonds and Harleys

2005-12-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

Like I really needed another piece of jewelry. But I don't need 30 leather jackets either. I don't actually have 30, I think Angie will always have me beat on sheer numbers for leather clothing. But I bet I'm coming close to her when it coems to leather vests. I have about 10 now. Oh yeah right, like she only has 10. She did sell quite a bit of her stuff on ebay but I bet she she still has a shitload of leather clothing. You know us biker babes, we gots to have the leather. Ah but the trick with leather is you have to stay the same size or else you're SOL.
Anyhow I have always loved the 4 stone diamond ring my best friend MaryAnn had. When I heard she was gonna pawn her jewelry I said "Send that ring!" So yesterday I sent her a check. She's sending the ring. Hopefully I'll get it today and after so many years, it will be mine. It's not like I'm drowning in cash or anything close to it. But it will be like having a piece of her with me always.
So there I'll be sitting on my chopper. Looking at my hand on the throttle control wearing two diamond rings, liking what I see. The statement my hands make. That a women can be hard and elegant at the same time, just cos a woman rides a bike doesn't mean she doesn't have classic style. My existing ring has a great story to it, one that is a real biker story of almost kicked asses. But that's for another post. This one is about my hands. Hands that have split wood, climbed mts, frozen while washing airplanes, done tons of bodywork, and sanded miles of motorcycle sheetmetal. These old hands have worked pretty hard for the past 45 years. In fact, a guy once broke up with me citing my hands as being a big turnoff. "Your fingernails are disgusting!"
Then I met this crazy blonde woman who rode a hit pink sportster. Her hands looked sexy as hell with her nails just long enough and perfectly polished with simple classic rings, not chunky stones on each finger.
So now 22 years after Derek made that cruel observation, my hands have perfectly polished nails that are a sexy length and I wear simple but elegant diamond rings. Too bad the hands themselves are so beat up. But those lines tell a story, a story of a life lived full and hard. Funny at age 45 I'm finally starting to like myself as I find my own style.
You all can see my current ring in the right photo on my fat finger. Men are nuts over what they percieve as their fat necks, women - it's fat fingers.
Oh the "Got Dumped" photo? That's Angie. Back when she went out with the loser George. She's now married to a non loser.

Bad reasons for marriage

2005-12-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

My best friend is in the middle of a horrible divoirce. They got together in 1980 for the worst of reasons. She wanted love and to live the good life. He wanted to possess her. Now 25 years later, they have 3 daughters, 2 houses, a multitude of toys. Well all the toys are his. His boat, his corvette, his camper, his trailers, his trucks.
She became another possession. It's so sad. So much life wasted.
Who is to say what is right about anyone's life? It is so short anyway and then what? Maybe that's why selfish people get so much. They don't care.

Saturday-Shmaterday

2005-12-03T05:39:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to go to a party tonight in Raleigh. For those who live in places like CT or RI (and I'm a Ct Yankee and proud of it), it is a total hassle to get from Charlotte, NC to Raleigh. They may as well be in different states. Hell you can get to Atlanta in the same time.
In Nov I was home for 10 days. The rest of the time was spent on the road. But the main reason I won't go is the book. I am such an ass. I dreamed forever of having book contracts and now that I have them, I'm bitching about how late I am on my deadline. Ok back to the book. 2 more chapters to finish and then to get the rest of the pictures taken.
I am my own worst enemy.

Friday is the enemy

2005-12-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

of self employed people everywhere. I remember back when I used to do the punch clock deal, I loved Fridays! It meant 2 days off! A weekend to do whatever I wanted. Now Friday means I'm screwed again. I never get as much done as I plan during the week, so I get to spend the weekend working.
Years ago when I was young and 30 years old, I would get so despondant Friday afternoons, especially in the winter, when I sun would set early. I would think what hell my life has become. I couldn't see the beauty of the winter afternoon, the sharp contrasts of the brillant setting sun against the stark bare trees.
So now I go into my studio, to work, to live, to be thankful for each moment I am here. I wish I could go back and slap the young Crazy Horse in the head. What a blind fool she was to not see the treasures and miricles before her. I guess you have to have the right kind of eyes.
As for the idiot ex boyfriend, he's all sad. What an ass. Got a hug from the hubby this morning. A real one. I do so love that man. I got to keep working on him. He's no drama king, thank god!!!!!!!

I must be brave

2005-12-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

and clean out the fridge. It has not been touched for the past 2 weeks. I actually went and bought groceries today. And I've even going to cook some food. I'm not bad, but I have been pretty lazy. I did do thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house but what else was there to do. He was fighting with the wife. She was gonna get a restraining order, he was screaming he had a 5 gallon can of gas and would happily burn the house down. So while they fought and slammed doors I cooked the turkey, made 2 kinds of stuffing, roasted carrots, and made the gravy. They made up while I was outside riding bro's new $7000 quad which I blew up. Figures, hero one minute, asshole the next. This is the way my life works, don't know why I should expect anything more.
But tonight I'll make pasta with sausage and vodka sauce. Oh god that was a crazy trip last week. Now if I can only fnish my book and get out of the doghouse with my publisher.
Ok, I'm putting in a movie and cleaning and cooking. I;ve got 2 and 1/2 months before the big trade show in Cinci so I'm gonna eat whatever I want. I'll lose the weight later. Fuck it.

Fuck, it's Thursday

2005-12-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

How does the week just slip away like this? It's hard this week as I did not get back from CT until Tuesday, spent Wednesday morning with the husband. He is such a hottie. Everyone thinks so. I wish he'd see it. He looks into the mirror and sees an old man. hell, Robert Reford, Scott Glenn, these guys are over the age 60 and they still are attrative. Hubby is right up there with them, and imagine if he actually took care of himself, worked out alittle even. MaryAnn said she'd hop on the back of his bike anytime. I love him so much. He is still a cutie.
Ok got to get back to working on the book. I guess my "vacation" worked. I'm happy, maybe for the first time in over a year. My life ain't perfect, but I'm happy.

I'm tired

2005-11-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

I was gonna write a bunch of stuff tonight about my trip up to CT, but my legs are not happy and I'm just beat. Tired of all the crap I've gone through this year. In many ways it was a nightmare that I've just woken up from. Only unlike a dream, it really happened and it affected my life very deeply. I'm gonna stretch out on the couch maybe these legs of mine will feel better.
Sara is supposed to write something tonight.

Goth gets real

2005-11-30T16:47:00.000-08:00

Goth and Sara goofing

2005-11-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

around in the ladies room at the Sturgis Rally. We had them running out of there. Sara is actually a very respected photographer. She's probably the most respectable of us all. She has the pink hair. Goth has.....well......lots of hair. We never know what color it will be next. Purple, white?

Little Goth Cat

2005-11-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

She's a little bitch but we love her.

what Crazy Horse does for work

2005-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile in hell

2005-11-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

So here it is, the first entry of what could be one wicked blog. There are four of us. Somehow we are all very busy but this is a story that needs to be told. Little by little, we will get it done. There is me, Crazy Horse. I'm 45 years old. I ride motorcycles and paint them. That in itself doesn't sound very interesting but drama seems to follow me where ever I go. Each night or whenever, I'll write something down and post it. Gee this post just keeps the reader on the edge. But believe me, it's a wild ride. Quick rundown from last week, my brother was going to burn down his house, his wife was gonna get a restraining order, my godfather died, I brought my bets friend's 3 daughters to say good bye to him, it snowed and we had a snowball fight, a motel room got trashed, there was the big funeral with people and more drama, hearts were broke, bonds were made and my idiot ex boyfriend did more stupid things.