I decided to share eight 'crazy' things about myself you probably don't know. Things that might seem crazy to some people, but not to others.
During college I rode a baby-blue Honda 50. Now that is not a very big horse power, it can't go on the freeway.
1) My girlfriend, Peggy, and I decided to ride from Sunnyvale to San Francisco to check out a new coffeehouse. That is a drive of 60 some miles, not on the freeway, but on a frontage road. It took hours to get to the city. San Francisco is known for being hilly. My little Honda 50 could not chug up those hills carrying two teenage girls. So we ended up pushing the Honda up the hills and riding down. Needless to say, that was the first and last time we did that.
2) A couple years later I moved back to Guam and my dad had my Honda 50 flown over. I rode it proudly to the University of Guam. I was the only girl riding any kind of motorcycle.
3) Riding that Honda 50 I wore my CA clothes. Black mini-skirt, long sleeved turtle neck knit shirt and knee high black leather boots. My Father was forever frustrated because I dressed like that in the humid 85 degree weather. I must say I have to agree with dad, it was a miracle I didn't get heat stroke!4) Right about the time I left Guam to fly to MI to marry my first husband, I began thinking about writing a book. That went on the back burner when kids came along, several moves and life in general.
In my younger years my then husband and I, and our three young children lived on a ranch behind Mt. Hamilton in the Livermore hills of CA. We didn't have electricity, but we did have a generator so we could have lights in the evening and wash clothes or other chores which took electricity. My husband was gone to work in the city during the week so everything was left for me to handle.
During this time I had several things happen that might seem crazy.
5) Every evening I had to jump start the big generator with jumper cables attached to the truck. When we turned the last light switch off at night it turned the generator automatically turned off.
6) I killed three different rattlesnakes with two big rocks and a 22 bullet. I never knew I could kill one with a big flat rock, but I did, twice.
7) I had to drive our oldest forty-five minutes to the end of the driveway, through three locked gates, to catch the school bus. Forty-five minutes back home with the two little ones. Two hours later we'd head back to the main road, another forty-five minutes to pick Lisa up from the bus stop. Again, I started thinking about writing a book.
Fast forward to 8 yrs ago, and moving to OR after retirement.
8) Judith, Sarah and I published our first book an anthology together. Since then I've been included in two anthologies and have published my on paranormal novella , "The Witch with the Trident Tattoo".Hope you've enjoyed walking down memory lane with me. Hm-m-m, I wonder if I'm ready for another Honda 50?
11 comments:
Fun post Diana. I can see you putzing around on the Honda 50. Instead of a Honda 50, I think I'd go for a golf cart if there weren't a lot of hills. Easy to get me to the store and back, etc. Maybe I should check to see what the laws are about driving them on a residential street?
Thanks, for stopping by Judith. Sounds like a good idea, you should check into itl.
Crazy life. You are amazing :-)
An adventurous life, Diana! Maybe there are some events that will end up in your books. :-)
I didn't know about the Honda-50 trip to San Francisco, Sis! Lesson learned, right? I DO remember me and my girlfriends thinking you were so cool riding a motor scooter to college on Guam. You were such an inspiration!
I remember you having to jump-start the generator and kill rattlesnakes when you lived in the hills. You were awesome! Having to drive 3 hours a day with little ones so Lisa got an education was a huge hardship. You should write a(nother) book!
What an amazing story you have to tell. You are an amazing woman.
Wow, Diana! This gives me a completely different view of who you are. Strong, confident, and a little on the crazy side. I'm afraid I do not like motorcycles of any kind. I just don't feel safe and the pavement is awfully close and rough.
I'm with Judith, a golf cart is more my style. I was fortunate enough in the 1990's to live in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in a retirement community--even though I was only 40ish. Everyone had a golf cart and the tiny town allowed you to take it to the store, into shops, and to the Yacht Club for dinner. :) It was so fun. My husband then, a Coast Guard engineer working on shuttle rockets, had the car all the time and I worked from home so that golf cart was my complete independence.
I agree with others that you have a lot of stories inside you--memories and challenges that I bet would be great background for anything you might write. Looking forward to you getting the next story out there.
Lynn, thanks for commenting. And yes, I do plan to include some of my experiences in future books.
Hey little sis Sarah, thanks for sharing , I never knew you and your friends thought I was 'cool'!
Hi, Marcia, thanks for the compliment. These experiences were many, many moons ago.
Maggie,
I do believe I would rather drive a golf cart at this point in my life! Especially after hiking in CA in April and falling and injuring myself. Thank goodness my daughter and her son were there. He had a first aid kit and doctored me up. However, the bruises and aches have just disappeared.
I do plan to incorporate some of my experiences in my books. and actually have in "The Witch with the Trident Tattoo".
You are braver than I am, Diana. I don't do rattlesnakes (or any snakes) at all! Not after living in Taiwan with many bad snake experiences including Pythons and Cobras. And motorcycles - same thing. In fact I just had dinner with a classmate (after our 50th high school reunion) and I told him the last (and only) time I was on a motorcycle was with him in about 11th or 12th grade. You are a brave and competent soul for sure :-)
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