Music Therapy

I find myself facing some huge challenges at the moment, hubby and the MS (the prednisone has him and everyone around him on an emotional roller coaster), Lori leaving tomorrow for Drumheller to be with her man for the summer and a growing business that is demanding a lot of time and focus. I know that this too shall pass and that things will improve...but there are days where that is hard to remember.

So when I can't ride my bike to clear my thoughts and brain I listen to music. It seems to help me keep my spirits up and helps me to focus and concentrate on the things I can change and do. Music lifts my soul almost as well as my motorcycle.

What do you do when life feels out of control?
When you can't ride your motorcycle to put things in perspective - what do you do?

I am always looking for ideas to help me stay on task and focused. Your comments, thoughts and ideas would be very appreciated.

In other news, our web site preview will be delayed a couple of days as Ali works out a couple of new kinks that surfaced - the good news is, it's gorgeous and
I can't wait for you all to see it.

The Canuck Chicks Conga is well under way...I hope you have been following these gals on their adventure!

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, PLEASE - ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and use respect with that throttle hand.

Belt Drive Betty

Our overhauled web site coming soon

Ali has been working her fingers to the bone.
Her plan is to have the new site ready for preview tomorrow...web sites are so vital these days but they are a ton of work.

We still have lots of little bits to finish but if all goes well the new site - which is lightening fast, will be usable in the next few days.

We will then start holding auctions to support the site and the newspaper - I will fill you in on this a bit more in the next while.

I have a lot of admin work and follow up calls to do over the next few days and look forward to the day when I have someone sitting in this office with me full time!

If you get a chance, check out www.beltdrivebetty.com today, there is a great story on a 90 year old rider who still gets out and rides his motorcycle daily!

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and use respect with that throttle hand.

Belt Drive Betty

An Over Night Dice Run

Mighty Peace Tourism is working with me to create a DVD on riding in the North Peace.
The DVD Will feature some of the Peace Region's Motorcycle Events including the new Over Night Dice Run!

The Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists – Peace Country Chapter is proud to announce that they will be hosting a Dice Run in support of the Ride for Dad & AIM-Can - July 10th & 11th 2009

This year’s inaugural event will pave the way for an official chapter of Ride for Dad for the Peace Country in 2010! Not only that, but this event is being filmed as part of a broader tourism initiative with Mighty Peace Tourism Association that will see motorcycle riding in the north Peace be promoted more heavily.

The Dice Run will start off from Grande Prairie Regional Tourism located at:
11330 -106 St, Grande Prairie, phone: (780) 539-7688

Riders will gather between 5 pm and 6:15 pm. They will sign their waiver, pay their $20 ride fee, fill out a tourism survey and roll their first set of dice!

Proceeds from this event will be split between Ride for Dad and the Peace Country Chapter of the Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists.

Rider Pick-Up locations for outlying areas - (You will do your first dice roll, sign your waivers, pay your ride fee & fill out your tourism forms at these locations)

Sexsmith – Stojan’s Power Sports & Marine from 6:30 – 7pm

Rycroft – Alexander’s from 7:30 to 8 pm

We will then ride to our first Rider Pick-Up Point which is Stojan’s Power Sports & Marine in Sexsmith and head for our next Rider Pick-Up Point – Rycroft where we will pick up riders from the Fairview & Rycroft region. Next, we will head to Girouxville and in to Peace River for a Meet & Greet with complimentary finger foods hosted by the Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre.

We have Ride Prizes galore to give away at our various stops on both days!

Special Room Rates in Peace River are being supplied for this event by:

Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre:

Business Class Rooms - Regular Rate of $139.95 for Special Price of $109.95 plus taxes Book under Dice Run

Secured Motorcycle Parking is available on request
9510-100th St
Peace River AB T8S 1S9
Phone: (780) 624-3621
Toll Free: 1-888-729-7343

http://www.sawridgepeaceriver.com/

Best Canadian Motor Inn

Regular Room Rate of $112.27 for Special Price of $75 plus taxes

Book under Dice Run
9810-98 St

Peace River, AB T8S 1J3

Phone: (780) 624-2586

http://www.bestcdn.com/peaceriv/peace.htm

Saturday morning riders will attend the Peace Fest Pancake Breakfast at the Co-op which is a donation breakfast running from 8:30 am to 11:0 am should they choose to.

At 11:00 am we will gather at the parking lot across from the BCM Inn to take part in the Peace River Toyker Run – hands are $5. We will be treated to a free lunch at Mackenzie Caron on the Shaftsbury Trail courtesy of the Village of Berwyn, Berwyn Bigway, Druckers Hardware in Berwyn and the Municipal District of Peace.

The Peace River Toy Run will end at our first Dice Run Roll stop of the day, Maximum Powersports in Peace River.

After our first dice roll of the day we will head to Grimshaw, make sure everyone has fuel and do a ride prize draw. We will then head for Hines Creek, Fairview, and Dunvegan and back to Centre 2000 between 6 pm and 7:30 pm for a wind up BBQ courtesy of the Holiday Inn Express (the hotel is owned by the Pomeroy Group & is celebrating its fifth Anniversary). It is here we get to find out which High Roller is the winner!

The entire event will be being filmed by Velocity Video and will be featured on the web and will be included as part of a larger DVD being produced for Mighty Peace Tourism in partnership with Travel Alberta, Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association, Geo-Tourism Canada, Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre Peace River, Dee-Jay Motel, Dunvegan Inn & Suites, Brutal Tattoo, Maximum Powersports, Holiday Inn Express, Community Futures, PREDA

So come join us as we ride the Mighty Peace to promote our riding communities and support 3 wonderful causes while doing so!

For more information on the Mighty Peace Tourism Motorcycle Tourism Initiative or to become a sponsor, please contact:

Nicole Halvorsen

Mighty Peace Tourism

mpta@telusplanet.net

Toll Free: 1-800-215-4535 Phone: (780) 338-2364

If you are riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated and be respectful with that throttle hand!

Belt Drive Betty

A wet soggy ride and other stuff...like I hate people who hide!

I made it home after a wet and soggy ride from New Norway.

I had attended the Steel Horse Bar & Grill's Support Our Troops event and headed out in mist that turned to rain. There were tons of motorcycles on the road. I met 4 guys from Rocky Mountain House in Calmar who were heading home from the Heritage Harley-Davidson Cancer Ride. I also met a couple of gents from Montana - they were in Valleyview fueling up and drying off on their way to Alaska.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the number of riders who are not made out of sugar!
I can not begin to tell you how often I dropped my hand into a wave yesterday but it was a lot.

When I got up this morning to start working on the news feeds and to check my emails I came across an anonymous comment from my blogger alerts.

It involved a comment on my blog the other day where in I said I stopped in at the V-Twin Diner.

I personally feel that if you are going to malign someone, you should have the guts to put your name to the complaint.

This person stated that the V-Twin Diner had "Super bad service and it's dirty".
Now this "chicken shit" whoever it is - is either a disgruntled employee or something worse.

I ate there the other night. The bathrooms were so clean you could eat off of the floor as was the rest of the place. As far as the service goes, the waitress who served me was not the most experienced one, but she was truly thoughtful, polite and decent - no fireball, but decent.

I really resent people who hide behind the status of anonymous. It's a personal thing. The only reason you would hide behind the status of anonymous to my way of thinking is if you don't want the person you are maligning to know where it comes from because you don't want to get sued. If what you are saying is true - you should have NO problem putting your name to it.
Being man or woman enough to put your name to a complaint that you write is not only the "Biker" way - it's just plain smart if you want your complaint to really carry any weight.

To the Anonymous person who wrote the complaint about the V-Twin Family Diner - step up and be a man/woman and sign your name to it - otherwise, shut up!

The news feeds from the main stream media really frustrate me some days.

90% of what they contain are accidents - and while it is important information, what gets me is that every weekend there are literally dozens of events - out of 30 news alerts only 3 dealt with the charitable events and the good work that goes on in our community.

Our Newspaper, The Busted Knuckle Chronicles, focuses on the stories that the main stream media ignores. If you haven't read the "Knuckle" before, look for it at one of your favorite events this summer or at any of our partners businesses - many of them get the paper and are outlets where you can get a copy. The paper truly celebrates the Canadian Motorcycle Community, our events and the businesses and individuals that serve our community. You can read past issues to get a feel for the paper and if you enjoy it - it is only $15.70 a year to subscribe. Check it out at www.beltdrivebetty.com

Layton's progress has been two steps forward and one step back. Our friend and humor columnist has, as his wife Myrna describes it, been on a roller coaster of recovery.
You can follow his progress at: Back Road Scholar

Hubby goes for his MRI today, hopefully at his appointment later this week we will get some more answers. In the meantime we are on our own roller coaster ride in this house.

I hope all of the fathers out there had a great father's day and that their kids all called them - collect of course - LOL!

If you are riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and please use respect with that throttle hand.

Noise Crackdowns...

If you are planning to attend Atlanticade in Moncton - BEWARE - if you are running pipes that produce excessive noise the powers that be are thinking of testing and ticketing! And this is becoming a common theme amongst those who do not like motorcycle noise.

I ask repeatedly for people to ride with respect with that throttle hand but as we all know - those who feel the need to show off and attention seek really don't care what you or I or any one else for that matter really thinks. For those who just love the sound of their pipes and are not putting them on their machines for any other reason than the sound they like - they do tend to be respectful.

When you are visiting another city, another town...you are an ambassador for the rest of us. Please don't be asses. Please use your head and think beyond your own personal gratification...

I know this diatribe is probably falling on deaf ears and that for others who read this that I am preaching to the choir - those who already get it.

I wished there was an effective way to get people to lighten & brighten up and quit making heat scores for the rest of us to have to muddle through. You annoy me highly when I get pulled over to be tested just because I ride a bike. Mine is completely stock - there is NO reason for my bike to have to go through decibel testing - NONE. The only reason it happens is because of the cowboys....

Please ride safe today, ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and PLEASE - use that muscle between your ears and be respectful with your throttle hand....

Belt Drive Betty

V-Twin Family Diner

I left Grande Prairie yesterday and headed to Drayton Valley to check out the V-Twin Family Diner - this is another really awesome rider owned business! I had one of their burgers - if you decide to check it out you'd best bring your appetite - their burger is enormous!
They are new partners in the BDB Club!

While windy, the ride down was pleasant and I arrived in Leduc at "BoB's" place - (Sandra) our Leduc Rep's place. I had the chance to meet some of the local riders over a coffee at Timmy's - that was very pleasant and a great way to end a very good day.

The multiple award winning "Betty Bobber" built by the Bernice MacNaughton High School Bike Klub is up for sale. The kids are hoping to sell the bobber in order to fund their next build! They want to defend their championship!

If you are interested in buying this fabulous machine contact Marc Mazerolle:
marc.mazerolle@nbed.nb.ca


Please ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated and use respect with that throttle hand....

Belt Drive Betty

Your prayers are working!

Our friend and humor columnist, Layton Park is back on the right track! I am sure that between all of the wonderful medical care he is getting and all of your prayers that he will be fine sooner than later. If you want to follow his progress, visit his blog:

Back Road Scholar
Layton's wife Myrna is doing a fabulous job of keeping us all posted on his condition.

Hubby has been having a tough time but Monday sees him go for his MRI and hopefully by the end of next week we will have a few more answers.

I myself am packing up to head for New Norway and the Steel Horse Bar & Grill's Support our Troops event. My hubby knows I need to work this weekend but his question to me was - even on your birthday? Yes tomorrow I turn 49 (I feel 29 though) and I will be riding and writing, something I love - the only black cloud is that hubby isn't well enough to ride with me as he is, without a doubt, my favorite riding partner.

I have faith that he will be able to ride again before the end of our short season.
It's hard to see the longing in his eyes when I get on my bike - makes me feel almost guilty...

If you are looking for somewhere to ride this weekend, check out our extensive events calendars over on www.beltdrivebetty.com - membership is required but it is also FREE!

Please ride safe, like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and please use respect with that throttle hand!

Belt Drive Betty