Did ya miss me?

Sorry it's been so long! In my defense, the computer is downstairs- my air conditioner is upstairs... need I say more? Plus I've been busy going on lame dates and motorcycle rides (not at the same time- Lame and Motorcycle do not belong in the same sentence).

So yeah, Match.com is really working... kinda. I was talking to Bubble Gum tonight about the dates I've been on in the past month (1 good, 2 mediocre and 1 just lame) and I told her I hadn't seen anyone a second time- she asked "Is it because you can't find someone one or are you just being picky again?" I said "Picky. Hello, you met my ex. Not goin down that road again!"

Date run-down: #1 was half asleep, balked at buying my $2.50 beer, when he came back from the atm with money to buy my beer he threw the money at me not the bartender. I should have left right then. It didn't really get better. Also, the bar had a stripper pole in the middle of the dance floor. Yeah. #2 was actually good- we went for a ride on his motorcycle, kicked another couples butt at pool and made hotdogs over a campfire for dinner. I would have seen him again EXCEPT he was still in love with his ex-girlfriend. Can't compete with that. #3 was a really nice guy- just not my type at all. For instance, I like the sun, I don't live in my parents basement, I'm not into video games and I'm not on anti-depressants. Turns out we didn't have all that much in common. But he was very nice (must be good drugs). #4 I had hopes for. Had being the key word. A run down of our date: Meet at bar, order drinks, Leo walks in (#4 used to work with Leo), I pretty much cease to exist and the world stops spinning so #4 can talk to Leo, Leo's wife tries to talk with me- but she's shit faced so it was just a lot of slurring, I pick up the tv remote and find Nitro Circus on the bar tv while I drink my beer in silence, order second beer, Leo & Robin leave, we leave, #4 does not get a call back. Needless to say, the search continues.

So I'm pretty sure the biggest thing to happen since I've last written, besides my lack luster love life and getting piss ass drunk on the 4th of July (which I won't go into detail about here... but lets just say All Drunks Should Wear Life Jackets!) has been the Cops 4 Kids With Autism poker run.

About 2 months ago Julianna came to the shop to see if we'd donate some signs and a vehicle wrap for her organization, Cops 4 Kids With Autism. As she was telling me about C4KWA, we were both standing there trying not to cry... she was sucking up tears because she was so passionate about it, I was sucking them up because I'm the sentimental type . Julianna and her husband are both cops and they have an autistic son. They started this program about 5 years ago to help other families with autistic children. The long and the short of it is, people donate things for the entire family- even the pets, the things are put into huge baskets for families with an autistic child, a uniformed police officer from the childs community hand delivers the basket to the family. Not only does it help form a good repoire between the family and the police officer, but the police department will know that an autistic child lives in the home in case there is an emergency. For instance, if the child should run away, the police department has on file a list of places near the families home that are dangerous such as railroad tracks or a pond.

As of now, 5 counties are involved with Cops 4 Kids with Autism, and they add a county every year- Portage is scheduled to be added in 2010. This year was the first annual Cops 4 Kids With Autism Poker Run. The company I work for donated a few banners and wrapped Julianna's ugly old maroon van. See pictures above! Since I had worked so hard and so closely on this project, I really wanted to be involved in the poker run. (A poker run is a motorcycle ride for charity- there are 5 stops, and at each stop riders draw a card. The best poker hand at the end wins a prize.) I had intended on date #2 sticking around long enough so I could ride with him in the poker run, but since that didn't happen, Julianna got me set up with her friend Tony. Tony's a Cleveland police officer and graciously put up with my back seat driving and yammering all day. I think as good karma for putting up with me, he won the 50-50 raffle at the end of the day. But great guy that he is, Tony donated his winnings back to C4KWA.

The day of the ride was funny/weird for me. I had to get up at like 6 on a SATURDAY when I normally don't even get up until 8:15-8:30 to be at work at 9 Mon-Fri. I met one of our customers Stace in Ravenna and road to Medina with him. Stace has a towing company, Schumann's Roadside out of Rootstown. He stopped in for graphics on one of his trucks and we told him about the poker run. He got into it! He told us he would donate his truck and motorcycle transport trailer for the day, in case anyone broke down. If Stace wasn't already one of our favorite customers, him donating his time and his trailer for the day would have sealed the deal. So anyway, I was going to meet Stace and his new fiance Molly in Ravenna and ride with them, that way I wouldn't have to worry about how I'd get back to my car. Remember I said that. Turns out Molly had to work so it was just Stace and I. Since he was driving, I brought coffee and doughnut holes for breakfast :)

We get down to Century Harley Davidson in Medina around 8. Remember, I'm usually still sleeping at 8. And we help get things set up for registration to start at 9. I had all intentions of being a good little worker bee, but there were a lot of workers and I got bored, so I ended up wandering off. Happens to the best of us. Eventually I found myself hanging out with Julianna's son, The Original Cops 4 Kids Kid. He's great! He wanted me to give him a piggy back ride, I couldn't turn him down. When he hopped on he leaned over my shoulder and told me, "You're my favorite piggy!" Almost a week later and that still makes me smile! Finally around 11, we had the blessing of the bikes then everyone started their engines and we were off!

It was so cool, for a first time Poker Runner, to see over 200 bikes, a handful of decorated cars, a big van, a tow truck and motorcycle trailer and a bunch of cop cars parading down the road. I didn't realize but poker runs are kinda like funerals- you don't stop for red lights, you keep the group together and you keep moving. Tony was saying there's a poker run in Cleveland every year that has over 1500 bikes. That would be a something to see! It was so cool though, people would wave and honk their horns, really get into it. I felt like I was in a really awesome, really fast paced parade. There was even this one old hill billy standing in his side yard with his long grey hair, big bushy grey beard, wearing a wife beater and either boxer briefs or just really short shorts, waving both arms at us as we rode by.

We started in Medina and ended in Wakeman, which is really freakin far away from my neck of the woods. From there, I was going to ride back to Ravenna to get my car with Stace. Except somewhere during the day, Molly's truck broke down with a flat in Warren and Stace didn't have any tow trucks to send out to get her. Kind of the shoe makers kids go barefoot thing, I guess... Tow truck guys fiance gets stranded. So we were going to leave early the ride. No big deal, the ride was over, we were just hanging out and eating at the end of the ride cook out. Plus, I was tired and had a nice set of raccoon eyes from the sun and wind on my face except where my sunglasses were. Well, Tony offered to drive me back so Stace wouldn't have to double back to Ravenna then to his shop for a spare tire then out to pick up Molly. So my grand master plan of getting a ride with Stace so I wouldn't have to inconvenience anyone with taking me back to my car went right out the window. Tony and I waited until the big raffles were done, then he took me back to Ravenna. From there he went on to Wadsworth to a party. He put some miles on his bike that day, I'll tell you what. I was one tired puppy when I got back, but the last thing I wanted to do was sit down after I'd been sitting on the bike all day!

Cops 4 Kids With Autism raised over $3000 from the poker run. It's a great feeling knowing I was involved. For more information, or if you'd like to donate or be involved with next years poker run check out their website at http://www.cops4kidswithautism.com/