I do not care to count how many times I have viewed this teaser in the past few days. It is pure excitement, and it is very, very terrifying. Cannonball!
Bad Ass Baker Chick
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Allzeit bereit
Sometimes real life gets in the way: personal things, work, pensive behavior…..yada, yada, yada. Anyway, that is how the last two weeks have been for me. I’m kind of making my peace with the stressfulness that can sometimes be my life, and the show must go on.
Allzeit bereit. Always. Be. Prepared.
Thanks to a dear friend, I think I have my tool situation sorted. I’ve been supplied with a long list of things I need to be prepared for the trip. This person has participated in more than one run so the advice given is advice appreciated. I’ve done a test run and they all seem to fit under my seat compartment so this is pretty nice. I’ve removed my top case for the trip so my storage space will be rather limited. I was kind of stressing on whether or not the 18″ torque wrench would fit but yes! It fits well enough to close the seat and that is all that matters, right?
I usually carry a few tools with me, but because my scooter is pretty new and very reliable (why did I say that?), I’ve never had the need to use more than an open ended wrench to tighten my windscreen. Allzeit bereit – how many tools does it take to be prepared? Well here you go:
Mind you, this is just the list of things to carry on the bike.
| Breaker bar 1/2″ (most likely) |
| Torque wrench (rated to ~100 ft/lbs), 1/2″ (most likely) |
| 8mm socket |
| 10mm socket |
| 12mm socket |
| 17mm socket (deep well preferrable) |
| 19mm socket (deep well preferrable) |
| 10mm wrench open end |
| 12mm wrench open end |
| 14mm wrench open end |
| 3/8 socket drive |
| L wobble for 1/4 |
| L wobble for 1/2 |
| 3/8 to 1/4 adaptor |
| 6″ extension – 1/2″ |
| 6″ extension – 3/8″ |
| phillips head |
| flat head |
| two sets 3 size hose clamps |
| duct tape |
| rescue tape / silicone rescue |
| electrical tape |
| 1 belt |
| spare plug |
| HT lead and cap |
| 2 rags of some rag-like form involving rags |
| hex key set (doesn’t matter too much if they’re ball type or not) |
| Adjustable crescent |
| tire plug kit |
| full range of spare fuses (5, 7, 12, 20) |
| anti-seize |
| tire gauge |
| knife (if someone gives you guff) |
| small LED flashlight |
| variator holder Buzzetti |
| clutch holder |
Believe it or not, all of those items fit under my tuckus and knowing it is there, makes me feel a little bit better. Now making sure I know how to use all those tools, well that is another blog post entirely. 
Making my way across the USA, one t-shirt at a time.
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Cannonball is an expensive adventure. When it’s all said and done, it will cost upwards of $5,000, and that is not including the lost revenue from closing my shop for 15 days of shenanigans – yikes!I could ask you to sponsor this Bad Ass Baker Chick and help me fund my trip, but instead, I’d rather make something that you can purchase, give as a gift, or wear and enjoy for yourself.
I’ve teamed up with my dear friend Ben at Basement Ink and we’ve designed this fun, and a bit snarky t-shirt. Ben is the local t-shirt guru in my area, and he does quality work. Recently, he and his wife adopted two lovely little girls so helping fund the Cannonball adventure, helps his family as well. Profits from the sale of these t-shirts will, in part, fund my Cannonball adventure. Be a part of the adventure and show everyone how amazing you are…..no really. We will print the first run of t-shirts three weeks from today, on February 26th and they will ship the following day. We are asking for all shirts to be pre-ordered. The cost is $20 per shirt. A portion of the cost of your shirt, $8 is tax deductible. If you wish to throw more money to the cause, you are completely welcome to do so. I am riding for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital (http://www.madonna.org/) and your donation, in excess of the cost of the shirt will be tax deductible.  100% cotton jersey - soft! The cost of the shirt includes shipping to the lower 48. Shipping beyond the lower 48 will be calculated at the actual shipping rate. To pay, you can mail a check or request a PayPal invoice. Send me an email at lincolncakebaker@gmail.com with the quantity and size you would like, details on how you wish to pay, email address and your physical mailing address. Your t-shirt will arrive shortly after February 28th. For information on Anvil t-shirt sizing, visit Anvil at http://www.anvilknitwear.com/Product-Catalogs/Tees/2184 |
Snowpocolypse of February 2012
I finally have a day off.
As you know, I am a chef. I own a small commercial kitchen. I cater. I bake cakes, and I design wedding cakes. I also open my doors to the community two days each week, offering baked goods and homemade soups for takeaway. I am a one gal show. I send out an SOS from time to time when I need extra help, but for the most part, I am on my own. A day off is a luxury. I work hard, and I work fast. When I have a day off, I do not like to be idle. I make a list and by God, I will get that list done.
Matching hat, scarf, and nose - 40 degrees inside my house.
The trip is creeping into the horizon and from here on out, I’ve decided that my days off will be dedicated to working on my scooter, and preparing for the upcoming trip. There is but one thing I forgot: the weather we’ve had this “winter” season has been unseasonably warm. Instead of foot after foot of snow and temperatures dipping lower than zero degrees Fahrenheit, we’ve been blessed with 40, 50 60, and even 70 degree weather. I’ve worn perforated gloves all winter long and that’s just nuts! I think I better dig out the insulated winter gloves because old man winter has finally graced us with his presence. He dumped 8 inches on our doorstep and apparently, he’s making up for lost time. The snow isn’t supposed to stop anytime soon and by anytime, I mean Tuesday. The drive was shoveled 45 minutes ago and it needs it again.
Close call
Snowpocolypse 04 February 2012
The trees are heavily weighted with snow and because the season has been so dry, the trees are without water and stepping outside, you hear eerie cracks and creaks as the weight of the fallen snow stresses the limbs. I’ve been joking about the upcoming Snowpocolypse and Snowmageddon for days, and I may have been right. This heavy snow might be more than our 110 year old trees can handle. It’s a waiting game. Let’s hope I won’t be spending my Cannonball money on an arborist instead.
My herb garden is finally done for the season, about sixty days before I can plant again.
So, what does this mean for me? No work on my scooter at all this weekend. While I can get to the garage, it is not heated and the electrical system in the garage cannot handle a space heater.
Great White is sadly pouting inside the garage while Old Man Winter flexes his muscle. For now, it’s battery is tended and it’s tucked in for what I hope is a short winter nap.
Not a whole lot I can do today. I guess I can stitch patches on my riding suit. Wow, that sounds hella’ fun.
Great White patiently awaits the passing of the Snowpocolypse
What a tool….
Tools! Tools! Tools! I woke up this morning in a panic! Seriously, it was a full blown, what the crap, what if, kind of panic! It’s not uncommon for me to wake up on a Thursday stressing over the weekend lineup of wedding cakes. This is the first time I’ve ever jumped out of bed with tools on my mind. I’ve never purchased proper tools before. People are sending me lists from all over the country – do you have this? – what about this? – don’t forget to get that…. Panic is sinking in. Who wants to have a breakdown and not have the proper tools to wrench on the side of the road? Also, who wants to have a breakdown and not know how to use all the bright new shiny tools you have with you in your bucket? Not this baker chick!
Heading into this adventure, I am so extremely fortunate to have people in my life that want to see me succeed on this little (big) adventure. My friend Oz has been nice enough to go over and edit the list of tools I need to have with me and has provided me with an idea of what sort of maintenance I can expect to (possibly) encounter along the way. Thanks!!! In addition, he never seems to mind editing my list and answering all my stupid questions. Thank goodness for Facebook Messenger! Oz isn’t local. He’s my advisor from an 1,800 mile distance.
My friend Noah, owner of Great Plains Cycle is generous, and brave enough to let me hang out in his shop the one day a week I manage to get away from my business. It is a little overwhelming being in a proper shop. I am in awe – the tools are always where they belong! Noah is patient and so far has yet to treat me like a “gurrrrl”. Thanks Noah!
As for tools, I think I just about have all I need. It looks like I have enough tools to take apart my bike and put it back together entirely. Luckily, tools are small and they will all fit in my under seat storage (aka pet carrier). I’m getting great at finding new tools on eBay auctions. I’m also on a first name basis with the Craftsman rep at my local Sears. When I get home, I’m not sure why I keep finding little things in my bag that I wanted but couldn’t afford so I didn’t get them. When I look at my receipt, there is always a coupon that I didn’t have that offsets the cost of that item. Maybe Craftsman is sponsoring this little adventure, or maybe the rep just thinks I’m a cute old lady. I guess sometimes it’s good to be a gurrrrl 🙂
That’s it for today. I have some wedding cakes this weekend that I should start stressing over. Hope your week is treating you well!
Kristin
Test
Just testing things out to see which Facebook account this blog is linked with. Hopefully, just my personal page 🙂
A little thing called a Scooter Cannonball Run
Today, I’m a little under three months out from the most epic two-wheeled adventure of my life.
This adventure is none other than the Scooter Cannonball Run (SCR). It’s an endurance ride that runs from coast to coast, over a time period of 8 days. I think the SCR adventure is the perfect way to start my two-wheel adventure blog.
What is the SCR? Click on the FAQ link above for more information than you ever wanted to know!
Bad Ass Baker Chick 