M.O.D.O.B.

San Diego Final Day

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:06:04 -0500

So On tuesday the L.A. area had a 5.8 earthquake. I think this is due to the effect of thousands of overweight fanboys leaving the state simultaneously causing the earth to snap back to its original shape.

Thanks all and goodbye from operation M.O.D.O.K.

San Diego Day 2

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:59:37 -0500

SAn Diego Day 1

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:47:20 -0500

SAn Diego a go go go!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:57:30 -0500

I want to give a shout out to Molly for putting me up for the night in Oakland! (WHICH WASN’T SCARY LIKE YOU THINK IT IS) AND TO CHANTEL, SAM AND JOSH Duerksen FOR THEIR DONATION TO OPERATION M.O.D.O.K.! HERE’S A SPECIAL M.O.D.O.K. just for you:

Origin Stories

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:20:32 -0500

Yesterday we headed out to my Grandfathers hangars. Out there he keeps his 3 planes (two of them are from Ryan Aircraft), his 60’s race car (which just won an award at a car show) the car his races (and may parts) a Model A truck and a whole bunch of motorcycles. My Father used his ingenuity to get my windshield back together. I now know the power of baking soda and super glue.

We then drove around the area seeing where the family grew up and how it all started with a 14 year old taking charge of a family and having 35 cents to their name.

Sushi was consumed shortly thereafter and my grandmother showed me some of her favorite spots in the area.

This morning 16mm family films from the first half of last century were shown. They’ve been converted many times, the last conversion being from a DVD to my hard drive.

I am so glad I decided to contact and meet this side of my family. I have never been lacking for love from my motherside of the family but having this new experience strengthens me. It’s not every day you get “un-orphaned”.

I’m now in san Diego and have the convention to look forward to, but this adventure is something I will always remember.

A big Thank you to everyone for your help and support.

Accumulators maintainers and liquidators

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:40:01 -0500

The three types of people in the world according to my grandfather.
Accumulators: Those who collect more stuff as they go along
Maintainers: Those who keep the status quo from previous generations
Liquidators: Those who drain all their supplies and resources

The Richards clan are definitely Accumulators. Like my house this one is filled to the brim with stacks of books and mementos from travels.

see mom, it’s not my fault my room is always cluttered it’s genetic.

After waking up we headed out to a tasty breakfast joint that they are regulars at. Grandmother had a pilates class but my father, his father and I drank coffee and told stories for a couple of hours. You have no idea how much of a relief it is to find out your relatives are like you. We pretty much lined up socially, politically, spiritually and mechanically.

Headed back to the house We watched some dvd’s of my grandfathers sprint car race . Reset their wifi router and we are currently couched updating information on our respective computers. In a bit I think were going to head out to the hangar to check out more of his cool gear.

My shoulders hurting a bit more today. If you have the opportunity to use your shoulder as a brake for a sideways motorcycle, you should embrace it as an opportunity to discover how much you use that arm because it will fail you and cause pain. I’ll be fine it just need some time, besides I have it on good authority that we richards heal fast.

Ventura 08!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:17:09 -0500

So I puled into town around 6pm, there was a voicemailfrom Sally (My fathers Mother) telling me to let myself in and make yourself at home. Knocked on the door, no answer, let myself in and verified that I had the right house by looking at the mailing address on a magazine near the door. This was to minimize the risk of having the wrong house and accidently showing up in the local papers under the headline “Ventura Cat Burglar Caught!”.

The home itself is very lovely a cobination of a library and an arboretum it’s attached to inlet on the coast a sailboat docked n the back. I took off my jacket and helmet on the back porch and headed out front to my bike and that’s where I met my grandmother. We took the dog for a walk along the coast and talked about ourselves mostly about our travels. She pointed out the channel islands in the haze and we headed back to the hose.

Halfway back I met my father we shook hands and gave each other a hug. Our conversation was about who we are and what we do. We stopped and looked at my bike. He looked at the busted turn signal being held on by duct tape and then over the next hour and a half we took the light apart and he drilled out a replacement bolt for it. Halfway into the process, John, my grandfather came up to my fahers work truck and introduced himself. Tales were told and perspectives shared. We seem to be truly cut from the same stock.

The light on the bike was put back together, we strolled inside and had a chicken dinner and talked some more.

So, as far as things things go, it went very well.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST (AND GRAVEL AND PIECES OF TREE)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:29:12 -0500

FIRST oF ALL I’M MOSTLY ALL RIGHT NOTHING BIG SOME BRUISES AND SCRATCHES AND A SORE SHOULDER.

ON A TIGHT CORNER A CAR WAS IN MY LANE SO AS TO NOT CRASH INTO HIM I HAD TO GO OFF THE ROAD. MY BIKE DOESNT HANDLE GRAVEL VERY WELL AND BOOM I WENT DOWN SKIDDING.

THE CAR WAS A WHITE HONDA modified civic THINGY AND IT JUST CONTINUED ON IT’S MERRY WAY, THE BIKE IS A LITTLE BUSTED UP BUT SHE OPERABLE. DUCT TAPE IS KEEPING THE TURN SIGNAL IN PLACE AND SHE LISTS A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT. I’M IN SAN LUIS OBISPO AND HAVE JUST OVER TWO HOURS UNTIL I REACH THE FATHER’S SIDE OF THE FAMILY.

IRONY LEVELS WERE TOO HIGH FOR ME TO ESCAPE UNSCATHED.

And before any of you scream about how bikes are not safe, if I was in a car it would have been a head on collision.

Video Blog JUST OUTSIDE THE BAY AREA

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:36:06 -0500

In Oakland on the BerkEley Border

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:05:58 -0500

Rode out from Rancho Cordova and took a leisurely ride to my Friend Molly’s pad In Oakland a stones throw from Berkeley. We dropped the bags and headed out for some sushi. Sushi is hard to find on a Sunday afternoon, all the chefs are recovering from their drinking and fish slicing. So We had Thai instead and then met up with a couple of Molly’s friendly friends over at the Whitehorse bar . Afternoon Medicinal Martinis were administrated and tales told.

I do have to ask who the genius in the california highway maintenance department thought it would be a good idea to put grooves in the highway that will push bikes into other lanes.

The Bay are felt unusually cool, but it’s all a matter of Calibration, after the Nevada desert heat cooking you the cool bay breeze is refreshing.

The evening was occupied with Molly and I going to the Parkway Speakeasy a second-run movie theater in Oakland that has comfy couches. Ironman was viewed and nachos consumed.

Well I’m pretty wiped out and I have a long ride and a big day tomorrow. I’ll let you all know how it goes.