Tales on the Courier Shift: Some guys are from Mars, but there are women who understand you.

I had to pull from the archives for this collection of posts.

Two months after I came home to Southern California for my last job in the motorcycle industry as an assistant parts manager, I was laid off in April 2014 along with a service tech, service writer, and the janitor. That sudden turn of events forced me to scramble for a source of income, and after a bit of research I came across an up-and-coming on-demand courier service based out of Santa Monica looking for motorcycle riders for work. So Eleanor and I headed out there and became a part of the original fleet for Postmates Los Angeles. I even wrote an article about my courier work that ended up in Women On Wheels® magazine in early 2015. I worked for Postmates until February 2015 when I switched over to another delivery company and was there until about January 2016. The last company in my delivery life (so far) had me relegated to my car for the most part, but there are some interesting tales from that.

Days 8-10: Getting to Work on The Main Event - 27th WOW International Ride-In™

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

So now I actually get to talk about the main reason I rode to Montana, not that hanging out with several of my good friends isn't a good reason in itself. (Thanks, y'all, by the way.)

Just for starters, here is a giant pancake topped with strawberries and cream from the Billings Hotel and Convention Center's main cafe that I enjoyed on that Monday before the Ride-In™ mayhem began.

A ceremonial pancake/waffle for me is important before starting any official WOW business. This stems back to the waffle machine at the Super 8 us WOW Board of Trustees members stay at in Lincoln, NE.

Day 7: The last stretch to Billings...

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

I returned to Minot after my visit to the International Peace Garden and spent one more night at my friend's house. The next morning, I was off to finish the last 500 miles of my ride to Billings, MT. It was pretty uneventful doing the flat slabs of US-2 and I-90 for most of the way. The increase of the speed limit from 65MPH to 80MPH was a bit of a help, though. Despite all that, I had to stop more frequently than usual out of sheer boredom. Wide open skies are quite beautiful, but the straight line for several hours can be a severe turn-off, especially after being on the road for nearly a week.

Yep...just keep following the signs.

Travelling solo is a double-edged sword. The benefit of doing this includes making your own schedule, stopping whenever you want/feel, and not having to ask for permission to take detours to absurd places. Alternatively, it can get boring when the view doesn't change and it does get to the point that the drone of PSY's "Gangnam Style" on loop for the umpteenth time from the GPS can't even keep you from dozing off. It doesn't make you any weaker of a motorcycle rider if you decide to pull over for a break. Curb your hubris and think about your body's need for rest and a stretch. All the experienced and safety-conscious riders do.

Thankfully, I did get to ride most of the way back to Ohio with a dear friend (you'll get to hear more about her later in this series).

I don't think I'll follow that sign.

I did try some tasty, locally made ice cream by Wilcoxson's that I snacked on at that Conoco gas station (I still have my clothes on at this point).

This is a visual reminder to eat ice cream and ride safely, just not at the same time.

Long story short, I survived the entire way to my final destination. Man, this state is huge. See you at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in the next post for some WOW action.

Day 6: Give the International Peace Garden a chance. It's worth it.

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

The International Peace Garden is one of the most extensive tributes to the peaceful relations between United States and Canada, two countries who share the longest undefended border in the world. I learned about this place from a fellow rider friend who had traveled there more than 20 years ago. Out of curiosity, I had to make this a part of my journey to Billings. It was so worth the detour.

For reference, Minot, ND is just a short, 100 mile ride from the Canadian border. The town of Dunseith is the "gateway to the garden" and has its own special sights (which you'll see at the end of this post).

Imagine this for 100 miles. Nothing but open skies and flat straightaways. Beautiful during the day but can be eerie at night.

The entrance to the garden is pretty obvious. Note the small white sign that says "Leaving the USA" at the bottom right corner. That'll play a role in why I had to prove my American citizenship leaving that place. Fortunately, I always bring my passport, because being out in these parts, you never know when you'll accidentally end up in Canada.

Two-Wheeled Tourist has now leaked over to Tumblr!

Be afraid. Be very afraid. You can now read all the same posts of Two-Wheeled Tourist on...

As a way of getting this blog out to the rest of the world, there is a concurrent version of this blog on Tumblr that synchronizes with this original site. For those who prefer to use that service over Blogger, you can head over there and read all about my shenanigans. Additionally, the Tumblr side of things is also attached to my Twitter feed so there's even more randomness on there.

Head over to 2wheeledtourist.tumblr.com or even better, 2wheeledtourist.net. Enjoy.

Eggshelland: The End of Cleveland's Unique Easter Tradition

I will never think of eggs the same way again.

Earlier this week, I was invited to visit an Easter tradition in nearby Lyndhurst (suburb of Cleveland) that is ending after 55 years. Affectionately known as "Eggshelland," it is a front yard display of designs made entirely of individually painted eggshells. It's tucked away in a cul-de-sac but if you asked anyone where to find it, they'd be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Started as a labor of love by its original creator, Ron Manolio, in 1957, this 2013 presentation marks not only the end of an astonishing run (Ron passed away in August 2012), but a beautiful tribute to the father (and grandfather) that started this world-famous artistic display.

Easter is here when Eggshelland, Ohio comes to town.

Monroe Part 3: The things I do for [Zapp's] potato chips (and the people I love).

After the last day of meetings concluded, I received a text from Matt with a request on behalf of his co-worker, Ian.

So while everyone was getting ready to watch the NFL Packers/49ers playoff game, I borrowed one of the rental cars and with another one of my colleagues in tow, we went out on the search for these apparently amazing Zapp's potato chips. I got a lead from one of our guests who joined us that weekend that there was a nearby Albertsons that carried them. It was nice to hear that supermarket chain again; I haven't been inside one of those stores since I left California.