A smooth sea never did make a seasoned sailor.

I saw that quote posted on a friend's Facebook page and felt that this quote was quite appropriate for a good summary of what's probably my last ride back down to Columbus for 2012.

The last several rides up and down I-71 have been pretty uneventful. Some days, it could be very warm and my heated gear isn't even plugged in. Other days may involve extra layers and my heated gear set to the "super toasty" setting. This most recent ride was the most challenging yet, with 160 miles of nothing but downpour, temps dropping to the mid-40s, and several cars downright refusing to yield on a merge despite turn signals and outstretched hands pointing into the lane I needed to merge into. I can say, that my years of riding, thousands of miles traveled, and choices/investments in gear have paid off for days like this. And even though this wasn't my most favorite riding conditions by any means, I am still proud to say that still I'm powering through on a motorcycle.

Considering that Eleanor has been my only source of transportation up in Northeast Ohio since I moved in September, I have managed to stretch out my riding time as far as I could take it without risking my personal safety due to road conditions. As I know that I will admit defeat this weekend and switch out for the car, thanks to the impending "Frankenstorm" and potential early snowdrifts off of Lake Erie among other things, the fact that I have been the only motorcycle out in this area for the past few weeks has been nothing but disappointing, yet unsurprising.

Living up in the Cleveland area in the past month and a half has definitely allowed me to see the variety of motorcyclists in that area of the state. It has seemed like clockwork that as September had dwindled and October has cruised on by, the number of two-wheeled vehicles has plummeted to the "die-hard" few that have donned the beanie and hoodie to make the short jaunts down the street. Blame it on the weather dropping to 40°F (that's still above freezing for these keeping score) or the fact that some riders only insure their bikes for half the year, the sharp decline has been pretty obvious. Since using the motorcycle has been my only choice until arrangements have been made for my car (located 160 miles away to the south) has been prepped for snow, I have had to ride many days in non-ideal weather conditions and have done just fine.

I know what some might be thinking, "Why don't you guys get a second car?" Thanks to our limited income and many financial barriers that we're still recovering from, a second, reliable car for both me and my husband to use has not been a feasible option. So I have had to make the most of the resources that we have, and that means turning whatever functioning vehicles we have into urban warfare machines.

Adding to that, the Southern Californian in me has pre-programmed this notion in my head that one rides every day at every possible opportunity. It has been difficult to appeal to this idea up here, but I do what I can to be the stubborn one that refuses to put the motorcycle away. And for goodness sakes, it's Ohio, not Minnesota. Three months maximum for a snow/ice-related layover here is acceptable, but SIX months? There's motorcycle gear for those kinds of spring conditions!

The motorcycle in Ohio is truly a luxury vehicle. If the day isn't pretty, the bike doesn't come out. Up in the Mentor area, there are at least two bike nights I know of. And they both involve bars. I didn't suit up in all my gear to ride two blocks for a Budweiser. Just not my scene. It also impresses me how proud NE Ohioans are of the places they live. When the first thoughts uttered in conversations about me being a fresh transplant here start with "I'm sorry," "Don't like the weather up here? Just wait five minutes, it'll get worse," and "Hope you like to drink because you're going to have to do a lot of it up here," I'm pretty enthusiastic myself! But wait, you're still here. You and me will have to deal with it. And I thought Columbus residents were quite emo.

We all have our own tolerances for what conditions we can ride in. I'm not saying that what I do is ideal for anyone, and for those who have ridden with me, you know that I have very few reasons why I won't put my helmet on and get out there. This part of the year is a frustrating time for me, nevertheless. I will do what I can to cope with it.

Now that I think about it, "A smooth sea never did make a seasoned sailor" doesn't just apply to riding in this scenario. It applies to life. As I'm frustrated at these times with what has been thrown at me (and the multitude of unnecessary barriers put on by biological family members who have nothing else to do but hate me), they just add up to the amusing stories I can tell when I'm on my motorcycle somewhere at a random gas station somewhere in [insert state here].

High school flashbacks galore...ten years can do that to you.

Ten years ago, long before I became the Two-Wheeled Tourist, I was a high school student at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, CA. It's a school that has found its place somewhere in the US News rankings year after year, and is probably one of the "nerdiest" public high schools in the United States. I am proud to say that I am an alumna of this institution, and even though I didn't end up in medicine, engineering, or computer science like the vast majority of my classmates, I definitely benefited from the well-rounded and rigorous education I received from there.

This November, my graduating high school class will be celebrating its 10-year reunion in Culver City, CA. Thanks to the timing of the event which has made flights back to Los Angeles way much more than I can afford (Thanksgiving weekend, are you kidding me?), I won't be able to attend. However, I have the fun privilege of embarrassing everyone from 2500 miles away with a DVD chock full of archived photos, videos, and original films from my old collection. This has prompted me to post quite a few of these videos on my personal YouTube channel online. But here on Two-Wheeled Tourist I'll showcase a few of my personal favorite videos and bloopers that'll probably end up being replayed while everyone else is catching up over several drinks. I just hope I don't cause anyone to choke on any olives in the process...

Food Review: Guilio Bonazza's Italian Cuisine (Mentor, OH)

Being cooped up in a hotel is no fun. Walking around the area around my temporary living quarters, I came across a small Italian eatery called Guilio Bonazza's. I figured it would be worth a shot and I was very pleased with the food.

For the appetizer, I started with the garlic knots which were freshly baked bread rolls covered in olive oil and fresh garlic with a sweet marinara sauce for dip. When the server brought them over, I took a full whiff of the finely chopped garlic and olive oil that was slathered all over those rolls. And that sauce...it tastes like nothing I've ever had before. I'm not a red sauce fan at all, but I'll make a severe exception for that.

My main course was a 10" cheese personal pizza with Italian white sauce and grilled chicken breast on top. The crust had a nice crispy texture on top with a very soft inside. What I liked the most of it was that despite the fact it was a thin crust pizza, it had the crust of a deep dish. Unlike a lot of people, I love pizza crust, and to get a little extra of it was a huge bonus. They have a whole slew of toppings to choose from so you could make a pizza to your heart's desire.

I could taste the authenticity in their dishes. The cheese was fresh, the dough was flavorful, and you smell the fragrance of fresh garlic from a mile away. I'm so doing take-out with these guys when I get my new apartment.

As for dining atmosphere, there's limited seating as the place is designed to be more for carryout. But if you're just looking for a quick eat, it's the place to be. This is definitely a new favorite here in Mentor.

Food Review: Thai Orchid (Mentor, OH)

After my first day of work at the new job, I decided to go somewhere local to celebrate with some very familiar food that I have always attached with good memories. So I headed to Thai Orchid on Mentor/OH-306.

When I was still a high school teacher (yes I was one in a previous life), my co-teacher at the time introduced me to Pad See-Ew, a flat noodle dish pan fried with meat, Chinese and regular broccoli, egg, and a sweet sauce. It has since then become a favorite dish of mine and one that I look forward to eating when I can make it to an authentic Thai restaurant. This place did not disappoint.

I started my meal by sipping a tall glass of freshly-made Thai tea. It was well-balanced, and all it needed was a giant straw and boba to make it perfect.

A very nice and creamy Thai tea. I would've liked the option of little boba balls floating in there.

As an appetizer, I went with their fried tofu. The sauce was sweet with a tinge of chili topped with crushed peanuts. You definitely needed to douse the tofu pieces in the sauce to bring out the flavor as the tofu by itself didn't have much taste to it. My only critique is that the sauce was a bit thin so it didn't stick very well to the tofu. I made a bit of a mess on my plate trying to get the sauce as spread on the tofu as much as possible but it did taste great when I managed to cover it.

And the main course, a giant plate of Pad See-Ew. I could smell the aroma of sweet sauce steaming off this plate. I enjoyed this dish. The noodles were well done and blended in the sauce. Both types of broccoli were mixed in and not overcooked. The beef in this dish was seasoned well, thinly sliced, and very tender. The only reason I had to stop eating was that I needed some leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!

The benefit of huge portions: Today's leftovers become tomorrow's lunch. Yum.

If you're hanging around Mentor and want some Thai, I definitely recommend giving these guys a shot. Entrees were moderately priced anywhere from $9-15 so it would make an affordable date dinner. Thai Orchid is located at 7329 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. You can visit their website at http://www.thaiorchidmentor.com/.