October Ride

Big thanks to Kevin and Tom (pictured here) for a great ride today. We started at Flying Saucer in Humboldt Park for breakfast. Great fresh food. Then we set out to ride to Union Pier, Michigan. From Chicago, we took 94 east past Gary, Indiana to 20 east to 12 east through New Buffalo, MI to the Red Arrow Highway. Had a very nice lunch at the Whistlestop. Again, a place with great, fresh food. We were told by the folks in Whistlestop to find the signs for the circle tours. I think they are meant for bicyclists, but we loved them too. The day was gorgeous and the trees were in full color. There are quite a few wineries in the area and we rode past many grapefields. I had never been to that area before, but I know I will be back soon!

Motor Maids

While at the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference this past July, I joined the Motor Maids, the first women's motorcycle riding organization in America. On Saturday, I met with fellow Motor Maid, Betty Craft Hartman. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the diner at Kegel's Harley-Davidson in Rockford. The diner is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Betty has been riding since the 1970's. When her son bought a bike, she helped him fix it up and decided that she should be able to ride it if she was fixing it. The rest is history. I am excited to be a part of such a legendary group of riding women!

ACEtoberfest October 2009

Although it was a damp, cold day, many scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts came out for the 2009 ACEtoberfest at Ace Motorcycle & Scooter in Chicago. The day included vendors, food (brats of course), beer (the good stuff), and a bike show. And I was hanging out with a winner that day. Chris from Criminal Customs took home two prizes! One for best American bike and one for the best custom. Congratulations Chris! Don't miss this event next year.

I Have a New Title - PANK

Did you know that PANK is the new PINK? Melanie Notkin of SavvyAuntie.com, coined the term in a recent post on She-conomy.com. PANK stands for "Professional Aunts No Kids" (hey, that's me!). Notkin believes that retailers often make the mistake of assuming that all female customers are moms. Women control 85% of all household purchases, whether they are single, married, with kids, or without kids. And let's face it. Women like to shop. So marketers, keep this in mind when devising your sales strategy. Sure, keep the women's section next to the kid's section. That makes sense, but don't assume in your advertising that all of the women shopping have little ones at home.