Apr 5, 2010

The Lover

I picked Jim up on Saturday morning in Brian Frain’s diesel pickup wearing my infamous “freedom wrap.” We were road-tripping out past the Mississippi river to pick up my first motorcycle and take some pictures. Jim brought his land camera and an old Yashika film body and I brought my digital. 

It was raining when we got started, but just outside Polo, Illinois, the clouds blew away.   

Meet “El Amador,” the lover

We’ll go to a parking lot somewhere and just take it slow.  Even if it’s not perfect right away, let’s give this a chance. 


Miriam's first bike. A Honda '75 cb360, near Galena IL. Photo by: Jim Luning


Next stop, the Jim and Jim show. I'm about to experience some major motor-head-ness. This guy’s garage was a chop-shop slash museum. Never seen anything like it. It was “organized” in the same way my bedroom is – looks like a hurricane hit the laundry line but you know where everything is. 


When I asked if I could photograph, the guy said “It’s kinda creepy, but whatever.” I think this is knucklehead for "yes." I was going to say something smart ass but I saw his ATF hat and thought again. Never under-estimate the power of not saying anything. And by that, I mean me, specifically.



This is where Jim says to Jim, "Oh you've never had to get a mechanic's title? It's real easy. You just go down to the secretary of state...." 


I wander.






Jim does a why-the-hell-not and picks up a '73 Yamaha TX500 to flip for a few hundred bucks.



Tighten down and head back to the city. Thanks Jim, Brian Frain, Chris, Karena and Kemosabe. Amen.

15 comments:

  1. What a great day!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You, your lover, a freedom wrap, and the great wide open world. Sounds pretty good to me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. congrats!! A new chapter has begun.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm going to lose enough weight and tone up my thighs enough so that when I ride on the back of your bike this June, my thighs are a fierce extension of my fierce back side, as opposed to looking like the part of the same muscle group.

    ReplyDelete
  5. alyce roseApril 06, 2010

    You look so hot sittin' on the back of that pick up tailgate!
    Ralph Lauren and J. Crew meet Miriam Doan . . .Va va va vroooom!
    Oh ya, the bike is cool, too.

    Congrats;)
    a.

    ReplyDelete
  6. the freedom wrap, you, Jim, El Matador.

    quite simply "The Moves" Miriam.

    what a treat. thank you for this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes! My first top rating. "The Moves." The only question is, where do I go from here? Where do you go after the gold?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Platinum, dawg, platinum.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Patty Cake said,
    the 1st shot of you driving is classic M.D.
    Congrats on the bike!

    ReplyDelete
  10. after the gold, you go for the glory!

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh nothing...just sittin here on my couch looking out at el amador all leaned into the curb, reading deez comments. how can you be so lucky?

    ReplyDelete
  12. suh-WEET bike & wonderful pics. so enjoyed perusing your blog. much inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hey jenny! i enjoyed perusing yours too. took me a while to place you but i finally figured it out. thanks for finding this. xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. well SHIT! I have a 74' cb 360.. i just got my official license to ride them 3 weeks ago.http://www.fashionserialkiller.com/2011/03/couple-of-sounds-that-i-really-like-are.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. well SHIT! I have a 74' cb 360.. i just got my official license to ride them 3 weeks ago.http://www.fashionserialkiller.com/2011/03/couple-of-sounds-that-i-really-like-are.html

    rad!

    ReplyDelete