Hello, Lovine.com

Outside my window.

This space is my bleeding ground, where I allow myself to put my guard down and write what matters to me. Albeit sometimes, in a manner of cryptic tones that no one is designed to understand except for myself. Sometimes I like writing about the dreams I wish I could fulfill, about fires I wish I could pursue without the clouds of judgment. How sometimes you should just jump out and kick life by the butt. It is a neverending journey of trying to figure out what it means to be who I am, and it will never get old.

I always forget how awesome Manila sunsets could be. The wonderful thing is that you can remind yourself of beautiful things everyday. All you need to do, is sit still, and be quiet. Even for a little while. That all which is beautiful may hopefully last a lifetime.

Because at the end of it all, it doesn't matter what you did, but what you felt. At the end of the day, you have to do what your heart says what's important. Because if you shut out all the noise that's tying to disrupt what's happening in the beat of your heart, then you would understand that it is the least you could do because it's what you deserve. To know what it means to be alive, to understand what your heart says it wants, and to know the difference, to know that the hardest thing you could do is to be alive. To do it. Is all what matters. To live. To love. To live.

Finally installed a new throttle cable and a new transfer case bushing on the Samurai. A few weeks ago, the throttle cable snapped on the firewall, and while playing with the transfer case for a flat tow, I managed to get the t-case stuck in neutral (again). Got the parts while I was out in Oregon, and swapped them on earlier today - perfect since the day was uncharacteristically gloomy for the valley.

Test drove it to a body shop for a paint quote ($$) and a late lunch, and it's running great.

I need to stop obsessing over finding a cleaner tin-top than what I already have. All I really want is a (very) clean interior and a few performance mods to make it ride better than stock. Debating if it might be easier to just wait for a cleaner car to come along to build on. I've been scouring Craigslist and Ebay every 5 minutes, and it's driving me nuts.

Hopefully I'll have my act together by early November, when we are planning to have our yearly desert excursion to forge into the depths of the 4WD routes of Death Valley.

Balls of Steel: SF to Portland
Portland
Balls of Steel: Portland to LA

2,613 miles on the 150cc scooter. Can't write without gushing too much about the intensity of pulling something like this out of the hat. There are a few images that stand out, and when you're on the saddle for 10 hours a day pulling 400 mile days, there are quite a few to choose from in the pool. The best pictures are the ones outside the camera - inside the curve, through the fog, down into the view, simmering into the golden sunset, burning in the hours that toughen the soul (and the butt). The best ones present themselves in a split second, but are beautiful enough to last forever.

There were some rough moments related to boring straight-aways, cross-town traffic, soggy weather, nail-busted flat tire, smelly tents, strong winds threatening to blow me out the road. There were times when I thought I'd been pushing the envelope too far. But most of the time, it felt more like I haven't been pushing it far enough. Life goes on, but only when you choose to move forward.

Those who wander far away from home, know it a lot better when they return.

Stay safe, and ride on.

I'm so damn tired. I always feel this way after a long trip, but this one is especially exhausting. Put on so many miles and almost reached the Canadian border. This is an almost sure guarantee that I will pursue a cross country trip someday, as I'm probably only a few hundred miles short of actually reaching New York if I went straight east one-way. Will crunch the numbers tomorrow and plot the exact route map we did for the week. And of course, will post some photos. :)

You need to do something drastic if you want change in your life. If you don't do anything, then nothing will change.

Basso and I actually made it all the way to the north western most tip of the lower 48's, and camped around the Olympic National Park. Now, if you look it up on a map, that's pretty damn far from home. We were trying to gun for the Canadian border, but barely had enough time and had to go back down to Portland to meet up with the weekend party.

I don't have the numbers yet, but we rode an upwards of 1,200 miles over 4 days, and basically finished the entire stretch of highway 101 until it looped around in Washington state. Eventually, I will need to ride CA-1 from LA to TJ to lay claim to have ridden the entire mother loving WEST COAST. On a scooter that puts out 11.5 horsepower!!

I've still got more than 1,085 more miles to cover to get home.

What good is life, if you don't push the limits?

I need to catch up on a lot of things, and was hoping to have some time to sit down and write.

Unfortunately, I don't. Except to say I'm taking the scooter on a 1,600++ mile roundtrip shenanigan with Basso in a few hours. Destination is Portland Oregon via motorcycle, camping along the coast on CA-1 and 101. I wanted to have time to map out the exact locations of all gas stations and potential campsites - but like everything else in life, time is in short supply so I'm just going to wing it and hope for the best.

I've finally accepted that these trips are not just 'one-timers' - there is a constant burning desire to push the envelope and scramble over the next horizon of adventure. This is an itch, that once scratched, reveals an even deeper hierarchy of need.

Time to feed the beast!!

This is, officially, the best wedding I've ever had the privilege to be part of in my entire life.

Each day I wakeup, I thank the world for great friendships that continue to bless my life. I love you, Kathlyn and Dan. :)

It is my bad dream that I will never really wake up from. A year ago, one of my dearest friends was ruthlessly murdered at his home along with his girlfriend, Nika. There is NOT ONE SINGLE DAY that I do not think about them.

Eggy mentioned to me once, that I find my happiness outside the shallow trivialities (and shallow acquaintances) that others tends to brood on. It stuck to me, and I continually try to crack open that puzzle of finding the hidden fires in my heart. I confided that while the both of us were working for the family business, it's incredibly refreshing to meet someone who plays no nonsense and understands what he wants, and goes out on a limb to pursue it. He will undoubtedly continue to inspire me, and many others blessed to have met him, until we are gone ourselves.

That was a picture at ABS-CBN I took before a taping I tagged along with. No makeup necessary, for a man as beautiful as you, Eggy. I'll see you someday. I love you and will miss you forever.

Was in the Samurai getting off my exit at the 101, waiting at a light. As soon as I made my way across the intersection, I heard a big SNAP and the accelerator pedal suddenly lost tension and hit the floor. F-balls!! Fortunately, I was right outside an apartment complex and managed to work the clutch and inch my way up the lot. Right as I pulled up, another white SUV behind me conked out and had to be pushed into the adjacent gas station.

Then, while waiting for the tow truck to arrive, another car, this time a VW bus, is being pushed by the same group of guys that helped the SUV 5 minutes earlier. Seriously, this intersection is cursed. As we loaded up the Sammy into a flat bed, the LAPD bomb squad showed up en route to Studio City. I knew from the news this morning about a burning car found in an underpass of the 101 and a body discovered inside the car. The driver told me that they apparently found some wires strapped on the body which might have been rigged up with explosives, hence the arrival of the bomb disposal unit.

Talk about terrible Tuesdays. Stay safe, kids!

Dreamt about a friend last night. I hugged him tight, and while patting my hands through his back I felt a rib that seemed to stick out, by his left shoulder blade. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, told him that I loved him. Then a wave of sadness washed over me and broke me into tears.

While everyone seems to run around like headless chickens in pursuit of frivolous shit, there are the few people whose hearts are made of gold trying to make this crazy world a better place. Everyday, I wake up from my dreams wondering if I have what it takes to live beyond my own, to give, to make the world proud. To create meaning, to find out what it really means to be alive, to pursue the horizon with a fiery passion, to live without abandon.

Each day, at a time.

The dog is now pink.

No it's not hair dye.

We effed up and had to shave him. Bald. :)

I ask from the deities of the earth, the blessings of safety and the strength to overcome obstacles that we have chosen to conquer. That we may find within ourselves all we need to pursue our dreams, and achieve our ambitions. Knowing that we understand the roads we face are strait and fraught with danger. Knowing that the way to a true life is at once being humble, and taking charge.

Each day is a blessing, a gift unraveling without end.

So I'mma cut the shit and see how far 150cc of Vespa can take me, to those wonderful hills far far away. :)
(Actually, I'm just doing ~372 miles. Got brand new tires, and a new back plate for my jacket. Later, fools.)

Safe travels, people.

I feel like I need to live on the edge of my seat, to pursue that distant horizon without the trappings of complacency. A need to surround myself and absorb the energy of kindred spirits, to face with curiosity where others would acquiesce with fear. To find the strength to understand what it means to believe in something, to believe in anything.

I am happiest when I am spiritually exhausted. Crawling into bed as the sun is about to come up after a long night of monkeying with something - whether it's propped up by words, by music, by photos, by a gossamer of ideas. Anything that can stand on its own and I can look back and say hey, I made that. Even if it's nonsense.