| I became interested in
motorcycling, first as a passenger, when I had my first ever motorcycle
ride, on the back in 1994. I heard about the women only Motorcycle Safety
Foundation course from a Road Runner when I was out on a ride. I took
the course and then practiced in the parking lot of Action Yamaha on
a little bike until I felt secure enough to take the test at Motor Vehicles.
The riding test wasn't available at the course as it is now. Then I
practiced in my mother's neighborhood. My bike was kept in her garage
at the time. Eventually I moved onto faster local roads and then highways.
My favorite place to ride is anywhere
-- really. I love to ride! The prettiest trip was to the Honda Hoot
in North Carolina. And then the ride to the covered bridges in Vermont
was gorgeous.
My son, Billy has been riding since he was a young-un. He gave me my
first bike, a 1972 Honda CB 350 for Mother's Day. Glenn gave me that
first motorcycle ride and many more wonderful rides before I took the
Beginners Riding Course. My mother, however, always referred to my motorcycle
as that damn motorcycle." All my friends ride -- the Spokes-Women, Polar
Bears, Glenn, the Road Runners, Dawn Patrol, Town and Country, AMA District
II reps and the friends I meet all over the place.
I learned about the Spokes-Women MC from a friend of my daughter's who
was a member of the Club while they were in med school together. The
Spokes-Women MC is a huge part of my life. The Club opened up a whole
new world for me and helped me through some of the most difficult times
of my life. I couldn't ask for better or kinder friends.
What do I expect to gain by being part of the club is a difficult question
because I don't look to gain by being a member. But I have gained so
much -- friendship, camaraderie, joy and fun, and the opportunities
to learn more about my passion for motorcycling, to become a better
rider and to participate in fund raising for the charities the Club
supports. I do support other charities with monetary contributions.
But my time goes primarily to the Spokes-Women and our fund raising
efforts.
I do some maintenance on my motorcycle. The trickiest I get is changing
the oil and battery. The latter is a mean feat since it takes an hour
just to get all the plastic off and another 45 minutes to put it back
on.
Rider safety is important to me. I wear a denim jacket when it's hot
out. I always wear denim jeans unless I'm in my full Gortex riding suit
with armor. I always wear boots, gloves and a full face helmet. If it's
on the cool side I'll wear leather chaps and jacket. When it's really
cold, during Polar Bear season, I wear electric gloves and vest and
long johns, etc., under the Gortex suit.
I've been riding with Spokeswomen in group rides since 1995. The first
ever was a ride to Wildwood in the pouring rain. For a long time I thought
that all Spokeswomen's long rides had to be in pouring rain -- the ride
back from Pony Express in 1996 for another example. I ride highways
of course but I prefer a pretty road with flowers, streams and animals.
I don't like riding after dark. I can't see well in the dark and the
cars' headlights behind me bother me. I don't like to ride when I'm
tired or when the other people on the road drive aggressively or carelessly.
I can't really say that I have other hobbies at this time. I do ski
for a week each winter. I don't roller skate anymore. Ha, ha. Then there's
Glenn. He takes a lot of time.
I grew up in New Brunswick and graduated from Douglass College. I was
a biochemist at UMDNJ before going to law school. I graduated from Seton
Hall University Law School in Newark and clerked for Judge John E. Keefe
in Middlesex County. I wrote and implemented the pilot Special Master
Program for asbestos litigation in the State. I was Special Master for
a year and then went into private practice. On May 1st I became a Deputy
Attorney General in the Banking and Insurance Section of the Division
of Law in Trenton.
I still have the 1972 CB 350 and a Nighthawk CB 750 that I've been trying
to sell since I bought Walt Kern's Pacific Coast. If money, my back
and the weight of the bike were not concerns, my dream bike would be
a dark green Venture, detailed to perfection with shades of cream.
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