Biker Rescues Dying Bald Eagle

THIS is who we are:

"Biker-Haters" Aren't Going To Like This Story.

Michael Baladez, Harley dude, was the only motorist with enough heart to stop and help a dying bald eagle, stranded alongside a Minnesota highway last summer. The poor animal had a broken wing, and was suffering from lead poisoning, but that didn't prevent the frightened eagle from nearly ripping off Mr. Baladez's face, neck and shoulder before he was able to stuff it inside his heavy leather jacket, and bungee (the little cord with a million uses!) the bundle of meat 'n' feathers to his bike. He rode southward to the Minnesota University Raptor Center, in Duluth, where newly-named "Harley" was nursed back to health. Mr. Baladez and a large crowd gathered yesterday, and "Harley" was released among cheers and ..tears.

Wonder how many cages passed by before "Harley" was lucky enough to cross paths with a real human being...

Bahamian Mahi-Mahi

ABM is not a chef. However, we do occasionally play one on the radio. Of all the dinners we've recently prepared, this one is a standout. If you live where it's snowing, this meal will make you feel like you're on the beach at Nassau.

This dish tastes so good, you'd slap yer' mamma for seconds, and we made it start to finish in less than 20 minutes. Serves four, and at less than 400 calories, it's very low cal, and satisfying. If you're seating four, you'd better double the amounts, or be prepared for a fight!

Bahamian Mahi-Mahi

1-2 bananas, in 2 inch slices
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 mango, sliced
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs mahi-mahi, skin off, in 2" chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups cooked brown rice
1-6oz bag fresh baby spinach

Cover a nonstick frying pan with spray. Fry the bananas until golden brown on both sides, just a few minutes. Add the fish, fry until it's just starting to look done, do not overcook. Stir in the salt, pepper, mango, coconut milk pineapple juice, and broth, and continue until everything is just heated through. Cover dinner plate with fresh spinach, then brown rice. Top with fish mixture.

Need Service? Act Now!

Hard to believe, but sooner or later, this awful winter will finally... end?

Then motorcycle repair facilities will be jam packed with bikers who waited until the last minute to get fluids changed, tires replaced, repairs made. Your bike's tuneup may actually be handled by the lowly oil change tech, not good. Making your own repairs? Going to need a part? Remember the dreaded... "back-order"? Nothing is worse than having to be sidelined for lack of a 50 dollar part while your bros are tooling down the highway. Don't be so cheap! Shops need your biz now. You get a better deal. Experienced dudes are waiting on you. That won't be the case in April. Got stuff to be done? Get 'er done now.

ABM's two Chevys have a combined total of 300,000 nearly trouble free miles. "Work" trucks, (some call them "fleet" vehicles, basic white, no fancy cup holders or heated seats), are among the most dependable vehicles ever built, and at a little over half the cost of the fancy models, they offer close to zero maintenance, all you'll ever need is batt's & tires, while the Tundras are experiencing catastrophic frame failure, and out of control accelerator pedals. The fashion in which Toyota has dragged it's feet on a safety issue of this magnitude is astounding, especially considering all of the money they've dug out of the big American gold mine.

Comming soon:

ABM's top three best/cheapest/no-hassle campgrounds for Daytona Bike Week 2010. The 69th annual DBW begins in 28 days!

Live Up North? Want a Good Laugh? Read This!

Major Florida City On "Snowflake Watch"

Media outlets in this Florida city of over a million residents successfully worked up the audience into a seasonal lather! Every available reporter is out in the dark, on "snowflake watch", as a passing cold front blows over town. Problem is, when the remotes were scheduled yesterday, nobody guessed the temperature would be a balmy 46 degrees before daybreak today. Equally comical, people who are freaking out, because the city "has only one sand truck".
(like we need two?)

ABM guarantee: Better half's day off. If it ain't raining, (or "snow flaking"), she'll be out on the Harley soon as rush hour is over.

What an animal!

Doesn't she know we're on "Snowflake Watch?"

"...And A 40% Chance of Falling Iguanas?"

Weird Science?

..You live in Dade county (Miami), commute daily on your mc. A strange thing happened on the way out of the driveway this morning..you were slapped in the head by a.. Falling Iguana!

Unless you're stacking cases of brew into a walk in frig', chances are good you won't be seeing 40 degrees too often down there. When the outside air reaches a low of exactly 40, a strange thing happens to Iguanas. Most life functions shut down, and they go into a coma like trance. If they happen to be hanging out in a tree, their fave spot to chill, (yes, pun intended!), temp drops to 40 degrees while you're tooling along on your bike, there's a 40% chance you'll be having Iguana Kabobs for dinner!

(not to worry.. when the sun comes up, the little (and not so little) suckers come back to life).

"It ain't snowing, is it?"

Crop Killer:

This is about the end of locally grown strawberries, citrus, etc. 10 days of 20-30 degree nights are about all the tender crops can handle. Strawberries should get pretty inexpensive, as growers rush to pick what's left. We're getting quart boxes for a buck and a half. It's been pretty weird, 38 degrees at the time yours truly went shopping for some gro's..when the checkout lady found out i was riding, she freaked, then everyone in line had to become involved. When I'd had enough, thinking of the poor bro's stuck up north, like bud Scott Shawver who can't get out of the driveway because of snow and ice, I yelled back... "Hey, it ain't snowing...is it?" The ABM inlaws up in Syracuse swear there's four feet of it on the ground. Enough said.

..45 days to Daytona Bike Week..

Daytona Bike Week Services Link:

www.DaytonaChamber.com/dbwcalendar/index.cfm?f_type


Hotels, motels, campgrounds, restaurants, etc. Daytona Bike Week officially begins on Friday, February (yes, Feb), 26th through March 7, 2010. Farther away from the beach, the lower asking prices for camping and/or rooms. Cabbage Patch camping sometimes involves lengthy highway waits, with stop 'n' go traffic during peak cole slaw wrestling times. Once again ABATE of Florida is offering primitive or rv camping at the Volusia County Fairground, about 25 minutes west of Daytona, near the town of Deland. Noting how empty area motel rooms were last year, we'd hold off until the last minute to look for a room, and get a knock-down rate.

Cold Beer, n-o-t Weather!

Draught Beer, Not Students..

Old college saying. To bad it didn't work out. Misprint in the last ABM blog where we said this stretch of bone chilling numbness could be the longest stretch since the 1990's...wrong...make that, the 1890's. It's normal for the south to experience a day or two of cold, then we bounce right back. Not so this time around. It's in the 20's night after night, unheard of in the sunshine state. At least it's not snowing. For the last two days I've been trying to think of a way to say that our lack of riding problem is nothing compared to most of the rest of the country. You're right. We're spoiled. Having said this, the better half is totally into riding around town when it's 39-40 degrees. On go the full leathers, and off she went. Hades hath no fury like a woman possessed, who insists on rding, no matter the weather.

And now the beer apology:

Complainin' about the 24 leftover bottles out of a case of Bud Light was kinda stupid, considering I hadn't had one in ages. Yesterday's grudgingly high temp of 41 gave your faithful servant some time to work around the house, and test out a few of those little brown bottles. They ain't cervecas, but they are pretty good. At 60 calories, it takes a couple of 'em to equal out a Corona, but the taste is decent, and they will get the job done. Only complaint is the constant burping. There's a big Bud plant in my hometown, and the BL was stamped with a mid-December date. Worth your while to go after the stuff that's less than a couple weeks old. Way better than stale.
I take back my disparaging remark about only being good for making bratwurst. ABM will save further remarks for Keystone Light, which I know for certain, sucks. Full Disclosure: At one point during the 90's, it was the only beer I could afford, a shot stomach, not withstanding.

Compound Open House For Bikers Only

According to an old Roman Legend..

For a great new year, spend day one partying with the highest quality people available. For us, those are friends who ride. A lot. The weather sucked, so we huddled around the kitch. Hot tequila toddys, made with soy egg nog were a big hit, along with strip steaks, pulled pork, penne pasta w/homemade red sauce, hoppin' john (black eyed peas for you northerners), a couple loaves of home baked bread, and a frig full of brewskies. Hint: If you're gonna stock the 'frig with Bud Lites & Coronas, don't count on any cervecas being left behind. We bought a case of BL, and this morning the better half counted 24 bottles left over. Maybe I can make beer brats or somethin' out of 'em. (apologies to those who favor the bl).

Killer Temps:

..An' we ain't talking as in nice weather. This has been one very cold Florida winter. No wonder the oranges are so sweet. The fruit is telling us something. The next week could bring the coldest temps since the 1990's. Spring bike week weather depends a lot on the temp of the surrounding tributaries. If this cold weather holds, we could see ocean temps in the upper forties, perhaps making spring bike week a mite on the chilly side. Anything can happen between now and the end of February. Hope it warms up soon. Ridin' around in the 40's & 50's is getting a little old..