Katrina One Year Later

Today New Orleans is going through a healing process by having many memorials, gatherings and programs showing how it was during and after the storm. I wish them all well. There is a lot of healing to be done and it will take a long time. Even so, people here want everyone to know that they are working hard to bring New Orleans back and that they hope we will keep coming back to help and to experience all that New Orleans has to offer even now.


This is Alexander Filmore and he is helping his 67 year old Aunt Elsie Mae by gutting her home and trying to get it back to where she can come back. This only one of several homes of his family members that he is working on - when he is not working at his regular job. Imagine doing this type of work in over 90-degree weather with humidity like a sauna! Even so, he's just glad that he still has his family. Thanks Alexander!


I am standing in Alexander's Aunt's house in front of a toilet that is pouring water out of the pipes. Imagine this situation in 100's of other houses and the depth of the devastation to heart and home. Please help me help these people. Billions of dollars are pouring in and out of New Orleans, but the regular people still need our help and many need homes. They are doing this work themselves and need help.

Remembering Grounds for Health Reception

I'm here in New Orleans but I want to thank August and everyone at Grounds for Health for the great reception and hospitality when I went to Waterbury, VT to meet everyone. Thanks also to Green Mountain Coffee for helping with the reception and for the tour of their plant - quite nice!






Below is a picture of some people from Green Mountain Coffee and Grounds for Health. They came in to the reception and took me out for a ride to the local Harley dealer.
From Left to Right: Jeff Sweetser, Heather Brown, Tina Rutledge, Dan Cox (founder of Grounds For Health), Terry Muzzy, Robin Mahaffey, Garry Rutledge, Gordon Garvey
Thanks Guys!

Me = the other guy = you = responsibility and action = results.

I'm back in New Orleans.
I rode from Mayfield, KY to the city last night, which was around 550 miles. The last hundred miles were pretty hairy with a lot of fog, and I got in late and I was tired. I'm staying in a great hotel that I used to use when I worked for Tea & Coffee Trade Journal as a sales person. I have always been lucky to get a great discount on staying here at the Le Pavillon and I love it. They have peanut butter and jelly sandwich makings and hot cocoa at 10pm and I was so excited when I saw it out on the table in the lobby - but I got there just as it was being taken down and didn't have time to get any. I hadn't had dinner so I was feeling sorry for myself. Well - I've been watching TV all morning and looking at what the people down here are trying to do to get back to even a semblance of normalcy. My worries were pretty darned petty at this point. I'm in a nice room - lots of the people of New Orleans don't even have a house. And the people in Latin America that Ground for Health are trying to help have never had a house, or anything we would consider a house. While we eat dinner and watch TV, they are trying to survive. You know --- there are so many similarities between both of these places right now. New Orleans looks like a third world country in some places right now - and it's Our own country. How do I get to the people of our country and make them care and make them think they can help even if they are only ONE person?

I keep trying to figure out how to make the best use of my ride - how to make this "one person" get lots of "one persons" care and see that it's up to each of us to help as much as we can. It's being good neighbors.

There are millions of dollars pouring in and out of New Orleans, but look at the city - look at the people who are still in trauma and still have nowhere to go. It's obviously not enough even though to us regular people it seems so huge - millions of dollars - it must be enough but it's not. It's all a matter of perspective and the normal person will never see or work with those types of numbers. That's why I'm hoping that I can help convince everyone that there are ways for us to help each other. It may be a dollar sent to my ride and I will be the conduit to move it on to people who can help; it may be that someone can take their vacation in New Orleans and spend their tourist dollars here - it may be that you have a skill that can be used here and can show up for a short period of time - it may be that you have taken a Katrina victim in – it may be that you WILL take in a Katrina victim if they need to move from where they are now - it may be that you buy a latte from a company who is supporting the countries who get you that coffee - it may be that you send me your latte money for a day so that I can get it to the people who can make it work – the point is just to help how ever you can whether through me or not.

I'm just here watching how the people in New Orleans are trying everything they can think of to inspire those who live here to carry on, clean up, take care of themselves, take care of each other and on and on. What more can we do to help them? What do we do if it happens where we live - in your town - to your family and friends because we don't control Mother Nature? For one thing, it's not the fault of the people who live. Even if you don't think this city should have been built where it is or should be rebuilt – it’s about what happens to the real people who lived and still live here? They still need help. The children are traumatized, families of real people have been torn apart. People have died and people were born in the midst of all of this disaster but life still goes on. Can you imagine living in this kind of turmoil and trying to get on with just the everyday part of living? Wouldn’t you be hoping for help?

Those of us who are not in the middle of this have the luxury of reaching out to help. I'm trying to do what I knew how to do. Maybe it's bizarre, but I've raised some awareness and some help - not nearly enough - but I'm the other guy who everyone else is waiting to do something. But you're the other guy too. Even if you never support what I'm trying to do, remember to help wherever you are in any little way you can. Little things add up to big things. You can make a difference.

So I'm going to keep trying to figure out how to do this better and keep riding and keep talking and keep trying to help even a little bit. It's funny - it's not about me and it's all about me. I'm the only one who can make me do anything either positive or negative. Me = the other guy = you = responsibility and action = results. There must be some algebra in there but I hate math :=)

Help me out - let me know what you think - give me suggestions on how to make this ride work better. That may be your contribution and it's a valuable one if it's a positive one. Write to me here or to my e-mail: robin@robinsrideforwomen.com or to Robins Ride for Women at P O Box 2073, Bothell, WA 98041. I have my mail being picked up. I will get your words. And I would like to thank Ray, my boyfriend who is doing this for me and helping as much as he can in what ever way he knows how - and I apologize if I get short tempered as one can when you are tired, and thank you to all of you who have kept me in your homes and who have fed me or talked to me or contributed to this endeavor and these two charities we are supporting...You have made a huge difference.

And good for you that you made it to the bottom of this huge note! Sometimes it happens :-)

Over 11,000 and trying to catch up for you!

I'm going to catch up with some images here today if the computer will let me. I have to admit I'm a little tired, but "There are miles to go before I rest".

Here's that dog I promised - when no one commented on the cate in an earlier blog. This was a rest stop in Connecticut. Don't know why the shirt but he was strutting like he knew he was looking good. :-)






Here is a picture of a replica of the bike OCC made for Will Smith, "I Robot" I believe. Didn't get to meet Paul Sr., Paul Jr, or Mikey - bummer.






Here I am on the ferry going to Nova Scotia.


Here I am in Nova Scotia :-)




Here's my bike with a dead battery in Vermont and getting towed in to Toronto (lost my windshield on that tow, bummer)!

Over 10,000 Miles! WooHoo

Hi from Toronto and my friends Maryann and Joe's computer. I have reached the 10,000 mark and now I'm on the way back home so to speak. I still have a long way to go, but I'm excited, happy and proud that I have made it this far and have proved that I WILL do the 20,000.

It's been hard not being able to get phone and computer reception because I want to keep all of you updated and not have you get bored waiting for me. It will be much more regular when I hit the states again this weekend.

My bike broke down again just outside of Toronto on Tuesday night. Seems it was the same thing that happened outside of Lexington, Kentucky and there was a sensor that had to be replaced. That was quite the task since the service department called all over Canada and couldn't find the part - which would be a 2 week waite if it was ordered from Harley. So I called my guys at Harley-Davidson of Seattle (thanks Rick) and asked if they had one or could find one. They didn't have one and searched the states to find one in CA. They were willing to do what ever it took to get it to me ASAP. Meanwhile back at JACOX Harley of Mississisauga (interesting name), the guys looked through their books and parts and decided they could use the part from a different year. This worried me, but it turns out the part worked just fine! They did tons of work and didn't even charge me!!!

After all of that, I got on my bike yesterday evening to bring it back to Maryann's and part way down the freeway I realized I didn't have a windshield. I know - how do you not know you don't have a windshield... I got on and it felt different but it just didn't register until I was getting hit with all the road wind and I noticed none of the trees or grass was moving but I was still getting pelted. It seems the windshield blew off when the tow truck driver was taking it to the dealer. I had to shell out some substantial money for a new one, and the worst part is that I had my logo etched on the one I lost. I don't know how I'll get that done again - and at the price I paid at the AMA women's conference. But hey - if that's the worst of my problems I'm doing all right!

So I'm still out here riding hard and talking to people. Time to stop talking and start asking for the contributions/sponsorships. There are people who need help and I'm out here to get it. I'm the conduit to get the money to the people who need it. So if you thought I was making some noise before - watch my dust :-)

Alive and well in Canada

Hello all!

I am the webmaster for Robin's website. She hasn't been able to get internet access for over a week, so she asked me to let everyone know about her current status. The (self described) wandering biker chick is doing great! She is in the province of Ontario, thundering over the open road, a woman and her bike - meditative, contemplative, wind through the hair, confident, soundtrack playing in the background - all is good. She appreciates everyone's interest and concern.

Take care everyone, be nice, smile,
-S

I'm in Orange County, NY

Spectacular sunset in Kentucky on the way to Mayfield last week. All rights reserved again :-)

Hey out there - how come nobody commented about the cool cat picture. Well now I'm going to have to put up the dog picture that I got today. It's a Great Dane with a pink t-shirt - I kid you not. Need to hook up and download it tomorrow.

Thanks to Rick and Pierre for the chat tonight - they are from H-D of Seattle and Rick is handling all of the donations I am getting for the auction when I get back in October.

I just keep meeting cool people everywhere I go. I'll be having lunch/coffee with someone from OCC tomorrow - need to ask if I can use their name before I put it up - but it's not one of the guys. They happen to be on a west coast tour and heading for South Dakota - I'll miss the big run this year but probably shouldn't go by myself anyway. Well, El Toro PooPoo, I just can't make it and still get to Nova Scotia (I hope) and back down to VT for a reception with Grounds for Health on the 10th. They are really planning a great reception for me and I will get escorted by the Rolling Thunder and people from Green Mountain Coffee! How cool is that!

I met a guy tonight who is a hair dresser and a gentleman who proves chivalry is not dead. He offered to do my hair but I am chicken (he does this for a living). It is falling out on this trip. When any of you meet me I will be bald! Getting old sucks some times :-)

To everyone who has kept me at their homes while on this trip - you are truly exceptional people to offer a complete stranger such hospitality and it will come back to you three-fold!

Don't stop writing and I'll be better about updating the blog :-)

Poet - I'm truly sorry for the loss of Crazy Larry and I know you miss him, as does all of his good friends in New Orleans.
Smurf and Dayna, treasure each other, you deserve it.
Emillie, so sorry for your loss and can't wait to give you a big hug when I get back to New Orleans!
Kim - where are you???

If any of you want to know anything in particular - just let me know.

Love and hugs to all!