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In Other News
Public Speaking: I have had several suggestions and one unsolicited invitation to participate in public speaking events next year. Having no real experience in public speaking, I recently participated in a public workshop to develop and hone skills to make a 10-minute presentation.
I mentioned this short talk in my last newsletter, but the idea with the 10-minute length is to be ready to do a talk at TEDx in Dayton in October 2020. I still have to apply and get accepted and then tailor my talk to the very strict rules for TED talks (if you do not know what TED is, here is a link) that require speakers to fully memorize their entire talk and then deliver it verbatim. I expect to have the resulting video from that November workshop experience in early January and will post it on the web site when I do.
Horizons Unlimited: In the meantime, I can already confirm that I will be speaking at least once for about 45 minutes (with audio and graphics) at the Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting Virginia 2020, Holiday Lake 4-H Center and Camp, near Appomattox, Virginia, Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, Apr 26, 2020. The web page for this event can be found on the Horizons Unlimited web site. Horizons Unlimited is an organization that supports adventure motorcycling. They are also on Facebook! Unfortunately, I cannot be at two places at once, and this is the same weekend as the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) meet in Oley, Pennsylvania, so I will have to miss that this year for the first time in many.
Other Appearances: I have been working on a 2020 calendar for a while, trying to discover what events I can attend and ride at. Although I have not made any firm plans, I am going to try to make:
- Daytona Bike Week (March 5-15, though I would likely not be there the entire week, but would also take in the Sunshine Chapter National AMCA meet in New Smyrna Beach).
- Southern National AMCA meet in Denton, North Carolina (May 15-16).
- Phoenix Road Runner AMCA Chapter Road Run, Zion National Park, Utah (June 2-4).
- American Motorcyclist Association Vintage Days, Mansfield, Ohio (July 10-12).
- Wauseon National AMCA meet in Wauseon, Ohio (July 17-18).
- Yellowstone AMCA Chapter National Road Run, Billings, Montana (July 21-23).
- Yankee AMCA Chapter National Meet, Terryville, Connecticut (July 31-August 1).
- And then there is the Motorcycle Cannonball 2020. I applied to ride in it a year ago, but there were so many returning “legacy” riders from the 2018 ride that I did not get a slot. I have been encouraged not to give up hope because riders often drop out and I could still make it. Although none of the above events reflect what I consider to be a fitting end to my interrupted tribute ride in 2019, I think that the Motorcycle Cannonball certainly presents an excellent way to properly complete my tribute to CK Shepherd, so I hope to be hearing soon that I am in and can start making serious plans.
The Books:
I would be remiss if I did not mention the books. The links are all on the books page of the web site. I have, of course, produced a remastered and reset paperback, Kindle, and even audiobook version of C.K. Shepherd’s 1922 classic, Across America by Motor-Cycle.
Buy that audiobook! I do not think it I am being boastful when I tell you that my audiobook production of C.K.'s classic came out far better than I could possibly have imagined. It is a “live” trip back to 1919’s America as C.K. Shepherd saw it. If you’re looking to give someone a unique holiday gift they can sit back, close their eyes, and travel back in time with, buy that audiobook for them (or for yourself!).
The big book, though, is my own Across America by Motor-Cycle – Fully Annotated Centennial Edition. This is available in paperback and also Kindle and iBook formats. The folks at Aerostich (makers of riding gear and accessories) are now stocking copies of that book, personally autographed by me and (if you will pardon my use of a rubber stamp) C.K. Shepherd.
So that is all the news of the day, and likely year. At the end of the month, I head out to see my daughter and her family in Hawaii and will be coming back in January to get at it once again!
Thanks to all for your encouragement and support.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year |
