So our little beasts couldn’t keep their hands off it. Timmy has been asking for a motorcycle for a while – so he actually got to ride on top of the Vrod. When I say smooth, I mean it. I was able to release the clutch and have the bike cruise along without throttle at all. 

Sam got on as well.

I imagine some day soon I’ll have to start telling them that they can’t have a motorcycle because they are not responsible enough. I am not entirely certain what sort of an argument I’ll be able to mount considering that I have my infant and toddler sons on top a Harley. Thankfully, I have at least 15 years to figure it out.

“No. We can buy a boat when we have a house on the lake or somewhere to store it or even something capable of towing one.”

What I think she meant by that was, “We can have a boat if you figure out where to put it and how to tow it”. Thankfully we’re only a few miles away from the redneck paradise and there are plenty of amenities available to support boating on a dime. So I figured out where to store it, I even figured out that a CRV can tow up to 3,000lb. Quick trip to Uhaul for a hitch and a lot of online research and homework and.. we’ve got a boat.

It’s a Seadoo Speedster. It’s pretty much a jet ski with seats. Supposedly it seats 5 people. Bimini top, CD and speed of up to 55 mph. I’m sure the kids are going to love it.

That’s where Daytona 200 trip started. Timmy couldn’t pronounce “500” correctly: “Daytona two-hundreds”. One evening I was watching TV with Katie and the commercial for Daytona 200 came on. That’s how our two year old got to Daytona Bikeweek  

These are 50cc dirt bikes and while he can’t reach the pedals yet, I learned something interesting. These dirt bikes come with training wheels. Yes, don’t worry about not being able to balance your bike, you can still help your kids reach breakneck speeds long before they make it to first grade.

We then moved to superbikes, to the Daytona International Speedway where we sat on the track and hung out in the pit row.

Timmy got to meet Jason DiSilva, who won the pole and eventually the whole race on a Ducati 848 EVO. Very nice pit crew, Timmy got a bunch of stickers from Latus garage and got to hang out around the actual race bikes. My only observation here is that the guy seemed like he was still in high school. Maybe it’s just me.

The race was amazing. Unlike the Left, Left, Left, Left, Left snoozefest, there were plenty of turns, long and short stretches of the track. Racing at that speed heading towards a wall… it’s scary even from where I was sitting. Back to Bikeweek stuff.

This sequence pretty much sums up the trip, everyone likes cute kids and bikers are a friendly bunch. Timmy was sitting on this bike and complaining that he couldn’t make it go faster. Biker overheard him and naturally, the two striked up a conversation. Father of the year material right there, it’s always OK to talk to strangers if they own a motorcycle. Anyhow, the two chatted, guy came over and turned the handles over so Timmy could reach the throttle.  I think the smile in the last picture says it all.

Very nice trip, next year.. A1A Unlike the NASCAR experience, I’d definitely go back for Daytona 200.

Sam did sleep through the experience but managed to wake up in time to get his “First Haircut” ears.

The pre-race festivities were awesome, pretty nice family atmosphere. Lot’s of cool stuff for the kids.

The race started and the noise is off the charts. “Lap 3” was silent – no broadcast – and everyone had three fingers in the air. Timmy loved it and screamed every time he saw the cars looping back around.

Then it got boooooooooooooooooorrrrrrring.

"Watching the paint dry” boring.

All in all, it was a fun trip. The pre-race stuff and the crowd were really cool. The race… as barely watchable as it is on TV, in person it’s about a thousand times worse.

From now on, Mommy is in charge of NASCAR. Daddy will take Formula 1.

This was taken at Islands of Adventure in Orlando.

As you can tell, when he isn’t asleep, he is very hard to take a picture of. But he is awesome nonetheless.

In order to drive one in Florida (legally) there is a school you need to go to, pass exams, pay $225, go to the DMV to get a new license – suffice to say that I waned to get one for years but I’ve never had the time. So when the schedule cleaned up I spent a weekend at a training course and well, here we are.

I always wanted a crotch rocket – and since I don’t forsee driving far or often – I got the best one I could for as little money as possible.

Timmy has been extremely excited about this since seeing Tron. I’ve had the helmet for a while since the was the first thing to go on sale

The guy I bought it from is a toy collector. From Rolex’s to sports cars, this guy has an ultimate toy factory.

Derrick: So what do you do?

Vlad: I own a software company. You?

Derrick: I sell gold, jewelry, Rolexes. Every now and then I get bored and get a new toy.

Me too! This guy was was my long lost cousin and I got pretty much a brand new bike for far less than it’s worth.

The excitement at home is… divided. Timmy loves it. I can’t remember how or why I lived so long without one. Katie was originally supportive of it but got really scared when she saw me drive it by at under 30 mph – I have to agree, looking at it from the sidewalk does make it seem extremely scary. It looks and sounds like a monster. But when you’re on it, the feeling is quite different. Decidedly the least supportive of the bunch was my father, who told me to sell it right away.

So for now, it’s chilling in the garage. I am nowhere near capable of riding this bike and its going to take quite a bit of practice that I really look forward to.

I can’t quite explain the awesome feeling. Remember driving your bicycle? Ok, now add a big motor on it. Now make it really, really loud. Now imagine just sitting back (or leaning forward) and having it go faster and faster.  

Thankfully, I live out in the country among golf courses and retired people so nobody expects to go over 45 in Windermere.

Seriously.. go buy a Ducati.

Baca was kind enough to bring us this body suit & a picture of Vlad wearing it. Fast forward 32 years and now it has a new owner. 

He has been talking about him ever since.

The boys.

The family.

Aunt Cindy and uncle Keith

Getting ready to head home, Brothers Inaction Shot. Yes, daddy dressed Timmy and the fashion choice has earned the most negative feedback Ive ever received.

Back at home, unpacking took a while but Sam was cooperative.