(07-27-2026, 07:00 PM)Cormanus Wrote: Looks better than the one on the web site. Is that picture of the boss with his natty red laces? I like them.
Ha! Yeah, that's the boss with the red shoelaces... I've suggested that he sort of ditch the Judge Dredd look and reshoot it with the visor up. Also planning to redo the background... he had that picture taken with the Hollywood sign in the background, it's cool, but we're thinking a hospital might make a more effective image. The show backdrop shows the L.A. skyline.
My years of trade show decorum has me challenged to wear my "riding tennies" at the show, even if I did opt for the more distinguished black laces. I think I'll rock my brown Indies.
07-28-2026, 03:14 PM (This post was last modified: 8 hours ago by Gone in 60.)
I’ll have to see if I spot a Plymouth Super Bird at a local show next time I’m riding my NC…
Edit: I realized I could park it at Denny's and have the sandwich as well. Probably a lot easier than looking for a very rare NASCAR homologation special...
8 hours ago(This post was last modified: 8 hours ago by Gone in 60.)
Been a busy week! We've been at a medical trade show in Anaheim to promote our delivery service. In a sea of companies that make all manner of medical devices, testing equipment and a lot of stuff I have no idea what it does, we are definitely the odd ducks here. We certainly are getting a lot of attention.
I've been going to automotive shows - mainly SEMA and the Performance Racing Industry show - for the past 30 years. This is a completely different world. Since COVID, the bigger automotive companies, mainly the OEMs like Ford, GM and Chrysler, have pulled out of the industry shows as they've beefed up their online and social media presence for not only new cars but also parts and accessories. Many of the independent aftermarket companies have been sucked into private equity conglomerates. The companies who still attend have pared back the glitz and glamour of the pre-2008 recession craziness like booth models, celebrities, etc, and have presented more basic displays. The shows have kept prices to buy booths fairly low to attract exhibitors and keep the booth count up.
These challenges apparently haven't affected the medical market. Huge displays with companies offering cappuccinos, people wearing suits... this is a different world for me. We're sort of like an attraction with our big yellow BMW and flashing lights. I was floored when the boss told me our 10'x10' booth cost $8k. The carpet would have been $650 alone, so he grabbed a patio mat from Amazon, which works perfectly fine. It's all-hands-on-deck. The first two riders I trained have merged into being our sales guys, and they're walking the show drumming up business. The boss and I are manning the booth, and getting all kinds of questions.
"So, you prepare and sell the bikes to make medical deliveries?" Ok, that might be a new side-business for us... no reason we can't do it, right?
Guys from other countries, particularly Central and South America have taken great interest and have said "This would be very handy where we are". Boss asks me if I'd like to start a new branch in Ecuador...
Since the convention center is ten minutes from me, I've been rolling in early on my Bonneville to fire up the booth and answer questions. The convention center is across the street from Disneyland, so it's handy to be able to slice through the tourist traffic to get to the show. The rest of the crew is coming from L.A., so they get there when they get there. I have my newly-trained riders handling morning deliveries, and I've been leaving the show to take the late afternoon runs, so it's been a long couple of days. And here I thought I was done with trade shows retiring from the automotive world!
Edit: looking at the picture, realized that the yellow strobes on the bike are reflecting off of my new Indie Ridge boots. I’m not wearing yellow shoes.
Day 182 ... Thursday Men's Group Lunch Day with a couple guests. My 2 grandsons ages 13 and 11 joined the men for cheeseburgers and fries at Steak and Shake, and a ride out to the Pink Pig for dessert. The boys said they had a blast. 85 country curvy miles @ 84 degrees and partly sunny on Blue Bird. Bonus went over 5,000 miles on the odometer on Blue Bird on today's ride.
It doesn't matter what I ride, how far or how fast, only that I ride .... every day