blind lemon pie

I fell in love for the first time when I was nine years old. I was on my way home from school Newport Beach Elementary in 1968 while riding my gold 1965 Schwinn Stingray. While riding along the peninsula across from Woody's Wharf restaurant, I noticed mini bikes parked out in front of a store so I went in, hard to explain exactly what happened, but it was a sensual overload....the sights...the smell... Lined up were purple Taco mini bikes. My heart was pounding! The gentleman in the store was very kind to me and gave me a brochsure with the models. I remember like yesterday the Taco 22 was $99. with the scrub brake. I never wanted anything in my life more than that. When I returned home I showed my mother the brochure and promised I would do anything for it. I remember her saying "not until you are 18", my heart sank. I kept going into that store, I kept begging my mother to no avail. Other kids starting getting mini bikes and my friend Steve Coppy got a brand new candy apple red Honda Z50. I was out of my mind! His older brothers got a CT90 and a beautiful Red YG-T Trail Master Yamaha. They loaded the motorcycles and took me with them to the open area in back of Hoag Hospital. I was watching them all ride with awe when finally Steve came up to me and asked if I wanted to ride his, I almost passed out with excitement! He ran along next to me while I was in first gear for about 70 feet then took it back. That was it, the seed was firmly planted. All of the begging to my mother did not change a thing. then a miracle happened. She remarried a man named Park Brian who owned "Home Buyers Guide" magazine and we moved to a mansion in LA. One day in 1970 he loaded us all into the Country Squire wagon (his same age son Billy, My older sister, my mother and myself) and we took off "for a drive". Surprisingly we pulled into Hollywood Honda...I was completely out of my mind! He bought us CT70's and himself a CL350 which I rode with him back one on. The rest as they say is history. I have not lived one single day since without a motorcycle. When my son was born I said to myself he will not have to endure life as I did without one, so on day one on his birthday I gave him a 1969 Honda Mini-Trail 50 and when he was four a 1970 Indian 50 that I picked up at a Willow Springs motorcycle swap meet for $400. He still has both! I have owned well over a 100 motorcycles and do not plan on stopping anytime soon. I seem to have the same amount joy if I am on my 2021 KTM 300 or an old "pull start" mini bike.