I got a new front rack for Aphrodite. She wears it well, the bling. I said with finality, "Okay -- I'm done putting stuff on this scooter. I'm serious." And my friends laughed and reminded me that there are no further accessories available.
The rack is utilitarian - not simply for chrome effect. Though I can't say I mind the sparkle. I installed it myself - do I get a gold star? Last night I went to pick up some flats of flowers to plant on the veranda of the Aloha Cabana, and strapped them to the rack. I should have taken a photo because it was quite picturesque. Daisies in the basket of my scooter like an old Italian postcard.
I finally got a Corazzo riding jacket, after much ado. I've been trying them on for a year now. Obviously, female scooterists are all miniature, so none of the jackets made it past my elbows or covered my navel. I tried them on over and over, growling each time. I contacted Corazzo and asked if they could make me custom jacket, and they couldn't. So I went down to Vespa Seattle every other week, hoping my arms shrank and my waist got shorter during the winter months. I tried on all the boy's jackets, too. The only boy's jacket that fit was the The Max, which is super-insulated and would be overkill in the summer - even in the Pacific Northwest.
The problem is that men's jackets are not proportioned for a girl's figure - imagine that! - and riding jackets have to fit snugly, with the armor lined up appropriately at shoulders and elbows. They also need to be comfortable when you're stretched out in riding position. So if the men's jacket fit in the waist, it was too tight across the chest, and if the arms were long enough, the shoulders made me look like a football player. It was just all kinds of wrong.
I even tried on a few different jackets up at Vespa Eastside, thinking they might fit better in Woodinville. (The altitude is different.) No go. When I was back at Vespa Seattle last week whining about my predicament, Tina offered to contact Corazzo and see if she could pull some strings. She's good like that.
Well, Corazzo still couldn't custom sew me any new attire, but they sent Tina a men's Speedway jacket that is two inches longer in the waist and arms, and slimmer fitting in the shoulders. She called to tell me about it and 15 minutes later I was down there trying it on. It fit! It's a miracle!
On a semi-unrelated note, one of the requirements for employment at Vespa Seattle must be stunning good looks. Everyone who works there is hot. Like, hello I-forgot-what-I-was-going-to-say hot. It blows my mind every time I'm there. What a fabulous marketing tactic.
My new jacket is electric blue, to match my scooter, with white stripes. It makes me look like Speed Racer. And get this - it makes my bike faster! At the Westenders ride on Monday I was talking to Nate, who got a new black GTS, and he'd put racing stripes on it. I told him it looked really sharp - and faster. He smiled and told me earnestly, "The racing stripes actually do make it faster!" His conviction was the cutest thing ever. I nodded wholeheartedly in agreement. When I put my new Speed Racer gear on and took a spin, I realized this magical law of physics also applies to jackets.
Now I'm super reflective and fully armored. A girl's got to protect her rack. It's not just for bling, you know.
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