Transition

[BobFV1]

Looks like I am going to have to give up my beloved Arizona lifestyle - at least temporarily. I have been spending a lot of time on business activities in the Washington DC area. I was working on behalf of an Arizona company and am based in beautiful Tempe, Arizona, but my whole life there is coming to a head. Our youngest, a girl child, is about to graduate from High School, leaving my lovely wife and I with a large and beautiful, but empty, nest. The girl will most likely end up at either Stanford or Georgetown (she got her Mom's very considerable brainpower - and beauty).

At the same time, I have formed a business partnership here in the DC area and my partners have elected me to be the CEO. The partnership is a holding company which will do some consulting on government issues (we specialize in political risks in emerging markets) and which is about to acquire a realted service company. The other partners and the corporate HQ of the holding company and the company we are acquiring are all here in the DC area.

So, I have taken the big step. The company has taken out a six month lease on an apartment here for me. I will return to Arizona this week and remain there throughout the rest of the month, then back here all March, then in AZ April, then will play it by ear in May, but I think we might end up with the Tempe hacienda on the market and spend the summer looking for something back here. Either that, of I will try to carry out my duties flying back and forth across the country every couple of weeks and enjoying the Arizona lifestyle.

So, I am thinning out the herd. Am about to list the Ducati for sale. I will drive my VW from Arizona to DC in the first week of March. I am looking for a cheap R1150R or GS to get in to here. I will most probably ride my RT back here when I return in May.

So anyway, that's my news - I am sort of officially a temporary resident of Tempe, Arizona, and McLean, Virginia - at least for the next few months. It will crimp my motorcycle style, but I still plan to do one track day and teach two MSF classes in Arizona this month, and to continue with those activities to the extent possible. I did my original 4-wheel "techinical driving" and pursuit training years ago at Summit Point raceway in West Virginia, so now I will be looking to get some tracktime up there on two wheels. Should be fun.

And as soon as the weather warms up a bit, I will most definately be looking for some riding buddies here in the Northern Virginia area!

[Promethean]

Bob,
Good luck on the move. If you're looking for a used R or GS. Try here http://www.bmwbmw.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=10 or failing that Craigslist.

Watch out for the boys in Blue in VA.

[BobFV1]

Watch out for the boys in Blue in VA.

Thanks Abhijeet. Last time I lived here I was carrying a federal shield and that thing got me out of a LOT of tickets, thanks to the "law enforcement courtesy". Now I have to rely on my wits and good looks (little in either department) and the fact that troopers tend to call me "sir" because I am about the same age as their dads, I think.

[GPM]

Ah Bobby, we hardly knew ye. Sure hope you're able to stick around awhile. I know these sunny 80 degree days kind of suck this time of year, but we all have our crosses to bear.

Hopefully you'll have time for a run up north to visit with Dean-O before you finalize any move.

One good thing I'm sure you'll enjoy about the move, you shouldn't too far from Virginia International. If you liked those speeds at Firebird, you're going to love the VIR straight.

Best of Luck

[Deans BMW]

Bob, it would be great to meet up with you again. Bob and I met up at San Jose BMW last summer, he on a great trip on his RT and I was on one of my many trips to the left coast.

[BobFV1]

Bob, it would be great to meet up with you again. Bob and I met up at San Jose BMW last summer, he on a great trip on his RT and I was on one of my many trips to the left coast.

Yes it would!

[R4R&R]

Bob, let me know when you get settled in and we can meet up. The closest BMW dealer is Battley Cycle in Gaithersburg, but Bob's BMW is worth the extra drive. I stopped by there yesterday, and they had a bunch of used bikes on the lot: I know an Edition 80, and a copper rockster. Plus a couple Ducs.

[BobFV1]

John thanks! I have been to both Bob's and Battley and they both seem like pretty decent shops - Bob's being BMW-centric, which means a little something to me.

Look forward to meeting up when the sun comes out and it warms up a bit!

[fganger]

Bob,
It all sounds exciting, I love being in on the beginning of a new business or a new program, anything that will be what you make it. Having the business go on after you leave is a real, legal high.

As for the “boys in blue,” do you have a law enforcement retirement ID? I found that to be a real help with professional courtesy. Perhaps not a get-out-of-jail-free card, so one can't be real crazy. But it all helps.

Good luck in your new endeavor,
Frank
:028:

[BobFV1]

Bob,
It all sounds exciting, I love being in on the beginning of a new business or a new program, anything that will be what you make it. Having the business go on after you leave is a real, legal high.

As for the “boys in blue,” do you have a law enforcement retirement ID? I found that to be a real help with professional courtesy. Perhaps not a get-out-of-jail-free card, so one can't be real crazy. But it all helps.

Good luck in your new endeavor,
Frank
:028:

Hey Frank -

I left with 16 years of service when a consulting firm in Hong Kpng made me an offer I couldn't refuse in 2000, so I never retired :(. The "former cop" thing, just "bringing it up casually", has gotten me verbal warnings rather than citations the last three times I was pulled over, all of which have been fairly recent:104:

[socalrob]

Sounds like an exciting time Bob. Good luck in the new venture. Not sure how much I envy you though, it was alot of hard work starting my co. from scratch 19 years ago. Not sure I'd have the energy to do it again. But then again, a new venture, sounds cool. I always liken running things as surfing a big wave; its fun, takes all your effort, you can wipe out at any time, but man, what a ride.

[fganger]

Bob,

While I worked in Law Enforcement, I also worked in a number of different positions for the State of Alaska; teaching (public school and state university) and I ran a joint program for the Dept. of Corrections and the area mental health agency. So all totaled, I had enough time to retire from the state. When I remember to take my card along, it has helped. And as you said, just a casual mention usually does the trick, that and not failing the officers “attitude check.”

Frank

[Tipstall]

Bob,

Good luck. Sounds fun and scary at the same time. At least you have some great riding west of you.

Ken

[Bones]

Bob,
"Political risks in emerging markets....." Well, there will be PLENTY of work for you and your group to do! And your daughter going to either Georgetown or Stanford.........nice. Wonder what the boneheads who were banning you elsewhere have done with their lives?

Good luck with the transition.

Sorry to hear you have to leave a great lifestyle. Hope it all works out smoothly. If you ever want to wander towards thousands of miles of nice back roads in the summer, open invite here.

Jeff

[BobFV1]

"Political risks in emerging markets....." Well, there will be PLENTY of work for you and your group to do!

Jeff,

Yeah - it's great - I just make shit up and people pay me a lot of money for it - bwahahahaha!

Thanks for the invite - I will probably do the rally in Vermont on my new GT - maybe we can ride up together! Lots of stuff to get together in the mean time, though. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, back to AZ for the rest of the month!

[Bones]

Bob,
Get me the info on the Vermont rally and I will see what I can do at my end. For sure, the trip from DC to Vermont passes right through where I live. That would be great.

Jeff

[BobFV1]

Well, a lot of water under the bridge since I started this thread. I am very happy to have just returned to AZ from DC last night after a 5 hour Southwest flight - that is one true no-frills airline!

My holding company, consisting of me, one equal partner, and a junior partner, completed the acquisition I had been working on in the DC area for the past 14 months, and I spent the past month in the DC area playing CEO. Our main client is a major defense contractor so we have to be on our toes. I have also been checking real estate in the area around our corporate offices in Vienna, VA - looks like a minimum of 750K to get in to something decent there - yikes!

As I noted in the other thread, my daughter was admitted to Georgetown University and she has decided to go - so that pretty much seals the decision to relocate.

Here in Tempe I am really enjoying our beautiful home. We got in to the market at a great time and we have a very comfortable lifestyle here, but all things must pass. I will be here in the Western US all month. In about an hour I will leave to teach the first of two successive BRC courses over the next four days, then off to San Diego for business meetings on Wednesday, back here on Thursday and then next weekend I will be involved all weekend as a motorcycle volunteer for the Arizona Ironman Triathlon -- this will be my second year in a row. On the 10th I will be teaching the ERC to a group from this board and another BRC on the 11th, then I will be working on getting my house in shape for the market for about a week. Also, I am scheduled to pick up my new R1200GS Adventure in the middle of the month, and that will be at least 3 or 4 days of electrical and mounting work - getting the AutoCom, GPS, XM, etc switched over from the RT.

If the GS is in shape I may get out and meet you guys for the first day of the Hill Country ride, but that is doubtful because we are going to celebrate my Mom's 70th birthday in LA on the 23rd. Shortly after the 23rd I will mount the bike and ride it back to DC for some more time in the new office, and some more real estate shopping in the Northern Virginia market.

So, that's the update. It's great to be back here out West for the next month! I really look forward to hooking up with a bunch of you at the ERC on the 10th! Take care and post a lot - this board is really turning in to a great "anchor" to an otherwise free-floating and free-wheeling life!:)

Oh - PS - Last night after I got in, I checked out the RT which has spend about 35 days in the garage without being touched. Tire pressure in the Z6's were still 40F/42R and the BMW gel battery kicked it right over and it started like a champ. She is just getting broken in at 17K miles - I will hate to part with her.

[Deans BMW]

Bob, the energizer bunny.

I am exausted from reading your schedule here in Az.............................