Sizzlin'!

Man, it seems like hot weather is following me wherever I go. Or perhaps I'm following it! As usual, it's been busy, busy and go-go-go lately, and it all seems to be in record heat!

Last week we finally picked up our shiny new 2011 Kawasaki KX250F and in order to get the jump on the story, of course we want to get out and do our testing as soon as possible. Thursday we threw together a ride day at Glen Helen - a place we typically do a lot of riding, testing and photoshoots. Well, it was a good day, only it was 104 degrees out there. Oh well, like I was talking about in my Maryland story, this is the part of the job that makes it feel like work. You still gotta get out there and put time on the bikes. No whining!

We got a good few hours of riding in before we had to surrender to the heat. No matter how much you try to drink fluids and pace yourself, it still comes to a point... But it was hard to complain after remembering how brutal that East Coast heat was a few weeks ago. No matter how bad the dry desert heat gets, I can always say, "At least it's not Budds Creek!"

With Thursday's testing out of the way it was now time to relax and be a girl! :) Every now and then I get to clean up a little and reward myself with a pedicure, or better yet, a trip to the hair salon. Last week I got to enjoy both, and what better time than right before a weekend in Vegas?!

Speaking of brutally hot, Las Vegas certainly tops the charts. But you can always look forward to the air conditioning blasting wherever you go. Since you rarely go outside in Las Vegas, I was looking forward to "chillin' out" in the 115-degree temperatures!

I was headed to Sin City for the opening round of EnduroCross, which is my FAVORITE series in the world! Not only is it the most entertaining type of racing ever invented, but every single one of those guys out there racing is a friend of mine. They're the coolest people and it's the toughest form of off-road racing out there, so the EnduroCross Series is what I look forward to most every year. Oh, and Laurette is the announcer for the series, so going to those races also always means a weekend of QT with my bestie!

The series is only six rounds and goes from July to November, so the season opener is always like a reunion. It's lots of hugs and catching up with guys from around the world who I only see a handful of times a year.

Friday evening was the kickoff party at Pole Position Raceway, a go kart track co-owned by a lot of guys in the motorcycle industry. It's a good place for socializing, interviews, pictures and of course, some cut-throat kart racing!

It's tempting to want to jump out there on the track and do some kart racing with everyone, but since I was enjoying some girliness for a change (and still feeling kinda sick from Thursday's hot weather workout), I wasn't about to join in. Those karts are much gnarlier than they look. They're really a workout! You're sure to have sore arms and shoulders the next day. And you get slammed around in the driver seat from the high-speed cornering and you'll end up with bruises on your sides and hips. And then there are always the take-out moves that will really leave you banged up! It's all in the name of fun, and those things really are a blast, but sometimes it's nice to just chill out and stay clean. I was fresh from the salon and determined to keep my head out of a sweaty helmet for at least three days.

The racing was great and true to Vegas form, the after-party was also a blast! (Photo right) Here's a self-portrait of Herm and I enjoying a 3:30 A.M. breakfast in the Orleans Casino!

Sunday was pretty brutal, though. The traffic on the way back to LA was a nightmare. Oh, and did I mention it was 118 degrees in Baker? I left Vegas at 2 P.M. and the temperature never got below 110 until 6:30 P.M. As always, it was so nice to get home to my beach town where it's 70 degrees and overcast!

Then it was your typical Monday: exhausted and working like mad to get the issue out the door. Now I get a few nights in my own bed until I'm off again on Friday. This weekend I'm headed to Michigan... or Minnesota or something... for the Jack Pine Enduro. 'Tis the season for new bike intros and for the 2011 Husaberg model launch they're flying us out for the "Cowbell Classic" to ride and race the new FE 450s. Can't wait!!!

Until then, I got some more "work" to do (aka riding dirt bikes) this week. But fortunately temperatures are only supposed to be in the 90s. Hmm... I might need to put on a jacket.