November Diva Meeting

Christmas parade that we will be leading at Lake Eola on December 12th (squeee!!!). Looks like the Chrome Divas of Orlando will be extra busy this Holiday season!

We had a lot to talk about at tonight's meeting. Our most pressing topics tonight: our Rollin' for SafeHouse Poker Run on November 22nd, the car wash on November 28th , the Christmas party we are hosting for SafeHouse of Seminole on December 6th and the

Becky, from the Chrome Angels was nice enough to come and join our meeting tonight so that she could offer advice for our first-ever poker run. We learned a lot from her and really appreciate her help!

Still, it wasn't all business...

Raffle time!!














Sharon cleaned up on the raffle tonight, including a $20 gift certificate for Broadway Pizza. You go girl!

Come join us for the next meeting if you haven't been in a while. We have a lot of great stuff coming up! And if you're interested in becoming a Chrome Diva, check out our website. See you all soon!

Chrome Diva Ride - October 18, 2009

On Sunday, October 18th, the Divas bundled up and headed out to Daytona Beach to join in the festivities of the 17th Annual Biketoberfest. After record-breaking high temps the first half of October, the temperature suddenly dropped to a record-breaking low -- a brisk 48 degrees at the time of meetup.

We hardly recognized each other in our warm riding gear -- especially Debi! (Really, how did we not get a picture of her fully suited up with her helmet on?)



We stopped off at New Smyrna Harley-Davidson for a little coffee break and to check out some of the vendors that had set up in the lot. And as the sun started to come up, notice the layers starting to come off...



Next stop: Main Street, Daytona Beach, where the party was in full swing. This is our view from the balcony of The Dog House Bar & Grill where we had lunch. Perfect for watching all the bikes and people going by...



Then we were off and shopping for "The Perfect T-Shirt"...



As well as the perfect pins, vests and chaps...



There were plenty of Kodak Moments...







Lots of oohs and aahs over all the tricked out bikes...







And, of course, a bike festival in Daytona is always a great place for people watching...



You didn't think we weren't going to get a beach shot, did you?



One last coffee break before heading home. Mmmm.... Starbucks.
(Note the perfect vests and pins.)



So, it may have started out a little chilly, but as it turned out, we couldn't have asked for better weather. We had a great ride and a wonderful day with lots of fun, laughter -- and shopping! What else do you want?



UPDATE: November 12, 2009 -- I knew SOMEONE had to have gotten this shot. Nobody knew that this was our very own Director, Debi, until she took off her helmet.

October Diva Meeting

Wow, what a great meeting we had tonight!

We got our new flags...

Special guest, *Chuck Bowers, came out to answer specific questions each of us may have had about our individual bikes....

Victoria gave a tutorial on accessing and using all the features of the Chrome Divas Website...

And of course there was a lot of socializing...



Also, Victoria shared some Thank You letters we've received from SafeHouse of Seminole and two Thank You letters from two different kids who were directly impacted by donations to SafeHouse from the Orlando Chrome Divas. Talk about mixed emotions -- heartbreaking that they were ever in this situation and rewarding that we really can make a difference. We have many more events coming up to help benefit SafeHouse that were announced tonight and many, many different people and businesses lined up that have offered their time, money, goods and services. We are really gaining momentum!

*Chuck Bowers is a Harley consultant who is volunteering his time to help women who are interested in getting into motorcycling but are just overwhelmed with all that technical junk. He can advise you on the right bike for you, guide you through the buying process, and answer any questions you may have about bikes. His number is 407-908-3060.

A big, big thank you, Chuck, for taking the time to come out and speak with us.

Open Ride to Bok Tower Gardens

The Divas and their guests rode out to Lake Wales September 27th to visit Bok Tower Gardens , a national historic landmark.

"Beautiful day, Beautiful ride, beautiful gardens. " -April

(April, Victoria, Trish, Chris and Debi)

Here were the directions for the ride:

Leaving from Broadway Pizza parking lot, the Divas will head south on 434 to Edgewater turning left. Proceed to Lee Road turning right. Lee Road merges directly onto John Young Parkway. We will be travelling John Young Parkway through Orlando and Kissimmee until we reach 17-92. Turning right onto 17-92/OBT., to downtown Haines City. Turn Right then immediate Left onto HWY 17 S. Hwy 17S goes directly into Lake Wales where we will turn Left onto Burns Road. Bok Tower is located approx. 2 miles from HWY 17S on the left.

Chapter One C.O.B.B. Society 4th Annual Biker Party

The Chrome Divas of Orlando were on hand at the Chapter One C.O.B.B. Society's 4th Annual Biker Party at the Kissimmee Sports Arena this Saturday to promote our group and raise awareness and funds for SafeHouse of Seminole . The Divas were there from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm, and raised money through the sales of bottled water and jelwelry.

Representing!

Victoria, Julie, Debi, Trish, Deb and Chris

UPDATE: (October 28, 2009) The Divas were recently presented the following award for our participation in this event:

Divas in the news!

The Orlando Chrome Divas were mentioned and photographed in Julie Compton's recent article about today's female riders in Lake Mary Life Magazine. For the online version click here. The hard copy will be mailed to households in Lake Mary, Longwood, Heathrow and Sanford and will be distributed to various merchants around town.

Great article, Julie! We're proud you're our sister.

We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

The distress call was sent out and the Divas answered.

Akili, who is enduring physical therapy for a herniated disc found the daily climb to her third floor apartment was too much for her back to bear. So after getting the okay to move into a first floor unit, she asked for help on the move.
Victoria, Trish, Melissa, Chris, Deb, my husband Mark and I, along with Akili's family and many of her co-workers all showed up to lend a hand. By the end of the day, mission accomplished. Her entire apartment had been packed up and transferred to another building downstairs. We were rewarded with Akili's famous gumbo, cornbread, potato salad and cold drinks. Mark somehow found the energy to get back up for thirds.