Cancelled Vacation

 When this covid thing started back in what, March, I never dreamed it would have an effect on vacation plans in August. I don't have to tell any of you how wrong that attitude was.  After some discussions with the group of people I would have vacationed with and the fact that some were bowing out, I too decided not to travel south and enjoy the Smokies for a week. 

 This sucks and despite really looking forward to this get away I suppose it's the right thing to do. I've made this trip 17 of the past 18 years only missing that one year because of a job interview.  I got the job but looking back I think a bike trip would have been a better stint than the 6 months at that landscaping outfit. Next year will represent 20 years that this group of internet friends have been meeting and its gonna take more than a virus to keep me away.

 I have vacation time I need to use up and some of it will be used for painting the roof of our house. There's a whole honey do list of things that need to be done so finding a way to burn hours will be easy, but I don't want to burn hours. I want to hang my knees in the breeze with the wind pounding me in the chest. The ultra is a great bike for eating up miles with its large storage capacity, creature comforts and smooth ride but the sporty connects me to nature better. To be honest, I really want to take a ride that has almost no planning and requires nothing of me but the right attitude. A clean change of underwear and a credit card are all I want to take. 

 Maybe I can find the time to squeeze out a decent ride on each.

Later.

Anniversary Getaway

 Thirty one years ago I was lucky enough to get a sweet woman to agree to marry me.  We're still together and the 7th of May will mark the official anniversary. We both felt we needed a weekend getaway and took a lot of suggestions but in the end agreed upon Galena Illinois.  It's far enough away that it feels like we really went somewhere but close enough not to eat up the whole weekend traveling. I had been through this area once on the bike and always thought  it would be a nice place for us to visit together.  
We arrived in time for lunch and found a nice place called Fried Green Tomatoes.  The food and service were great as well as the ambiance.  In fact the whole town is pretty cool if you like old architecture, rich history and small shops. I'm good for two of those three. 

 We took a trolley tour of the city and really enjoyed that as well. After pissin away the rest of the afternoon we had a great meal at a place called 1Eleven Main or something like that. Ya we splurged and the bill was over a nert but ya only have an anniversary once a year. Btw, fibs don't know how to mix a proper old fashioned.  What they do know is that a person shouldn't have to choose between soup or salad because it's so easy to just offer both! 

 For lodging we chose the Desoto House Hotel located right in the middle of everything this small town offers. The Desoto has a rich history and is the oldest operating hotel in the country and has it's own restaurants,  bar, shops and even a parking structure. You may pay less at other hotels but it's nice to park the car, have a few cocktails and be in walking distance of all the action. 

 Speaking of walking, the trolley tour guide made a big deal about these steps. Theres like two hundred of them leading to the top where theres a church and school maybe. As the evening progressed and I had a few libations I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

 It wasn't really a big deal, I mean they are concrete steps and a hand rail. Back in the day when they were crude planks I could see it being a pain to climb but now its just a few minutes out of the way to see a great night view of the city. Because of the trolley tour I was able to pick out a few key features like Ulysses S. Grants home.
 The experience was great but unfortunately we had a few issues with the room itself like problems trying to get the heating/cooling system below sauna temps and a broken toilet. When we checked out I handed the gal at the desk a comment card with these and a few other problems listed on it and she offered a free breakfast which we declined because we already ate. I kind of got the impression she thought we were just whining and looking for something for free. Whatever. We walked out to the parking garage when my wife got a message on her phone. I know what you're thinking but no it wasn't the front desk apologizing for the broke ass room they put us in. It was my wifes cousin Heidi who was asking if it was us she just spotted at the hotel. What a small world when relatives from two separate areas of the state coincidentally meet in another state. We had a nice although short visit and went on our way home. About an hour into the ride my wifes phone rang and this time it was the Hotel saying they were mortified at the situation and would comp the room. I guess when they saw I was filling the toilet tank from the shower with the garbage can they decided I wasn't just a whiner. They have earned a second chance at our business.

Later.

4th of July/Princeton Flea Market

 What a screwed up week this was. For crying out loud we had two Mondays this week. The second one being Thursday after having Wednesday off for the holiday. Thursday really did suck in so many ways and Wednesday felt like a Sunday. Here's the deal. Its Independence Day so lets drop the whole 4th of July monkey business and celebrate Independence Day on a Monday or Friday so more of us can do a three days in a row vacation. This work two, take one off and then work two bullshit has got me constantly checking to see what day it is. I was surprised when I got a paycheck on Tuesday because it was actually Friday. I totally missed out on a fish fry because I thought it was Tuesday. After all this I'm sure next week is gonna feel like a nine day work week. Yesterday, (Saturday) I felt like I was playing hooky because I normally work Saturdays but had this one off and it felt like a Wednesday due to the 4th feeling like a Sunday. There was no Thursday and I can't even tell you what happened on the actual Monday or Tuesday.
 On top of all that, this entire summer is flying by so fast I can't keep up. Every time I blink its a month later except next week of course which will feel like an eternity. OK, rant over.

 So I told you that I had Saturday off. What did I do with it? Not a dang thing. At least nothing productive. The Day started out with my wife and I taking a stroll through the Princeton Flea Market.

 Its amazing the time some people will take to set up and display some of this crap. Don't get me wrong, there is some cool useful stuff to be had but much of it is pure dumpster material. I guess they're taking a chance that the initial shock of a piece of crap will trigger a purchase. I admit that some of the pieces in the following pics made it back to our home.

creepy

Monkey business

Cheese curds for breakfast? Yep!

High tech.

No thanks. Too much of a chance of zipping up something important.

These are now on display in our home. My wife says its art. I say creepy.

A twisted drive shaft. I wonder what the story is behind it?

This is my favorite shirt. My wife said it was too wrinkly but I wore it anyway. What a rebel.

 So after a day of flea markets, garage sales, antique malls and truck shopping, the evening ended on a farm in Wautoma and a good time was had by all.

Later.

On the Road

Today's post comes to you from Janesville,  wi where I just woke from a night of live music and adult beverages. OK maybe I'm not fully awake. We rode the big Ultra down here to watch our friend Jay bang his drums in a Kiss tribute band. Once again he kicked ass.
Yesterday was the Watson Street bike show. I dropped the rat turd off there in the a.m. and then went to work till 2. When I finally got to the show I was able to check out the iron and to be honest I was a little disappointed that there weren't many new entries.  Because of that I've decided that for next week's show in Green Lake I won't be bringing the rat. I thought about taking the Ultra but don't really want to take a stock looking bike to a show. The BSA isn't ready yet so that means the sporty is up to bat. My wife told me she wants to see the eagle back on the bike and I agreed but not in the exact form it was in before.  I'm not yet sure what that means but I have a week to figure it out. Sorry, posting from my phone still means no pics but if I could post one maybe it would be me and AL posing with our bike show awards or his wife holding a trophy in front of her vette. Or maybe it would be a scenic shot from the road on the ride down here or possibly an action shot of the band jammin out.

Later.

Happy Fathers Day

 My daughters were gonna rent a car and come up for a visit today but those plans fell through. I get it and I'm not bothered that we won't be celebrating a Hallmark Holiday together today. We'll get together another time.
 So I have a free day. Hmmm, what to do. I guess I could work on that bathroom remodeling project. What started as a few loose tiles has become a complete overhaul from new drywall to sub flooring. It's not the only bathroom in the house so I can drag my feet on that project. I suppose I could do some more painting on the BSA engine parts but it's supposed to be hot and humid today and painting may not be a good idea. The logical answer to the "what to do" questions is to ride but I suspect many of the readers of this blog already knew that. The only real question is "where?"

 I'm not even sure if I'll turn left or right when I pull out of my drive. If it turns out to be an adventure I'll be sure to let you know.

Later.

Dinner Ride

 Saturday's weather was gorgeous and after work my wife and I wanted to get out on the bike for a ride. We heard good things about Blancks Supper Club on the east side of Lake Winnebago and made that our destination. Before we left the house my wife commented on how she likes the smell of some beard oil I have been using on occasion and why wasn't I using it today. I obliged and lubed up with Duluth Tradings finest. Once we got on the hiway I was having some difficulty with my glasses. I thought they were fogging up but when I touched the outer glass I discovered they were covered in oil. I guess my beard was flying up and slapping the glasses, leaving me with blurred vision. A quick stop at the local pharmacy for some hair scrunchees and a quick braid job by my wife fixed the problem. Not really the look I was ever going for but to be honest what I had going on wasn't that great anyway.

 We continued on traveling mostly back roads and were treated to nice scenery and great weather. New tires on the Ultra really make it handle better. The squared off rear was getting annoying and the renewed feel of the bike make it easier to forget how much money they cost. At the restaurant we enjoyed a good meal and afterward continued around the big lake. Once on the north end we decided to push on a little further and visit my dad.

We were treated to a viewing of his latest carving projects, a few of which have taken blue ribbons and "best of show" at some recent wood carving shows. This bowl is his latest work in progress.

 The ride back home took a little over an hour on the hiway. It was dark when we got back but were still dressed in the mesh jackets we were wearing when we headed out in the afternoon heat. All in all I'd say it was a nice day for a ride.

The mind is a crazy place.

 The human mind is a crazy place to hang out. At least mine is. When I'm in my truck I play the radio. If I don't then my mind wanders. I know I'm not the only one because we have done things like put men on the moon, split atoms or even allow ordinary joes like me to reach out to your cell phone with this drivel I call a blog.
 Anyway, much of the crap I think about is totally a waste of time. That time is gone and I'll never get it back so why am I using it to come up with ideas for shit that don't matter? I think its just a gear head thing but I've never talked to anyone about it before and I certainly am not gonna waste any precious time reading a book on the topic. So, if you happen to be building a carbon fiber airplane fuselage and need ideas on locating passenger seat supports, well then I may be able to help you.       WHY? Why does a sober, non drug induced mind wander so far off track from reality. I don't even like to fly and certainly will never work on a plane. Many times I need to follow these ideas out to conclusion just to get them out of my head. Obviously that's not gonna happen here so I'm stuck with it for a while.
 Now here is the real kick in the ass. I wrote the above paragraphs a few weeks ago when the whole airplane repair mumbo jumbo ran through my head. I managed to forget all about it till today when I was in a rush to get this blog out. I sometimes write these in advance then post them on wednesdays and sundays. Anyway, the corny idea that evaporated from my thoughts is now revisited. Fortunately, today is the Slimey Crud Run and I'll be busy trying to discover new back roads and then checking out others creations that they worked so hard on during the winter months. For some, this is the maiden voyage of the season much like me taking the Rat Turd. Unfortunately I won't be taking that bike as planned because it developed some kind if ignition problem and I just didn't have any time this week to work that out.
 The original plan for today included a bunch of other riders. The group is down to me and one other rider and I still need to hear from him this morning to see if he can go. It seems the forecasted high of 50ish and a slight potential for rain has scared a few guys off. Hey, I believe in "riding your own ride" with no pressure from anyone else. That just creates problems and if a little foul weather is gonna cause vaginal discomfort then by all means, stay home.
 In the past I've pissed a few people off because I don't like to stop just because the weather isn't perfect. If I have the gear on and decent tires then I don't mind riding in heavy rain...until it finds its way to my crotch and creates discomfort.

A couple of bikes that caught my eye at last years Slimey Crud Run.

Appleton Harley Davidson

 A few weeks ago I got an invite in the mail. I lost it so I don't remember the official title of the event but I can tell you it was some kind of customer appreciation party at Appleton HD. It wasn't a "bike" event but it seemed appropriate to brave the cold and ride up there. I arrived to find the parking lot full of cages and only two other bikes there. Whatever. I guess I didn't expect to see a lot of other bikes when the temps were in the forties.
 As I walked into the dealership the first thing I noticed was the lack of bikes. They cleared the sales floor and had half of it set up for feeding and half set up like a casino. Of course they still had all of the clothing available and I had kinda thought about buying a sweatshirt but I really had a different purchase in mind so I wandered over to the parts counter. They were offering a percentage off parts that night so I took this opportunity to pick up some different handlebars for the Ultra. See, I'm getting comfortable with the bike but I'm not completely comfortable sitting on it. These bars will move the grips two inches closer to me so my arms won't be stretched straight out while sitting upright. This position will mimic the Kawasaki Voyager that I put over seventy thousand miles on and did a bunch of Iron Butt rides on also.
 The food was next. A generous buffet style offering that included a smoked turkey that was delicious.  
 After filling my stomach I sat down and played some black jack. The deal was that the big winner at each table got their name put in a hat and they drew three names from those to receive some prizes.

 I did quite well, starting out with $5000 of funny money and finishing with over $300,000. That made me the big winner at our table but my name wasn't drawn for any of the prizes. No matter, I had a good time. Thanks to the crew over there for putting on a nice party. It would have been nicer if my wife could have made the trip but she was feeling a bit under the weather. She wisely chose to stay home and get some rest.
 The late night hour ride home was dark, chilly and a bit challenging. The lighting on the Ultra is pretty decent and gave me confidence looking for deer while I dealt with the cold. The wind protection is ok except frigid air sneaks below the fairing and above the radiator pods. This hits my knees with a wintery blast. It's not the worst thing but I do need to remember to stretch my leg out and make sure it still works before coming to a stop.
 So there you have it. That was my Saturday night. What did you do?

Ride Home

 When I awoke this morning I was greeted by fog. Once on the interstate I was lucky enough that the visibility was just a bit further than my braking distance at speed. The best part of the fog was that I didn't have to bore myself looking at the Illinois landscape. Really, it's almost torture droning along that stretch of road counting the miles tick off the odometer. When the fog lifted I was greeted by dark clouds and later rain. I was reminded of this same return trip a few years back on my Aprilia Futura. It rained so hard and for so long on that ride and I was completely miserable. I associated that misery with the Aprilia and really never rode the bike much after that. In fact, I sold the bike. I was hoping the rain today wouldn't get that intense. I didn't want some mental issue I have about Illinois rain to tarnish my feelings about my new Ultra Limited. The fact is I've ridden this bike in heavy rain and it does all right. In the nine days I was on vacation I put 2900 miles on the big hog. That's not iron butt pace, its vacation pace. I enjoyed a mix of 200-500 mile days in 65-90 degree weather. I had the rain gear on a lot but didn't get rained on much. I guess I prefer to have it on before I get wet and a couple times I put it on just to stay warm.

 How did the bike perform? I did just fine. It's a bit of a pig in the twisties but no worse than other full size bikes I've been on. It's heavy at stop signs but I haven't dumped it yet. I have no complaints about the radio and gps. They worked flawlessly and I like the way the electronics package is presented in a clean way with minimal switches. The lighting is good too. I was comparing features of this bike to others I saw this week. If it's lacking anything as a touring rig I'd say that might be an adjustable windshield and an on board compressor for the shocks.
 I enjoyed the week on the Harley and I'm looking forward to the next time I can get out on a big ride with it. I need to go through the bike and clean it up and make sure everything is tight, but first I need to catch up around the house starting with a burnt belt on the washing machine. That's the only bad part of vacation...at some point it has to end.

Hi-Tech

Yesterday our group left the Wheels Through Time museum but I stayed behind. It's one thing to look at stuff with friends but what I needed was to explore a few things on my own. Things that may not seem interesting to everyone else. For example I asked myself the question "what is hi tech?" Every motorcycle in that museum was the latest and greatest of its day when they were purchased new. A battery powered headlight was a huge improvement over kerosene 

powered lamps but those headlights aren't hi tech anymore. My bike has a LED headlight that seems great now till something else comes along. So when the next generation of lighting is introduced will that make my Ultra Limited  low tech?
I think I have it good now with my hi tech gadgets but you know even the guys that bought a new AMF Harley back in the day felt good about their purchases.
A lot of things we use every day are just refined versions of an option offered decades ago. Maybe that's all hi tech really is. Just the latest version of an old idea. What about new ideas?  Are they hi tech if they just perform a simple function?
I'm not writing this to provide any answers. It's just stuff I like thinking about and I had a good time at the museum imagining what the designers of those old bikes might have been thinking.
I put about 600 miles behind me today. I'm shacked up in Illinois for the night and I'll continue toward home in the morning. If tomorrows ride is as uneventful as today, it will turn out to be a good trip. I needed a pic and hadn't taken any today. This guy was in my picture album so I'll give his 15 minutes of fame.

Step One...

...remove head from ass.

This morning I headed out for what should be a nine day motorcycle vacation. I wasn't completely packed but totally forgot that fact when I left. About twenty miles down the road I had this nagging feeling I was forgetting something.
Sure enough it soon came to me. I was gonna bring my laptop to more easily write this blog. Oh well, I'll do it from this phone. Still I couldnt shake the feeling I was forgetting something. An hour later I stopped to take off a sweatshirt cuz it was heating up outside. When I got back on the bike I soon realized I wasn't wearing my mesh jacket. I'm sure it's hanging on the sissy bar of the sportster in my garage.
Now I'm not a safety nazi. In fact I put safety in third place behind showing off and looking good. Still, there are some times when you just can't ignore good common sense. As I was blasting down the interstate I just couldn't help but feel naked without some protection so I hauled the big bike down from speed and manuverd into the first harley dealer I could find.  They had a nice mesh jacket with armor that actually cost less than the one keeping my sporty warm. I'm starting to look like the poster child for a HD commercial.

 It got up to 91 degrees today. Hot, but not too humid. Traffic was light and construction was minimal. All the idiots must be on other roads cuz I never cussed the whole ride. I'd say it was a good day.

Lunch on the road...

Paducah for Ribs...

 ...At least that was the plan.
 See, my wife and I have three daughters. As each one turned 18 they were offered a vacation as a birthday present. I don't remember where the first two went. Maybe Mexico, Chicago or a cruise. Beats me. My wife took them. Parker decided she wanted to got to a "One Direction" concert. They're playing in California and my wife took her. That opened up a weekend for me to put some miles on the new Ultra. The plan was to ride down to Paducah on Saturday and ride back today.
 The boss gave me Friday afternoon off and I used that time to ride to Cedar Rapids and visit Scott and Debbie. We had a nice visit albeit too short. We had plans to do breakfast on Saturday but I changed those plans when I woke up and saw the weather radar. If I continued south I would experience half a day of thunderstorms followed by an afternoon of 95 degree heat. The rain wouldn't have bothered me too bad but the idea of riding in that heat isn't appealing to me. If I got on the bike and headed north immediately I would avoid all the bad weather. I decided to get on the bike and ride back to Wisconsin where I enjoyed some very comfortable riding conditions.
 I regret wussing out and not following through with the origin plan. Oh well. I'll be in Paducah in a few weeks.
 The good news is that I still managed to put almost a thousand miles on the bike Friday and Saturday. The better news is that if I can keep motivated I plan to clear a path to the Rat Turd and finish welding up that fuel tank. I might even get around to putting that new back tire on the sportster but I'll get none of that done if I sit here behind a keyboard all morning. Later.

Independence Day

The original plan was to work Saturday morning and then get some work done in the garage at home. Maybe later I would fire up the grill. That all changed on Friday when I casually asked the boss if needed me for the weekend.  He said, "No. Why don't you take your wife on a bike ride." Sweet!
The weather was so nice it seemed like a waste to work in the garage so we hopped on the bike and rode.
About an hour in we decided to pull over for a break. A casino makes a good stop. Designated bike parking,  clean restrooms,  free pop and a chance to win big. And so we stopped and enjoyed all these things.
After riding some more we decided it was time for dinner. Drinks seemed like good idea so we decided to find a hotel with a restaurant and get off the road for the night.  I enjoyed prime rib and my wife a delicious tenderloin.
Like most cities there were celebrations and fireworks. We enjoyed live music, drinks and we're preparing for the evening light show when I spotted a movie theater with a Terminator banner. The huge crowds in the streets really are not our style so we stepped in to watch Arnold protect Sarah. This theater has two seats that are in the back and raised high enough so your view isn't blocked by anyone. We enjoyed being big shots in the VIP seating because nobody else was in the theatre! When we walked out the crowds and vendors were all gone. You would have never guessed that just two hours ago the streets were packed with people celebrating Independence Day. 
 This morning it looks inviting as I peak out the hotel window to check the status of the bike. We're not quite empty nesters yet but we're getting some good practice in.

It's Official

 The new bike has been accepted as part of the fleet and received its very own GSR sticker.

 I'm getting much more comfortable on the bike. I'm just over the 2000 mile mark. My wife and I have gone on a few short rides together including a "dinner date" Friday night to our favorite mexican joint.
 I ran into a couple at the gas station that were on a '14 Limited. We talked for quite a while about the bike and I told them I just bought one. His question was "then why are you on that sportster?" I told him I thought it was gonna rain that day and the new one was clean and the sporty needed a bath. Hey I like having more than one bike to choose from even if the sporty is slower and handles worse. They're all fun to ride!
 In the pic above you'll notice the long vertical openings on each side of the fender. There are companies that offer lights to fill these up and offer more warning to people behind you. They can be wired as tail/brake/turn or any combination of the three. I may just order a set.
 You may also notice the skid mark on the floor. I came into the garage a little hot the other day. The anti-lock/linked brakes don't kick in under 2 or 3 mph.

 Yesterday my dad, brother and I went down to Iowa to a wood carving show. Dad had a piece in the show.

 It's the swan on this end of the table. I think I posted some pics of it before in the early stages. It really is a nice carving and it did place. I was so impressed with the amount of talent exhibited here. You can see the hours and hours of time it must have taken to finish some of these works of art. If you ever get a chance to go to a wood carving show I suggest you do it.
 Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there. My wife and I are gonna spend the day on the bike. If the weather holds out it should be a fun day.

Gettin Organized

 It had been less than a week of new HD ownership when I got a call from the dealer that parts I had ordered were in. This is a good thing because one of the items ordered was a trunk organizer. I guess its about 60 miles to the dealer so a mini road trip was in order.

 Just look at this mess. I got stuff bouncing around on top of other stuff and glasses getting all scratched up. My fellow Harley brethren would be ashamed of this mess. Me, I just don't want the top case turning into a shit hole like the Kawasaki Voyager I had years ago.
 Installation is a simple matter of removing the liner and applying some sticky backed Velcro to the top edge of the case. After re-inserting the liner, a Velcro "hinge" is hung over the top edge. The three fitted organizers are now attached to the Velcro. The forth organizer on the back wall is factory stock and contains owners manuals and a tool kit.

 Ahhh, that's much better. A place for everything and everything in its place. I can still fit two helmets or two twelve packs in here.  For me the whole purpose of having a trunk is being able to do daily chores on the bike. This should work.

 Today my youngest daughter is graduating High School. Congrats Parker! Here is where I would normally insert a joke about getting luggage as a grad gift. No need. Parker already has plans to fly the coop and attend school in Oshkosh. Good Luck!

Workshop Wednesday-Workin Late

 My wife has had a crush on Donny Osmond since forever. The other day she and a friend flew off to our nations capitol where Donny is performing this week. The goal is to try to get him to sing her a song while rubbing her feet. Anyway, that means I have access to her car for a few days and a chance to fix her leaky tire issue.

 Even with decent equipment, I don't really care for changing tires. The problem with her tires was a bunch of powdery oxidation on the wheels. The beads were leaking. Three of the four would leak down far enough in two days to set off the low tire light in the dash.

 A little wire wheel cleanup and then some bead sealer and we should be good to go. As I was working on the tires I received a text message from my wife. It read something like this: "OMG, I shit you not, Donny just gave me a big hug and let me kiss him on the cheek!"

 No word on the foot rub.

Happy Camper

 A while back I was tooling along on a bike ride when I passed a camper for sale. I rode a few miles and something made me turn around to take a closer look at it.

 Its an older rig but looks like its been well taken care of. None of that really matters because I'm not buying this camper. My problem is that I'm drawn to the idea of having one of these. Why? I don't know.
 When I was a kid we always had a "fort". A sort of club house. Every so often we would come across some new building material and tear down the old fort and build something new. This camper could be a mobile fort. With plumbing!  Lately I've found myself studying floor plans and following Craigslist just to see whats out there.
 I could see pulling a small trailer with a bike, sled or boat on it. Maybe a fishing trip up north or a ride west to see the Grand Canyon. Actually there's probably a lot to see right here in Wisconsin. We just need to get out on the road and see it.
 On one hand it seems you could save a lot of money on lodging and food by traveling this way. On the other hand you could buy a lot of  motel rooms and fancy restaurants for the purchase price of even an old motor home. I'm thinking the more you use it the more it pays off. I just don't know if I'd ever use it enough to justify the cost.
 For now I'll just keep my eyes open. If the right deal comes along then maybe I'll pick one up. Until then I'll keep dreaming about my fort on wheels.

The Cold

 Saturday was a work day. It didn't get very warm but the sun was sure shining. When I got home I decided to take the sportster for a ride. I was wearing a sweatshirt and threw on my riding jacket. As soon as I hit the hiway I knew I wasn't gonna be dressed warm enough if this ride lasted past sundown.
 Well as far as rides go, this one was ok. There was no destination or goal, just me and the bike going nowhere. By the time I was ready to head toward home the sun was dropping below the tree line. Crap. I had an hour ride in front of me but only a few minutes of the suns warming rays.
 I had been enjoying the rush of wind even though it was a bit cool. Now the wind has played a cruel trick on me and turned cold. How come when the wind is warm you don't really notice that it's everywhere. When it's cold you can feel its icy grip all over your body. It pushes and tugs at every seem  in your clothes and always finds a way in. Once in, it has a strange power over the body. It makes me tense up. When I say tense up I mean like muscle spasm tense. It seems my butt cheeks are taking a bite out of the foam seat of the bike. My neck and shoulder muscles are all crunched up to the point where I think the bottom of my helmet is actually sitting on my shoulders.
 It seems all this scrunching, tensing and foam biting doesn't do a damn thing. After a few minutes of this I realize what's happening and just relax. I exhale because it feels like I've been holding my breath and I just settle down. Despite the neck squeeze it seems my profile shortens about three inches. I feel the same amount of cold as I did before but I'm more comfortable. This only lasts a few miles and soon I find myself all tightened up again. I have a moment of clarity, relax and repeat the cycle.
  Usually on a bike you will find little warm pockets of air as you travel along. That's part of the great connection a biker makes with the environment. Not tonight.Without a windshield on the bike there is no way to beat the cold wind.  I'm not numb, I mean I can function all the controls of the bike although I'm sure not as quickly as I could if it were eighty degrees out here. So what's the deal? I start to imagine the cold chill is actually a warm flame. I think about how much heat would be radiating from those trees if they were on fire. That pain in my knees is actually a burning sensation from the heat rolling off the v-twin. The wind is a tropical breeze on a warm summer night. Tail lights are heat lamps warming me up as they pierce through the night.
 These head games go on for twenty miles until I roll into a small town. I think I'll check my bac pac for warmer gear. My cold fingers fumble with the zipper but I finally get it opened up. SCORE! I find my snowmobiling gloves hidden in there! There is also a balaclava stashed in the bottom of the bag but I would have to remove my helmet to put it on. Despite the warm tropical breeze in my head I decide to put on the heavy gloves but pass on the dickey.
 The next fifteen miles were kinda weird. The last pit stop must have refreshed me a bit. I was cold but not tensing up. I wasn't having to play tricks with my mind to function. I know it isn't any warmer out here. I think what got me through this leg of the journey was that fact that I remembered something I had done earlier in the day. I had turned on the heat in my workshop Saturday morning. I knew it would be seventy degrees when I got home and I was looking forward to thawing out.
 Despite the cold I would say it was still a good ride. A person learns a lot about themselves under these kinds of circumstances.
 Today I'm gonna put the liner in my riding jacket. It's no wonder I froze my ass last night.

Spiders and Bones

 Our kids are home for the holiday weekend. Yesterday the middle daughter and I found ourselves doing some local shopping. There is a large flea market held every Saturday just a block from our house so we went to check it out. I was on a mission to find a rubber spider but was not having any luck in my search. We stopped in a nearby antique store just because its so close to our house and we had never been in there.

Me- "Do you have any rubber spiders?"
Them- "No sir, this is an antique store"
Me- "Do you have any antique rubber spiders?"

 They didn't have what I wanted but I did score some Harley collector cards. I don't collect crap like this but I bought them just because I thought it was kinda fun and reminded me of when I was a kid and we collected Wacky Packages cards.
 When we left the antique store we cut across the flea market again and there was a vendor cleaning up his wares. My daughter noticed a big bin of rubber insects sitting on the table. I didn't have any use for the crickets, flies or grasshoppers but I was able to haggle the price down on a spider and walk away a happy camper.

 My daughter found some bones she thought were interesting. I'm not a big fan of dead animal parts unless I'm eating them, but hey, to each his own. She wanted a way to display them so we did a little shop project together.

 It turned out alright and should work good for what she wants to do.

 It was nice having the whole family together for a few days even though everyone had their own separate agenda.  We probably won't get together like this again until Thanksgiving. Today will be a big road trip getting everyone back to school and apartments.

End.

The Road

I'm sitting in a sports bar within walking distance of my motel room. A rack of ribs and a few cold beers have taken up residence in my stomach. When I look back at the day on the road and wonder what to report, the first thing that comes to mind is the bike. It's an '89 sportster with a '99 engine. The engine has a big bore kit and now displaces 1250cc. I converted the new motor to chain drive and changed the gearing a bit. It's pretty much stock as far as everything else goes.
When I left Maggie Valley this morning it was cool. I ran into some fog on I 40 and then hard rain. Later the sun came out and dried out both me and the bike. This happened three times today as I pushed the buzzing Harley closer and closer to home.
The afternoon was unusually hot at over a hundred degrees. I kept pushing the little hog. Not fast enough to land in jail, but fast enough that not too many people were passing me. Splash and go fuel stops and an occasional rest stop to check on the progress of a big storm moving across Illinois was the tone of the day.
What I want to report is that the bike ran perfect despite the abuse. Not one hiccup or hot start problem. No funny noises or unusual vibrations.
It's not a big fancy touring rig like the dozens I saw on the road today but it makes me smile when I think about where this little bike has taken me this week.
Thanks Honey for the anniversary present.