Good Ride This Weekend

So my buddy Jack has been harassing me about riding. And he arranged a get-together for us this Saturday. I almost didn't go. My body was aching Friday and my bike still hasn't been repaired from my spill back in APRIL! (Yes, I'm an idiot.) And the brakes are feeling spongy some.

So of course, I said I would go!

I got up around 730, moaned and laid in bed for at least 30 minutes. But I finally threw myself into the shower and headed to Dunkin Donuts for a quick breakfast.

I met up Jack & Deb, Bob & Dixie and some new folks (Dee & Cindy) around nine. The morning was pretty chilly and I had zipped off the sleeves to my armored jacket. I put my sweatshirt on at the meeting place and figured that would be good enough.

We rode down south on Post Road and then to Franklin Road which leads to (strangely enough) Franklin, Indiana. Then on to Nineveh Road to Nineveh to Dan & Jo Lee's home at Prince's Lakes. Too many lame roads though. Long roads in residential areas with far too many stop signs. I prefer the really hick roads with lousy pavement and nearly NO red octagons.

And I was wrong about my sweatshirt being warm enough. By the time we stopped about halfway for the old folks to stretch a bit, I was shivering.

But anyway... we got to Prince's Lakes and let the old folks catch their breath in Dan & Jo's lovely home. I love houses like that. Homey and in the quiet, relative middle of nowhere. Leaving, I put in my windbreaker / rain liner on my jacket for warmth. Just what the doctor ordered.

Dan knows the area very well, and he led us around the same lake I rode around back in 2006, detailed in THIS post. Heading SW after the lake, we quickly hit some great twisties. We rode down to Story, Indiana and ate at the "Famous" Story Inn. We elected to eat on the patio and I paid $7 for a Brat w/ Kraut, chips, slaw & soda. Not bad, actually (though the lack of spicy mustard should be a crime!).

Unfortunately, I started zoning out on the way home. But I held on and made it safe and sound.

Did about 150 miles, lots of it in twisties where even 35MPH was pushing it. A lot shorter than I would have liked, but considering how tired I got I suppose I should be glad we didn't go farther.

We're expecting to do it again soon. Looking forward to it. Too bad no one took any pictures. We need to make one of the females be our shutterbug.

Need New Shoes. And Tires.

I hit Dunkin' Donuts after work this morning. I should have gone home and geared up fully. But being the impatient dolt I is, I just went on out. I did about a 230 mile day all over mid-South Indiana. From work to 67 to 9 to 46 to 135 to 50 to 446 to 46 to 37 to 44 to 135 again and then home from Greenwood. Somewhere on SR135 south of SR46 is where I almost wrecked.

The bike slid out from under me cornering to the right. I almost wiped out but somehow caught my fall with my right foot. It bounced hard off the road and I straightened up enough to catch traction and keep going.

I guess I did the right thing. Who knows if anyone would have found me if I went off the road where I did and couldn't get up on my own.

It didn't scare me much, but it sure hurt. And it sure made me ride like a wuss for the rest of the day.

Destroyed my shoe in the process though. Tore right through the sole, though it was thinning anyway and I was considering re-soling them. I'm praying I didn't do my foot any damage. It doesn't feel like I did.

I checked my rear tire upon getting home and sure enough the wear indicator is gone. I thought I checked that recently. Guess NOT, huh? I think God let me off lightly for far too many foolish decisions committed here.

I just hope I can get my shoe repaired. It's sort of silly how much I really like that pair of shoes.

I REALLY Need Help...

I sat on one of these last Saturday:



I'm surprised I didn't get an erection. I felt its power on the showroom floor. If certain things last year hadn't happened, I'd say I'd had a religious experience just sitting on that bad boy. I'm getting chills right now just thinking about it.

And it just occurred to me that I could go sit on one during lunch tomorrow at work. There's the dealer where I bought my bike literally a one minute drive out of our parking lot.

And the really sad part is, I'm thinking of doing it! Just walking in, sitting on one and walking back out.

And why am I thinking of this crap when I should be going to bed?