Food

I have been on a sort of vacation since Christmas day. Spending my time working on some new back strengthening exercises. I haven't ridden much in the way of distance. Mostly just down to the local gas station and back. Just enough to move the oil around.

Yesterday had been warm and I got out and managed to develop a sinus infection. I had a really lousy night and today felt like death warmed over. Today was also another warm one and I decided to take a ride. Hoping that the fresh air and the antibiotics would knock the infection. I had saw a couple of bikes go by and they didn't look as if they were freezing so I though I'd risk it and make a quick 20 or thirty miles. I stopped at the one stop and topped off the tank and headed across Blue Springs Road to to Highway 412. Blue Springs Road is a lot of fun if your one of those that like riding the curves. There aren't many of them so to speak, but they are fun.

After hitting 412 I headed east and run toward Hindsville and then on over to Huntsville. Making the loop through Huntsville and back out to 412 I figured that that was enough and headed back toward home. Traffic was light around the area and the spot that I refer to as the Huntsville Bypass was coming up pretty quick. This is the place that I like to road test my rides when I get them. Nice long semi straight dip in the road. Great for getting up to top speed quickly. Also this is one of the places that Troopers run Radar in. I was making pretty good time even though I was keeping my speed down in anticipation of a trooper I had some luck and I made it in with a pack of cars that seemed to be content with slow lazy driving.
For the next 12 miles or so I just sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a little cool in the shady spots and it made the warm air pockets and coming back into the sunshine all the more nice.
After I got off Highway 412 and back on to 45 I opened up again a little and eased on back towards the house. Just outside of the Mayfield community I came up behind a Roadking with a couple on it going really slow. As we came up to the old Mayfield store we both pulled over and I asked if they were having trouble. No trouble. They had been discussing getting something to eat and had just slowed down as they were talking. We visited a few minutes and I found out that they were Don and Helen from over by Harrison. As we were talking the subject of food came up again and as I noticed that they were about my age I recommended that they try Penguin Ed's. After explaining what kind of place and how, from where they were now, easy it was to get to, they said they'd think about it. They had a place in mind that they had eat at before and were kind of looking forward to eating there again.
We pulled back on the road and took off. I got up to speed and made the last few miles back to the house with enough time to shut mine off and hear them going through town. Yep, they were going slow and looking things over.
Back at the house I tinkered with a couple of small projects that I have been designing and then it hit me...Hey! I'm hungry. Looking around for something to eat just seemed to make it worse as nothing looked good to me. Finally it dawned on me that my sales pitch earlier for Penguin Ed"s had made me hungry for an Ed's meal. Well, it has always been my experience that you cant fight some things. death, taxes and the call of really good food, I made up my mind and went back out and looked at my bike and then looked at my car. I had finally managed to get tags and insurance on my "hover round" and thought that I really should put a few miles on it to get it back into shape. I was going to drive to work in bad weather and all that. Then another of those "lightning Bolt thoughts" came to me. It wasn't bad weather and I crawled back on my bike.
The trip down to Ed's was nice as the temperature was still up in the high 50's. as I pulled in the lot was almost empty and parked next to the door. Makes for an easier getaway when one has over eaten if you don't have to walk across the lot. While ordering I explained about the couple from the road and asked Ellen if they had been in to eat. She said "kinda sorta". They had come in and looked things over and said that they had already eaten but the place was so well recommended that they thought they'd stop in and see where it was for another time. Ellen said that they stood around looking at the menu and everything and as they were leaving came back and made an order to go. Saying something about dinner later.
I got my food and sat back to eat and thought about how the days ride had gone and hoped that sinus infection had been chased away and thought about how I need to run over to Harrison and see what they have for eating places. It's only about 80 miles over there. That would make for a quick trip on those days when I was hungry and wanting a short ride.
Hope to catch ya on the road.

Continuing the Thanksgiving Fiasco

Saturday 11/29/08
Today a friend and I made the trip down to moms to get my bike.
I had wanted to ride it back up but the front tire was flat again and the temperature was raw cold feeling. Since I had no way of fixing the tire and it was so cold, we loaded it in the truck and hauled it back. I hate hauling my bike. I'd rather ride anytime.
I turned out to be a better thing that I hauled it home. Once we got back to the shop and unloaded it I aired the tire and planned to take the truck back to the house and come get the bike the next morning. The next day I found the tire flat again, pretty much ruling out anything other than something in the tire. I could see me laying into a curve at about 65 and having the tire go "whoosh" on me.
My buddy broke the tire down for me and we checked the tire and patched the tube and put it all back together. The next day I went up and found it flat again. Thinking that there had to be something we were missing he tore it all down again and this time found 5 more holes in it.
Deciding that maybe we had pinched the tube going back in or that there was some rust around the spoke heads, I bought a new tube and we took a polishing wheel and cleaned up the spoke track in the wheel. I even made a new liner for the wheel. Now if it went flat. I didn't know what we were going to do.
This time we double checked everything as we went along and got it back together and aired up. So far sooooo good. I fired up and roared down the road for a few miles and it seemed to be fixed.
I headed home and settled in for the night wondering what the morning would bring. The next morning I grabbed both sets of keys, just in case and went out to head for work. Well, it was still up. I jumped on and made my usual all too quick run to work and then That evening I went in a round about way home and everything was holding.
In talking with my friend about this tire problem we decided that, maybe the tube although sold new to me may have been on the warehouse shelf for years (New, old stock)and had started to dry rot. That Thanksgiving ride was just the time everything started giving out.
Dampers like this are part of the down side to riding a bike...if there is a down side?
Anyway. I'm back on the road thanks to a new tube for about $10. and a friendship that I cant even begin to put a price on.
Hope to catch ya on the road.

More of the last few days

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I managed to spend it with my mom and family.

We had a great time. My sister and nephew came up from Texas and spent the week. I had planned to spend the night and head out the next morning. Sometimes the best plans get revamped. I ended up staying most of the week and just visiting and relaxing. It was a good time.
Toward the end of the week when I was thinking about heading back home we got a light dusting of snow and the temperature dropped and with my luck holding it's usual course the roads iced up. I ride a lot, in all kinds of weather. I draw the line at ice. as a result I ended up staying an extra day and finally had to have my brother take me back home.
At home everything had pretty much melted and gone. The roads were all dry and it was just cold.
I have another ride stored at a friends garage and so I headed there. I needed transportation and with my car out of license and insurance, well I went and began the process of un winterizing the bike. The bike was a 1978 KZ 650 that my wife used to ride. It's a sweet machine. Mostly stock. Looking it over I tried to remember if there was anything wrong with it since it had been several months since it was ridden last. The only thing that came to mind was the speedometer cable. It wasn't working and that mean you couldn't tell how fast you were going. Not a biggie as I mostly ride by feel. It turned out that the battery was shot as well and would only hold enough charge to run the lights for a few minutes. Again, not a biggie. It has a kick starter. So, some fresh gas and the kicking began. After several kicks and the general movement of oil I got some starting fluid and it fired up on the third kick. This bike has always been cold natured and took several minutes to warm up. Today was no exception. Once I had it warmed up I pulled out for a shakedown run to see if would be dependable. About 20 miles down the road all was looking good and I headed to the house to get ready for the next day and settle in for the night.
The morning temp was around 39 and after a little kicking I was mobile again. Riding to work was nice and clear. The air was coldly fresh and I had a great ride in.
The folks at work that ride didn't try it so I was still the title holder. How ever, as the morning wore on I did see some of the regulars buzz by so I wasn't the only one.
When quitting time came I pulled out and made a detour to the Pizza place to have dinner with the boy and some of his friends and then fast trip home. It was cooling down real quick.
Today was a good riding day. I had a blast even though my bones, especially my back was telling me that I shouldn't be doing this.
Hope the week goes by quick. My butt cant take this soft ride.
Hope to catch ya on the road.

Last few days. (part one of several)

Well, I thought I put down a few lines today as I'm finally back at a computer for more than just a few minutes.

I had been planning a last trip of the year back around Thanksgiving and was looking to get in around six hundred miles. But things don't always go as planned. Thanksgiving morning I loaded up the bike and started backing around to head down the drive way when I noticed that my front tire was flat. This was not a good thing. I had promised my mother and all the rest of my family that I would be there for dinner with them. The weather was good and I was all loaded, on time even. Looking over the tire I couldn't see anything that would cause a flat, like a nail or whatever, so I pondered and decided that I had hopefully lost the air due to the cold weather we had been having. Now what to do to get it aired back up. Thinking that I might limp the quarter mile to the station I started down the drive. After about 30 feet I realized that this wasn't going to get it and I looked at my air tank and as usual it was empty. Wondering who I could call at this hour to haul me to the station I noticed my car. Now my car is one of my pride and joys. Always setting there looking regal. Sure, I'd just hop in the car, haul the tank to the station and get some air.
Now here is where the fun begins. My car hasn't been driven in probably two years. I wasn't even sure where the keys were. But it was a shot. Besides that's what we all keep a car around for, isn't it? Emergencies. This, I'm fairly sure qualified as an emergency.
After finding the key and loading the tank up I was struck with the thought, "2 years, wonder if it'll start?" Yep! my "hover round" fired right up. I let it warm up a little and bounced down the drive. This was too cool. A feeling I always get when I drive my little car. Kind of like being about 12 or thirteen and tearing around the country on a go cart. Anyway, I made it to the store and opened the back hatch. Turning to get the air hose and put the money in the machine and being in a hurry I didn't notice that the hatch wasn't all the way open and walked into the corner of it. tearing a gash about an inch long in the top of my head. After stopping the bleeding and inspecting the damage I finally got some air and headed back to the house.
Thinking that this was starting out to be an absolute golden day I put the air in the tire. I half way expected that I'd hear air hissing out but I didn't and I still couldn't find any thing that would cause a flat. After some more thought I remembered that I had ridden the day before and the night didn't really get all that cold. This started to concern me. I started to think from all appearances that someone had let the air out of my tire. Who and why would have to wait till I got back. It did look a lot like the air had been let out.
I gave the tire about ten minutes or so as I called mom and told her what was going on and to send the Marines if I didn't get there in a reasonable amount of time.
Heading down the drive I got that old familiar feeling of tearing loose. Dropping into gear I eased out and since it was Thanksgiving morning the traffic was next to non existent. When I got on the highway it was like I was all alone. There must have been a total of two or three cars for about 20 miles. Man it was sweet. If I'd known ahead of time I'd have really shown my hinie... As it was I hit a groove at about 70 mph and just floated along. All the way to the Highway 21 turnoff I kept thinking that any minute now the traffic will pick up and this little day dream will come to an end. It never did and I am still amazed. From highway 412 through Kingston there was light local traffic. After Kingston there wasn't a single vehicle for 37 miles. If you ride you'll understand what this is like. You can almost stop worrying and really get into the ride. In the Northwest Arkansas area you hardly ever get to do this and when you do, well it's hard to describe. Lets just say it's GREAT!!

Coming off the mountain into the Boxley valley I decided to take a look around for the Elk and rode over as far as Lost Valley. Apparently the Elk weren't interested in being seen and that ruled out and photos.

Running back through the valley I let the hammer down and really blew out the cob webs. All loaded down the old gal still hit the high marks without too much strain. I backed off after a few minutes of over 100. I woke up and realized that I was running out of road and remembered the curve at the foot of the mountain heading back up. I had a pretty good load on and climbing the mountain was a lot of fun. With the extra weight I could seem to really lay into the curves and it felt like the bike had a real grip on the road. I made really good time going up. Actually better than the last time I was through there. (ahhh the little things)

As I rolled past the US Forest Service Boundary sign on Highway 21 I developed a chug. It was like I was out of gas. I had gassed up the night before and so the only thing I could figure is I had some water in the gas. I chugged along for three or four miles and it worked it's self out. I didn't have any more problems with it so I'm pretty sure that it was water. The stations around my area seem to be having water in their gas quite often. Might have even be that that new "corn squeezin gas stuff". The pumps all have a little sign saying that there is a certain percentage of it in the gas and lots of people have been saying that their bikes don't run too well on it. I hadn't had any problems with it yet. But that could have been my trouble.

At the Junction of Highways 16 & 21 I stopped and looked down the Valley. Someone has logged out that spot across the road at the intersection and with all the leaves off it's quite a view. I poured a cup of coffee and just looked it over. I had always been in too much of a hurry in the past and now that there wasn't any traffic or anything to get in my way, I just sat there in the middle of the road and drank my coffee and looked everything over like I owned the place.

Jumping on the starter the old gal fired up about half way through the kick and as I toed into gear I made a note to myself to next time bring a tripod and get a real good shot of the valley.

Running down 16 toward Deer I saw several Deer off on the side of the road and several Hound Dogs just out looking things over as Hound Dogs are known to do. That always makes for me a better ride. It's kind of like everything is OK.

Pulling into Mom's place I gave my prayer of thanks for a great ride and headed in to the "Groceries".

This mornings ride was a good one. One of those you rarely get to have. Hopefully tomorrows will be as good.