11/3/09 The Amanda & Kim Chronicles

365 Group (f)

This morning was a riders dream. Sun was shining. Temperature was right around fifty. It was a most beautiful start to the day.

Yesterday afternoon had been great. The ride was a keeper. I even got to spend a little time with one of my favorite female types over dinner who casually informed me that there was a poker run and bike show coming up at one of the local watering holes. She also pointed out in a matter of fact fashion that she was going and I was taking her. This should be good. She’s roughly half my age and already giving orders. After dinner I had a good ride and an even better laugh all the way home.

Since this was a mandatory day at work I couldn’t really get out and enjoy this morning like I wanted but I was going to make the most and best of what I had.
As I packed up my junk for work the pups looked a little on edge. Duhhhh! I hadn’t given them their morning treats. They are pretty much little junkies. They just got to have their morning fix. Now that I had them back on track they settled in to helping me get ready. The little one hid my gloves and my little “bear” was sitting on my keys while I raced around looking for them. The two males just stayed pleasantly under foot. And, Woodrow, my bird finally woke up and felt that he had to give a dissertation on all the ills of this world at the top of his lungs. Yep! They love me.
I finally got it all together and headed out. I strapped everything on and jumped on the starter. Rumbling to life the old gal seemed like she was ready to go. On these cooler mornings the old bike really seems to run great. I warmed the engine a couple of minutes and took off bouncing down my drive. One of these days I’m going to have to fix my drive or maybe buy a dual sport?
At the street I jumped out ahead of a pickup truck and hammered it for about a quarter. The truck really wasn’t that close but any excuse to wind up is a good excuse. I made good time down to the highway. Traffic was light and I was able to ease out and over to the Post Office without too much trouble. With no more errands, it was time to settle in and enjoy the ride.
Pulling back on the highway I noticed the Marshal was sitting at the gas station driveway. Since I consider him a friend and he usually doesn’t hassle riders, I eased my way out of town at a respectable speed. Soon as he was good and out of sight and I was good and out of town I opened up. Running along at about seventy I was feeling good and really beginning to enjoy the ride. Every morning should be like this.
Everyone must have had corn flakes with honey or something for breakfast this morning? They all seemed to be feeling pretty good. Two cars passed me at just slightly under warp speed. I had thought about making them work for it but what the heck, my turn off was coming up and there just wasn’t enough road to really make it interesting.
I made my turn at the mountain and leveled out down the center line. No traffic meant I could fudge a little and before I knew it I was through the curves and pulling the hill at the half way point. Man it goes by fast when it’s good. Running up to Guy Terry Road I toyed with the idea of jumping across and doing the back roads for as long as I could. I thought better of it and decided to get on in and hopefully get the day done early so I could take the long way back home.
At the first light traffic was really piled up. They all seemed to be soaking in muddy molasses. I finally got tired of messing around and as soon as everything started moving I jumped the turn lane and managed to get ahead of it. Everyone and was poking along and each light seemed worse than the last. I guess it’s better than that pinball feeling I normally get, but I still don’t care for poke along driving. It’s funny, in this small metro type are it’s either everyone pokes along or every ones drag racing from light to light. There never seems to be a middle ground.
Pulling up to the Security gate at work I noticed that about everyone that works here that owns a bike had ridden to work. I stopped and chatted with the Security Officer for a minute and watched several of the areas regular riders scrambling down the four lane towards work.
This was a good morning ride even if it was way too short. Only thing I can think of that would have made it better is if I were heading out on a trip.
Catch ya on the road