cheekieduckie

Twenty Eleven (so far)

2011-04-11T15:29:00.006-04:00

scampers along rather quickly....massive work travel keeps me away from WV mid-winter through spring. Eleven weeks of sunrises from Gulfport, Virginia Beach, Hatteras, and Nice (France!) ...were all spectacular but alas poor kitty Josta was abandoned with Megan. Yeah, it was rough, stressful and full of opportunities to scrutinize the ugliness in people..... but what the hey, I intend to remember the good bits in my Alzheimer years.

But, this is not a 'work report', I do enough of those already. Nah, it is about the stuff that gets woven in....like idle chit chat with strangers. Making a side-trip to Daytona to hang out with Mark, Charlotte and the boys from Mississippi was special. Road-trippin' with with my sisters in Europe was fantabulous and doing good work for customers who matter make all the difference....and helps me deal with your average run-off-the-mill irritant.

As a friend once said "It is what it is".
The end of the trip was capped off with a revisit to Merlefest with old friends and before I knew it I was home in WV. C'mon summer!

uncorked

2011-01-20T18:57:00.018-05:00

I don't think I'll ever cut it, neither as a priest nor bartender. This, despite my trusty "Do not mess with Drunks" rule by which I faithfully abide. A rule, I might add, that has served me quite well; call it self-preservation-through-conflict-avoidance.

Each morning I peel the kitty cat off me and tell her to behave as I head out in search of dragons to slay. I ritualistically join fellow caffein-aholics at our neighborhood watering hole with a cheery greeting from Wally, Fred hollers a slightly accusatory "You're late!" capped with a polite nod to the breakfast club. Regulars notwithstanding, one never knows who might slide up alongside ya at the bar. Judging from his innocuous chatter, my neighbor today appeared friendly enough; or so it seemed. For some, the ring of a cell-phone also summons an imaginary cone-of-silence; think reverse-elevator-silence. Personal laundry is splattered, Gallagher-like, in grievously stark detail to all within earshot before being dispatched over the airwaves. My affable counter-mate is suddenly transformed into something possessed; a seething, ranting, bitter ex-something forecasting grand malevolence for that (once cherished) person on the other end of the phone line. I felt like a reluctant voyeur to this one-sided, insipid tirade.
For others, it seems neither alcoholic nor cellular catalyst is required to trigger an unprovoked, uncensored marathon confession. Is it me? Last night, exhausted to the verge of tears, I flew home beside one such individual. His depth of objectification (and some derision tossed in for good measure) of the opposite sex bordered on being unfathomably comical. No amount of hail marys would've helped this poor soul. Have we no inside-voice no more? While typically non-confrontational, I was seriously at risk of running afoul of my own rule. Sadly, I must take this opportunity to apologize for being a wuss and not HTFU in front of the raving lunatic in 17F.

In either case, it felt like I was being flashed and merely stood there, mouth agape, rather dumbfounded....(rant off)

Truth in advertising; just musing

2011-01-13T10:51:00.012-05:00

Last night, as I was being lulled asleep by the president's speech in Tucson I couldn't help but feel just a splash of national pride as the swell and heave of his words rallied the sad, weary people to applause. The power of words, be it claim, assurance, or comfort is impressive..... Barely an hour earlier I had assured a friend of the structural soundness of a certain product emblazoned with 'Made in Malaysia'. My shaky delivery was backed by the feeble touch of true conviction......

Enroute to Tampa, I bumped into a couple from my native land. We chatted a little about the weather but, curiously, your typical reminiscing didn't ensue. You know, the kind of "You're from where?", "Remember this?", "Is whatever still there?" conversation. Not that they weren't nice or nuthin'; but sometimes you just 'let it be'. They retreat to passing commentary in cantonese while I traipse off to harass the lady at the smoothie counter. Oddly enough though, the next fella I talked to declared himself, rather proudly, a WVU alum and a paisan moment was to be had; he was picking up what I was laying down. We were practically high-fiving, perhaps to the chagrin of the airport-worn travelers about us. Funny how in the former, the claimed kinship rang hollow while in the latter, well not so much a stumble.

It is far too early for me to wax nostalgic; really, really I'm barely through a mid-life crisis! But in these battle-weary days, it was easy to succumb. Yes, yes...looking back not forward. I told my new friend about my (catholic) high-school science project back in the early 80s. With the help of dad (miss you), I built an artificial heart. Jarvik 7 it was not but there was plexiglass, atriums, ventricles, mitral valves....the works. It impressed me. Yet the kid who won the fair had a far simpler, yet more engaging display. He, with help of family from across the border in Johor, had brought vats of latex and a clothesline adorned with cylindrical, porcelain molds. His subject: "Condoms can stop AIDS". It was technically trivial, slightly provocative but superbly timely. Over the years, I’ve had the lesson repeat itself (again and again), perhaps it has finally sunk in.

In a moment of emboldened, unmitigated surge of self-worth, I quietly declare myself “Not so bad”; after all I’m still a Libran.

So to my new pal Lilly, “Buatan Malaysia”, have no fear; it’s pretty teguh !

2010 as viewed from my Facebook vantage

2010-12-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

duckie goes to Maryland

2010-11-20T22:25:00.009-05:00

I recently smiled, grinned and chortled my way through Eric Weiner’s ‘Geography of Bliss’ and somewhere within Eric accuses us Americans for being quite obsessed by the business of happiness and that we, more than anyone else, expend sinful levels of energy worrying and chasing after this elusive state. Really? Ritualistic, rarely paralyzing, whole-hearted introspection seems to accompany fall and luckily I’m often too busy to afford much energy for this indulgence.
Remember the suicidal leaves in Monty Python’s ‘Meaning of life’? Well this past week we had a real life skirmish with a similar, hardly funny, real-life equivalent. Our exemplary, yet fragile, team was a hair’s breadth from disintegration; leaving each of us to retreat to our own solitude to contemplate the consequences. What makes us happy? With work at least, the usual suspects get trotted in, each getting a spotlight minute. Money; oh yeah, that’s an easy one. Recognition, thoughtfulness and some regard for the future round up some horribly non-empirical formula for ‘job satisfaction’. Preservation of the team resonated in our skulls; maybe Spock croaked it out best, “The needs of the many….” Is this it? Is one’s career defined solely by the collective accomplishments of the team? After all I never really ‘got’ the whole “Army of One” concept. But, as luck would have it, the week wasn’t going to end without a dash of Libran-inspired balance. Friday evening, I got to wish bon voyage to our company’s first retiree. Larry graciously, confidently bid us farewell while gently entreating us to someday trace the trail he was about to hike. Here was a man, clearly at the summit of Maslow’s pyramid, this was his day; the culmination of career measured not in decades but in the gathering of friends all at once sad, happy and tearful for his future. So no, no, we don’t get to eventually write our life’s chapters cloaked in the shadow of the Borg collective. Perhaps resistance is somewhat futile, but it does not mean individualism and personal accomplishment are sacrificed either. Congratulations Larry and Betsy; feel no pressure for the role models you fulfill for the rest of us!

p.s. hanging out with my two snortfully, boomy, hilarious work-sisters, Amy and Angel, was super-swell.... as well :)

Duckie goes to a rally

2010-10-31T13:56:00.004-04:00

a last minute dash to DC with buddy Sam to take in Jon Stewart's rally for the (hopeful) moderates. I said to Sam, "this is like a music festival....minus the mud"....
Dad always promoted moderation in all things, and here was a huge rally promoting that very philosophy...how could I not attend? But like Stephen Stromberg's Post commentary concluded...while the diversity was indeed gratifying to see but there was much promotion of personal agenda. This, in itself, was not particularly worrisome, but the sea of posters included a sprinkle of us-vs-them intolerance. I suppose to hate back when hated is an unsurprising reaction.

More picsises here

and before you know it....

2010-10-11T20:31:00.005-04:00

The red-eye is rough, Megan saves me from the baggage carousel, Janoskis for breakfast, cat-nap and back to the job.......twas fun, rest of the pictures here

yesterday, today, tomorrow....

2010-10-10T04:16:00.005-04:00

a bit of catch-up here.....yesterday was only very slightly productive(!). Got laundry done, headed out to Henderson and squared-away the storage unit...managed to fingerprint myself. Spent more time than I prolly should've in bed. Lunch at KJs, dinner at Penang. Neither was particularly spectacular.

Woke up this morning and headed out to the dunes with the folk from Sunbuggy. Our guide, Sergio take a group of us tromping through the sand, washes and whop-de-dos. Awesome fun. This could be a place to test the DVR, they say they've tried it but the sand kills the machines and the never seem to last more than 2-3 runs.

Head back to the speedway on the Uly to check out the Porsches. Lunch at the Taco truck. Next time beef...not pollo for my soft-shell. YUM. Took a short spin out to Red Rocks Conservation Area....some girl told me that was the place to go for curvy canyon roads....trudat.....excepting my little fubarb about going when the touristas are about. Still, a very pretty jaunt within minutes of Vegas. Teeny tiny dose of rocks if you will.....

Got back to my hotel to discover they've checked me out....pleading doesn't help. I'm not happy with the folk at the front desk, it was obvious they erred. Being booted out of hotels seems to be theme...bleh but what to do?

Anyway, it is 330pm, I've a ticket to a show at the MGM at 700pm and there were few sub $300/night rooms that weren't in Henderson or Summerlin. So I type this from the Hooter's hotel....kinda scary but it is directly across the street from the MGM and I had enough time to switch hotels, get a shower, run across the street to get my ticket and grab dinner.

Chow came from a rather posh-looking 'Seablue' where the grub was quite tasty (it must take effort to screw up Paella) and over the Muzak I heard George Michael crooning 'Father Figure'....I remember when I first came to Morgantown how the classic rock station dominated the airwaves. Having learned that this was because of the demographic with the disposable income helped make sense of all that 70s pop I heard. Does this mean that today's equivalent are those who frame music from the early 80s with nostalgia?

So Ka was my first Cirque de Soleil show. What a treat, everything from the music, dance, stage (yes, stage) was quite fantastic. Worth the price of admission...oBTW, tix4less will get you 30% off...on 'day of'.

Sunday has the 'end of vacation' quality....all the more serious with calls to/from work. Ah well, all good things must come to an end. Stash the bike, a little more fun, quick bite at my one trip to a buffet (to the musical stylings of Boy George) and it is time to fly

"People keep asking where I'm from, been here 25 years....from Italy...got laid off from Lockheed Martin...aerospace industry you know"

"had fun tonight?......anywhere else?....massage parlor?"

"she wants to work 7 days a week!.... all we eat is rice and fish"

"you know Sadies? are you from Albuquerque?"

"life's different here, a man should be in charge of his family.....you know?"

"not a good night for a ride eh?"

"sorry we're all sold out"

"if you eat all of it, I'll buy you dinner"

"bueno....."

It's been fun:

people watching 'everywhere'
chowing down on Vegas eats
chatting with cabbies

Elvis has left...

2010-10-08T11:49:00.005-04:00

....finally rode out of Tuba City yesterday...the girls looked like they were almost sorry to see me leave....haha...rode into Grand Canyon and stopped over at a half-dozen overlooks....too many people ....should've gone to the north rim. Yeah, yeah coulda-woulda-shoulda. Still, if one tried hard enough (and kept the earplugs inserted), it was possible to spend a peaceful moment with mother nature. I stop by the post office to mail home some goodies, the chatter of the morning is the tornado action from yesterday. Grabbed a quick lunch at the grocery store and head west. Stopped by the aviation museum at the GC Valle airport, a little treat in the middle of nowhere and received a tour McArthur's Connie....nice! That's the galley to the left....

The steed is running well, sustained 90mph have not seemed to brought back the dreaded run-skip malady. Keep your fingers crossed. I pass a Porsche ferrying trailer on the way inbound, must remember to stop by the speedway..

VEGAS baby!
Pho @ Saigon 81, my old place is gone but there seems to be a sizable Chinatown around Spring Mountain Road. It is nice to leave dinner decisions to your olfactory senses. :)

Chatted with a CBR riding, veteran lass from Baton Rouge; add lemons and oranges to your boil also, a skewered can of corn works well too. Thanks Andy!

Laundry this morning, must not forget to stop by the storage building........

hunkered down

2010-10-06T21:47:00.006-04:00

in Tuba City today. Sitting at 4-corners yesterday (on the phone with the shop), I had the opportunity to survey the grey skies around me. Yesterday's sliver of sunshine has vaporized, so despite the challenging news from home, I wasn't particularly eager to tickle the rain-swollen clouds. Jim hadn't scored tickets to the Phish show, the skies westward appeared the least menacing so guess which direction I fled?! It all seemed like a great idea.... for forty miles. Turns out, Arizona was about to be treated to a storm to make the Weather Channel folks jump for joy. Well, lightning storms are spectacular on TV and downright majestic in real-life. Rolling down the road without a Faraday cage though, made for a bone chilling experience as each lightning strike vibrated up the handlebars. (i swiped the pic from accuweather....same storm)

Well, I pulled into Tuba City soaking like a drowned rat and secured a room at the Hopi run Moenkopi Hotel. A couple in Harley shirts ahead of me looked over with pity as I stood in my personal-puddle, tonight they were in their Suburban. Tomorrow's weather promised an encore performance and I stayed on...albeit now booted to the deluxe suite.

Next day I wandered around a little in the afternoon. Like Chinle, begging dogs abound. The receptionist had guided me to a movie theater but alas it was no more. Picking between Subway and Chinese takeout, I opted for the latter. This was just a slightly surreal experience. Previously I had wondered about how new proprietors of Chinese takeouts in WV felt....well.....I wonder if opening one up on a reservation is any more bizarre. I wonder why I even wonder....just like the regulars at the takeout in Harrisville, WV....the regulars here cycle in-and-out. Ain't assimilation great?

Tuba City is some fringe of your typical American small town....pre-WallyWorld to be certain. Yesterday at Canyon de Chelly, I really felt a twinge of the same feeling as when I saw the kids in Rio deJaneiro. I want to believe there's hope, it just seemed bleak. Sally hanging out with her family while they entertained the tourists....well, perhaps they've the last laugh. One thing Sally said though, people used to be friendly, helpful. The arrival of the government check though seemed to change the people. Now favors and helpful gestures have a price attached. What is it said about good intentions?

The lackadaisical attitude though certainly makes me feel like an impatient yankee. Here, 'Indian time' is not dissimilar to 'Island time'...haha!

Sunset in the painted desert....

Canyon de Chelly

2010-10-05T23:30:00.012-04:00

Yesterday, I left the canyon at dusk as storm clouds rolled in, accompanied by a tugging urgency as I'd recklessly skipped making lodging arrangements. This fear was confirmed when the Best Western (1 of 2 motels here) had a particularly irate-looking 'NO VACANCY' sign glowing its message of in-hospitality....thankfully the beacon for road-weary travelers, Holiday Inn, wasn't quite yet at capacity..phew.

I had spent a good while chatting with Ronnie over dinner; here was a lady in search of a new zipcode to call home ...ready to embark on life's next adventure. Good company, easy conversation all help me to live in the now .... momentarily slipping the clutches of email and voicemail from a thousand miles away.

This morning, Sally is "Indian Time" punctual and quickly we're in 4W-LOW and grinding through the silty sand of the canyon floor. Her stories and limitless narrative weave back and forth between lives of the Anasazi of 1200AD and the more recent impact of the Tsaile Dam on farming in the canyon. I told her how remarkably peaceful the quiet and serenity of the canyon was at sunset . She dispatches a puzzled look my way as she deftly navigates the Jeep down the dry river bed. "It used to be noisy!", like this was the preferred condition and that I'd just made a profoundly daft statement. I don't get it. I ask about the gloomy clouds that portended rain. "Storms from the east bring flood, storms from the west only a little rain" I was assured. Ruin to ruin we go, petraglyphs abound. Some from Anasazi, others more recent of Navajos emulating the 'Ancient Ones'. Apparently some band of Spaniards were really despicable players in canyon history. As we happen upon a few tribal craftsmen and women with their jewelry I regret not having more cash on me. I break out my emergency stash from my bike jacket and do my best to play a trinket-happy-tourist.

At the half-way point, we encounter a basketball court with children playing raucously. Finally I understand Sally's comment; the cacophony of children's laughter ricocheting off the canyon walls is pure magic.
Life is noisy, peace and quiet can come after we die.

I thank Sally for the experience, mount my steed and depart Chinle, helmet stuffed with a grin.

two-fer

2010-10-05T00:34:00.014-04:00

so, this is a bit of a scatterbrained catch-up. What is it when you have to block out a section of time in the day that you 'suspend life' so that you can catch up on a blog? Sad eh?

So let's see. Left Durango without really spending much time in it. The hilarious MsBehavinDivas now a faint memory, I wander down to College (something) for breakfast. Yummy eats, good breakfast. Met a couple from Wyoming who were in for the Cowboy Poets event last night. I was kinda bummed about the missed-date for Hotclub that I blew past the Poetry-fest. Got to pay a little closer attention to the things that don't scream so loud. Little the did the poor folk know that I was teasing their puppy just before I came in for breakfast.....my secret.

Took the scenic route 'home' through the Southern Ute reservation. There were a number of times I thought the Camry wasn't going to make it. Stopped to help a fella and his wife who had a flat..... just careful enough to be helpful but not threaten the masculinity gene ya know? I was going to try to hold out for Sadies but couldn't and so consumed some Tamales in Cuba. OK but I feel a little snobbery creeping in.

Met Martin, got bike. He took off, I took in the evening glow at the balloon fest. Quite the sight indeed. Dinner at Denny's with Martin; his story Zambia, women's rights. Next morning the rental car is dispatched, I buy my new tire but can't get installed there....so I'm at Thunderbird HD practically begging to get my tire mounted. You see, I didn't buy it here.....liability and all that you know. With two hours to kill, I wander out in search of caffeine and vittles. I run across Marlene's roach-coach (roach-RV actually) and put an order in for a breakfast burrito. Yummy burrito partially dispatched a BIG happy dude strolls up and strikes up a conversation. Upon discovering my newbie-ness I'm told to try the Frito Pie, which the following mexican fella seconds. Actually he thrusts his pie in my face and pretty much seals the deal and the next course is ordered. Turns out pie-thruster dude has a Vietnamese girlfriend who doesn't cook Mexican and so here at Marlene's is where he gets his pie-fix. We chat about food, motorcycles, workaholics and hoarders.....all in a span of a taco. More people show up and everyone seems to not mind chatting with the happy round asian. There's the fella who used to work at Motorola across the street (they're gone), the girl he hadn't seen in a dozen years (who still owes him tamales), another girl who'd actually been Morgantown, the fella going to the String Cheese /Phish / YMSB show in Denver.

Bike resoled, we head out to Gallup and north to Chinle, Az and took a quick tour around south rim, head back to a hotel room before it storms (which it didn't) .

Met Ronnie and we talk the place closed. Dinner was a lamb stew.....quite good actually. Booked a jeep tour for the morning.

Pooped.

That sliver of 'no rain' in this morning's weather channel forecast? Found it!

soo...

2010-10-03T00:38:00.009-04:00

I called up Martin, my intrepid bike shipper....asked him how he felt about meeting up late Sunday or Monday....why? Well I was going road-trippin' while awaitin' his arrival. Yesterday's scare but a faint memory (sometimes getting old has its perks), I trundled out toward Cortez, Co. Along the way I saw a pillion rider with a HD of Malaysia shirt on....of course, like the gumbah I ask them at a stop light. Turns it out it is just a brother-or-in-law-or something like that. Bikers are funny, even if they're driving identity-less silver Camry's about. I tried calling Cheryl to see if she had Kathy's number for recommendations about Cortez. No luck. I ship my loot (from Larry and the lady at the Zuni co-op) home in Cuba, NM. I swallow my second #9 burrito from Golden Pride for lunch somewhere around Bloomfield. I pull over for a quick break (pee) and run into the local watering hole; perhaps the DUI billboards had reason for not being subtle....

Wandering into Shiprock, I'm amazed by the number of compressor rental stores, 'fracking' is a big deal in these parts. No rentals this day though as in minutes I run smack dab into a bonafide traffic jam. I kid you not. You have to take into consideration where I was..... turns out the Northern Navajo Fair was going on.....lamb and kneeling bread...appear popular but I did not partake (should have!); this afternoon 'destination' won over 'journey'.

Mesa Verde (it is quit green) comes over the bough and my visit takes on a Griswold-esque quality. Racing fellow touristas from one scenic overlook to the next was oddly entertaining. Mesa Verde is beautiful though (including the charred sections) and though I'm a little sad about missing my tour, the string of post-card views trigger a dejavu much like the one I had when first visiting Central Park. Soaking up sunsets is vying to top chasing trains as my favorite sure-thing-fun-thing.

Durango is all-sold-out. I'm getting used to this lack of lodging aspect to the trip. My handy-dandy Lonely Planet suggest Days End where I meet Mike. He tells me getting on his bike saved his life after losing his daughter back in 95. He's naturally frank without being overbearing, an easy guy to like.

Dinner in the slightly yuppified 'East by Southwest' where I sit alongside sisters from the MsBehavinDivas motorcycle club from ABQ. They're treating one of the girls to a pamper prior to being re-deployed to Kosovo (from the 'other' sandbox). I've commented on how good it is to see more women at the controls of their bikes and these women are a fine example. Funny I did not get names....professions I did. Something about our culture. One fire-chief, a golf-pro, an MP and an entrepreneur. Funny my comments on Golden Pride and Sadie's made them think I was from ABQ.....

Sushi is good, wasabe not-timid, the 1554 stout...well not quite. The 400lb Monkey from Left Hand Brewing Co, well ....was no Dale's but quite ok given my raucous party!

Another good day.

boy it's been a good while eh?

2010-10-02T00:06:00.018-04:00

This summer has been hectic, even by my standards. Work has tried its best to overwhelm everything but there has been play. There's been Delfest after Merlefest.

Mid-Ohio for the superbike races thanks to free tix from Mark.

4th of July with Grateful Fest at NLQP and even the Buell rally and the Labor Day Chicken Run.
Anyway, today marks the start of the post-delivery mental health break I'm embarking on. The blob of grey-matter is still pretty well toast so perhaps exploiting the electronic notepad ain't such a bad idea.

Our third breakfast at Golden Pride (on Lomas). We're taking it down a notch, only one #9 this morning for Chris and I. I think beer and dinner last night at Turtle Mountain Brewery pushed us over the edge. Yesterday we dispatched Jeremy while Mike and Dave he-manned it down Sandia's Peak. The cable-car operators are bracing for the upcoming Balloon Festival. It is a beautiful day and a much needed breather from the hectic schedule we've been keeping.

Using a decade-old guidebook to ABQ (hey it was cheap at half-priced books), Jeremy and I wound up at the kitschy Route 66 diner for chow. After ordering dinner, we eye up the next table with some mountain of food just arriving. When inquired, our cheeky waitress, Ylanda offered to buy us dinner if we ordered (and ate) the 'Pileup'.....neither of us was man enough to take on her challenge....

Good brews, good chow: Chama River Brewing Company
Outstanding New Mexican chow (I like the 'red') : Sadies

So after dropping Chris off at the airport, I headed out I40/ old route 66
Took NM 53 through to Zuni Pueblo...spent a little time hanging out at the Co-op which was 1/2 raw materials supply store for the artists and the 1/2 consignment pieces from the same artists. Ate lunch at a touristy-trappy location with a postcard view of the pueblo....that practically made my oh-so-so tamales yummier (!) A group of German tourists come in, gotta love the precision they take to their lunch order...NO ICE! Tooling about the village, my first encounter of the non-casino type, I'm a little saddened by the apparent poverty around me. I don't know how I feel about euphemisms of 'pride in the poor' or 'money not buying happiness' but wandering about town I am a little wary of raising the camera. I've not really talked to anyone aside from the lady at the coop and photo-permit or not, it didn't feel right.

I head out of Zuni toward Gallup. Yeah, this is the same Gallup that Dave White had told me about. After losing touch with him, I secretly hope that maybe I'd bump into him....
Gallup, as it turns out, is a little desert town along old route 66 and probably the only outpost of civilization for miles. Walking around town, I encounter both the El Morro theater and the coffee shop I was sure Dave'd be...alas it was closed! The local check-cashing place next door was furiously busy though; it was the first of the month. Looks like I've enough time to make it to Acoma Pueblo before sunset, so I blast east.

Along a roadside sliver of rock jutting out of the mountain-side I stop for a picture of the desert valley below. There, I meet Larry, a resident with some of his pottery for sale. We chat, I spend some time wandering about the rock and as I start to leave....realize I've dropped my rental car keys on this blob of rock, cacti and snakes. Panic sets in, frantic searching reveals nothing and I hurry to catch Larry before he leaves (storm rolling in, no cell coverage, one bottle of water, 1/2 eaten candy bar, windows down....dread) and practically step on the keys 20 feet from the man! Larry has a good chuckle at my near-mishap, says his off to buy his girlfriend a nice dinner from the seed pot he sold me and whizzes off. I mop the cold sweat off and chase him down the mountain. Feeling lucky, I drive around a 'road closed' barricade (Larry said the construction was minor and that the rental-Camry 'should make it' ). It is remarkably quiet in the desert; a raven flies overhead cawing it disapproval of me as it flapped on by. I'd heard the jets fly overhead in Yellowstone last year but this was my first time I actually heard wings flapping...distinctly, languidly...nothing like the frenetic thrashing of a household pet....

Rolling back into town, my intrepid South American shipper, Martin calls....he's not due in till Sunday! Dinner is at Pho 1 where I slurp my soup with a couple of mexican families, a bunch of teenage orientals, a black couple and even a few honkies..... who'd figure the UN would convene in a Vietnamese noodle shop on a rainy night in Albuquerque?

I thought there was a hole in here ...

2010-04-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

...so the trip home from Texas......there was an indulgent stop in Hot Springs, Ar....

a lightening trip in Memphis..........

a couple of nights in Nashville

a trek up to Merlefest

and finally home bound....despite a little dampness

Got a minute?

2010-04-26T07:55:00.002-04:00

fleeing Texas

2010-04-25T23:04:00.002-04:00

today was one of those mile-crunching days...480 miles under wind-advisory conditions...bleh. Trekked across northeastern Texas, avoided Dallas, Houston...crossed over into Arkansas and now in Hot Springs...childhood home of Bill Clinton.....

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sleeping in one of those no-id,cash, no-questions motels...

Inmans kitchen

2010-04-24T13:40:00.001-04:00

Llano

Early morning....

2010-04-24T07:41:00.000-04:00

Just waking up...got in yesterday and wandered up to Austin, it's blazingly hot and I'm wondering if I should've ditched the camping gear in favor of mesh+goretex. OH well! Wandered around town a little after the sun eased off. Great dinner at the Magnolia Cafe on S Congress capped off with a a cooool malt from Annie's.

2010-04-23T20:20:00.001-04:00

Mmm

2010-04-23T19:54:00.001-04:00

Magnnkic

Waky

2010-04-23T07:15:00.001-04:00

Dulles and i'm wakingup

Today's loop to Parkersburg

2010-04-18T01:02:00.002-04:00

playing tag....

a quick trip to Tampa

2010-04-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

once the meetings were done...we ran into some Ottawans cheering their hockey team on...

all while enjoying a little sunshine

day trippin' across bits of WV

2010-04-03T21:47:00.009-04:00

So what do you do when you go from snow to high in the mid 80s?
Took a wee trip today.....

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napping in the sun....

from the back deck at Hypno.... re-caffeinated :)

chowing on coleslaw and crackers at the front porch

Greenbank WV...nanoo-nanoo

dodged a few snow blobs on the Highland Scenic Highway....

where are my Chicken Runner pals?

and capping off the day....a Rosie-like sunset

2010-04-02T22:52:00.003-04:00

Therapy riding today...a couple of hundred miles....86F, actually sought airconditioning!

Still playing tag with the boys....

2010-03-24T14:01:00.001-04:00

Mid winter in WV....

2010-03-24T13:56:00.002-04:00

....isn't this pretty?....yeah well, we had a LOT of SNOW this winter..... so when Mark called and said, 'wanna go to Daytona?'....he got an easy answer....

More pics here

What does a BIG BAD BIKER do

2010-03-24T13:49:00.003-04:00

.... in the dead of winter?

More pics here

So we're off to see the wizard.....

2010-03-24T13:44:00.007-04:00

Buell impromptu homecoming at the end of October 2009. Harley closes Buell down, there are many of us saddened but a few plucky souls jumped on our bikes and rode to Wisconsin to bid farewell to the gang.....

Rest of the pics here and here

2009-11-09T23:35:00.001-05:00

aaahh fall.....

2009-11-09T10:01:00.004-05:00

2009-10-29T19:07:00.001-04:00

so....

2009-09-25T18:25:00.002-04:00

is this blog going to be nuthin' but biky stuff? Hopefully not! still, it seems to be a good way to get out there. The slideshow below is from our Labor Day 'Chicken Run' down at Snowshoe. The guys are getting a tad more familiar and the company is very nearly as important as the riding.

WV Buell rally ....not quite a motorcycle gang...

2009-08-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

so I was off to the WV Buell rally this weekend. Did not actually get to ride with the gang but camped and generally chilled by the fire, star gazed and enjoyed the good company. Mark's folks were amazing as always. Mountains of delicious food, motorcycles, corn-hole...how good is that?

wrapping up

2009-07-30T21:11:00.016-04:00

Where are you from?

Had a hard time, given the bike trip started in San Francisco, but I'm headed home to WV but originally from Malaysia by way of Singapore. Almost always wound up with the long answer. There were a handful of times when the question was asked of someone else, like the cheery Texans I met in Laramie. Good to know I'm not the only one getting the “you're not from around here” look!

You are by yourself?

Next most popular question. Sometimes it seemed like I disappointed them, like they were perhaps hoping for better stories from my virtual riding buddy. I think most of the time they just thought I was a little nuts.

What kind of bike IS that?

Again sort of a fumbly response as I try to gauge the interest in Buell history. From the riders, the response had largely been either “I always wondered...how do you like it?”. I was minimally shunned by the chrome brigade. Up until I got to Vintage Days, I saw a total of 4 Buells (discounting showroom specimens).

Oh cool/neat/great...how much time do you have off?

Fairly binary response here, it was either 'wow' or 'that all?'

On young adults

Met a young fella in Milwaukee who'd been summoned home from Miami Beach by his dad to take on a 'real' job. To my surprise he took his runner/detailer job with seriousness and more than a dash of enthusiasm. I was impressed. The young lad parking cars at the ferry was less than thrilled by his summer job, for which I tried to encourage him. The young lasses in the diner at Escalante were intent on out-texting each other. The family run Pronto Pups in Grand Haven delivered hot corndogs between giggly ribbing amongst themselves. I'm confident our future is bright.

On being prepared

Though the trip had been years in the making, the specifics of the route had been somewhere been loosely to totally unplanned. I'm severely at risk of overplanning and am quite happy that it was the throttle body that stranded me and not some pipsqueak-itty-bitty-if-you-only-had-duct-tape problem that could have been MacGyver'd. Oh yeah, I feel vindicated.

On being unplugged

Never plugged in the MP3 player. The GPS died for good in the downpour leaving Kalispell yet there is relief in being liberated from it. It felt like the counter on your treadmill. ( I did buy another unit...unsuitable but just in case). I wore no watch. The phone was demented. The length of shadows told me how much longer I could ride and if I was desperate, I 'd get a receipt from the gas-pump.

On equipment

I used my heated jacket, chill vest, ibuprofen, sunscreen. I wouldn't leave again without the skin-so-soft. The Spot messenger worked as designed, even inside the Budget truck. 300 miles in the rain at 80mph is no environment for shim-sham raingear, my Walmart rainpants worked flawlessly.

On running out of gas

Not that the subconscious seeks an excuse for an adventure, but I certainly tried my best. I coasted into Babb on fumes, into a closed gas station in Echo with 16 miles on the reserve tank and thankfully was spared the opportunity to push the bike.

On lessons learned

The rain is good stuff, it cleans your bike of bugs. It also cleans the livestock truck full of piggies ahead of you.

On meeting old friends

I hadn't seen Felix or Lay Kian in 25 years, Sandeep and Kashmira 5. I regret waiting as long. Gentle reminders of who we are and perhaps that's enough.

On making new ones.

Not the easiest thing when you're a two-wheeled hobo at lightspeed. I had sworn off dating for a while, but it did not take long to find good reasons not to. Gobs of solitude assure no scarcity in introspection. Everywhere I found good people. Truthfully, although I liked Brian (at the Albert Lea Budget truck station), I was a little nervous when I got there with Mark. Guilty of judging by the cover, I was so very wrong the next day when his dad, Jon, took care of me above and beyond what Budget would have blithely charged my credit card. This lesson I should not forget.

On friends back home

Without them, the trip would have never happened. What can I say? Thanks!

Things I heard, that stuck in my head

“I'm going to get married like six or seven times, the bride is the center of attention” (my northern Arapaho-an beer buddy)

“Your skin is so soft? … oh you wear a helmet” (Michelle from the HD factory)

“You're not Canadian?” (Amber from Toronto)

“You should move here!” (yall know who you are)

On being alone

The Myers-Briggs tests weren't too wrong after all. I'm an introvert indeed, at no point had I no desire to strike up a conversation with the duck. Caterwauling at 90 down Utah highways does not count.

Touch

Well, that magic that was performed on me mid-journey in Bozeman. To Hillari, thanks for stabilizing the neck until the South Dakotan crosswinds whipped them into submission.

Smells

Whizzing past lavender fields in southern Utah. The whiff of pine trees that reminded me of Christmas morning as I crossed the continental divide in Montana. Wonderful.

Sounds

My Buell running after Tim and Dean brought her back to life, magical. Kids squealing in pleasure while they wind-surfed atop the high speed ferry across Lake Michigan. Total and utter silence as the light faded in Goblin Valley, Utah.

Sights

Everywhere in Yellowstone was evidence of the forest fires of 89, but just as evident, were all the re-seeded pine trees. Mother nature is pretty amazing.

Running down 189 in Wyoming, I saw two cranes hovering in the wind while the third (like I) looked on in disbelief. Someone told me “If the winds stopped in Wyoming, people would just fall over”

On newfound pleasures

Chasing trains. I really enjoy it. My first experience was coming down a mountain (somewhere along the trans-Canadian) and seeing a train running along the river far, far below. Before long I was racing alongside, over a river before passing it short of a tunnel. Fun. I had more opportunities and never passed one up. Try it sometime.

On smart-alecky people

My sun-worshipping Calgarian, 4-smartie friend, Adrianna. You're not easily forgotten!

On the 'wave'

I do not easily tire of this … think of it as 'peace be with you' at the end of mass...just on a high-speed-multi-mile radius.

On the risks involved

The two fellow bikers I met at the Aero Hotel in Kalispell (Dick and John, I think) were retired insurance salesmen. Dick laughed as he said “ I used to tell people not to motorcycle because it was dangerous”. None of us believe the danger is any less today.

On adventure

It is odd, but while you're in it....it seems perfectly normal. Everyone around you seem

to make a fuss. Like getting wet in the rain, it only matters until you get wet. Once there...well you're there. Only now, off the bike and in familiar surroundings does it feel like twas an adventure.

On mother nature

Lest we take ourselves too seriously, there were plenty of reminders to help keep things in perspective. Beauty sculpted through ages, not crafted by Madison Ave, everywhere. As a true Libran, I capped the trip off with a weekend of mechanical mayhem at a vintage motorcycle meet.

On serendipity

Release the grip on plans. Eject the GPS overboard. Paper maps are swell. Just as I was wrapping up the trip, my steed decided the adventure wasn't quite over.... and decided to die. That led to a string of encounters and experiences far beyond what I had prematurely dismissed as the long-ride-home.

On getting help

Not sure if I did anything to deserve it but like Gail said, I was blessed with good karma. There were times I needed help, and there it was. There are good people out there.

On idyllic moments

Surely I'm kidding right? Isn't this some long vacation? Yes, but the insidious invasion of lists, schedules and GPS destinations is ever present. Slot-car racing with Sandeep and Ehsan, slowing down for lunch by the Grand Tetons or spending the morning drinking coffee and uploading pics at the co-op in Bozeman or just shooting the breeze with those boys from Rhode Island; now that's the stuff of memories.

On missing home

From Rocky who saw the country with his dog, to Mark who found Colorado not-nearly-cold-enough or Hillari who saw the world but returned, I think I understand now as I've finally come home.

On advice offered

Enjoy it, it is really all that cool. Try not to underestimate the moment. Fight being a scenery snob. Pull over, take it in ....without the camera. SMILE

On advice received

I should've listened more closely.

On these serious economic times ….and taking a month off.

People were happy for me, even enjoying a moment's escape from everyday stresses by indulging in my little trip. I do not take lightly this opportunity, even if it has taken a long time to get here.

On passions

Everywhere I was reminded of people and their passions. From motorcycling, to my Armenian cabbie and his dream of success, teaching here, constant learning there, children frequently and sheer professional joy elsewhere. If there was some unofficial theme to this trip, I'd say meeting people to discover their passions would be it. It is such a comfort to know that we are not all soul-less, 'big box' shopping, chain dining, drones. The best parts of this trip have been the people. Passionate people are addicting.

On memorable events

That night in Laramie. I wouldn't have been there had I camped in Goblin Valley. A fellow biker offered two pieces of advice; no rooms in Cheyenne (the rodeo is in town) and get off the road soon (loads of auditioning roadkill). So I wound up in Laramie, looking for supper at 930. No luck in the first establishment, was going to have a beer and venture forth. Then the cowboys showed up and shortly thereafter the indians and the environmentalists. Some of them were putting in windmills in Wyoming and I'd bet you guess wrong. It was an evening that left stereotypes in tatters and I loved it. There are many, many good reasons to want to be an American. That night in Laramie eliminated any remaining doubt.

On being a tourist

I play one really well. Yet, there were times I grew weary of 'my kind'. The nice thing about fellow tourons though is that we take that magic pill that imbibes us with 'what happens in Vegas' attitude. Freed of our self-imposed constraints, getting past meteorological chit chat is, practically, effortless. It is 'getting to know you' on steroids; equally meaningful, just less static.

On physical limits

Fortunately this occurs automatically. I do better with cold than heat and long days in the saddle assure restful sleep. Thankfully I had no aches from the back or wrists (other than those self-inflicted). Midway into the trip in Bozeman, what seemed like an indulgent massage at the time I now chalk up to one heck of an idea. The rebuilt knee? Never better.

On chow

I ate far too many burgers but had a really good one in Wilderville, Or. Chowhound is helpful as always, but so is local intel and don't forget to trust your nose. The schnoz led me to the Pickle Barrel in Bozeman! Great food in Vancouver is to be expected but who'd have thunk I'd find good bulgogi in touristy-frat-boy Banff?

On keeping up with notes

I failed in this respect and sometimes procrastinated updating the journal. Yellowstone was the prime example and not only did details evaporate, I wound up consuming much of the subsequent days torturing myself (while on the move) with attempts to remember. So what happened to the experience of those days then? Ah the angst!

On motorcycle roads

Stewart Skaggs Road from the coast to Lake Sonoma.
Bits of trans Canadian 1, which bits? I dunno
CA1 from Mendocino north
199 into Oregon
US12 out of Bryce
125 north from Gandy, Co

On traffic

Hate it.

home

2009-07-26T20:07:00.004-04:00

6701 miles on the bike, 348 miles on the rent-a-truck

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Passions

2009-07-25T21:56:00.005-04:00

Mechanized mayhem, pragmatists lynched at the gate!
Vintage Days capped off the trip with a healthy dose of man's mechanical wizardry thus bringing balance to what might have been an otherwise lopsided tour de force by Mother Nature. The couple of days I spent there lounging, loitering and mostly loafing about with Wes and the boys was a gentle re-introduction to cellphone, the time of day and impending return to 'normal'. It has been a wonderful trip and as with music festivals of past...while the destinations helped guide the handlebars, the journey itself was in meeting the many wonderful people along the way. One last stop in Athens to thank Cheryl for her insights and it was home Sunday night in time for a load of laundry before bedtime.

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2009-07-25T21:53:00.003-04:00

"Slower than a pregnant snail". Sorry that has nothing to do with Tony ... just something I heard...a while back...what state?

and so it was THIS big

2009-07-24T20:32:00.005-04:00

oops wrong story ...this bike was SOOO fast

2009-07-24T20:32:00.004-04:00

with Ed, Chris, Wes, Trevor and Tony ...at APPLEBEEES.... after a long day for fleamarketing...

soooo, you thought you got it all figured out eh?

2009-07-24T19:17:00.004-04:00

yeah... I slept in this morning, after all I only have a 120 miles to Mid Ohio right? My steed is feeling a little mischievous I suspect. So I gear up, fire her up and as I roll out of the parking spot... life extinguishes from my mechanical mare. Long story short.. I consume all my spare fuses before diagnosing the fuel pump/level connector. Naturally I slap a larger fuse in and take off (sans turn signals). A bit of road-construction meandering and I finally get to meet up with Wes at Mid Ohio for Vintage Days. An afternoon of grazing the flea market, some cold beer and all is good.

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Yo Jimbo!

2009-07-22T21:13:00.001-04:00

We now return

2009-07-22T21:09:00.008-04:00

you to our regularly scheduled programming...Bike fixed!

I' d planned on revisiting the factory but backed out at the last minute. Instead I elected toouble check with the truck people (no one home yesterday) to make sure all was in order. Indeed it was. Had enough time to take a quick tour of the engine facility, where they build, among others...the Buell engines. Our guide for the morning, Michelle, is certainly one for her job; gregarious, informative and an overall model people-person. I have much to learn. The factory is impressive. Neat and orderly, and while I didn't see ISO banners or tacky QC slogans slathered on posts or walls...the place would certainly qualify. Having been to numerous factories, including Chrysler's Viper plant, the Corvette plant, Bombardier's metal shop and a number of board shops, I dare say they are on par with the best I've seen. Taking raw forgings to machined, finished parts is dirty, messy work.... but, as I said, spick and span.

The bike certainly felt tighter...throttle response, not surprisingly, now restored to the direct-connection feel. Accidentally pulled a wheelie later...must be careful. Off to the ferry I go and we sail for Muskegon across lake Michigan. The ride is smooth and along the way I get to chat with some other riders, two sisters Gail and Susan and, my neighbour on-deck, Mark. I think it'd be worthwhile to make the effort to meet and talk with total strangers regularly. Without the 'traveling across the continent costume' it might be hard... but it is so rewarding. I find young people often appreciative of the attention and respect you show them while they execute their summer jobs. They are our future and taking pride in what they do would not be a terrible habit to inculcate. Among the many things we talk about, Mark and I concur on the importance of seizing the day ...what was the other quote? Something about life is what happens while we are busy making plans. This trip has certainly thought me that. Mentally I had 'wrapped up the trip' as I tooled down the road in Minesota and maybe my steed gave up as well....or perhaps felt there was time yet for one more adventure. My Minesota experience has been limited to Mark, Jon and Brian ...but, and this is no complaint, I keep encountering terrific people. Clearly I was at their mercy, but everyone went that extra mile. That effortless generosity (and this includes Megan and her network from home) humbles me.

Mark had suggested Pronto Pups in Grand Haven and so that was l
unch, followed by a little choco sundae before I aim the Uly east. I make it to Toledo at 11; sometimes running into rainshowers, others running after rainbows. At a nearby watering hole backup duckie runs away.

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we're off to see the wizard

2009-07-22T10:47:00.005-04:00

Soooo the trip to Oz was nice....as nice as one might have it in a big white truck. Donna, at the front desk, was super gracious and did her best to connect me with the local dealers of choice and dispatched me with a bag of loot. Lunch at Ivan's in town was fantastic...long time since I had chikn-dumplin soup that good.

OBTW, I finally updated the Yellowstone post......this is what happens when you have time on your hands....time had because the guys at Hal's HD-Buell here in Milwaukee have diagnosed the problem and, as suspected, it is the pivot shaft on the butterfly in the throttle body.... somewhere I have the souvenir screw (!!). I speak with Jon over at Budget in Albert Lea he is nice enough to circumvent the blood-sucking-Budget computer system and permits me to return the truck here in town and save a bunch of money. Oddly enough, the difference is just enough to cover the bill at Hal's...go figure eh? The guys at Hal's Tim and Dean (later Bud) are nice enough to do a duckie pic but the shop is nicely run. They run an impressive shop, tidy enough for me to be envious indeed. The part? they actually had one on the shelf, amazing. It prolly does not hurt to have the factory a half-dozen miles away either! So by 530 I'm back on the Uly...life is good. It is hard to imagine that less than 24 hours ago I was trundling down the highway in a tow truck with the dead Uly strapped in the bed. Later someone (Gail from the ferry) commented that I had good karma, and without a doubt I have been fortunate on this trip.

Dinner at an unassuming restaurant called 'Athens' which turned out to be a lucky choice. Reasonably priced and my pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes was an honest (and generous) meal. It certainly did not taste like a Sysco sponsored menu item.

cushions and what not

2009-07-21T20:29:00.007-04:00

ya know, yesterday I felt a little bad about bypassing Boulder (and Dave) in the interest of keeping a little buffer on the return trip home. This morning, as I looked over the weather report, it seemed that mother-nature would be ready to consume my cushion as there was a wall of rain between me and home. Well, a day spent touring motorcycle factories and museums would not be all that terrible would it? So I dive headlong into the mucky wetness and charge forth. At a gas stop somewhere in Minnesota I discovered a loose bolt on my homebrew lightmount and fortunately find an Ace hardware nearby. M6 nylocks? ha! ya kidding? So intentionally cross-threaded some 1/4-20s and will have to make do. But what is with the picture?
Shortly after I realized that following a livestock truck (with loads of oinkers) in the rain was not exactly a great idea, I felt a shudder...then a hesitation and kaput. No more good vibes from between my legs. aargh. But luckily the rain spares me a moment to make a call or three. Spot has me located accurately although I had a tough time communicating that to the lady at the auto club. I whine a little to Megan but shortly thereafter out comes Mark (who moved to Colorado and found it not nearly cold enough) and rescues us. Mark echoes a sentiment I'd heard in Montana..."no need for me to go east of the Mississippi"! We swap some bs and all is good.

So for the first time in weeks, I'm going down the road, listening to music, AC and have my right hand free. After 3 hours I crawl out of the rent-a-truck in more pain than I'd been in the past three weeks. Tomorrow, the plan is to go visit Oz and perhaps get a tour and some advise on the state of my poor ride. It has been great fun, and it feels like a bit of a shame to end like this but cest la vive eh?

OBTW, it felt like I was in an episode of 'A prairie home companion'.... inside smile, inside smile

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Eastward ho!

2009-07-20T22:59:00.004-04:00

it was a busy day indeed...old duckie and I got to chirp at prairie dogs, gawk at the fellow lemmings at Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Devil's Mountain, bump into a fellow West Virginian and sadly suffer a bird-strike to the faceshield. South Dakota crosswinds are mean stuff, my neck had been holding up quite well (esp after Bozeman) but a spanking it got as we blasted down I90 eastbound. There was not much relief but try as I might, found no magic elixir at Wall Drug either. I got into Mitchell just as we caught up with the storm, rather late into the evening. The treat was that I did get to enjoy yet another sunset in the rear-view mirror. Turns out Mitchell has claims to fame beyond the Corn Palace and while the modern-day truck-trailer building business has been hit hard by the economy, the other, a box-building company, seems to be thriving. I split pizzas with a few other fellas at the bar as we contemplate nothing of particular importance. Not a bad way to end a day. Tomorrow...Madison, a swing by Oz (East Troy, home of Buell) and maybe take in some sights. The 'plan' (ha) is to take the ferry over to Michigan and head toward Mansfield from there to hook up with Wes and Ed.

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hey so much for plans eh?

2009-07-19T22:53:00.006-04:00

soooo the idea was to take a short break and later in the afternoon head out to Devil's Tower. While that was my plan, mother nature had hers as well! Well, after battling some wicked sidewinds for a half hour (into a two hour trip), I threw the towel in and aborted the mission. Finding dinner was curiously difficult in tourist-trappy Deadwood. I resorted to cruising the back allies and checking out the people on break... ahh mexican from a place called the Double Ds (you guess correctly) was quite acceptable and the friendly barkeep also offered route suggestions for tomorrow. Sorry if the vibe of this town just doesn't jive with me.

sitting in AC

2009-07-19T18:26:00.004-04:00

in Deadwood, SD. This morning I awoke with an owie to my head. I made it to Laramie,Wy last night and wandered about town for a bit. Walked into the 3rd street bar and met Bo the barkeep who informed me the kitchen had just closed. So there I was finishing the one beer I was going to have and in come the Texans and then there were Jaeger shots and then came the co-eds and then came the environmentalists and... well you get the idea.

The Texans are installing windmills, the environmentalists are fighting the oil and gas companies and the students...well are angling for free booze! So there I was calling my lifeline friend, Tammy (who else will take a call at two-minutes-after-lord-knows-how-late). Anyway, twas a good time. Funny how despite our varied backgrounds, deep down we're not too terribly different. They enjoy a good drink in Laramie.

Best line from last night? From my northern Arapoha-n friend: "I'm going to get married like 10 times since my dad was married 5 and my mom 6. Those cheatin' XXXs. Besides, the bride is the center of attention at the wedding anyway and I like being the center!"

Fled up 85 past Cheyenne this morning and got to Deadwood around 130. It is hot outside and planning on waiting

Valley of the Goblins

2009-07-18T12:59:00.005-04:00

hung out with the goblins last night. I decide to forego southern Colorado ...Durango, Silverton in order to allow some 'oops' time in the coming week. This morning, an oil change in Grand Junction, CO. Not nearly as much fun. The service manager, Tracey (?) is a stickler for processes, she'd make a great ISO boss. Some idle chit-chat with other service department hostages and then it on for a day-trip through Colorado. Got to dance with the Colorado river on the way to its headwaters, sometimes at 90mph and other times at 19. At West Glenwood over brisket, I punt on the Maroon Bells as well, urgh. For the first time I'm on a national road familiar from back home; first it is I70W from Green River, Ut and later US40 after I get off another chunk of scenic gravel (Co-1). The dirt road peaks out at a little over 9900 feet as I cross the continental divide in Colorado. I think I've crossed it like a half dozen times now.. a couple of times each in Canada, Montana, Wyoming and now Colorado. Went past a stretch of recently burned forest with new life already taking hold. Wonderful stuff. A short break in Granby for some rocky road, birch beer and map consultation with a view of the rockies is reward enough eh? But wait, top that off with a sprint (yes) up 125 north toward Laramie, Wy and it'd be hard to ignore as nothing less than a slice of motorcycle heaven. Just keep an eye out for the trout fishermen (uhm fisher-people?)

No significant conversations today, for the most part it was me and my thoughts. Here's one particularly worthless one: Tar snakes can snap at you when heated unlike cow pies that dry out and just lay benignly.

2009-07-17T14:25:00.003-04:00

Aaah Bryce...what a spectacular sight. Today's tour was Heber to Bryce and followed by the awesome US12 scenic highway out toward Goblin Valley. Wildfires shut down part of the park and at one point on the exit, I could certainly smell it! Heat bearable at over 9000' but down in Escalante (and later Hanksville) it was blisteringly hot. Met Ed, Pete and Jake from Rhode Island on their bicycles....now that is one determined group (for a good cause). Chatted for a bit...felt a bit guilty considering they were human powered and I had just bolted on the cool vest. Great guys. Now Goblin Valley on the other hand (suggested by Hillari of Missoula) was something else. I arrived late in the day and will post what pics that were passable. What a playground it is! Had the opportunity to take in one of those interminably long and beautiful desert sunsets. Naturally on the way out, I had my plenty of opportunity to dodge local variants of wannabe roadkill...prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope and some long eared bunnies.

Made it to Green River rather weary but happy. I think this was the turning point in the trip for me, now it feels like I have to make it home. I miss my cats. Stopped in at Ray's Cafe but sadly they were cleaning the grill. Mexican owned, but otherwise traditional (honky) bar/diner. Staff seemed happy and was a little sad I didn't stay for more than a beer, the young fellas were hoping for a story... or at least some distraction from the nipple twisting waitress. Dinner at the 24hr truck stop instead...complete with vintage Billy Ocean over the PA system. The waitresses were nice enough but it felt surreal....kinda like a scene out of the movie 'Brazil'. The kitchen door swings open and I hear a much happier spanish tune blasting out the kitchen boom box. Unlike Montana, the local hispanic community is, apparently, thriving here.

I'm not cut out

2009-07-17T00:01:00.005-04:00

to play Kramer.... all week I've been teasing fate with my fuel consumption and just about got busted this evening. Leaving Evanston after my crop (and she gave me what I asked for!) I thought I'd skip the gas stop and maybe catch a couple of exits and roll gas and dinner together. Ooops, rolled into Echo with 9.9miles on the reserve and there's the gas station....CLOSED.

BTW the pic is as taken..no photoshop...the sky is that blue.

Some nice people over at the Kozy Cafe (cliky) next door help set me straight (17.6miles, 3.9gal to fill) and I called it quits at Heber.

Those weird fences along 189? Snow fences....

Time for a short break

2009-07-16T20:00:00.002-04:00

Evanston Wy, caffeinated and determined to crop the mop. Plus as it stands looks like i'll be running smack-dab into Slc rush hour. Picnic lunch in front of the Grand Tetons was worth the price of admission, duckie has a new home!

2009-07-16T11:24:00.001-04:00

Twas another good one

2009-07-16T00:19:00.002-04:00

I should try to bank days like these. Evening concert in the park after the farmer's market wraps up... Bozeman, MT

Yellowstone...yow!

2009-07-15T19:26:00.004-04:00

and as Ron Popeil used to say "But wait, there's more"

It has taken a good long while to finally come to updating this post. I should have listened to what Jeff and Kevin said about daily journals. The day at Yellowstone was incredible. Yes, against all sage advice I elected to spend only one day at the park. I'd arranged for a guide yesterday and at the time... a 6am wake up call was 'no problem'. But sadly, yesterday extended well into the night. Trouble it was I had leaving the Filler because it was just too much fun. Trouble it was I had waking up 4 hours later to meet Davina from Yellowstone Safaris in the suburban with a huge hole in the roof.

Well, the day went beyond my expectations (to include a wee nap at the end). We arrived early enough to catch coyote, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles, black bears, osprey, bison all in their element. Davina's term for some of them 'charismatic megafauna' ...nice. Later in the week I'd see 'charismatic mega-rocks'! Anyway, one comment she made was that she was glad to see the bears...being bears. Her description 'acclimated vs habituated' was meant to distinguish between the bears in the park of 50 years ago when people still fed them from the cars. During the bear sightings, there were certainly bear-jams and I was glad not to be on the bike. Besides the Uly with its fan would've received some hard stares at all the peaceful outlooks. To her credit I we did manage to avoid the throng of people (having been recently traumatized in Jasper). Without her expertise and sheer drive (we never passed on an opportunity todo some spotting) I wound up feeling like the Griswold ...kinda going...oh yeah bear, ok saw that. But enthusiasm can be infectious and despite my (self inflicted) sad shape I couldn't help but be excited. Geothermal features came next and we treated to all sorts of geysers, pools and femorales ? The waterfalls were beautiful as well but with all the people, I was happy to spend a whole minute, take one brain-jogger picture and trundle on. Davina, a biologist by training, had done her spint with the NPS, NFS and left for familiar reasons (Cheryl!) and now spends the summers as a guide and winters as a snowboard instructor. She reminded me a lot of Julie (of Matt and Julie). We swapped some war stories, it was easy to tell her passion (beyond the wildlife) was teaching. She managed to even include 'rayleigh scattering' in her banter. Lunch was in a nice secluded spot complete with tablecloth and all the trimmins'.

During our travels across the park (miles and miles), evidence of the wildfires from a decade ago were everywhere. The sheer scale of the fire is overwhelming. But even more impressive was all the natural re-seeding that had basically re-planted the entire area! That has easily been the most impressive demonstration by mother nature. Even in mid-July, they had just recently completed spring thaw (and the rivers were wild) and wildflowers were in full bloom. Just beautiful.
Despite best attempts at staying awake, I napped on our hour long commute back to Bozeman. She was kind enough

Sorry it has been a factual account but I should have captured my impressions sooner (it is now over a week later, I'm sitting at a Super 8 in Madison, Wi). The park condenses many sights and activities and is easily one worth visits over a lifetime. My guide, outstanding even if I felt a little self-conscious as we tooled about...ya know me and my private guide. But a few people tagged along and got to enjoy her wealth of knowledge as well! Yellowstone is no park to be Griswol'd and I'd certainly recommend a professional like guide so as not to miss what's before your very eyes!

Maybe there's hope for this technology geek after all.

You're the first asian I've seen in a week!

2009-07-15T19:21:00.001-04:00

That was Mike, fellow next over with beer in hand at the Filling Station (the Filler) in Bozeman. For what had been a semi impulsive move to stay over a little longer, the day had worked well. Honestly, I do not think I've had this many conversations, and many beyond meteorological data, with total strangers as I've had this past few days. I'd hazard a guess that the overpowering sense of isolation I felt when the bike threatened to expire in the middle of nowhere is one sensation not new to most. So herein lies the difference. The population is low, as in WV, but they are spread far, far, apart. How does this affect behavior? Not my place to contemplate I say. I'd spent the morning catching up with some pics from earlier in the trip. There's a ton to go yet. My mop has been rapidly deteriorating into severe helmet-head. Alas my search for a barber had been thwarted by impending raindrops (never materialized tho). The balance of the day consisted of a people-watching lunch, some shopping for tools to attempt to repair the grip and otherwise aimless meandering about Main Street. I'd hope to get a massage and lucky me, things fell in place and one super massage was then followed by a sunset concert, dinner at the Pickle Barrel (have pics) and later more music ….where I met Mike. There's more to say of people, their passions and beautiful dancing women but that is for later.

But for now I must stop, it is 1.24 and I've to be awake for a 6am pickup.

slightly over caffeinated

2009-07-14T14:36:00.003-04:00

but I think I have the pics updated to Vancouver, now to get off my butt and do something today. What's with songs from the past? Last night it was 'My Way' and now 'Bridge over troubled waters'....time to scoot!

drinking a beer

2009-07-14T01:12:00.004-04:00

at Lewis and Clark's motel...Moose Drool, to be specific...finally something with a moose but not tasting like Molson. So it is 1030 after all. Not really sure what time I left Missoula but it did take 95 minutes to cover the 123 miles to Butte. Took a gander about Butte, saw the monster copper mine. It reminded me a little of old WV mining towns...uhm Fairmont in particular. Some old buildings seem to hearken to sunnier days but it is mostly bars and some chain fast food places these days. As I wandered about the mine trying to find a good spot for a pic (evening sun was not cooperating) I stumbled upon a Chinese-American restaurant. What the heck, it was a voluminous dinner. The staff had just moved from San Francisco in May. I'm guessing winter will be a test of sorts. Friendly and with the poilite inquiries as always. However, unlike with gringos who are often taken with the notion of the trip....my chinese sisters weren't terribly impressed by my lack of work ethic. Aah. On the way from Bernice's I met a fella, Rocky and we chatted alond the road for a good while. I think we actually said goodbye several times. Interesting person he is, a native who'd seen the country alongside his pooch and decided that Montana was the place for him. He wasn't particularly thrilled by the growth in Missoula but wide spaces was his thing. Among other things, we both shared a common disdain of the boom-boom car stereos of the college scholars. I'm sorely behind on pics and will try to correct that soon. First, I must figure out tomorrow's agenda. I sorely do not want to be caught in a bear-jam on a motorcycle.

Coming over the continental divide, just east of Butte, I could smell the pine trees.... not so much the one in your car but more like Christmas morning....

And so, cherries from the Mangy Moose accompanied with Bernice's monster cookie, washed down with some drool ..... aah...only Sinatra crooning 'My Way' and an altogether different memory manages to keep me anchored; just.

Big fat and happy at Bernice's

2009-07-13T19:01:00.006-04:00

You know life is funny sometimes. I woke up this morning to discover the storm I was dodging last night had indeed caught up with me. So a languid start of the day was in order. Chatting with Dick and John (fellow strandees) in the lobby, it was good to feel un-alone in this predicament. Weatherbonk had indeed assured somewhere between deliberate dampness and total-waterloggedness on my planned ride to Bozeman. As we sat there swapping stories (sans amplification) we heard an alert over the TV that the park service had shut down the million dollar highway through Glacier National Park due to heavy rainfall and potential flooding along the route. But I had, earlier, rather optimistically reserved a room at the Lewis and Clark motel in downtown Bozeman and so felt rather committed. A friendly staffer from the Aero Inn offered a route suggestion to avoid construction along 93S. She had a resume that's made me comment...'hey you gotta write a book!'

Yeah, I wasn't the soooper happy camper droning on in the rain. Managed a neat pic of Lake Flathead as I cinched up the wet weather gear though... but by the time I got to Plains, the sun ventured out for a sneak-peek and I took the opportunity replace the low-beam bulb in the NAPA parking lot. Haven't done roadside repairs in eons, reminded me of days gone by. Tooled about town for a sec (it is a wee small place) saw the Mangy Moose and felt a touch homesick for my own moose from home and so stopped for some fresh cherries and a chit chat about deer-resistant flowers. (yup, still me). Turns out past Paradise, 28 turns to 135 through Lolo National Forest and swooping along the riverbanks drove the rainy blues away. Thanks to you friendly lady (sorry forgot the intros) !

Swishing upstream, I could watch the squalls plot their course along the river. You could predict when the next wave of Lilipution arrows (yeah it smarts) were about to strike; ouch!

I feel compelled to make an equipment comment; the bike is simply fantastic. Secondary roads with heaves and undulations are taken with aplomb, even at ridiculous (by my standards) speeds. The GPS got soaked but that was my fault for shoddy re-assembly. The Pilot Roadsmart2s were confidence inspiring (yes, yesterday's tip notwithstanding) and that finds me here at Bernice's Bakery in Missoula. You know I actually do not know the time? Had a yummy brie samwich and a cup-o-soup all washed down with exemplary cups of coffee....yeah I'm in violation of my own rule, but today is prolly the first day I felt a little un-plugged. (hmm) I wonder how far Bozeman is? OK two cups this late in the day is simply tempting fate, best I go before I forget how I got here in the first place.....(think about that)

BTW, the handsome fella is Rocky. We chatted while I suited-up after lunch. He is an avid motorcyclist and a very much a native Montanan. Unlike places on my west-coast portion of the trip, pretty much people were 'from here'. He'd seen the country alongside his pooch and decided that Montana was the place for him. He wasn't particularly thrilled by the growth in Missoula but wide spaces was his thing. Among other things, we both shared a common disdain of the boom-boom car stereos of the college scholars. I think we said goodbye a half-dozen times......

Sunday wrap up...

2009-07-13T01:25:00.003-04:00

now in Kalispell, Mt
So actually left an hour earlier. Traveled eastbound out of Banff and took scenic 40. This was every bit as enchanting as 93 was yesterday. Still not getting the hang of the fuel stop thing, get on fumes on the way into XXX and took the logging road (gravel) south after talking to a couple of fellas from 'upstate Alberta' who assured me 'no problem'. No logging on Sunday but evidence is all about. In place of the logging trucks we get the pickups with monster campers. Curious how they were all coming in the opposite direction! It was sort of like a game of chicken....with me clearly being the fowl. Saw a good bit of wildlife and some cattle that was awful friendly. Nothing exotic though but still having a big buck (a bazillion points) stand in the stream and stare me down not 20 yards from me was kinda cool. Stopped at a fire base (one of two in the southern rockies) and chatted with the fireman a bit while I re-hyrdated and snacked on some sugary granola. Bliss! It didn't hurt that the base had a shiny red AS355 (Eceuriel) sitting on the helipad. Anyway, abbout midway in 38 or so miles the GPS sez...hey take this detour. The wind had been blowing me about and I was growing weary doge-em-RVs so I elected to take the detour and hopefully find pavement. More idyllic beauty ensued, now the road was dotted with vehicles when the stream approached the gravel. It was so very serene, up came a gentle up-hill right-hander and I swung wide to avoid the parked Explorer and splat... I was down and reaching for the kill switch. This new section of road, unlike the logging road earlier was covered in copious amounts of gravel; quite deep in spots. Unfortunately on this uphill sweeper, all the gravel had migrated to the outside of the bend.... just where I was headed to avoid the truck. Ooops. A fellow motorcyclist coming the opposite direction stopped and helped set things right. Getting started was tricky but I kept her up. The oil pressure light remained insistent so I stopped. Added the requisite 150ml and still it glowed alarmingly. I tell you, all of a sudden I felt very, very far from home. I guessed that more had weeped out the overflow when the bike was inverted (yeah) so I added a little more, and it resolved the issue. Otherwise the bike fared well but the rotation of the front brake lever guillotined the wires to the heated grips. A few new scuffs to the bottom corner of the right saddle bag and one bruised ego (and wrist). The fella who helped soon turned around deciding the gravel fun wasn't for him either. The road soon turned into familiar WV style paved/chipped tar/lean gravel mix. I was still chuffing from the spill and it was a few (like 8) miles before I realized I was no longer in Rocky Mountain delight but in undulating prairie-dom. A bona fide cowboy (by my reckoning, he had the hat) went past in his pickup (horse in trailer) and gave me a Marlboro Man nod. So I head toward the border and Watertown Park in southern Alberta. Along the way I stop for lunch at a roadside diner (complete with functioning garage) and in some ridiculous fit of hypoglycemia flirt ridiculously with the waitresses. I had to calm down after the 'incident' and a bowl of ham-n-beans paired with a grilled cheese sandwich and topped off with a piece of homemade apple pie absolutely did the trick. Again I do not fill up and again I'm on fumes as I cross the border into the USA. Luckily the village of BABB came to the rescue. Met another bunch of Canadian bikers and we slowly assumed the touron roles we were destined to fulfill this late afternoon. One stop at a huge tourist trap for an ATM and map, bumped into a fellow biker (there were lots) but this one was pretty. There were not lots of those. Sam is her name and I like her motorcycling priorities, even duckie got to make an appearance. So I trundle up “Highway to the Sun' in Glacier Park. Now the contrast with the Canadian approach becomes clear. Instead of meandering at 5000' along a high-valley, this highway is tight and weaves its way up Logan Pass with sheer drop-offs at every corner. A decidedly different experience and thankfully the RV density was low, low, low. Dinner at 'Wasabi' in Whitefish where I get a seat at the picture window. Any concern that I might be the goldfish faded quickly as this was an excellent people-watching spot. A couple join me at the portal and we chat for a bit. The folk festival in Butte (I passed by Twin Butte earlier, but resisted the photo-op) is apparently a must-see, have to remember to add that to the calender. They recommend going around the east-side of the lake (what?) but it looks like a storm is dumping oodles of rain as I approach the intersection. So I veer west but a scant few miles later this late evening (it was around 930) storm appeared determined to have me. So I wussed and turned around and sit in this motel room tonight. The Aero Inn, not worthy of too many stars I suspect but waaay cheaper than the room at the Y in Banff!

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Chief Mountain

2009-07-12T17:35:00.003-04:00

just short of the US border. what can I say?

this was the fire base where I took a wee breather and kept a fireman from his job with my inane questions.
And there is cell coverage!

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packing up at the Y

2009-07-12T16:24:00.003-04:00

from last night.... (no wifi at the Y)

Tomorrow I head out and south. Tentatively a lunch stop at Whitefish. Due to the teeming humanity, I skipped the interpretive portion of the glacier center (well, the tour-guides offered some info). So perhaps I'll catch some in Whitefish. Some cool stats though, Canada has some 35% of the world's supply of fresh water. Some of those scraggly trees were 300-700 years old! Saw the headwaters of the Columbia and much of the water for the western US, it was a wee little waterfall. Someone said it was the most 'hydro-dammed' water system with some 17 man-made lake/hydro plants. They rattle off some other stat about all the fresh water for Canada and US originating up in these mountains but I was a little confused. Coming up along the highway though, one could tell when the turquoise waters were flowing west in contrast to the ones flowing east. Apparently it takes 50 years for the waters to make it from the thaw to the ocean. I get an attaboy from our guide when I decline the paper pamphlet at the end of the tour. and hopefully by nightfall, Missoula. Tonight though, it is laundry time again.

duckie wanders up the Canadian Rockies

2009-07-12T16:21:00.008-04:00

I think we had just crossed into Jasper National Park... cool eh? Met a couple of ladies from London who helped with pics (this is a cheapo cell pic). The camera sorta ruins the affect, no problem telling the live-from-Memorex with all these pics.

Spent another day honing my skills as a tourista. Based on suggestions from the YWCA staff, I head out with plans to hit lakes, glaciers and hopefully not the wildlife. Climbing north on 93, the sheer beauty of these mountains was so distracting that they were practically on par with the RV-s as 'most likely to terminate my existence' this day. Not only do I improve as a touron, I'm getting the hang of picture taking on the move. The pics still suck but the insertion-extraction routine is getting less clumsy. I am a little annoyed by the boisterous Japanese tourists. It is like the Griswolds, by the busload, replete with professional camera crew and a film director (short cute little thing she was) that was quite happy to bark directions at the top of her lungs. When you see pictures of Peyto Lake and think to yourself...'oh how beautiful and tranquil'...well, add the cacophony of those industrious Nippon tourists to the soundtrack. One after another, the breathtaking scenes kept coming.... and at 6000' breathing and panting on the one wee hike I took was, sadly, the norm.

vroom vroom

2009-07-12T16:21:00.007-04:00

here we go scaling up glaciers! what a blast! Between the toys, the informative drivers... 'twas a good time. I think that is when I got my tan as well, cannot seem to explain how else I've the tomato face tonight.

Saw a bear today as I made my way back down 93S toward Lake Louise. The creature had its paparazzi about it. There was a logjam of monster RV-s and other vacation-mobiles abandoned by the roadside as everyone angled for the best shot. I declined to join in the fray, wishing the poor beast a better day. There's one gas station along the corridor of Banff and Jasper National Parks; approximately 50 miles north of the trans Canadian. Everything was priced with 'convention markup' , bring your own sack lunch.

In this splendid wilderness, I found myself still wanting to 'get away'.

In Banff.... I'm ready to give up burgers

2009-07-12T16:20:00.003-04:00

whipper-snappers at play in Crazy Eddie's

So today's trip started out in Vancouver with a little heed paid to the speed limit...loads of riverbank beauty while I discovered a new fancy..... chasing trains. At one point down a mountain, over a bridge and along the valley. Almost looked like a HDTV commercial ... fun.

What's up with

2009-07-11T02:12:00.002-04:00

the Canadian definition of an IPA? I'm still in search ....so far they all taste like Molson

That was a few hours ago

2009-07-11T02:06:00.004-04:00

as I raced toward the sunset in Canada's glacier park. This is beautiful country. I forget that given the latitude, the sun sets only reluctantly this time of year. Neat. Met a couple of ladies who had broken down and were quite ready to trade their teenage girls for a tow. Still, they were happy to indulge in a duckie pic. Now I sit at a bar with a bunch of younguns that look like they had babysitters just last week!

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Vancouver wrap

2009-07-10T04:15:00.004-04:00

ran out to the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Learned a few little somethings new, live sculpture in red cedar. Most excellent tourista I was. Got another shot of poly-culturalism followed by lunch at Phnom Penh. Place was quite busy but apparently rather efficient. Received the gringo glass of tea (sans pot)...ordered the lemongrass pork, ham egg ...BIG rice. Yum. There were five people working the dining room; noticed that all of them made a point to stop by my table. Prolly just checking out the banana in the Buell shirt. Wandered past Hastings and Main on foot. Every cabby concurred that wasn't the best part of town.

Afternoon at the aquarium with all of the children in British Columbia.
Had a blast. Walked back to the hotel and worked off some of the lunch.

Evening pics along the bay; people, people, people. This was better than terminal 2 at Hart Jackson Field (ATL). Walked to dinner in west Vancouver (Robson/Denman); neat part of town. Safe. Picked Be nke over Kint aro for ramen based solely on crowd. A reasonably healthy meal ensued; the guys in the kitchen were appreciative of my beaming smile. Hard to be nonchalant over good grub. Later received a brief but amazingly effective neck/shoulder massage. Buell ought to dispense this to every one touring on a Uly. Was oddly mistaken for being Canadian by a charming lass, Amber, from Toronto. Got a room tomorrow here, must go to sleep.

the kitchen gang at Benkei

The cool thing is ...

2009-07-09T22:52:00.001-04:00

.. all the languages you hear as the people go by

Koch!

2009-07-09T19:44:00.001-04:00

2009-07-09T19:06:00.001-04:00

Grr

2009-07-09T14:36:00.001-04:00

so, this was not part of the plan ...per-se

2009-07-09T01:21:00.005-04:00

yeah I got a cold. Spent the day yesterday hiding out with the Yongs and really snoozed a bunch. It was crappy outside and I felt kinda lick yuck myself. So the cold meds have been pressed into service. Dinner at Jasmine's in Abbotsford (hor-fun fun) and up late catching up with Felix and Lay Kian. Today we head into Vancouver and ...surprise ...more food! At the Tropkia Excellent bah-kut-teh, malaichan eng-chai, keuh kak and ....oh I forget already! Now stashed in the Renaissance hotel (thanks Priceline) and getting ready for a snooze. Brad the valet has some route suggestions...favors Banff over Jasper. Again Lake Louise (sp?) comes up. The straight shot home is 2700 miles. At 300 miles a day, I've a 4200 mile budget starting Saturday. hmmm....
Perhaps a trip downstairs to snag the wifi connection and upload some old pics....

GPS-electomy

2009-07-07T14:57:00.002-04:00

well, took the darn thing apart...but of course nothing looked out of place. Kinda felt like Scott N, anyway did the unplug-replug battery routine (measure of last resort) and hooray, she's back alive. A little hot glue to seat the connector and threadlock and ....maybe she's fixed. I've 14 days to return the Garmin... if I return it now, there'll be another 40cubic inches of volume in the luggage.

Canada ...just

2009-07-07T11:06:00.004-04:00

The Lyons have been super, John even rode out with me to see the Northern Cascades. It wasn't the best weather for riding and we elected to turn around before the point of no return (with my paltry 150 mile range). Still, the mountains were majestic and the Lake Diablo and its bright blue-green hue was quite the sight. My beer allergy has persisted and now (rather slowly), I am wondering if I've a cold.... Anyway, made it to Abbotsford last night and now visiting with my old friends Felix and Lay Kian. It has been 25 years since we last met and as Sandeep said, feels like old times. Their two boys, Trevor and Clive are wonderful, smart and ...well behaved! I think I might chill out the day here. Yesterday's rain soaked fun is not prompting me to rush back on the bike ASAP. Oh to set the mood; although it has been sunny, it is now in the 50s, howling wind and constant heavy drizzle. Purrrfect if you were something other than a wannabe cool-cross-country-motorcyle-riding-dude. Time to look for a hotel in Vancouver.

John ponders our next step ->

This afternoon, after violating my no-coffee in the afternoon rule, I drag me into Canada. Again the immigration officer fights hard to suppress some sort of chuckle...I must be entertaining somehow...eh?

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Seattle...whew

2009-07-06T02:08:00.003-04:00

Almost wasn't sure if I'd make it. Comfortably ensconced at John and Carol Lyon's. You should see the view out the kitchen! Even got treated to dessert and a command performance in juggling. Anyway, I'm wiped out. Got to hang out with Jacob and Damien a little more before departing. Lunch first, then on departure...as if on cue... the GPS puked. I bumbled my way out of town and stopped at Wally World enroute. I should take a pic of the monstrosity tacked over the tach (!). Tomorrow John has graciously taken some time off to show the out-of-towner some of the roads in this here parts. eh I just noticed getting sniffly after an IPA. Could this be what I fear....an allergy to beer? It'd be disaster.

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4th of july in Portland

2009-07-05T22:10:00.001-04:00

That was last night. Today, like an idiot, I joined the masses on I5. Twenty miles of duckwalking the Buell can test one's commitment or foolishness!

more must sees...

2009-07-05T05:24:00.004-04:00

So it seems that Portland is indeed a go-to place. A fella who gave me a ...uhm...colorful DVD was originally from upstate New York and suggested the hot and cold springs (melding) in Yellowstone. A beautiful, yet lightly inked, young lady suggested South Dakota and re-affirmed Jim's rec of Wall Drug. Then came a suggestion from a bud of Jacob's...Nelson, BC. I might need more time. Tomorrow, maybe a swing by the Saturday Market (on Sunday) prior to departing for the ferry. Took a bunch of pics today (in motion) without realizing the SD card was in the computer. A few to add, perhaps tomorrow. Laundry in certain jeapordy at this point.

BTW, the Lucky Devil Lounge is a good way to while a few hours after the fireworks. Reasonable drinks, smoke-less and pretty sweet mac-n-cheese. (and hence breaking one of my long standing rules)

Met another fellow tonight with a 60s Vespa that his wife claims is his 'recovery' (as opposed to my joke about 'gateway') bike. There are cool wives like that out there...he has 4 other scoots at home. The persistent affect of the IPA had me sufficiently distracted and thus fail to inquire if she had sisters. Garmin has indeed transformed the cab-driving world; tough reverse routes are not nearly identical. The Russian cab drivers, seemed a little less chatty than my Armenian buddy from earlier today.

Chillin

2009-07-04T22:35:00.004-04:00

like a villian..... lying dogs at Jacob's .... chicken stuffed with bacon.... Interesting conversation with my Armenian cab driver on the way up regarding the differences between LA and Portland. "They are friendly, but they seem to be happy with just the job...not like LA....and the weather!" Made it to Portland solely on I5. People seem to heed the speed limits a little better than the Californians.... though one still has to pay attention to the odd zombie driver. Saw a bumper sticker that made me chuckle "If you're going to ride my ass, at least pull my hair". Fireworks with the Oregonians tonight, maybe time to find a laundramat.

Today's run: Ashland to Portland Or

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uhm, may I take your picture?

2009-07-04T18:09:00.002-04:00

"I've been standing here all day posing!"...you may wonder where's duckie? Well I left him guarding the bike several blocks away... didn't think the market was going to present photo-ops for the little one...what do I know?

more fun at the market in Eugene

2009-07-04T18:05:00.004-04:00

bet your dry-wallers never looked this good on stilts eh?

2009-07-04T18:04:00.003-04:00

got the 'deelux' with avocado based on recommendation of someone I was talking to, while just standing about listening to the tunes. It seems to come really easy for some people, makes me look like a faux extrovert. Like a couple of others before her, the conversation goes to "You should move here!" Is the Pacific NW an emigration destination? Am I somehow under-representing WV? .... can't seem to swing the non-meat day thing, maybe I'll try the non-meat meal once in a while for starters....

Eugene, Or

2009-07-04T18:03:00.002-04:00

I had tooled into town looking for a break from the heat. Noticed a bunch of closed stores but turn one corner and I come across their market. It has been around for 40 years and covers an area of several city blocks.... Music, art, produce, food ... every week. Serendipity is never to be underestimated... more smiles and friendly folk.

Ashland oregon

2009-07-04T12:50:00.002-04:00

Polished. No tattoo parlors here. Still quite pretty tho. Pretty people too. Hey Jeff, I remembered to smile. I see what they mean about the people. Circled Medford looking for breakfast. Slept like a baby, pad good, pillow needs work. Waiting for drugstore to open. It is 84degrees at 9am. Going to boil today. The fella at a gas pump in Grants Pass remarked "It'll be like riding a hair dryer today".

eureka to medford...

2009-07-03T20:58:00.005-04:00

are you ready? Anyone heard my lame yellow-duckie-theory-of-life?

So the wrapped up with my tent erect, and tummy full of yummy thai. The trip has begun in ernest. Just also discovered that CVS drug-pushers have yet to break into Oregon. This is going to be interesting.....

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Oregon ho!

2009-07-03T17:39:00.004-04:00

snaking along Smith River along Rt 199. Finally saw some mossy lichen that I guessed would thrive in all this foggy moisture. what do I know? Left my no-tell-motel in Eureka this morning and caught breakfast in Orick...kept finding it hard to answer the inevitable 'where are you from?' question...."WV but really San Fran oh..no really Malaysia by way of Singapore". Communication I tell you, wars have started like this. It had been freezing till now, go figure that climbing in elevation (and getting out of the fog) would warm things up. Now stewing in my own juices at the Medford KOA...wifi at your tent; modern camping! Wait till I find that tree with the ac plug in it :) Got a great lunch at the little community of Wilderville, Or. Stuffed burgers at the Pizza Cafe. The fella in the next table lived lives in Colorado and Utah and was happy to share his must-sees. Glacier and southern Utah keep coming up. Fruit Row alley outside Ogden sounded interesting as well.

So Oregon has no CVS stores... ask me how I found out. Anyway the ride has been fantastic and I am glad I brought the cold-vest. Thinking about wandering into Ashland a little later...after I wreck the tent erection process.

Chris my camping neighbor, originally from Asheville, NC...travelled to Montana so much for trout fishing he moved there and later to Oregon.....for the same reason. Seemed like a cool guy, recounted stories of motorcycles in Italy ...the bike seems to bring people out. BTW the equipment seems to be holding up, had some skip-spark while pushing past 85 today in 96 degree heat. But could not recreate it on the next tank of gas. The ooze from the rear bearing seems to have stabilized (stopped). Rear tire is staying about 10degrees warmer than the front, may tinker with preload just for giggles.

Energy

2009-07-02T20:37:00.002-04:00

To chase a fedex van down CA-1

Today's ride: Ukiah to Eureka ...the scenic way

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the gang at HD of Ukiah

2009-07-02T12:41:00.003-04:00

so my paranoia got the better of me.... bearings checked out ok. Good folks there at Ukiah HD and met fellow Bueller, Jim who gave me some great route suggestions. Headed down 253 to 128 and on up 1 to the Ave of Giants....god what a sight! Have pics to post. Chased a Fedex van down CA-1 for quite a few miles. That driver expertly demonstrated effective conservation of energy. That van was a sight to behold as we flew about the shoreline. Campgrounsd were packed for the weekend so in a rare move of sensibility I turned about on 36 and headed up to Eureka where I'm in kinda of a scary room tonight. I've crossed from the coast to the central valley several times now and it is quite amazing to feel the change in weather and the drastic change in flora.

The pic is just north of Mendocino (and short of the lost coast) taken at 2pm. You can see the fog just lifting....

so did you know

2009-07-02T01:58:00.004-04:00

what the #1 cash crop in Humboldt County is...more so than grapes? Had an interesting chat with the hotel manager and another fella when I forgot my helmet. May have an alternate route tomorrow...orr springs road through montgomery woods. Sounds like fun.

brain jogger: what I found when I went looking for the yellow pages

this pic is of CA1 from yesterday. The chap is a Kiwi who had just picked up his bike in Vegas and was tooling about before shipping themselves home. Kinda hard to tell, but all the bits of asphalt you see are the same road, it just snakes and weaves and bobs and dips and ....you get the idea... this is a portion where CA1 headed inland from the coast...

bad oooze

2009-07-01T20:06:00.005-04:00

ya know, I actually checked those bearings after replacing the belt. So if it wasn't for the stop for a root beer float, I wouldn't have discovered the ooze. I rode a couple of hundred miles before installing the new treads. Maybe it is the repacked grease....maybe not. Slight detour today finds me at the Ukiah Holiday Inn Express. Got some good route recommendations from another two-wheel fan, Howie, who happened by. That is what happens when you stop for a goofy picture of your bike and a humongous pile of redwood timber. Apparently the Stewarts Point Skagg Springs road is quite famous. It was a hoot for sure; especially the bits toward Sonoma Lake. Howies says the cops are out in droves on the weekends, prolly has something to do with the fatalities.

It was tough leaving this morning as it has been good catching up with Sandeep and Kashmira. Maybe there'll be a theme to the trip after all.

Tomorrow I've a 9am appointment with Kirk over at the local HD/Buell shop; managed to get 10bucks off the room rate by mentioning the HD shop....wonder if it works elsewhere?

This morning, I actually buttoned up and had the heated grips going but after crossing into Sonoma Valley, the parched landscape kinda sez it all. Yeat it may be a dry heat but it is still darn hot; even after my organic root beer float. Howie sez there's the nation's first organic beer brewery downtown...maybe that'll help.

Brain joggers: Rt 1 to Stewarts Point. Aussie chap on his ZX14. Oh so this is what 'stupid' meant on the coastal road. 36 over from the coast or 299 northbound.

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tooling about San Fran

2009-06-29T16:03:00.005-04:00

Lunch at Joe's courtesy of Mary's suggestion....what a treat, could've used a nap later. Retrieved bike, got separated from Sandeep enroute home. Wound up in traffic and too much of a chicken to split lanes.

Detoured to city hall to while away a bit of rush hour (that was quite quite miserable) and sutmbled upon a protest underway. A 'children protective services' social worker, Liliana, filled me in on the SEIU plight. I did decline the offer for a t-shirt, hotdog and picket tho. It seems the mayor has hired 20 new management staff and laid off the worker bees. Something it seems that this has to do with the mayor's aspirations to be governer. An iced Thai tea and vegan oatmeal cookie helped reassure me I was indeed in San Fran.

2009-06-29T02:31:00.003-04:00

me and my date

hmm her date is purdier than mine!

dancing... it beats a treadmill....

yum home made noodles

2009-06-28T21:33:00.006-04:00

no no we are not lost, grown men don't ask for directions! Sandeep and I off to Yoshi's to check out some tunes. Sorry for the amateur posting, just getting the hang of this....

Hanging out with the Mehtas

2009-06-28T19:59:00.005-04:00

breakfast by Kashmira, followed by a nap ... lunch at Burma Superstar (formerly Bagan) in Alameda .... chowhound-approved and quite yummy. Add a little slot car racing action and top it off with wholesome, vegan chocolate cakes at Julie's and you have the ingredient to chill-dom in place. Tonight (after another siesta) we head to Yoshi's (yeah Charlie Hunter played there) to catch Pancho Sanchez.

ForwardAir claims the bike is still scheduled to show up tomorrow; let's hope eh?

first Cincy then Salt Lake City and....

2009-06-28T10:46:00.005-04:00

arrived in Oakland without incident. Met a couple of ladies on their way to see a new grandkid and flying for their very first time. I remember my first, I was three. It was an MSA 737; the last hop from Salt Lake to Oakland was on a 737-800. Boeing have dispensed with clamshell reverse-thrusters ... what a treat it was for the three-year-olds. My seat-mate, a college student from Berkley, had decided that morning to fly home and see mom. Wonder if he remembers his first time?

Utah: Home of the Osmonds...

and so it begins!

2009-06-27T12:27:00.003-04:00

prompt and early at the airport....forgot the wee duck (he's traveling cargo with the bike). My 6.2oz tube of toothpaste makes it past the TSA gauntlet. That's Kevin dropping me off at the airport in Pittsburgh. Bike should be there Monday and with any luck, I'll be with the Mehta's tonight. I had swapped fortune cookies with a new friend because we seemed to like each others (!).... but my gift fortune has been what finally kicked started this trip after years of wishing, wondering and waffling....

2009-06-27T00:47:00.000-04:00

I should be going to bed...but but...

2009-06-26T16:59:00.001-04:00

CDR went well, it's raining outside. Final couple of loads of laundry. No monkey butt powder at Southern States. What am I forgetting?

pre-ride scampering

2009-06-25T21:32:00.002-04:00

Been trying to get things tied up at work, big design review with the customer tomorrow, never been away from work for more than a week in the 17 years I've been with the
company. Feels positively strange. Boss thinks I'm a little mad. Loaded the bike into the container bright and early this morning at the Forward Air terminal in Pittsburgh.