home is where the mess is
I made it home today from my a bike trip and if you're reading this as past tense I'll wrap up what you'll see in the next few posts. You won't see a couple posts I made two days ago around a campfire in Colorado. I've been posting from a cell phone via email and it didn't work every time for some reason.
I've wrapped up a 4300 miles bike trip which was almost two weeks of bliss where rode from Minneapolis, MN to Tucson, AZ and back. The main leg was an attempt to join the
Ironbutt Club by driving 1,000 miles in 24 hours. After that I decided to tack on another 500 miles for their 1500 miles in 36 hours "bun burner."
I drove to Tucson to visit my little sister who was graduating then catch Monument Valley and other assorted 4 corners scenery on the way back with a stop by my in-laws in Denver. I arrived back home a couple of hours ago and am doing laundry and unloading pictures. Mr. Windsor N. Coke is visiting as we listen to the Skatalites. He reassures me the overgrown lawn can wait.
Sid the cat is having some serious separation anxiety. I've removed him from the keyboard 1/2 a dozen times so he's laying down right on the edge of it in front of the monitors.
Nothing wrecks a nice bike like repeated road trips. It's picked up dings, scratches and all manner of scarring that has permanently made this poor thing a functional motorcycle and no longer a flashy cruising vessel.
One of the biggest offenders to this bike's pride is the insect. If Starship Troopers has taught us anything, it's that creatures with ecto skeletons are not to be trusted whether they're beetles, ladybugs, big black aliens or a robo-cop. Good grief, even Doogie Howser knows the eminent danger of these beasties that out number humans several times over.
Despite the numerous kamikaze missions launched against us, recreation prevailed and a good time was had by all - except the bugs. You fought well my persistent brethren. You have not died in vain.
brrrrr
vail pass 10k feet with snow. this where a smarter man would've put on his raingear... or at least long underwear.
western town
after driving through the navajo reservation that engulfs monument valley, seeing every color of dirt imagineable then wrapping up in moab, seeing stoplights can be a sensory overload. :o)
here's mainstreet where my dinner just atrived at a sidwalk cafe. somebodies getting a big wind generator for their birthday...
degrees of seperation
what a difference a mile makes... especially if that mile is straight up.
phoenix late this morning: 107 degrees. two hours later in flagsaff, about 30 degrees cooler.
next stop: monument valley!
fine dining
a chandelier made of corona bottles... how could i fit one of those in my basement?!
taz
"taz" has no longer been limited to tattoos applied during a drunken stupor on spring break. getting a new tire put on at the tucson dealer who's also got $30 baseball hats and
TAZ HARLEY shirts with wings.
My shame is now complete.
dwarfed
ahhh. 7 am and only 75 degrees f.
morning stroll
walking through the desert with my dad after breakfast while it's nice and cool.
yes sir
my little sister is now a liutenant! she made it through eod school ( explosive ordiance disposal - bomb squad ) then served in iraq.
she's finished nursing school and rotc today so can blow you up and put you back together... mostly.
did it!
with about 30 minutes and less than a gallon of gas i arrived in tucson and punched in at the gas pump 10 minutes ago. over 1500 miles in 36 hours.
dos cervesa porfavor.
dry heat
the bike and i are down a quart so we're stopping in hatch, nm to top off.
skin is burning so i need to put jacket back on. "dry heat" is like saying "dry ice." it sounds almost appealing until see a nail pounded in by a banana...
stopped
first slowdown today. stopped on freeway. went to take juicy crash pic. cop told me to get back on bike. must be good. choppers coming.
Scratch That: Reverse It
Like Willy Wonka said, Scratch That - Reverse It. Most blogs go recent to old in a top down manner so I'm finally at a keyboard in Santa Fe with an explanation for what you're about to read below.
I'm on a bike trip from Minneapolis to Tucson to visit my little sister's graduation from nursing school. This is killing half a dozen birds with one stone ( think of it as a tactical stone ) which will get explained over the next few days.
The current birds getting pummeled are my 3rd attempt at joining the Ironbutt club. Minimum ride to enter: 1000 miles in 24 hours. The first time I tried, weather and construction aced me out. The second time I drive from the Santa Monica Pier to Littleton, CO. against the time zones, desert and freezing continental divide, only to lose some of my paperwork two days later when we moved into our new house. These rides need to be documented with witnesses, contact info, receipts with date / time stamps and maps.
I drove from Des Moines Yesterday morning and finally rolled into Santa Fe this morning @ around 1:00 AM. Now just hold onto the paperwork and I'm golden.
I'm also going for the bonus ride of 1500 miles in 36 hours so, pending any breakdowns or natural disasters I'll be in Tucson this evening. More pics to come.
Now straight South to the Mexican border. Ole.
ahhhhh mountains.
the wind and rain setback got me into denver late - rush hour! i took the tollway bypass but still got stuck looking at brakelights on the edge of town.
it'll be a late night. just rolled in to trinidad, co. going to santa fe tonight to make the 1000 mile day.
darling nikki
nikkie at the gas station said there's been a wind advisory until 8 tonight. that explains a lot.
i swear a woman screaming what sounded like "auntie em"
dry time
650 miles and my crotch is finally dry. walking into a gas station in raingear with wet pants is like wearing footie pajamas with soggy diapers.
purple haze
woke up @ 5 to thunder & lightening ( very very frightening... ) and drove through enough rain to dye my hands purple from the gloves.
windy? i usually hit reserve tank around 155 miles. headwinds meant reserve at 120. not fast travel despite throttle position.
free at last
first leg of a 2 week trip biking to Tucson, Az from minneapolis, MN.
Just hit Des Moines. Rained 3 of 4 hours. Dark, windy & cold. apparently the sun doesn't shine through storm clouds but can still sunburn hands... go figure.
Almost lost all paperwork when opening hard bag with rainsuit. literally chased it through ditch, over fence and into field in pieces. looked like idiot but cows didn't care.
testing
i'm going on a bike trip vacation tomorrow and wanted to post via cell phone so this is an experiment.
