Tuesday my wife left for an extended trip to the south. No we aren’t experiencing any difficulty with our marital bliss. She is opening a new office for her company and will be gone for approximately one month. I guess a great deal of riding is in my future!
Temperature: 9 degrees
Wind: From the North @ 35 Miles per hour
Snow: 15″
With a level 3 Snow Emergency in place for Clark County almost everything is shut down. The Miami Valley normally recieves 1-3 inches of snow, but this weekend we were hammered with 15 inches of the devils powder. Oh well, we have plenty of food, coffee, firewood, and cigars. Have a good Sunday!
him: I’ve tried everything!
me: do you have fuel?
him: I’m not stupid!
me: what is it doing?
him: “explains noises”
me: you’re out of fuel.
him: NO I’M NOT!!
(later with gas can)
him: IT’S NOT OUT OF GAS!
me: pour it in Damn it!
him: hmmm, out of gas I guess
me: love you son!
On Sunday I spent a good portion of the day planning our trip to the Southeastern part of the United States. Highlights will include…
Unlike many of my long rides, I will be riding with a group of six or seven other guys. I normally prefer to ride solo, because as my wife tells me… “I don’t play well with others”
Keep the rubber side down!
The time: 11:45 p.m.
The place: My warm bed.
My wife and I had been in bed for a few minutes and I was at the crossroads of reality and dreamland, when my phone went off! “Damn it”! I knew it had to be Jonathan, my oldest son. He had been on campus all evening doing some studying (right!) I answer the phone; “What?” Dad, my bike won’t run! Jonathan says, I asked him what it was doing, then diagnosed the problem as NO FUEL! The kid ran it dry. It is midnight, he’s in a bad part of town, I was in bed, and now I have to take him fuel. I pull on my pants, grab a flashlight, and head to the shed for the gas can, mumbling loudly the entire time. I jump in my wife’s car, because I don’t want mine smelling of gas, and I am off to meet him. I arrived at his location in a matter of minutes, I added the juice, and the bike fired immediately, and we are headed back to the house. As I followed my twenty year son back home, my mind raced with what lecture I should give him, as several would be fitting for this occasion. But once inside our warm and safe abode, I decided not to say much, I was glad he was home, and after all isn’t that what a dads for?
Coffee dear? This morning my wife and I, had a quiet chat about our resolutions for 2008. I have been thinking about this for sometime, but can’t quite articulate them as of yet. Part of the reason for that, is my family is in a time of transition. My youngest son will have his 18th birthday, graduate from high school, and head off to college, all before June. My oldest son, will be a Junior in college, and most likely be moving into his own place on campus. Leaving Michelle and I, to become the proverbial “empty nester’s”. I am not complaining, mind you. They are great young men and are excited to move into this new phase of their lives. We are proud and anxious for them to experience all that life has to offer. We are just as excited to see how our new life will unfold, the places we will see and the new people we will meet. No one really knows how things will turn out; but at least for now, we are enjoying the ride!
Keep the rubber side down!
Rick
Some of the worst traffic I have encountered to date, was rush hour traffic in downtown Chicago. Commuters anxious to get home, delivery drivers hurrying to drop off their last package, and little ole’ me on my motorcycle, sucking fumes! I say; “worst traffic to date”, because my wife is dragging me to the mall in a few minutes! It is Sunday, Dec. 23, and I have to go to the damn mall! So if you are out and about, look over at the benches, I will be sitting with all of the other sorry saps! Wish me luck!
7:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and I am blasted by the arctic wind as I open my front door. I hug the boys and watch them throw their gear into the car, and pull out of the driveway. As I shut the door I offer a silent prayer for their safety as they travel to Cleveland, some three hours to the North. Jonathan, and Ethan, have tickets to today’s Cleveland Browns game. And although, they will be traveling in blizzard like conditions, they have decided to make the trek. The weather forecast is predicting 8″ of snow and winds in excess of 40 mph. “Oh to be young again”! Or is that; young and stupid?
PS.
The boys have returned safely, and the Browns beat the Bills, 8 to 0.
Ever have trouble finding time to ride? In a perfect world we could hop on the bike, and hit the road at a moments notice, uninhibited from any and all restraint. Unfortunately, that isn’t the world most of us live in, is it?
Often family, work, and other responsibilities, so conflict with our riding schedules many give up! Leaving the motorcycle parked in the corner of the garage until our deadlines are met, or junior grows up. But what if were possible to work, raise the family, and still get some ride time in? Here’s a few ideas we have used, maybe they will help…
1. Ride to work.
2. Get up early on a Saturday, and ride before the rugrats get up.
3. Write a weekend ride on your calendar months in advance.
What other ideas could we add to the list?
“What do you ride”? This is a question I am asked on a daily basis. So here’s the current list of bikes at the Slark house.
Rick: 1999 Honda Shadow Aero 1100
Jonathan: 2003 Yamaha Road Star 1100
Ethan: 1985 Honda Nighthawk 450 (first bike)
As I have mentioned in the past. I am researching Sport Tourers, but with the car business so slow, and two boys in college. That looks to be some time in the future!
It is now official! OK, almost official! I will be attending Myrtle Beach Bike Week in early May. I have vacationed in the Myrtle Beach area many times, and consider the Southeastern part of the country, one of my favorite areas to visit. I say “almost official”, because Spring of 2008, is poised to be a busy time for my family, as Ethan will be graduating High School, and preparing to leave for college. The second reason I say “almost official” is… I haven’t asked my wife yet!
