Okay Woolys Rehired

Some time last year I fired Wooly from ever  planning any more rides.  I bloged about how bad that ride went anyway he has redeemed himself.  Being stuck in Memphis, a town I do not recommend, I have desovered we are on the wrong side of 3 states... The other side of Tennesse has a lot of curves and mountains to offer.  Same with the other side of Arkansas, and I would much rather be stuck in the gulf then in the middle of nothing like I am here.   So trying to plans rides here is as boring as back home.  Don't matter where you go it is flat and stright and well nothing to really write about.
So being so stuck on nothing to do I got frustrated with the map and told Wooly don't care it all looks boring to me you plan the damn ride.  Well he did and he did a good job of doing it also.  Now do not get me wrong it was 70 miles on an interstate to get to the curves but hell that beats all day of boring stright roads.  But when we finally got there I have to admit he did do a good job.
The ride finally started with fueling up and winding our way through what should have been a good stretch of sweeps but we got stuck behind a couple 3 wheelers who would have had to speed up 10 miles an hour to hit the posted safe speed.   I remember thinking does a three wheeler not get the same thrill as to dip that bike and pick her back up in a curve.  Guess not because they was going way to slow for me to get that little tickle in my soul I normally would get in a curve.  But we finally made it to a half way straight a way and we blew by them to have our   fun... And yes we finally got some fun,  tickle my soul, dance with my bike, twisty, turning, banky fun. Now the weather did not matter that we could have got poured on any second.  And the shinny orby thing was no where to be seen, I finally got some curves, some wind some Zen back into my life.  
After our day of playing we stopped for dinner and to decuse the days events the things we have put off for this moment of Zen... My question is why can I not get payed to ride my motorcycle? Now that is a job I would love.

Getting Lost

 GET LOST!!!
It sounds easier than it really is, seven letters two little words...  GET LOST!!!   Something someone might have said to us, or in my case, I have said to people.   But some times in life that is what you need to do just go get lost.  Get lost from your responsibility, your stress, basically your  business life, your every day nine to five.  Now don't get me wrong, I love my life but it does have  some stress that comes with it.   Some times a lot of stress comes with it...
Today Wooly and I took off for a little bike-about it was time to de-stress, unwind and find my zen again... The day started a little cold still in the 30s but was to warm up to the 50's so off we go... By the time we stopped for gas the  temperatures was in the 40's... It turned into a beautiful ride but like most of our rides we  encountered some bumps... Yes the road kind but also the life kind.  So after missing a turn, a little temper tantrum, we get back on track for some curves.   We followed a scenic road south and when it come out to where we were originally going to turn back, we decided to get lost... just start  by taking this road and then maybe that one and... Don't look at the road numbers or names just turn here turn there and finally you get lost...
Well ,when we finally was lost, having fun enjoying road not on the maps, well most maps and life stress was finally behind us.    Wooly slows way down and I follow his lead he looks over at me and says" Are we lost enough for you yet?"  My first responses was yes, but some how I said not quite yet... So we rode a little father...;D
 Any way after a great day of getting lost on some curvy roads we have never seen before, we finally head back to our lives, we stopped for a drink in some dive bar in the middle of no where and was talking about the day... Wooly statement fit today the best... Life begins at 20 miles over the posted  safe speed limit in curves ...

The Fog

I love fog; it is mysterious spooky and refreshing all at the same time.  Riding in fog is something that people have mixed emotions about.  Do not get me wrong here I do not think I would like it if I was riding through Bakersfield California, I think this is more than just fog there I mean they delay school till the fog clears, now that is fog. But the kind of fog that comes off the mountains and rolls down the hills that is the kind I like…

I have rode through this thick Bakersfield fog twice, the kind where you can not see the end of your bike or the bike in front of you…The road under you is a cloudy gray mist not the black or concrete we all know… Even the fairing is fog in. you just kind of pray that everyone is all doing the same speed and sticking to their half of the lane…

 The first time was riding in the smoky mountains, it was 2005 bike-about and there was 12 bikes riding in this group…I was riding on the back of Wooly “new wife” because I did not think it would be smart to make this trip on Mydol…Not that I do not keep her up and running properly just that she would have slowed everyone else down, and besides if I am riding on the back of the bike I can drink all I want and not worry about a D.U.I. or getting home safely…That was Wooly's job on this trip….

After riding in terrible storms for two days we finally get to Cherokee North Carolina where we was meeting up with the rest of the guys going on this little adventure…We actually spent the first eight days in full rain gear, it was raining and hard but nothing was detouring this group from riding the Blue Ridge Parkway. It took five years to get this group of friends together…The second we got dressed in the morning all rain gear was put on and off we would ride in the down pours...All the rain made the Smoky Mountains even more Smokey, it was probably on day four of this type of riding that we encountered the fog, not the smoke… It was Bakersfield kind of fog and riding on the back was freaking me out.  I could not see the tail light of the bike in front of us, The headlight of the bike in back of us nor could I see our headlights or the white lines of the road or the road itself…I think that is where a few of my gray hairs came from….

The whole time riding through this fog I just keep saying I hope everyone is maintain the same speed or this could get ugly…Thankfully everyone did maintain the same speed and no one crashed or went off the side of the mountain. The biker gods were smiling down on us this day…This was probably one of the most intense rides in my life. I had no control of anything and things definitely needed to be controlled.   The four hours till we stopped for lunch seemed to take days, the road was endless and lost in the fog, it was a nail biting experience for me…

Now the second time I rode through this kind of fog was Wooly and me on the old Shovels…(yes we still get our old bikes out too)  We was riding back from Augusta Georgia where we had been on business and decided to get lost in the Smokey’s for a week before returning to our expensive storage locker… This time the fog was the Bakersfield type of fog but it was just Wooly and I not twenty other people to watch out for.  I loved it I was having so much fun that I lost Wooly a couple of times and had to pull over in view points to wait for him to catch back up to me… I admit some times I have a speeding problem, you would thick that the fog was so intense it would slow me down but it just seemed to be like riding through clouds…

Now my emotions about the fog our mixed I love the stuff as long as I am in control of my own bike and do not have a bunch of other people to worry about. I still do not like the Bakersfield kind of fog but it’s not like it would stop me from riding and to be honest it probably would not even slow me down…

Deer Wooly

I know if you read my stories that a lot of our riding friends call me the “Rain Goddess” but they call Wooly “Deer” And no I did not spell this wrong I do mean the four legged animal that people hunt, shoot, and eat. I will let him tell you all of his close encounters with these four legged critters but I am going to tell just one of his tales …

The most intense one was nine  years ago. Wooly, me and our favorite long haul biker friends went for a weekend spin. Our favorite long haul biker friend had just bought a new Heritage Springer and wanted to take it for a spin so plans were made, and Friday night we met half way between our houses. Once we hooked up everyone headed back to our place for dinner, drinks, and catching up it was not thirty miles before the darkening skies let loose and started pouring on us (Rain Goddess). We did pull over in a gas station and let most of the storm pass before finishing the way to the expensive storage locker. There we spent the night drinking wine and catching up on everyone’s lives...

The next day I had a wedding to go to, so it was a late start down to the Lake of the Ozarks. It is a good thing it was only a couple hundred miles so no big hurry on the time thing… After the reception and eating some damn good food we all hopped on our bikes and headed for the lake… This was before Wooly had the “New Wife” or I the “Submarine”.  So Wooly was riding the First Wife and I was riding Mydol and our friends were on their new Heritage Springer. The ride down was great, no rain. We would be heading into some but every time I thought we would run into it we would make a curve and it would not be right in front of us any more… We did get spit on a little but with the Midwest heat none of us seemed to mind...

After arriving at Woolly’s brother’s house we all unloaded and hopped on his boat for a little spin a few beers and a quick jump in the lake to cool off. Back at the house our favorite long haul biker friends said that they wanted to go check out Bagnal Dam… This being a weekend night I knew I could walk around faster then drive so I pulled Mydol into the garage and hoped on the back of the First Wife. 

We had rode most of the way to the dam when I watched a deer jump out of the woods. Now this damn thing was running straight beside us at an angle. I quickly did the geometry in my head and knew we were going to crash with the damn thing...  But early that day Wooly had told me in his not patient with me anymore way “Do not question my madness!” So I being scolded once, I decided to not question his madness.  That was almost a fatal mistake that I will not make again…Lesson learned!  Always question any madness!

When I could see those big brown eyes almost staring straight into mine I decided it was time to react to this bad situation… I screamed "duck! "while  I grabbed the top of Woolly’s head and pushed both of our bodies as close to the bike and as flat as I was capable of doing… At the same time the deer had to of thought, those stupid f@$king bikers and decided to give it her all and jumped over us… Now in this nano second all three of our lives had changed…  The deer actually jump right in between Wooly and my heads even in our flattened state it barely missed both off us...our long haul biker friends was behind us and watched the whole thing unfold before their eyes too…

After the deer jumped over Wooly and me, she jumped over the car that was going the other way, I however did not see it because I still was holding Woolly’s head down to the gas tanks of the First Wife… When we had came to a complete stop in someone’s drive way our long haul biker friend was screaming at us “Did you not see that fucking deer? What the hell is wrong with you?  Did you not see that fucking deer?”   I think he was more upset then we were over the whole deer jumping thing.   Don’t get me wrong I was shook up but I did not thinking yelling was going to change anything and I was  just glad that Wooly and me was not road kill...

The drive back to the lake house was very intense we were all watching for deer and probably going as slow as an old lady driving to church...  But somehow we managed to make it back to the lake house alive without any more deer incidents.   Once there we hoped in the boat and went to the local cove bar for a drink or two... I just keep thinking them deer can't get  us now...Safe for the night!

The Trophy Wife

Okay so it happened again.  I am not sure how it happened, all I know is we went in for a part for my bike and Wooly came out with a new bike.   I still not sure it is all a dream except the garage got cleaned and we now have 6 bikes in there.... Some times it is hard to remember why we have so many bikes but any one who rides knows different bikes for different reasons...  
Any way we have a new girl in the garage she is shinny and a great looking bike some thing I would design with lots of black instead of chrome yep she is a beauty.  Fast ? yep she is a screaming eagle... You know the big engines design to go faster then one might want to go.   Oh wait I am talking about bikes men think there is no such thing as to fast, lol... no such thing to them...
Any way we walked in Wooly feel in love and what really sealed his fate is he took the thing for a test ride.   That was it he was in love and she was coming home with us.    Good thing I am okay with all these other women/bikes in his life.  Any way went in for a 45 dollar part came out with an expensive trophy wife.
So we get her home and introductions are in order... I first introduce her to my bikes, I have less bikes then Wooly and well my bikes do not effect his bikes so the easier introductions first.  Mydol and the Submarine are introduced and every thing is good as these bikes will never compete for Wooly's love... Then comes introducing Wooly's bikes to Wooly's new bike.  Etiquette  told me that you introduce the elders first so we start with the Mistress... I introduce and tell the Trophy wife that the Mistress will always come first just get over that now and there will be no oil spilled.  The first wife is being rebuilt right now and she is on the lift not quit a rolling chase but should be by the end of the day.   The new wife was in the shop getting serviced so introducing her came later... So all is well The Trophy wife is settling into her spot in the garage and the girls are all getting along so far....   Thinking two thoughts here... If Wooly kept cleaning the garage there is room for  three more in there... And Next is I am going to have to upgrade my engine so I can keep up with him and the Trophy wife.

The trip of a life time part

Now last time Wooly and I went to Japan I had made the statement that it was a trip of a life time, I mean really what are the odds of ever going back to Japan???   Well pretty good as we have just finished that trip again... First let me say as a young girl I dreamed of traveling to far away place and jumping feet first into their culture and way of life.  I never thought I would get to do this, especially as I was to short for any military services,lol...  But I have just finished that long, ass aching trip to Japan again and this time I had another plane to hop when I got there.  A five hour lay over and another plane, a nice express ride on the subway.  I nice lady helping us find our way out of subway and putting us in a taxi and we finally made it to a hotel for the night.
 Now you have to remember we had been traveling a straight  28 hours by this time and we finally make it to a bed... Rather small by American strands but a bed...   A much needed try to sleep even though your body is telling you "Hay dumb ass it is day time!" But for now I am getting a little ahead of my trip...
Now usually plane trips are boring, maybe some turbulence to wake you but no this very long trip from Chicago to Tokyo was not really as boring as it should have been, lol...
 First let me say, I checked, really I did... I have a food allergy, no really it is classified as "Highly sensitive"  To soy!  Yep some thing the Japanise use for every thing in one shape or another... So knowing that I am on Asian airlines and that most my food would be typical Asian food I checked the menu before leaving so I would know what not to eat... Yep would have been smart as I checked both menus but me being me and slightly dysfunctional I checked lunch/dinner and breakfast.  I knew I could not have the Samon as it was cooked in a soy sauce and had soy souce on it... I had the chicken, yucky, not quite right chicken..
But the second meal instead of being the breakfast I checked was another full meal... No choice just here what you get... I ate the fruit, drink the wine, and had some beef and rice... Wrong thing to do, the beef had to have been cooked in soy sauce and shortly  after eating I started to fell hot, like hot flashes hot.  My stomach bloated to almost twice it's normal size and I had to get to the toilet fast, really fast... Glad I was right by one... Well my meal had to get out of my stomach and to put it nicely it came out by any office possible... I went back to my seat still pale as a piece of paper... The stewardess  notice haw pale I was and kept asking you running a fever. ( in her best English)  I keep telling her no I was okay, she watch me like an Eagle stalking pray.  I was trying really hard to convince her I was okay in-between trips to the bath room... But it was Wooly who stepped it up and convinced here that I was only having a hot flashes... But I swear there was a lot of masked people following me through customs and immigration... and that there was a lady waiting at the end of immigrations  pointing to the sign about you must report to the nurse if you have experence any fever during flight.
I know that the Japanese they are still really freaked out about the bird flu so seeing myself being quarantined for the 16 days I just keep walking... I was surprised when no one tackled my ass and dragged me back but was happy I was going to get a 5 hour lay over and one more flight before I land on Hokkido Island in Japan... I think I fell asleep in the airport first time for both getting sicker then shit on a plane, and falling asleep while traveling...

These Boots Are Made For Riding

Sunday after  catching myself almost grabbing a sub contractor by the throat and wanting to throw him through a wall I decided it was time to rewind... Go for a ride, find my Zen again before I found myself in handcuffs from reacting and not thinking.  Now the ride itself was nothing really to write about, nothing happened, no close encounters, no near misses.  It was a much needed break from working my long hard hours.
We did wander about 80 miles before finding a bar and decided to stop for a drink.  We not only had a few drinks but  ate some  linner (lunch dinner) there also .   It was called Hawgs Pen.  The drinks was cold,  the food was good and the service was great... We talked with some people who happened to be riding in on some old Shovels.  We saw 5 different Shovels ride in while we was there, now there is some thing you don't see every day.  It was great seeing the old bikes out putting around.  Really nice spot so  if you are ever in New Hampshire check it out. It is up route 11  just north of Rochetser, and no I am not getting paid to talk about this bar, lol.
Anyway when we was just heading  up  route 28 some where before we headed back east we got stopped at a traffic light and a couple of Road Glides pulled up behind us.   I could see in my mirror that one guy had noticed my boots... Yep my Frankensteins, my platform riding boots.  I could see him talk to his buddy  and stare back at my boots.  So being the  nice person I am, I turned around and said that this is how a midget rides a tour bike and laughed.   But this got me thinking about what few times any one has ever said any thing about my boots.  Most people don't look down to notice such things or if they do the don't comment or ask.   But on a rare occasion someone has commented or asked about my beloved Frankenstein's...
 I think the first time I remember Wooly and I was down in Louisiana, just enjoying a nice ride.  The road we was on dumped us onto the highway and behind us was a truck.  Now this truck followed us for about 5 miles and when we pulled off to get gas they pulled off also.  At the gas station one of the guys in the truck came up to me and said that him and his brother was following us and having a nice discussion about me and my bike.  His brother keep saying that I was too little for the bike and he kept saying well she is riding it so she must not be to little for it.   He then said  when you stopped and put your feet down at the light that is when we noticed your  boots... 
Then there was a lady at the Boo fest in Jefferson Texas.  It was the last day and the party was over but Wooly and I was hanging and talking to people some of wich we had been doing some business with for months.  Just setting on a hill watching talking, any way we had been there for awhile and most every one was gone so we went to get our bikes and pull them over to where we was hanging.  After I parked and walked back up the hill this lady I had been talking to said "That explains the boots".  She never asked but she did notice...
 I think the funniest time was at a friends house... She was haven her bi-yearly cheeseburger in paradise party.  Wooly and I happened to be within a couple hundred miles so we rode down for the party.  In a nice storm at that...  Upon arriving  I helped set food up and wondered around talking and meeting people.   I kept some how meeting up with this one women again and again..   She was funny and just  fun to be around  a really  great lady.  Anyway after food drinks and parting most the night away we was cleaning up the place and she came up to me and asked  " What is up with your boots?" I don't know what came over me but out of my mouth came  'I had polo in both legs"   I know I should not have said this but it came out of my mouth even before my brain could react to what I was saying.  It is an inside joke between me and some of my long distance riding buddy's.  She replied" But I watched you all night and both your  knees bend"   I let her go on thinking this for another few hours before I let her off the hook, glad she has a sense of humor...LOL