Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to I sit here shifting my view from staring at the bike to staring at the computer and back (side note: I wrote most of this lastnight). I ask myself “am I really ready for something like this?” as I realize there are only around a hundred hours left until I’ll throw my leg over it, and be gone for, well, what seems now forever, but what I’m sure will feel like “no-time-at-all” when it is over.
“Why am I going?” I have to wonder. Officially, because I am being laid off (the whole facility I am working at is being closed). “But, shouldn’t you be saving your money and looking for a new job” you comment back, poking the sore spot in my side. Well yes, I should; however, originally I was to be laid off in July, and now it’s been pushed to basically October. Which, as I work in environmental health and safety, means my major work load to close the place suddenly stops as they extend operation for two months. Additionally, I haven’t taken a vacation that I can remember, and I’ve been maxed out at 4.5 weeks since July of last year, so I’ve been losing this valuable commodity. Beyond that in the last 5 weeks, I’ve been averaging 6 days a week at 12 hours a day of work. And as I know I can’t really take any major time after I get laid off, and of course when I start a new job, will be quite some time. So it is a vacation I need to take. (Btw, if you know anyone looking for EH&S / Radiation Safety personnel with firefighting/emt experience, medical device experience, etc, in Clear-Lake, Houston, or Austin, I’m looking). “Unofficial reasons?” you inquire. Well many, I suppose. Perhaps one of them is my dad talked fondly of his youthful years riding his motorcycle all over creation (including the Grand Canyon, of which many pictures he took still hang around his house); while I’ve been riding some 10+ years now, I only bought a new bike that I don’t feel will strand me on the side of the road a year ago (not that I didn’t like working on my old bike, but working on it more than riding got old, especially since I apparently have become a workaholic). Partly because I feel like I somehow missed the chance with my near continuous schooling (through masters) that took me into 2007 (around which I worked with the fire department or medical device manufacturing) and then immediately took up a very demanding job to correct a facility that had not really had EH&S support for 25 years. And partly, because, well, the roads are there.
“So just where you think your going?” you jab. I don’t know, really. I had been dreaming of an all 48 trip jaunt, after reading Rollin’s 48 states in 10 days iron-butt ride done on a Victory Vegas in 2008. Of course I wanted a vacation, not a 900-1000 mile a day killer; and also read the 50 states in 50 days (I think it was). So I played around, and began looking at maps and playing around, and one theme came to mind; the great journey home. Not for me, but my bike. My father always talked about how he would like ride his Harley all the way “home” to Wisconsin; however due to cancer he hardly rides his bike now. So I’ve pretty much set on taking my bike back to Kansas City’s manufacturing plant, and then ride into Milwaukee to visit the museum, et al., and buy a rivet (if they are still available). Only other thing on my must do is go to Xenia, OH, just to “get it out of the way” (it was the only city letter I didn’t get last year). So I threw together a complex map of many things, looked at the longest road way around, and decided averaging 300-350 a day, I’d ask for (and get) 3 weeks vacation (which actually is more, because it goes through the May 31st holiday), so actually 24 days (approximately). So this is what I came up with:
“But that’s all inter-state! Get off the super slab!” you yell. Well, yes the outline is. It will really depend on how I feel and what is around as to where I will really go. I might get to North Dakota and decide the Badlands and Black Forrest call me instead of the East coast. Who knows (and I know I don’t). I went East Coast as I have several friends from there, and I’ve done a lot more middle and West coast than east coast travels. But don’t worry, Skyline and Blue Ridge (it’s the 75th anniversary or something) are definitely high on my list of detours. But I should say right off, that my mind conflicts wanting to visit every state east of 100 degrees west, and finding a few really nice mountains (hey what are those things? Do they really exist? I’ve seen hills, maybe 300 feet elevation changes in the sisters. Okay, okay.. in all fairness I’ve been to approximately 7000 ft on Mt. Hood, but you know).
So, save stopping my mail, handing off a key for the cat-sitter, and picking up proper winter gloves, I am “ready to go”. Right now the long-term forecasts look favorable at least to Wisconsin (lowest low in 20s highest high in the 80s (here) with averages in the 60s.. it doesn’t get much better), slight chance of rain/thunderstorms all the way up. I even have an E-ZPass for the 14 northeastern states (did I mention I hate stopping to pay tolls? Btw, why can’t everyone just agree on 1 toll system for the US.. preferably the RFID TxTag style that doesn’t need a battery.. sadly I’m out of luck for Kansas, although the last time I traveled the pike in 2000, it was just a stop at the south, pick up a card, and then pay at the east). But the real question is.. is my heart ready to go? I am both excited at the thought of a long time, as well as scared. I’ve done a 3-day 350-mile-a-day trip (before my new windshield and alternate riding jacket), but we’re talking 7 times that length. I’ve ridden in 20s, I’ve ridden in 100s. I’ve ridden in rain, fog. I haven’t ridden on ice or snow, however.
Anyhow, this ride may turn out to be completely boring to read, if I do actually get out on the road for it on Saturday. But I felt this was probably a more reasonable place to talk about it than my other usual outlets. Thanks for sticking to the end of this completely random introduction post.
“Why am I going?” I have to wonder. Officially, because I am being laid off (the whole facility I am working at is being closed). “But, shouldn’t you be saving your money and looking for a new job” you comment back, poking the sore spot in my side. Well yes, I should; however, originally I was to be laid off in July, and now it’s been pushed to basically October. Which, as I work in environmental health and safety, means my major work load to close the place suddenly stops as they extend operation for two months. Additionally, I haven’t taken a vacation that I can remember, and I’ve been maxed out at 4.5 weeks since July of last year, so I’ve been losing this valuable commodity. Beyond that in the last 5 weeks, I’ve been averaging 6 days a week at 12 hours a day of work. And as I know I can’t really take any major time after I get laid off, and of course when I start a new job, will be quite some time. So it is a vacation I need to take. (Btw, if you know anyone looking for EH&S / Radiation Safety personnel with firefighting/emt experience, medical device experience, etc, in Clear-Lake, Houston, or Austin, I’m looking). “Unofficial reasons?” you inquire. Well many, I suppose. Perhaps one of them is my dad talked fondly of his youthful years riding his motorcycle all over creation (including the Grand Canyon, of which many pictures he took still hang around his house); while I’ve been riding some 10+ years now, I only bought a new bike that I don’t feel will strand me on the side of the road a year ago (not that I didn’t like working on my old bike, but working on it more than riding got old, especially since I apparently have become a workaholic). Partly because I feel like I somehow missed the chance with my near continuous schooling (through masters) that took me into 2007 (around which I worked with the fire department or medical device manufacturing) and then immediately took up a very demanding job to correct a facility that had not really had EH&S support for 25 years. And partly, because, well, the roads are there.
“So just where you think your going?” you jab. I don’t know, really. I had been dreaming of an all 48 trip jaunt, after reading Rollin’s 48 states in 10 days iron-butt ride done on a Victory Vegas in 2008. Of course I wanted a vacation, not a 900-1000 mile a day killer; and also read the 50 states in 50 days (I think it was). So I played around, and began looking at maps and playing around, and one theme came to mind; the great journey home. Not for me, but my bike. My father always talked about how he would like ride his Harley all the way “home” to Wisconsin; however due to cancer he hardly rides his bike now. So I’ve pretty much set on taking my bike back to Kansas City’s manufacturing plant, and then ride into Milwaukee to visit the museum, et al., and buy a rivet (if they are still available). Only other thing on my must do is go to Xenia, OH, just to “get it out of the way” (it was the only city letter I didn’t get last year). So I threw together a complex map of many things, looked at the longest road way around, and decided averaging 300-350 a day, I’d ask for (and get) 3 weeks vacation (which actually is more, because it goes through the May 31st holiday), so actually 24 days (approximately). So this is what I came up with:
“But that’s all inter-state! Get off the super slab!” you yell. Well, yes the outline is. It will really depend on how I feel and what is around as to where I will really go. I might get to North Dakota and decide the Badlands and Black Forrest call me instead of the East coast. Who knows (and I know I don’t). I went East Coast as I have several friends from there, and I’ve done a lot more middle and West coast than east coast travels. But don’t worry, Skyline and Blue Ridge (it’s the 75th anniversary or something) are definitely high on my list of detours. But I should say right off, that my mind conflicts wanting to visit every state east of 100 degrees west, and finding a few really nice mountains (hey what are those things? Do they really exist? I’ve seen hills, maybe 300 feet elevation changes in the sisters. Okay, okay.. in all fairness I’ve been to approximately 7000 ft on Mt. Hood, but you know).
So, save stopping my mail, handing off a key for the cat-sitter, and picking up proper winter gloves, I am “ready to go”. Right now the long-term forecasts look favorable at least to Wisconsin (lowest low in 20s highest high in the 80s (here) with averages in the 60s.. it doesn’t get much better), slight chance of rain/thunderstorms all the way up. I even have an E-ZPass for the 14 northeastern states (did I mention I hate stopping to pay tolls? Btw, why can’t everyone just agree on 1 toll system for the US.. preferably the RFID TxTag style that doesn’t need a battery.. sadly I’m out of luck for Kansas, although the last time I traveled the pike in 2000, it was just a stop at the south, pick up a card, and then pay at the east). But the real question is.. is my heart ready to go? I am both excited at the thought of a long time, as well as scared. I’ve done a 3-day 350-mile-a-day trip (before my new windshield and alternate riding jacket), but we’re talking 7 times that length. I’ve ridden in 20s, I’ve ridden in 100s. I’ve ridden in rain, fog. I haven’t ridden on ice or snow, however.
Anyhow, this ride may turn out to be completely boring to read, if I do actually get out on the road for it on Saturday. But I felt this was probably a more reasonable place to talk about it than my other usual outlets. Thanks for sticking to the end of this completely random introduction post.
Of course it was REALLY weird when Baylor allowed School Sponsered Dances! Guys could visit girls dorms or girls visit guys dorms like 2 hours a week on a Saturday? something like that.
