Before the rains...

Today was a seasonally cool day, delicious after the hot summer we've had. In the morning, I was treated to homemade banana and chocolate chip pancakes, before going outside to play with the girls and Rosie, an adopted stray puppy. The temps were a bit of a shock to Adela and Nora, who had to go back in for jackets with hoods. Swinging in a hammock was the pastime until this chick's arm got tired of pushing back and forth. Spent some time with Rosie, who has the attention span of a gnat when the girls are there, but was actually pretty attentive when it was just the two of us. She's in the gnaw and nibble stage. She's got the cutest ears, though, and as is my habit, I got a picture of the canine resident, without getting pictures of my friends (yet).

Lunch was Chick Fil A, while chili was cooking in the crockpot for supper. The afternoon had some homeschool work going on with Adela who wanted me to be her teacher for the day. We worked on some math, penmanship, logic, and reading. Got to find out about that ol' Reddy Fox and Milly-Molly-Mandy. After that, I needed a nap (which I got) and then it was supper time. Afterwards, while Ames was mixing up some cookies from my dad's recipe, I watched a Czech production of Cinderella, complete with English subtitles. Amy's husband, Leo, is Czech, and the girls are both bilingual, moreso Adela who was born in Brno, Czech Republic. It was actually a pretty good adaptation from the early 70's...not your Disney version, but more along the lines of 'Ever After' with Drew Barrymore. And it had a fairy godowl.

Once that was done, and the kids corralled for bed, Amy and Leo, along with her dad and I went out for some cosmic bowling, while grandma stayed home with the girls. We didn't get there until after 10, so they had the funky lights on, disco balls and thumpity music (or noise, as it really is). It's rather nice to have it be smoke-free in there, so we only came out smelling like the grease of the fries they sold, and not ashtrays. My bowling was consistently stinky...a couple of spares, a strike or two, but then the odd gutterball and single pin frames. Amy's dad ended up being the super star of both games we played, and Leo played more than half of Amy's turns, while she rested up between frames.

Now I'm yawning to beat the band, and getting ready to turn in. Tomorrow's forecast keeps flip flopping. Only thing that's guaranteed is that there will be weather. Of some sort. I'm hoping to get on the road by 10, which will get me into Norfolk still in the afternoon, even if I dawdle. I plan to stick to non interstate roads as much as I can. Should be a little more scenic that way. Hopefully my throttle hand won't be too worn out from the bowling ball tonight :)

First Step

The last minute packing this morning was interesting. I'm sure I packed way more than I needed to, but still managed to do a respectable job of getting it on the bike (and balanced, no less). The bike looked like a pack mule in the parking lot of work, but that's ok. That just means I'm going somewhere!

This really is going to be a relaxed trip, as compared to my normal riding binges. Today? Oh, 180 miles is all. Worked half a day, then met a friend for lunch at the incomparable Bucky's (if you're ever in Greenville, you have to stop there). Got fuel, and on the road at 1:45. Traffic was brisk, except for a few left lane hogs, but by the last stretch of 70 mph speed limit, I'd seen enough fuzz patrol to keep right around the big 7 on my speedometer. Did see some cool clouds, though.

Tonight, I got to catch up with my old college roomie, Amy, and her family. She and her husband are staying with her folks until they find a house that suits them (something about being able to afford it, and the right school district, etc., etc.), so there were three generations here tonight, between her parents, she and her husband, and her children. Neither Adela nor Nora are shy, and I was definitely the star attraction of the night.

I delayed the inevitable as long as I could, but after supper, my lot was cast such that I got to play with doll houses and have a couple of young chicks exhibit their dressup wardrobe. The most interesting combo was Adela with her Peter Pan skirt, blue hawaiian lei, and knit ski mask. Dancing.

After the girls were in bed, I got to chat with Ames a good bit, and Leo came in belatedly, although he's got to go to work tomorrow (unlike some of us...). By midnight, the house is now quiet and I'm about zombified. A few pictures now to upload, and I'll be done.

An Adjustment

To the chain, that is...

TJ wasn't happy with the play in the chain and recommended that I go to the dealership up the way to get it addressed, since he didn't have the tool for it. I was able to take a quick lunch today and head out at 4:30, getting to Power Sports by 4:50. It took them a bit, and when I got back to the bike, I could tell they had taken a lot of slack out, just by testing the chain (and getting chain lube all over my finger).

However.

The ride home? Hiawatha! It's like a totally different bike! Smooth as glass. Silk. Butter. A gravy sammich! I mean! It was a blast coming home, because the response on the bike was so much more immediate. I never noticed that much of a change when the chain was adjusted on the Ninja, but boys howdy, can I tell on the Viffer.

Tomorrow's gonna be fun!

Loose Ends

Yeah, none of them are tied up yet. Got the oil changed in the bike, and the horn back to loud (had lost one of the two airhorns). TJ doesn't like how loose the chain is, though, but didn't have the doomaflatchy to adjust it, so I have to try to fit in a visit to Power Sports tomorrow.

I have a stack o' clean laundry on my dresser, and now the fun is figuring out what to take. Looks like I'll have some lows in the 50s and most highs in the 80s. It's very likely I'll be taking both jackets again, mesh and textile. Shorts and quilted liners for my riding pants. Oooh. Winter gloves? Probably not. The heated grips should be enough compensation, and I won't be riding extensively through the 50s.

I bought a tail bag that matches up to my saddlebags, back before my first trip, but it was too big to reasonably fit on the Ninja. Now that I've got the hippier backside on the VFR, the tailbag fits just right. I think I'll be able to get the kitchen sink in just fine.

Plan now is to work a half day on Thursday, going in with the bike ready to depart, and then heading north once lunch is done. I'll get to see my friends Amy and Leo on Thursday night, September 15, which is the 10th anniversary of their wedding, at which I was a bridesmaid. Pretty cool.

Finally!

There is a ride in the offing. And more than just a putter-along-here-or-there ride. Thursday afternoon, I head up to High Point, NC, to stay with my college roommie and her family (with baby girl #3 due in October)(hers, not mine), and then to Virginia Beach on Saturday and Sunday, to stay with another couple and their four daughters (poor Ryan is surrounded!).

And then there's Monday. Monday is the culmination of many plans and schemes, rescheduling and waiting. Monday will be when I get to meet up with Mike and Gigi, (also known as OBX-Rider and Ms. Gigi on BBO), in Manteo, NC. After reading my blog for the trip to Colorado last year, he'd asked me to consider marrying one of his sons, so he could have someone in the family to keep up with him. The offer included use of his riding stable, among other things. Now, I do have a bit of a weak spot for Ducatis and there is one waiting to make my acquaintance next week...

I can't let the bike down, now can I?

Adventures in VFRing

(taken from an email sent to the apple man)

Riding this weekend, I was exploring a few new roads (one of which was aptly named Explorer Road...pretty fantastic, actually). This is not about that road, however.

At the end of a different road, a hillbilly-mountain, backwoods, in-the-middle-of-nowhere, crap-look-at-all-the-gravel, hiawatha-this-is-steep, kind of road, it ended in a T at a stop sign. I didn't remember this from the map, so I just hung a right. After a few turns, I was sure this was not the specific road I wanted, but since I was just on a fun jaunt, I figured I'd punt and just see where the road went.

The evil gravel continued in the curves of what would have been an otherwise decent road for a couple of miles, and then in a shady avenue, the asphalt turned to a dirt and gravel mountain road, wending onward and upward. The last time something like that happened (asphalt turned to mysterious gravel road), I ended up discovering a very nice connector road between two highways. But that was in my truck, with high clearance and four wheels.

Nonetheless, unimpeded by excessive prudence, I decided to proceed. For being a 550 pound bike, the Viffer handled pretty well off the asphalt. I find it interesting that gravel in curves will paralyze me, but a true gravel road doesn't phase me. There were mini washed out gullies with a steep bank up to my left and a steep bank down to my right. After the first ascent, the road leveled off, and since all was well, I kept going. The second ascent got a little more aggressive and prolonged, but I kept the speed pretty constant and just let the bike float along where it wanted to go. Passed some exposed slabs that hung out over some really nice views. Kept riding.

The third hill to charge was getting pretty gouged out, and there were smooth rocks in the road, as well as increasingly soft gravel and dirt, and just before the crest, the bike choked, not having enough throttle to get up over the top. I had the front wheel on a smooth rock face, and rear wheel just at the gravel line, with probably a 7 or 8% grade, and I was a mile up a road that wasn't wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other.

I got the sidestand down and off the bike to assess the situation. I'm pretty sure that was the last of the uphill fight to the summit, and what was beyond was just some slight undulation, but that didn't help much. I decided to concede, and began to plot how in the world I was going to get down the mountain. I didn't see any other tire tracks around, and figured this road wasn't used much by anyone, so it would be wise not to a.) break the bike, or b.) break me.

Once back on the bike (turned off), when I pulled in the clutch, even with the brake on, the bike started to roll back, due to the steep angle of the hill (there is some rubber left on that rock from the front tire). I finally was able to creep the bike back at a slight angle so that my rear tire was against the edge of the gravel, where the vegetation started, and I was facing about 11 o'clock to the road.

Started to seesaw the front tire in the loose gravel to get more perpendicular to the road, but I mainly was digging a divot for the front tire in the loose dirt. Did get some angle change, but when I gingerly tried to give it some gas and get another adjustment, the road wouldn't support the action, and the rear wheel stepped left, heading back down the hill again. There was no way I could try to just back it down the hill, so I kept up with the micro adjustments, and a few more sidesteps, until I was at just above 9 o'clock to the road.

I eventually had enough leverage, I was able to push the bike up out of the front wheel's divot hole, grab the brake and hold it, push again, grab the brake, and then tentatively tried some rear wheel action. It started to move, but by then, I was coming up on the other side of the road without getting much below the perpendicular. I knew if I grabbed the front brake, the bike would go down. I knew if I gave it too much throttle, I'd go over the lip of the road into the trees.

Not sure exactly how, other than by the grace of God, I managed to get it turned enough to start going downhill, and promptly began gathering speed. The last time I had to try to emergency brake in gravel, it wasn't pretty, so I tried to keep a light touch on the front brake, but still somehow manage to slow. Rolled down that section to the next downhill part, which was longer, and got up to near 30 mph, with the whole a.) and b.) above starting to screech in my head. On the level spot after that downhill, I finally was able to get the bike stopped and gather my breath and wits.

On the last downhill section, I had to fight to keep the front from tracking into the mini gullies washed in the road that all kept running towards the downsloping bank now on my left. It was indeed a feeling of great relief when I once again rolled onto the pavement, and sang the first three syllables of the Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

As I rode on, I later saw what I suspected (and googlemaps confirmed) was the terminus of that road on the other side of the mountain. My instinct was right, but my mode of transportation could probably have been improved. I'm going to get my first official ride on a dirt bike in September, Lord willing, and I think I'll take to it fairly well :)



My camera batteries died (rawr!) but I did get one pic on the cell phone when I got off the bike, though it doesn't do justice to the angle or the road (clickonit for a bigger look).



(Yes, I have been riding some this year, but haven't had the epic trips planned, as in years past. So far, I have had a couple of nice runs on the bike and get to be a ride leader for a group from work this upcoming Saturday. I won't be taking them on any gravel roads, though.)

Farewell, Good Sir.

The day has finally come that I had to say goodbye to Mr. Crunchy. It was bittersweet, indeed. That bike and I went a LOT of places together, but now he gets to teach another newbie how to ride.

Today was the first sunny and warm day we've had in a couple of weeks, and it was also the day I put the ad back up on Craigslist, after having the sticky throttle fixed. Within 6 hours of posting the ad, the new owner-to-be emailed me, called me and drove in from a small town to the north. Her husband took him for a spin and was satisfied. She was pretty excited about buying him, though, so I think he's going to a good home.

So long, bud.