Wednesday, September 22, 2010

...and it all ended with two sausages and a hot tub.

Day 2

FLASH!!

FLASH!! FLASH!! FLASHFLASHFLASH!!!

6 am and the damn paparazzi are at it already.  Oh wait.  I'm not a celebrity nor important in any way.  I took a look outside to see a nasty lightning storm outside.  Checked the environment Canada website for lightning strikes and confirmed it.


Crap. thunder rolled in with the lightning and then the rain. The horrible horrible rain.  With the front tire looking like mini shark fins, I started getting really nervous about riding today. Of all the hazards on the road, lightning is one of my worst fears.  It kills bikers. Randomly. Without warning.
Lighting, thunder, rain and heavy winds is all I need with a really bad front tire and a crappy rear.  I felt real fear. Fear is all about 'risk management'.  I figured how risky it would be to ride vs. my riding ability.  I also gauged the Pros vs. Cons.  Pro, i live, Con, i die.  I figured my riding ability and my 'luck' would ensure safe enough passage.
dark. wet. cold. and it's 7:30

I procrastinated for a while and slowly got ready, and packed up. It had stopped raining before packing, so procrastination does work! I left the motel and had a donut and a coffee at Tim's and left town.

Btw, yesterday i wrote i dumped the bike in Blind river, when in fact it was Deep River.  I'm an idiot, i know.  Too many damned rivers.

Shortly after leaving Espanola it started raining, really really hard. I hadn't put on the rain suit I brought as I figured I'd just ride through this as surely it can't continue raining with that intensity.  I was wrong.  I stopped into Blind river and my guts were churning. a lot of stress and strain today.  Yes, coffee and a few cigarettes will surely help. The show must go on...



Lame picture, I know.  Here's why;  I didn't feel like stopping anywhere that could have been picturesque (there wasn't) and didn't feel like going outside for a shot of the crappy rain. meh.  I stopped in at a Husky for some food.  Got off the bike in the pouring rain and noticed one of my helmet ears got unstuck in the rain and was behind me on the seat!  didn't lose it... yay.  I checked to make sure the other wouldn't come off and it snapped off in my hand. crap.  now I'm earless. Unzipped my jacket and sliced my thumb (on the print)

There I am on the Husky location map

Feeling down with things left behind in Ottawa and other inner workings of my own brain, so I decided for some comfort food.  Where my jacket was, there was a growing puddle of water.  Guess the suit works fine!! I know that my feet were wet, but not cold... no big deal..

(picture dedicated to Mark H.)
A delicious bacon grilled cheese, fries and slaw

I keep a diary/journal when I travel.  It helps me think... not that there's much else to do while on the bike, but when i get off the bike, i like to put thoughts to paper.  It's odd, but i only do it on these extended rides.   At least i have something to keep me occupied while i eat of have a coffee break.

Still pissing rain, i got back on the bike and headed for the Sault Ste Marie (aka The Soo)  Went to the Kawasaki dealer and the Yamaha dealer.  Neither had tires at all, and neither shops were too interested in helping me either.  What is it with these shops?  It reminds me of the AWESOME service at the boys in Fairbanks (read inuvik trip, alaska bound) at Northern Power Sports. If you're in fairbanks, give them your business, they were great... as was the custom cruiser shop.   Maybe i just love Fairbanks...

Many things weighed on my mind and other things back home almost made me turn tail, abandon the trip and return home.  Then I remembered a motorcycle doesn't have a reverse, you must keep moving forward.

I crossed the border without incident and landed in the grand USA.  Funny, it looks JUST like Ontario, except the speed limits are higher. Recieved a txt stating the prices for roaming in the USA.
"While travelling in the United States STD roaming rates are $1.45/min $0.75/sent txt msg & $51.20/MB for data"
Srsly? $51/mb for data??  pure assrape, and they give you an STD. nice.  I promptly turned off my Iphone.

I was heading south on I-75 and the wind and rain was brutal.  I was fearing this a little and decided it wasn't worth the risk and wanted to get off the Interstate as fast as i cold.  I ended up staying on it and taking the highway 2 through the forest.  It's just like driving through Northern Ontario.  Boring, nothing to see and  nothing worthy of taking pictures of really except for this!

Woot. 11000.0

I needed a smoke break and stopped somewhere for a drink, a snack and a smoke.



Diet Dew and a couple of sticks of homemade beef jerky.  that chunk is about 1/5th of the stick.  good stuff.
I also scored on some U.P. Stickers for the cases on the bike.  Remember, the cases are not to store stuff... they are there to showcase the places you've been. hah.

i bought it at this place.  

Tons of little shops selling Pasties.  I didn't know what they were and didn't bother asking anyone.  I looked it up... seems i missed out on something. DAMMIT.

Da plane! da plane! i like jets. And tanks. basically anything that can blow shit up.

WOOSH!

There really isn't much to See in Michigan.  A lot of trees, a lot of pickup trucks and a lot of bugs.

Saw a ton of these signs. There were other signs stating "DO NOT PASS" which  i wanted to take a pic of and then make a witty LOTR reference, but alas, i got this one;
I ddn't know I had to pass with anyone.

I kept riding for a while, not keeping track of time, lost in my own thoughts.  Funny the things you think about when you thought you had thought of everything. Funny now how i can't remember a1/100th of what i was thinking of.


Supper along some highway/interstate. 

HELLO WISCONSIN!

made it to Green bay and had a hard time finding a motel room with Wifi.  wtf. srsly?
Took a room at the Quality Inn.  It's neat how my room door is literally 20 feet from the hot tub.  pics tomorrow. to tired today.

maybe it's time for a dip in the tub, but somehow i think if i do, i'll fall asleep and drown.

Tomorrow;  in search of rubber, oil and my Xbox friend Scooby Snax.

4 comments:

  1. Hope the weather clears for you Al. Good lookin' slaw. I think it's time you had a BIG salad.

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  2. Good old green bay... lived there for 4 years. Eat at a place called Krolls

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  3. Chin up Al....all is well back home.....focus man...focus!!!

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  4. Interesting read!

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