Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, May 25, 2009 and I have little to do. Oh sure, there are a thousand things I could do, but none I have to do. That's the difference between a regular weekend day and a holiday. My obligations to self and family are no more than to fire up the grill in the middle of the afternoon and cook a palatable meal.

Yesterday's weather was a bit dicier than today's (sunny and warm) but since Sunday is our "normal" ride day, the wife and I saddled up with a short ride planned to visit the Shaker Village in nearby Canterbury, NH. I suppose it's a bit of an historical recreation like Sturbridge Village, down in Massachusetts. Still, having once been within a few miles without stopping, it seemed like a good destination for those of us not opting for the early and multi-hundred mile route that the club had planned for the day.

We made our way across Bedford, jumping onto 101, headed East towards the coast. Our jumping off point to head North was Candia (Candy-O, I need ya) but soon the sprinkles began. A few miles further up the road, they became steady and I pulled off the highway to confer with the missus. A line of rain was sweeping West-to-East across the state, with the leading edge the furthest East. That meant that our ride North would encounter this rain, with potential for heavy downpours, with the Southernmost part of the state missing out. Suit up and go on or save this ride for another day?

We decided that rain suits would be a drag and so turned tail, headed South through Auburn before turning West through Manchester. We had a nice ride through the city, much quieter on the weekend than I suppose it is during the week.

Returning home, we tucked the bike into the garage, tucked into a big lunch (and the Indy 500) before doing taking care of some other errands.

Perhaps we'll get out for a short scoot today. The weather's nice and I wouldn't mind going out just to hear my exhaust roar as I click through second and third gears. The cacophony of acceleration beats out the steady hum of highway riding, every time.

And let's not forget why we have this extra day to enjoy ourselves, our families and our hobbies. I extend my thanks to veterans everywhere and those in my family who have served, to bring us peace, safety and the American way of life.

A low, slow wave,

Joe Rocket

Okay, alright...I hear you already!

Sheesh! I wanted an audience and now they're throwing tomatoes! Who knew?

Three times this week I've been nagged to post to my blog. I'm sorry. Work is hectic and the holi-daze are here. Last week, I was single-parenting while my spouse was on a biz trip to a much warmer climate. Lucky her!

This week, I'm just trying to hold on until the Christmas holiday is over and then I can relax. I plan to have some time off and use it wisely to make this a better read. So...don't give up on me yet.

Regarding Sturgis, we've got a planning meeting coming up. We're going to try to decide on a location for there and maybe do some trip route planning (yeah, I know, turn left at Chicago...). So many miles between here and there and we want to make good time. Unfortunately, that will probably mean interstates a good part of the way. We'll see.

We did that (rode the interstates) the summer before last on a trip to Quebec, for dinner. It wasn't planned that way but the weather forecast did not cooperate and a 4-day trip putting around Canada turned into an overnight. We did manage to find a nice KOA campground (with beer!) right outside the city and a great french restaurant with very attractive servers a mile, or so, down the road. Almost stumbling distance.

That was the trip that nearly crippled me. The VFR got real uncomfortable to ride. I'm not sure if the seat or my knees were shot but I had excruciating pains shooting down my leg. At a rest stop, I joked about swapping bikes with Jerry but he remembers it as me begging to switch. Whatever. Speaking of Jerry, here's one of my favorite pictures of him, from last year's bike show. I call it "Squid Jerry". He mounted a world-class MV Augusta for this shot. Too funny!

Anyway, it's Tuesday AM and I need to get moving. Time for (another) cup o' Joe. It's F'ing cold out (7 degrees Fahrenheit) and I have to make the trek across the mountain. Boy do I miss the warm sun-kissed summer days. Nothing better than riding in a t-shirt with the sun lightly toasting your forearms. Oh yeah, winter arrives Friday.

Happy Holidays to all. I'll see some of you this week at the Biker Bash. The rest, drop me a note to say hello.

Thanks,

Joe Rocket