road trip...

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Light house.

Road trip 2012

My brother and I are on a road trip down highway 101. first night we made it to Tillamook OR.

My birthday was over the weekend. Clem and Bates came over for steaks, wine and cake. It was a pleasant celebration.

Aside from that, the weekend was quiet. I ran errands. Cleaned the house.

Inside the truck there where house and van keys. We had to call a lock smith to rekey the house, the van and repair the truck lock.

Shitty day.

Over night I got a terrible tooth ache. When I left for the dentist in the morning, the truck had been broke into. They didn't get much, but they did make a mess of the lock.

Last night I took my bike out for the first time since I took the Motorcycle Safety course. I noticed a difference in my driving. I've become less sloppy while, cornering, breaking, starting or stopping.

I also took the bike out on the freeway for the first time. Driving at 65mph is a very different experience that driving at 30 or 40mph. The wind resistance goes way up, as does the noise.

I also noticed the power difference between the my bike, and the course bike. The course bikes were much lighter and had an engines about a 3rd the size of my engine. The small bikes are very nimble at slow speeds at stop signs and driveways. Mine requires a little more care.

Over the weekend I took and passed the Evergreen Safety Councel's Basic Motorcycle Safety course. When I took the course ten years ago, I failed. Passing was a big weight off my shoulders.

Yesterday evening was DR's memorial service. It was a very nice service. She volunteered a lot. Many of the organizations she volunteered for where there. We heard stories about her, her love of gardening, her no-nonsense attitude and her sense of humor.

It's made me think of my life. I've always planned my life by looking ahead. What do I want to do next? How do I want to grow? DRs memorial has made me ask "What do I want to leave behind when I die?" and "How do I want to die?"

At the memorial we realized we didn't know much about DRs life.  She had a nephew who didn't attend. While we heard about her volunteer work, we didn't learn anything about her family. We don't know why she moved to the city of Kent. Her businesses and home where in miles away in Seattle and Tacoma. Yet, for some reason, one day about 20 years ago she showed up in Kent and started volunteering. Everything was grateful she moved there. No one knows why.

Busy weekend. The weather has been georgous here. I most of the days outdoors, either hiking, on the motorcycle, working on the back yard.

Saturday evening we attended a Martini Party at the store. W, L & D were there. W has been writing and has published two mystery novels in the past year. L has also started writing again. She was laid off from work and now has much time on her hands. She hasn't written in years. She's a romance novelist, so she's starting again.

Sunday, the neighbors invited us over for hooka. A year ago, they visited the middle east. Bates fell in love with hooka machines. He likes the idea that a bunch of us would just hang around the table and smoke. It was nice, but I'm not in love with it. I still have the taste of hooka in my mouth.

DR died. I think she died alone. RO feels bad about this.

DR was an 80 year old woman who outlived most of her family. Se had one remaining nephew.

Five years ago she lived alone but was very active. She volunteered for many things and came to the store regularly where she helped out a little.

A couple of years back, her memory started fading. You had to watch over her because she would forget. Not long after this, her nephew moved her to an old age home.

She never really took to the home. She had few friends there and felt couped up. Even with her memory problems DR wanted to be active. The people in the home sat around all day, chatted and watched TV. When we talked to her last, she said she was just waiting around until she died.

We last saw DR over Christmas. We took her out to the men's choir for Christmas Carols. It was a pleasant evening.

Then the months slipped by and we didn't keep in regular touch with DR. At Easter RO dropped in to give her an Easter basket. But, he was too late. DR had died a month earlier.

RO feels bad about not keeping in better touch with DR. Her death has caused me to reflect on my future. I don't have kids or family to take care of me when I get old. Perhaps RO will be around, or perhaps not. Inevitably my body will decay, and I too will become a burden. I like to dream that I will be fit as a fiddle until I'm 90 when I will quickly and painlessly die in my sleep. But, that's not how it usually happens.

Today, Easter Sunday is a wonderful day. The weather is warm. The breeze is pleasant. The sun feels wonderful. I needed this. Its been cloudy and raining for too many months here in Seattle.

CJ/Rick said...I've thought for a couple of years that I would
like to have a bike. As a rider passed me on the freeway the other day, I
was wondering how long I could ride without back pain or leg cramps. Good
luck on your trip!

Cruisers can be comfortable. But yes, bikes can can cause cramps. You also get a right forearm cramp from holding the throttle.

Clem and Bates came over for dinner the other night. Of course we drank too much and had a great time.

My brother and I are planning a motor cycle trip down the coast. I'm a little nervous about this. I have never rode my bike for more than an hour at once. This trip will be 2000 miles and 10 days long.

To make work even more complicated, two guys on my team are having kids this summer.

This March is more cold than January. We've had snow twice.

At work, the strongest and most senior person on my team has told me he's leaving. I'm still digesting this news. So much counter planning has to happen.

It's been a year now since I started my health kick. I hike to Coal Creek Falls most every weekend. I stick with a slow-carb diet and eat very little sugar.

Currently, I've lost 25 lbs, 2 pant sizes and I sleep better than I ever have.

For all the snow, ice and flooding that has hit area, the last few days have been have been pleasant. There have been no power or internet outages at our home and the roads have been clean enough that we can come and go as we please. I consider myself fortunate. I have friends and co-workers who have been trapped at home for days with no power.

In the forest behind the house, every few minutes you can hear a large branch cracking and falling.

Seattle is bracing for a snow storm. Up to 8 inches in the next 24 hours. Most people have left work for home.

The last leg of my flight back home was cancelled. I'm stuck in Chicago for the night.

I am jet lagged. I slept off and on though the first half of the flight. So I can't fall asleep now. I still feel groggy. I didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe I can find some sleeping pills and knock myself out till the flight home.