Bessie and Me: Shifting Gears

Me and Bessie1 The Riders Edge instructor put his hands on his knees and peered down at my crumpled form on the pavement, then inquired as to whether I was ‘okay?’ Laying very still and mentally checking for damage to my body, I assured him that the only thing harmed was my pride. The instructor was not one to miss a ‘teachable moment,’ he then inquired,  “So, what did you learn about the bike?” I was still in a prone position on the asphalt, right shoulder throbbing, and the 492cc Buell Blast splayed out on the pavement along side of me....I thought about what I did just before going head first over the handlebars. “Never squeeze the brake while the front wheel is turned?,” I offered meekly. “Yep,” he replied knowingly as he offered me a hand up off the pavement. Then he looked at me, gestured at the bike, and indicated I should “pick it up,” and get back on it.  And for the next 48 hours, I maneuvered that Buell Blast all over the Riders Edge co...

If It’s About ‘Inertia,’ Is It Really Inertia? Inertia: a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force, OR:   indisposition to motion, exertion, or change. RELATED WORDS: apathy , languor , lassitude , lethargy , listlessness , sluggishness , supineness ; dallying , goldbricking , loafing , lolling , lounging .  When I started ‘riding,’ five years ago, I started ‘writing’ again (is it any wonder the English language is so difficult to learn?). Something magical happened when I started moving forward on two wheels, the synapses started firing and ideas started to spew out of my head.  I was so astonished when it happened the first time, I had to pull over to safety, grab my ‘Blackberry,’ (that was a long time ago) and send myself a text message with the idea!    After my first road trip on Bessie1, I started a journal, an electronic journal. I would re-read ...

Tucumcari New Mexico: The Mother Road '07 As is the case with most notable occasions in my life – some pleasurable, most problematic – this one started with a man.  A man and a motorcycle.  In the summer of 2007, after a frantic, ass-numbing, 6800 mile cross country ride as a passenger, astride my friends Harley Davidson Road King Classic, I climbed off that bike, looked him square in the eye and said, ‘I’m gettin’ my own.’  It didn’t occur to me then that I was making a decision that would affect me so profoundly that I would claim it ‘saved my life’ (and sadly, cost him his).  I made the decision based on travel preferences at that moment... not life saving choices.  I have been hopping on the back of a boys motorcycle since I was sixteen-years-old; not much changed as I got older. I was still attracted to the ‘Bad Boy’ persona of a biker, the thrill of riding, the need for speed.  I had rode ‘two up,’ with my friend ‘Butch’ (of course this...

July 8, 2013 “Curves Give Me Clarity” Live Outloud I rolled into the driveway yesterday with 3858 miles accumulated on Bessie2; the first thing I do when I end any ride - whether it is 4000 miles or 4 miles - is shut off the engine, and and sit quietly while I listen to the soft ‘tick, tick, tick,’ of the engine cooling down, then I softly say ‘Thank You God for Another Safe Ride.’  When I set out on this journey June 21st, I was seeking to find my confidence again on two wheels. The accident on Bessie1 in April of 2012 had robbed me of that; I have spent the last five months restoring my courage in my ability to handle the motorcycle and squelching the all-too-familiar FEAR that had started to be a frequent flyer with Bessie2 and Me.  I am happy to report that the confidence level is back to ‘Maximum’ once again, and that frequent flyer - Fear - took a backseat for most of the ride.  With each challenging hairpin turn, I was given the clarity fo...

July 6, 2013 Summer Road Trip 2013_Day 16...I Think Me and Paul in N.C. Other than the chance to connect with my friend Paul in North Carolina...it was just a basic travel day. Bessie2 and I are headed back to Florida; sometimes the kindest thing I can do for myself is to admit my limitations. I’m there. Thank you Paul for lunch, the escort South....and the Chocolate Chip Cookies (Smile). This blog is about Twizzlers...and all other Road Food. My earliest memories are of travel...with my grandparents. My Dad recently reminded me that I inherited my ‘wanderlust,’ and desire for an early start when traveling, from my grandparents. They took me along on weekend trips and long distance travel whenever they could; and what I remember most is the food....yes, the scenery and the locations were wonderful as well, but there’s something about ‘Road Food’ that galvanizes the travel memories. If packing a picnic lunch was an Olympic Sport, my Grandma Fisher would hav...

July 5, 2013 “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson's Monticello I like that quote a lot. Bessie2 and I headed out to Monticello - just outside of Charlottesville Virginia - early this morning. The drive up to the grounds is beautiful; in fact, everything about Virginia that I have seen so far is beautiful. As I negotiated a safe place for Bessie2 in the gently rolling parking lot (finding a level spot was not easy), and climbed off....I noticed a woman who had parked just beyond my spot, climb out of her Prius and head for the reception area...we greeted each other with ‘Good Morning.’ I love history, and I make each road trip an opportunity to learn more about this diverse country of ours. I’ve always loved the Colonial period in U.S. History; Thomas Jefferson, John Adams...the Founding Fathers biographies are fascinating reading, Jefferson in particular. I purchased my ticket - dismayed to learn that the first tour av...