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| This... is my kitchen! |
Sometimes the toughest roads are not roads at all.
No quoting of Forrest Gump allowed here, but indeed this last few months, my southern home has caused me a great deal of grief. Having moved across the country lessened my time down there and this year especially, I've not been able to take advantage of riding my XT over mountains and through dry washes. With the calamity that befell my place and the subsequent dilemma of having it repaired, have seemed like two trips, a year in fact, wasted.
I'm heading down next week and although re-construction has begun with a new project manager, me thinks I will be spending most if not all this trip, sitting idle in a hotel room... again. This entire episode of my life I will chalk up to experience and not one I'd wish to repeat.
I bought my US home while I still lived out west. From Calgary it was a short flight. I would board the plane at 6 am and by noon I was parking my scooter at the grocery store. Even when I drove I-15 and I did Love driving it, there was much to see once south of Great Falls. I enjoyed the couple of nights I'd spend in a Motel usually around Dillon, MT then again in Nephi, Utah, anticipating my visit and where the next one would take me.
Having moved to the east coast limits my time to a few short weeks each year. Not that I couldn't stay longer but even at this point in my life, I still have obligations and duties to face up to.
I fly now, driving is too time consuming, and as such... I sneak in a few weeks between seasons hoping that it doesn't snow 'back home' while I am away. Although the weather has been beautiful and even today I am looking out on blue skies and fine temperatures, this is Canada and we live in a land of four seasons.
How much longer I can do this... that is unknown. With Lisa and family living within an afternoon's drive, I will no doubt be spending more of my time with her and the family. Holly and Kev on the other hand, have moved from Calgary to Seattle to work and recently bought a house. I suspect that my efforts and time will shift north from Phx.
In any case, it's the end of October, I've ridden most of my bikes in recent weeks and now its time to pack them up once again and get the snowblower and blade equipped Big Bear ATV ready for what's coming. It's a lot of work to keep vehicles in prime shape and if I don't put the effort in, pretty soon rust intrudes, paint fades, mechanical parts cease to work. Hmmm, sounds a lot like my body!
Today I dealt with the remaining batteries which even with a great deal of care, in Trevor's own words, "they knew how to put men on the moon but can't make a M/C battery last two years"!
On the plus side I was doing some shopping the other day and got talking to a staff member who noticing my gear, asked me what I was riding. We came outside after paying my bill and he admired my XT 600, Big Blue. He plumb near fell over when I answered his question as what model year it was, stating it was a 1990. If your math is bad, that makes this bike 28 years old. In fact my DT 50 L/C is even older at 29 and my XT 225 isn't far off being a '92 model I've owned since new.
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| 1989 DT 50 L/C |
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| 1990 XT 600E |
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| 1992 XT 225 Serow |
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| 1998 XT 350 |
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| 1982 FT 500 |
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| 1996 F 150 4X4 Supercab |
