Happy Together

We did almost everything together. Bike, family, chores, events, recreation, and even those fun private things, like showers, were often done together. Two, not one, having fun. I am not having as much fun doing things alone.

Before I left on Saturday I made some calls to see who was planning on going and to try to find someone to ride the mate's bike up. When I could get no one to do it I thought I would do it myself. Big NOT.

I went to where it is parked, loaded it up and headed for the gas station. The furkin (real word) thing is just too far to the handle bars and foot controls and I don't have a way to change them to fit me. I drove it right back, loaded all the stuff on my own bike and headed north in a snit because I am supposed to be able to ride anything. I hate saying "can't".

About five miles west of town I hit the cold front. It was still ok, but we were losing heat fast. I took all the short cuts I knew and booked for the motel. The plan was to check in, shower, go hear a band and crash. The rain started just as I pulled in. Lots of it, cold, wet, dreary rain.

That put the halts to going out because the town I was in didn't even have funtioning cab service, not to mention renting a car on a Saturday night.....I couldn't even go to dinner and I am not into pizza much right now. It totally sucked. So I walked to the closest place in the rain.

But I learned some things. I hate motels, I must have forgotten that over the years. The remote didn't work, there was no channel guide in the room and the phone was blitzy. Then the wireless didn't work so I couldn't get online, either. I was glad I packed a book before the night was over. I had my Soduko Book (thanks, #1Son and DIL) so I could keep my head mostly busy.

I got to watch three musicals, Gene Kelly, Fred Astair and Frank Sinatra, which was fun. The rest of the time things were pretty bleak. I kept thinking about the people I would be seeing tomorrow and most of them I haven't seen since January. Some of them I only see at the Blessing and had missed a few years with the hip and all. Most of them I wanted to see and some I was dreading running into. Without the mate there all the inter-relationships have changed. I just don't know where I stand with some of them and don't know if I want to find out. I learned I think too much when I am alone with no guitar and no 'net.

I need to keep full gloves and clear glasses for night riding on the bike. Now, I'm not totally stupid, I have them. It just happens that I broke a key off in my right saddle bag and can't get it open. So I couldn't get at my rain suit, either, which I also need to keep on the bike. I learned you have to make three stops to buy any one item on a Sunday.

I learned that it's not enough fun going anywhere without the mate to ride in the cold. I should have just stayed home and wussed out. If he had been with me and we were meeting people we would have made an adventure of it, my saddle bag would have worked and I could have gotten my good gloves out and I would have put a bandana over my face and made the best of it. We would have enjoyed notching yet another 'adventure ride' on our belts and it would have been a great story, later.

When I got done with breakfast the next morning I just licked a finger, stuck it in the air, went "BRRRRR!" and headed south. I have enough stories to tell about adventure rides and I have ridden in every weather, including one winter where all I had was a motorcycle. So screw stories! I was now a heat seeking missle. Without him I didn't care to ride any further for not as much fun and just went for the house.

I rode twenty five miles south and stopped for coffee. The waitress and I had a nice long chat while I warmed up. I rode the same distance again and stopped for an early dinner so I wouldn't have to cook. Then it was just twenty more miles home and I was in, dry and warm. I was so chilled I let the critters in and took a nap on the heated mattress pad the mate bought me. The mate's eldest called an hour later and got me up. She was the wunderkind that watched the house for me after spending her day fixing her mom's computer. The girl has brownie points!

I learned this weekend that I like to have a friend to share these things with. That riding solo is lonely and enough so that I even thought about selling the bike part of the way home. If the mate hadn't worked so hard to fit it to me I might have. I don't think I will, at least not till fall and maybe by then my attitude will have changed. I really hope so. I love riding my motorcycle.

I learned again that the music is very important just for me even if I never play in public again. Either making my own or listening to live is a medicine. It keeps me thinking and learning. The other thing I noticed is I do a lot of virtual living. It annoyed me to not be able to get my mail, read my blogs and keep up with all of you for those two days.

Most of what keeps me hanging on here is wanting to see what comes next. Do I get to love again? Do I take a friend with benefits? Do I buy stock in batteries? Do I take over the government? Do I become a highly successful country song writer? Do I wake up in a whore house in Mexico? Do I go to Kentucky? If I do go do I come back? Does the grand get over screaming everytime she sees me? Does the Eldest become independantly wealthy and hire me as her chauffer? Will the #1Son buy his own truck company? Will "Soap" ever come on the reruns again?

Curiousity. I have to stay interested in something, even if it's just "How many bubbles can you float on a pool before the first one pops or falls in half?"(world record - 11 over 6" in size) or there isn't anything holding me down. Like gravity just quits and I fall into the sky.

The good news today is I have had a call on the bike and may not be going to KY if I have to stay for the paperwork. That's not all bad, there is a poker run on Saturday and the band of choice is playing at the finish line and the Eldest Daughter will be her this Thursday to play for a few days. So as long as I don't know what happens next I am ok.

But I hate when I go to have fun and have remedial school of hard knocks instead.