In that lonesome valley

I'm back, still in one piece and only one scary moment with a jeep and a blind spot on my record. Not that there were'nt a lot of scary moments yesterday, just most of them were caused by other people.

I met up with my friends from the GWRRA group at the local truck stop and we headed for the next one to meet another biker that knew the way down as he had been to the visitation. The traffic was probably low to moderate for the area but it was total grid lock for me. I hated it all the way down and back. We had four bikes and one other SUV with us, made good time and only had two or three close calls for the bikes from idiots. That made if a fairly easy ride.

I also had road trip rations and two carafes of coffee with a pint of milk available as I use that in my coffee. About the second stop I made another to-go of beverage, opened the milk and poured it into the cup and went, "Huh?" It poured funny and was yellow.

Hello! Welcome to the holidays. I had grabbed eggnog instead of milk. Well, I'm thrifty and always willing to try something new. I figure this gets reinvented every New Year's Day. It wasn't bad! I drank it off as I went down the road.

Once there I forgot to change my shoes and didn't notice until it was too late to worry about it. I wore my comfy sandles to drive in and carried the heels to use there. I remembered for the dinner. I got a chance to let my friend know I was there. I left a card that went way over the top for content. It used to be blank and I filled three sides trying to say to her and the kids what my heart felt for them.

I knew she had too much to do to spend time with me but I tried to stay close. All I could really do was show her I was still functioning after losing the mate. She and her man had the same kind of love we did and I hoped it would let her believe that if I could do it, so could she.

The funeral was the kind I spent most of my life not going to and I have resolved not to go to one like it again. I mean no offense to my friends but the preacher they had in put me to sleep almost and he spoke about everything except my friend. I want to remember the person and think happy thoughts of them to cheer us up, not hear a pitch for heaven and living the way someone else believes I have to.

I joked he bored me to sleep but the guy behind me nearly to death. We had a young man go down with a sugar problem or heart problem. The police had it under control and brought him right back, but it really upset me to see him on the floor all white and clammy then hear the cop ask for a mask before he would give him CPR. I realize it's for his safety, too, but there is not always time to wait. I was almost out of my chair to start CPR myself when the nice man did start. They got the man right back with us but it was a no pulse, no breathing situation. He did go to the hospital. It darkened an already grey event.

The grave side service was family only but the procession had over a hundred motorcycles to escort them to the cemetary. For a day that was only thirty five degrees in the morning in November that is an amazing turn out. Our guys rode almost 300 miles there and back. I was so proud of all the people that made it on bikes.

The dinner after was catered at a small convention center or restuarant. Have to say I was impressed. I come from a long line of church ladies doing the dinners and families doing potluck. I would have fainted to know the cost. But it's not my call and we had a lovely time remembering our friend the best we could.

When I got home the Best Girl had left one note, she came to do the animals for me in case I stayed down there. There was a second note from The Kid saying he stopped to finish floors. I got the animals in, the truck unloaded and started making calls to let people know I was in and say thank you. It was nice to know I could make an unscheduled run and have the help I needed.

There is more but if I don't finish getting the prices on my friend's site today he's going to cut me off at the neck! Gotta run!