Ok....This is called Cyntillating Cycles because I have applied approximately $800.00 worth of Swarovski Crystals to my 2007 Harley 1200L Sporty......She is pretty...and quite sparkly.......
AND because I am trying to get a small business started doing the same for other fine sparkle lovers. All of that info will come AFTER I blog about myEpic Journey....
which goes a little bit like this......
....I was born a small white baby in Dul........
No wait, thats not it.......here it is...I found it!.....
June 28,2008
Dear Diary, Last year, as I was anticipating becoming 50, I decided I needed to do something big…something I considered of EPIC proportions. Mostly because of having had one of my real sisters (Sally) die due to breast cancer at the age of 50. I just felt so very young at 49. I realized Sal must have also felt way too young to have had to leave her life here. It occurred to me that every day beyond my 50th birthday is a gift. A day Sal never got to have and a day I really need to be thankful for. So I decided I wanted to go on an EPIC motorcycle journey to remember her and celebrate my blessings of health and happiness.
As an aside, I am not certain it is acceptable to deem a journey EPIC until it is over and one has contemplated it thoroughly and over time. But, to my mind, it is EPIC just because I am attempting it….what ever actually ends up happening is icing on the (turning fifty) birthday cake of life, so to speak.
Deciding where to go was relatively simple considering this is supposed to be such a grand trek. I chose to journey back to an area where I grew up. Duluth, Minnesota and the shores of Lake Superior. A place where wonderful, magical things are common place like stars beyond imagining and overwhelming expanses of wilderness that always seem to want to keep me there and hidden once I am in their midst again. I can already smell the scent of hot pine needles mixing with the cool fresh air coming in over the icy blue lake water. AHhhhhhh! The Lake has an incredible positive energy that feeds my very soul. When I am riding I experience a similar energy flow that feeds my soul and heals my psyche and so I feel compelled to experience the two together.
My traveling buddy and dear friend, Scarlett, and I are trailoring from New Jersey through Pennsylvania to Upper Sandusky, Ohio with my hubby at the wheel of the towing vehicle. With a good night sleep under our belt after that drive, Scarlet and I will then leave Upper Sandusky and begin the Epic Journey. We will travel through Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Canada, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania (on the way back) and finally back into New Jersey. Approx 2000 miles of road trip. I will be on my nearly comfortable, Swarovsky Crystaled ,1200L Harley-Davidson Sportster ‘Baby Beast’ and Scarlet will be on her newly acquired but broken in moving love seat ‘Sheyns’ which is, in reality, a Honda VTX 1300. And, I am putting my hubby on notice now, if I make it back on that Sportster without damaging my spinal column then, DAG-NABBIT!,... I get to purchase a moving love seat too!!!!...Perhaps even a VTX 1300 like Scarlett’s . Wink, Wink…right Hon??
Any way, The planning stages for this trip has seen us gathering information from many sources. I went to the Triple A and the on-line American Motorcyclist Association web site on which I found many tips for traveling and lists of things to consider bringing. I also have a book from Harley Davidson that lists their dealerships on a map. Gee Diary, I wonder why they do that? I have contacted Rider Insurance and they are sending me an insurance card that lets the Canadian Officials know that yes indeed I am insured in Canada. Scarlet thought of that one! I also found out that if you have any DWI or similar driving trouble you are likely to have difficulty at the border. Just so we are clear…I have a clean record! Also, I would be stuck in my yard without Google Maps and Google Earth. Cool tools! I found the perfect travel bag from Twisted Throttle and a wonderful smaller bag for sundries from the local Harley Dealership. Scarlett liked it so much she got herself one even tho’ it has Harley written all over it.
As you know Diary, I am a seasoned camper and fisherman and my Dad always taught me I had to carry what I packed…so I packed light. Undies, one pair of jeans, one dress, one bra, an electric jacket, about 8 tops, 2 skorts, ( hey, I am 50 remember) sneakers, sandals, tools, extra gloves, couple of fuses, camera…extra eye wear, toiletries, travel guitar, tin whistle and a flat iron. I will be wearing my swim suit and padded bicycle shorts under my mesh gear most days and carry my money, passport, registration and insurance, license, extra bike key, knife and phone in a hip bag. A Tinkerbell water bottle, trail mix and a Tom-Tom GPS round everything out. I have not listed everything…but everything weighs about 50 pounds I am guessing. Not too much, but just enough so that if I get to the top of a big hill with a stop sign and a right hand turn into a traffic flow……well,….just enough to require help getting her back up on her stand. LOLolol. Ahhhhh…..there shouldn’t be too many of those though! I hope!!!!
Diary, we are also planning on meeting up with a couple of women from our national women’s riding association, Sisters in Spirit. That will be so great to meet friendly women riders along our way and share our journey. We look forward to meeting new people no matter where we are and hope to promote safe, fun riding and be proud ambassadors for women in motorcycling.
Oh Diary...I am a blessed woman! I am a blessed by three wonderful children, awesome non-riding friends, equally wonderful riding buddies, a super riding friend and companion for this Epic, but most of all blessed with the greatest best friend and love and woman could ever hope to have in my husband, David. Thanks for letting me have an Epic Journey with you these last twenty years and for giving me the opportunity to ride this new Epic Journey for myself. Ok Diary…until next time on the road! Tink
Sunday June 29.
Dear Diary, Well, we are ready to go. I would say that I am excited but that would be an incredible understatement on my part. For the past four days I have been obsessing about getting on the road. When I start to think about it I get SOOoo excited that I hyperventilate. I have taken to carrying a small brown lunch bag around with me for those moments when I feel I might lose consciousness. I whip it out and breath into it until my vision clears again. I figure I will be alright once I get on the bike. Having oxygen forced down your windpipe at 65 miles per hour while straddling a 1200 cc engine tends to help keep you focused and alert.
I have examined most of the highway traveling from Upper Sandusky into Illinois with Google Earth. It is not a challenging ride that day. That is ok tho' as I think my task for that first day will be to keep my adrenaline below "blowing my head off" levels. I have scoured the internet for weather information and flooding information. We seem to be heading into some good, mild, albeit damp, weather. I have practiced with my GPS system (a Tom-Tom) and named her Prudence. We work well together. She talks and I listen. My Husband LOVES that concept and, to be honest, He seems a bit jealous.
One day of car riding to go and we will be in EPIC territory. The bikes are loaded (and at this point i wish i was too in order to endure the car ride), our gear is in the truck, we have checked, double checked and re-checked everything. I have cried twice today. Once while thanking Scarlett for accepting my invitation to join me. I am deeply grateful for the company. And, once while packing photos of my Dad and my sister Sally. They will be my guardian angels on this journey. Sal would have loved to come along, I am betting, and I know my Dad would have been very proud to tell any one who would listen that his 5 foot tall, 120 pound, 50 year old daughter was touring on her Harley. And Dad, I promise not to let the "dirty S.O.B's get me down!"
I have kissed my three kids, kissed the three cats and two dogs, thumbed my nose at the laundry I never seem to get through, written my name in the dust on the TV and fireplace mantle, left all but one bra in the dresser, kicked the tires on the green Honda mini-van that normally sucks me in first thing in the morning and spits me out at night, left the neighbors to their mundane yard chores and chatter and in the words of Bonnie Rait...just let them "talk about us, coz we're gonna have the time of our lives! And it sure feels right!" It's you and me, Scarlett. were gonna have the times of our lives! Oh!, and Diary..keep us in your prayers will you?...Thanks! your sister in spirit,
Tink
PS....Our thanks and Love to Denise and Nicole for coming to see us off Sunday Morning...You are very much with us.....we love you sisters and will see you soon! "t"
July 2nd?, 2008,...already days are running together...
but i am writing about our first day.
Well we did it. We got to Upper Sandusky towing the trailor with the two bikes loaded on it without incident. I had to employ the LaMaze method of breathing that I learned while birthing my children, in order to just get through the day. I was extremely excited and very happy.
Monday morning we awoke to gloomy skies and lots of drizzle. I have to tell you Diary that I was not that disappointed at first. Because of my excitement the night before I got little to no sleep, and developed a bit more trepidation about this crazy idea of an EPIC journey than heretofore experienced. The thought of staying put seemed relieving.
But then the sky cleared a bit and the sun popped out and with it my firm intention to begin returned with intensity and we packed up. We carefully examined all our gear, making certain that it was well stowed. We used essential oils to ward off negativity. ( which, funnily enough, were stowed in a side pocket that never got zippered closed so all oils bounced out and merrily down highway 30....so much for positive energy...hahahah) We donned all of our thermal underware (as it was chilly and a bit cloudy)and ritualistically geared up with a sobriety usually reserved for the highest masses in the Catholic Church. We mounted our steeds with dignity and pride and with much integrity we circled the parking lot to make certain they were well balanced.
As we finished the practice circle we headed off with great anticipation to the gas station for me to fill my empty tank. Gracefully approching the pump, coming to a perfect MSF stop, switching off the engine with the side stand down I withdrew my key from the ignition to find my gas cap key. I suddenly realized I could not remember how it worked. Here I was....all set to go and I can not get the new locking gas cap off in order to get gas in the bike. ARGGGHHHH!!!!! The first of many road angels appeared within a minute....taught me how to unlock the gas cap and waved us off as we finally got underway. Underway, right into the path of four hours of drizzle and extremely high winds.
Diary, have you ever seen the crazy nuts who jump out of planes with parachutes strapped to their backs and the equivilant of a snowboard strapped to their feet? Slipping and sliding through the air and manipulating the air with their bodies in order to stay upright or turn completely upside down? WELL! That was me for four hours on that Sportster!! When passing the many semi-trucks I had to bear down on the throttle and ride a fine, imaginary line between getting sucked in under the truck's tires or blown off the road by the storm wind and air-wash coming off of the front end of the truck. At one point I looked behind me to see Scarlett riding solidly along with one hand on her bars.!!! WHAT THE H.....????? IS SHE KNITTING???? I am up here like a riding demon, leaning hard into a crosswind so fierce that I am ridng sideways down the highwway just to move forward!!! (OK, Hon...we are definitely talking about my moving "Love Seat" when I get back! )
With my eyes focused on the brighter horizon we sped 60 mph towards it and when we finally reached a ray of sunshine I realized I was living a year long dream. This was it and every drop of water had acted as a "spirit polisher" so to speak and I felt renewed, alive, blessed, grateful and ready for many more days of the same. OK Diary...I am off to get a better nights sleep and dream about tomorrow.
Tink
PS...here is a joke I just wrote. A biker chick walks into a general store/gas station in "Lost in Time", Wisconsin. She is clad from head to foot in pretty but functional safety gear and looks as though she is ready to be shot from a canon.
She waits her turn at the counter behind a big burly man buying apple pie, shot guns shells and shiners and when it is her turn she asks to use the rest room. As she turns to find said room the big burly guy, looking at her helmet, blurts out..."You can do that with THAT on?"...Biker chick replies...."Yes, because I use my other end!" HAHAHAhahahaah Ahhhhh, I crack myself up sometimes Diary......and yes..it really happened.....till next time Diary! "T"_________________
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