I was forced out of the saddle and off the bike for three
weeks due to a normal eye function gone awry but was released back to “normal”
activities midweek last week and I just had to get out on the bike; even this
urbanized ride is feeling pretty good. I went out the 210 to Bert’s Mega Mall
if only just to walk around a showroom floor full of bikes and check out the
accessories shop. Yes, in my mind the best looking and riding bikes they have
are Victories. From there I decided to check out the Santa Fe Dam area and look
for a nice place to read a book, something else I wasn’t allowed to do for the
three weeks or so. When I got to the top of the dam it looked nice in the park
but I didn’t feel like paying the $10 entry fee; a contributing factor to that
feeling being the fact that I had only $5 in my pocket at the time. Note to
self; hit the ATM before heading out. Since I’d fasted before communion at
church by the time I turned it around on the dam I shrugged it off and headed
to my chosen lunch destination, The Honey Badger Café in Alhambra for a great
sandwich and some writing; creative writing something I just hadn’t been able
to get much into since I felt totally out of synch with the eye thing going on.
The Honey Badger Café is an internet café about two blocks
from my office. I’ve been trying to come here once a week for lunch and some
writing but have missed it the last three weeks since I have been working out
of the house to help the eye finish this little “process”. Week days at the
café are nice with subdued patrons eating lunch and scanning the net with a
nice mix of music over the sound system making for a good place for me to work
on PAR’s story and the blogs. I found out that Sunday is a different story with
folks, assuredly younger than me, at every booth and table with at least two people
at each table for the most part and nearly every single person with a screen
open in front of them. The energy is much higher today and wouldn’t be suitable
for writing a book. For a blog on motorcycle stuff, not too bad at all and I’m
feeling particularly good about putting this short post together.
Riding motorcycles is high energy, high focus, and high
vigilance. If it’s not then you’ll never be an old rider. This is what has
captured my interest in riding; total involvement of mind and body in the
effort to get from one place to another. Today’s ride and a couple of commutes
next week should get me right back into riding form for next weekend’s
Veteran’s Day charity ride benefitting “The Blue Star Mothers”, my first
charity ride. I am looking forward to meeting other riders and enjoying the
company of people who love to ride and love riding to benefit others.
Time to head for home but no freeways, just my favorite way
home from the San Gabriel area, up Garfield to Mission, over to Orange Grove
through South Pasadena and then down to Linda Vista above the Rose Bowl, past
Descanso Gardens along the oak canopied drive and up to Foothill for the short
jog over to Briggs and on up to home.
That was a week ago. Today I finished my prep for the
charity ride by adding chrome hard bag rails and a chrome flag billet complete
with flag. I’m ready and excited to meet riders I don’t know for a nice ride
and for a good cause.
