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BBBC #8 – The Weather

When Hubby and I first started riding together 15 or so years ago — has it really been that long!?! — weather had a way of quashing our plans.

We were fair weather riders back then, probably because we also didn’t have proper gear. I’m a bit embarassed now to admit it wasn’t until I experienced a different type of riding during our 2010 trip to Europe that I started wearing real gear. It used to be I’d just insist on heavy jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved shirt. On really hot days, I even used to ride in tank tops. Thank goodness I survived.

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Wearing full gear really does make a difference. Now I can ride in cooler temperatures, and rain doesn’t really phase me. Sometimes, rain can even be pleasant, given the right environment.

Last years’ jaunt down the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) comes to mind. It was late-afternoon on my first day when thunderstorms started rolling through. The first one looked like a doozy. Since I saw it coming AND just happened to be at a tiny little visitor’s center, I decided to wait that one out. Later, as more storms approached, I just donned the waterproof layer and rode on.

Most other folk had abandoned the Parkway by then, so an already light traffic day morphed into me having the road practically to myself. The 45 mph speed limit is strictly enforced, so I motored casually along. It made it more of an adventure for me in a way.

I’ll admit, the lightning and thunder had me a teeny bit weirded out, but not enough to make me want to stop.

Doozy of a Thunderstorm
Doozy of a Thunderstorm

Okay, had I seen that one coming, I might have stopped. If there’d been a place to shelter (there wasn’t). But, if I remember correctly, it just seemed like more rain showers until I rounded a corner and found myself in the middle of a hefty storm. I just slowed down a plodded along. The alternative was stopping and just sitting in the rain. In my mind, it made just as much sense to keep moving.

I took the picture above shortly after driving through that mess.

Riding in the rain does sound scary. Once you’ve done it a few times, you realize it’s not so bad. Granted, I wouldn’t want to do it on city streets in heavy traffic. But the BRP is a great place for foul-weather riding practice.

I’ve been told it can get quite foggy up there at times. That would freak me out more. There are enough critters living in those woods — deer and bears are the big ones — that I’d much rather have a clear line of sight. If I’m going to hit one of those suckers, I’d really rather see it coming, I think.

I’d love to ride in snow. I love snow! But it’s slippery stuff.

I don’t mind the cold as much as I used to and now, since Hubby got me a heated jacket liner and gloves for Christmas, I’m even more prepared than I used to be. Unfortunately, thanks to the recent blizzard that dumped 30-36″ (76-91 cm) of snow on my region, with more at higher elevations, there’s still quite a bit of loose sand and gravel on the roads. Even after some torrential rain we experienced during the past week.

I’m anxious to try the new heated gear. Alas, there’s more snow in the forecast for the overnight. Not much. Maybe about 10% of the amount we saw during the blizzard. But they’ll still spread a new layer of salt on the streets.

I can wait, I guess. My bike isn’t going anywhere without me.

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

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If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

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BBBC #7 – A Daydream

I daydream often. Even more often when I forget to take or run out of my ADD meds. (Yes, that’s a real condition adults struggle with, too.)

Foamhenge_(Natural_Bridge)More often than not, those musings involve travel. And since riding the bike is my favorite form of travel, I often daydream about motorcycle trips. Usually there’s a specific destination involved. because of the roads leading to that place, not because of the destination itself. Or, I’ll find something — a place or an attraction — I want to see and imagine all the different routes I might take to get there.

Lately, though, my most often recurring daydream has focused on me, in my 50th year, taking a decent chunk of time off work and just riding. I’d arm myself with a bunch of maps — I am a map lover — along with some clothes and such, and just go. You know, on a wee bimble.

The only endpoint of the trip would be home. I’d really like to visit Illinois (the state with the highest concentration of Muffler Men — have you visited American Giants?).

On the UP

I’d probably stop in Indiana for a day or so (personal reasons). I have never been to the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, so might as well motor through there. Spending a day or two relaxing on a beach sounds nice, too. I’d swing through Georgia, which I hear is beautiful AND a couple of like-minded folk reside there. While in the neighborhood, I’d probably meander through the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Maybe explore Kentucky a bit more.

Crap, I forgot to mention Canada.

I’d like to pop into Canada for a bit, just because I’ve never ridden there, and I hear some nice folks call that country home. I’d almost certainly head back south through Sault Ste. Marie so I could see the Mackinac Bridge, maybe meandering around Michigan’s UP for a bit before crossing the bridge and continuing south.

Or, even better, heading west across the UP and riding south to reach Illinois and Indiana from that direction. It looks like I should plan on allowing some time to explore the UP a bit while I’m there. Lots of natural wonders to see.

Here's how it looks so far...
Here’s how it looks so far…

That’s 7.5, 8-hour days. And that’s roughly plotted on main routes. I’d be mostly on secondary highways and back roads. There’ll be some stretches of interstate highway, I’m sure, but those will be limited.

I should probably spend some time on Route 66, too. I mean, how can I not if I’m in the neighborhood. Imagine all the fun stuff I’ll get to see.

I’d kind of like to ride to New Mexico, too. That may need to wait for another trip.

That’s my favorite daydream. I think I need to start saving vacation days. And money. I don’t camp.

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? I’m quite interested to see what fellow BBBCers come up with.

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

How did the other brave, bold bloggers respond and/or interpret this daily challenge? See for yourself!

If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

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BBBC #6 – Your Age

This whole BBBC thing was completely spur-of-the-moment, and I didn’t give most of the prompts a lot of thought. Today’s is specifically timed, however. It’s my birthday.

I am not one to make a huge deal over birthdays. As long as I get cake. That’s important. I love cake. Not just any cake, cake with a lot of icing. The type/flavor of cake doesn’t matter as long as it’s covered in real icing. Not that lame whipped cream stuff, the sugar-laden kind, and LOTS of it. Preferably with decorations made of icing, too.

The idea for this prompt wasn’t to make a big deal of my birthday, or to make everyone reveal their age, but rather to think about age, aging, and what it means to you.

I’m 49, by the way. That means 2016 will be the final year I spend “in my forties.” It’s a sobering thought. Not that I regret aging. For me, every birthday marks another year I have survived. Getting older is a privilege, not a given. Besides, the older I get, the more I am able to learn. About other people, stuff in general, geography, literature, movies, food, etc. About myself.

I’m not the type to worry too much about looking older. Feeling older, i.e., experiencing all the aches, pains, and other issues of an aging body, well, that sort of sucks. But it’s better than being dead.

Thoughts of aging for me usually turn to wonder at how fast time really does seem to pass.

The Family in 1994
The Family in 1994

It’s so hard to believe that picture was taken twenty-two years ago. Twenty-two!

Kids really do grow fast.

Hubby makes fun of me, because I’ll often suggest we do something “because it could be the last time” a chance presents itself. I’m usually right, too.

Like our “last” real family vacation. Before the kids scattered, coupled-up, jumped into their own lives. Lives where we, the parents, take the back burner, and become more of an obligation than a reality. Lives where other people, people they chose, join the fray. For better or worse and all that.

Our Last Nuclear Family Vacation (2004)
Our Last Nuclear Family Vacation (2004)

We’ve been lucky. The kids have all chosen their partners well.

That vacation was lots of fun. We went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It’s hard to believe it was 12 years ago…

I think the last time we were all together was 2013, at Eric’s wedding.

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Eric and Kelsey’s Wedding, April 20, 2013

The kids HAVE scattered. In 2004, I never would have guessed that 12 years in the future Shannon would be living in San Diego, or that Amy would be in Washington State of all places. I wouldn’t have guessed I’d have three grand-kids either. Or that Eric, our baby, would be married.

Seattle's Space Needle, February 6, 2014
Seattle’s Space Needle, February 6, 2014

That was a fun birthday weekend. You can read about it, and see pics, HERE (Part 1), or HERE (Part 2).

I forgot to share this picture of me walking Eric down the aisle at his wedding. Unconventional, yes, but awesome.

Me Walking Eric Down the Aisle
Me Walking Eric Down the Aisle

There’s a reason this act is often referred to as giving your kid away.

Sigh.

I’m not sad. Honest. It’s the circle of life. And I have seen, done, and experienced a whole lot of pretty cool stuff. I’ve met and/or gotten to know some really cool people. Some assholes, too, of course. (Nothing like an asshole to make you appreciate people, eh?)

I’ve traveled a lot more than I ever thought I would, too. And I’ll travel some more, still, if I am lucky.

Life is good.

AND… I have cake.

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I’ll just say it was damaged.

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

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If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

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BBBC #5 – A Place I Want to Visit

Today, I am supposed to name a place I want to visit this year and why. That’s actually a tough one. I want to visit a lot of places. And I have actual, firm plans to visit Pennsylvania in February (annual girlfriend getaway) and Washington State in April (to see the kids, grand kids, and others). In March, I’m pretty sure I’ll be in North Carolina. None of those trips involve a motorcycle, but I am very much looking forward to each jaunt. (I had to mention all of those places so I didn’t leave any of those people thinking I didn’t want to make a particular trip.)

January and February are the months I typically start daydreaming about motorcycle adventures. For some reason, I haven’t given that a whole lot of thought this year. Maybe because those other trips had my brain occupied. The long and short of it is, there’s no particular place that sticks out. I mean, REALLY sticks out, as in all-I-think-about-when-I think-about-riding.

To satisfy the “requirements” of today’s prompt, I’ll say Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It’s a tiny place, and a rodent is its biggest claim to fame (Punxsutawney Phil). Hubby and I rode through there one night on our way to Niagara Falls. Because it was night, we didn’t stop. So I didn’t get a chance to photograph even one of the myriad “Phil” statues around town.

I’ve been kicking myself ever since.

Honestly though, for rides on the bike, the destination is almost never as or more important than the ride itself.

From what I remember, the roads in those parts were decent, so I’ll stick with Punxsutawney as my choice.

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It’s been a long week. 🙂

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
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If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

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BBBC 2016 #4 – Words

I’m going to sound like a snob, I know it.

It’s hard not to with a prompt like this: “Misused and/or mispronounced word or words that make you CRAZY.” (Yes, Rachael, I edited-out my typo.)

I came up with this whole challenge idea AND developed the prompts within a span of a few minutes, i.e., I didn’t give any of it an excessive amount of thought beyond, “This could be fun.”

No one is perfect, right? Everyone makes mistakes.

When it comes to words, however, there’s a HUGE difference between a typo and a blatant and/or repeated misuse of a word or phrase. In my opinion.

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These are the worst!

 

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“I’m confused!” he explained. Um, no.

 

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And it makes you sound stupid, regardless.

 

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This one always gets me. So simple, yet challenging to so many.

My next two examples are usually encountered on the job. While I am working, not on every job.

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A list of things are criteria. One of those criteria is a criterion.

 

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“They” being an awful lot of people.

I see that last one misused in myriad situations. Professionally, in books, publications, news broadcasts, etc. I fear it may be going the way of criteria, i.e., adopted even though it is wrong. Simply because that’s how most people use the word.

Just because everyone is doing something doesn’t make it right.

I’m looking forward to reading what fellow BBBs shared.

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

How did the other brave, bold bloggers respond and/or interpret this daily challenge? See for yourself!

If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

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BBBC 2016 #3 – Today

Tentative plans are in the works for a European vacation. It’s exciting. And very distracting. What will we do? Where will we go? Who will we get to see? What’s the best airport? How are airfare prices?

Oh, wait. I have to work. Crap. Trip planning, or pre-planning as the case may be, is much more interesting. AND more satisfying. But I have to make money to spend money, right?

Did you see Steve’s post in response to the “today” prompt? I thought it was brilliant way to address the whole “today” thing. It doesn’t get much more ambiguous than that. Even I, who created all of the prompts, sorta thought, “‘Today’? WTF? What kind of prompt is that?”

Anyway, since I kind of hate pictureless posts, here’s a shot of some “treasures” I recently acquired.

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You like how I chose to meet the challenge today? Speaking of the challenge, I hope you’re all having as much fun with it as I am. Thanks to all of the participants for joining in!

See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

How did the other brave, bold bloggers respond and/or interpret this daily challenge? See for yourself!

If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.