Riding, and ready to hit the big time
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| A photo of Mt. McKinley is always a good one. |
It's been a busy month, and now I'm on the road again.
I got to Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon (June 19) and friend Verlie picked me up after she got work as I'd timed my arrival about then. I was tired, having left on a red eye and having a long layover in Seattle. Dinner, talking and bed was all I was good for.
On Thursday Joe (Verlie's husband and my friend although I call him my brother) needed me to pick him up at the airport, in his pickup with no air conditioning. I was very glad I'd had some hot weather conditioning at home before coming down. And that I had superb directions from Verlie on how to get to the airport. For the directionally-challenged, it's no game. I got there, no mishaps, just like I knew where I was going.
Joe and I went to pick up his Volkswagon bug (1967), all primered and colored with various paints. We didn't get too far from the shop and a gas line or something came undone. Whoops. It just so happened that he had a tow bar in the back of his truck. How convenient. Back to the shop to drop off the bug again.
Home we went, and I just puttered around getting my things organized for the trip, reloading, tossing this, putting some in a suitcase to bring home, like a hair dryer I never take with me anymore, finishing the book I'd started on the plane, and putting other things in a box to leave at the house. It was productive yet relaxing. I needed a down time type of day.
We had supper, pork and beef rubbed with some great-tasting spices and grilled and a salad that could have been set before royalty it was so good. We were eating healthy and loving it.
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| Chef Joe ... cooking healthy ... eating healthy ... tasty. |
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| After slaving over a hot barbecue grill the chef needed to cool off. |
Then Joe asked if I wanted to go on a scorpion hunt. What? Their yard has a big wall around it and we went out with black lights. Scorpions light up like neon green space creatures. He grabbed them with long pliers and put them in a plastic bag. Then they dispose of them. I did NOT want to catch them or hold the bag. And did NOT!!! Ugh!! But I was more than willing to dispose of them … with a rock. I've found a scorpion in the house before and I can tell you they scare me. I beat that one to death with a toilet brush!!
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| Ugh!!! |
Verlie and I got in the pool later, no lights. The moon was out and was all the light we needed it was so bright. And the stars in the sky went on forever, as far as you could see. We were out for an hour, in water nearly the temperature of bath water. It was wonderful. To bed, to bed.
Friday morning, another clear and beautiful day in Phoenix area. I got ready to go, pulling off the old, worn leather-like bag Joe had rigged up for me years ago in 2005 when I bought the first Police bike in Folsom, California. I decided to bungie and cargo net and Roc strap my two bags on and head to Arrowhead Harley about 50 miles away. I had my route prepared and taped to my gas tank.
But wait, there's more … a tough biker pose … oh yeah, baby. Look out, Peppermint's on the street. Haha. Then off I went.
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| Ya never know if there's a drone around ... ready and waiting!! |
At Arrowhead I wanted them to do a 15,000-mile service and pull off the solo air seat, put on a double seat and add a sissy bar and luggage rack and a couple of other things. Gary was my man and he was setting me up fine. I told him the bike would be good with him until Monday as I wasn't leaving here until Tuesday morning.
Friday evening Ken, Judi and I went to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Warehouse, yum. Then we caught the light rail to Chase Field. Baseball … oh yeah … Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds.
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| Batters up!! |
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| Southwestern art decorates the inside of the stadium. |
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| Take me out to the ball game. |
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| Sitting in front of us ... during the National Anthem. |
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| The man of the hour ... home run hitter, Goldie. |
While I'd eaten large at the spaghetti place, how can you go to a baseball game and go away without eating a hot dog. Of course, I'd had three hot dogs the previous Saturday and was kind of tired of them. But I sacrificed. I had a Tailgate on a plate … a foot-long dog, barbecue sauce, beans, cheese, potato salad, with a lot of cheap, yellow mustard thrown in and a whole bunch of sweet pickle relish. Makes my mouth water right now just writing about it. I have to say I thought it would be more than I could do, but I nailed it … a nearly perfect 10 since I didn't eat all of the bun! Surprised a few folks around us!! Haha, they don't know me.
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| Bring it. |
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| Judi, Ken and me. |
Some poor guy from Cincinnati was there in our section, being silly, being obnoxious as only a beer-drinker who's had too many can be, and being very loud. We got on him, then the people around got on him, and then people from the next section got on him. I called him Jose. His team lost, 11-5. But he was very good-natured and shaking hands after the game with the guys around him.
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| Jose, from Cincinnati. |
After the game, the dome over Chase Field opened. It was time for a fireworks display, and we had ringside seats. What a great way to finish off an evening that was perfection.
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| It was a dark and starry night, perfect for fireworks, with an Encounter of the Third Kind theme. |
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| Love fireworks displays when they're put on by the professionals. |
On Saturday Gary from Arrowhead called and said there was an issue. I had a clutch cable that was weeping (14,200 miles approximately, really?????) but there wasn't one around 'cept in South Dakota and Milwaukee. It would take til Thursday to get it. Not acceptable since I wanted to leave Tuesday.
So I called my friend Jgayle in Texas and found the shop she likes, Dallas Harley, called them (Rob) and gave them the lowdown. Rob and Gary got it arranged that the part would be ordered Monday and shipped to Dallas and I'd go there to get it replaced. Now, if this all works out, that will be some awesome service, AND it's under warranty. Better yet. Love my extended warranty plans.
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| Chris, Lou, Merle and Ken, chefs extraordinaire. |
A pool party and barbecue was the last thing on the agenda for Saturday. Jackie and Lou are good friends with Ken and Judi. So off we went to pick up Auntie to go to their house, about a half hour away. There were 10 of us, all good friends (some I met there) and we enjoyed some great food, conversation and a dip in the pool. Their pool is pretty large and surrounded with pavers and a large waterfall, which was very cool. And a hot tub. Oh yeah, this is the life. I was totally worn out, but forgot and ate chocolate and then couldn't sleep. Oh, the rough life of being on vacation!!!
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| I did get in and swim, and spent some time in the jacuzzi, too. What a wonderful way to end the day. |
Sunday was a true down and easy day for me while I looked through my things, posted a blog I'd never gotten completed, a little shopping for a few items I'd need for the trip (flashlight, drink mix, highlighters) , and a nice dinner at home.
However, there was some excitement for Ken and Judi. They'd gone to church and there was same strange guy wandering around. Judi wouldn't let a lady from the church give him a ride home and so she and Ken took him. Ended up taking him back to the church, but he was acting very strange and evasive. Ken went back later and turns out the guy was part of a burglary ring that targets people who go to church, breaks into their cars, gets their home addresses from their vehicle registrations, steals their garage door openers and goes and robs them while the folks are attending church. Foiled those jackasses. Yay. One for the home team.
Relaxing was the word of the day for me. I should get some sleep tonight. No chocolate for me.
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