Labor Day weekend, September 2011

 

The patch for the remembrance ride, Sept. 11, 2011, 10 years.

A memorial remembrance run was planned for the 9-11, 10-year anniversary. While I did not know anyone who died that day, I remember my horror at seeing it happening on television.

I was getting ready for work, dressing, doing hair and so on. I came out of the bedroom and Biker Bill had he TV on. He was watching a movie that was placed in New York City, the twin towers being destroyed. I asked what he was watching. He told me … and it was not a movie.

It was an ugly, horrific sight taking place before my eyes, and I could do nothing but watch. I could not go to work and called in saying I was watching the terror attack on my nation, one of my cities, my United States of America. I had to see it all. I could not help myself and watched for hours, went to work, and came home and continued to watch for days until I could no longer take any more. It was disgusting, angering, frustrating.

Our nation has the best people in times of emergencies. Firefighters, police, medical professionals, searchers and their dogs, good Samaritans. They were all there that day to help. And in return, many of them lost their lives as they worked to save others.

The back of the shirt for the remembrance ride.  We will never forget.  I am proud to be an American, always have been, always will be.  The best people in the world live in the good ole U.S. of A.

Our memorial ride was to take place over three days, with a symbolic 911 miles being ridden in memory of that attack and those who died.

The group prior to taking off on the symbolic 911 miles in remembrance of the 9-11 Twin Tower attack.

On Friday, Sept. 9, the first leg of the journey, two of my own went down, due to rain and wet paint on the highway. It happened near Fairbanks, and I am grateful and thankful it wasn't worse than it was.

My friend, Birdie, was riding Number 1, and I was riding Number 2. It's hard to describe, except I keep seeing it in my mind, over and over again.

Birdie was up going around a slight corner into a straight stretch, leading us into Fairbanks those last few miles. Suddenly there were sparks on the pavement, and the bike was on its side. It spun round and round, with parts and pieces, and personal items being tossed on the wind as though there was no weight to any of them. Birdie was flat on her stomach, her head up, her arms out and she looked as though she was body surfing as she slid along the pavement, thankfully separated from the bike. The paint was the culprit but also her friend that day as she slid along, barely registering any damage on her body or her attire.

The bike continued to spin first one way, then the other. Then it caught, and began to cartwheel, finally digging in at the edge of the road, and coming to a stop just short of going over the embankment.

Omg, I was shaking, avoiding the debris in the road, riding past Birdie, coming to a stop a ways down the road. I couldn't get the kickstand down, or the bike parked. Finally, I was able to reach a stop and park the bike. I grabbed my cell phone and a pair of glasses and began walking back, picking up her personal items, cell phone, papers. I reached the motorcycle and hit the kill switch and turned off the ignition. My stomach was roiling and I wanted to throw up, my head was spinning and I was shaking like a leaf not knowing the outcome.

And then there she was, our tuff biker girl Amazon, walking around. She was up and moving. We spoke, and all she said to me was, “Put your fucking helmet on.”

Then I saw there was another bike down. When had that happened? Jon had also hit the paint slowing down because of the accident. His bike was scratched up, mostly on the brand new saddlebag he'd just put on, but the bike was rideable. He had a dislocated shoulder and rode to the hospital himself.

Birdie's bike was totaled. Of all the luck, a man came by minutes later and asked if he could haul anything. Yes, and they loaded the bike and Birdie and hauled both to the Harley shop.

By the time the rest of us had gathered up the remainder of Birdie's belongings, gotten back on our bikes and arrived at the shop, Birdie had a new Ultra Classic Limited purchased and rolled off the floor to get it ready for her to ride the next day. From accident to purchase??? Less than an hour. Could the rest of us do that?

Birdie and her new Ultra Classic Limited, 006 miles, Sept. 9.  Our tuff girl.

Birdie is our tuff biker chick, coming through the accident with some bumps and bruises and a very bruised and swollen knuckle. Our girl, our Princess. She's one that others are looking up to, and will continue looking up to. But hopefully she won't be doing this stunt again. EVER!!!

That day others came to our rescue in helping our friend and fellow biker. They stopped to offer medical assistance, to help pick up, to help load and haul both the totaled motorcycle and our friend. That's how people are in times of crisis and need. Thank you all.

Monday, August 1

The first day of August. Wow, where did the summer go? There's still time, but it all seems to have flown by this year. Of course, they say the older you get, the quicker time flies. I believe that is true.

I pretty much wasted the day. I puttered around the house a bit, but needed a nap bad. A couple of Beagles and I hit naptime for a few hours.

Hobbs got my little car, the PT Cruiser, started and I took it for a drive. The battery wasn't charging so he jumped it. I brought it home and will try to start it again tomorrow. He said something about some security system being on or something. It's all Greek to me. I just drive 'em, or ride 'em.

Called Susan, Dennis's sister. He got home from the hospital today and is doing very well. She'll probably stay until next Monday to help him out. I'll talk to her again in a day or so.

So, a lazy day … but I think I needed it, and the rest.
 

Sunday, July 31
A not so nice day. Cloudy, supposed to rain. YUK!!!

We met at Zookeeper's to ride out to the Valley for the HOG chapter 1836 anniversary party. It was going to be an eating kind of day. Still need to stop this.

Ride to the Valley, eat. Ride back to Anchorage, eat.

Hit some rain, but not enough to really matter. But it poured after we got to the Valley and the Harley shop there. We were out of it. Hung for a while and then the chapter did a poker run. Our folks elected to have lunch.

Just an ordinary day ... enjoying friends and a meal or two together. And that's all I have to say about that in the famous words of Forrest Gump!!!

Saturday, July 30
I picked up Susan, Dennis's sister from the airport early this a.m. She and I hit it off. Got her home, and situated and then back to our house to get a few hours sleep.

Up and at 'em early as a friend was coming through the airport and we were going to go visit him for a while. I still had about $14 left on that Starbucks card and was ready to finish it off.

We got out to the airport a little after 7 a.m. and found Ken. He and his wife now live in Arizona, but had lived here for many years, in fact in Soldotna where they acquainted us with Acapulco's Mexican Restaurant where I had my first and always the best chicken chipolte.

They kept a home in Soldotna for several years, but have now moved to Arizona lock, stock and dog. Visited her, Judi, on my trip this year and went to their Arizona home for the first time. She's done a beautiful job of decorating, and it looks like something out of a magazine.
Hobbs and I had a great visit with Ken, except I couldn't find the Starbucks card. We had coffee from some other place, and then I found the card, of course.

Left the airport and headed to the Corral for breakfast. I love their chipped beef on a biscuit. My Mom used to make that stuff when I was a kid. Loved it then; love it now. Filled up our growling tummies and then headed home. We had to get ready to go to a barbecue for a 60th birthday party for a dear friend. I was giving her one of the Joe Redington books because she was in the Ladies of Harley photo from the 90s that is included.

Went to meet Susan and show her how to get to Fred Meyers on Dimond, near Dennis's house, and then to the hospital. We spent time drinking coffee and getting even more acquainted. Then I had to run to get home in time to go eat again. Good grief. Too much food.

Had a super time visiting with friends at the Princess' 60th birthday barbecue. Great food, great friends. What more could you ask for????

Actually, what you always want for a blog is a topic. And sitting there enjoying the food, sun and camaderie, there it was, right across the street. The balcony to nowhere.

The balcony to nowhere.  And your thoughts on this would be???

Alaska seems to have a lot of things to nowhere ... the bridge to nowhere, the road to nowhere, and now the balcony to nowhere. It's just attached to the side of the house. No door or sliding windows, just a balcony. And it stands out because it's a different color than the house. It started some great conversation ... why is it there? Why is there no way to get to it? How do you change the flag that's hanging from it? We made up all kinds of things, most of which are not really publishable. Let's just say you can make your own comments and story about it. I'm only giving you the fodder to be creative.

Friday, July 29
Another beautiful day. Hobbs went out early to get his coffee and brought me back a paper. That was nice since he'd cancelled the paper while I was on vacation. I love my morning coffee and newspaper.
This morning it was back to the oatmeal and exercise bike. Felt good to have both as I've been way too bad about eating oatmeal and exercising while on vacation.

I was going to get out and ride early. That did not happen. I putzed around the house, unpacking, opening boxes and so on. We got ready then to go to the weekly biker lunches. Some of us have been getting together for probably five years now. Always good, and never know exactly which of us will show up. Today it was four.

After lunch I decided to take a ride, and ended up in Seward. I figured ice cream would be a good thing, but before that I wanted to look around a bit. Rode down to the water and looked out over Resurrection Bay which is always beautiful. Then the ice cream was calling and that's all I could think about.

Resurrection Bay, a beautiful area.

This dog was in the water and thoroughly enjoying himself.

Stopped to take a photo of Mount Marathon, all 3022 feet of it. It's the number that is on the back fender of Dennis's bike, and that's the significance. He's run the marathon before. Now I understand what the number was that I'd seen on his bike. I've only been up it once. My mom wouldn't let me go up when I was a kid, but a number of years ago Barb from Alaska Leather, another guy whose name I can't remember, and I climbed it. Four plus hours up, a little more than an hour or so down.

Mount Marathon, the stuff of dreams ... climbing, descending, breaking the race ribbon, winning the race on the Fourth of Jul, creating a memory that will last forever. 

Then I rode up past where my old house was. I lived in this house in the 60s and it's where I was when the 1964 Good Friday earthquake hit. It was also a house where my dad made home brew and I remember he stored some of it in the basement. It hadn't properly aged, so those bottles kept exploding periodically. You never knew when one would pop. The house seemed so large back then, but now seems small and in a state of bad disrepair.

There were a couple of guys standing outside so I asked if they owned the place and I could take a photo of it. Not them but the guy was probably inside and I could ask. Figured that would be the ethical thing to do. Walked toward the house and a German shepherd came out to meet me, barking and growling. I stood still and left my hands to my side so he could smell me. I don't like shepherds as I was bitten by them twice when I was a kid. I didn't go up to the door, but called out. No answer. I decided I didn't need permission and took my photo and left quickly.

My parents kept the house up so much better when we lived there, even if my dad did make home brew.

Gassed up and headed out of town. The day continued to be a gorgeous one and I was still wearing a sweatshirt and vest. No jacket today, and it felt nice. Funny, but the temperature was 66 when I left Anchorage, 40 degrees plus colder than when I was in the Lower 48 and some states, yet I'm still wearing a T-shirt and not dressed in electric gear and my jacket as I usually am. Was a very nice ride.


There wasn't much traffic going north as mostly folks were going south. That was great. Saw a cop with a client part way back to town, and all of a sudden he took off. There were no cars so it wasn't a speeder. Figured there was an accident somewhere, but never came upon it ... until ... nearly Girdwood. Traffic was backed up and there was a bad accident where you turn off the Seward Highway to go into Girdwood. Looked like a T-boning, but hard to say. Both vehicles were badly wrecked, but no people around so they must have gotten them out. The traffic was backed up 4-1/2 miles on the north side of the turn off. I was glad I didn't have to wait too long.

Traffic was backed up 4-1/2 miles coming from Anchorage toward Girdwood.  What a mess.

As I was heading back, I figured to pass a slow car or two. Then there was another cop with a client. Who would have figured since there were at least two, maybe three, at the site of the accident. But with this one busy, it was clear sailing. No way there'd be another one. Wrong!!! Less than a mile down the road there was another one with a client. Glad I wasn't really speeding, too much.

Tonight I'm picking up Dennis's sister from the airport and taking her to his house. That should be sometime around 1 a.m. Then sleep because another big day tomorrow ... riding and a barbecue for a friend's 60th birthday. Busy, busy. How did I find time to work???

Thursday, July 28

It was an awesome day, beautiful, blue sky, fluffy white clouds.
Hobbs and I decided to take a ride up to Long Rifle for lunch, about 100 miles north. The lodge has a commanding view of the Matanuska Glacier, and also lots of dead heads for people to look at ... bears, goat, moose, buffalo and lots more. I think there is no finer view, as you can have lunch and see the glacier all from the comfort of the dining area.

Hobbs at Long Rifle Lodge with the Matanuska Glacier in the background.

From there we stopped at the rest area for yet another and slightly different view of the glacier. It was warm, the road was fun and there wasn't much traffic.

A closeup of the glacier from the rest stop.

I decided to go to the Harley shop to see if they had any poker chips. But on the radio I heard about this book about Joe Redington, the father of the Iditarod, the Last Great Race, 1049 miles by dog sled to Nome. It was a book by a lady I'd spoken to in March. She had a photo she'd brought by the bike show looking to see if someone could identify the people in the photo. Jaz and I knew most of them, and I wrote the names on the copy of the photo and left it. She must not have received it because I got a copy of the photo again with her phone number from Barry at the House of Harley.  So I called her. It had to do with the Ladies of Harley donating some coolers for a serum run back in the 90s. We met Redington and had a photo that she was going to put in the book. Awesome. This was the book.



The office is located in Wasilla, and I had never visited.



A statue of Joe Redington, Sr., and one of his dogs.  The statue is at the Iditarod headquarters.

 I had a call from Jaz and told her about the book. She rode out to Wasilla and we went together to get copies of it. The author autographed them and was really happy to meet us, knowing that we'd helped give her the names and that she'd spoken to me at one point. It was great.

Author Katie Mangelsdorf and me.


Phoned home and decided to meet Hobbs at Providence Hosptial so we could visit Dennis and Norm. Dennis may be home tomorrow. He looks pretty good but beat up. Norm looks pretty beat up, too. But considering what happened they're both really lucky.
Met Norm's family, which was nice. We already knew his wife, Linda, but hadn't met the kids.
Home to get the car and take Stacey to the airport. Then to bed.

Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and July 27



It's airport day. I'm sitting waiting.


Verlie dropped me off at the airport on her way to work. Found out my original flight was cancelled and those folks were pushed to the next one, which could present a problem for me getting on a flight until later. Lesson learned – call Hobbs before leaving for the airport to see how the load is or if one has been cancelled and I should wait another day.

I talked to him and it looks like I'll get on one today, although it may be the one this afternoon, rather than the morning and early afternoon one. That's okay. The price is right and I'm grateful to be able to fly on his passes. Being retired, it really doesn't present that much of a problem. If I had to get back to work, I'd have to call and let them know I might be off an additional day. Been there, done that. I did not get that T-shirt, though. The color was purple and I elected to pass on it.

Well, lots going on with flights. The first one at 11:30 left, without me. The one for 12:42 p.m. has been delayed, waiting for a flight crew that is hung up somewhere in flight, and not due in here until 2:30 or so. I'm still okay. Ate a sandwich and a piece of cake. Now I'm re-charging my phone battery since it's at half, and found a plug for my computer, too, so I can get everything recharged. I've not even gotten my NookColor book out yet. I'm just busy e-mailing, Facebooking, looking around, talking to people.


With the current flight delayed, people are bailing right and left, looking for other connections through other cities. If enough of them bail, I may get on this flight after all. It wasn't looking good since it had also been overbooked and they're trying to get everyone from that original Minneapolis flight on other flights.


Sat browsing photos.  Love to take photos of beautiful flowers.

I may finish off that Starbucks giftcard today, too. Been there twice so far. Originally for coffee, then the sandwich and cake. Still got enough for another coffee or two.


Otherwise, Hobbs feels bad because I can't get on a flight. Again, I say, I'm grateful to fly on passes and know the risks. If I had to get on a flight, I could use Alaska Airline miles since I have enough for a ticket or two. Plus I learned a few lessons today. The first one I told you about. The second was to check on the alternate routes right away after missing a flight. There was another one through Salt Lake City I might have gotten on if I'd been thinking sooner and called my travel agent ... Hobbs ... soon enough so he could get me listed. Next time.


Right now my best option is to wait for the Minny flight and hopefully make a connection that gets me home this evening. If it doesn't work, then I'll call Verlie and she'll come back and get me and we'll spend another evening together before starting over again tomorrow. All the options are good ones. However, by 5 p.m. I might be getting tired, and feel differently. Who knows. Nah, I'm sure I'll get out today. I usually do although I'm certainly not a pro at this standby flying.


But it is interesting and kind of cool because Hobbs can check the flights while I talk to him on my cellphone, and list me as we talk. He also knows if I make a flight, and even what seat I'm in. How cool is that? So, in addition to having Spot (who is not on for this type of travel), I'm not out of sight very often. It's good to know someone knows where I am nearly all the time.


I made the flight from Phoenix that finally got out at about 3:30 p.m. or so. Then I rushed thinking I had an 8-something out of Minneapolis to Anchorage. Couldn't find it. The ticket agent told me which gate and I got there as quickly as I could, finding out the 8-something was gone, but there was another one at 9:45. I made that one.


Finally got home about 12:30 a.m. Got to sleep, but not for long. An old friend was visiting and he, Jerry Henke, and Hobbs had set up an early breakfast. Of course I wanted to go see Henke because I'd not seen him for a long time. He and his wife now have a place in southern Arizona. Was great to see him at Jackie's Place off Spenard.

Hobbs, Henke and me at Jackie's Place.  Good grub.

After that there was a retirement potluck at Chugach, so I picked up a few things to take over there. The potluck was great and saw some friends. From there I visited my former co-workers, and a few others, and finally got out of there about 3:30 p.m. You'd think I was still there taking up space or something. But it's always so nice to see folks. I do miss a great many of them.


Went on the Harley Owners Group Wednesday night ride. A couple of the guys who left early went down, one hitting the other after a car apparently stopped quickly in front of them. It appeared things looked bad, but they'd be okay. Bikes??? Hard to say. Pretty beat up. Just glad the guys will be okay. I stayed on the phone with Daisy Corn, the girlfriend of one of them. Let her know what was happening, what injuries looked like from afar, and where they were taking them so she could get to the hospital.


I found out later that they both had broken ribs, scrapes and bruises, and one of them also had a punctured lung, and they'll be in the hospital for a day or two. But all appears well. Thank you, thank you.