Slowly but surely

I am finishing up responsibilities and getting prepared. I sent off the text of the second edition of my book, The Elements of Academic Writing last week. I made motel reservations for Big Meadows June 23, Peaks of Otter June 24, and the Pisgah Inn June 26 through July 1. I have a few more to make.

This morning I ran the 1.5-mile loop around my neighborhood. I want to be in good enough shape to make the trip comfortably and also be ready for the Falmouth Road Race  on Aug. 20 (after I get back).

Getting Ready

This mooring I did another 1.5-mile run around the block. I'm getting in shape, slowly but surely. I have also been working on the second edition of The Elements of Academic Writing, my English textbook. I'm making progress in that area too.

Last night I plotted out our route for the first three days of the Great Motorcycle Odyssey of  2017. The first day will be a short shakedown cruise from the Cape to western Rhode Island. Then the second day will take us to a motel near West Point, NY. The third day will take us to Carlisle, Pa., where I used to live.

Another way to look at it is on the first day we cross the Providence River. On the second day, we cross the Hudson, and on the third day we cross the Delaware and Susquehanna. With any luck, on the fourth day we will cross the Potomac and Shenandoah.

This afternoon I also bought a new pair of good leather motorcycle gloves. My old, cheap nylon ones were falling apart and didn't keep my hands warm. These should help a lot on the trip. I also recently installed a cool little handlebar-mounted analog clock. I've wanted one for a long time.

 

Two days in a row

I'm proud to say I ran the same loop again today. I really enjoy running, and it is good for me. I just might get in shape after all.

Meanwhile, I am heartbroken about the bombing in Manchester, England. When will the madness end?

Training for Falmouth

I just registered for the Falmouth Road Race on August 20, so I will have to do some running during this motorcycle odyssey. Today I can the 1.5-mile loop around my block in 17 minutes. I'm going to have to increase my speed and distance between now and then. I have about 12 weeks to go.

The adventure resumes

I will be returning to the motorcycle odyssey June 20, 2017, repeating much of the 2016 trip. This time my buddy Steve will join me for the southbound portion of the trip, and then will continue on to Georgia while I head to the Wildacres Writers Conference. Today we roughed out plans for the trip, and confirmed our mutual preference for rural, uncongested roads.

I'm really looking forward to showing Steve some of my favorite places and discovering new treasures along the way. Between now and June 20, I'll be working with Google Maps to plan be best route, and we will also be open to changing plans as the conditions change.

Thursday, July 21, 2016: Home again!

Thursday, July 21, 2016: Home again!

Thursday morning I skipped breakfast and got an early start because I really wanted to make it home. Somewhere in rural central Connecticut a man pulled up beside me at a traffic light and told me my brake light was out. I couldn’t image where I could get it fixed without a long delay. But within a few minutes I passed an auto repair shop that had two motorcycles parked outside. Something gave me the impression that they belonged to employees, rather than customers.  I pulled in and told the man at the desk my problem, and he immediately took sympathy on me and took interest in my motorcycle odyssey. He asked me about my trip as he lay down on the pavement to reach some very awkwardly placed screws I never would have found. He looked up the number of the replacement bulb on his computer, and he had one in stock. He had it all repaired and I was on my way in less than half an hour.

Then it was Route 44 east to Providence, where I got on the Interstate again briefly, and good old Route 6 to Cape Cod.

It was wonderful to be home again. It was a wonderful trip, and I will be processing the lessons learned for years, I am sure. One thing I know is that it is a very good thing to take a few minutes out of your day to suspend your routine and to pause and reflect. It is a good thing to take a few days out of your month to pause and reflect. And it is a good thing to take a few weeks out of your year to pause and reflect.

I also know that I live in a very beautiful country filled with nice, friendly, and helpful people. And, finally, I am deeply grateful for the wonderful life I am living.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016: Pine Grove, Pa., to Brookfield, Conn.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016: Pine Grove, Pa., to Brookfield, Conn.

Wednesday was a hot and sunny day. I headed up U.S. 209 across northeastern Pennsylvania. At one small town in Carbon County  I noticed the two most prominent displays in the front of a convenience store were for Anthracite coal pellets and Hershey’s chocolate—both local products.

I enjoyed riding back up the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and then stopping at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center just before crossing the Delaware River and heading into New York state. New York wins the prize for the worst paving job of the trip. When a parching job leaves a long narrow groove down the middle of a road it does not bother automobile drivers, but it is a deathtrap for motorcyclists. Trying to avoid that groove—in addition to all the other hazards—made that a stressful stretch.

After crossing into Connecticut, I decided to avoid my previous experience getting lost in Danbury by taking to the Interstate highway. It was stressful, but I cruised through Danbury and on up Route 202 to the small town of Brookfield, Conn. I stayed in a funky little motel with an even funkier little Chinese restaurant next door. Any unpleasantness from the motel paled by comparison with the unpleasantness I witnessed watching the Republican National Convention on the motel room television. That made me want to go back to the mountaintop.