To Cali on Pandora

Bye Gage

2006-01-16T04:48:00.000-08:00

I am sad, because I have lost one of my best friends.

Gage has died. Unknown to me, he had systemic cancer and died while I was away in Africa.

I dedicate this blog to Gage, for he enriched my life in a significant way.

Goodbye Gage, I will miss you.

The Last Last

2005-11-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

I had to post this! Thanks Reg, you are the best.

Ural'ers R Good Peeps

2005-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

I just have to add one thing...Ural'ers are very supportive people. There seems to be this wonderful code of help between fellow Ural owners.

Case-in-point, Kevin a Ural owner in Minnesota read, about my whole gas episode and is giving me a brand new, spare Ural gas tank! Wow, thanks Kevin!

The Last Day!

2005-10-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wadena, MN
Ended in: Wadena, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Today is going to be the last day of this trip. I made it to each of my family members' houses (at least once).

Grandpa and I cleaned up Pandora. I didn't realize how much weight was in her -- almost 200 lbs including Gage -- wow!

Tonight I took my Grandma out on a date. We had a great time. We both dressed up. I borrowed some good clothes from my Grandpa. Some how, I think I ended up looking like a pimp :-( When I told Grandma what I thought, she laughed, and then said, "Yes you do."

Making route 66 be my destination (at least for a while) was wonderful. While I was driving on the route, I was not thinking about my endpoint, because I was already where I was trying to be. It was easy to look around and enjoy where I was because I was not thinking about being anyplace else:

When I wasn't worried about where I would end up, it was easier to enjoy where I was.

Here are some final observations:

Dead armadillos look freaky.
Everyone should get stranded on the side of the road at least once a year.
Old motorcycles attract old men, cute dogs attract women.
I think everyone should spend at least one night on a beach with a special person.
Ridding a motorcycle in the cold, at night, is lonely.

Long Cool Ride

2005-10-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Started in: Ankeny, IA
Ended in: Wadena, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a very dirty kitten.

I made it to my Grandmas!

It was cold -- 40 degrees F when I arrived in Wadena.

I posted some more pics, you can see them by going to my home page: Jay's Homepage

Shifting My Ural

2005-10-19T00:33:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wellington, KS
Ended in: Ankeny, IA
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a very dirty kitten.

It has taken me a while to find a grinding free way of shifting Pandora. Thought some of your other Ural'ers might be interested:

Release the throttle (must be before squeezing the clutch)
Squeeze the clutch
Wait one second
Shift

I have found Pandora likes it best when I shift at these speeds:

Shift into 2nd at 15 mph
Shift into 3rd at 25 mph
Shift into 4th at 38 mph

Pandora Update

2005-10-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wellington, KS
Ended in: Ankeny, IA
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a very dirty kitten.

This is for my fellow Ural'ers...

Pandora is a 2005 Ural Tourist. I bought her from Dave's Cycle in Spring Valley, Minnesota in August of 2005. Pandora is all stock, except for a pair of coolers I had installed.

I have found riding Pandora the best way to see the country -- I will gladly take her on another long-range trip! My cruising speed is 50 to 55 mph. I have ridden well on both four-lane and two-lane. When I am on four-lanes, I just stay in the rightmost lane.

I had a few initial problems, and they were all fixed under warranty. Those problems were:

incorrectly installed wrist pin -- both heads were rebuilt
faulty ignition module
cracking fuel lines
incorrectly installed rear axle (it was too loose)

Other than these problems, Pandora is running great, and seems to be very reliable.

Under advice from Derek in Albuquerque, I switched my spark plug gap from .040 to .030. Pandora has run a lot smother since then and Her plugs are toasty brown. When I was at .040, there was a frequent amount of arc-ing going on in the timing box when I would accelerate.
I use synthetic oil in both the engine and transmission. I noticed a very big change when I switched the transmission to synthetic. Pandora was much quieter and seemed to run smoother to me. I have not noticed any more seeping than normal.

I adjust my valves to a gap of .005. Initially I was adjusting them to .004 and found that they would sometimes tighten up on me. With a gap of .005 Pandora ticks along in a very pleasing way!

My first rear tire (the original from Ural) held up for 8,000 km.

I have the following minor problems that I will have fixed under warranty once I get back to Minnesota:

the horn is having problems (its not very horny)
the rubber engine mount washer under the gas tank is splitting
replacement wheel for the one that was damaged from the loose axle
The plastic starter cover needs to be replaced

A Quiet Day

2005-10-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Started in: Clinton, OK
Ended in: Wellington, KS
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a very dirty kitten.

Today was a very warm day. I rode on route 66 all the way to Oklahoma City. At Oklahoma City I left route 66 and merged onto Interstate 35, North towards Minnesota. I decided not to stop ridding until I reached Kansas.

Maybe someday I will complete the route to Chicago on route 66. It would have been fun to find a drive-in movie theatre to watch with Gage and Pandora.

I changed both Pandora's engine and transmission oil today. She liked it!

Route 66 Got Me Again

2005-10-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Started in: Hereford, TX
Ended in: Clinton, OK
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a very dirty kitten.

Today was a great travel day. It was warm and sunny!

I'm tenting at a KOA. Its $17 for one night and includes wireless Internet!

Early this morning I crossed paths with route 66 and couldn't resist joining it again. I am really glad that I did because in Western Oklahoma, I found an original segment of route 66! I even drove on it for a while. It was wonderful and I felt calmly connected to the past again, like I did before, in the past :-))

Shuffle Dance

2005-10-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

Started in: Roswell, NM
Ended in: Hereford, TX (beef capital of the world)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

(The towns near Hereford are Bovine and Clovis...)

I spent a little of town ridding in light rain. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. The rain gear I wear is pretty effective, so all-in-all the rain does not impact me that much.

I am happy because I finally found some full synthetic 20-50 oil for Pandora in Clovis!

Roswell is kinda neat, and I did stop at an Alien museum for a few minutes. I spent my time in their gift shop -- that had some cool alien-type stuff. They even gave Gage a few alien toy (they let Gage come in when they saw him looking sad out in the rain).

When I arrived in Hereford, I noticed a wedding party hanging around one of the bars. After I was all setup for the night, I went to that bar. They let me in, and I was able to be a minor participant in a Mexican style wedding dance (I just watched).

At one point, the highlight of the night, the music from the live band became very fast. The bride was out in the middle of the dance floor with the best men in a circle around her. When the fast music started the men began to dance around the bride in a strange feet shuffling, hip swaying, shoulder swaggering type of dance. Thee bride stood in the middle turning slowly around swaying her hips in conjunction with the hip swaying of the men.

Each man took his turn of breaking from the circle and slowly moving towards the bride. Once they connected, they danced for a little while before then the man shuffled back out to the ring. It was wonderful and loud and full of cheering and whistling. I couldn't help but smile the whole time.

I have found Texas to be a very friendly state.

I slept wonderfully last night, and I am in very good spirits today!

Change of Plans

2005-10-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Started in: Roswell, NM
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Running good and covered in gas residue.

I was a little depressed last night, is really sucks getting drenched in gas.

I am also starting to feeling like I should be getting back to the Cities. I will be leaving in 23 days, and I still have a lot to do before flying out. I have decided to abandon route 66 and begin a more direct route back to the Cities. I am still far away, and their are a lot things that could happen along the way...

Gas, Gas, Everywhere

2005-10-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: 30 miles North of Roswell, NM
Pandora’s Status: Out of gas.

Its a weird feeling to realize you have enough gas to drive for 20 minutes but don't have enough gas to go back to where you came from, or enough to get to where you are headed.

I ran out of gas headed to Roswell. There just were not enough gas stations on the way. I would have needed an extra container of gas with me to make it. I now know that I can go 100 miles on a tank of gas.

I was pushing my bike down the road (because I did not know what else to do) when another biker stopped to help me. I tried to syphon some gas out of his bike using a hose taken off of my bike. The house was not long enough, and all that I accomplished was getting some gas in my mouth. If you ever want to learn how to spit, just put a little gas in your mouth.

I continued pushing my bike and spitting, thinking that it really sucks to get gas in your mouth. Little did I know, this was merely foreshadowing...

I had pushed my bike about 2 miles when the small fuel tanker truck stopped to help. The driver unrolled his 4" diameter fuel hose, and attached a gas station like nozzle to it. He told me he had to turn the flow on all full bore because of the way his trucked worked.

Let it be known, Ural gas tanks have a weird fill area that is very constricted, and most nozzles only fit in a little ways.

Every time I tried to fill the tank, I small geyser would erupt from the gas tank and drench poor Pandora in fresh gas. We stopped and thought -- the driver found a large, long, narrow funnel we could insert into my tank. He opened his trucks gas valve and I proceeded to fill the tank

I squeezed the trigger on the nozzle as slowly as I could, and out gushed a powerful flow of gas.

The funnel had an unexpected effect -- it launched a wave of gas directly back at me. My head, face, and chest were completely drenched. I had clamped my eyes shut just before the gas hit me. Now I was fumbling through my sidecar, eyes still closed, face burning, trying to find a water bottle to pour over my face.

The driver found his eyewash and used it on me (it felt like heaven).

We were eventually able to fill Pandora's tank using a water bottle held low to the ground. We could then slowly fill it with the run-off from the fuel truck.

Derek

2005-10-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten that loves me!

There is only one reason Pandora is running today (and running the best she ever has) -- one extremely helpful person, Derek.

This is what Derek did to help me:

Took the ignition module off of his Ural Solo and loaned it it to me
Loaned me his extra final drive parts
Rebuilt my final drive
Brought me to his house for supper
Adjusted the lean on Pandora (how much she tilts out from the sidecar)
Checked the alignment of Pandora's sidecar wheel
Adjusted and balanced both of Pandora's carburetors
Tightened all of Pandora's key fasteners
Adjusted Pandora's timming
Bought me breakfast

Vindicated

2005-10-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Apart at one shop.

Further inspection of Pandora showed that the final drive problem (damaged splines) was not caused by me! The original wheel was not installed correctly (it was a little loose and slowly damaged the splines). This means the repairs are covered under the warrantee :-)

Just Kindness

2005-10-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Apart at two shops.

I am flabbergasted.

The man I mentioned in a previous post, the man with the ignition module, is going to extra-ordinary means to help me out. He is literally spending hours on my behalf. He is the most helpful person I have yet to meet on my trip. He is working very closely with the Ural dealer to get on the road as soon as possible -- maybe even today.

It is a wonderful and strange thing to be helped so much by a stranger.

Right now I am sitting in a laundromat doing my laundry. Gage is with a bunch of his new friends and the Ural dealer. They offered to watch him while I did laundry. He is turning into a shop dog!

Official warm, thanks goes to:

Derek of the Red Riders
Rider Valley Motorcycles

Un

2005-10-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I need to float -- need to be un, expected.
I don't know why this is so, and I think it confuses people.

When I am with others, I try to be all with them.
I succeed at this more that I have in the past -- and still less than I like.

Sometimes when I float, secrets of my self are revealed to me.
I know why this is so, and I expect it.

Know that when I am not with you, I still think of you and feel our connection.
Know this helps me be more with you, when I am with you.

Despair and Kindness

2005-10-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Apart at the shop.

OK, just when I was starting to think I was able to fix a few things on Pandora -- I do this...

I did not get the axle tight enough when I installed the spare. To change the rear tire, I needed to remove the axle. I tried to replace the axle with the same tightness as the original. Because the I did not get it tight enough, the splines of the axle (like the teeth of a gear) we damaged as I drove Pandora. With a little more driving, the splines would have been gone, and Pandora would not have moved -- kinda like cutting a motorcycle's Achilles tendon.

It's good I had the dealer perform the 10,000 km service while I was here -- I have just over 9,000 km on her right now. He noticed the problem when doing the standard maintenance. Now I need to wait for parts. I will know tomorrow when the parts will be here. Because of all this, I am not sure when I will be back yet.

As an interesting commentary on people helping people.

There is a Ural owner here that has two Urals. He stopped by the dealership today and saw Pandora taken apart. He talked to the mechanic about Pandora and found out that I might be waiting for an ignition module. He said that if the part did not come soon enough, I could have an ignition module off one of his bikes!

On this trip I have encountered so many helpful people that it has positively changed some of my perceptions of our country.

Random observation: You can best see how helpful people are when you are having problems yourself.

I'm going to have a margarita know and drown some of my sorrow.

Got Ignition?

2005-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Starting to act up.

No way, the URAL dealer just happens to be less than a mile away from the hotel I stayed in!

Pandora is at the shop right now, her ignition module acted up begin time while we were working on it. Hopefully we can get it fixed this time. I will know later today if the new part will be here tomorrow or Tuesday of next week...

The Ural dealership general manager thought that Ural might want to display my story on their web page. I am going to send an email to them later today with my info!

Two Guns

2005-10-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

Started in: Flagstaff, AZ
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Starting to act up.

Pandora is starting to act up:

her left side is starting to foul -- she doesn't have her normal power
her horn doesn't work
her speedometer light is flickering

The good news is: there is a Ural dealer in Albuquerque! I will call them tomorrow.

I spent a good deal of time working on Pandora today: adjusting her values, cleaning her plugs, removing corrosion from some electrical components, and checking her plug wires. She seemed to run a little better after all of the work, yet she was not running as good as she can.

I spent about an hour walking around the deserted route 66 stop "Two Guns". It was eerie and very interesting. I felt a close connection to the past while I was there.

I talked with a bunch of people today. I did not help anyone; I did not see anyone to help.

I realized why it seemed so quiet in the desert -- there were no crickets.

I posted some more pics at Route 66 Pics.

Leaving Oatman

2005-10-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Started in: By Oatman, AZ
Ended in: Flagstaff, AZ
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Today I stopped at a restaurant for breakfast, and while I was there I talked to a number of the regulars. One of them had checked out my bike a bunch before coming in, and he talked with me about it. He mentioned that the rear tire was just about used up. When I went outside, if realized he was right. The tire was smooth...

I found a good spot in the shade, and proceeded to replace the rear tire with the spare. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. The only tricky part was getting the bike up on its kick stand. I found that if I faced the back of the bike downhill, it was actually very easy to get the bike on the kick stand. That tire had 8,294 km on it.

I began to feel at home as I got further into Arizona -- there were clouds and trees!

Tomorrow I might try to cover a bunch of ground...

Random Question: Does anyone out there have a time machine I can borrow for an evening?

Do You Have Prince Albert in the Can?

2005-10-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Started in: Barstow, CA
Ended in: By Oatman, AZ
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Gage and I are in my tent, in the Arizona desert, off of a gravel road, off of route 66. It is beautifully quiet and dark. All I can see looking out from the mesh of my tent is the moon and one lone light off in the distance. I wish I could explain how quiet it truly is. This is the most quiet I have ever experienced in such an open space. I am completely in awe. I don't think it would be right to play my harmonica here -- it would feel like a sacrilegious way to recognize such quiet.

We pulled into Oatman well after dark, and I asked a bartender where I could stay for the night.

Her one customer asked "Do you have a tent?"

I said "Yes."

The more than slightly inebriated customer said "Just go put it up anywhere on the side of the road. A good place would be about a mile North of town on Silver Creek road."

So I said "Thanks alot! That's what I'll do." And so I did.

Route 66 has turned out to be a wonderful ride. Often times I am the only person for miles as I make my way along the road. It seems fantastic and unreal that such spectacular route across the US is so little traveled.

Today I had lunch at the Bagdad cafe. The Bagdad cafe was featured in the film of the same name: Bagdad Cafe.

I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. When the waitress/owner went to pick up my sandwich from the cook, she was surprised to see only a half of a grilled cheese sandwich. She said to the cook, "He's going to need a full grilled cheese." The waitress brought the half sandwich to me and said "That's weird, why did she only make a half a sandwich." The waitress went into deep thought for a few moments, and then went to talk with the cook.

She came back to me and said the same thing happened seven years ago when Prince Albert and Stephanie were at the cafe. The same cook (who only works a few months out of each year) was working then. Prince Albert ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, and when the waitress went to pick it up, it was only a half. She took it to the Prince and apologized, via the interpretation of Stephanie. The waitress said she had always wondered why the cook had only made a half. She had forgotten to ask that day because so many people were in the cafe accompanying the Prince and she had been very busy.

The waitress told me that when someone orders a grilled cheese, she writes "Gr Cheese" on the order slip. Today, and seven years ago, the cook misunderstood the "Gr" for a "Jr" or junior grilled cheese.

Random note: Today I intersected a bike race. The race is called the 508. It is 508 miles long and is a non-stop bike race.

Random surprise: Today I paid $4.79/gallon of premium gas at a gas station in the desert.

Random observation: Both city folk and country people are afraid of getting shot...America isn't that bad, why is everyone so afraid?

My Flashlight

2005-10-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Started in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Ended in: Barstow, CA
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

I have started out on route 66. It is very cool. I got lost 3 times today... Following route 66 feels kinda like holding onto the tail of a really big snake that keeps shaking me off.

Has anyone ever asked you a question about yourself that kept bumping around in your head, long after the question was asked? Or, has anyone ever described to you one of your concerns in such a simple and basic way that the concern went away? These are things that I have always wanted to be able to do for others -- its why I picked an other name for myself of "Flashlight". I thought that thinking of myself in that way might help me do such things.

I met a person that truly deserves the name Flashlight. She banished away a set of my concerns merely by restating them in such a simple way that I clearly saw the concerns were meaningless. She also asked me a question that I had difficulty answering, and it annoyed me at first. After a long discussion about me, and at just the right time, she simply asked:

"So, what are you searching for?"

Sometimes there are questions that bump around in my mind for a long time, mostly because the answer is trying to get out of some little mental cage I have put it in. The weird thing is that I always know the answers to these questions, I just don't want to accept them. Sometimes, when the question is asked at a key moment, by just the right person, the answer finds its freedom.

The answer for me is actually very simple. It was always there in the back of my mind, and I knew it, except I had relegated it to the simple status of "minor background subplot"

I am searching for my soul mate, my stargirl (and its not just a simple, minor, background subplot).

This search is intensely intertwined with a number of my other goals. A while back I realized I would not find my stargirl in the places I was. The thing is, I realized she is already following her dreams, ahead of me, and the only way I would find her is if I started to follow my dreams. I realized that I could only attract her if I was being totally true to myself, doing those things that I am wholly passionate about. So along with calming my spirit and being present, I started to cultivate my passions. All of this eventually lead me to the Peace Corps. I guess I knew why I was doing all this, I was just not admitting all the reasons to myself.

All of this has led me to define the Attraction Theorem:

One can most easily attract their soul mate, if they first understand, accept, and honor their own soul.

Thank you so much Sonia, you are a very special person.

Leaving Cali

2005-10-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Started in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Justing going to pack-up Pandora and then head out.

Last night I had a wonderful time on the beach. I spent the evening talking with a new friend. The sound of the waves were constant. The breeze was cool and so was the sand. Down the beach was an amusement park, and occasionally we could hear the delighted screams of a roller coaster rider. We both said it felt like we were in a movie.

Last Full Day in Cali

2005-10-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Started in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Ended in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

I am planning to leave Cali tomorrow morning. It has been a lot of fun, and very relaxing.

It was a special treat to be able to spend time with my nephew Jackson!

Last night I had a wonderful Thai supper with a new friend (a very beautiful, intelligent photographer). We talked late into the night -- it was wonderful, and very heartwarming.

I have a series of maps of old route 66. I plan to take as much of the route as I have time for. It would be great to find some old drive-in theater along the way.

Here is a picture of Action Jackson:

In Cali

2005-10-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Started in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Ended in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

I have been at my sister's house since Sunday, and we are having a blast mingled with adequate vegetating. I should say that margaritas test especially good on a weekday in the afternoon!

Yesterday I washed Pandora and changed her oil.

Last night, one of Stacy's neighbors invited me to a very nice supper at her house. We had good food and her neighbor showed me a video of her trip to Africa a couple of years ago.

This morning, I called the local Ural dealer. The soonest they could get me into their shop would be Tuesday. The soonest they could have a new ignition module (if that's what they diagnosed the problem as) would be a week after they looked at it...I guess I will have to continue on with the module that I currently have.

Today I drove near to Beverly Hills to buy a new (all weather) laptop bag to use while I am in Africa. Let me tell you, smog sucks big time when you are on a motorcycle. The people that worked in the store came told me they were a very dog-friendly store, and that I should bring my dog inside!

Riding a Ural

2005-10-03T20:09:00.001-07:00

Started in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Ended in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Click this: A Virtual Ural Ride

We Have Arrived

2005-10-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

Started in: Barstow, CA
Ended in: By Los Angeles (at my sister's)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

What luck! I threaded the weather needle (not too cold in Wyoming and not to hot in Nevada). I also arrived in Los Angeles on a Sunday morning -- the perfect time to avoid a lot of traffic.

Stacy and Jim's place is great. My nephew Jackson is very cute. I am excited to spend some more time with them these next few days.

The pics are posted: Click Me!

Deserts are Hot

2005-10-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Started in: St. George, UT
Ended in: Barstow, CA
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

At one point today, I found myself thinking: Why am I still doing this; this is taking way too long. I did not expect to be here, standing in a garage in a trailer park, while a man was hardwiring an extension chord into a wall socket. Oh ya, I remember, I promised to stop and help anyone that seemed like they needed help...

It was early in the morning, and I was driving through the mountains of Northern Arizona. It was already pretty hot (at least for a dislocated Minnesotan). I rounded a corner and saw a truck pulled over on the side of the road with a man standing by it looking confused. I pulled over onto the large roadside. The man did need help. His rear tire was completely mangled, he had no jack or other tools, and he could not speak English.

We used some rocks to stabilize the axle and then we removed the rear tire. We strapped the mangled tire and his unmounted spare onto the back of Pandora. Then He, Gage, and I took of for the next town down the line.

About 10 miles later, we found a small gas station. The station did not do any sort of repairs, so we asked some of the locals for the nearest garage. They said it was closed because it was Saturday. A man buying some groceries overheard us and said we could follow him to his house where he would help us remove the mangled tire and then mount the spare. He was wearing some sort of blue uniform with his name sewn on it. The name was one letter, "J".

As we were strapping the tires back on to Pandora to leave the gas station, another man came over to us and offered to haul the tires for us in his truck. So J, J's baby daughter, some local with the tires, the stranded guy, Gage, Pandora, and I took off for J's house.

We did finally get the spare tire mounted and inflated. The stranded guy paid J, and then I took the stranded guy back to his truck so that he could become "the guy".

Thank you to the woman in China who changed my view on helping others when she spent the whole day helping my daughters and I.

It's Late and I'm Tired

2005-09-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Started in: Lyman, WY
Ended in: St. George, UT (less than 20 miles from Arizona)
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Wow, that was a push. To be honest, I tried to stop a long time ago (I just found a hotel a little before midnight). All of the hotels for many miles are no vacancy because of a big marathon that is going on tomorrow.

I cant wait to post all the pics I have, soon, I promise!

Side note: Utah gets frigid as soon as the sun goes down.

In Salt Lake - The Push

2005-09-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Started in: Lyman, WY
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

Right now I am on the Southern edge of Salt Lake City, Utah. The weather is good, and Pandora is running great. She does get a little hot on some of these hills so I have to stop and let her cool off from time-to-time (like right now).

So far today, I have helped a stranded motorist remove a flat tire and put on their spare. I have also stopped to help 3 other people (that did not actually need help for various reasons).

Yesterday evening, I also stopped to help a man with an overheating car. He had put some sort of radiator stop leak in it and ended up clogging the whole system. I offered to give him a ride into the next sitting, but he was unsure of riding on Pandora's jump seat.

It feels good to be able to stop and help people -- I always felt like I did not have enough time before -- always rushing off to this thing or that thing.

Highway 80 has been very good, and it feels like I have been making very good time, all considered. Today I am making a push. I woke up at 7:00 and immediately packed up and started out. I am going to keep riding as long as I can and then stay in a hotel tonight. Maybe I will even get to do some partying!

Lyman

2005-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Started in: Lusk, WY
Ended in: Lyman, WY
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten.

I was on the road for 14 hours today!

I was also lucky today to get to meet a lot of people.

I met 50% of the population of Shawnee (one person). We talked for a long while. She and her husband recently purchased a very small, rundown store and are slowly fixing it up (its in Shawnee, WY).

Of all the people I met (about 8) the best person was the archeologist. The whole thing was just like a scene out of a movie...

It was a sunny Wyoming afternoon, and I had just finished talking with this other biker at a rundown gas station, and was leaving when I noticed this even more rundown station wagon with its hood up. I went over to see if I could be any help. The car was overheating, and this confident, cute, and shy (all at the same time). The woman was waiting for her car to cool down. I was immediately smitten. We put some more water in her radiator, and then talked for a long time. She is an archeologist headed for Phoenix to work with an indian tribe there. She had almost entered the Peace Corps earlier! I think we could have talked for hours. Unfortunately, she had to go, so I gave her my email address with the hopes that she would write.

We were headed in the same direction for a little while, and even though I left before she did, she passed me, because even rundown station wagons can go faster than Pandora. I kept hoping that her car would break down (in a nice way) so that I could stop and help her again and then talk with her some more. Pandora started acting up at about that moment, and all I could imagine was Pandora breaking down, the archeologist's car breaking down, and then while I was fixing on Pandora some beefy, slow-talking, cowboy would drive up and help out the archeologist... I quickly told Pandora that if she broke down I would quit using synthetic oil in her, and she settled down -- to no avail, the archeologist motored on.

My route home will put my through Arizona, so maybe, if I hear from the archeologist, we'll get to meet up for some food and talk.

A weird side note: on average, I have been seeing less then 10 other bikers each day -- go figure, where are all the other bikers?

Leaving Lusk

2005-09-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Started in: Lusk, WY
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Warming up in the sun

Gage and I slept great! There was frost on the ground when we got up, but we did not notice in our cozy little tent.

I'm going to eat two hot dogs while I'm letting the dew dry off of all my gear, pack up, and then head out.

Stacy, I'm getting closer :-)

On to Lusk

2005-09-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Started in: Spearfish, SD
Ended in: Lusk, WY
Pandora’s Status: Running the best ever

The rest of the day was glorious!

All of the necessary repairs were made to Pandora except for the ignition module dealio. The soonest the dealer could get a new ignition module would be a week, so I said see you on the flip side dady-o and I took of for Cali. Pandora runs great unless I wiggle the wires coming out of the module -- so guess what, I'm not going to wiggle them anymore...

The ride on Highway 14A from Spearfish to Wyoming was so beautiful. I took many pictures that I will upload when I get better connectivity. The ride through Wyoming was beautiful and free. South Dakota and Wyoming are gorgeous in the fall.

When I got to Lusk, I was instructed to go to the house behind the fast food place and ask for a tenting spot. I was a little apprehensive as I knocked on the door to the dimly lit house. A nice woman came to the door and gave me a great tenting spot (with electricity) for only $10! She said it was supposed to get very cold tonight...

Since both Gage and I got a little cold last night, I busted out more of our cold weather gear. I made a little nest for Gage out of a bunch of my clothes, and then put my winter jacket over him. I put on my down shirt and pants, and I will happily wear them in my sleeping bag.

Also, since I know to stay warm, you need to have a fire in your belly, I at four vegetarian hot dogs (I was just as surprised as you to find them in a Walmart in Spearfish) smothered in Caribbean Jerk sauce. I gave Gage an extra bit of dog food so he could have a fire in his belly too!

I have some dried papaya by my bed for when I wake up in the middle of the night -- seriously, you stay warmer when your body has the energy to produce heat.

Leeching Wireless

2005-09-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Started in: Spearfish, SD
Ended in: ?
Pandora’s Status: Getting adjusted...

Right now, I am sitting on the sidewalk against the side of a Howard Johnson's. I am leeching off of their wireless internet and also have my laptop plugged into one of their external outlets. I feel like a real biker/computer dude bum!

Pandora is in the shop right now having some maintenance done. She should be done in a couple of hours and then I will head out again. Last night there was a lot of rain (it rained for about 4 hours).

I have a bunch of good pictures I will post soon -- I can't now because my camera is on the bike.

There is a cute girl that has walked by a couple of times, and Gage is working on her. Maybe we can have lunch together...

On to Lusk

2005-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Started in: Spearfish, SD
Ended in: Lusk, WY
Pandora’s Status: Running the best ever

The rest of the day was glorious!

I have some dried papaya by my bed for when I wake up in the middle of the night -- seriously, you stay warmer when your body has the energy to produce heat.

A Deer Creek

2005-09-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Started in: Midland, SD
Ended in: Spearfish, SD
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten - mostly

I am staying in this wonderful city park in Spearfish. My tent is about 10 feet from a bubbling brook. The park is busy and beautiful.
This morning, I checked Pandora's valves before taking off. There was one that had gotten tight through the previous day's driving. I think this is what was causing her to misfire late in the evening yesterday. I adjusted the valve, and she ran great.

Today was another great day of weather on the road. The landscape felt open and pure. I was happy to be driving through South Dakota.

...Strange, Gage just came out of the tent, took his dog leash off the picnic table, and then he carried it into the tent with him... There is supposedly a storm coming through tonight...

As I got close to Spearfish, I started to fiddle with the set of wires coming out of the timing module. Sure enough the engine started to misfire. I was pretty sure there was a short there, and I did not want to mess with it until I was close to a dealer.

...I just saw three deer cross the stream about 40 yards from my tent...

I talked to the Ural dealer this afternoon in Spearfish. They are going to work on Pandora tomorrow and hopeful have her done in the afternoon. They will do some routine service, fix the shorting wire(s), and replace some of the fuel lines which are cracking.

KOA's Can Be AOK

2005-09-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Started in: Mitchell, SD
Ended in: Midland, SD
Pandora’s Status: Ran like a top

I am typing this by campfire :-)

I just finished some good pasta roma and am working on finishing a Corona (it still do some work).

I am at a KOA campground, and it is wonderful. It is far enough from the interstate so that I rarely hear the traffic. I can see the amber lights on the semi-trailers as they slowly work their way across the horizon. Its very pretty.

Today was warm, dry, and sunny.

This morning, I did laundry and spent a good deal of time working on Pandora. I tightened all her fasteners, changed her engine oil, transmission oil, and final drive oil. I put synthetic oil in her transmission for the first time, and boy what a difference! She sounds like a completely new motorcycle -- the transmission makes almost no sound now.

My old cues for when the transmission was slowed down enough to shift are gone -- I am going to have to learn some new cues.

Gage and I met some people at a gas station. They had passed us earlier on the interstate and they took a picture of us as they drove by. They took two more pictures of us (OK, the pics were mostly of Pandora) while we were at the gas station. They are going to email the pics to me!

Pandora ran great today, except just before we stopped for the evening. She started to misfire on her right side again. I wonder how she will run tomorrow... I will be at the dealer in Spearfish soon.

Gage wants to go to bed -- he keeps coming to me, licking my ear, and then walking back to the tent.

Plastic Socks Can Be Good

2005-09-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Started in: South Western MN
Ended in: Mitchell, SD
Pandora’s Status: A little erratic

Rain, rain, rain...

I put on my socks, then a plastic garbage bag over each sock, then a wet boot over each bag. Once I was properly attired, and the rain had stopped, I set out from Brittney's. It was about 2:30 pm. Five minutes after I left, the rain started again :-)

I decided to ride as far as I could and then stop at a hotel. My tent and other camping gear was wet from the morning before, and all of my travel clothes were soggisorous.

The rain accompanied me until 6:30 pm. Shortly after the rain stopped, Pandora started to act up. I was happy she had waited until after the rain. Her right side was beginning to misfire. I looked at the spark plugs and the right side's was pretty fouled. I put in the new, extra set of plugs I had brought with me. As I replaced the right side's spark pug cap, the spark plug wire connected to the cap fell out... :-0

I immediately thought, "That can't be good."

Pandora ran better after I reconnected the wire to the cap. I'm not sure if the wire is broken now, or if the wire and cap are of the removable type.

Tomorrow I'm planning to do most of the required 5,000 km maintenance. I will have a dealer do the rest when I get to Spearfish, SD.

On My Way

2005-09-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Started in: Minneapolis, MN
Ended in: South Western MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

The letter came at 2:15 pm today! I immediately left Ashley's place and headed for the drop zone. I dressed in my rain gear (complete with plastic bags on my feet) because it had been raining all day, and looked like there was more to come.

I dropped off the lien release to its rightful owner and continued on to my daughter's house. The rain got so bad that I had to stop at a rest area for about an hour. I talked with the rest area's caretaker for a long time. I was surprised to learn that he is required to clean the toilets every 3 hours!

I battled rain all the way to Brittney's. As I arrived the rain intensified, and right now we are in a flash flood warning. I plan to leave early tomorrow morning for the next leg of my trip.

First tornado, then flash flood, what is next? ;-)

2 Blocks

2005-09-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Started in: Minneapolis, MN
Ended in: Minneapolis, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

Today, I found out that a tornado had in fact touched down at a distance of about 2 blocks from where I was camping. The tornado damaged or destroyed 14 houses in the vicinity.

No letter today -- go figure.

I had a wonderful campfire, practiced harmonica, and finished the book "Wicked". Here is my review of the book:

The first part of the book describing the Witch's childhood is very good and well thought out. The last part of the book where the author tries to tie his story into the original story feels extremely contrived and unwell thought out

NFL

2005-09-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Started in: Minneapolis, MN
Ended in: Minneapolis, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

No F'ing Letter...

I am feeling really pissed off right now. I called GMAC again and they said the letter went out on Tuesday.

Right now, I am almost three weeks behind schedule -- this really sucks.

Storm Tenting

2005-09-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Ended in: Minneapolis, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

I made it back to the Cities about 4:00 pm. The letter had not arrived, so I bee-lined to the campground -- I could feel a storm in the air. As I drove to the campground, I could feel the cold front moving through -- one of the neat aspects about ridding in the open air.

I had just gotten my tent setup and my supper made when it started to rain. For a little while, it was raining nicely, and I was excited to read more of the book Wicked (it's about the wicked witch of the west in Oz) in the rain in a tent.

Soon it started raining in sheets, and with each sheet of rain, the tent wavered. Just about when I thought it was pretty bad, it started to hail. After about 5 minutes, the hail stopped -- to my delight; and was replaced by strong wind that was making a howling, almost train-like sound. I started to get scared.

I was finely able to get through on my cell phone to Ashley, and she said a tornado had been spotted very near where I was. I quickly got a couple of things together and dragged Gage out into the rain so that we could run for shelter in the large central campground restrooms.

We stayed in the restrooms for about two hours. During our stay in the rest rooms, the tornado sirens were going off.

The rain stopped, and everything settled down, so Gage and I went back to the tent we had to go around the tree that had fallen across the road to our tent. About ten minutes after we got back to the tent, the rain and wind started again. I was just working out what to do next when car headlights beamed through the tent. A ranger had come be to evacuate Gage and I to the camp headquarters.

Gage and I finally made it back to the tent around 10:30 pm. The were numerous trees downed in the park and I am told a couple of houses were destroyed just a little North of where I was tenting.

Click on the link to see my video diary of the event: Video Diary

O

2005-09-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Ended in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

My Mom and I got up at 6:00 am today and headed out for Chicago -- our mission -- get into the afternoon taping of The Oprah Show.

We waited in line for about 2 hours, and were unable to get in. In all honesty to Oprah, her website very clearly states there are no standby seats. We just decided to take a chance on it since this might be are only opportunity for a long time.

Tonight we are going to watch Big Fish, and then tomorrow I will head back to the Cities in anticipation of receiving my release!

Stand in the Place Where U R

2005-09-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Ended in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

This morning I called GMAC, and they said "No, we can not overnight the lien release -- we are sorry that another one of our representatives told you that..." The said the release would be mailed today from Kansas via normal mail. I guess that means I will get it on Wednesday.

Dad and I worked out my route to Cali -- I am going to go via Salt Lake City!

I changed oil in Pandora and washed her in preparation for the next beginning of my trip to California.

My Mom and I went out to eat for supper and then rented the movie Hotel Rwanda. It is a very interesting movie about the genocide that occurred in Rwanda and how one man worked to save people.

Do the Dells

2005-09-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Started in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Ended in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

Last night, Mom, Dad, and I did not get home till around 2:00 am. :-)

We were busy partying with their neighbors at a local bar. I got to tear up the dance floor with this very fun, much, much older woman. An extremely danceable song was playing, and she had just given up on trying to get her husband on the dance floor. Somehow she decided to grab my hand and pull me out. We had a blast -- it was wonderful clean fun. Multiple times she told me "don't worry, nobody here knows you".

After a couple of sets of dancing I went and said thank you to her husband. He said, "No, thank you for taking her out there!" He happened to be wearing a t-shirt that said: "The liver is evil and must be punished".

I took both of my parents out on long Ural rides through the Dells. We had a great time. Later that evening my Mom and I put on a concert for my Dad. My Mom played her flute and I played my harmonica. It was hideously fun!

Add in one nice outdoor fire, an outdoor hot tub, some map route setting, and the day was done.

Here is a picture of my Mom and Dad and I:

Not Yet

2005-09-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Started in: Twin Cites, MN
Ended in: Wisconsin, by the Dells
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten (but not all day)

The release papers did not arrive. The story goes: GMAC has outsourced its lien release processing to a second company. That company has gotten behind in their processing. The soonest they will send out my papers is Monday -- ouch!

It gets even worse, the woman that bought my car had to pass up a trip to help Katrina victims because she does not have all the paperwork on my car :-(

GMAC said there is a chance their outsourcer could overnight the papers to me. They will call me on Monday if it works out. I am also go to check if the DMV will take a faxed lien release with a wet signature. Previously I asked them if they would take a faxed version of a signed copy, and they had said no. GMAC said they could fax me a copy as soon as the papers have been put in the mail to me by their outsourcer...

Since I can't leave for a few days, I decided to take a quick trip to Wisconsin to visit my parents -- now I am even further away from Cali! Even so, it is good to see my Mom and Dad.

Strange Math

OK, I have never gotten the cat's claw before. Not even from any of my previous girl friends -- what's up with that anyway!

Girls, tonight you have to give your husband or boyfriend or girlfriend the cat's claw. For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, the cat's claw is when a girl makes her hand into a claw and then goes "raaarow" in a seductive way.

Well, today, while I was at a stop light, a girl gave me the cat's caw. All I can figure is the following strange math:

Ural motorcycle = +1 on the 10 point scale
Biker dude look = +1 on the 10 point scale (for girls that like the biker look)

With a +2 going for me, I must have just eaked into the "cat claw range" for some women. Yay!

Sleep good.

There is Always Saturday

2005-09-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Started in: Twin Cites, MN
Ended in: Twin Cites, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

The lien release did not come today...now I am hoping for a Saturday delivery. It seems like a 50/50 chance of it coming on Saturday. I think the odds for a Monday delivery are 60/40 and a Tuesday delivery are 70/30.

I spent the day waiting, relaxing, and meditating (and reconciling my checkbook). At night, I went back to the Bunker campground and played harmonica by a nice fire. The moon was full and there were no clouds. It was a very beautiful night. Just before falling asleep I came to a whole set of very important and enlightening realizations (I hope they come to me again, and that I decide to write them down this time...).

My cell phone was dead most of the day -- I have to find a good place to charge it -- maybe at a restaurant tomorrow.

Release Me

2005-09-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Started in: West Southern MN
Ended in: Twin Cites, MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

I left Brittney's around 10:00 am and arrived in the Cities around 4:00 pm. That seems to be really good time when one is driving a Ural.

The trip was nice, I did have to stop once and adjust Pandora's valves -- two of them seemed to tighten up a little bit after I adjusted them the day before. I switched from setting them at .004" to .005". She seems to be running fine right now.

I stopped in and saw Ashley for a little bit, picked up my mail and then went to my old house to pick up some more mail that had ended up there. No lien release yet...the mail comes at 4:00 tomorrow (Friday). I well let out a primal scream if the release arrives.

I saw an eagle on the way to the Cities, in St. Peter. See the pic below.

I stayed the night in a campground that was only 15 minutes from my old house -- I never knew it was there. It is a great campground that completely feels like it is NOT in the middle of the Cities. Here is a link to info on it: Bunker Hill Campground

You've Got Your Foot in My Laptop

2005-09-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Started in: West Southern MN
Ended in: West Southern MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten (with a new valve job)

Today I did chores: cleaned the motorcycle, washed clothes, adjusted valves, charged my solar collector...

When Brittney got home from college, we ran some errands, took down my tent (I was sleeping in her backyard), and then went on a picnic by a lake. After the picnic, we watched two movies we had rented from McDonalds. Afterwards, I wanted a burger and fries real bad...

During the movies, we discovered that last night, when I had clammered into Brittney's house to give her a good night kiss, the crunching noise we heard was in fact caused by my foot as it broke the screen of her laptop :-(

Brittney has a special college warranty on the laptop that might cover the repairs. If it's not covered, I will have to divert some flow her way to get it fixed.

Tonight Gage and I are sleeping inside, but he better not get too used to it.

Tomorrow I head back to the Cities to wait for the arrival of my lien release. The lien release will signify two things:

my final release from the Aztek
my final release from the Twin Cities :-)

Here is a picture of Brittney and I just after our picnic:

I'm not Too Tents Anymore... :-)

2005-09-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Started in: Northern Iowa
Ended in: West Southern MN
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

This is the first day I am ending in a tent! Score; I luv sleeping in tents.

Today I performed maintenance on Pandora, figured out my packing scheme so that both my gear and Gage would have adequate room, attended Logan's first football game of the season, and drove back to Brittney's place.

I am making my way back to the Cities to finish up the last of the official business regarding the sale of my car.

Some unofficial observations:

Stopping every 40 kilometers has many interesting side-effects. One side-effect is a very strong feeling of "having been there". When I am in a car driving through a state, it never quite feels like I was actually in the State. Stopping every so often lets me hear, smell, and physically be in the place I am driving through.
People on the road are extremely friendly -- way more than I expected. My sister said she was less worried about me on my trip because she has seen how friendly and helpful the other bikers are.
You get to hear a lot of stories while you are on the road. For example, tonight I was waiting for Pandora to cool down at a closed gas station. A couple in a truck pulled into the station to use the after-hours pumps. They talked with me for about 30 minutes. Their son had just been in a car accident and they were driving to the Cities from Sturgis, where they live, to visit their son in the hospital.

Some official thank yous:

Steph, Alan, Levi, Logan, and Paula: thank you for the wonderful hospitality! I thoroughly enjoyed my time staying with you. Steph, be aware that the next time we take a road trip, we will have to drive further than the first time -- that's a road trip tradition!

Take'in It Easy

2005-09-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Started in: Mankato, MN
Ended in: Northern Iowa
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

Today was a relaxing day.

I was not able to give Levi and Logan rides to school today because it was raining. I did pick Logan up from his football practice. Tomorrow I will give Levi a ride on Pandora to Logan's first football game.

While doing some errands, in the two neighboring towns, I met a man who had worked 15 years for a company that made sidecar attachments for motorcycles. We talked about motorcycles for a good while. He told me to be safe and always talk to other bikers.

I had lunch with my sister and then slept the afternoon away with Gage in a park (see the pic below).

This evening a few of us sat outside by a fire, talking about adventures and ex'es and jobs and crickets. We topped off the evening with front row seats to a wonderful lightning storm that filled the night sky.

On a strange, unsurprising note; it looks like I will have to come back to the Cities one more time to pick up some paperwork. I did not realize I would have to sign a lien release for the woman that bought my car. The release should be ready for me to sign by Thursday or Friday. This trip is really getting off to a slooow start. I hope I can make it to Colorado before it snows...

There and Back Again

2005-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Started in: Mankato, MN
Ended in: Northern Iowa
Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

Well, Steph and I made it back to her house in time. I got her home about an hour before she had to leave on an errand. It was very windy on the way back to her house, and often we were not able to go faster than 40 mph because of the headwind.

As soon as we arrived, we unpacked and I took a nice nap.

This evening I helped Alan, Levi, and Logan load hogs from one of their barns into a couple of semi trailers. It was an interesting experience.

About 30 minutes ago, I took Gage on his first bike ride. He seemed to like it. He alternated between sitting up and looking out the side to laying down and looking out.

Here is a pic of Steph, my sister, and I on our way back to her house.

Tomorrow I am going to give Levi and Logan rides to school in Pandora.

The Marathon

2005-09-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Started in: Northern Iowa
 Ended in: Mankato, MN
 Pandora's Status: Purring like a kitten

This morning I changed Pandora's engine oil. I managed to drop 4 tools and my large waterproof clothing bag into the used oil pan. I also ended up spraying my clothes with an exceptionally large amount of used oil -- I didn't want to waste the good, clean new oil on my clothes...

At the beginning of our marathon road trip, my sister, Steph, asked: "How can anyone sleep in this [sidecar]?" At the end of our 14 hour road trip, she had figured it out.

We travelled back to the the Ural dealer to pick up my daughter's stranded pickup (and the solar charger I forget on the hood of the truck). We stopped every 30 - 40 kilometers to let Pandora cool off. It was a blast! We would sit on the side of the road, on a comfy blanket, listening to Country music as we watched other people zoom by.

Along the way we met a couple of older women traveling from the west coast to the east coast. They were taking pictures of the sunsets that occurred each evening of their trip.

Motorcycling hint of the day:

If a bug hits you in the ear, don't yell out "Bastard". Yelling bastard causes one's mouth to open widely, providing a large target for the next incoming bug.

Making the Rounds

2005-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Started in: West Southern MN
 Ended in: Northern Iowa
 Pandora’s Status: Purring like a kitten

I had a blast with my daughter. She was a wonderful host. There was hot tea and warm blankets waiting for me when I arrived!

We celebrated her birthday a day early -- Happy 20th Brittney!

At night, I rode to my sister's house. I arrived around midnight. We are planning on going on a road trip together tomorrow. We will drive to southern Minnesota and pick up the white pickup and then convoy it back to the Cities...

We will return to Iowa on Sunday.

On the Road Again

2005-09-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

Started in: Southern MN
Ended in: West Southern MN
Pandora's Status: Purring like a kitten

Pandora is running better then ever, literally. She sounds and operates like a completely different bike, a completely better bike. I am treating her like a cute little baby as I restart the break-in process.

Dave and Mary invited me to their house for supper. It was a nice, unexpected gift. After Supper, Dave and I went back and did some last minute tweaks on Pandora. When all was ready, I stored my gear in the sidecar and took off for my daughter's house. I arrived at my daughters around 11:30 pm.

On the way I met a nice couple that had been motorcycling for the last week-and-a-half. They were on their way back to Colorado via Rapid City, SD. They did not want to go back to their jobs...

Some official thank you's:

Dave: thanks for you tireless work on Pandora. I learned a lot watching you.
Mary: thanks for your tender spirit and calm support.
Jason: thanks for the great philosophy talks!

A New Heart

2005-09-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Started in: Minneapolis, MN
Ended in: Southern MN
Pandora's Status: Not running

Here I am, sitting in an old Airstream trailer, in an old shed. Dave is letting my sleep in his trailer while my bike is being repaired. My Internet connectivity is through my cell phone (which is only at one bar of reception -- must be this all metal trailer).

Today I went to New Richmond, Wisconsin and picked up two new head gaskets. The gaskets are in Pandora and all she needs now is a new air filter and some engine adjustments! She will probably be running Thursday afternoon. I had some after market coolers attached to her mufflers to help with engine heat management.

It feels like the trip has really begun, now that I am out of the Twin Cities.