Wednesday, January 12, 2005

The 'Runaway' thing....

Nate, Welldigger, and I all have this urge. It is our fondest dream to just go places far away for extended periods of time while taking the long route to get there. This sort of thinkin', of course, leads to motorcycles simply because they are the conveyance with the best compromise of 'getting there' with the maximum sense of travel. O.K. they're fast and chicks dig 'em, but that isn't germane here.

Anyhow, I have been thinkin on this urge to runaway. I wonder if it's typical of your average above-average male. Hell, I'm a contented family man; Love my wife and daughters, enjoy the hell out of just sittin' on the porch swing readin' most days. But give me a break in the clouds and warm sunshine and I'm thinkin' I need to be on the way to somewhere on the other side of nowhere.

I know few others with this urge to the extent I have it. Nate and Welldigger as I mentioned above, though Nate can hardly get outa the house long enough for the peck marks to heal up. Them and a couple of old guys I work with. That's pretty much it. Not a scientific survey, but I know a lot of folks.

Sure, lots of folks like to travel, and lots of folks like to ride bikes (internal combustion here folks - no spandex shorts for me) but they are mostly 'daytrippers'. Ya' get most 'bikers' out on a ride, they got a time their mom.....er..wife has for 'em to be home THAT DAY! No way they're stayin' out all night!

Lot's of folks travel. They take the fastest way to get there. Stay in one spot a bit, then haul ass back. Doesn't do much for me.

Take a week, take TWO. Grab a buddy or a brother, hell even a wife. Don't schedule anything, pick a general direction or something to see; climb on, fire it up, point the front wheel toward the sun and go! We'll get there when we get there. Eat only at mom and pop resturants, say 'howdy' to folks, sleep at "motor inns", stop in a town square at sunset - sit on a bench in leathers and a wifebeater with helmethair next to the bike under a statue of a Confederate hero staring ever vigilant...... northward lest they try again. Then do it again the next day, and the next and the next..... Don't go home 'til ya' miss someone more than you want to see what's around the next bend or over the next rise or ya' run outa time.

Sounds like heaven to me. Might be purgatory for others.

Pussies.

Rant

Enough of this winter weather already! Sure, it's a 'mild' winter, that means it rains everytime it's not below freezing. We have had several 60+ degree days since November, but it rains damn near every time the mercury stretches above 'chilly'. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Sorry. Rant off.

What was Igoing to write about? Oh yeah, the 'runaway' thing....

see above.