I can't wait to leave!

Well...where to start. Actually where to end. I'm finished packing (finally!) and I'm really ready to rock'n'roll outta here! I was packing my bike and playing around with the timer on my camera. Figured I would get used to using it so I could take a picture of more than just my motorcycle every time. Traveling solo is fine but not being in any of the photos is not! So the first attempt is really just a potentially good picture of my behind.
On the second and third attempts...

Here I am just taking a glance at the atlas for tomorrow.

At the end of the night it was two thumbs up!








Tomorrow the adventure awaits!

So this was suppose to be up yesterday.

So I spent today working on my bike. This morning my dad and I rode from place to place picking up parts at different local auto stores. He was riding his old Harley and I was on my bike. A stark difference in years past thats for sure. We even had a chance to stop by Wegemans for lunch and a coffee. Boston is missing out! Wegemans is fantastic! I had a meatball sub with provolone cheese and a latte.

So the pic to the right is the shaft drive. I had to re-lube the splines with some moly/anti-seize compound. Figured since I had the final drive apart might as well take care of it.









This things looks pretty funny without a rear wheel!



Lots of garage space to work. This is where I pretty much spent the afternoon. Just wrenching away and listening to a country music. We have a cheap radio in the garage and it seems the only station that comes in clear is the country station so that where it stays. I haven't worked in a garage in a long time and getting grease on my hands was not that comforting. I kept cleaning them off until I got to the point where it was counterproductive so I finally gave in and let them get a little dirty.


I also had a few minutes to make an oil cooler guard. Essentially that silver mesh screen you see in the picture. This should help protect the radiator like piece behind it if any debris from the road should fly up and hit it. Especially a stone or something like that.



Another close up of the screen. There are a few companies that sell a guard but they are like 50 bucks so I created this out of a $2.54 piece of gutter guard you use on the house to keep leaves out of the gutter in the fall.




I took a few minutes to mess around with the camera I have. I wanted to see what kind of results I could get out of this thing before I'm greeted with an opportunity to take a really great photo and mess it up. The first one below I zoomed in on the hill across the valley and tried to capture th sun bathing hillside.

This is one of the those flower pics with flowers.

Maaaaannn....what the &*%$!

Just spent two hours typing out my hearts deepest thoughts and my brain's most enlightening emotions only to have my computer shut off in the middle of it. Thankfully I had been saving my work but when I logged back on (the netbook overheated and shut off to save itself from a meltdown) my work hadn't been saved at all! What a pain!

So I'll recap. I'm ready for the IBO (initial blog offering) tomorrow so if you're reading this I've actually followed through on sending around the link. I'm just a little uneasy about sharing though (no I'm not an only child) because I wonder how people will judge me and what they will think of what I'm doing. It shouldn't really matter but putting yourself into the space of becoming an open book isn't just a switch you throw. I think its a perspective you learn and writing from that perspective is key. Otherwise you'll just be reading my diary and that will be dull.

Spent all day working in the garage. I'll update with pics tomorrow. 

Game plans are ment to be broken

Ok I'm tired. Time for a real time game decision. Too tired to leave tomorrow for such a long journay. I feel sad honeslty. When I moved to Belgium to pursue a cycling career I left on my own terms and it was fulfilling. At this moment I feel like I'm leaving because there was nothing else on my list. As if to think "well you failed at everything else so.why not go and check this adventure off the bucket list." I'm not sure I agree with myself on this one. I guess you could say I'm having cold feet. The question is do I battle this thought with cognitive suggestions of ambition and motivated or do I come to my senses and just get back to the norm...
Had these thoughts while doing some maintenance on the motorbike. Changed the engine oil, gearbox, and final drive fluids. Which may not make any sense to some but it doesn't have to, just know its important stuff. Like blood in people but for mechanical stuff.
I'm exhausted. I need a nap and some dinner.

Just saw a bumper sticker that said "Not all people who wander are lost."

Rain on my parade

5:53 am this morning my wheels hit the Boston pavement (and pot holes) and it was official: BOS 2 PDX has begun! Not without its sad moments though.
After three weeks of selling everything I wanted to sell in my apartment, my sisters driving to the bean and taking home some kitchen stuff and lots of clothes, the remaining items were to be packed on my motorbike for the first day of this trip. So wouldn't it be appropriate I learn just how much can fit on the first day.
I ran out of space on the bike. Which may seem obvious because you really can't fit that much to begin with. Its not like it has a trunk or a backseat (actually it does have a back seat but its very small). So what do when you've already sold, given away and  thrown out everything you no longer want and still have more than you can take with you? I certainly wasn't ready for what I ended up doing. I sat on my front steps this morning (4:30am) starring at a pile of stuff that wasn't making the list. For the first time I was angry. Legit, punch the wall, angry. Suits, shoes, picture frames (i saved the pics at least), favourite t-shirts all those small things that seem to fill any empty room you live in and make it feel like home were gone. Metaphorical speaking that glossy black 25 gallon Glad bag weighed a ton. It was all I could do to move it and the sound of the bag hitting the empty trash can bottom still echos in my head with that emtpy hollow "thud" that rings so synonymously with anything that once had life and is now left for dead. Remind me to rent a car next time...
I was a little worried my bike would handle funny with all the additional weight loaded on to it's frame. I'll spare you the details of how exactly it all fit (pic to be uploaded) but after about 20 mins on the highway I started cruising. I was actually worried I might just fall asleep. After staying up until 1:30am to pack and then dealing with a sore throat and solidly fused shut nasal passage from my head cold my "rest" was anything but satisfying. All was good though. I sat there. The motorcycle ran along the road like a marshmallow on wheels and I could count on the rain and mid 50's temp to keep me awake. I had music on the entire way, really just as a background sound though. Sometimes if my music is too loud I'm not easily able to tune it out in case I have a thought I actually want to listen to.
Arrived home around 1:30pm after a few stops for snacks and a coffee or three. Nothing could have slowed me down the last 50 miles. The pending excitement of being home was just too much. I'm not going to admit I had the speedo dancing around 85-90 for that last bit, well guess I just did, oops!

Time for some shut eye. Tomorrow comes with some house cleaning, organizing and hopefully some sunshine :-)

Just a few days until I take off for the rest if the trip!


So here is the rest of the stuff before I packed...

Here is everything all packed up!













The bike fully loaded. I guess you could call this the parting shot...

This is the view Boston saw this morning. Nothing but taillights! 

In NY, raining and 56 degrees. Lovely :-) A guy got out of his car, looked at me, then the bike and than back at me with a look of astonishment. I hear ya!