Guilty Pleasures
Friday, September 21st, 2007
First, I want to issue a warning: I have decided to try and retain some of the things I think about while riding, and put them down here. Not so much to entertain the few readers here, but just so I have my stream on conscious written down.
Today's ride is actually a work ride. I have a friend who rides his bike across the country checking on things for his work, claiming it as saving his company money. Yeah I am sure it is a justification, but if it works. I am doing research, and wanting to begin production on a documentry on Indiana Covered Bridge Builders. So today, I was venturing out to Rush County, Indiana, to look at some bridges built by the Kennedy Family.
I started out heading west on Washington Street, and took it to Post Road, where I drove south to Brookville Road, or US-52. This highway took me south and west, through New Palestine and Morristown. It was hard to pass up the Kopper Kettle, but I was not quit hungry yet.
Portions of US-52 are pretty wide open, and I felt more exposed today for some reason, then I realized, lots of the corn had been harvested. The golden brown wall of stalks that I was used to had been removed, and now I could see across the open fields. It is a sign that autumn is coming, which a lot of people look forward too, and I am one of them, but it is a bittersweet time for a motorcyclist in a area that gets snow and freezing temps.
In the wide open spots, I think about how this is one of my guilty pleasures in life. Just like my friend who was saving his company money, and making me jealous, here I was, heading out to see some cool structures, and being able to ride. There is that little moment where you feel like you are getting away with something. I think about all those people slaving away in a cubicle, while I spend the day at my two wheel office.
I pull off of U-52 onto a back county road to visit my first Covered Bridge. Now I am feeling even more guilty, at least when I was on the highway, I felt like I was being efficient! Funny how you start grasping for justifications. "Just remember Rodney, you are saving your company money!"
Many Covered Bridge Maps are far from accurate, so I have been trying to mark on the GPS all the bridges I visit, so I know right where they are. This first one is no exception, where is was on the map, and where it actually is had about a half mile between! I began thinking this might not be a bad ride for the Cruiser Club, probably just another justification!
I stopped near the bridge entrance, shut down the bike, and got out the camera. I took a few pictures, and then packed away the camera, and hoped on the bike. I hit the starter button, nothing. I checked the kill switch, checked the kickstand, even took it out of gear, and nothing. Rut row Rastro, I thought in my best Jetson's Voice. I was heading down hill, so the my best bet was to push start the bike, which I did, and was able to keep running. The Honda Cruisers are known for there starter switch problems. I was hoping this was intermitent.
I marked the spot of the bridge, and road to the Rush County Historical Society, and to another Two Covered Bridges, leaving the bike running where I was not running down hill. My guilt was growing, was Karma paying me back for taking this trip?
I decided I need to head back, and take the fastest way I could. I still had some bridges I wanted to see, but it would have to be another trip.
The Highways of SR-44 and I-74 wore on my mind, and by the time I got home, I was comfortable that it was not the world playing against me for taking this trip. I wonder why we feel guilty about little things like this. Shouldn't we do little pleasures like this, and be able to do them guilt free? Or maybe we need to learn to live with a little bit guilt?
First, I want to issue a warning: I have decided to try and retain some of the things I think about while riding, and put them down here. Not so much to entertain the few readers here, but just so I have my stream on conscious written down.
Today's ride is actually a work ride. I have a friend who rides his bike across the country checking on things for his work, claiming it as saving his company money. Yeah I am sure it is a justification, but if it works. I am doing research, and wanting to begin production on a documentry on Indiana Covered Bridge Builders. So today, I was venturing out to Rush County, Indiana, to look at some bridges built by the Kennedy Family.
I started out heading west on Washington Street, and took it to Post Road, where I drove south to Brookville Road, or US-52. This highway took me south and west, through New Palestine and Morristown. It was hard to pass up the Kopper Kettle, but I was not quit hungry yet.
Portions of US-52 are pretty wide open, and I felt more exposed today for some reason, then I realized, lots of the corn had been harvested. The golden brown wall of stalks that I was used to had been removed, and now I could see across the open fields. It is a sign that autumn is coming, which a lot of people look forward too, and I am one of them, but it is a bittersweet time for a motorcyclist in a area that gets snow and freezing temps.
In the wide open spots, I think about how this is one of my guilty pleasures in life. Just like my friend who was saving his company money, and making me jealous, here I was, heading out to see some cool structures, and being able to ride. There is that little moment where you feel like you are getting away with something. I think about all those people slaving away in a cubicle, while I spend the day at my two wheel office.
I pull off of U-52 onto a back county road to visit my first Covered Bridge. Now I am feeling even more guilty, at least when I was on the highway, I felt like I was being efficient! Funny how you start grasping for justifications. "Just remember Rodney, you are saving your company money!"
Many Covered Bridge Maps are far from accurate, so I have been trying to mark on the GPS all the bridges I visit, so I know right where they are. This first one is no exception, where is was on the map, and where it actually is had about a half mile between! I began thinking this might not be a bad ride for the Cruiser Club, probably just another justification!
I stopped near the bridge entrance, shut down the bike, and got out the camera. I took a few pictures, and then packed away the camera, and hoped on the bike. I hit the starter button, nothing. I checked the kill switch, checked the kickstand, even took it out of gear, and nothing. Rut row Rastro, I thought in my best Jetson's Voice. I was heading down hill, so the my best bet was to push start the bike, which I did, and was able to keep running. The Honda Cruisers are known for there starter switch problems. I was hoping this was intermitent.
I marked the spot of the bridge, and road to the Rush County Historical Society, and to another Two Covered Bridges, leaving the bike running where I was not running down hill. My guilt was growing, was Karma paying me back for taking this trip?
I decided I need to head back, and take the fastest way I could. I still had some bridges I wanted to see, but it would have to be another trip.
The Highways of SR-44 and I-74 wore on my mind, and by the time I got home, I was comfortable that it was not the world playing against me for taking this trip. I wonder why we feel guilty about little things like this. Shouldn't we do little pleasures like this, and be able to do them guilt free? Or maybe we need to learn to live with a little bit guilt?
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