A Casual Ride to Work

Saturday, August 16th, 2008




The good thing about working for yourself is you can pick jobs you want to do. Sometimes you like the work, sometimes you like the people, sometimes you like the location. This job had all three fro me. I was going to be Technical Directing, switching cameras, for a comedy video. I would be working with someone that I always enjoy working with, who also owns his own production truck. Besides being a competent engineer, he is just an all around great guy. Third, I would be able to travel to Northern Indiana for the job. I have not gotten a lot of jobs that I had to travel to, so I was looking forward to it. As the day approached, it also became obvious that I was going to be able to make the trip on two wheels.

Of course riding to the job meant that I would not take the direct route, and it also meant it would take a good part of the day, and I would have to get up early to make it time for crew call.

The first few legs of the trip would be super slabs, ok so US 31 is no that much of a super slab, but it is two lane divided. I took 465 around town on the Saturday Morning, and took the ramp to US 431 or Keystone Avenue. That joins US 31 on the north side of Carmel, Indiana. It would be several miles north on this road. I would be going through the town of Peru, Indiana, where my father grew up, and a few miles south of my mom's hometown. If I had a dollar for every time I had drive on US 31, I would be a rich man!

I veered off of US 31 to US Business 31 through Peru, Indiana, the Circus Capital of the World. Indiana was at one time, a haven for traveling circuses in the winter time. I rode through town, eventually joining on IN 24, then IN 115 and IN 15 to head north again.

I rode IN 15 north to IN 6, then headed a bit east, before going north once again. IN 5 would be the last road I would ride, and would take me north right into Shipshewana. If I had been to and through this town, it had been a while. It was a tourist trap. Complete with large eateries and theaters for live performances.
I cruised into downtown, carefully avoiding the masses of people. Most of them were my senior, and many were woman, obviously out shopping. I could see the production truck behind The Blue Gate, the theater hosting the comedians. I took the scenic route around the restaurant, then found a parking spot near the production vehicle.

It turned out to be an easy day of work, and around eleven, we had the truck packed up, and it was time to head home. Well they headed home, I had other arrangements. Not wanting to ride home at midnight to three in the morning, I was headed to a friend's house to crash for the night. Actually, it is the president of the Sturgis, Michigan Chapter of Cruiser Club, USA. Julie. I might have mentioned her before, and you might have read about her.

It was only about a 25 or 30 mile trip, but it was through Amish Country, dark, and there were few major roads to take. When traffic did approach from the other way, it was often and Amish Buggy, pulled by a horse.

I started out north on SR 5 again, to IN 120, which took me east. IN 9 would lead me north into Michigan, where the road changes to route 66. Not the famous one, this is Michigan 66. I was in Sturgis, Michigan, again not the famous Sturgis, either. It would be a few city streets, and I would be t her home. So before midnight, the horse was in the stable.

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