Was This Crazy?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Well, here it is, the day after my birthday ride, and I have been 40 for three days. The house was empty, and all I had planned for the day was to make my way through the Sunday Paper and accompanying crossword. I wok up around 8 or so, and stepped out into the warm August air to get the paper. I was thinking, why am I staying inside, I should be out riding! I felt like I have been running the tires off the bike, but then again, that is why I bought it!
I had my breakfast, my paper, and I was ready to settle in for a relaxing, and inactive day. Once the morning meal was consumed, I pulled up my laptop, fired it up, and logged in. I checked my e-mail, and surfed around my forums and other sites. One site I had been on lately was one called Plenty of Fish. Yes it is a dating site. I am one of those people who just doesn't have any opportunities to meet new people. Plus, I could limit down a lot of what I was meeting by stipulating that I want someone to ride the motorcycle with me. It was funny, there was o middle ground, I had either women who were ready to ride, or women who would have nothing to do with it.
So I had a message from a single gal in Batesville, Indiana. She said she loves to ride, but never had a motorcycle, just been out riding with other guys she had met locally. I replied to the message. I then went back to my plan, and the Sunday Indianapolis Star.
Within about 15 minutes, I got alert that I had another message, from the women in Batesville. I checked it, and she mentioned that today was a great day to go for a ride. I replied that yesterday was a great day too, in fact I had ridden 250 miles yesterday.
Besides the e-mail component of the dating site, there is also an Instant Message gadget on the site. It was not long before she was sending these kind of messages. We chatted for a bit, then we were planning on meeting for lunch, today! And going for a ride. Before I knew it, I was in the shower, then in clothes, then on The Black Pearl, and then on Interstate 74, making my way to Batesville, Indiana.
The music was going, and the GPS was counting down the miles and minutes to the south eastern Indiana town. It hit me about halfway there, Is this crazy? I mean I only really met this gal about three hours ago, now I am on my way to met her and take her for a ride? How do I even know it is really a woman? For some reason, the argument in my head just pushed the motorcycle closer to the town.
I pulled into town, found the little bar that we were meeting at, and parked the bike across the street. I secured my gear, then I pulled out some magazines I had on the bike, and began reading. I was a little early, so I needed to waste some time. I was about to call, when I saw a car coming my way. When it got closer, it sped by, but I could see that a blond gal was in the car. I knew it was her. I thought maybe she was checking me out, didn't like what she saw, and was speeding her way back home. I decided to sit it out for a few minutes. I was about resigned to take off on my own ride, and make a good day out of it.
About a minute later she came around the corner of the bar, and said hi. We did the normal introductions, and stepped into the bar.
We spent about an hour chatting, and finally decided that the warm August air was calling way too loudly. We suited up, and boarded The Pearl, and headed out. We started heading east on SR 46. This was a fairly straight, and not very scenic start to the ride. I was not sure of her abilities as a passenger, so I took it easy at first.
SR 1 would take us north, and while it had a few more curves, it still was not a very scenic road. We approached Brookville, another little burg, German in heritage. The town has several bars, and parked in front of each was several motorcycles. Sitting in a bar, when you have a motorcycle? Hmmmmmm, may as well be home reading the paper?
We turned heading back west on SR 52. The road here features some good sweeping corners, and for the first time, I felt like I could get a feel for how well my new passenger could ride. We pulled off into the town of Metamora, and of course, I was there for some Ice Cream. After a brief tour of the town, and a cool treat, we headed back out for a short trip to a gas station.
The next leg of the tour would be the best. We would be heading down south on SR 229. This is a twisty hilly road like many in Southern Indiana. I was having a good time with these turns, as I have been through them a number of times. It ends in Batesville, and I made our way back to the bar we met at.
We sat in the bar for a few more minutes, enough time for me to get a burger and some fries down, and for us to talk a little more. She told me about a Monday Night Ride that the do from the bar every night. Someone is selected from a pool of riders to lead the group to another destination. Sounded like a cool idea.
It was growing late in the day, so I made my way back home, where that paper was waiting on me. I started on I-74, but had had enough of the super slab, and veered north on SR 3 and back to US 52. It does not have the curves that southern portion has, but, it was a quiet road, broken up with several small towns along the way. I would take it to Shadeland Avenue, then north to Washington Street. I was back home, safe and sound, still wondering if I was crazy for doing that or not?
Well, here it is, the day after my birthday ride, and I have been 40 for three days. The house was empty, and all I had planned for the day was to make my way through the Sunday Paper and accompanying crossword. I wok up around 8 or so, and stepped out into the warm August air to get the paper. I was thinking, why am I staying inside, I should be out riding! I felt like I have been running the tires off the bike, but then again, that is why I bought it!
I had my breakfast, my paper, and I was ready to settle in for a relaxing, and inactive day. Once the morning meal was consumed, I pulled up my laptop, fired it up, and logged in. I checked my e-mail, and surfed around my forums and other sites. One site I had been on lately was one called Plenty of Fish. Yes it is a dating site. I am one of those people who just doesn't have any opportunities to meet new people. Plus, I could limit down a lot of what I was meeting by stipulating that I want someone to ride the motorcycle with me. It was funny, there was o middle ground, I had either women who were ready to ride, or women who would have nothing to do with it.
So I had a message from a single gal in Batesville, Indiana. She said she loves to ride, but never had a motorcycle, just been out riding with other guys she had met locally. I replied to the message. I then went back to my plan, and the Sunday Indianapolis Star.
Within about 15 minutes, I got alert that I had another message, from the women in Batesville. I checked it, and she mentioned that today was a great day to go for a ride. I replied that yesterday was a great day too, in fact I had ridden 250 miles yesterday.
Besides the e-mail component of the dating site, there is also an Instant Message gadget on the site. It was not long before she was sending these kind of messages. We chatted for a bit, then we were planning on meeting for lunch, today! And going for a ride. Before I knew it, I was in the shower, then in clothes, then on The Black Pearl, and then on Interstate 74, making my way to Batesville, Indiana.
The music was going, and the GPS was counting down the miles and minutes to the south eastern Indiana town. It hit me about halfway there, Is this crazy? I mean I only really met this gal about three hours ago, now I am on my way to met her and take her for a ride? How do I even know it is really a woman? For some reason, the argument in my head just pushed the motorcycle closer to the town.
I pulled into town, found the little bar that we were meeting at, and parked the bike across the street. I secured my gear, then I pulled out some magazines I had on the bike, and began reading. I was a little early, so I needed to waste some time. I was about to call, when I saw a car coming my way. When it got closer, it sped by, but I could see that a blond gal was in the car. I knew it was her. I thought maybe she was checking me out, didn't like what she saw, and was speeding her way back home. I decided to sit it out for a few minutes. I was about resigned to take off on my own ride, and make a good day out of it.
About a minute later she came around the corner of the bar, and said hi. We did the normal introductions, and stepped into the bar.
We spent about an hour chatting, and finally decided that the warm August air was calling way too loudly. We suited up, and boarded The Pearl, and headed out. We started heading east on SR 46. This was a fairly straight, and not very scenic start to the ride. I was not sure of her abilities as a passenger, so I took it easy at first.
SR 1 would take us north, and while it had a few more curves, it still was not a very scenic road. We approached Brookville, another little burg, German in heritage. The town has several bars, and parked in front of each was several motorcycles. Sitting in a bar, when you have a motorcycle? Hmmmmmm, may as well be home reading the paper?
We turned heading back west on SR 52. The road here features some good sweeping corners, and for the first time, I felt like I could get a feel for how well my new passenger could ride. We pulled off into the town of Metamora, and of course, I was there for some Ice Cream. After a brief tour of the town, and a cool treat, we headed back out for a short trip to a gas station.
The next leg of the tour would be the best. We would be heading down south on SR 229. This is a twisty hilly road like many in Southern Indiana. I was having a good time with these turns, as I have been through them a number of times. It ends in Batesville, and I made our way back to the bar we met at.
We sat in the bar for a few more minutes, enough time for me to get a burger and some fries down, and for us to talk a little more. She told me about a Monday Night Ride that the do from the bar every night. Someone is selected from a pool of riders to lead the group to another destination. Sounded like a cool idea.
It was growing late in the day, so I made my way back home, where that paper was waiting on me. I started on I-74, but had had enough of the super slab, and veered north on SR 3 and back to US 52. It does not have the curves that southern portion has, but, it was a quiet road, broken up with several small towns along the way. I would take it to Shadeland Avenue, then north to Washington Street. I was back home, safe and sound, still wondering if I was crazy for doing that or not?
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