Life in Motion with Rodney Myers and his motorcycle

Haven't been doing much interesting riding, so I thought I would catch you up to where I have been cruising. Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 This was just another run to Menard's Had to grab some hardware for the project on the house. Took Shadeland north to Pendleton Pike, and then into Menards. I returned the same way. Thursday, July 26th, 2007 The skies were not as open to blue sky as they were the last couple of days, but the big was kind of dirty anyway, so if it rained, it would just help to clean off the smashed bugs on the windshield. After making some phone calls, and fitting a few other things in, I was running late for dinner at the PUD, Parental Unit Dwelling. I started out heading west on Washington Street, and turned north on Arlington Avenue. I would take Arlington until I got to 56th Street, the avenue T's there. I headed further west, and took the exit to Kesler Boulevard. It winds it way west and and north through town, and even goes back south! I would...

Sunday, July 22, 2007 After a couple of days of short rides to work and to run errands, it is going to be nice to go on a ride with some distance. This Sunday is a regular ride day for Indianapolis Cruiser Club, and we would be joining with the Indiana VTX Riders for a Meet, Greet, Eat, and Ride. I had no idea what to expect, but the count from the VTX Forum was about 40. I started out heading east on Washington Street, getting to 465 as soon as I could. I didn't want to waste time getting to the meeting spot. I took the loop north and west around town, and exited on US 31. I took it north to SR 38, and headed west to Sheridan, Indiana. I saw my brother and his wife filling up at a gas station, made me feel better that I would have him and his radio along on the ride. I went a little further west, and arrived at The Red Onion and Rodney's Place. They have a good sized parking lot, but it was dwarfed by all the motorcycles parked in the lot!! It looked like there was abo...

Saturday, July 21, 2007 If you read yesterday's post, you read that I mentioned that no home improvement project is done until at least three trips back to the hardware store. I know Menard's is billed as Home Improvement Store, but allow me to kick it old school for a moment! I started out heading west on Tenth Street to Shadeland Avenue. North on Shadeland to Pendleton Pike, and then into the Menard's Parking lot. After what I believe is my final trip, I hopped back on the bike, and returned the route I came.

Friday, July 20, 2007 I was hoping to be able to ride back to the station this morning. It was cooler, about 57 degrees, but I thought I could brave it! This is an unheard of tempreture for July! I took the usual route, west on Washington, North on Delaware, a little further west on Tenth Street, and then north on Meridian to the station. Another work day is done at the old station, and now I needed to head to Menard's. I worked at a Hardware Store in High School, and know no home improvement project is complete without at least three trips to the hardware store! I started out north on Meridian Street, and veered to the northeast on Fall Creek Parkway. Traffic was backed up and slow, but it did keep moving. I decided to take 38th Street, but I missed my turn, something must have been good on the MP3 Player! So I took Keystone Avenue south back to 38th Street. I then went east until I go to Menard's. After a little exchange, I was back on the road. I went little north a...

Thursday, July 19, 2007 All day long it had been cloudy, and even a few sprinkles had fallen. So thinking about riding was a little iffy. I checked the radar, and decided to make a break for the PUD - Parental Unit Dwelling. I started out heading west on Washington Street. I took Emerson Avenue north to Kessler Boulevard. At this point it winds mostly to the west, and through the village of Broad Ripple. I crossed College Avenue, and turned north on Broadway. I went this way to go past a friend's house, Kyle, a girl, not a guy. I stalk her on Thursday afternoons. Broadway T's at the canal, and I head east back to College Avenue. I take that north to 106th Street. I would take it east, slowly, as the traffic was backed up! Luckily, I exited the street before it gets to Westfield Boulevard by taking Orchard Park School Parkway, and then winding around the neighborhood I grew up. As I pass my friend Jeff's House, a house I used to live in, I give three toots of the ...

Saturday, July 14th, 2007 Today I have been looking forward too. Not so much for the ride, but to find out what a Jellybean Ride is, and to see some new "old" friends. Plus, I would be helping out a good cause. I started on Washington Street heading west, but just the short distance to Shadeland Avenue. I ran up to the First Indiana, took some money out through the ATM, and the headed back south on Shadeland. Shadeland blends into 465, which I took around the south east corner of Indiana's Capital City. I ran on the super slab until the six o'clock point on the city dial, and headed south on US-31. I was looking for a Shell at Thompson Road to get some gas. I had 130 miles on the tank when I left home, so the low fuel was glowing. Believe or not, the Shell was closed!! A lot of BP's had closed in the area, but I didn't think any Shell's did? I went on along US-31, and found a Speedway to fuel up. I rode west from the fueling post, and turned sout...

Thursday, July 12, 2007 "Sometimes you want go, where everybody knows your name..." I think I am close to the familiar refrain from the theme song to "Cheers". As long as the show was on, and thanks to a continuation in syndication, just about everyone can remember the television show set in a Boston Bar. I mention it, because it reminds me of today's destination. I got some work down on the house, and the trucking company came and picked up the roll off dumpster from the driveway, so I was headed for a reward! If you have read for a while, you know that Shelbi Street Cafe is one of my favorite places. For me, it is my place "Where everyone (at least the staff) knows my name." I used to go about once a week, but now that I don't work downtown, it has been a few months since I had dined there. I hopped on the bike, and cruised slowly out of the garage, hitting the button on the remote in my jacket, and watched the garage door go down behind m...

Monday, July 9, 2007 Well it is time for a ride back down to Columbus, Indiana for meeting at Cummins. We weren't having a broadcast, or even a taping, it was for a meeting to talk about a project that they have hired me to Produce and Direct. It is a video to celebrate a prolific inventor at Cummins, and award named in his honor. He was an incredible man who fought his way to be an educated engineer in post World War II Hungry, made his way to the United States, and lived what can be called the American Dream. He gained 80 to 90 patients while at Cummins, and his two sons are employees. Anyway, to the ride! I started out heading west on East Washington Street for a short bit to Shadeland Avenue. I went south, and then merged onto 465 South. I took the loop around to I 65, and headed south for about 40 miles. For a time I rode with a man on a Royal Star Venture, it looked like the one I sat on at Dreyer Honda South. Not sure if he got off at US 31 as I did, as we got sepera...

Saturday, July 7th, 2007 Once every 100 years a date comes along that draws the attention of people. For about a month, everyone had been talking abut today, 7-7-7. Lucky Sevens day meant people would flock to casinos, lottery vendors, and the alter!! Not wanting to be an exception, the Indianapolis chapter of Cruiser Club, USA was heading for a Casino. Indiana's latest, a "riverboat" at French Lick. It would be a 250 mile day, and since Nina expressed interest in coming along, and most of the RSVP's I got were older guys, I had programed breaks about every 40 miles. We left the house at 8:15 in the morning, yeah I remember it is a weekend! We started west on Washington Street, then ramped to Shadeland Avenue South. Shadeland blends into 465, and would round the east and south sides of the capital city on this beltway. We left the highway at Kentucky Avenue, which is also SR 67. There is a McDonald's and BP Combo there that is a popular meeting point for ou...

Thursday, July 5th, 2007 Well, here it is the First Thursday of the month, can't believe it is July already!! I headed out early, as I wanted to check out a hotel that is a possibility for Gathering of Eagles XII, the National Rally for Cruiser Club, USA, as we are the host chapter. I started out heading west on Washington Street. I made a brief run up Shortridge to drop off some mail. I beared right onto Tibbs, which turns straight north, and took me to 16th Street. I took 16th west past the track, and onto Crawfordsville Road. At High School Road, instead of going north, I went south on US 136. After turning onto the wrong Waterfront Parkway, I made my way to the Clarian Waterfront Inn. I parked the bike in the shade, and stepped inside. After a tour by the night manager, I returned to the bike, and tooled around the parking lot. The lot was ample, including a little area on the west side that would be great for a bike correl, a place for us to park the bikes and gather in...

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 The advantage of being your own boss is that you can take a day off, and the boss won't mind!! Today was one of those days. I had been doing a lot of work around the house, even over the weekend, and I plan on doing more tomorrow, on Independence Day. There is a bit of history with this Run to the River! I have been on a similiar ride years ago, with many of the same people. It was the Sunday Morning Breakfast Group, but they had not settle on a regular place, and they were meeting on Saturday's. The day I took this ride previously, they were meeting at an Old Country Buffet near my house. Since then, there has been a Run to the River, led by Wild Bill, every year since. So in the great tradition, I took off, heading east on Washington Street until turning south on Franklin Road. At US 52, I went south and east to Post Road. We were meeting at a McDonald's near where Post Road crosses I 74. I rolled my bike into the parking lot, and lined up...

Sunday, July 1st, 2007 Well, because of other commitmits, I have not been able to ride to one of my routine spots, Shapiro's Downtown for breakfast. Some mornings I was doing things that I would rather be at Shapiro's than be doing those chores, but last couple of weeks I was riding to and from Gathering of Eagles (GOE). The first thing I noticed before threw my leg over the bike was that my wallet was nearly empty of cash. So the first stop would be at an ATM at First Indiana Bank. From there, I went south on Shadeland to Tenth Street, and began my trip west into downtown. At Arlington I jogged south to Pleasant Run which quickly becomes one way, and Michigan Street. The traffic was light, and I was able to cruise at a speed that meant green lights at the intersections, until I got nearer downtown. The first stop would be for a train on the tracks that are near I 65/I 70. The train was mostly passed when I approached, so after a dozen or so cars chugged along, the gates ...