Life in Motion with Rodney Myers and his motorcycle

Saturday, August 30th, 2008 August has just seems to have provided an endless number of days perfect for riding. This Saturday would not be an exception. It would also be a lazy kind of summer Saturday. The summer ends next weekend with Labor Day, so this is the calm before the big end of season storm. Kasey and I climbed aboard The Pearl, and headed out for her house. I couldn't help but thing that this route would a routine ride with the regularity of the school board meetings, or other regular clients. We headed west on Washington Street, making our way through the capital city of Indiana. Traffic was late, as it seemed that most people were staying, maybe using this weekend to get ready for parties? We took Washington Street all the way through town, and arrived in the city of Plainfield, Indiana. At SR-267 or Raceway Road, we headed north, entering the town of Avon, Indiana. There we would turn west again on US-36 or Rockville Road. Once again, the helmet chatter filled...

Friday, August 29th, 2008 Well it has been a week since I last took Kasey for a ride. I had put quite a few miles on The Pearl, and August is shaping up to be a great month! I was really looking forward to today's ride. Kasey's voice saying, "This is so wonderful," was still ringing in my ears. I remembered what a time I had with the construction on US-36 at 465 on the west side, and with a nicely cleaned up bike, limiting construction is a must. I headed west on Washington Street, and made my way through town, passing through warm Friday downtown traffic. Along the route, I passed The Zoo, and eventually arrived on the west side of town, passing under the beltway. I continued on Washington Street where it had also became US-40, or The National Road. I stayed on the road until Raceway, then headed north. I would still have some miles on US-36, and it would be slow going through Avon, Indiana, but I would make out to the center on Hendricks County. I pulled int...

Sunday, August 24, 2008 You ever notice that you never realize how full a day is until you lay your head on the pillow? I may have been still swooning from the great day and ride on Friday, or it might have been two days in the August Sun, or even all the deep belly laughs, but I do know that I slept very well that Saturday Night. I woke up Sunday, refreshed, and eager to hit the road again. First off was packing up, then taking the gear down and packing it on the bike. I am so glad that I have a good set of saddle bags, and a trunk. Makes things easy to stow away. I see some people spending countless minutes, riding time minutes mind you, strapping and re-strapping. The first order of business was breakfast, my parent's in their car, and my brother and I on our bikes headed out in search of the morning meal. Gee, another thought, how long has it been since this family sat down to breakfast together? At this point, it was less than a birthday present, and more of a family va...

Saturday, August 23, 2008 Well, I know it has been a little while since my birthday, but since I planned my own party, and ride, my present from my borther and sister would have to wait for a few weeks. Well this was the weekend! August has turned out to be a very good month when it comes to riding, and I know I will regret all the writing I have to do! On this Saturday Morning, I started out alone, pulling down my driveway. I headed through town on city streets, and arrived on the northwest side, heading toward my brother and sister in law's house in Lafayette, Indiana. I was going to be earlier than the appointed time, but, geez, we are wasting riding time here people! Most of this part of the journey was on SR 52. After reaching town, but before their home, I gassed up the Black Pearl. It was far from loaded down, as this was only a weekend get away. After relaxing at their house, we pulled the bikes back out, and I followed along the route. I do a lot of leading, and I w...

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 I won't vouch for how accurate the above map is, Julie did a good job of getting both of us lost on way back through Indiana. She was on her new bike, and had been a ride through the area, and did her best to remember how to get through. Eventually, we made our way to Kendalville, and made a stop for lunch at the KFC. It had a buffet, so you could get what you wanted, and as much as you wanted. After lunch, she would head back to her house, and I would continue my journey to home. I had about 160 miles left to make it back to the Digital Castle. I made my way along county roads, and through various towns. They each had their own character, and most of the had something that caught my eye. The weather was great, and I was really enjoying the ride. The towns offered stops, and I could stand up out of the seat, and stretch. Before long, I was almost home, I had 150 miles on the clock since my last stop. I was able to hit some of my favorite roads clos...

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 slab...

Friday, August 22, 2008 August is always a month that you never know what you will get. Trust me, my birthday has been in August well, ever since I was born. During my many celebrations, I have tried to have many different parties. When I had a party indoors, it was sunny and 85. When I had a pool party, it was cloudy and 68 degrees. Then, I will add the four years in a row that I went to Holiday World, the highest temperature of the four trips, 72 degrees! For this Leo, I just can't win. I blame my mom, it rains on her birthday every year, so it must be genetic! Well, this Friday in late August was going to be a good day, I could feel it when I woke up. First off, I knew I was going for a ride. Secondly, I was meeting a new riding partner. This was not our first meeting. We had met for lunch about a week and a half ago. In my quest to play it cool, I ended up playing so cool, she didn't think I was interested. After 10 days or so of Instant Messaging I think I had...

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 Just another quick trip for a routine job that I do. Look it up, you will see several entries about me riding to a board meeting to work. It is a standard route, west on Washington Street, North on Delaware to the Indianapolis Public Schools Headquarters. After the meeting, I return north on Delaware to I-70. I take the super slab east to another big slab of concrete, I-465, then south to Washington Street.

Monday, August 18, 2008 Okay, first off, the above map is incomplete. I was not leading, and I didn't save tracks for the route. The part of the route that I do know, I started off heading east on Washington Street, then south on Franklin Road. After a few blocks of riding along 465, I arrived at US 52. I turned to take the road south and east, on my way to Brookville, another name for this road. I was looking forward to taking SR 229 once again. It was mid afternoon, and after an hour of riding on mostly straight Brookville Road, I would be good a ready for some twisties. I hit the stretch of road, and it seemed like it passed way to quickly. Of course I was observing all the posted speed limits, wink, wink, but I was dying for some bends in the road. When I arrived on the north side of Batesville, I stopped in to have some dinner under the Golden Arches. Not ever my first choice, sometimes the last resort, I really prefer mom and pop and I have yet to see Mrs. Ronald McDon...

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...

August 9th, 2008 Well here it is, two days after I passed the 40 mile stone. So to celebrate, we are going riding! I knew where I wanted my Birthday Lunch, so I made a ride out of making a big loop around Indianapolis. The weather looked fine, even though clouds would move in later. Several of us assembled at the Thornton's Gas Station on East Washington Street. We began by heading East on Washington Street, and underneath 465 to Franklin Road. We made our way north on Franklin and the headed east again on 10th Street. We cruised along this route of town until we got to Cumberland, Indiana. A short juant north, and then back east on 21st Street. Once out of Marion County, the road cahnges to 100 North. Before entering Greenfield, Indiana, we turned north on Fortville Road. This road winds it way north, and little west. The road is sceninc, and has a lake view with some nice lookig modest homes surrounding it. In Fortville, we jogged over to SR 13, and headed back north....