Day 1 - OMG, Didn't Know I Could Have That Much Fun On 2 Wheels!

As I told the wife (Tracey to those who know and love her) tonight, NEVER in my life have I been around someone else who truly gets what I feel on a motorcycle - until her!

The joy in her voice, her love of the sights, smells, sounds, feelings, attitude, freedom, and everything else made me say, "HEE HAW, someone finally truly understands what I'm talking about!!!

Okay, now to today's ride. It went very uneventfully at first - just riding happily along on Hwy 210 with our good friend, Mike, when suddenly a truck in front of us (who had just entered the freeway) deposits a live, scared-out-of-his-mind raccoon onto the road way right in front of us. Apparently the poor guy was hitchhiking on the bottom of the pickup, but decided he needed a change of scenery. Okay, PETA will hate me for this, but there's something very funny about watching a raccoon, scared to death with all 4 legs splayed out trying to keep his balance, doing 360s on the freeway at 70 mph. I'm happy to say he made it to the roadside safely, except that his poor feet are probably killing him with road rash.

The rest of Day 1 to Kansas City was uneventful, just enjoyable. Mike rode with us to Amboy and, believe me when I tell you it's not worth the drive. It's a real honest-to-goodness dormant volcano about 50 miles east of Needles, but that's the only part of the internet story that's current. Supposedly there is Ray's Gas Station and Restaurant where we planned to gas and grab lunch before Mike went back to L.A. Well, the gas pumps are dry and the kitchen is closed. Lunch consisted of a bag of Lays, a bag of Cheetos, a couple of bottles of water and some Turkey Jerky that Mike happened to have in his bag. I asked the guy the population of Amboy and he proudly stated, "around 8, but entirely too crowded." My opinion - he can keep his town.

Oh, and Tracey got initiated on our first day - she received a bug square between the eyes on her visor...left guts about a half-dollar in diameter. We didn't even have our intercom system on, but I heard the "Ewwwwww, gross!!!!" above the wind noise and the engine. hahahahaha Welcome to the open road Baby!!!!!!!!!