20 Jun 2008, 3:25 pm / Eager to ride
The first couple of miles to work this morning i was gritting my teeth and even yelled "I should be riding DAMNIT!". I was caged in the green machine because a stop at the grocery store on the way home from work was a must and the list was too long to pack on the bike. Little did i know there would be another reason to be caged today. After this initial display, i relaxed and enjoyed my coffee, a cigarette, and some tunes that i usually miss out on whilst journeying to the job site. I arrived and was questioned as to why no bike today by a couple of co workers and i was delighted when Rodney informed me we were quittin at 2, i might get in a ride anyway! The work day was uneventful. But i did notice on every trip out to the work zone, a fellow standing at the beginning of the guardrail at the entrance ramp to 421. Standing beside a olive green rucksack,he was wearing jeans and a green tshirt. He had long gray hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. I could tell he used JUST FOR MEN hair coloring by the jet black caterpillar of a mustache. After three water trucks and three hours, i figured he was waiting for someone and resolved to stop and ask him if he was still there when i was on my home....... { last week there was a stranded trucker just down 421 from the yard.It was one of those sweltering sunny days. Rodney wasnt at work that day and i couldnt get anyone else to pick him up and was forbidden to do it myself by the asst supervisor, who cited that it was out of our work area... although i passed him seven times making my rounds. I did see him later at the gas station i asked to take him to, and apologized to him. He complimented Stella, as i was ending a phone call. We had a nice lil chat and i found out, as i suspected, that he was a fellow biker. If i had had an extra lid with me, id have given him a ride back to his truck..... he said Hell, he'd even ride bitch for that! I didnt get his name but his moniker was Mr Clean.} The last trip out with Rodneyto retrieve the fuel truck from the pit, he was walking back to his spot after getting a drink at the gas station. On my way back out and towards the store and home, he had resumed his position. I hauled the green machine onto the shoulder, and pulled up beside him and asked, "Are you waiting for someone?" "Noone in particular," he replied,"just trying to get a ride northbound." "Well, im going north," i said as i hit the button for the rear passenger door to open and started shoveling my work gear over ontop of the console. {before some of you have a coniption over me picking up a hitchhiker, i did inform Rodney of my intentions in case things went awry and called him after dropping the dude off to let him know every thing was copecetic} It was a hard thing to get a ride from 421 to 77 at his current location because of the lack of traffic. I questioned him about his journey and reasons for it..... He had just started and was heading back home to Montana before he "wore out his welcome". We had some nice conversation and by the time i got to my exit, i decided to take him on up a couple of exits to the truck stop where he would have a better chance of catching another ride. On the way to said truck stop, i saw on the south bound side of the highway a couple of bikes pulled off the side of the road. Looked like they were having troubles. So i dropped James off at Brintles and wished him a safe journey and headed southbound. Sure enough, there they still sat, on the guardrail in the shade by now. The bikes leaning on kickstands and one with the seat removed. Again i pulled over to the shoulder and immediately noticed the Michigan tags on the bikes. They waved and smiled and one got up and walked towards the green machine. I opened the door and popped my head out and asked " Having problems?" "Yes Ma'am" replied the dude, plainly older than i. "You aint from round here are ya?" i said as i laughed. "Nope" he replied. I asked what the problem was..... He needed a new coil but his buddy had one and was on the way. They were headed to the SmokeOut. I gave him some information he inquired about and then i gave him my number, and told him if they had further problems and ultimately needed a trailer, to give me a call. They thanked me profusely and i again headed on. I was emmersed in food shopping finally, when my phone rang. I grabbed it out of its holster, expecting it to be Dave, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was my friend Mutt. He was on his way to Gastonia to a chrome shop and was commin to visit afterwards since he'd be so close. Gastonia is a bit closer than Myrtle Beach, lol. So now its time to get supper cooking and wait for company. I hope you all have a great weekend as i am hoping too. Safe Journeys, Smooth Roads and Soothing Rides to you all, no matter the mode of transportation.
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