Bound To Happen...

DDT (12)

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Posts: 4112

Sometimes ya just gotta go...

Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...

Bound To Happen...

« on: January 11, 2022, 09:11:47 AM »

Bound To Happen…

The drought was finally over! Funny how we can be stationary for even a relatively short while and become so doggone lazy. Heck, I was getting quite used to hanging around napping, snacking, eating, going to Jan's Beach Grill, and spending time with the posse talking about all of our previous exploits... But alas, we were not making any new tales!

I finally ran out of excuses, so our girl was made ready for departure, then her rider had the finishing touches on his own preparation addressed. My enthusiasm was barely tepid when the kickstand was moved to its second most useful position, and... that unexcited condition persisted nearly all the way to the end of Sam's driveway! Holy cow!

Pretty cool that morning... In fact, I grudgingly even had to pull over later and hook-up the Gerbings. Still, mostly sunny, some wind but nothing strong, traffic was quite tolerable as expected due to the almost always ‘after rush hour’ timing of departure... and all was right with the universe...

I couldn't bring myself to even think about 'Build Back Better', what Senator Manchin might be planning next, or what the news media was telling us was how we should view the world. Nope, my attention was riveted upon simply avoiding sensory overload by focusing on gratitude for the sheer delight of actually being out there.

Back roads to wherever sundown might find us. I had a couple of targets in mind but owing to the later than usual departure that morning, those might be a bit too far. I considered a couple of closer options, should any of them become necessary. No worries, though, we'd just make a spontaneous turn when the mood struck us, and we'd be where we'd be when we got there...

Long story short, Sam had needed to be in town that morning, so we’d met for breakfast... Then, we went to his house so I could return his car and load our girl. From there, it was back to those familiar but decent cruising back roads that would eventually lead us home... Yes! It was indeed grand, and I found myself asking the usual questions, "Why has it been so long since we've done this?!" And "How could my enthusiasm possibly ever wane...?"

I pondered on that for a while... I suppose I still haven't entirely shaken off all the 'old' ways and patterns of thinking as much as I'd thought... The downward spiral of thought that includes all the not fun items to address on a ride... where are we going, what will we do, is there gas along the route, what about food...? Weather is always a concern, especially when it might include several days of being hunkered down with no cafes or dining places nearby... In other words, worry...

Worry is one of the natural outcomes of a lifetime of contingency thinking, of continuingly dealing with the proceeds of Murphy's Law, of managing a large operation that includes lots of human beings being human, but with bosses that are unrelenting with their 'hindsight' critiques and fault-finding. Being responsible for the actions of others while always facing unknowns does come with a rather high cost…

The thousand daily 'wounds' from those tiny razor cuts of little jabs and thrusts of the corporate hierarchy of spotters of the obvious... after the fact. Of ‘discouraging’ rather than ‘encouraging’ management styles... "No need to dwell on anything positive or going well, because that's not what we need to fix, right?" Hard to argue with sound sounding logic, but that perspective does take a grievous toll... I'm coming to suspect the habits developed from that experience can also be near impossible to break!

So, I'm finding that the longer I'm away from my contemporary calling, the more I lapse back into old habits. Of focusing on the challenges to be overcome rather than upon the positive rewards of just getting out there and letting the chips fall where they may. You'd think I would instantly realize that by now, but...

Like I said, old habits can be very hard to break... The closest thing to a tonic for all of that, at least that I've found, is to just go, go, and go some more... Although, simply overcoming inertia can itself be a formidable chore sometimes… Just go before negative tendencies can creep back in…

I found myself having to consciously resist taking any of the turnoffs that would have led us... somewhere else. I did think I probably needed to return home, but that was not a high or urgent priority; still, we often find ourselves picking from among relatively unimportant choices and leaning only slightly one way or the other. I 'should' return home for a bit, especially since I had little more than a week to kill, so I did... Nothing serious, just a base to go ahead and touch while the opportunity was convenient.

It surely felt good to be on the road, however, and the temptation to just continue on was strong. Oh well, in another week and a half I may just indulge that whim... No planned doctors' visits any time soon after the one upcoming, no family events to attend, no real commitments of any sort... Only 'COVID exposure' to worry about. We've beaten that dead horse a bunch on here, so I'm just going to say that I will not let that stop us!

Late afternoon found us wondering if we could make it to Thomasville, GA, before dark. I’d wanted to make it that far, because that would allow this lover of specialty swine to have some Sonny's BBQ for dinner! We did, and I did! It sure felt good to meet a stretch objective with a reward other than veiled criticism for my effort. Yes, I blended the sauces again, too...

The following morning I was up early doing what I typically do... Coffee, shower, check the message board, double check the weather, move slowly, and take my time reentering the world of awake-ness. I do tend to get up early, but I also tend to get going late... Another deliberate departure from a lifetime of workday habits! I wondered which route we might take that day...? No sweat, we'd just make those calls later when the time came... and the impulse inclined us…

All of the most likely routes for the day had at least one thing in common: BBQ availability! We wound up taking a couple of out-of-the-ordinary legs on the route selections we did make, one of which led us right by Atkins BBQ in Bell, FL, not far from McAlpine... The very one I'd mentioned to RP#62 in an earlier thread... It was noon when we glided past, so as expected, they were crowded. I made a mental note to return, though, and sooner rather than later!

This time we made our stop an hour later in Newberry and the Woodyard Grill. I didn't see Rocky... I hadn't seen him the last time or two either. I asked the waitress and was informed he no longer owns the place. Left a couple of months ago... Well, his legacy lives on, happily, as the Q was still very much to my liking!

Next time for sure, though, I'll visit another one someplace else, but I won't worry about feeling disloyal to the nice New Yorker with a ‘gifted’ flair for that incredible southern delicacy... Within fifty miles in any direction is another favorite of mine, so no hardships are anticipated...

The final stretch of miles, depending upon the actual route taken, were gleefully traveled, and then we were home... again... for another brief visit. Once my next unexpected doctor visit is behind us, the thought of a serious coddiewomple has found renewed appeal! Again, I found myself perplexed by the usual questions, “Why has it been so long since…”

I'm committed to not watching any news on the tube, however, as I don't want any of their dribbling to cause me to worry or fret excessively... Maybe I'll just decide to voluntarily triple mask at all times... perhaps even find a really long testing line to wait a couple of hours in... Nah, more likely we'll just roll the dice and cautiously venture forth... Wish us luck...

DDT


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