A String...? Perhaps

[DDT (12)]

                                                          A String…? Perhaps

I dunno... I'd spent the rest of the day thinking really hard about the need to improve my ability to remember stuff... especially important stuff. Yeah, as my teeth continue to lengthen, and the candles on my birthday cakes have taken over the entire top, that is to be expected, I reckon. I suppose reasons and explanations are OK, but they are little consolation when forgetfulness bites you smack in the delicate derriere!

Would a piece of string tied around my finger help? Heck, I’ve even pondered the possibility of having a 'string' tattooed on my finger, so I wouldn’t forget to apply one when needed! Naturally, I’ve dismissed those clever memory triggers as unworkable or unhelpful. I mean, when I'm always wearing some type of gloves while riding, a string would not even be visible… unless, of course, I tied it around the outside of the glove finger... and that would be... ummmm... awkward...

I’ve finally made it back out! Yep, I'd returned to the hacienda, and, yes, to that danged ol' recliner, on the Saturday following the end of IZ the morning before. Although I did start ALI once just for carb-gumming prevention, and I did set her petcock selector switch to the 'Off' position this time and run the gas out, she otherwise has not even been touched, let alone ridden or even moved for the following more than four weeks. Sad, I know, but... there it is... I've been a very neglectful partner...

Well, since rain and heat are two of the more predictable and prominent features of summer in central Florida, this will come as no surprise to any of you that... we've had lots of both. Some years we have less rain, some much more... this year, it does seem to be unusually plentiful. The heat has been about the same, though... Al Gore warned us about all of this, but we didn't listen! At least now we're finally doing something about those insidious plastic straws... I just hope we're in time!

After several consecutive days of rain alternating between heavy and light, sometimes we'd have a break, but the heat and humidity would remain, so 'life in Nature’s sauna' would continue unabated. Last Sunday morning, the sun was shining brightly, the temperature was cool, well, what passes for cool this time of year... and, life took on a rosy hue. My spirit lifted, and I could look over at ALI and tell that she had noticed it too. She'd been restless for nearly the entire time she'd languished under her cover... truth be told, I had been feeling about the same, myself! Well, time for a road trip!!!

I announced to my land-lady that I'd finally received some inspiration. As always, she needed no heads-up, as she always knows what I'm thinking... I'm not sure if she can actually hear the cranial gears grinding between my ears, or if she is psychedelic or something, but... she always knows... maybe she has ESPN...? Whatever, she just nodded and granted her blessing...

At 3:30am Monday morning, I awoke all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready and raring to go! I’d done all the prep work the day before, so the only remaining chores were to load our girl and mount her… Only, it was seriously raining outside! Dang! What’s that all about? I consulted my handy weather app, and sure enough, the radar clearly showed an extensive ‘dark green blob’ situated over central and north Florida and they now alleged there was an 80% chance of rain… That wasn’t supposed to be…

Ever notice how the weather forecasts are always spot-on… in the end? When predictions don’t seem to be panning out, they just revise them and declare accuracy! Sort of like painting a target around a bullet-hole… and always ‘hitting’ the Bulls-Eye… Great marksmanship there, guys… I could hear our girl groaning nearby…

By late afternoon the forecast for the following day looked promising indeed, so I dared to believe it… mostly. I did awaken again the following morning at 3:30am, and I held my breath as I peered out to see… Eureka!!! Another glance at the radar for our location and the area we were heading for, and things looked downright doable. We hit the road early and enjoyed the relative coolness and lighter traffic… as long as they lasted…

The only things certain about this trip were that we would be out and about, and that we would end up riding with friends in Colorado on Labor Day weekend for their annual Darby Ride. Other than that, nothing was nailed down. I’d been toying with the idea of heading to Montgomery, AL, to visit my pals there, and I’d also decided I’d most likely wind-up riding through Clinton, TN, to visit my good pals there, too. Beyond those possibilities, however, nothing else was certain. I’m thinking about maybe heading out on a nostalgia ride to northern Alberta, but I won’t actually know about that until later… First things first…

I decided to take a somewhat longer route north this time, so I could delay the day’s destination decision until mid-morning… You know, to afford maximum ponderment opportunity… That would also allow us to miss the traffic nightmare of Atlanta to the west (still raining east of there), a most worthwhile indulgence! I also chose to take Interstates for that first leg in hopes of logging as many miles as we could before the heat caught up with us… another worthwhile indulgence.

In Tallahassee, FL, we made the exit off I-10 and onto US 27 North… We were by then about 180 miles from home, and ALI had begun to wheeze and cough just before, so of course the petcock selector switch position had needed to be adjusted… We rode on…

We passed several gas stations looking for just the right one… easy in and out, clean, inviting… I soon enough lost track of that thought, though… until… more coughing and wheezing… As I reached for the selector switch, I had that ‘sinking feeling’ and a scary thought, “Hey, didn’t I just do that already?” Sure enough… well, Double-Dang!

I’m not sure if it was Devine Intervention, humorous irony, or simple coincidence, but right there on my right was the New Deliverance Ministries Church, and their large parking lot was empty… we coasted in… After parking in a highly visible spot, I called Rescue Plus and began the wait…

Less than an hour later, a guy arrived with a two-gallon gas jug, and ALI got all well again… The wonderful ride that day continued, and life was oh-so good!!! Still, my enthusiasm was somewhat muted, though, by the thought I simply must find a way to improve my powers of recollection…

DDT

[hubcapsc]

I stopped working and pulled out my lunch to read this 

-Mike

[J.Mencalice]

Rubber band on the left wrist.  It works.  "What's this to remind me about?", you ask yourself?
"Oh yeahhh!"

[msb]

Nice to see another of your ride reports on here Bruce...just what this forum needed.
Many of us remember weather forecasts before having radar and 24 hour weather reports available to us... we found a channel or weatherman we trusted and hoped he was right most of the time. He would either forecast sun, clouds, rain, or snow. Plans that were made from these forecasts were most often just forged ahead with regardless of whether the forecast had been correct or not... I personally did a lot more riding in inclement weather back then.
I always say.... the weatherman who first invented the "percentage chance of rain" format and thus freeing all weather forecasters of ever being "wrong" again, is surely the first and most revered member of the weather forecaster's Hall of Fame...
Safe riding

[RainMaker]

One of the best features of the Interstate is that flashing gas warning in the display to keep reminding you to get gas and it starts flashing before you hit reserve.  So you get 2 warnings.

There are a few aftermarket gauges I'm aware of that could be added to Ali.  Here's one

https://www.lskelectronics.com/fuelgaugepro2

And - I have a feeling you won't forget about this for a while after having to call in the refueling guys.  

RainMaker

[J.Mencalice]

Nice to see another of your ride reports on here Bruce...just what this forum needed.
Many of us remember weather forecasts before having radar and 24 hour weather reports available to us... we found a channel or weatherman we trusted and hoped he was right most of the time. He would either forecast sun, clouds, rain, or snow. Plans that were made from these forecasts were most often just forged ahead with regardless of whether the forecast had been correct or not... I personally did a lot more riding in inclement weather back then.
I always say.... the weatherman who first invented the "percentage chance of rain" format and thus freeing all weather forecasters of ever being "wrong" again, is surely the first and most revered member of the weather forecaster's Hall of Fame...
Safe riding

Some of us are ancient enough to remember "the weather girl" before weathermen; it was not worthy  of a man to report the weather...REAL MEN DID THE NEWS...and there were no meteorologists on TV (they resided in ivory towers with the NWS in Washington).   Now it's real time in your palm.

[RDAbull]

Good to see your writings again Bruce.  Coming across the salt flats a couple of weeks ago they forgot to mention that there were 80 miles between gas stations.  I put 6.4 in my 6.5 tank.  Really didn’t want to push that rig in the heat out there.  Makes life interesting!

[t-man403]

I’m thinking about maybe heading out on a nostalgia ride to northern Alberta, but I won’t actually know about that until later…

DDT

Northern Alberta???

Well if you do head up here, I'll remind you (just in case you forget  ) you've got friends in southern Alberta you can drop in on! 

[trout dude]

Dam was you looking in the mirror for JP LOL

[Rams]

The string thing only works if you tag each string and write the issue down on the tag.   But then Mother Nature (wind and rain) will screw that up on motorcycles.   Don't ask me how I know this....  

Rams

[Valkorado]

Before you go eating jellyfish tablets or get a size larger helmet for improved brain circulation, chalk it up to just living in the moment!  You're pretty danged good at that, and your recollector works good enough to paint some pretty vivid pictures for the rest of us.

Looking forward to officially meeting you, then I guess I can call you Bruce instead of DDT.

And if my recollector is working a tenth as good as yours, I think we need to talk more about that handle...

[LandElephant]

I was never to proud to walk to a house and beg or buy any gas they had. General overpaid for it.


Me thinks we will soon meet out on the road again sir. More to come.


Charlie Morse

LandElephant

[Robert]

A simple rubber band placed around the tach or speedo would indicate if you are on reserve, for the rest there are pictures. I find more and more that taking pics of appointment cards, business cards measurements or just about anything I want to remember takes the pressure off for remembering things.

 Cuts down on paper clutter, easier to erase and it could be a pic of that project you want to get started. Once you can look back it gets easier remembering everything else and its a breeze after that. Even some kind of associated pic of something that you want to remember will jog your memory enough to be able to remember. If you forget what you want to remember an occasional scroll through pictures will help.

Great story and I doubt it was coincidence. 

[DDT (12)]

I stopped working and pulled out my lunch to read this  

-Mike

Mike,

Yeah, I've been told I can be a bit wordy sometimes!    Glad you've found a way to make the time spent worthwhile no matter what!!!  

DDT

Rubber band on the left wrist.  It works.  "What's this to remind me about?", you ask yourself?
"Oh yeahhh!"

JM,

I'm sure it does work! My land-lady has her own special way of jogging her memory... and it works, too! This isn't the first time I've had a boo-boo of this sort, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Always seems to work out in the end, though, and I have had lots of laughs remembering stuff like that... Worst thing to ever come of any of that was a little embarrassment... the memories later, however, more than compensate!    

DDT

Nice to see another of your ride reports on here Bruce...just what this forum needed.
Many of us remember weather forecasts before having radar and 24 hour weather reports available to us... we found a channel or weatherman we trusted and hoped he was right most of the time. He would either forecast sun, clouds, rain, or snow. Plans that were made from these forecasts were most often just forged ahead with regardless of whether the forecast had been correct or not... I personally did a lot more riding in inclement weather back then.
I always say.... the weatherman who first invented the "percentage chance of rain" format and thus freeing all weather forecasters of ever being "wrong" again, is surely the first and most revered member of the weather forecaster's Hall of Fame...
Safe riding

MSB,

Thanks, Mike! Yeah, weather forecasting ain't easy precisely because it deals with such an illusive set of varying, constantly changing combinations and circumstances. Like most modern folks, however, I want precision and good info... Yeah, the old days were much more risky, and I did find myself dealing with far more 'issues'. We've all become spoiled with the huge improvements in this field... Oh, and because it's never perfect, it is a convenient target of opportunity for poking fun, I reckon. Anyway, it sure is good to be back out here again having those wonderful 'problems'!!!

DDT

One of the best features of the Interstate is that flashing gas warning in the display to keep reminding you to get gas and it starts flashing before you hit reserve.  So you get 2 warnings.

There are a few aftermarket gauges I'm aware of that could be added to Ali.  Here's one

https://www.lskelectronics.com/fuelgaugepro2

And - I have a feeling you won't forget about this for a while after having to call in the refueling guys.  

RainMaker

Mark,

Thanks for the suggestions! All worthwhile, I'm sure. I think you're correct in that I do tend to NOT forget that little detail for long periods after an event... Unfortunately, I always eventually get around to having history repeat itself! Oh well, the nature of the beast if one rides long enough... and ages enough! I never complain about this sort of thing, though, because good outcomes often lurk just behind seeming frustrations!!!

DDT

Nice to see another of your ride reports on here Bruce...just what this forum needed.
Many of us remember weather forecasts before having radar and 24 hour weather reports available to us... we found a channel or weatherman we trusted and hoped he was right most of the time. He would either forecast sun, clouds, rain, or snow. Plans that were made from these forecasts were most often just forged ahead with regardless of whether the forecast had been correct or not... I personally did a lot more riding in inclement weather back then.
I always say.... the weatherman who first invented the "percentage chance of rain" format and thus freeing all weather forecasters of ever being "wrong" again, is surely the first and most revered member of the weather forecaster's Hall of Fame...
Safe riding

Some of us are ancient enough to remember "the weather girl" before weathermen; it was not worthy  of a man to report the weather...REAL MEN DID THE NEWS...and there were no meteorologists on TV (they resided in ivory towers with the NWS in Washington).   Now it's real time in your palm.

JM,

Part of the magic of the 'invisible hand' is the way demand drives improvements, refinements, and quantum leaps in technology and human thinking. Great strides have been witnessed by each generation of our species, and the more we 'want' the more we find a way to obtain. Social advancements have followed education and all activity evolutions, and the sum of it is we're all better off... Yeah, I tend to focus on our steps forward, and not so much on our steps backward... The glass, unlike my gas tank, is always half full!!!

DDT

Good to see your writings again Bruce.  Coming across the salt flats a couple of weeks ago they forgot to mention that there were 80 miles between gas stations.  I put 6.4 in my 6.5 tank.  Really didn’t want to push that rig in the heat out there.  Makes life interesting!

Roger,

Thanks, my friend! Glad to see you still making memories... and sharing snippits of them! Are you working on a story about your 'big adventure'? Yeah, the further west of I-35 and north of I-40 one rides, the more thoughtful one needs to be about refueling opportunities!!!

DDT

I’m thinking about maybe heading out on a nostalgia ride to northern Alberta, but I won’t actually know about that until later…

DDT

Northern Alberta???

Well if you do head up here, I'll remind you (just in case you forget   ) you've got friends in southern Alberta you can drop in on!  

Terry,

Oh, I am fully aware of that, my good friend, and I'll never forget it, either!!! In fact, one of my all-time most favorite memories of seeming disaster that had a very happy ending began there... and it definitely involved my friends in southern Alberta!!! I fully intended to contact you when the picture came into focus about how things were unfolding... Now, it seems, I probably won't be able to make it up there this time after all... Some scheduling 'adjustments' have caused some doctor appointments to be moved around, and those have boogered-up the time slot between now and the Darby Ride... Much as I'd love to visit y'all, that will likely have to wait until next summer... when I again seek to escape the heat in dear ol' Dixie...

DDT

Dam was you looking in the mirror for JP LOL

Dennis,

Yeah, I smiled as I made that gesture while recalling the last time I'd misjudged a gas stop!!! That previous event didn't exactly delight our friend JP, but it did give the rest of us cause for some belly-laughing, though, didn't it!!! Miss traveling with ya, Dude...

DDT

The string thing only works if you tag each string and write the issue down on the tag.   But then Mother Nature (wind and rain) will screw that up on motorcycles.   Don't ask me how I know this....  

Rams

Ron,

Sounds like too many details to attempt to remember just so one won't forget something! OK, I won't ask...  

DDT

Before you go eating jellyfish tablets or get a size larger helmet for improved brain circulation, chalk it up to just living in the moment!  You're pretty danged good at that, and your recollector works good enough to paint some pretty vivid pictures for the rest of us.

Looking forward to officially meeting you, then I guess I can call you Bruce instead of DDT.

And if my recollector is working a tenth as good as yours, I think we need to talk more about that handle...

Valkorado,

Haven't heard of jellyfish tablets... Hmmm... Yeah, living in the moment sounds a lot less complicated... and less to remember! I don't want to screw around too much with things the way they have been, though, because the boo-boos often turn out to be some of the best memories! That could all change with a major event, of course, but so far I rather like the way things have always gone... We are indeed long overdue for a meet-up! I'm really looking forward to it! Only downside I see is that there will be no Markaritas available for celebration enhancement... See ya in a few weeks!!!

DDT



Charlie,

Yeah, some of my fuel-up errors have had some amusing aspects to them, too! Like you, I've 'overpaid' for a few gallons over the years, but the recollections of them have been priceless! I do hope we get to share some wind and memory-making again... and soon! You are indeed a kindred spirit, my friend, and I look forward to being with one of my 'road scholar' mentors.

DDT



Robert,

Thanks for your comments... Ya know, I like your idea about using pics! Sounds like a downright upright notion!!! Now, if I can just remember to take some...

DDT

[The emperor has no clothes]

Bruce, it's good to hear you are back in your element. Those recliners can be evil little devils. Can't wait to hear some of the tales. Take care my friend 

[DDT (12)]

Rob,

Thanks, my friend! I'm in Clinton, TN, at the moment, chilling at my good friend Lucky13's house. I just love to visit up here... My roots go deep in the potting soil of this area, and the friends I've made through ALI with like-minded souls up here have combined to make this a most special stop for me on the way to... life!

Knowing you, too, has been an experience unique in most ways, but remarkably similar in others... I began to know you through this board, and even though we were close on several of my adventures out west, we had to wait until we were both in Alaska to actually meet! We are kindred spirits in many ways, yet different in others... What links us has little to do with similarities of the details of our lives, and more to do with the spiritual and character aspects of the struggle to become a decent, whole person... I appreciate you more than you could ever know... thanks!!!

DDT

[old2soon]

               My old C B 500/4 had a similar problem-no gas gage.  AND while ridin that particular 2 wheeled beasty have done the same cursed thing-run outa gas BUT I wuz younger and the 500 wuz lighter. What ya gotz ta rekemember Bruce iz when yer low on petroethalene or go juice if ya prefer-when ya need it there is NO substitute. Fergit findin the "perfect" fuel stop. I also KNOW the gage is bout near as accurate as can be on my I/S. I have in FACT coasted into a couple of fuel stops cuz I were pushin Phatt Ghurl.  I try mightily to avoid those "situations" now when I do ride. My fuel level indicator gits slose to the half mark I look fer a fuel stop!  I do NOT wanna push my I/S ANYWHERE!    Sides the two O2 cylinders I now carry gotz lotsa other "stuff" with me as well. Glad yer back in da wind my Friend!  Keep those tales/first hand accounts of yer derring do coming.  RIDE SAFE.

[JimmyG]

Good to read your post, I was wondering where you were. I took it upon myself to make home made grits several times over the past few weeks. Always think of you when I fix grits.  Hope all is well with you. Tell "short horn",  howdy for me, LOL he's good people.

[DDT (12)]

O2S,

Thanks, ol'buddy... Yeah, running out of fuel ain't much fun for sure, ordinarily, but if one looks there are a few lessons to learn and laughs to be had... Still, I don't recommend it, and I certainly don't do it on purpose! I am having a great time doing what I do, and consciously avoiding stress is part of my long-term strategy. When I do boo-boo, I just take things in stride, look for the silver lining, and move on... I appreciate your responses: The anecdotes, and the left-handed wisdom! Glad to hear you're still out there in the wind yourself... Nothing else like it, is there...?

DDT



JimmyG,

Thanks, Jim... I've been holed-up in the clutches of that sinister recliner of mine... watching re-runs on TV and napping! OK, and snacking too much... A temporary thing for me, though, as the road sooner or later always calls, and I must answer... and so it goes...

Glad you're getting your grits, and I'm also happy to learn you think of this humble devotee of that delightful, delectable dish whenever you do! They make us downright wholesome, don't they...?! I delivered your message to 'Short Horn'... but Willow would not approve of me quoting his response here...    Thanks for posting, my friend... always good to hear from ya!

DDT

[Bigwolf]

Bruce,
It is great to read that you are out and about again.  I don’t have any great wisdom for memory enhancement.  However, if you do find a reliable way to improve timely recollection of things important, I would certainly be interested in how that works.

Bigwolf

[RP#62]

Bruce, I've determined that I'm now at the second tier.  The first tier is where you can't remember where you put something you had just a minute ago.  The second tier is where once you find it, you can't remember why you wanted it.  Plays hell with motorcycle maintenance.

-RP

[Daniel Meyer]

*snort*
Yep, I know that "sinking" feeling well myself.

Took twice with me (you'd think once would be plenty) and now I reach down and touch that dang petcock level adjustment dohicky just about as often as I push the cancel/blinker button...which is to say...approximately every 4.7 seconds...except on Tuesdays...which for some reason are worse.

I may have OCBP or something....

Also my gps now has a handy icon that tells me one of two things:
1) "You're about to run out of gas, stupid!"
-or-
2) "You forgot to set the fuel reminder when ya gassed up."

Of course, as I've aged I've found that running out of gas is less likely...since the tank on the Valk typically can outlast the tank on my bladder nowadays...

Now...when I forget to pee at a gas stop...or forget to gas up at a pee stop...then I'll know I need to tie a string around something...

[The emperor has no clothes]

*snort*
Yep, I know that "sinking" feeling well myself.

Took twice with me (you'd think once would be plenty) and now I reach down and touch that dang petcock level adjustment dohicky just about as often as I push the cancel/blinker button...which is to say...approximately every 4.7 seconds...except on Tuesdays...which for some reason are worse.

I may have OCBP or something....

Also my gps now has a handy icon that tells me one of two things:
1) "You're about to run out of gas, stupid!"
-or-
2) "You forgot to set the fuel reminder when ya gassed up."

Of course, as I've aged I've found that running out of gas is less likely...since the tank on the Valk typically can outlast the tank on my bladder nowadays...

Now...when I forget to pee at a gas stop...or forget to gas up at a pee stop...then I'll know I need to tie a string around something...

[DDT (12)]

Bruce,
It is great to read that you are out and about again.  I don’t have any great wisdom for memory enhancement.  However, if you do find a reliable way to improve timely recollection of things important, I would certainly be interested in how that works.

Bigwolf

Jerry,

I'll try to remember to make a note of anything I might come up with... in the unlikely event! And, I'll also try to remember to share it with you.. good luck with that...

DDT

Bruce, I've determined that I'm now at the second tier.  The first tier is where you can't remember where you put something you had just a minute ago.  The second tier is where once you find it, you can't remember why you wanted it.  Plays hell with motorcycle maintenance.

-RP

RP,

Two more stages that will come later for both of us, apparently, but they are doosies... First, guys getting old sometimes forget to zip-up afterward... Old guys sometimes forget to zip-down beforehand!

DDT



Daniel,

I do the same things for the same reason! That is, I do them most of the time... you know... when I remember... Maybe I'll try tying a string around 'something' too... Snort indeed!



Rob,

Yeah, he did make a funny for sure!

DDT