I departed Centre, AL, feeling much better following a short day the day before and a good night’s sleep. I’d even managed to access Wi-Fi by sitting outside my room in a chair provided with each room… A bit inconvenient, but it does a body good to ‘rough it’ once in a while… I guess…
My enthusiasm could not be dampened, however, as another relatively short day lay before me, the temperature had unexpectedly moderated, traffic was seemingly light… and the world was on our side! I was also on the third day of a major road trip! Still riding solo, of course, and doing so in our usual carefree manor…
I was to spend that evening with another friend, then move on to Gordon’s place for the final night before the serious leg of this outing would begin. My friend had had some urgent family business come up, so that was out. I called Gordon and received the ‘all clear’ to come on to his place a day early. I did…
I jumped up on I-75 and cruised through Chattanooga, then rode towards Athens, TN, where I was planning to have breakfast… The giant information signs along the slab nowadays gave an ominous warning of traffic blockage just before Athens, with all lanes blocked… expect delays… then, expect to stop. Heck, I didn’t want any part of that, so we made an exit and rode over to US27 for the trek northward… Much better ride anyway, and since this was to be another relatively short day, there would be no time penalty…
The exit we took happened to have a handy Waffle House, so I stopped for my first meal half an hour sooner… but not a problem! I went with the country ham this time instead of bacon or sausage, and of course I had a mess of grits, too, with eggs and sweet tea to round things out. Rather tasty, and a worthwhile pause in our altered, unplanned route…
A much better ride followed with no traffic, no problems, no delays… near perfect. I even wore my jacket right up until the last hour of this ride!!! Unusual to do that in late August in dear ol’ Dixie, but I found it a refreshing change from expectations!
I arrived at Gordon’s, he then left to go buy a few things, and I… took a nice long nap! Being with good friends of many years brings with it familiarity and comfort levels not seen in many newer relationships… No need to go through any polite or superficial motions or to meet any preconceived expectations… just relax, be yourself, and don’t sweat the small stuff…
We got a call from SmokinJoe, and plans were made to meet-up down at the nearby Mexican restaurant, where we often congregate for… cheap beer, tolerable food, and terrific fellowship! Naturally, I was on guard and quite determined to mind my Ps&Qs, and to not overdo it again… My ‘imbiber muscle’ can only take so much, and I strongly suspected there might be other times in the near future when it would need to be fully recovered and in good working order… I was quite proud of myself!
Following the festivities, Gordon and I returned to his place to put our girls to bed, then to retire ourselves… Not so fast, buckaroo! Gordon moved his girl to make room for ALI, and there were two spots on the floor where his had been! Dang, what’s that? Not oil, not antifreeze, not water… clutch fluid! In a blink Gordon was lying on the floor diagnosing the situation… Hmmmm, turned out to be the clutch slave cylinder discharging, more like weeping, a slight trickle.
upload pictures urlNow he had something to fret and worry about for the night, but he did manage to sleep… I had no problem at all falling fast asleep, continuing my recovery from various ailments, wounds, and strains… all self-inflicted!
Next morning, my good friend went right to work as soon as we finished breakfast. He removed the offending part, discovered an unusual amount of gunk build-up inside… and that no parts were available for replacement in time for him to still make the Darby Ride! Telephone consultations with Troutdude and MitchO gave Gordon the reassurance that his cleaning up that part and rehabbing it himself would probably take care of matters, so that became the plan. It worked!
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Richard, a local friend of ours, dropped by, and he was unable to resist getting involved himself…
Old fluid drained,…
New fluid added…
how to do a screen shotAfter taking a test ride, his girl was allowed to sit a spell and given the opportunity to deliver a verdict…
It was during that pause while the jury deliberated, that Richard decided to get a bit mischievous… He poured a bit of the water he’d been drinking under the object of that day’s consternation… then commented on it. Predictably, Gordon nearly went into cardiac arrest, and I confess to becoming suddenly dizzy and weak-kneed myself! Richard promptly confessed, though, and a good laugh followed… The verdict came back very favorable, by the way…
So, not exactly a thrilling portrayal of major adventure, but it does point to the seriousness with which we all are taking this ride, and perhaps gives some insight into how important it has become to each of us… And that, my friends, perhaps explains in part why I’m writing on this tale… at 4 am, just a couple hours before we head out to meet up with the remainder of our eight-person group… I wonder how long into today’s ride it’ll take before this starts to tell on me…?
DDT
