More Special Days...

[DDT (12)]

I recently wrote about ‘Mondays’ being rather special for this somewhat unusual fellow. Well, let me affirm that other days of the week can also be rather special, too. Take Tuesdays, for example… But first…

Last Sunday, I sat astride our girl again, and I enthusiastically participated in her coming to life yet another time… Good so far… I then went to the next level on our long return to ‘normalcy’: I patted her sexy fuel tank and whispered a ‘sweet nothing’ just to remind her I did very much hope this would have a happy outcome for both of us! Yep, I put the side-stand where we both prefer to have it, and I gave the ol’ throttle a purposeful twist. We were off!

That was our first ride since before the surgery over four weeks before; and, I ventured forth with no small amount of worry plus… the usual assortment of apprehensions… Would I still have the strength to handle her at stops? Would I have ‘accumulated skill rust’ to the point I might commit some boo-boos sufficient to cause an ‘aw shucks’? What if I had to pick her back up… would I be able to manage that without ‘tearing something inside me loose’? Does she still love me? Did ‘The Donald’ really collude with the Russians?

As is so often the case, excess worry didn’t help a bit… and, joyously, it proved to be yet another waste of time! Now, I’m one who believes a little worry can actually serve a useful purpose. It raises issues that should be considered, focuses thought on topics worth considering, and, at least in my case, causes review of details easily overlooked. It’s when I get carried away and preoccupied with anxious thoughts that they become counterproductive…

Oh my! It was a glorious day! The sun shone brightly, traffic was light, the wind was moderate, the temps were in a very comfortable range, well, given that I had guessed correctly on apparel needs… rather cool but not cold, just dang-near perfect! And, it felt so doggone good to be banking turns, stopping and starting, feeling my back press against the backrest again as she gained momentum! Where should we go? So many options, so many possibilities!

I hadn’t thought to bring my camp chair along, so a nap stop would not be in store for us… I did, however, have the usually present desire for either grits or BBQ… Dang, already I was being confronted with decision requirements! Often, I rely upon a traveling companion to resolve that, but it was just the two of us this day… sigh…

I finally just decided to let the completely unplanned route make the call… We’d stop whenever I felt ‘inspiration’ as we approached some familiar opportunity or interesting looking new eatery down the road someplace. That turned out to be Frog’s BBQ in Williston, FL.

I hadn’t eaten there in many years, but my recollection was that it had been pretty good before… and, I’d really been impressed the first time back in 1970! Time to see what effects decades of change and evolution may have had upon those purveyors of pig parts and assorted other meats prepared in that very special way… Yep, it is still good!

I didn’t want to risk overdoing things this first time back out, so we headed towards ‘home’; albeit on a rather circuitous route. I began to feel tired, and I rationalized the long absence from exercise and activity may have taken more of a toll than I’d expected… Turned out to be more heat related, however, as I’d been suitably suited for the morning, but as the temps had risen, I hadn’t made any adjustments! Physically I was apparently doing better than I was ‘mentally’…

I was so encouraged, though, and the weather forecast had been tempting to the point that I made the call to proceed with ride plans for Webster Springs, WV… in two more days! Yep, and that’s when Tuesdays once again became rather special for this delicate rose petal…

Two days on the road already, and I’m holding up quite well! ALI, naturally, is fine and dandy, and she seems most accommodating towards her weakened road warrior partner… Her patience is so welcomed and appreciated!!! And, then there was that second day out… another significant milestone along the tortuous, seemingly endless ‘road to recovery’! Wednesdays can most certainly be special, too…

Other than to just say “Hello”, I hadn’t had any inclination to ‘address’ a urinal since before the surgery. Nope, I’d graduated from the pee bag to diapers, then to diapers plus a pad, and then on Wednesday, a day that will live in… glory… I stood like a man and did the deed for the first time in a while!!!

Before that day, I had increasingly been ‘feeling’ the urge to purge, and I had begun to hold most of my ‘burden’ longer each time and increasingly long enough to make it to the depository without ‘premature relief’. However, due in part to my ‘surgically abbreviated condition’, up until Wednesday I’d been performing that unavoidable function like a ‘sissy’…

One of the several advantages of manhood is the comparative ease with which we can attend that mandatory chore; so, now that I have fully rejoined the ranks of the fortunate gender, I’m feeling a desire to celebrate Wednesdays, too… I wonder what surprises Thursday might hold…?

DDT

[f6john]

I loved the Donald reference! Proves it was time to get back in the saddle for sure. I’m reminded of the time almost 20 years ago after heart bypass surgery, my friend had just bought a new 99Valkyrie and I had been home bound for 4 weeks. I was getting out some on my own and feeling good and Steve offered to let me take his new bike out. It was my first ride on a Valkyrie and I was buzzed by the whole experience. Two months later I bought a clone of Ali. The rest is history as they say. Many miles separate the two sisters but I still more miles yet to come, with Bigbf’s assistance.

[The emperor has no clothes]

“Wednesday, a day that will live in glory” 

[solo1]

Wow! your first positive attitude adjuster" in awhile, Bruce.  It makes the DAY! That was always the case with me, especially when my wife was terminal.

Glad you're back 'in the wind!'

Yesterday I got the Miata out of storage and banged through the six gears for a warmup of 30 miles. Can't wait to put the top down and get my first 'attitude adjuster" of 2019.   Still a chilly late '40s here.

I also well know what it's like to get rid of the 'bag' and pee like normal. 

[Valkorado]

Glad you're clearing your head a bit Bruce.  Be thankful you're not dealing with glaciers blocking your driveway!  No envy here!   

[Oss]

Great news and happy for you in all aspects of your recovery

That feeling of all is right just kind of comes naturally once you have a few miles between you and the garage doesn't it.

Fortunate enough to ride to work this morning as I needed an inspection of the 01 Valk anyway.

It was a balmy 34 degrees at 830am and probably will hit 53 by the time I go home at the tail end of rush hour(s)

Best of luck on the WV trip

[Pappy!]

Bruce, congrats on your graduation!
I worked up in Williston for several years. Where the heck is Frogs BBQ? is it the one on 27 just South of town on the east side of the road?

[John Schmidt]

Woohoo, Bruce...that's encouraging news. Both for you and me...which is yet to be determined. My biopsy is scheduled for April 23, I hope not a day of infamy. When my dr. made that appt. I suddenly remembered it was my sister's b'day and told him so. He apologized and asked if I wanted a different day and I answered in the negative, telling him "she was a PITA her entire life, and now that she's gone I'll do this PITA in remembrance of her." His little female helper giggled but the dr. wasn't sure how to take it. My followup for the results is May 1.

Good to hear you're out and about on Ali, glad things are continuing toward normalcy.

[Bigwolf]

Bruce,
It sure is good to hear that the “Bugslayer” is back on ALI and cruising the back roads.  The pleasure that has brought you is obvious in the tone of your writings.

I know from my own experience that, after several weeks of wearing diapers, that first time standing and draining like a normal man is a very joyous occasion.  But if you think that is a big joyous occasion, wait until you realize you no longer need the diapers.  That will really put a smile on your face.

See you in Webster Springs!

[Bigwolf]

John,
I am glad you have that biopsy scheduled.  I wish you the best.

[DDT (12)]

I loved the Donald reference! Proves it was time to get back in the saddle for sure. I’m reminded of the time almost 20 years ago after heart bypass surgery, my friend had just bought a new 99Valkyrie and I had been home bound for 4 weeks. I was getting out some on my own and feeling good and Steve offered to let me take his new bike out. It was my first ride on a Valkyrie and I was buzzed by the whole experience. Two months later I bought a clone of Ali. The rest is history as they say. Many miles separate the two sisters but I still more miles yet to come, with Bigbf’s assistance.

John,

Much is made, and the 'media' seems to be hopelessly hooked, on sharing every detail of celebrity 'love' stories, and who isn't getting a bit tired of all the Harry & Meghan stuff everytime we turn around?! Not much, except in venues like this, is ever told about some of the greatest love stories of all: The ones we have with our special mechanical beings!

All of us can relate to your aw-struck reaction and total infatuation upon that first encounter, and we all are experiencing 'real love', just as you are... Standing the test of time and blossoming into deeper and fuller levels of bonds and connection, these are far more enduring and meaningful than any of the tales of trivial drivel spun by those who should know better...

Indeed, it was time to get back in the wind! Sitting around trying to catch-up on the world and stay abreast of current events... all that 'good citizen' stuff we're brought up to believe we should do... gets old in a hurry, doesn't it?!!! Gawd! If I stayed with it for very long, I'd have to be put away someplace with a padded cell...

Nope, Andy Griffith, The Virginian, Gunsmoke... if it weren't for those, I'd be back to visiting the library often again for entertainment! ALI, has provided another alternative, however, and I unashamedly admit my recent absence has had my back to the wall... All better now, though!!!

DDT

“Wednesday, a day that will live in glory” 

Rob,

That line probably won't make the newsreels or become as famous as the one I paraphrased from FDR, but... To this weary pee-body that was a most special day for sure!!! The things we take for granted, the little, seemingly tiny details of our lives, take on new and greatly amplified significance when unexpected change disrupts our orderly routines! I'm certainly glad to be back out here with our girl, and thanks to recent experience, I'm even deliriously happy to celebrate simply standing to relieve myself!!! Who'da thunk...?

DDT

Wow! your first positive attitude adjuster" in awhile, Bruce.  It makes the DAY! That was always the case with me, especially when my wife was terminal.

Glad you're back 'in the wind!'

Yesterday I got the Miata out of storage and banged through the six gears for a warmup of 30 miles. Can't wait to put the top down and get my first 'attitude adjuster" of 2019.   Still a chilly late '40s here.

I also well know what it's like to get rid of the 'bag' and pee like normal. 

Wayne,

You are so right about all of that!!! I know that you know exactly what I mean when I try to express my thoughts and capture the essence of what getting out there means to me! Your experiences shared with us over the years have inspired us all, and they have helped us realize what we were experiencing in our own way...

Yes sir, it is good indeed to get that 'first positive attitude adjuster in a while' in-play and underway! The details vary, of course, but kindred spirits easily and quickly grasp the important elements of all that goes on, and we enjoy sharing our stories with each other... We appreciate ya, amigo!!!

DDT

Glad you're clearing your head a bit Bruce.  Be thankful you're not dealing with glaciers blocking your driveway!  No envy here!   

Seth,

Thanks... Yep, I am enjoying clearing my head immensely! Hard to imagine we'd gone nearly five weeks without doing our thing... Hard to admit how lengthy absences can dull the feelings and dampen our zeal for such things, too...

It seems the longer I go without riding, the easier it becomes to procrastinate on making corrections! Jerry, my coach, had been encouraging me to do this even sooner, but... you know... I am weak and only human... Now that we have done the deed, however, I'm mentally kicking myself for the delay!

As for glaciers and such... No idea! I've been blessed with a 'southern exposure' nearly my entire life, so my frame of reference is for year-round riding... with wardrobe adjustments only being necessary for the most part...

I'd say, "I feel your pain", but... nah, I don't really... Well, theoretically I can understand the concept, but... I've become of the 'snow-bird' persuasion over the years!!! Like any good seamstress, if the 'garment' doesn't suit me, I make alterations!

DDT

Great news and happy for you in all aspects of your recovery

That feeling of all is right just kind of comes naturally once you have a few miles between you and the garage doesn't it.

Fortunate enough to ride to work this morning as I needed an inspection of the 01 Valk anyway.

It was a balmy 34 degrees at 830am and probably will hit 53 by the time I go home at the tail end of rush hour(s)

Best of luck on the WV trip

Evan,

Yep! I'm not one overly prone to extremes, but... As you so eloquently expressed, "That feeling of all is right just kind of comes naturally once you have a few miles between you and the garage doesn't it."... You are spot-on there, my friend, and I think that should be etched in granite someplace!!! And, for this mere mortal anyway, the more miles the more the feeling intensifies!

My 'recovery' has been instructive and humbling at the same time. I'm more aware of my own fragility and vulnerability and of the tenuous and temporary nature of life... I'm also gratified to learn that I am recovering and there is hope of more to come! That's the nature of experience, I suppose... if we allow ourselves to absorb the lessons as they come to us...

Glad to read that you 'get it', and even more that you practice it!!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, insights, and wisdom... You add far more value than you realize!

DDT

Bruce, congrats on your graduation!
I worked up in Williston for several years. Where the heck is Frogs BBQ? is it the one on 27 just South of town on the east side of the road?

Pappy,

Thanks! Yep, I'm on the mend and making progress! Really happy to be 'outstanding' again! Yes, that is the one... Small place, not much on aesthetics or ambiance, and not much 'curb appeal', to be sure, and BBQ is such a personal thing... Still, that first sandwich I had way-back-when 'spoke to me', so I drop by every few years just for the heck of it... Probably as much a nostalgia thing as it is for the food itself...

There is a newer, more 'traditional' BBQ place in town... BubbaQues… Their 'Q' is quite good and the restaurant itself is more like what we typically find, but it still has its own unique take on the art, sauces, and stuff. I have a rather broad range of 'like' for that style of fare, so I find nuggets of gold in many, many places beyond the usual 'mines'! You and Lesa need to join me sometime...

DDT

Woohoo, Bruce...that's encouraging news. Both for you and me...which is yet to be determined. My biopsy is scheduled for April 23, I hope not a day of infamy. When my dr. made that appt. I suddenly remembered it was my sister's b'day and told him so. He apologized and asked if I wanted a different day and I answered in the negative, telling him "she was a PITA her entire life, and now that she's gone I'll do this PITA in remembrance of her." His little female helper giggled but the dr. wasn't sure how to take it. My followup for the results is May 1.

Good to hear you're out and about on Ali, glad things are continuing toward normalcy.

John,

Really happy to learn about your upcoming biopsy! Not that you need one, but that you've made a wise call, in my opinion! I sure hope things turn out well for you, and I especially hope that the inconvenience doesn't impact Rita too much. I, along with all of your friends here, will look forward to news of the outcome...

I loved the connection you made with your PITA sister and this procedure!!! Graphic analogy for sure, and it sure brought a broad smile to the face to this indulgent ingest-or of you musings! My best regards and hopes for better days ahead for you, ol' friend... I'm pulling for ya!!!

DDT

Bruce,
It sure is good to hear that the “Bugslayer” is back on ALI and cruising the back roads.  The pleasure that has brought you is obvious in the tone of your writings.

I know from my own experience that, after several weeks of wearing diapers, that first time standing and draining like a normal man is a very joyous occasion.  But if you think that is a big joyous occasion, wait until you realize you no longer need the diapers.  That will really put a smile on your face.

See you in Webster Springs!

Jerry,

Thanks for you thoughts, encouragements, and insights into what lies ahead! You have been an excellent coach throughout this ordeal, and you have been most generous, forgiving, and pleasant. More than that, though, you have been a good friend when I really needed one, and for that I am most grateful!!! See ya this afternoon!

DDT

John,
I am glad you have that biopsy scheduled.  I wish you the best.

Ditto!!!

[robin]

That's is great news Bruce stand like a man and let it hang!!!!
Things will get even better glad it all worked out for ya.

[Pappy!]

That place called BubbaQue in Williston has been several different restaurants in the past ten years or so. It used to be a pretty good place for BBQ then went down the tubes. Hate it when we lose a good one!