What a great trip it's been!

     The weather had climbed a whopping 30 degrees in one week.  I planned a 3 day weekend getaway from Phoenix to San Diego to go visit some ol' friends, and to let my body and bike feel a nice long trip together, especially after a jarringly cold winter.

       The weather rose, and so did I.  I made a break for it, daringly, with just a denim jacket in case it got cold somewhere in there (and believe me I was cursing some morning and evening freezes), and the one outfit I was wearing, which is pretty much how all my trips seem to go.  So check out some of my trip photos from the week leading up to and through the weekend adventure.

Fully adjustable modifications.

Gluing a guitar seam.

Ice skating on a Phoenix pool anyone?

Closing holes in my riding gloves.

Busting knuckles bike wrenching. 

I put new pockets in my jeans.

I got some stickers in the mail!

With which I promptly and proudly rocked.

Racing a Train.

Pass the salt and pepper, please.

Coolest table decorations ever.

Randy makes awesome ass Tiki's!

Just a little leisure reading on the beach.

Aaaaand, "action!"

Lucky me! Laura shared her special drink with me.
 All the bootleg'n way from Tennessee.

Drinks at Hamilton's in South Park.
(followed by a stumble home)

A good visit with Adam at his shop "24 Cycles" in San Diego.  Go check it out.

My bike and I turned 50,000 miles together
on this trip.
A milestone of love.

Adam gifted my baby a golden bell
for it's 50,000'th mile birthday.

Gila Bend, Space Age restaurant!
Ate here for lunch.
This place is rad!
Makes me wanna see UFO's.

My lunch total came out to my lucky number.  

Drunkenly gracing a full page
in the Lady Hump photographic annual,
was a neat surprise.
Slab City Riot, 2010.

      I'd like to thank my friends Adria and Randy for a wonderful few evenings, beach day, and for being the hosts with the most.  Matteo, for being the other host with the most and bar going buddy, always down to hang.  Sharona, for taking me out and spending a fun filled evening catching up with me and making me laugh about all the old times.  Adam, for a great visit, witnessing my bikes 50,000 mile milestone birthday, and some cool stuff, my bike says it loves the new bell.  And to Laura for sharing some famous Popcorn Sutton Moonshine and conversation with me into the wee hours of the morning.  I found my new favorite drink.

P.S.  There are more photos out there, so check back in for some little morsels yet to come. 

Like Rainwater from an Ashtray.

There's nothing quite like the flavor of coffee, that makes your mouth taste like you just drank rainwater from an ashtray.  That's what the coffee from that last gas station did for me.  It was too early and too long of a ride ahead, with that robustly repellent flavor sticking to the inside of my mouth.  As I rode on, I imagined that they had put a partially smoked cigarette butt in the coffee canister, because "it's their secret recipe" or something like that.  But like many nasty things which have come before it, I somehow managed to ride on.

Darn buzzards!

There was this one stretch of hwy 5 in Oregon, where there were large birds all flying around. So I'm thinking there must have been a watershed nearby. One moment I was in awe at the sight of a bald eagle flying across the road within 30 feet of my path. And another moment, just a mile further, there i was, when a giant buzzard decided to take off from the side of the road, into the roadway, in my lane and I had to duck my head way down cause it hadn't gained the height it needed to clear my path. My heard pounded slightly, and I knew it was a close one. But I had to laugh it off cause I'm sure the cars and trucks behind me had a good laugh at it for sure.