Z to A

[JohnF]

Well, how are everyone's rides going?
Have seen no posts about great rides, great sites, adventures, or mis-adventures.

I have not bagged a site since mid-June, so needless to say my count will not even come close to previous years. Have not even ridden since mid-July, and pretty difficult to bag sites when my bike sits in the shop.

Glad Mike H extended the duration of the tour, so hopefully I can get my bike back and get in some more riding...there are still a bunch of sites a day ride away from home-base.

JEF
Cincinnati, OH

[Lapchik]

When and how long was the GT extended?

[JohnF]

In he original posting of the dates, MikeH took the rally longer into September than the previous TourMaster. So, that is what I was referring to in "extended dates."

STILL no bike!!

JEF

[StarWolve]

My Dad and I finished up our tour a couple weekends ago. Just a few more than 25, but we finished.

Some bad news though - Dad's not riding for a couple months. He had to be hospitalized for a really low heart rate this past weekend, and the doc ended up putting in a pacemaker. He's known that he would eventually need one, and it was definitely time. The doc told him no riding for a couple months, but after that he should be cleared to ride again.

He has to take it easy, and I threatened to pull his bike keys if he didn't.

Me and Dad, father's day this year:

[paper]

September 28th..

A date I need to remember.. I'm hovering at 73 right now, and need to get out and get a few more to put me over 75.. Maybe next weekend, as I'm going to be riding in an area I've already cleaned out this weekend.

As far as locations, I found some cool ones.. Very, very few Z towns, with the only one's being actual double pointers..





I did reserve a weekend and wandered Iowa, getting a bunch on the Guzzi.. A 450 mile day was the deciding factor that the little V7 Classic wasn't the bike for me.. Seat to peg ratio is too tight, and by more than just an inch or so.. Folks from Iowa City arriving tomorrow morning to take it home with them. My Guzzi ownership was short, but I can see owning another some day. Just will need to be more in the line of a Stelvio or something a bit more roomy..



And I got out on everything but the new scooter.. That'll need to be remedied.. The Majesty and I will be gathering a few more before the end of the month..

[Shooter]

So I'm working really really hard (sarcasm) at Google Thursday and I get a text from Sleddog asking me if I'm in town? He was heading south toward Kansas City and wanted to know if I had time to go out for dinner? I tell him that I'm pretty busy in the evenings sitting in my apartment watching TV but I could find time to go out for dinner...lol
So I give Sleddog bad directions to my room and tell him to meet me there. Somehow he still found his way? Rally skills I guess.
I go to put my pistol in the trunk and Sleddog says "you take that everywhere?" my reply is "yep don't you? " and he says "nah I just carry my bear spray!!!!!" and off we go to North Omaha for some chicken. Sleddog leads the way and after a little drive we end up in North Omaha and turning on to gravel. I just start laughing thinking he did this just to tease me like the Moki Dugway. About half a mile later we do a u-turn to go back to the right way to the place. We were almost in the backyard of the restaurant on the gravel road...lol
So we made it and decide to send pics of each other to our wives and tell them we have dinner dates (more on that later).


We eat a not so good dinner while we watched a coon and about ten black cats hang out outside the window next to our table. The coon is mangy and Sleddog makes the comment he looks like he's going to throw up. About five minutes later the cook brings out a bucket of scraps or the leftovers from customers and throws it out to the coon and cats. That explained the Coon's stomach cramps...lol
So I ask Sleddog if he wants to go get a GT and he says where? Ummmm were in North Omaha silly and there is an airport just west of here. So we laugh and head out to find the airport.
Jackpot!!!!!!

At the airport I ask Sleddog if he wants to hit East Omaha on the way back to the apartment. We debate if it's a good idea since it's going to be dark soon and that's not a good part of town. Then he say's "screw it let's go, and you can lead that way if we run into trouble they will attack you first and it will give me time to get out my bear spray."
And off we went...lol
We couldn't find a sign but ended up getting me an Omaha pic. Sleddog got a way cooler one down at the stockyards earlier. He even gave me a photography lesson on how to get things far away to come out as close up. The Omaha sign is a good 50ft from the bike and in real small letters. He's good. As we take the pic Marlene text back with a pic of their cat as says that's her dinner date.....lol


It's getting dark so we head to the apartment. As we head across the bridge back to Iowa I see Sleddog hanging in the right lane and I'm in the left. I turn North on I-29 and watch him jump lanes to follow then I realize we should have went South....ooops. A quick scenic route thru the finer part of Council Bluffs and we make it back. It's exit 52 not 53 BTW if anyone else comes down to visit....lol
A quick shower and a few youtube videos of the big bang theory and were off to sleep.
I'm getting ready for work in the morning and joke to Sleddog if he wants to go to work with me for the day? I've never seen a retiree move so fast in my life and he say's "screw you I'm going riding!!!!!!" smiling from ear to ear. So we part our ways as the sun starts to creep out and think of the fun night we had.
Thanks again for taking me to chicken dinner Jack but next time we should take our chances and ride to KS....just saying.

Not a lot of GT's but a lot of fun and that's what life is about.

[Bart]

Sorry to hear about the bike in the shop, John. Although that sad news does have the silver lining (for me) of giving me hope that I ain't out of contention yet.

Some of my recent acquisitions:



Yes, I went over Moki Dugway. Yes, it was fun.



The birthplace of Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler



Hadn't ridden Hwy 131 through here before - fun road!



This marker hadn't been erected the last time I went through here, early in 2009. Even on a stinkin' hot day, I loves me the Sandhills.



Nothing better than finishing a long road trip not far from where you grew up.

Bart

(so far, somewhere north of 250, depending on Mike's judgement)