I'm baaaack!

1130 miles.  Charlotte did fine.   I think I’m suffering from dehydration.  I had the worst leg cramps I ever had through most of last night.   I was thinking I wasn’t going to be able to ride today.  But, they seemed to go away around 2 am.  I drank lots of liquids (and not beer) last night after checking into the hotel and all through the night.   I had to keep getting up out of bed and tried to walk the cramps off.  It helped a little, but not enough.  I was even contemplating a trip to the emergency room.  But I finally was able to sleep a couple of hours.

Needless to say, I drank a lot of fluids today.   I found a little cubby hole place where I could keep a bottle of water on the bike, so that helped.  I still feel exhausted and my legs ache, but not like last night.  (I think it’s the muscles that were cramping overnight that ache now.)   I guess we’ll see if I get those cramps again tonight.  At least I don’t have to get up early tomorrow so I can sleep in.

Now I’m off to the airport here in St. Louis to retrieve my car which I left there Tuesday… expecting to be back Friday.

I should resume regular posting tomorrow.   

Thanks for hanging in there while I was gone. 

Half way home

Put a few miles on Charlotte (that’s what I think I’ll call her). 540 miles. Almost exactly half way. I stopped just south of Atlanta. The trafic was backing up and it was starting to rain. (There are severe thunderstom warnings.) She rode real well, but it was really hot. I feel like I’m dehydrated. I just had a shower and ate at a restaurant across from my $109 hotel.

At my last gas stop before Atlanta, I met a couple who are from England. They were cooling off in the shade of the gas pump cover. It took me a minute to realize he was in his underwear and a shirt, He had taken his pants off to cool off. They had flown from England to Miami. They bought a bike there and were on a 3 week tour of the U.S. Their main goal is to attend an 11 day race that starts in St. Louis. What a coincidence. We departed together from the station and got split up on the highway. But we both ended up in the same hotel.

He (Nick) said gas was about $6 per gallon in England. I just love to listed to people with a British accent.

Good luck to Nick & Jules.

I’m off to bed as I’m exhausted. Planning an early departure in the morning. Hopefully it’ll clear off tomorrow. I’m hot crazy about riding in the rain.

My new ride

I bought a new motorcycle today in Port Charlotte FL.  It’s a Harley Ultra Classic Electra Glide.  Now I have to get it home to St. Louis.   It was quite a feat getting rid of my rental car and getting to the Black Widow Harley dealer in Port Charlotte.  My plan is to hit the road very early tomorrow morning for the 1100 mile ride.  I didn’t even bring any jeans or long pants with me when I flew down.  Nor did I bring a helmet.  So I had to do some quick shopping for the basics.

I knew I was going to look at some bikes and knew it was possible if I found the right one at the right price, but I really didn’t think it would happen.  We’re planning a trip to South Dakota a week from Saturday, so if I was going to get a new bike, I needed to do it soon.  I really didn’t want to ride my Sportster all that way.

I’ve put 24 miles on it this evening.   I think I’ll do a little better than that tomorrow.  I burned my leg twice already on the tailpipe.  I don’t recommend riding in shorts.

So, I don't think I’ll be posting much the next couple of days, but if I get into a hotel that has wireless access, and if I’m not completely wore out I’ll try to post something.

Y’all be careful out there…. I know I will.

 

 

Elvis lives.....

… in the hearts and minds of his fans 30 years after his death.  He would be 72 now if he were still alive.  That’s hard to imagine.

Official Elvis Presley website

Live Graceland Meditation Garden (gravesite) cam

EOnline’s coverage of Elvis Week

Elvis’ Wikipedia entry

Porta Pottie Prank

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And you thought your job sucked....

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Buckethead

Andy, a homeless man, shelters under an umbrella as he stands upside down with his head in a bucket to draw attention to his situation in Princes Street in Edinburgh.

He's been doing this for years.

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Old folks need love too

Just another way to open a beer

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Sav Rocca - Welcome to the NFL

Roca, a Philadelphia Eagles punter gets his clock cleaned by a cheapshot in his first game.

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Crazy Captchas

In case you don’t know, a captcha is the code word you must type in to add a comment to Bits & Pieces and other websites.   The letters and numbers make no sense (usually) and are in random fonts and sizes to outsmart computer generatyed readers.   It’s purpose is to keep automated posts (read that as spam) from appearing in blogs and other websites.

Here are a few of the stranger ones found:

More crazy captchas

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Tombstone

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No monkey business

Ape business

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Florida..... It's hot and muggy... just like St. Louis

Although the temp is a tad cooler … the high today was 91 but the humidity seemed worse than in St. Louis.  (87% here).  There were afternoon and evening storms which is typical for this area.  I’m always amazed at the clouds in Florida.   They are almost always so interesting to me.  The picture at right is when I was crossing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge just south of St. Pete, heading for Port Charlotte.  (They’re in the midst of a painting project it seems.)  It’s always a beautiful scene.

After visiting my aunt this afternoon, I went to the Regal 16 Cinema and saw The Borne Ultimatum movie.  It was good and I followed it for the most part.   Totally unbelievable that shit like that can happen, but still entertaining.  (And that’s why I go to movies… to be entertained on one lever or another.)

Then I went to Gatorz (in Port Charlotte) for some wings and a pitcher of beer (my dinner).

Then I came back to my aunts house and to my surprise, I found a wireless signal that I could leach onto.   I guess it’s not really ethical to do that, but what the heck.

I don’t know how long the signal will last,but if it’s here tomorrow, I’ll probably post some more.

BTW… when I got off the plane in Tampa, I went right to the men’s room, as many people do, and did my duty.  When I was leaving the men’s room, I realized I didn’t have my cell phone.   Luckily, the plane I arrived on was still sitting at the gate.  I was able to retrieve the phone without any problems. It was laying in the seat and had somehow jumped off my pants.  DOH!

What type of woman are you (or do you like)?

Which Type Of Woman are you?
a.. HARD-DISK Woman: She remembers everything you say and do, FOREVER. !!!

b. WINDOWS Woman: Everyone knows that she can't do anything right, but you can't live without her.

c. EXCEL Woman: They say she can do a lot of things but you mostly use her for only four of your basic needs.

d. SCREENSAVER Woman: She is good for nothing functional, but at least she is exciting, colourful, and lots of fun!

e.. INTERNET Woman: Difficult to access and hard to keep running .!!!

f.. SERVER Woman: Claims to be available to you, but Always busy when you need her.

g.. MULTIMEDIA Woman: She has a way of making horrible things look very beautiful.

h.. CD-ROM Woman: She always has you on the move, going faster and faster.!!!

i.. E-MAIL Woman: Out of Every ten things she says, eight are plain nonsense.

j.. VIRUS Woman: Also known as "WIFE"; when you are least expecting her, she shows up, installs herself, and starts gobbling up all your resources. If you try to uninstall her, you will lose almost every thing. If you don't try to uninstall her, you will still have nothing.

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A deal is a deal...

A golfer was having a tough day and in his frustration he blurted out, "I would give anything for a birdie on this hole."

A nearby stranger walked out of the woods beside the hole and whispered, "If you give up one quarter of your sex life, I guarantee you will make this shot."The golfer said "OK." He made the shot for birdie.

A few holes later, he was having trouble on another hole. "Please, let me make this for eagle" he said.

Again, the stranger stepped up to him and said, "If you give up another quarter of your sex life, you will make eagle."

"You're on," the golfer said, and made the shot for eagle.

On the eighteenth hole, the golfer needed an eagle to win. The stranger again stepped up and said "If you give up the last half of your sex life, you will make eagle to win."

"OK," the golfer said, and made his shot for eagle, winning the round.

As he was walking back to the clubhouse, the stranger walked up beside him and said, "I think I should inform you that I am the Devil, and from now on you will have no sex life."

The golfer turned to him, smiled, and said, "Nice to meet you, my name is Father O'Malley!"

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Off to Florida

I’m off for a flight to Florida for a couple of days to take care of a few things for my aunt.

I should be home Friday evening.   If I get a chance to post while I’m gone you know I will.

Y’all be careful out there.

Smile

Wonder how long it took her to realize her drink was gone.

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Windows

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Hippopotamus

For a complete waste of time and possibly a chuckle, click this link and then click on the picture there.

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Checking out the package

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The flight

A Baptist Preacher was seated next to a cowboy on a flight to Texas. After the plane took off the cowboy asked for a whiskey and soda, which was brought and placed before him. The flight attendant then asked the preacher if he would like a drink.

Appalled, the preacher replied, "I'd rather be tied up and taken advantage of by women of ill-repute than let liquor touch my lips."

The cowboy then handed his drink back to the attendant and said, "Me too, I didn't know we had a choice."

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Hangover Helper

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Two Balls

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Elephants

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Chewing Gum Removal Specialists

Gum Busters website

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Life

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Going in for a closeup

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McDonald's Double Pounder

Two pounds of meat!  The equivalent of eight Quarter Pounders.

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Rubik's Cube generator

Make your own Rubik’s Cube

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Dog or cat?

If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never says its not quite as good as his mother made it . .
    then buy a dog.

If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour, for as long and wherever you want to ...
    then buy a dog.

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies
    then buy a dog.

If you want someone who is content to get up on your bed just to warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores.
    then buy a dog.

If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves you unconditionally, perpetually 
    then buy a dog.
 
But, on the other hand, if you want someone who will never come when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence is solely to ensure his happiness…

 then buy a cat!

Thanks Joe P

Because I'm a man...

Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the car, I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after hypothermia has set in. Calling AAA is not an option. I will win.
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Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at.  If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know where to start." We will then drink a couple of beers and break wind, as a form of holy communion.
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Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You're a woman. You never get as sick as I do, so for you, this is no problem.
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Because I'm a man, I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic items like "tampons", "cumin" or "tofu." For all I know, these are the same thing.
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Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together.

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Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking for it, though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator instead (applies to engineers only)
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Because I'm a man, there is no need to ask me what I'm thinking about. The true answer is always either sex, cars, sex, sports or sex. I have to make up something else when you ask, so just don't ask.
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Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked the movie.  Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't .. . . and if you are feeling amorous afterwards,  then I will certainly at least remember the name and recommend it to others.
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Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too Either pair of shoes is fine, with the belt or without it, looks fine. It does not make your ass look too big. It was the pasta and potatoes and margaritas that did that. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now?
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Because I'm a man, and this is, after all, the year 2007, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the dishes, and I'll do the rest. Like wandering around in the garden with a beer, wondering what to do.

Thanks Shelly

Inches from a gnarly death

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