On the way to Oregon

i'm sitting at jim hiler's computer with my first access to a computer since we left. where do i start? wow!

let me see if i can remember. . .

we did actually leave the house at 2:00 a.m. on thursday morning. i was not the most pleasant person, but i had my ipod fully charged and alone in my helmet so i don't think too much damage was done.

we took the freeway over to el centro, or someplace like that and then cut up. it was twisties all the way from there. we rode forever.

okay, there were a few note worthy items. so i'll expound.

as we were riding along, i ran out of gas some 7 miles short of gorman. as i was waiting for ye to return with the fuel, i had to go to the bathroom really, REALLY, badly. so. . . i scoped out my environment. busy road, huge ditch, traffic. if i could time it right, i could jump down that ditch and be done with it before anyone noticed.

by the time i made my mad dash, i couldn't tell you if anyone was around or not. i would have squatted on the road itself, i had to go so bad. :-) how unprincess-like.

we were riding cuddy valley road. i think that's the same one where "skid" hall got his moniker. at least it looked familiar. anyway, i started to feel like i needed to go again. i rode, came around a corner and here stands ye, gettin' 'r done. boy, that didn't help. i told him i needed to do the same thing, but wasn't able to find appropriate cover. so i told him to go ahead, not worry, don't turn back because i was going to find something suitable.

well, i rode for quite a bit, the solution was not forthcoming, so i compromised, parked my bike on the side of the road and headed down the ditch to do my business. as the women readers can attest, once you start, there's no stopping it when your bladder is that full. so i'm hanging out. . .and hanging, and hanging. i hear the roar of a motorcycle engine approaching and i think to myself, "doggone it, i told him not to worry about me. . ." and suddenly realized that was not his engine i heard approaching. i was frozen like a deer in the headlights.

then, some rider appears around the corner. seeing my bike parked in the corner, and someone in the ditch, he checks up. oh. my. word. can this get any worse?

well, of course it can! his buddy comes around the corner a few seconds later and does the exact same thing! great. try as i may, there was no stopping the flow. so this doesn't get any worse, right? uhm, NO. as i climb up out of the ditch, i realize that i've just been evacuating in a field full of cockleburrs. i pull out what i can and have to deal with the rest scratching my bare legs all the way to the hotel.

we reach the junction of cuddy valley road and 166. there sits approximately 50 bikers. you *know* the word of the "peeing chick" had to have spread like wildfire. we pull up and ye begins to quiz me about his rear tire. does it look low to you? what if i put all my weight on it? what if. . .oh for crying out loud! can we just go!

can't happen to anyone else, always me. ;-)

so we made it as far as santa maria before i raised the white flag. we stayed in the holiday inn so we can have free computer access and breakfast. only there was no computer access and no free breakfast.

but the twisties made it all worthwhile, it was AWESOME!! the weather was perfect and we were happy.

more later, i need to go visit with our hosts.