REMEMBER ONLY YOU CAN HELP COMBAT OVARIAN CANCER
CHECKS TO:
GAIL PURTAN FUND KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE 4100 JOHN R DETROIT, MI  48201
1-800-527-6266
"IN MEMORY OF MARY LOGSDON" - IN NOTE SECTION OF CHECK

JULY 12, 2006 - WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE, TOTO!

Out the door and on the road at 8:30 CT. It was already hot but I was prepared to get going. The miles seemed to scream by at 80 mph. Come to think of it, they WERE screaming by at 80 mph. Guess what I found out?  I found that the motorcycle runs cooler at 80 mph, here in Texas than it does at 40 mph, anywhere else in hot weather. Usually the ambient temp gauge is pegged at the 120 degree mark when riding in hot weather. Well, hell, the key is to go as fast as you can, and in Texas, that is 80. The bike cools right down…….

Everything is big in Texas, or so say the Texans. They are correct. We deal with squirrels and opossums and such on the roads. You can see them flattened all over the place. Wellllllll, dan heah, in Texxayass, we deal with bigger shiyut.

That's right! You haven't seen road kill until you have seen a wild pig that easily outweighs me, become road kill. I am amazed that I didn't see any refuse or other metal carnage from whatever hit that thing. I am sure that if it was a car, it was not doing well. I am sure that if it was a truck, it wasn't doing well either. That darn piggy was BIIIIIIIIIIGGG!!

No, I didn't take any pictures of the piggy. I did see a real fresh situation occur while on the way to El Paso, though. A UPS double trailer left all kinds of skid marks all over the road. I know it was the UPS truck because it was still sitting at the end of the skid marks. UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE HUGE PORKERS. It was not in good shape. The truck was also not in good shape. Mr. UPS man was not happy in the least. When I went by, he was kicking the tires on the trailer.

I stopped for gas in Toyavale Tx. To say that this place is in the middle of nowhere is an understatement. I can't be sure it's in the middle, but if it isn't, it is darn close to the middle. I paid for the gas and went and got the two water bottles out of the carrier on each side of the bike. This water gets very hot because of the asphalt and engine heat. I went to the men's room and the sign on the mirror said "NO POTABLE WATER"… Now I appreciate the warning, but it sure let me know how far "out" I was.

I had another gas stop in Ft. Hancock, TX. I keep stopping when it gets to the half way mark. I noticed a sign for "Angie's Restaurant" so, I went. I brought the atlas in with me and found that there is not a chance of Ft. Hancock being on the map. Two ladies and a little boy were sitting at a table. One of them - I noticed had a black knee brace on - asked if I were taking pictures. I said yes, and explained my story. She quietly got up and hobbled out of the restaurant. By the way, Angie's only serves breakfast, apparently. I ordered a scrambled egg and cheese burrito. It was worth the unbelievable fee of $3.00. The lady that hobbled out (and I had wondered why she didn't use the crutches that were leaning against the wall) came back in and gave me a $10.00 bill for a donation. I called home and had Lauren issue a check to the Gail Purtan Fund and credited it to:

Alanna at Angie's Restaurant, Ft. Hancock Tx. 79839. The place didn't' have a number that anyone was aware of. So, that is the address I am using. After leaving Ft. Hancock, I continued to head west.

Picture this happening at home with immunity!!!! I was in the right lane, and a local Sheriff was in the left lane (LEFT LANE FOR PASSING ONLY). He was doing about 70 MPH. I shot passed him doing 80 …. And I DIDN'T GET A TICKET….
I swear it was the hardest thing I have done in a long, long, time. I thought for sure that I was going to be pulled over and those signs I had been seeing were all an elaborate hoax. He - the cop that is - disappeared in the distance behind me.

Certain areas along I-10 have signs posted that say STRONG CROSS WIND. I have new found respect for those signs. They appear in areas that are near the high bluffs that come close to the roads. There were times when the bike looked like it was leaning into a very sharp curve, when in fact; I was just trying to keep from being blown off the road.

When I got to my last stop of the day (El Paso) I decided to head for the local Harley Davidson dealer. There are always refreshments available, and its fun to walk into the different places to see what is happening. I noticed a RAMADA next door, so I had already made plans to check pricing when I was finished at the dealer. I have been wearing (if you have looked at the pictures lately) long sleeved t shirt material shirts. They have kept my bacon from frying while heading through the south. I have found them comfortable without being heavy. So, I have picked one up at every other dealer or so. The thing is, they get real sweaty. I left the dealer, and found that the Ramada next door was the wrong way on a one way street. To get there  from "here" I would have to take a 2 mile detour around and under the freeway. I had a better idea. The  problem is that the better idea also included my bottoming the bike out over a curb that I didn't see, and breaking the spring THE HEAVY SPRING that keeps the kickstand up. Grrrrr. I checked in, and got stuff unloaded, and went back to the HD shop next door. They got me in in record time and it was done before I had my water completely consumed. Guess how much it cost? Remember it goes on a Harley Ultra Classic…..

$18.00.

I WAS STUNNED. I was expecting in the low 30's. I got out of there and headed for the RAMADA. This time I didn't hit the curb. That's cause I rode on the sidewalk. Don't do this at home, though. Only do this in Texas. I have photos to post, but I am very pooped today, so the pix will come later. The laundry is done, so I have to go fetch it out of the dryer.