This weekend was a full one, which was welcome after a week
of unpacking and job hunting. I spent last weekend reconnecting with my
daughter, and tried to settle in during the week. Then Friday brought a back to
school dance with my wee princess (her first; cue the “awwws”).
 | |
| Suzi in her new home. |
Saturday, I got together with literally my oldest friend in
the world. We were born a day apart, and until his family moved away when we
were thirteen, we lived two houses from each other. Even though we had no contact other than a phone call or two over the following decades, we led oddly
similar lives – both served in the Navy (we found out we missed each other in
the Persian Gulf by just a few months), and both became bikers.
Suzi (my trusty 2003 Suzuki SV1000N) needed some parts for
repair after being knocked over in a parking lot after a concert,
so David offered to show me the local multi-brand dealership on my side of
town, as well as some of his hangouts.
We hit Freedom Powersports in McDonough, then headed to a
cool biker bar called Motorhead’s. From there, we went to The Grove in Locust
Grove. Then we rode over to the American Legion post David belongs to, and I
was introduced to his fellow members. From there, we went to Hammer’s in
Atlanta, where David’s lovely fiancé, Marjorie tends bar.
Riding along the relaxed, gently winding roads, I found
myself thoroughly enjoying all the green.
Don’t get me wrong – I love central Texas and the Hill Country, but I love it
in spite of its brutal heat and dry, brown climate. Yesterday, once we got away
from the suburban sprawl and onto the back roads, we were surrounded on two
sides, and sometimes overhead, by actual, by-God-green trees. Of course, they
were overgrown with kudzu, but that’s the Southeast for you. Visually, it just
added to the green. I sort of went on auto pilot, letting the sight of kudzu
and the scent of honeysuckle take my mind back thirty years to my youth here in
this region. The fact that August in Atlanta is cooler than August in Austin
was also welcome.
On autopilot, my mind wandered back. David and I used to
ride our bicycles up and down the little dead-end street we lived on, dreaming
of motorcycles, inspired by Ponch and John of the TV show CHiPs, and of course
by Fonzie from Happy Days. Yeah, thirty five years ago, we were riding bicycles
and dreaming of motorcycles, but this weekend, we were riding motorcycles and
reminiscing about bicycles.
We didn’t actually get my parts on Saturday, but Sunday’s
trip to Cycle Gear got me started on the needed repairs. I’ll still need to
replace the handlebars, and David’s going to help me fabricate a license plate
bracket.
 | |
| David and me. |
Both days found us riding into and out of and along the edge
of rain showers. Hey, if you don’t ride in the rain, you don’t ride, right?
Although I did point out to him that in a week and a half I’ve gone for four
rides, and the only time I got rained on was with him – and that every time I’ve ridden with him, it’s
rained. Therefore, he must be to blame, and I just need to start showing up to
ride already wearing the rain gear.
After we got the parts, we went to his house and
straightened out bent brackets as best we could, removed destroyed pieces and
installed the replacements. All in the yard. In the rain. Because apparently we
don’t have enough sense to get in out of the rain.
All in all, it was an outstanding weekend: Friday night “date”
with my daughter, reintroduction to the land of my childhood, but this time via
motorcycle, and also rekindling my oldest friendship (also via motorcycle).
No comments:
Post a Comment