From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 15- 375 words

THURSDAY, MAY 28th - DAY 15  (the last day):

5:30am - Up with Ambria… coffee, dog walk, and breakfast with her and Gini.  Since my mom's passing, Virginia has been filling in as my mom.  She's an incredible lady, a teacher both in the classroom and out.  She is also a fellow La Selva-ite.  She and her husband Arthur Tindall are charter members of the Community Church.  Yep, the same one I was gonna be working on soon… the same one that my older brother had added to and remodeled previously, and that my dad had originally built.

8:00am - Off and away for the last day of my adventure.  Part of me is sad that it's almost over, and part of me is very happy… that I was able have so much fun, see so many beautiful things and people, and experience the wonderful life of life on the road.  It is truly something that nourishes my soul, and I hope you have enjoyed reading about it.  I have so much love inside of me, and I have a lot of you to thank for it.  You know who you are.  You help nourish me, and I thank you eternally.

But first… let's get home… we're not quite there yet.

9:15am - Snelling.  Both bars are closed.  My morning celebratory cocktail will have to wait.  I met Roger and his twins Cade and Grant, and ranchers from Merced, Bill and Dave, and Dave's dawg Speck.

10:15am - El Nido, just west of Merced.  Rajni the bartendress from Fiji, declined my request to take her picture, but she did tell me she would send me an email with some of her poetry, and gave me the impression of being a very sweet gal.

Shook hands with fellow Latino, Roberto Robles, who said he'd been to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico… where most of my mother's family lives.

11:15am - I-5, just north of Los Banos.  Gas, smoke, beer.  No victims.

12:15pm - Dunnsville.  Still no fucking cocktail… and another stop with no victims… I must be tired.

1:00pm - Michael's on Main.  Home at last.  15 days + 1 hour, and 3,345 miles between visits.

 

                                            I ended the adventure the same way it started…

                                               "A double Absolute, tonic and lime please."

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 14- 1.7k words

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27th - DAY 14:

5:30am - Thank goodness for a great night's sleep… and down the street for coffee.  Stopped at a motel next door, and asked how much they'd charge me to let me use one of their 'jacuzzi suites' for a 15 minute hot tub.  The morning manager looked at me with a puzzled stare.  I like bringing people out of the boxes.

7:45am - On the road.  I wanted to verify how far 'til next gas, so I stopped and asked a blonde who was finishing up washing her car at the car wash across the street.  Cheryl Holms… a mortgage broker from Janesville.  Very cordial… very cute… and very married.

8:45am - Doyle (the town of).  Almost took time to stop at "Honey Lake Campground".  Honey was disappointed, but I knew she'd forgive me.  She knew there were a lot of beautiful scenery and lots of fun ahead of us today.

9:30am - I woulda been at my sister's house, except for the detour I took to try and find the ceremonial grounds of The International Community of Christ, at Red Rock.  I wanted to say a prayer for my sister that she continues to find peace without the Church in her life.  I wanted to call her and surprise her after I had done my 'prayer service' for her, but I couldn't find the place, and called her for directions. 

She wasn't willing to give me the emotional energy it would take her, to tell me how to get there.  What a shame.  She was the 'second in command' of the Church for about 25 years, but when the Founder retired and his sons took control, they ousted her.  They wanted to turn the Church into a business, and Jackie wanted to keep it a Religion.  What a fiasco.  The membership is dwindling.  The Church is dying.  My sister is heartbroken.  Gotta change the subject…

10:00am - Jackie's house.  Mark (her husband) was out teaching… either tai-kwan-do or trumpet… I'm not sure which.  He's also a para-legal… a very amazing man.  He played with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall a few years ago.  I love Mark.

I spoke with Cheri (Jackie's grand-daughter) and Derek (Cheri's husband), petted the two black labs and… had my first hug with my youngest great-grand-nephew JC.  Jackson Claybourn was born about 4 months previously, and I was in heaven.  He smiled up at me from my arms while gazing into my eyes.  He played with my lips and got his finger smudges all over my sunglasses.  Wonderful wonderful.

I had upset Jackie with my attempts at sending her my healing energy, and I knew from experience that I wasn't gonna be able to make things better, so I made my stop in Reno pretty short.

10:15am - Back on the road, and up the hill to North Shore (Lake Tahoe).  I'd decided to check out the ski resort at Mt. Rose… my nephew Roger's favorite hangout, while he lived there.  He was a daredevil… I miss him.

When I got to the top, they were doing re-construction/ maintenance so I wasn't able to have the cocktail I was hoping for, but I was able to meet some really fun people standing on the side of the road, getting ready to jump off.

E-Man, Jeff, John, Steve, Bill, Paul, Kelly and Nancy.  There were others, but they were just getting there as I was leaving.

E-Man pointed me towards a placard that they put up, in remembrance of one of their friends, a lost comrade, Doug Cook.  Doug had died in a tragic accident while racing his motorcycle in Southern California on Oct. 21st, 1999.

Doug had previously set all the distance records for hang gliding off this spot:  West - 15 miles to Squaw Valley;  South - 85 miles to Coveland;  East -132 miles to Dry Patch;  and North - 144 miles to Susanville.  I could see the look of love, respect, and reverence in the eyes of all of them.  He was obviously a marvelous man.

11:30am - Stopped just down the road to pick up a rock I saw in the middle of the road on my way up.  I strapped it to the top of my tail bag, and am gonna keep it, to remind me of my nephew Roger, and of Doug, the great man I never met.

Noon - I decided to stop at 'The Potlatch', a clothing and collectables store, and said hi to the owner and friend, Lynn McGinty.  I'd always wished she would like me as more than a friend, but she's a great gal and I'm happy to know her in any way she wants.

12:15pm - I stopped twice to go skinny-dipping in Lake Tahoe, but turned around both times.  First time, 'cuz the trail was longer than I'd remembered, the second because I slipped and fell on my ass (and elbow), and didn't want to risk further injury or insult.

1:30pm - Just south of Carson City.  I pulled up next to a young blonde gal at a stoplight and asked how much further down the road it was, 'til the next gas.  I like to use the gas station location thing as an excuse to talk to pretty blondes.  Britney was about 22-ish, a hippy looking girl, and had a genuine smile for me.

About 15 miles down the road something interesting hit me.  We (Honey & I) were cruising at about 75 mph, and all of a sudden I noticed there was absolutely no wind in our faces.  Before I could fully process the oddness of this sensation… BLAMMO… a wall of wind pounded into me from the left, like a Mack truck, almost hard enough for me to loose control of Honey's reigns, as I found myself fighting to keep us on the road.  Then… just as quickly as it happened, the wind went back to the normal speed and direction.

I glanced into my rear view mirror, and saw a large dust devil moving off the road and across the prairie.  I estimated its size to be about 40 feet in diameter, and about 100 feet tall.  Hello.  Nature does have a way of waking you up and giving you the taste of coffee, doesn't it?

2:00pm - Topaz Lake, and there was the gas, just as Britney had promised it would be.  Honey took almost exactly 4 gallons… after galloping almost exactly 160 miles, which meant she got almost exactly 40 miles per gallon.  Honey and I sure love the mountains.  We are in our element when we're above seven thousand feet and surrounded by Mother Nature and Daughter Beauty.

3:00pm - Left Lee Vining with Richard, a fellow biker brother, who was telling me that when he was younger, he and his buddy Scott climbed Half Dome three times in less than 18 hours.  I told him that when my buddy Brian and I did it, we took 18 hours to do it once, and felt like whipped puppies as we limped back to our car at the Valley Floor.  If Richard is telling the truth, he is a superman.  Oh to be young, virile, and good looking.  At least I have two out of three of those attributes.

3:30pm - Stopped for a photo at Tioga Pass Entrance to Yosemite.  9,945 feet, light rain, some sleet, hail, and I took off my shirt to document the moment.  Is that virility, or is it insanity?

4:00pm - After pulling back on the road after a beer and a poddy break, I fell in behind a group of four riders, and followed them at their putt putt speed for about 10 miles, until they pulled over at one of my favorite viewpoint in the world.  Looking southwest over Clouds Rest and Half Dome.

Werner, Jean-Pierre, Gerardo, and Carlito were Italians who'd flown to Chicago, rented their bikes, and followed Route 66 to Las Vegas… then went north on 395 and had just come over Tioga, right behind me.

They were headed west to San Francisco, before going down the coast to LA, to catch a flight back to Italy.  What a fun bunch of guys.  We talked, laughed and shared my last beer as a communion offering to:  safety, fun, and girls.

6:00pm - Crane Flat for gas and beer.  Said goodbye to Richard who rode up, as I was getting ready to take off.  I told him we'd have to stop meeting like this, that people were gonna start to talk.  6 times in about 50 miles we'd pulled over together:  1 - Lee Vining; 2 - Ice Lake;  3 - Tioga Pass;  4 - Tuolumne Meadows;  5 - Clouds Rest overlook; and 6 - Crane Flat.

7:00pm - Rain.  Torrential Rain.  Lots of lighting and thunder… right on top of Honey and I.  Less than a second between the flash and the booming, roaring, bone shaking claps of thunder.  I stopped at Rainbow Pool and stood there in the parking lot and smiled like an idiot.  It was fantastic.

The warm spring thunderstorms in the Sierra's are part of my upbringing.  For anyone who hasn't experienced them… I'm very sorry for you.  I can still smell and taste the air, and feel the rejuvenating benefits of God's Bathing Love, washing away all my sins and making me pure once again.  So I can go out and sin some more.  Kidding.

8:00pm - I was soaked to the bone, but I was happy happy happy.  I arrived at Tokosaben, my home away from the coast, which I've been visiting for the last 39 years.  Virginia (my surrogate mother, since mine died) and her grand-daughter Ambria are always very kind and loving to me.

9:00pm - Asleep on the couch, what a great day.

377 miles for the day, 3,157 for the trip.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 13- 425 words

TUEDAY, MAY 26th - DAY 13:

6:00am - Up, hugs with J & L, coffee, posts, and morning beer.

8:00am - Off and away.

10:00am - Summer Lake and fuel for Honey.  This was my second to last day on the road and after 12 days, I could feel myself getting tired.  My principal staple of beer for nourishment was gonna be less and less, the closer we got to home.  Most accidents happen within 100 miles of your home and I had no intention of being a statistic.

10:30am - Summer Lake Hot Springs.  I met and chatted with Duane, a recent transplant from Portland.  Lovely had asked me to say hi to him for her.  He has 145 acres and says he'd like to learn to ride a horse and fit in more with the locals, but he doesn't like cowboy hats and doesn't want to wear anything except his tennis shoes.

As I was leaving his spread, I came up on 2 cowgirls, Dana & Anna.  They were helping with the cattle drive… right down the middle of the highway.  I chatted a spell with 'em, and then… as per their ok, idled Honey down the middle of the road, thru the middle of the herd.  I wish I woulda stopped and taken a picture of the look of confusion in the eyes of the cows.  It was classic.

Noon - The town of Paisly was just down the road not a fer piece from the cattle drive.  I was only able to finish a small portion of the biggest burger I've ever had.  2 huge patties of ground buffalo, ½ pound of sliced ham, 3 pieces of bacon, an egg, three slices of cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce.  Wholly mackerel.

2:00pm - Alturas.  I was partly glad to be back in my home State of California, and partly sad.  My adventure was winding down.  Stopped for gas and beer.

4:00pm - Susanville.  The non-stop activities of the last 13 days was talking its toll on this old man.  I could've made it to Reno without too much trouble, but I decided not to push it, so I tied Honey to the hitching-post early… got a motel… went in the room and…

6:00pm - Asleep.            341 miles for the day, and 2,780 for the trip.

8:00pm - Woke up to watch Orlando beat Cleveland by one in overtime to tie the series at 2-2.

8:15pm - Back asleep 'til…

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 12- 1.1k words

MONDAY, MAY 25th, a very memorable Memorial Day - DAY 12:

6:45am - I woke up late, 'cuz I had been planning to stay one more day, but when I discovered Mimi was gonna hibernate for the entire day, I decided to pack and go.  "We gotta get outta this place.  If it's the last thing we ever do."

9:00am - Off and away.  Couldn't find Gertrude or my cooler.  I'd already had 'Kenny' stolen off my bike, and now my gorilla had been taken off the front porch.  And my cooler… who the f knows.

9:30am - Kent, the town of.  Couldn’t buy a single beer.  County ordinance.  A six pack or more is ok, but not a single.  Not until 10am.  Funny huh?  I couldn't charm the attendant to allow me to use his restroom either.  Then I cut my finger trying to un-jam the zipper on Honey's tail bag.

Finally something good happened, when I was able to give directions to a gal looking for the cemetery in Covington.  I was able to get her headed properly for Covington, and I could tell form the map, that is was a small enough town, that she wouldn't have any trouble find the cemetery, when she got there.

One full hour burned, but I wasn't gonna let it bug me.  I was planning on lolly gagging all day anyway.  The route I'd chosen was gonna take me past the foot of Mt. Rainier, and I wanted to play tourist and enjoy the scenery that I had never had the opportunity to see before.

10:00am - I was feeling wild and crazy, so I decided to do something different.     I stopped for my poddy break at a Ford Dealership, instead of a GSMM (gas station mini mart).  Rick, the salesman was amused, and happy for the distraction.

10:30am - I spent 45 minutes finding, buying, and securing an American Flag for Honey.  It lasted about three hours before someone stole it.  I'd never had such a run of bad luck, as in the last few days.  Normally, things on my bike stay where I put them.

I started to get 'spooked' about it, as a bad sign, but was able to shake the mood.  It was just too glorious of a day, to let myself get in a funk about anything as unimportant as a couple of stuffed animals, and an American flag.

11:30am - When I stopped in Enumclaw for gas, my mood got dramatically better.  I met John and 'Yellow Jacket', his Goldwing (motorcycle).  He said he was just out for a day ride and would love to join me.

I was honored.  This man (and Yellow Jacket) were gonna go to Hawaii the next week, to ride in their 50th State together.  Quite an accomplishment, and after personally only have ridden Honey in 13 States myself… I could appreciate the time and effort this feat took.

 

1:00pm - Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, at the base of Mt. Rainier.  I met some of the ski patrol… all beautiful, young, healthy, and nice.  Veronica, the mountain biker gave me a kiss on the cheek while John took our picture.  Tianna didn't kiss me, but she let me kiss her… cheek.

      

Fellow biker brother and sisters Mel, Sarah, Mike and Mary were also there to enjoy the good times and spirit.  It was a wonderful time, and I didn't want to leave.  I have a sticker on the back of my helmet, and will remember Crystal Mountain for a long time.

2:45pm - Whiskey Jack's in Cliffdell.  You guessed it, another beer pub - grill.  Jan, a customer at the bar was a lively 65 ish.  Tasha, Safauna were lively 25 year old bar maids.  Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Connie and Patricia showed up.  Girls girls girls.

      

4:00pm - It took some effort, but after some friendly conversation, I was back on the road again.  What an incredibly beautiful area.  See pictures on the following pages, to save me several thousand words:

    

                               Mt. Hood from different vantage points

  

John was kind enough to turn around and give me a chance to get my camera out so I could take this action shot as we went over the pass near Mt. Hood

                   Random Biker Brothers at one of our turn arounds

4:45pm - Just south of Yakima, I stopped for gas, and spoke with Erma, a native Yakima Indian Speaker (someone who teaches the history of their culture).  She was truly a wealth of information and spirit.  We shared 10 minutes of meaningful conversation and hugged each other lovingly when we parted.

                          

5:45pm - Just north of Goldendale.  I was gonna visit the observatory, where you can see the stars in the middle of the day, but Jody got in the way.  She was quite a lovely woman.  I fell in love and hope to return to marry her soon.  She was physically and emotionally strong… yet soft and feminine.  With thick long sandy blonde hair and an inner beauty beyond compare.  She's almost completed the restoration of The Lodge and Chalets, a bed a breakfast establishment she purchased not far from the beer pub where I met her.

         

8:00pm - About 100 miles short of Sunriver, my destination for the night, I stopped on the side of the road at a cattle ramp.  I needed to add some layers… it was starting to get cold.  The weather had been so spectacular for almost the whole trip… I'd almost forgotten that it was still springtime.  Summer was still several weeks away. 

         

 

10:00pm - Stopped in Madras for gas, and returned a phone call from the La Selva Beach Church Construction Committee.  They wanted to schedule an interview with me.  I was one of the three contractors that they were gonna interview, which they had selected from the original group of seven who submitted proposals.  Great news.  Maybe I won't have to try to sell these dumb stories to make a living for myself after all.

10:30pm - I arrived safely at Jacques and Lovely's, and we talked 'til midnight. Then I retired to what turned out to be a bit of a fitful night's sleep.  My throttle wrist was killing me… even two vicadin didn't touch it.  454 miles for the day, and 2,439 for the trip.  It was a very memorable Memorial Day.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 11- 825 words

SUNDAY, MAY 24th - DAY 11:

6:30am - Up, coffee, posting, emailing, morning beering, showering and shaving, and at 'em.

11:30am - Off to pick up Kellie.  Today was Ashley's Graduation Day.

11:45am - I decided to make time for a quick stop at The Six Arms for a quick cocktail before picking her up around the corner.  David the chef was sitting next to me at the bar, and Matt the tender was nice enough to 'open up' for me 15 minutes early.

Noon - When I got to Kellie's house, I met Keith… one of Kellie's roommates.  He was too busy playing his video game to get off the couch, or even to look up at me.  Kellie had told me he was kinda weird.

12:30pm - We had to backtrack to go back to Mimi's, 'cuz I'd forgotten my hawaiian shirt… the only shirt I've worn to all three of my daughter's high school graduations, and now two college ones.  I never wear it for anything else.  Ashley told me she was happy I was gonna wear it, 'cuz it's so easy to pick me out of the crowd.

1:30pm - We arrived at The Tacoma Dome right on schedule… 1 hour early.  I stripped to my default attire of jeans sans shirt.  Bare-chested for the world to enjoy… enjoy or be repulsed with.  Yes, I am a very shy and demure person.  Seemingly un-phased by her father's outrageous behavior, I put my shirt back on and we went in the building, and picked out our 14 seats.  Everyone else was going to arrive closer to the actual starting time.

4:00pm - Ashley's family's screams were by far, the loudest of any of the other graduate's supporters.  She told me later, that she WAS able to pick me out of the crowd of approximately 5,000.

4:30pm - Most of us bolted the confines of the bleacher seats, to go outside and enjoy the rare Pacific Northwest sun, and wait for the ceremony to conclude.  Mimi pulled her car into the handicap lot… parked right up against the curb in the red zone… opened up all her car doors… and turned up her stereo… all the way.

She then proceeded to start 'rocking out' and dancing like a mad woman.  Yep, Mimi is shy and demure, just like me.  I just had to laugh out loud, when I joined her.  The parents and other family and friends of the graduates really got a taste of life from the outlandish parents of the most loved graduate at the facility.  I took off my shirt (again) and started waving it in circles over my head.  It's a typical occurrence when Mimi and I get together in a party atmosphere.  We like being the lives of it.  We feed off each other, and wind each other up into whirling dervishes.  She has always been able to get me going.

5:45pm - Ashley emerges, and we get thru the obligatory photos without too much discord.  Mimi was the only one not readily willing to step away form the graduate for alternate options for subject matter.

6:30pm - Dinner at the Harmon, the same restaurant that John and Ashley and I had lunch at the other day.  I parked Honey on the sidewalk.  Sue and her husband parked theirs in the red zone, and we had a very pleasant conversation about which bike was better.  My Honda or their Harley.

Kellie and some of the other family didn't understand at first, that the derogatory comments were actually only the necessary barbs required as part of the initial meeting between competing members of 'the brotherhood'.  Everyone relaxed noticeably when Sue posed with me next to their bike, and her husband took our picture.

The meal and conversation was very nice.  Even though, as usual, it was 'audio-Darwinism' at it's finest.  I came up with that one, when I became part of their family many years ago.  It means, 'he who talks loudest, talks most'.

8:00pm - After dinner, Kellie was gracious enough to sacrifice her place on the back of Honey so Axel (David & Tracy's oldest son) could enjoy the excitement and freedom that only a 50 mile motorcycle ride at 80 mph can give.  We weren't more than 5 miles down the road, when he yelled into my ear, "I think I need to buy a motorcycle."

After dropping off Axel, I made a quick stop at Café Lago, and found Kelsey just getting ready to leave.  She was headed out with about 100 of her closest friends, to celebrate her 27th birthday.  She is such a darling… a sparkling personality with a glowing beauty from within.  If I was 20 years younger, she would be in trouble.

10:00pm - No one was home at Mimi's, so I jimmied a window and went to bed.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 10- 1.6k words

SATURDAY, MAY 23rd - DAY 10:

5:30am - Up and at 'em.  2 ½ hours of rest, not really sleep.

6:00am - Coffee, shower, shave.  Fixed sliding glass door, e-posted, e-mailed. Cooked and ate breakfast.

Noon - Off and away for my third of four round trips from Seattle to Tacoma and back.

12:30pm - I pulled Honey up to the valet parking at the base of The Space Needle and asked if they had a designated parking area for motorcycles.  The guy pointed at a bicycle parking area and said, "I didn't tell you it was ok to park there".

1:30pm - After nearly an hour walking around The Seattle Center, I gave up looking for Tracy (Mimi's sister).  She had a booth set up for her clothing line, 'Imp Wear', at the yearly 'Folk Life Festival' festival again this year and I was hoping to spend a few minutes with her.  She's the antithesis of Mimi.  Very calm, level headed, and grounded.  An earthy hippy girl… a real sweetheart.

The Center was a carnival atmosphere.  It was a huge massive throng of happy faces wondering thru the several acres of activities, ranging form roller coasters to apple dunking… from corn dogs to gourmet cheeses and wines… from grandparents to infants… from tie-dye tee shirts to mink coats.

Its no wonder I couldn't find Tracy's booth, my head was on a freaking swivel.  I must've shook at least 20 hands, and spent brief moments talking to 10 or 12 of the faces that went with the hands.  I would've stayed longer, but I was carrying my leather jacket and tank bag with all my valuables, wearing my chaps, and sweltering in the 70-degree heat.

It' interesting… when the sun comes out in Seattle, it seems like 20 degrees warmer than it really is.  I was having a good time, but I had to cool off, and plus… I didn't want something unexpected, like a traffic jam, to keep me from arriving early to Ashley and her Pre-Commencement Party at The President's House.

1:45pm - I got back on Honey and started idling my way thru the crowd, to get off the sidewalk where I'd parked.  I met Dee on my to the roadway, and called her bluff when she asked if she could ride down to Tacoma with me.  What a wonderful marketer for Goodwill... don't you agree!!?

2:30pm - I pulled up outside Ashley and John's apartment and called her on the phone.  She came out on the balcony and waved, but ducked back inside before I could pull the trigger on my camera.  She was stressing out about her hair, so I graciously allowed her to continue with her preparations, without nagging her like the overly attentive parent I am.  I did however, tell her to prepare herself… that the attentiveness I was gonna show her today, would pale in comparison to what she should expect when she got married.

She sighed deeply and heavily and gave me another 'oh da - a - a - ad' look that I seem to receive multiple times each day I'm near any of my daughters.  I told her she was spending her time for naught… she could preen, spruce, and comb herself for another 2 hours and not be any more stunningly beautiful than she already was.  I gotta smile from her for that one.

She didn't want to mess up her hair riding on the bike, so I at on Honey, watching her walk down the sidewalk to catch a bus to the event, as I fought back tears of joy, pride, and love.

3:30pm - I arrived exactly on schedule, 30 minutes early, so I backed up Honey against the curb in front of a brew pub/ coffee house, just a couple blocks away from where the shuttle busses were gonna take us to Mr. Anderson's house.

Turns out Loren, the President of PLU is a pretty 'cool dude'.  At least that's what Stu, Tay, and Becca told me when I was sitting with them at one of the sidewalk tables outside The Northern Pacific Coffee Company.  I also learned that The NPCC is one of the favorite local hangouts of the college kids in town.

Stu was the most talkative of the three and we both enjoyed our 45 minutes together.  Not only had I arrived early, but Mimi was pulled over on her way, and was running late.  Apparently the cop stopped her for the offenses of;  talking on her phone, smoking, drinking a big gulp, and not wearing her seat belt.  Peter was cracking up when he was telling me, and I said something like, "she was probably so busy doing all those other things, that she didn't even realize she was driving a car at the time".

Anyway, back to Stu.  He was a way cool 23-year old.  He was very mature, and very handsome.  If I was of the persuasion and 23 years younger, I woulda been all over this guy.  We talked about topics from traveling the nation to academics, from sports to metaphysics, and from parents to sex.  Which led me to ask him if he'd be interested in trading shirts with me.  He was wearing a PLU shirt from the recent 'sex awareness drive', that had just taken place on and around the campus.

I took off my 'dress up' tie-dye tee shirt, a deep maroon and black classic, and he gave me his 'Consent is Sexy' sky blue tee, which I immediately cut the sleeves off of, even before I put it on.  The shirt also says, "sex is better when you talk about it", and on the back, "kiss me again"…"oh yes!!"… "does this feel good?"… "I want you too", and then… "PLU Sexual Assault Peer Education Team."

What a wonderful thing these college kids are doing… helping to deter or eliminate sexual violence, and instead, making sex what it should be, a beautiful natural god given gift for all of us to enjoy.  I so much approve of their efforts.

4:30pm - Ash and I decided it was silly to wait for Mimi and miss the entire party, so we boarded the next shuttle and left.  Mimi had the long-sleeve, button up, collared dress shirt she wanted me to wear with her, so I met Loren, the President of Pacific Lutheran University, in my sleeveless 'Consent is Sexy' shirt.  Priceless.  Totally priceless.  Even Ashley, bless her heart, was ok with it.

As Stu and the other students had told me, Loren was indeed cool.  He looked me in the eye, smiled, and said, "Nice shirt".

I met Loren's totally hot daughter who was also graduating… many of the faculty… a few of the other parents… and lots of Ashley's friends.  It was a wonderful time.

5:45pm - Mimi arrived, with 15 minutes remaining to the party, wearing a comical get up.  Remember the movie Caddyshack?  The sequence when Danny showed up for the boat ride on Judge Schmales' boat?  Mimi looked like she was wearing the exact same outfit.  Complete with the same silly hat.

She had been embarrassed for me that I wanted to wear a very nice tie-dye, and then she goes and shows up looking like a clown in a circus.  They say opposites attract, and Mimi and I are certainly that.

6:00pm - I left the gathering and took the last seat in the next shuttle leaving for the parking lot.  I needed a quick smoke and a long beer.  I was just finishing both, when the rest of the family arrived on the next shuttle.

I followed Ashley's begging requests to 'just drive away', as Mimi continued her 'very important' statements.  More like passages.  Mimi can talk your ear off… and then suck your brains right out thru the hole in your head, if you let her. 

Ash and I had a wonderful ride back to her apartment, and shared a beautiful hug, and then I was off for Seattle.

7:45pm - I decided to forgo the lap dances at The Déjà vu Club, and instead took Peter to dinner at Leena's instead.  Entelia was there just finishing her shift, and when I saw one of her waitress girlfriends stuff a couple dollars down the front of her blouse, I grabbed my wallet, almost broke my leg getting out of the booth I was sitting at, and swaggered over to her.  She gave me a big smile, and asked me how I was doing.

What wonderfully bright eyes she had.  And what gorgeously shaped hips and lips.  I wanted to tell her the story of Little Red Riding Ned, but decided she was just too sweet to tease in such a wolf-like manner.

So instead, I respectfully tucked a dollar bill down between her more than ample breasts.  She and the other two waitresses who were standing there… all three sets of jaws dropped, all at once.  Then, their mouths instantly turned to genuine smiles.  Big ones.  I'm so lucky that I'm able to portray my flirting, so clearly as innocent and harmless.  Girls just love me.  Or they hate me.  Or they love to hate me.  Or they hate that they love me.  It just don't matter much to me, as long as they are smiling when they do it.

8:30pm - On couch at Mimi's.

9:00pm - In bed.  Day 10 was a good day.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 9- 875 words

FRIDAY, MAY 22nd - DAY 9:

7:00am - That's the latest I've slept in for quite awhile.  Nice.

7:30am - Peter to school, posts, emails, laundry, Mimi's constant jibber-jabber, shower, shave, and a semi-thorough cleaning and preening of Honey.

11:00am - Errands with Mimi on Honey.

              Mimi was voted 'Seattle's Best Looking Red-Head' the summer I met her in 1982,

                                                             and still looked hot in 2006

 4:00pm - Time to leave to pick up Kellie for our dinner reservations with 12 of her friends.  I was honored that so many of her buddies were interested in meeting me.  I knew it wasn't 'cuz they thought they were gonna get free food.  I made sure Kellie told them they were on their own in that department.  I felt bad, but Kellie convinced me that none of them would think anything less of me.

5:00pm - A quick lolly gag stop at Café Lago… a high scale Italian restaurant.  I went in for a quick beer and came out with new friends… Kelsey the 26-year old manager… Zack the bartender… and Evan, Tim, Kandra, and Jessica the wait people.  They were so cute and nice.  None of them coulda been more than 30 years old, and all of them were hotties.  I will try to get back there later this trip, but will definitely go back the next time I'm in town for dinner.

For anyone interested, if you want to make a note for the next time you're in Seattle… the website is:  www.cafelago.com.

5:15pm - I picked up Kellie at 'The Six Arms', a British pub on Capitol Hill.  This area reminds me a lot of Santa Cruz.  The main street has the same feel as 'The Pacific Avenue Garden Mall'… a great place for people watching… it's like Halloween, every day… very diverse, colorful, and lively.

I parked Honey on the sidewalk in front of the pub and met Jess, one of the managers of the establishment on her way out.  I asked, and she told me that it was 'more than ok' for me to park Honey there.  She couldn't seem to take her eyes off me… I mean off Honey.

Kellie came out just as I was finishing flirting… I mean talking… with Jess.  The world seemed to fade to gray, as my oldest daughter filled my presence with her beauty and grace.  I've got such a goofy, sincere smile on my face, as I try to express how much I love, and how proud I am of Kellie.  And Ashley.  And Eron.

5:30pm - With Kellie (still the best passenger I've ever had) sitting behind me, we took off for the restaurant to meet her buddies.

5:45pm - Arrived at The 'Taste of India', one of her current favorite places to dine out.  Photo ops galore with Kellie and her friends, as they arrived.

Wonderful meal and conversation with:  Lisa (the waitress), and Kellie's homies; Amanda (the blue haired punk rocker), Corey (the streaky-bleached brunette), Kristen (the full figured raven haired beauty), Kolten (the big bear/ gentle giant), Molly (the spark plug hottie), Melissa (the dirty blonde loner), Nick (the pro poker player/ nerd), and Kyleen (my favorite).

                        Kyleen and Kellie outside The Taste of India

When I whispered in Kyleen's ear that she was my favorite, her response was, "oh-oh".  I wish she would've joined Kellie and I the next day, on our ride to Tacoma for the Pre-Commencement Party at the President's House.  She rides her own bike.  I forgot to write down which make and model, but I remember picturing her in her leathers on it.  Oh my, I wish I wasn't so old.  I can hear Kellie when she reads this… "oh da - a - ad".

I hugged all the kids and expressed my sincerest pleasure in meeting them and meant every word of it.  Birds of a feather I guess.  Kellie is a winner, so it shouldn't surprise me that those are the types of people she chooses to hang out with.

I hope you don't get bored of hearing me voice my pride in my daughters.  If so… too bad.  It ain't gonna stop.  Ever.

7:15pm - Waved goodbye to my daughter and my new young friends.

7:30pm - Déjà Vu, a men's club near Mimi's house.  Boy oh boy oh boy oh girls.  I don't go to strip clubs very often, but every time I do, I wonder why I don't.

Tatia and Summer (blondes), and Bianca and Caramel (brunettes), were my favorites.  I hope I have the energy tomorrow evening after Ashley's pre-commencement party at the president's house, to go back for more.  I didn't spend any money on the girls, but if I go back tomorrow… it's a little embarrassing, but it's true… I'm lonely and horny.

10:00pm - Home and all wound up.

2:00am - Went to bed.

2:15am - Mimi came home, and on a roll.  Holly molly guacamole, that woman is a live wire.  Too bad she's short-circuited.  After a long hard day's night, I just wasn't up to dealing with her manic behavior.  It's probably a good thing she hadn't have shown up earlier, while I was still wound up.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 8- 375 words

THURSDAY, MAY 21st - DAY 8:

6:15am - A wonderful night of sleep… 9 1/4 full hours.

7:00am - Got on-line and traded barbs with Jacques about our bikes…

My responses to his comments:

"Honey has much more leaning capacity than what you saw.  I am attempting to complete a 16-day, approximate 3,000-mile journey, and am not interested in pushing myself or Honey to any of our limits.  If you were riding along with me for my complete ride, I do not think you or your toy mantis would be able to keep up with us.   Yes, yes, yes… your bike can corner faster and stop faster than Honey, but remember, she also weighs ½ as much as Honey, and carries ½ the passenger weight."

Then, I followed up with:

"Yeah… that was great… the times we punched it at the same time… riding side by side… Honey's deep throaty roar, and Mandy the Mantis' cute high-pitched whine… accelerating side by side… I admit it… your bike does perform.  It is very fun, the way our bikes accelerate almost exactly the same.  And their top speeds are indeed, almost identical.  Too bad your bike isn't as beautiful as mine."

Gosh, I love the way Jacques and I can banter back and forth.  He not only takes my barbs better than anyone else I've ever played with, but can dish it back to me better than anyone as well.  Truly, we are brothers from different mothers.

7:30am - Peter to school, then drop offs at Goodwill, the dump, and the recycling center, to unload Mimi's truck.

8:30am - Posts and emails.

11:00am - I had a light meal and then took off on Honey to meet with Michael and DeMarie, the kids of my best Seattle buddy Jim, who died last year from cancer.  He was an amazing dude.  Priest, poet, construction worker, administrator, linguist, single father, and a true lover of humanity… the world is a better place because of him having been such an active participant in it.

Noon - Lunch and quality time with Jim's children.

3:00pm - Back at Mimi's.

3:45pm - Took Peter to see the new 'Star Trek' movie.

7:00pm - Very good curry chicken, courtesy of Mimi.

9:00pm - Bed

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 7- 600 words

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th - DAY 7:

6:00am - Up and at 'em.

7:00am - Took Peter to school, and had some small talk and some big talk… about his mom.  Apparently she's been doing fairly well with her 'bi-polar' issues, primarily by staying faithful to her prescribed medications.  In my opinion she's a very good example of the old adage, 'there's a fine line between genius and insanity.'

She is one of the most gifted people I've ever met… focused and extremely capable of great things when she wants to be.  Like some of us though (me included), the voices in her head tend to distract her, and she gets sidetracked and goes in unproductive directions.  I used to tell her that if she went towards the light, instead of the dark, that she would get everything she ever wanted.

8:00am - Coffeeing, posting and emailing.

11:00am - Off to Tacoma for another visit with Ashley and this time with her unofficial fiancé John.  I gave Honey another day off.  It was dry weather, but still pretty cold and damp.  Tomorrow will be riding weather, and it should stay that way until Monday, when I'm planning on leaving town.

Noon - The three of us had lunch at their favorite local pub-restaurant.  It was very pleasant.  There was lots of good conversation about our families and their own personal goals for their lives together.  It was the first time I'd been able to spend any quality time with John, and I was very impressed.  With him personally, but mostly… with the way they are together.  They seem very compatible and happy.  Ashley continues to impress me with her maturity and communication skills.

2:30pm - Back to Seattle.

3:30pm - Chores for Mimi.  She'd asked me to load a bunch of garbage into her truck and take it to the dump, but while going thru it, I segregated the garbage from the recyclables… the Goodwill items… and the valuables.  The pile started big enough to fill the back of the truck, but after my segregation, the garbage fit into ½ of a regular garbage can.

I'm so glad I was asked to do this project.  I rescued two of Ashley's photo-memory albums… one from her senior year of high school, and one from the summer tennis camp she went to at The University of California at Santa Cruz. 

For Kellie I saved two of her dolls.   Neither of which she ended up wanting, but both of which looked great on Honey.  'Kenny' from the TV show, Southpark and a white gorilla I named Gertrude.  Kellie's other 248 stuffed animals went to Goodwill.

                                               Kenny and Gertrude on Honey

6:00pm - Truck loaded and there was still no sign or word from Peter or Kellie, both of whom promised me they'd be home by 4pm, to help me load the truck.

7:00pm - Still no word from my helpers, so I went to dinner solo at Leena's.  I met Entelia from Albania.  She was my waitress, and she was darling… very happy and personable.  I respectfully requested her to allow me to take her picture for my journal and she said she'd love to, but that if her husband found out, she'd become concerned for my life.

As much as I wanted the picture, I decided that it was not worth the risk.  I decided if I saw her again I'd ask her to call her husband, and invite him to join us, so he could meet me and see for himself that I was harmless.  Uh huh… that's right… that's me… harmless.

8:00pm - Zoning out on couch

9:00pm - Fast asleep in bed.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 6- 1k words

TUESDAY, MAY 19th - DAY 6:

6:00am - Up and at 'em.  Had to go down the street for coffee.  How does anyone survive without coffee?

7:30am - I took Peter (Mimi's son from her second failed marriage) to school.  He's a nice kid… a 6'1", 250 lbs. gentle giant.  A bright, witty and a very loving 16 year old.  He's also a talented artist… mostly pencil sketches… and a football player who already has the College scouts talking to him.

11:00am - Off to Tacoma to visit Ashley… my soon to be second (of three) college graduated daughters.  Mimi very generously told me to drive her extra vehicle, a '07 F-150 almost exactly like the one I own.  I accepted her gracious offer with extreme thanks.  It was about 50 degrees and raining, and it woulda been an unpleasant ride down and back on Honey.

 Side Note:  You can tell who the Seattle locals are… I remember when I lived here… when the average high temperature reaches 50~55, that's when it's time to break out the shorts, tee shirts, and flip-flops.  I'm still un-acclimated to the cold, but already I feel my body adapting.  The human body (and mind)… they're amazing things.  Thank ya Jesus.

Noon - Arrived at Ashley and John's apartment.  We sat and talked on the fourth floor balcony, looking out at the downtown Tacoma harbor.  Ashley's not a big Tacoma fan (I wonder how many there are), and is very much looking forward to moving to Portland and starting the next chapter of her life.

John works as a critical care nurse at several of the local hospital ER's.  Ash is graduating with a degree in Social Work, and is looking for employment and experience with a non-profit mental health association.  She's got a phone interview tomorrow morning, for a counselor's position in a re-hab facility.

She's turning into a very mature and well-spoken young woman.  I can still see the twinkle - sparkle in her eyes, that lets me know she's still got her youthful exuberance, but the way she speaks… with lots of well formed, and very clearly worded sentences, is very impressive to me.  She's easy to understand except for some of her vocabulary.  She speaks like a well-educated professional.  Ask me if I'm proud.  Never mind, I'll tell you.  I am.

We sat on their her and talked about all sorts of things… from her mother, to her sister and brother, to all of her cousins on my side of the family, and then she expressed sorrow about not knowing a lot of them very well.  Then we talked about the uncomfortable topic of how she lost her father at the age of three.

I'm gonna try not to cry while I tell you this:  She apologized to me for being so distant towards me for so much of her life.  She said she was sorry that she felt unable to be close to me for so many years.

My heart was breaking as she expressed this heart felt love for me.  When she finished, I cleared my throat and tried to steady my voice, so I could tell that it was not she that should be apologizing.

She's always known the reason I left.  I was dying.  After her mom divorced me, I tried to kill myself.  I had never failed at something so important to me before, and I didn't know how to cope with the divorce.  Fortunately I failed with my suicide attempt, and have turned that failure into success.  I knew it was God's way of telling me that my work on this planet was (and still isn't) complete.  I know I have something important to do.  I just hope I figure out what that is, before I get too much older.

Anyway… the conversation with Ashley about how she grew up without me was so heart wrenchingly bitter sweet, that words cannot express how I felt.  I do not know why God has blessed me with three of the best daughters in the world, but… Thank you God.

1:00pm - We rode to campus, and picked up her cap and gown and dropped off some paperwork.  She introduced me to two of her instructors, and several of her friends.  I love being the father of Ashley.  And Kellie.  And Eron.

3:00pm - When we got back at her apartment, we continued talking about much lighter subjects, and played some video games.  They've got this thing called 'Wii' which allows people to play games with people from all over the world… in real time.  What will they think of next?  Jeesh… next thing ya know, they'll be tellin' me there that people have walked on the moon.

Anyway, I played Mario Bros. Racing and I actually managed to not finish last on three different courses.  After that, I was pooped.  After all… I'd been racing around the country in real life for the last 1,800 miles.  It just didn't seem right to do it while I was trying to relax.

I watched her for about five more races, while I tried not to snore during my catnap.  She led a couple of the races for a while, but only won one.  Come on Ashley… suck it up… where is that competitive spirit you've been bred with?

I say that in total jest.  If anything, like I mentioned before… she's too competitive.  Tennis was her main sport, but her competitive spirit overwhelmed her ability to cope with anything less than perfection, so she would fight herself mentally on the court, more than her competitor.  She gained a lot of experience and knowledge from that part of her life, and is now much more able to loose gracefully.  She still has the fire, but has now been able to channel that fire into a more productive and efficient method of effort.

Right now, her work and her relationship are her passions.  In a year… after gaining some real life experience in her field of study, she's gonna go back to school and get her Masters Degree… find her dream job… and begin raising her family.  What a gal.  Could I possibly be more proud?  I sure hope this John kid doesn't fuck things up.

6:00pm - After a very nice dinner at The Spaghetti House, I dropped Ash off at her doorstep, and after a long tight hug on the sidewalk, drove back to Seattle.

8:00pm - Asleep on the couch.

10:00pm - Asleep in Peter's bed.  He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and slept on the floor in their game room… his 'man cave'.