Subject: Julian Ride... Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 13:08:10 -0500 From: gayathri So in response to my whining for Apple Pie and leaves changing colour, one of the San Diego LaBikers led us on a ride to Julian. I think I'm still frozen from it. But I gotta say my electrics rocked.... I want the Widder Arm Chaps for xmas. :) First off, was getting up at 5:30 am. Fortunately, I was smart this time and had everything out the night before so I didnt have to think too much, but I still managed to forget my wallet. *oops* Then Squidboy and I get to Russ's house, meet up with Sarah (Dont wait for me if I dont show up) Barwig,and eat those cool spherical pancakes (abelskivers) and drink WAAAY too much coffee. (this is important) Head out with (I think) plenty of time to get to the meetpoint. Then I start worrying -- I forgot to print out Kev's (http://labiker.com/gallery/images/K_M/KevSeiler.html) notes. Did he say the intersection of the 15 and 78, 76 or 79??? aaargh!! We get across Ortega Highway at the slowest pace i've ever done. Its cold. The road is wet, and I'm still SLEEPY! oh. and those D207's never seemed to warm up. (ok the real reason is that I just could not get my mind across going faster when I was cold and sleepy...) We're on the 15! yes! I think, except Squidboy speeds up and starts making all sorts of weird gestures, and I finally realize he needs a restroom. Sarah is not making weird gestures, but we pull off at the intersection of the 79 and the 15 and I look for a mobil station just in case. We end up at a Chevron and Sarah does the quickest bathroom break a gurl in a stitch could possibley due (i'm not kidding. I cant believe how fast she got in and out...) and squidboy didnt look green anymore. :) (all that coffee, right?) I look at my watch. its 10:10 ALREADY! and I'm not sure how far we are to the actual start point... I tell Sarah. We hop on the bikes and get back on the 15. Suddenly. Suddenly, Evil SquidGrrl ZOOMS past me. NExt thing I know, I'm in a video game. Cages are moving pylons and I realize I'm lanespliting past them at DOD Nominal. Seriously. WHOOOOOoHEEEEE! I'm awake now. Who needs coffee? :) Sarah gets us to the start point at like 5 after 10. (we went that fast.) Um hey, where's the guy leading the Ride for Pie? I dont see his handsome face. or one of the pretty bikes... but I see an old friend I didnt expect (Hi Shadow!) oh, and her owner, Mark Ueeck's smiling face. :) and a whle buncha other people -- including a former New Englander and now San Diego resident, Todd (who's last name I forgot, but he used to race a Hawk GT and rides a Guzzi Jackal). Finally -- Kev arrives with some LAME excuse about his license plate falling off. We get our route sheets with handy map and head off. The changing trees made my day... the chill in the air and the tree cover'd roads reminded me a little of New England in the fall... Awesome. Todd was quite patient when my brain had gotten tired and I couldnt go fast even tho the road was nice and open and let me and Sarah follow him. :) (ok, he lost me in the tight stuff. damn him. you come BACK here! hey, Todd, you GOTTA come out to Willow. :) boy I could really use heated grips right now.) Um. I havent been up to Palomar in a while. What's this WHITE STUFF? DAMN IT! I'm on a ride with Mark! that's the PROBLEM. (see, Mark and I were on the great Pepper Chase, when it SNOWED in UTah in June. and I thought I was gonna die. and we had to wrap up Shadow in a sweater and ductape so she wouldnt freeze.) anyway, its wet. my hands are frozen and I'm afraid i'll be too heavy on the controls for braking or throttle so I'm trying my hardest to just hang on and get thru this part... (*wriggle*) damn it. *slide* aaaaaaaaarrrrrrghhh!!! (*cross yellow line*) of course, I do this twice while MarkU's behind me. I suck. I hate this. I ought to give up riding. *lets him go past* I'm gonna eat my god damn pie with coffee and icecream. I wanna be warm, damnit. and them some guy on a blue r1 goes by in jeans and NO GLOVES. Fuck. am I just messed up? (*breathes in/breathes out*) Repeat until calm. I make it to the t, up there, at the top. There is indeed snow and its hailing on us. I grit my teeth. *Must have pie soon* We head downhill and its a little better. Everytime I panic, instead of tensing my upperbody -- I practice holding the tank with my thighs. (*you know, my thighs hurt today*) hrm, this isnt so bad. We get to the gas station. One pump and one bathroom, but there were glow in the dark condoms in the bathroom... the women are now begging Kevin for food. (Well, Sarah, Monique, and I, iirc...) and we head to the Julian Pie Company. mmmm. pie. with cinnamon icecream. (*full and content*) maybe this riding thing aint so bad... Shoo old people away from Shadow sitting on her warm fleece on the ground next to Mark's bike... (They were saying, "poor doggie" and looking like they were gonna kidnap her. ) Beg Kev some more. Please please please no more cold. Threatened to put my cold hands on his tummy. (not really, but I did chase squidboy around the parking lot...) He sez Highland Valley Road, and I'm hooked. I wanna see this infamous road. and the avocado trees. (There was an incident with a BMW RT rider who's nickname is now Avocado Ron due to an error in judgement that ended him and his RT deep in an avocado grove...) one road before it, I see Victoria on her awesome Monster 750ahead of me letting a bicycle baet her thru the turn. I swear, that bike was PULLING her. :) (no really, she was being polite and letting the bicyclist get thru the turn before blasting past him/her with her nasty pipes roaring...) Jeniffer shows off the suspension on Muttley when she takes off from a curb that seemed like it was a couple of feet high. Sheesh. ooo. Highland Valley Road was FUN. nice changing leaves here too. Following Jeniffer ROCKED. (whoo!!!) the road was DRY! and I had a great time letting my bike follow behind her on the 650 dualsport... At the end of the road, we stop and find out that Wayne had an off road excursion on HV Road (on a cx500?) but he was ok. And that Mark U's bike had slow leak due to a nail in thee rear tyre. We head off for home fromhere, but Squidboy and I stopped (after first missing the exit) to find Mark and Kevin K is waiting there! Cool I havent talked to Kevin K all day... Gary also comes back and we find out that the plug kit didnt work. He heads off to an autozone and we try to call BMW dealers to see if they have a tyre instock. San Diego BMW wasnt intersted in staying open past 5 to help Mark out. A plug kit for cars arrives and the BMW guys are fast messing with it. Squidboy decides NOW to ut on the attachments for HIS electric vest and I thinkabout sleep. :) The plug kit works! (Monkey Wrench brand?) and we head off to home. I invite everyone for Sushi and hot sake near our place (Kiyosuzu) and we head home. 15 to the 91 to 71 to 210 (stop for gas) and get home. After forcing poor Mark to try out raw fish and my shamu imitation with sushi followed by warm sake, I think my fingers were finally warming up. Having the waterbed turned up helped too. :) Kev, mucho gracias! Not many men have made two weekends so happy. >-) the pie was well worth it. The roads were great despite my internal whining (shut up, Russ) and the company for the meals was fantastic. Gayathri >-------------------------------------------------------------- gayathri@world.std.com Calamari Club #002, WSMC #158 '88 FZR400 ('gurlzbike') '98 T595 Daytona, "huckleberry" "If you can't tell the truth, then you need to ask yourself why." -- Sedona