To: gayathri
cc:
Subject: a shortened sunday ride...
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A good friend of mine died of a heart attack last week. (Overweight,
older, and diabetic, I hope I make it as long as he does.)

A bunch of the LaBikers were doing a memorial ride, but I find that I
can't seem to get motivated to ride 30 miles of freeway in the
September heat to ride slowly with a bunch of other sad people. So
Squidboy and I went up the Crest instead of out to Malibu. His bike's
acting up and I was so distracted I forgot to get gas before heading
out. No big deal! we're doing 56 miles. I've got plenty for that...

'Cept the crest was crowded, and we took Angeles Forest to upper Big
T, and they've repaved Upper Big T, and Squidboy and I took off, both
lost in memories of times we've done this same road with Tony A. 

Tony and I used to go play hooky together, ride a bunch for an
afternoon, have lunch and talk about life, universe and everything. He
was a sensitive lug under that gruff exterior, and it took us fighting
tooth and nail to realize that we werent all that dis-similar. Took
another year before we'd forgiven each other enough to admit it
tho. :-p It was the private moments about Tony I really enjoyed. and
I'm really going to miss. 

So Upper Big T rolled out underneath me, as the Gin Blossoms played on
my Plug-n-Listen (developed by TonyA and harshly fieldtested by me...)
and we headed up the hill. I can't seem to concentrate too well, so I
slow it down, and see Squidboy disappear, riding the road chasing a
memory. 

Food. I need food. We stop at Newcomb's and eat and say hi to folks
and kick a few tyres and then head down, 5 miles downhill of the Upper
Big T cutoff, I see the S&R helicopter in the valley to my left. I
hope its not for another biker, and I hope its above us. 

No such luck, we're caught in a long line of cars and bikes 'cause a
Saturn managed to run off the road and wedge itself precariously over
the edge of the side of the road. They have to wait for the tow truck
to come up from the bottom of the hill...

This could take a while. There isnt any shade, and I decide, "well,
maybe I have enough gas..." and we head back up to Upper Big T, over
to Angeles Forest, chasing each other and a few other bikes, 'til I
get about5 miles from the base of the crest. And the bike runs out of
gas. (153 miles, many of it local traffic!) I coast for another 1.5
miles 'til I find a shady turn out, and pull over. Steve offers to
push me down the hill, but I fear what I might do to the engine...

He heads down to get me gas, and I sit by the side of the road, in the
middle of the trees and the blue sky and fluffy white clouds...

a ducati 750 pulls over -- its a new Labiker friend, Andrea,
celebrating her 1 year anniversery with her bike by going for a long
(169 mile) ride. She offers to hang with me 'til the gas comes, and we
talk and laugh and make plans. 

Get gas, and head on home, a short day, but a pretty good one.