1998-05-17

Finally, a sunny weekend. 

Squidboy bought a '97 kawasaki zx-6r for his birthday. Its an ugly
green as opposed to the lovely green of my bike. :) We dropped off a
credit application at one house that would put us at the base of the
mountains near Lower Big Tujunga, which connects to the Angeles Forest
- half a mile from this house is the first sign that says "*sqiggle*
next 18 miles". Those signs always make me smile. Lots of horses in
this area too, so I learned how to glide by them, pulling in the
clutch so as not to disturb the horse too badly.

We found one road on the map that looked promising - it was a gentle
curvy road, and as we start up it, I look to the up and to the right
and almost drop the bike laughing. On the side of the road was a
peacock, displaying. At first I thought it was a lawn ornament, until
it closed up the fan and started walking towards us. Hrm. Hitting a
peacock in the US would certainly be some record. It stayed on the
side of the road, and I kept a keen eye out for other wild animals and
horses.

About 5 miles up the twisties, we pass a bar, a rough sign saying
"Cocktails and Dancing" - I'll have to come back.  Some sand in the
road, but its kept in amazing condition, we pass parts of the Angeles
National Forest and a bunch of horse ranches. For the first time in a
long long time, I'm just happy - relationships starting and ending,
househunting, bike hunting, job switches, all the new responsibilities
and stress of the past 3 months fade away, as I put the balls of my
feet on Jezebel's pegs, slide up against the tank and flap my arms to
relax them. Suddenly, I stop thinking, and I see without seeing - the
slight bits of sand in the road, the hangliders in the air, the bright
red/fuschia flowers on the side of the road, the horses running along
with us. The bike just drops into curves, I dont see squidboy ahead of
me, but I know he's there, two turns ahead, and he'll be there,
slowing down in the straights waiting for me. There is some run off,
and water, in fact we pass one section where the road was part of a
river - the truck in front of us went thru slowly, and we went thru,
my toes got wet and the pegs trailed in the water, but it was ok.

The road went up and around and then down and that way and this way
and lots of little switchbacks - I waved squidboy ahead, since I know
he wants to see what his new ZX-6r can do. The Sprint is still a
little heavy, but I am beginning to trust its leaning ability - having
mez2's gives me some measure of confidence. The triple engine is good
for slowing me down before turns, so I practice a no brake drill for
alittle while until I realize those switchbacks are getting
tighter. So I practice braking before the turn. Some of this stuff
feels really good, adn I come around a corner to see squidboy slowing
down to wait for me. I wasnt too far behind. :) I do a little wiggle
on the bike to let him know I'm happy and to keep going.

We pass houses and ranches and then we pass miles of green that will
soon turn brown and maybe have a forest fire because campers decide
not to pack out toilet paper, but burn it instead. (This happened in
the Angeles Forest last year - they lost the side of a mountain.)

We came out onto rt 14, and I couldnt figure out where this one road
was from memory, so we took 14 north to find the Angeles forest road
back home. A older Kawasaki of some sort passes us both on the
freeway, I think it might have been an ex500, and I see him pass
squidboy with very little room to spare. Just a couple hundred feet
later, I see a piece of plastic fly off his bike and land right in
front of squidboy, spinning. He avoids it, and I avoid it and both of
us look at each other. I suspect he hated us so much, he launched his
seat cowl at us.

The only real 'oh-s**t' moment was coming back on Angeles Forest, I'm
a little hungry - there is a place to eat about 5 miles up the road. I
practice late apexing, and come around one right hand turn a little
too far over on the left hand side of the road - still on my side of
the double yellow, but looking up ahead, I see a ford F350 on my side
of the road.

	Here's the funny part. I dont panic. I mean, I see the
truck. Its really close, and awfully fast, and on my side of the
road. I ignore it, and look for the line and press hard on the right
footpeg, and the right handlebar, cutting my corner hard. I miss the
truck - in fact, i dont even see it go by me, since I'm already
straightening out the bike and picking the better line thru that turn.

	It took my brain a little while to process what had just
happened. By that time I'm at the place for food, and I'm asking
squidboy, "did you see that huge truck?"

Late lunch watching hummingbirds and hawks and talking to a bike
riding babe who yelled at the counter clerk for calling me a guy. I'm
waiting for my hamburger, and he comes out from the kitchen. A uproar
ensues as the folks who know him yell at him to get back in the bar
and COOK OUR FOOD, damnit!

He says, "I'm cooking his order," and points to me. This woman at the
far end of the counter pipes up, "That's a HER, not a he," and he
ignores her. (they know each other). Then he is harrassed again, and
he says, "HEY! I'm cooking HIS burger!" I'm laughing at this point,
and then smile really big when she yells at him, "HEY! you'd think
you'd be able to tell a chick in leather, knowing that I ride, you
blind *^*%. That's a WOMAN, and get her G*d damn'd BURGER!"

I giggle when he brings out my burger and pie and smile at him - its
hard to tell sometimes when I'm wearing warm clothes and the leather. 

All in all, a GOOD sunday ride, we only put 120 miles on the bikes, as
we'd left at 3 pm, and wanted to get back at a reasonable hour. Spent
the time at home cleaning off the chains and seeing all the dead bugs.