25. July 5,2011
OMGOSH! What a day! Marlene & I left Edm. yesterday, to start our Alaskan Trip. We got as far as Entwhistle, AB, when I had to turn around, because the bike was riding so ruff I couldn't see ahead, my eyes were shaking so bad from the vibration. My teeth were chattering so bad, I couldn't eat sunflower seeds, because I kept biting my fingers! Well, ok, that's a bit of exaggeration, but the bike, definitely was not safe to continue on. So back to Edm. it was and off to AB Cycle first thing in the morning to get new tires! I arrived at opening; 9:00AM & left AB. Cycle this afternoon at 7:30PM! But I had new tires, new front brakes and am up-set stomach, from the anxiety of waiting, worrying that the bike would not get done or something else would go wrong. But they finished the bike, gave me the bill and I was surprised how reasonable the invoice was! Then I realized I was not charged for the tires! So it took a little more time to find the tire prices! Then when I was checking the work over I noticed lots of grease on the rear tire area, I asked for a cloth to clean it up, then when I gave the cloth back to the mechanic the KEY went with the rag! Of course this was not noticed until after I had put everything away on the bike! And the store was closing! I checked everything I had over and over again, I asked a worker whom had come out of the shop if he would check inside. He did and came back keyless! So I took out my spare, thinking I would find it when I unpacked for the night. Just as I had started to leave he came back out with the key, saying he had found it on the shop floor! I'm guessing that when I handed the rag back to the mechanic, the key slipped off my finger and went with the shop rag!
Then it was off to 149 street & Yellowhead, where Marlene had suggested we meet. Only when I got there she wasn't there! So I texted her, saying I couldn't find her and told her where I was waiting. Meanwhile I decided to top up the bike but i was so hot & worried that something had now happened to Marlene, that I had to quickly get off the bike and empty my empty stomach on the boulevard grass! Yup I up-chucked right out there in the open, then got back on the bike & fueled it up! Yuck! Marlene showed up, offered me some Tums and a hug, saying everything was okay!
We left the city, and for the first time, the smells along the way nearly gagged me time and time again! The beautiful smell of fresh cut grass, the sweet smell of clover, the lakes and the pig farm! I nearly lost it there For-sure! Marlene cleaned the bike windshields tonight, but was curious how I managed to get so many bugs on the inside of my windshield!? Well , Hun, I told her, that isn't bugs-that's me not getting off the bike quick enough when my stomach was so upset! Oh Yuck, she said, now I owe her a new wash rag along with the cash for the front brakes that she picked up for me from Scona Honda because AB Cycle didn't have the right ones for my bike!
But we made it to Hinton tonight and the sky is red, so we are delighted, we will have a great ride day tomorrow. We are going to meet up with Shirley tomorrow. She is riding up from Tangent Oregeon, and will come to Alaska with us!