The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: SCJJR65 on March 20, 2008, 02:01:51 PM
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"Ah, the first day of spring, when a young man's thoughts turn to love..." (Or in my case, a ride in the country to bring in the new season.)
Well, with the day off from work and the forecast to be in the mid 60s and sunny, I decided to get out of the house, run my errands and treat myself to a short ride on Britta after lunch. Although the final rear drive still hasn't been replaced yet, I felt I could tempt fate for a 20 or 30 mile ride and not get stranded.
With today being our 3rd wedding anniversary, I needed to pick out an appropriate gift for Pattimarie when we go out to eat later this evening. (I picked the first day of spring for us to get married, in hopes I wouldn't forget it.) ::) She had bought herself a charm bracelet recently and had mentioned that she'd like a nice charm to add to it, so I knew my assignment. Go find a nice charm for her bracelet and give it to her at dinner this evening.
I made my way over to the mall in Greenville and found a store inside that had a nice selection of charms, and picked out a "heart within a heart" that I liked, and told the clerk to "wrap it up". Mission accomplished, in a mere 15 minutes of eagle-eye shopping on my part, so I felt I deserved a reward. A "grande" caramel latte at the omnipresent Starbucks in the food court was ordered, and I sat for a short while and sipped my caffiene fix and watched the mall walkers, teenies, old folks and stroller pushers as they paraded by.
I took the "back way" on the return trip home, a route I would often take to school that allowed me to avoid most of the traffic, skirting the urban sprawl and four lane traffic light crawl. It was only a brief 10 mile respite from the usual highway that everyone else on four wheels or more chooses, but there ain't no traffic lights along the way and just a couple of stop signs, for that matter. There is even some farmland along the way that I always enjoyed looking at during the different seasons as I went back and forth to school over the past four years. I don't take this route that often any more, now that I'm out of school, so it was quite enjoyable to gaze at it as I motored by at a leisurely pace of about 50 mph, tooling along in 4th gear, with Britta's motor purring away in a pleasant drone. I had my camera in my jacket pocket, so I pulled over and took a pic of the road that I enjoyed riding on over the past several years. Here is a shot. All in all, it was a most enjoyable ride. I only wish I could have ridden a bit longer on this beautiful spring afternoon.
Anyway, I hope a lot of you guys and gals were able to get out on your trusty steed and bring in the first day of spring with a ride! ;)
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The first ride of the year, was something I really looked forward to when I lived back in the midwest US.
Now after 15 years of riding year round here in the southwestern US, kind of almost forgot how great it was to get back out on the road again with two wheels after a harsh cold 'off' season.
Forecast to be in the mid 80's F. here in the northern Sonoran desert of Arizona today.
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We had a beautiful, sunny day for the first day of spring!
Unfortunately, I am still trying to get my voice back after my illness over a month ago - so I am not going to abuse my throat with cool weather riding.
I opened the sunroof on the car...until I got on the interstate...
I want my health!!! >:(