If you buy a candle and light it in your room, does that mean your homesick or that you are making the road your home?
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
July, 2011
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Candle
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
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GPS
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
I was sitting at the table with my brother. I haven’t seen him for a few years and I missed him. He wore blue jeans and a blue t-shirt with work boots. His baseball cap was on backward. His blue eyes blinked slowly as he looked at me.
“My GPS makes it difficult when I don’t know where I’m at. It takes me down these roads and I have to keep stopping.” “Why don’t you use the arrows to know which way to turn,” he questioned. “Arrows, what arrows?”
A look of shock registered on my face. I suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter. “Oh my gosh!! Do you know what I’ve been doing?? I look at how many miles it is and then I drive a few blocks. If the mileage goes down then I know I’m headed in the right direction!!” Otherwise, I turn around. I never even thought to look at the arrows.” My brother looked at me with puzzlement on his face. “No wonder it took you so long to get here. Are you sure you came all the way across America?”
We had a good long laugh on that one!! It sure was hard to leave my brother this time. I love you tons Randy!!
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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Mike
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
I travel I94 into Chicago; damn I wanted to go around but I missed an Interstate somewhere. Now I’m stuck in the traffic and there is no where for me to go!! My Dragon Slayer lets me know she’s unhappy by sending her hot steamy breath along my legs. My leathers catch the heat and hold it tight against my jeans. I should have ridden without leathers today!!
I can see the sky turning black and I’m hoping the rain will come and cool me down!! The traffic moves along at about 5 miles per hour. Inch by inch we crawl. I think about pulling into the emergency lane and shutting her off. I wonder if I can split lanes here but I haven’t seen another rider. I think, “Nobody else is stupid enough to ride this darn Interstate but you, Girl!!”
A truck pulls up beside me and says, “What are you doing here?” I smile and nod. I wonder the same thing. Finally, the traffic clears and we start to move again. The skies open up and dump some rain down on me!! Oh, I love the cooling rain!!
I decided to stop for some coffee and lunch before I get to Milwaukee. I see a Starbucks, I pull in and park. As I’m waiting in line, this tall lanky gentleman is standing in front of me. I’m looking at the sandwiches and not really paying much attention to him. He turns and says, “You riding a bike?” I briefly glance at him and say, “Yea.” A few brief moments go by while we are waiting. He turns to me again, “All alone?” I focus on him a little more. His eyebrows are raised high above milky gray eyes that stay at half mast. His long legs are clad in faded blue jeans and he has a white t-shirt on. I chuckle in my mind and look at his t-shirt sleeve expecting to see it rolled up with a red Marlboro pack of cigarettes!! He stands about 6 ft 2 in and has flowing white hair. “I bet he stole a few hearts,” I say to myself.
I give him my full attention and tell him about the Journey. I pull my business card out of my pouch to show him my route. “You’ve gone all this way, all by yourself? A girl? Most men wouldn’t ride that far! How long you been on the road?” he says in wonder. “I left July 15, so it’s been 7 days.” “Damn Girl, let me buy you a cup of coffee. Any girl that is willing to ride that fast and that long deserves a cup of coffee!!” I laugh and agree.
As we move outside, Mike begins to tell me tales of his own adventures on the road. He talks about times his bike broke down and what he did to continue on his Journey. He shares about the people he has met along the way. He imparts advice and I listen intently!! I sat with him for about an hour and a half and I gathered a treasure chest of stories!!
Thank you Mike for sharing your Journey with me!!
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Barnett Harley-Davidson
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Barnett Harley-Davidson is welcoming Journey to Change!!
Welcome Journey to Change
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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OH YEA!!
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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Wet Wonderful Rain
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Life is so amazing!! It goes from 103 to steaming to sweet cooling rain!! Someone, somewhere needs to be in it, having slow wet rain kisses!!
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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Down Days
July 29, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
OK lazy girl!! Let’s roll!! Enough down days!! Its gonna be hot hot hot!! Been 108 for the last few days!! AND a hurricane is coming!! NICE!! Ha ha ha. Headed West!!
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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Pictures
July 28, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Check out my new Picture Page!!
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Tornado
July 27, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
As I travel on the Interstate, I can see the sky turning black, I’m hoping the rain will come. My leathers are hot on my legs, I want to take them off. I can smell the rain in the air, the temperature increases before it drops.
As the sky darkens, I just know today I’m going to get rain!! I decide I better stop to use the bathroom before my jeans get soaked. They are harder to peel off when they are wet!!
I run into the Interstate building and there are about 8 guys standing at the window staring out. I can barely contain my excitement!! As I move back outside, one man with glasses turns to me and says, “Girl, you are gonna get wet out there.” I give him my 100 watt smile, “Yes I know!!” I start to dance around and hug myself!! I’m sure they think I’ve gone mad!!
I run outside and throw my leg over my Dragon Slayer’s saddle. There is another biker putting on his rain gear watching me. I wave to him and he hesitantly waves back. People are scurrying to their cars, worried they might get wet before they reach the safety of the dry interior. Silly people, don’t they know that we are not sugar and we will not melt??
I pull out of the Interstate gas stop and the wind blows my Dragon Slayer slightly to the left. I glance at the trees on the side of the road to try and determine how much the wind is blowing. The trees are whipping around pretty good.
I follow a few cars into the toll line and as I arrive at the window, I hand the lady my money. “You know the wind is blowing like 50 miles per hour and the rain is due to come any minute,” she says to me. “Yes, that is what I’m hoping!!”
As I pull out of the toll booth I think to myself, “I wonder if Milwaukee gets tornado’s? Gee, I’m not even sure I would know what a tornado looks like. Wow, I’m not even sure what to do if I figured it out.” I start to feel fear. Then I realize that the other cars have Wisconsin license plates. “They would know a tornado for sure!!”, I think to myself. “I will just follow their lead.”
As I look around, not one car seems to be pulling off the Interstate. Just then, the sky opens up and rain starts to pour down on us. Sheets of rain. I can’t even see the lines on the road. Buckets and buckets of rain and the wind pushes hard on my right side. I am getting drenched and have to continually wipe my goggles with my gloves.
I am so happy to be cooler although the torrential downpour is slightly nerve racking. I move into the far right lane and drop my speed to about 20 miles per hour. We ride along for about 20 min in that down pour and then suddenly it stops. I am delighted to be soaked to the skin and cooled down!! I know after an hour of riding, my clothes would be dry again!!
Guess I will have to see a tornado another day!!
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