Posted on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 08:43 am:
Heeeeeere’s Johnny!
I’m back in Massachusetts. The flight home wasn’t nearly as arduous as the flight over, but that’s because I had just a few straight flights. When I left to go to Australia, I flew from Boston to Washington, D. C., to San Francisco, to LA; then to Aukland and Brisbane. This time, it was just Brisbane to Aukland, San Francisco and Boston, Not cutting a Z across the US saved a lot of time. I was tired when I got back, but not nearly as exhausted as I was when I arrived in Brisbane. I’m still a zombie this morning, but that’s to be expected after literally flying halfway around the planet.
It’s cold here. The temps were mostly in the ‘90s with a few hot days over 100 and a couple in the low 80s, back in Spring Creek. It was 15º F (-9.4C) at the train station in Littleton when I arrived at quarter to Midnight. I knew it was going to be cold when I got back, but it’s still a bit of a shock to my system.
Coffee in Australia is different from coffee in the US. It’s made differently in both places. While I like coffee in both places, it sure is nice to have a cup of Kenya from beans bought at Starbucks this morning. A Flat White at the Cafe 33 in Gatton is really good, but so is a fresh brewed cup of fresh ground with Half and Half here. I’m lovin’ it! I saw a Dunkin Donuts through the window of the train, and I think that today, I’m going to make it a priority to get a cup of Dunkies.
I have a bit to accomplish today. I need to get my winter clothes out of storage, and if the weather holds, get the bike, as well. last night, the forecast was calling for snow showers today, so we’ll see. Having my own transportation available is very important. but I really don’t want to ride in the snow for my first ride back. We’ll see how it goes.
Yesterday, Ernie took me over to my storage garage to get some winter clothes and to pick up the Roadster. We wound up having to jump it. It cranked, but wouldn’t fire at first. Of course, it’s been sitting since early November, and the temperature was hovering right around the freezing mark. Once it started, it warmed up quickly and it ran smoothly. The back brake was pretty wooden for the first few miles, but after a few stops, it came back to normal. The front brakes felt fine the whole time. It had been snowing lightly all morning, and the roads were covered with a mixture of sand, salt, and all kinds of other nastiness, and the poor bike was filthy by the time I made it back to Hudson. However, it was a Glorious Ride! It felt so good that I can’t adequately describe it. I felt at home as soon as I got on the bike and put it into gear. It’s where I belong, without question.
I also opened the packages that Ernie had been holding for me. The Custom gas tank, the Hepco & Becker mounting racks, my new helmet, etc. were better than presents under the Tree. I didn’t wear the new hat when I went to get the bike; I didn’t want to get it filthy with salt and sand on it’s first ride. I have a few errands to run today, so maybe I’ll start wearing it then. We’ll see how the weather is later on, this morning.
Anyhow, I’m back, and it feels like I’m back. My Australian Adventure is over. I’m going to end these Snippets with this last post. I’ll probably start writing them again when my adventures continue, but for now, there’s little that’s adventurous about daily life and trying to get the Roadster ready for this coming summer I have mundane things to attend to, like getting my Income Tax done, and such. Nobody really needs to read about such.
To all of you who enjoyed reading my babbling, Thank You. It seemed that every time I started to feel that writing them was a waste of time, somebody would let me know how much they enjoyed reading them. They gave me an outlet for the thoughts running through my head, and knowing that somebody enjoyed my particular brand of Lunacy made me feel pretty good.
We all have our different paths to walk/ride in this life, with motorcycles and Buells in particular common... as you post up your Snippets, all of us get a chance to dream about wallabies, koalas, strange plants and animals, and the long, twisty, straight, fun, and enlightening roads you've taken, and the fascinating places you've been.
Hope to join up with ya when Vern gets to work on your steed, and then roll south to Suches coming up this April.
