Just thinking...

Albert and I really miss being on the road but it has been great seeing the boys (men), the daughter in laws and grandsons. They are so special to us. It also has been great seeing friends, neighbors and relatives and seeing their genuine excitement over us going.

We had such a wonderful time. There are no words really to explain how it was.I didn't realize how going on a trip like this would change things. DeKalb Junction just doesn't seem quite as exciting as it did before. Ha ha ha ha!

There are things that I appreciate more and some things less.

I so loved the huge view of the sky out west. It is amazing how you can see SO very far with no obstruction to your view and the sky looks like a huge dome. It seems m

uch closer to earth. I view our north country a little differently now. I can find places where our sky is bigger than I ever noticed before. I appreciate the fullness of the trees, bushes, and brush.

The desert is barren, dry and can seem lonely looking at times. So why did I love it? We sure did enjoy the 'warmth'.

Another thing I appreciate here are the tons of places that you can go to the bathroom because of the big rocks and forestry. LOL! There is nothing to hide behind out West except a very few places and normally they are populated with lots of tourist. :)

I had no clue if the heat would bother us or being away from home that long. We loved the heat. It is drier so it doesn't seem to be so bad even at 115°. We really wanted to travel longer but had to get back to have a few days to get settled back in.

I appreciated how everyone on the trip was friendly and no one really seemed to be in that much of a hurry. I felt rushed because we had so much we wanted to do. I was still in NY mode I guess. That is something I need to work on is to take my time. :o)

I fell in love with the Old Route 66. Memories of the way it use to be came back to me as we looked at the old homes, businesses and other memorabilia. We plan to ride the

whole route from IL to CA this coming summer. :o)

We have been riding ever day since we got home except for the rainy ones like today. It is so relaxing and calming.

Seems that we are not as excited about spending another winter here now. Arizona is in our mind a lot but even winters can have special adventures. It's all in how you 'see' it.

A special thanks to Albert for getting the trip planned out so well, for making the money (lol), for being so spontaneous in photos, thinking of my back and stopping often to stretch and making sure we stopped so I could have a snack and a Motrin. :o) I did re

ally well. It was amazing how going almost 8,000 miles on a Harley was actually so easy and so relaxing.

A special thanks to all of you who followed us. It was great knowing you were all back home reading and enjoying the trip with us and a special thanks to John (Hoot) and Wayne for the "protection" gifts they gave us before we left. How nice!

Last but not least a special thanks to Joan, Sharon, Kay, Heather, Jim, Mackenzie, Garrett, and Mark for letting us spend special time with them.

Life is good!

Hugs,

Susie

Practice :o)

We did a practice run today and everything fit with room to spare.

(Always click the photo to enlarge!)

Getting ready:

Just an update on how things are coming along preparing for 'our' trip.

We bought the thermometer and clock a while back. We really like them.

We bought new bags. These are a little bigger than what we had and they are better made to stay upright when partially filled. I'm sure they will be full though. :)

I thought it would make for a much better trip if we could communicate easily instead of him turning to holler to me. I have a full face helmet and could never really hear him that well. This communication system is great. The only thing is it allows bikers and passengers to talk and listen simultaneously. That means "I CAN'T TURN HIM OFF! LOL!

He has a half helmet (prefers not to wear one and won't if he doesn't have to) and we were able to hook it up to that too. They said they didn't work with half helmets. Little do they know how resourceful we are. :)

Here is my butt buffer. YES, a butt buffer. With a bad back and boney ass I would get a tad uncomfortable even with Motrin 800 every three hours. We went to Utica and back and it was a much better ride.

Write up from site I purchased from:

Within the Motorcycle Seat Cushion is a special product developed for the medical industry, we’ve found a way to alleviate the stiffness, soreness, and lower back pain that can make a long ride endless. The Dry Polymer Core Inside the Butt Buffer Will Never Fully Compress - This Means Painful Pressure Points Which Can Develop Between You And Your Bike Seat Are Eliminated.

Are we having fun yet??? OH YES, everyday! :o)

Our Harley Adventures

Albert and I will be keeping track of our Harley Adventures here.We got the Harley Fatboy back in June 2006. We have over 31,000 on it and have loved every minute.

Most of our trips have been in NY with a few

taken in VT except July of 2008 we went to NH and Bar Harbor, ME.

We are leaving Aug 1st for Sturgis and then to San Diego. Should be some where around 7,000 miles or more.