My Trails

For some time now I’ve received emails and comments lamenting the fact that my blog has been abandoned. Along with subtle hints and direct prodding, there seems to be a unanimous consensus that everyone has had enough of tuning in only to discover “Swivel” as the latest update. I can sympathize with that. I’ve looked many times – always with optimism and hope – for a new update on anther blog, only to be similarly disappointed to see “Natchez Trace” still there. I guess I will attempt to update everyone with the happenings so far and maybe throw in some workings of my mind. Just be warned that that statement bores me. I can’t even imagine what it will do to you. 

I work. I eat. I sleep. There you have it!  Well, maybe I dream a little. Actually, I dream a lot.  It usually happens when I’m asleep but not always. I’ve caught myself quite often – and please don’t try this yourself – dreaming while I’m driving. Once or twice I almost missed my exit on the Thruway because my mind was far away from where it aught to be. I’ve caught myself several times on the verge of performing some careless blunder in traffic, only because I wasn’t paying complete attention. These close calls inevitably snap me back to the real world – often with a quick pulse and flash of adrenaline – and remind me of the seriousness of driving for a living. 

 I think we all let our emotions dictate our driving to a certain extent. During the holiday season, traffic is snarled, everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere, and the weather is often deteriorating, challenging us all to be better drivers. The other day, after making a delivery, it took me over a half hour just to get out of the Walmart parking lot. It was almost like everyone in town was at the store. Sometimes drivers would wait and motion you into the exit line, but eventually everyone became discouraged and fought for their own turn at escape. Usually, after much waiting and waining patience, two cars will move at the same time and bump into each other. That’s when you know your going to be there for a while. 

So far, my old RV (rusty van) has faithfully made the trip to Jamestown every day. With rust and corrosion slowly eating up the sides, strange noises and vibrations appearing regularly, and a host of gremlins ready and waiting to wreak havoc on a 260,000 mile engine, I nurse it along 5mph under the speed limit all the way to my destination. I figure if I can make it last until spring, I can throw it away with pride.

In the event of a breakdown, I have my new van as a backup. So far, the remodel is still in the planning stage. I thought it prudent not to spend a lot of time and money on furnishings until I knew exactly what the plan is. Even though I still intend to travel this spring, one never knows what might come up.  Here are a couple of scenarios I’ve been throwing back and forth in my head. Keep in mind that I’m not an optimist at all and have no trouble talking myself out of doing anything for which I can find a good reason not to. 

I would like to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail. Not just two or three days like all my hikes have been, but a serious section of extended length. It would get me fit again after a winter of sloth; it would be a great way to spend time outdoors and see nature; it would give me a chance to find out where my limits are. 

If I do this, it has to be now. Who knows when congress might come to an impasse and close down all the Parks, or even worse, take away part of my SSI(I’m being sarcastic about this one). And at my age, I may not have many more hiking years left. Already, my knees are complaining about every activity I do, and it’s increasingly alarming when I feel a new twinge in my back. These are the things I think about on my long drive each day. By the time spring rolls around I probably will be content to get another bag of potato chips and put my feet up on the couch. 

A while back, as I was driving to Jamestown, I came upon a motorcycle for sale by the road. I’ve always thought that van/motorcycle was the way to go. To carry a small motorcycle on the back of my van would allow me to camp and tool around the area with ease. I could also park the motorcycle at the trailhead and leave the van a few mile away, hike for a couple of days, pick up the motorcycle and shuttle back to the van. It seemed like a good solution but as I started to investigate new motorcycles, I discovered that they don’t make small ones anymore; at least not in this country. The smallest motorcycle made for the road is the Honda 230cc, weighing 300lbs and costing several thousand dollars. The small bikes we had when we were young have all been phased out in favor of high performance motorcycles and scooters. I’m not coming down on scooters. There’s nothing wrong with getting around on a scooter, but I occasionally like to go off-road – up a mountain trail, through a riverbed, or out in the desert – and thought a dirt bike would work better. 

The motorcycle I bought, with the intention of fixing up, is a Suzuki 185ts, built in 1974. Even though I paid very little for it, it may never work for me. I’ve discovered that parts are almost impossible to find, and what parts are avaiable are very expensive. i probably will take it to the level of dirt bike and sell it there. I have been watching eBay for restored motorcycles but they seem to all be in California or Arizona – great for my brothers but bad for me. 

That’s about it. I’m going to stick it out this winter and make a decision about travel when it gets closer to spring. I’m going to visit David and Lisa for Christmas tomorrow and next week I will spend New Years with Karen and the boys in Pittsburg. I hope everyone has a wonderful Merry Christmas!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 at 5:27 pm and is filed under Pieces of my Mind. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.