Monday, January 31, 2011

It Was an Ordinary January Morning

One wakes up either feeling refreshed or as if one has been kicked in the head all night.  Which category you fall into depends on if you are sleeping alone in your king sized feather bed with angels fanning perfumed breezes over you.  Or if you are sharing that double bed you have had for 15 years with your significant other spooning your back and snoring directly into your ear.  A snore so rancorous that you could feel your brain jiggling within your skull.  And the only thing you could think that would ever end this droning chainsaw was to clamp his nose shut and twist it off.

I think I woke up in that second category.  Since Mr. Oilburner was still breathing I will assume that I hadn't hurt him terribly.  But my 2.5 hours on the sofa left me a little groggy.

We were late getting up due to the night time shenanigans.  Which meant I was going to have to rush to finish the homemade cinnamon rolls.  We were able to share one before darting to the bath to shower and don our riding gear.  But one whiff of the 49F degree, clean air made up for it all.  Bring a full breath into the lungs and wish that it were Spring and perpetually smelling of that crispness with a hint of warmth.

I debated about zipping into the Gerbings.  I actually had it on and zipped...squiggling around in my armored jacket before shrugging it all off and daring to go without.  I stuffed the heated gear into a saddle bad in case 20 miles to the meeting point proved that I needed it.

We had a pretty good idea of the intersection we were meeting Fearless.  But not exactly where at that intersection.  So we crawled through, looking 720 degrees around us to no avail.  We couldn't see him.  We pulled into a parking lot and I pulled my phone out.  I remembered that I hadn't turned by Bluetooth on, about 3 miles down the road.  Oh well.  But I now see that I have three missed calls and a voicemail or two.  It isn't like Fearless to be late.  And listening to the voicemail made my heart sink...

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Our only questions, did we want to wait for him to catch up with us, or should we go a couple miles back down the road and meet him.  We opted to go find him, and this is the sight that greeted our eyes.

Don't fret!  Despite his bad-ass biker looks and his dirty 'Wing, he wasn't being hauled off.  Someone apparently had decided not to pull their head out of their tush and watch where they are actually driving and rear-ended Fearless.  No major damage, bike never went down, all's well.  The cops were there to keep the peace.  But what an illustrious start to our journey!

And where was our journey taking us?

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Anyone watch My Cousin Vinny recently?  :)

We had been to Monticello and seen the courthouse before.  And we had tried to reach the Sac-O-Suds on two or three occasions.  But today we finally made it!  So it was only fitting that our day started out with Police, going to a location noted for a [movie] murder, and ended with a cop-filled checkpoint.

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The Sac-O-Suds isn't quite in Hollywood shape anymore.  It is vacant, run down, vandalized, sliding from its foundation and for sale.  Well, I guess some Hollywood movie or another wouldn't mind using it in some explosives scene...but not today!

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The trailer next door, cannot quite been seen through those trees, with leaves, and bushes.  But we didn't have to worry about dirty windows and crusty screens.  We weren't going to attempt to look inside.  This was one desolate little intersection where nothing was going on.  It was now just some down and out buildings, forgotten on some highway.  Only kept alive by those wanting to relive movie locations.

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Fearless tempting the Guillotine

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My curiosity allowed me to stick my camera toting arm into that, but nothing more.

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Beyond the interior coming down, this building won't be long for the world as it ss slipping off its foundation in multiple directions.

After a few minutes re-enacting some of the most memorable scenes from the movie, dead on balls accurate and biological clock ticking, we headed towards Monticello for some sustenance.

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The food is very good.  Made to order.  But the service is exceptionally slow.  Go there only if you plan on spending a good hour or more.  Still highly recommended.

We stopped for our obligatory courthouse shots.  You might recognize this from the movie as well.

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Oh yeah.  Did I mention that I never did need that heated gear??  Forecasts pulled a mid-60's number out of their magic hat today.  But we basked in the perfection of this 74F degree weather with very low humidity.  I wasn't able to catch the 70+, but this proves it was a perfect day:

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Read that 69.8F and weep!
AAAAHHHH!!!  It was gorgeous!

We started meandering home and found some forgotten byways that even we hadn't been on before.  We were the only thing moving on these sun coated lanes, riding next to fields of hay, sparkling lakes, forest plots, split rail fences and the occasional horseback rider.

Until we take a curve and discover 5 patrol cars strewn along the edge of the road.  On this forgotten little road, that probably saw 5 cars in an hour, 5 state patrol cars lolled on the verve, officers standing around and soaking up the perfect weather.  Perfect location for a checkpoint that wouldn't have them working too hard.  :)  I can dig that.  Our licenses in order, no interest to keep us around interrupting their tranquility, they booted us down the road.  (Darn it!  Didn't think to take a picture until a mile down the road.)


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Anyone interested in renting the Bank of Jersey?

I sincerely hope some of you were able to experience some wonderful weather on a late January day.  Our rain is moving in, and the temperatures are dropping again.  I'm just so thankful for this great day seeded in between!

Oh yeah, more pictures on Flickr.

22 comments:

  1. I notice there were no pictures of Mr. Oilburner's nose, hmmmm.

    Nice post.

    ~Keith

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  2. Circle Blue beats me on that question: What is with the nose?

    Too bad, that those movie icons get vandalized. I am sure that they are still fans out there who would love to see it in good shape.

    What a lovely riding day you had, and bonus: bearable temperature and blue skies.

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  3. Great to see you had a great day on the bike. It must be getting warmer for you now. I didnt know you lived so close to some where famous!! Roll on sumer where I will be expecting a ride report ech monday.

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  4. I was amazed at the weather last Sunday. I was expecting clouds, maybe some rain and temperatures in the mid-30s. I was in a tutorial and meetings all day but many of us took our discussions outside as there were many of us from snow-bound areas here in Clemson, SC. Nice RR and pictures.

    Richard

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  5. BeemerGirl:

    In my mind I still have images of Mr Oilburner's nose. Hope you managed to twist it back for him.

    good thing Fearless wasn't hurt in the accident and all of you managed to salvage the day and enjoy a ride together to somewhere famous

    bob
    bobskoot: wet coast scootin

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  6. Oh My! I'm glad everyone is ok!!
    Interesting old building. I haven't seen the movie, so I guess I'll have to rent it sometime.

    Great trip and love the photos of all the interesting old buildings and places.

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  7. Lori
    The opening of the blog had me thinking that I was on Mr R's page..

    Weekend weather here was freezing here so I hid in the garage with the haeter set to max and carried on with the surgery on my 1150GS.

    N

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  8. Mr. Fearless is fearless to hang out under that broken glass! Reminds me of "Ghost" (speaking of movies..)

    Nice post!

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  9. Hi Keith and SonjaM!

    Ever seen the Steve Martin movie Roxanne?? "When you stop to smell the flowers, are they afraid?" LOL. I don't mind the nose, it is the midnight noises it makes! :)

    -Lori

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  10. Hi SonjaM,

    As for the movie locations...I wonder if sets on the backlot are better, because they never "exist" or real world places that are left to decay over time. I just don't know sometimes. But it sure is nice to be able to visit some of these places. We might have to try and find the hotels and mill now. ;)

    -Lori

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  11. Hi Raftnn,

    Warmer again? Such naivety! LOL. I'm currently sitting back in 45F temps with a massive thunderstorm coming through. This week our lows are back into the 20's. :) But at least we do have the occasional warmup to enjoy! It isn't all cold, all the time.

    What are your winters like?

    -Lori

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  12. Hi RichardM!

    So glad that you were able to get out and enjoy the fresh air! The weekend was great, wasn't it? Hopefully this rain pattern will pass you by and all will be moderate while you are there.

    -Lori

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  13. Hi Bobskoot!

    I actually refrained from twisting that nose off. It hurt not taking revenge, but I was a good girl. Barely... It isn't exactly his fault for snoring. ;)

    Fearless was happy. This was his sixth time being rear-ended in this manner. And it was the first time he kept the bike upright. Though he is seeing the cost for replacement parts now... :(

    Looks like your weather for the week is mirroring ours. Good luck and I will hope those low precep chances stay low!

    -Lori

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  14. Hi Bluekat!

    We had to come home and watch the movie again. We hadn't seen it in years. We had some good chuckles. I hope you like it.

    They do act that the Sac-O-Suds is in Alabama...but it isn't. Opening scene!

    Now we are thinking of finding the old hotels and mill and correctional facility...

    -Lori

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  15. Hi Nikos!

    Was that a compliment or insult?!? :) No matter, I'm taking it as a compliment. LOL!! Thank You!

    Looks like your temps and precip are like ours...strange the jet stream right now keeping Vancouver, Atlanta and London about the same!

    Hope the 1150GS is enjoying the one-on-one time and enters Spring raring to go!

    Did your heater keep up? Our's sure doesn't in the garage. Bundled up, or stay inside the house! :)

    -Lori

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  16. Hi Ken!

    Yes, Fearless is fearless. And darn it all, he knows how to ride that 'Wing like it is a sport bike. Though I did sit on it and was amazed at how light it felt!! I was expecting a heavier feel to through around.

    Ghost...hmmm..you are exactly right. Hadn't thought of it! :)

    -Lori

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  17. Lori, Our winters in the north Island are pretty mild compared to what you have to contend with, we are certainly able to ride all year round if we so choose. It does get cold, but it never snows in Auckland. The central plataeu (around Taupo) can get snow. Generally if you have the right gear it is not a problem. The south Island is a different story. It can get pretty cold with snow to sea level the further south you go.

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  18. Hi Beemer Girl, I found your blog while reading others - very enjoyable read and great pictures, I will follow with interest. By the way I also ride an R1200RT, lovely bikes, Beemers!

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  19. I'm jealous, almost 70 degrees? wow, we continue to have freezing weather and now possibly snow again for the weekend :-(
    Nice pictures.
    Did you have to disturb the cops? did you notice the donuts box? I'm pretty sure there was one ;-)

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  20. Hi Rider!

    Thank you for stopping by and commenting! I'm glad you enjoy my blog, because I got a kick out of yours, too!

    Beautiful bike and great scenery in your neck of the woods. Though your title shot freaks me out...being on the left side of the road and all. :)

    Hope you stop by often!

    -Lori/Beemer Girl

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  21. Hi George!

    Jealous?? No need to be. Those temps have gone by the wayside and it is currently 36.2F outside. Only a few degrees keep the rain outside liquid.

    Though, I'll have to admit cold rain is prob going to lead to riding faster than snow. :) Keep warm!

    And yes, we did have to disturb the cops. They license checked the BMW riders and let the dirty 'Wing rider slide?!? Not a donut in sight, but a couple of them were a little cranky...we probably interrupted them.

    I hope you aren't polishing the chrome off the bike!

    -Lori

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  22. Dear Beemer Girl (Lori):

    I would rent the "Bank of Jersey" for an office, if it were cheap enough. As a former New Jersey resident, my feelings for the Garden State are well-known.

    It seems you had a delightful ride, and were well-protected by the cops, who had a starring role in almost every scene. Leslie cured my snoring by strapping a pillow on my face, and by gently whispering I should go toward the light.

    I do not expect to be riding until the beginning of April.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads

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