2ridetheworld.com : diary

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27-10-2007
Caroline had to take her HD back to a shop just down the road and during that time Max and Miles had to get themselves ready to leave. By the time Simon and Caroline had got back- things were almost ready. We had luckily been able to extend the room by one hour which made it easier timewise. After a late breakfast it all seemed to end fast. The taxi was ordered- it arrived – and they were gone! The holiday over. We were on our own again. We felt kind of stranded and a bit lost! We were making our way back up to Ojai for a couple of days prior to Davis.
28-10-2007
Today was spent trying to make my sidestand a bit stronger. Simon and Danny spent hours bending and welding metal but with little success.
29-10-2007
We left for Davis today – not too early as we plan to make it a two day trip so we don’t arrive in Davis too late. We have to be within office hours in order to collect the key to the apartment. We initially took the 101 and then cut across onto the route 25 which is a great country road – anything to avoid spending too long on the interstates! We stopped, as we had before, at Holloway ….and then arrived in Davis at a good time on the Wednesday 31st. Wow- where has that month gone?
01 to 24 -11-2007
Well – it really is great to have a little home all to ourselves! Sonnet left the place spotless – as usual – and we had fun setting up home. This was to be our base for the next few months as Sonnet is away – back home in SA – until Feb. Our aim – get the diary up to date and online – get more presenatations booked – get fit!!! Etc etc. sort out all the new kit. It started really well. We ate sensibly, drank lots of water and started running. We actually began to have a routine! We had received the new Ohlins shock from the guys in the Pacific North West and Kari at Calmotors was going to put in on my bike. Now I was really excited as my bike had felt a bit loose on the road for a little while. It was taking a lot of work to get it round corners and always felt like I needed to back off more than I would normally as it felt like it was fighting itself to get around the corner. With a fully loaded bike – this is not a good feeling! My shock on – the bike felt great. No – it felt fantastic – like a new bike – really planted. I don’t know how to thank you guys from ADV rider in the Pacific NorthWest. Simons ohlins also needed a bit of a re-vamp and after a long talk and advice from Sean at Calmotors we took the bike to Phil at Aftershocks. Staying overnight whilst he and Simon worked on the 1100. (I was unfortunately not too well) When we went the following day to say Thank you to Phil we were both excited about riding back to Davis with the bikes feeling so good. So – as I said we began to have a routine and then as usual our days always turn into the unexpected. Back in Davis I was keen to start running again but this turned out to be impossible. My body was turning against me. This time I took to my bed (well Sonets bed!) crawled in and wanted to die. It was impossible for me to venture out – I was walking like a 92 year old lady with AS…..I kept fainting….and felt woozy. Appetite had gone but I knew I needed to eat. Whats’ wrong I hear you ask? The onset of the menopause. Yes, quite early I suppose being only 45 but with no kids this is not unusual I hear. A combination of that, menorrage and fibroids my system is running havoc on me. Thank God I don’t have to ride the bike…..well there is just no way I could. After trying to obtain certain medications as advised by GP in UK we found that they were going to cost $350!! Arrggh but I needed something. So trying to bide my time and not faint all over the place I waited for the meds to arrive from the UK. During this time Simon had taken my bike and gone to see Chris in Chico in order to get some new tank bars made for my bike. There was no way I could have gone. He spent almost 5 days away – he said it was a time-consuming job – but me thinks he may have just wanted to get away from me!!! I don’t thin I was being the nicest person on earth during this time. – and anyway – all I was doing was my floppy fishout of water act. By the way – thanks Chris – my tank bar protectors are just great! See the pics – how neat are they! Well – we celebrated our 4 and half years on the road apart! We worked out that this is the longest we have been apart for all this length of time! This even takes into account the time when we were both in hospital. After spending a very quiet ThanksGiving together – many asked if we celebrated – but it is not really part of our heritage…..we got ready to leave Davis in order to return to Ojai and back to Danny and Bonnies. We had arranged quite a while ago to look after the animals when they leave for their holiday to Australia. This also worked out well as the International Motorcycle Show has an event in LA Long Beach whilst we are down there. Toruatech have asked us to attend and show our bikes on their stand. Sounds like fun and another way to say ‘Thank-you’ for their additional and continued support.
25-11 to 5-12-2007
Well we have been up and down the route from San Fran to Ojai quite a few times now! Its beginning to feel like we live here!! After getting settled in we dropped Danny and Bonnie off at the airport shuttle and now we have Bonnies car/van to use during our time here! WOW – that will be great. Its not like we don’t love our bikes – but just to be ‘normal’ and nothave to worry about helmets, gloves, jackets etc just to make a run to the local supermarket it great….and also being a bit incognito is good too! A few bad times were had by me and my ‘system’ during our time here…..but Im assured that the tablets will begin to kick in and some kind of routine and coping system will begin to happen! Oh God please let it be soon!!! This is just not fun – all you men out there – you don’t know how lucky you are to only have to cope with shaving for the rest of your life!!!
06-12-2007
Simon’s 38th birthday!!!.....and he almost didn’t make it. No – Im not talking about the neck thing – Im talking about the complete twit who almost ran him into the concrete blocks in the middle of the interstate whilst we were riding down to the Long Beach show!!
07-12-2007
Arrived at the show early to get set up. The show opens at 4pm however a lot of the press and other businesses have walk about prior to opening. Very tiring first day. All the TT guys arrived around mid-day and when the show finished we all went out for a meal.
08-12-2007
Doors open at 9:30am. Luckily we’d managed to grab a breakfast prior to getting to the stand as we were non-stop all day. My God we were tired at the end of the day. Doors closed at 8pm.
09-12-2007
9:30 start with early finish at 5pm. Although after clearing everything it was 7:30 before we got away. We’d decided to stay on at the motel for another night – which was sensible as we were knackered!
10 to 16-12-2007
We got on the road after the rush-hour traffic had died down – athough the LA roads are never quiet! We are making our way back to Ojai to stay until Danny and Bonnie get back. We drove to LAX on 13th to collect Bonnie from the airport as she was arriving separately from Danny. He arrives tomorrow. Luckily all the animals surived and we didn’t kill the cat!
17-12-2007
Back on the road to head to Davis…again! The day was drizzley but we still decided that taking the Pacific Hwy1 was going to be the best route……however 1hr 30 mins on the road and BAM! Simon pulled o ver and his front tyre had blown a huge hole in it! No possible repair could be made as it was too big – and guess what – it’s a Monday – so all the BMW dealers are closed! After calling Issa who said he could get one of our tyres to us to arrive tomorrow we decided that we would take Danny at his word – anything that we need – just call was the last comment he made! So we did and he did!! Good ol’ Danny turned up with his truck. By now it had, of course, started raining but we had moved off the side of the road and had a new friend with us on an HP2 who had seen us at the side of the road and come to help. With all the extra hands we managed to get the bike up and onto the truck and with Simon in the tuck I road in all the nasty drizzle! What a gentleman! So – here we are back in Ojai again!
18-12-2007
OK so Danny and Simon made there way to Pete’s at Ventura where the tyre was changed and Issa would replace with one from our ‘stock’. We managed therefore to start off around lunchtime but in really heavy rain. Some of the heaviest we’d had ain ages. It was awful and downright dangerous in many places. We are constantly amazed that there aren’t more pile-ups and deaths on these roads. By 5pm we’d had enough – the rush hour traffic was coming out onto the roads and most seemed to be holding a death-wish! Too fast, too close, too oblivious – we decided to leave them to it and stopped at a motel 6 in Atascadero. We’d not managed to do very many miles atall – but at least we were on our way.
19-12-2007
We awoke to a clear day! And all the way to Davis we had no rain! We arrived at around lunchtime and first things first – sort out all the wet gear. Our panniers had leaked and tank bags and our boots were soaking. Thank God we now have a nice little apartment in which to sort everything out and access to washing machines and tumble driers rather than trying to do all of this at a campsite…..urgh. However due to all the delays I know only have today in which to sort everything before Mummy and Daddy arrive!
20-12-2007
4 years 7 months on the road. So – Mummy and Daddy are arriving at 18:55 and just incase we are checking in on the airlines website to see if there were any delays – and lo and behold – there were. Thank God we hadn’t left. The first delay was for the plane to arrived at 9pm. So we arrived at the airport for 9pm. Mmmm..now it was showing a 30 mins delay. 9:30 showed that it was due at 9:30……9:45, 10:00, 10:30…still showing due at 9:30..!!?? After finding someone to ask – by now the Delta airline desk had closed – we were assured that it had left and was on its way. 11 pm – nothing and no one to ask. By now the group of people that had been waiting since 18:55 its original arrival time – were getting a little peed off to say the least! No news, no one to ask…and the board still said arriving 9:30pm! This is not an international flight – this is only an internal from LAX!!! The staff had told us that it had left when in fact it was still on the ground and not even full of people – and then these staff had disappeard! By now we were knackered – how on earth were Mummy and Daddy feeling as they had left the UK yesterday morning at 11am – it was now 11pm! Just after 12:30am the flight arrived. Most were looking completely worn out. The flight had been delayed from 18:55 to 12:30 – just over 5 and half hours for a trip that would take you just over that by road!!! Luckily getting the car organized was really easy and we all decided that the upgrade for a little extra was good – a 4x4 thingy. Lots of nice room. I was so excited to see Mummy and Daddy again but unfortunately we were all a little worn out! They were looking good after such a long flight and immediately it only seemd like yesterday that we had all been together in Mexico – it was almost a year ago!
21 to 27-12-2007
Today was a day to catch up on sleep and organize! And of course chat – we had a lot of catching up to do . Simon and I had already been out to buy candles and decorations to make it feel a little more Christmassy – and we also bought a Xmas tree for the first time in 5 yeears! out to Bistro 33 in Davis where all the carol singers came in. now it feels like Xmas. The following days we traveled out to REI and Frys and wine tasting where Daddy bought a lot fo wine – well its Xmas we’ll need it!! We were also really lucky with the weather – after having had so much rain the sun had now come out apart from Xmas afternoon when it rained. Xmas day we cooked (or rather Mummy did!) a full Xmas dinner – again our first real one in 5years. We had presents too!!
28 to 30-12-2007
We are going to spend a few days in San Francisco – but my God it is cold! Really bitter. I had arranged for us to stay at Parc55 hotel. We decided to approach San Francisco from the north and enter using the Golden Gate bridge – neither Mummy or Daddy had been before. However, the weather was terribly cold – we stopped in the NP but the freezing fog prevented us from getting many good pictures and it was too cold to stay out that long – thank God we are in a car today! The hotel was great – very posh and in one of the best positions – right by Nordstroms and Macys! Rooms with a great view – if only we could see it! The weather stayed really bad all day Saturday however we were walking around China town etc..and down to the Fishermans Wharf and even took a ride on a tram! Sunday morning and WOW – brilliant sunshine, wonderful views – we wanted to make the most of it and so we shot off to the Gold Gate again. It was glorious! We have never seen the bridge like this before even though we have been to see it many many times before. We even took the time to wlak the fortress walls! We went to Issa and Amies to lunch and much later made our way back to Davis.
31-12-2007 to 02-01-2008
New Years Eve was very quiet – non of us really wanted to go out and it was just great to be with family. Another year – soon we will be celebrating our 5th year on the road!



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