Good Morning and Happy New Year!!!! 53F @ 2:15AM in Porterville, CA. A mainly sunny sky. High 67F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
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The four days at Agua Caliente were very nice, if a bit brisk temperature wise. Only a threat of rain that never materialized, and New Year's Eve was clear and warm. Finally had a nice lazy afternoon to soak up some sun and catch up with old and new friends. The kitchen crew really knocked this years meais (10 in all) right out of the ball park. Amazing what they do with a couple propane burners and a smoker.
Our little band splintered yesterday morning, with one heading home, another going over to the coast, and me heading north on a shortest path to try to conserve tread on the front tire. I usually get one front to last for two rears on this motorcycle, but I lost track this time around and didn't replace both when I put the new rear on prior to the trip. There's still some shallow tread in the center, but it's well past the wear bars. Fortunately, there are only about 350 mostly freeway miles left, and it should be fine.
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The ride north yesterday took me over several passes, most of which showed plenty of snow along the edges of the road. Temps dropped into the low 40s several times, and while the heated hand grips kept my fingers warm, the cord that powers the heated jacket was acting up again. A simple repair got it going again for tomorrow. Caution signs at the bottom of the pass warned of black ice and fog, a rider's worst nightmare, but neither one turned out to be a problem. The high winds on Tehachapi Pass were quite a problem, though, they broke the windshield off the bike. I had to hold it in place with one hand while trying to wrestle the bike to the shoulder so it wouldn't fly up and try to cut my head off! It was pretty much useless, so it got thrown off the bridge, and good riddance to it as it was never a good match. I have a lead on a better replacement, but I'm not sure they're made any longer.
Checked into an America's Best Value Inn here in Porterville just as the sun was going down, and enjoyed a perfectly cooked fillet at the steak house across the street. That was the end of pleasantries for the evening, as the person in the next room started talking to themselves, quite loudly, around midnight, a long rant heavily laced with profanities which clearly conveyed the notion that an exorcist was needed. Some of those rants were directed at the rider of that motorcycle in the parking lot, so I'm trying to stay as quiet as possible until I can get the H*** out of here first thing tomorrow. I don't think I'll take any pains to make a quiet exit, though.:confused2: If I don't check in later, it's probably because he/she/it chopped through the wall and murdered me with an axe in my sleep. Which, at 2:45AM I hope to get a little more of...
