One Week Post Cataract Surgery

It's been busy since we last posted. Thursday we visited the mall where, at Books-a-Million, we discovered that what is old is now new. Wow!

     

We also discovered the big stuffed animals that kids can rent for riding around the mall, aren't just for kids!

We took in a movie, "Snatched", and loved it. Definite for adults only (R-rated) but a hoot! We both laughed out loud several times. But if you get offended easily, pass it by. ;) We capped off the day by having dinner with our Thursday night friends. Delicious Japanese Hibachi Grill...YUM!

We had a fun Friday last week, taking on a last minute babysitting request for little Waverly. She will be three next month and we enjoyed our afternoon with her. After breakfast at Cracker Barrel, where she devoured pancakes like a pro, we headed over to a local park. She was familiar with it since her mom, Stu's youngest girl, takes her there often. Here are a couple of photos...

     

     

Three hours later, we headed back to the rig for a little TV and a two hour nap...

The weekend turned nasty, for the most part, with a lot of rain. We stayed in and watched recorded movies on the TV. Nice to be able to do that!

Yesterday was my one week post-op cataract surgery checkup for my left eye. I'm happy to report the surgery is officially deemed a success with 20/20 vision! Now on to the right eye, scheduled on June 12th. Because my right eye is so nearsighted, there is a good chance I won't get to 20/20 but it will still be a dramatic improvement.

I will still need glasses for distance to correct the astigmatism in both eyes and will go with progressive lenses, as I have since my 40's, to take care of needing readers. As it stands now, I will be getting those back in Tennessee.

I'm still on restriction from over-exertion and lifting anything weighing more than 15-20 pounds. I have to wear the eye patch for another week and I'm still using eye drops, although less often. The drops will continue until my next surgery - and of course, I start the drops in the right eye three days before surgery. So we will be double-dropping my eyes. LOL! Sorry, somehow that struck me as funny.

The eye patch - that's another story. You may remember the clear patch being taped to my face from my previous post. I tried that for a couple nights and the tape was really irritating my skin. So I ordered this cute little eye mask to try. The first night I just slipped the patch underneath. No go - it was lost in the bed the next morning. I tried taping just the top under the mask and ended up with a bruise on my cheekbone from the pressure. So the next night I tape it over the mask. The goal is to keep me from accidentally rubbing my eye. This worked well!!!

Stu is off on the motorcycle. He had to take it in to Annapolis Harley to get the switch for the reverse motor installed. Somehow it got replaced with a dummy switch and we've had no reverse since Florida. The dealer there is covering all the costs, so we're happy.

We plan on a movie this Thursday and dinner with our friends. If the weather holds, I may brave a motorcycle ride with my fitovers...been too long!

Ciao for now!

Friends....RVing, Motorycling, Firefighters, Writers and more

I am proud to be affiliated with all the above, honored to have met hundreds of wonderful friends from the RVing, motorcycling, firefighting and writing communities. One of the best things all these groups share is their generosity.

People who have lost their RVs and everything they own in a fire. People involved in really bad motorcycle accidents. People who have unexpected lost a loved one, sometimes while traveling. The stories vary but all share one common thing. We help our own...

I have two friend, both writers, who are in dire need of assistance. I hope you can find it in your hearts and pocketbooks to help. Even a one or a five dollar donation helps. Please read their stories and make up your own minds. Feel free to share their stories as well.

BRANDON HALE

A self employed author is diagnosed with cancer six months after he starts writing full-time.

LITTLE SPARROW

A little girl needs to get out of foster care in NC and come home to family in ID to be raised.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

All our gear is BOUGHT! Finally!

The last pieces arrived yesterday and today. Stu got his new Engel 30 qt. Dry Box Cooler, he likes everything about it except the missing drain spigot. Oh well...it fits well and holds a lot more than the old one that he lost.

I got a replacement mesh jacket on clearance, $79, and it's three-season with a quilted AND a rain liner. With the liners in, it fits wonderfully. With the liners out it's a bit loose but all the adjustments make it comfortable...and when it's really hot, I'll be wearing my cool vest underneath. It's a Cortech by Tour Master LRX Air Jacket for Women. Pink isn't really the best color to match my custom paint, but it will help me stand out on the road.

With the mesh pants we bought, I needed bigger rain pants and once again, got a great buy on Tour Master Elite II rain pants for $45. They fit perfectly and have the added bonus of heat shields on the insides of the legs to protect them from hot pipes.

I tossed in a nice little helmet lock for $15 and got free shipping on everything.

Oh, wait - we also bought two pairs each of lightweight, quick-dry, spandex exercise shorts. I won't scare you with any pictures. [giggle]

So, things are winding down as we move towards the first of September when we'll finally hit the road!

Still rolling,

Stu and Donna 

Final purchases...well, almost....

With a little over three weeks left before we leave on our trip, we're fine-tuning what we'll take with us. When I toured the country in 2005, I wore all textile gear. More functional and more protective than my leather gear. I overheat easily and found mesh gear (jacket and pants) helped me stay comfortable and protected. The downside is when the weather gets cold or wet, the mesh isn't as good. So I traveled with two sets of paints (one mesh, one with rain & quilted liners) and two different jackets.

Since that time, gear has come a long way. I looked at my old mesh pants, First Gear HT Air Overpants and almost bought us those. Then I found the Tourmaster Flex pants - a great three season pant. It works like my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket, with panels that zip off for mesh use and a zip in rain liner and quilted liner. The have CE armor in the knees and hips, and three positions for the knee pads. They also offer the mens version in Short, a bonus for us.

 

They arrived today and both fit perfectly. These are perfect pants for our trip. In warm weather we will wear bikes shorts underneath and be much more comfortable. On the trip home or in the mountains, we will leave the panels on and even add the quilted liner if needed. Stu managed to get his jeans under his but from experience, I know this can be cumbersome and uncomfortable after a while. Me? Not unless I lose weight. I will bring long underwear/tights for layering, as I did in 2005.

We bought ours through a great company, Fly n Cycle Motorsports. We talked personally with Shawn and got a great deal on the Flex pants from them. I highly recommend them!

The other item was finding a tank bag for me that could do double duty as a purse. I had previously tried a Joe Rocket one but it was too tall and uncomfortable. So I searched the web and I did a lot of analysis in size as well as price. I didn't want it too large or too tall, plus it had to have a handle so I can snatch it off the bike and carry it. I finally settled on this one, it will replace my purse for the trip and be a handy spot for sunglasses, tissues, candy, phone, etc.

It arrived today and I have to say I LOVE it. Stu likes it so much he plans to take it over once I sell my bike in November. Will hold just enough and yet not get in my way when I'm riding. Yes, it covers the pretty artwork on my gas tank, oh well. ;)

The last item we need to get is a replacement cooler for the trailer. Stu is busily working on that. We can easily get the same cooler but it has no drain plug and that is a big negative for Stu. Will keep you updated!

Still riding,
Stu & Donna

A month away....

Finally, we are going to do it! Ride all, well as much as we can, of Route 66. We plan to leave around September first and MUST be home by November first. I'm really hoping we can keep the trip leisurely and make it home around mid-October but time will tell.

Stu went on a three week trip, parts of it with friends, and did some camping to test out our gear. He plans to write a post in here about what worked, what didn't and what he plans to change. One change from our original plans is bringing Sadie, our pup. We're not, for several reasons. She will be staying with our neighbors and their dogs - she spends every day with them now, her pack is both families and all the dogs. LOL!

He is also responsible for all the route planning. We will head to Chicago from our home base in Jamestown, TN. We will take our time, sight-see anything that piques our interest, even some things that might be slightly off our route.

When we're done, we'll be in Santa Monica, CA. From there we'll take the Pacific Coast Highway and head north to visit Yosemite National Park, the only major NP on our bucket list. I've never seen it and Stu saw it when he was a kid.

After that we will meander back to TN via a weather-dictated route. We do hope to see some friends along the way but won't be able to spend more than an overnight or possibly even just a meal.

Keep watching! Time is getting close....

Prep and Test time.....

We are finally going to do it - ride Route 66 this fall. Current plans call for leaving in early September, taking up to four weeks to go from TN to the start in Chicago, then ride as much of Route 66 as we can, ending in Santa Monica. The return route is unknown other than we'd like to see Yosemite National Park before starting home. That route will be determined by weather and how we feel at the time. Another 3-4 weeks and we should be back in TN.

Stu has spent the last week prepping his bike for a shake-down trip. He's taking 3+ weeks for a guy ride to SD and back (and maybe some surrounding states - time and weather dependent). Tuesday night he had all our camping gear spread out in the driveway. None of this has ever been used so we're hoping we've thought of everything. It all fit very neatly into BRAT with just his clothes on his backseat.

Almost ready to go...

Time to leave...

Look, a lady bug! That means good luck.

Heading out....

Camped in Mammoth Caves National Park

He finally left around noon yesterday, heading to Mammoth Caves National Park to camp. Oh, and to get his Geezer Pass for the parks (and discount camping). We'll post the results of how our gear held up and what worked, what didn't.

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

BRAT Take Two

I thought I had posted about our new BRAT but looking through the archives, I don't see anything. The original BRAT was getting refurbished by our son-in-law when we came across a deal that was too good to pass up. Thanks to several friends, the new trailer was taken from TX to LA where we picked it up in June of 2010.

Here are some photos from that day (using Stu's 2009 Tri-Glide, now replaced with a 2012 Tri-Glide).

Recently Stu took the spare tire and mounted it underneath. Previously we carried it inside the compartment, not an optimal spot. He said it mounted very easily and it looks great!

We put all our camping stuff together and it takes up maybe half the compartment, leaving us plenty of room for our luggage (clothing, etc).

We still plan to take Sep-Oct 2013 for our trip so as that time gets closer, we'll post here with further preparations.

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

Will we make it?

I know, you're wondering if we'll ever make our ride. We are determined to go Sep-Oct of 2013. I'll turn 66 that September and it would be great to ride Route 66 at age 66. If we don't make it then, I fear I will be riding on the back of Stu's trike, rather than riding my own.

Speaking of Stu's trike, he traded in his 2009 for a brand-spanking new 2012. It's gorgeous! He moved most of his accessories over and saved the faring from the 2009 for our future pole barn on our property in TN.

Here are a couple of shots of his new bike....







He still has to put the hitch for BRAT on this trike and we have to start re-acclimating Sadie to riding. She loves it but isn't as good about staying put in the seat bag. Her nails really do a job on the paint so we're looking for alternative means of restraining her.

Anyway, that's the latest for us and our plans!


Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

One more time...

Yup, our plans have changed one more time. Last May we announced that we were moving the trip to the fall of 2012 because of Stu's twin granddaughters high school graduation. That date change became even more important when we learned that Stu would be getting both knees replaced in early April 2012.

Fast forward to now....Stu's youngest daughter will be getting married in late October 2012. Soooooo, once again we delay our Route 66 trip. Current plans are for fall of 2013...and I'll be 66 so it will be fun to ride Rt 66 then. LOL! Gotta have something to look forward to.

By then Stu may have upgraded to a 2012 Tri-Glide, I'll probably still be on my SuperLow. We continue to fine tune what we will need for the trip. We recently joined a travel club that might make it more cost effective to hotel more than camp. That said, we will do some camping and we still plan to take Sadie along.

We also still plan to take our time, wander as desired, sticking to the route but with detours to see interesting sights. We have run across two different tour groups for riding the route but don't think that really suits us.

So hope you will continue to monitor our progress and we will try to blog more than twice a year as we prepare. LOL!

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

The 'guardian angel' of Route 66

They call him many things: The Father of the Mother Road. The Guardian Angel of Route 66. Sometimes, simply, The Ambassador.

His story has been related in travel guides, even on a website for a Route 66 association in the Czech Republic. He and his town were the inspiration for the animated film "Cars," but he has inspired many others, too, with a vigor that age hasn't diminished — a passion for the road he grew up on, and old with.

Read the full article...

Read about our visit to Seligman...

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

When will we go?

We had originally intended to ride Route 66 in May of this year. That changed when we brought Sadie into our home and we realized that she needed to be a little older. So we moved the date out to May of 2012.

Once again, it looks like the date will change. Stu's twin granddaughters will be graduating high school in May/June 2012. He needs to be there....these two were the apple of his and his late wife's eye, Lin's youngest grandbabies.

Soooooo, looks like we will now do Route 66 in Sept/Oct of 2012. This will be a good thing...why? Consider the recent weather...all the tornadoes in the midwest and south. Turns out that the month of May has the highest number of tornadoes. Gulp....

The next step will be making the decision on whether we travel from east to west as originally planned or go west to east. We will be in Arizona this winter and would love to do as we did over a year ago....visit UT, WY and MT in the late spring/early summer. But by early September we need to have the RV parked in a safe, secure and cost effective spot for the time we are gone. Obviously, on our own land in TN would be perfect.

So, do we not enjoy the other states and head back east? Do we enjoy them and make a mad dash back east? Do we try to find a place to park not too far from the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area and do the route in reverse? So many questions and decisions....but fortunately, there is still a lot of time to make the decision!

We did luck out and get a copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips 2011 on sale recently, actually currently $10 less than the 2010 version.

We also recently updated our Gear List. At some point we'll be adding a riding gear/clothes list as well.

We will be picking up BRAT 2 in mid-June. Then we need to get our old BRAT Rack from VA where it's stored at a friend's house. Some adjustments need to be made to it, that's Stu's area of expertise....I'll just keep blogging. LOL!

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

Denim Vest

We both have leather vests, decorated for various functions, for example our Red Knights MC patches. But they are warm...if the temperature is above 85, they can become unbearable.

So Stu has been looking for a denim vest for those times. We finally found one and it's a bargain so we wanted to pass along the information for anyone interested. Right now it's only $19.95 + shipping

http://www.leather.com/vests/mens_vests/vd1315_blue_denim_vest.php

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

Getting our butts in shape...or getting the shape of our butts!

We have been at Leesburg Bike Fest the last couple of days. Stu got his custom artwork done on his faring and we both got work done on our seats.



Stu opted to completely replace his with a full Mustang setup (except for the passenger backrest).



I opted to get mine shaped, memory foam added and a custom color insert added to the seat and the Mustang fender pad.



Our butts are going to be MUCH happier on longer rides. Can't wait to try them out! June will find us riding from TN to New Orleans area, that will be a good trial run for us both.

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna

Bling with a purpose....

We've talked a lot about putting highway pegs on my bike. The issue was having already put  the fog lights on the engine guard, we weren't sure we could mount any pegs.

Yesterday we stopped at the local Harley dealer and found a pair of peg mounts that looked like they would work. We get a 20% Firefighter discount there so figured it was worth a try. I found pegs to match my current pegs, too.

We got home from our ride and Stu decided to see if they would work....THEY DID!! I am one happy camper....errrr, rider. LOL! My bike has mid-controls which means my knees are perpetually bent. On longer trips I have sometimes experienced a cramping in my hip and wished I could extend my leg to help work it out. Other times I just want to straighten my knee to help stiffness. Now I can...



The other piece of bling wasn't a must-have but it sure is a nice-to-have. I found it on eBay (surprise), but they also have a great website. We have it mounted with Loctite underneath as well as on the set screw. My odometer does have a clock function but that would require me to use one hand to click to that setting and would take my eyes off the road longer than I like. This way, it's right in front of me.



Oh, Stu got chrome bolts for his engine...pretty bling, no functionality involved. No photos yet...LOL!

Ride safe,
Stu and Donna