Tonight is my last night in Lincoln. I am going to be sorry to leave here.
But first, I am to present at a biker breakfast. To be honest, I am not sure what to expect.
The biker breakfast is scheduled to start at 8AM. I am having a terrible time waking up and getting moving. I got up early and started my routine of what I need to do to wake up, but it is not working. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get my head to work the way I want it to.
One thing I am having trouble with is that when I make notes, or write, my hands and arms fall asleep. It doesn’t happen when I keyboard and I try not to make notes very often, but this morning I know that I am presenting without a projector or computer. And my morning started out at five, with my trying to make notes, figure out how to best do the presentation in an outdoor setting, thinking through my options and my trying to wake myself up.
The numbness that I get when writing is starting to scare me a lot. When I write presentations, I first like to do things in longhand, and then transfer them to computer. I also try to draft other things by hand. It helps me slow my brain down to where I can think things through.
The numbness doesn’t happen when I ride my motorcycle either. We know what it isn’t, but don’t know what it is. The feeling takes longer to leave than it has before and once again I am late.
The presentation goes well. The breakfast is great, it is all consumers and they feel free to get up, wander around and smoke if they need to while still being able to listen. I miss those days.
J. Rock and I ran around the rest of the day, we went shopping in a thrift store, and checked out the state capitol until it was time for the party to start. I trade in my boots for sandals, grab my backpack and we head out for the party with our driver, Robert.
The party was awesome. There were a lot of really neat people. I wish that I hadn’t had to get up at five so that I could have gotten to get to know more of them. I really enjoyed myself. I even sat, listened to more great live music and thought about just how much my social skills have improved.
I hope that some time in the future, I can meet some of them again. There were people that I would have loved to talk to away from the music. I took my hearing aids, but with the background music happening the way it was, I couldn’t use them.
The party was held in a house that used to be a barn. It was such a wonderfully awesome house. It was unique, the materials used were recycled, it was all natural wood, the view of the Nebraska Capitol from one of their windows was amazing. There were conversation nooks everywhere, a great kitchen, lofts, that overlooked all the floors and the view.
Holy cow, what a great place. We moved from person to person, conversation to conversation. It was a good time, good conversation, great music and people that I wish I had the opportunity to talk to more. I don’t think that life can get any better than that.
Tomorrow I am off to enjoy the ride to Kearney.
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lincoln. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
May 10, 2007 Lincoln and a different bookstore
I get up around nine and head down to breakfast. This Holiday Inn Express in Norfolk has one of the best breakfasts around in this hotel chain. At least that is true in my humble opinion. The people who staff the breakfast (and the person who staffs the nightly snacks) are absolutely awesome.
I finish reading the novel that I have started and pack my bike. It is around eleven before I am ready to leave. I am so ready to have a great ride. I try packing my bike different and I like it a little bit better, but the load still needs to be back farther.
I like to pack the tent, the back duffle, which is full of my camping equipment; (stove, propane, food, sleeping bag, and lantern), then the side bags which right now are full of books and then the front duffle. The front duffle has a lot of what I need in the mornings (clothes, shampoo, my computer) which means that it is heavy and needs to ride square on the back seat.
I think about dropping by Hastings one more time, but decide against it. I really miss J. Rock and want to drop by and see her.
The ride is perfect. Beautiful weather, back roads, etc. I kick back and enjoy it all. When I get to the hotel, I see that it is next to a Barnes and Noble. What a joy. How cool is that? I call J. Rock and find out that she doesn’t have a car.
I ask her if she knows someone that she can borrow a helmet from. She thinks so and starts to call around. After a bit she calls back and tells me that she can borrow a helmet, but it will be tomorrow before she can get it. I tell her that we need to do dinner tomorrow, but that I can handle going to spend some time at Barnes and Noble.
I get a sandwich as it has been hours since I eat, find the book that I was in the middle of reading at Hastings and read some more. Let’s face it, even though I could afford another book money wise, I couldn’t afford it space and weight wise. So I read and devour as much as possible. I am looking at natural healing, pesticide and growth hormone use, and other toxic chemicals and how they might affect our bodies, both mentally and physically. I am in Lincoln for four nights, and I hope to make it back. I don’t, but have a great time doing other things.
I get to bed as early as I can as I have to present to a senator, or two, (or more) in the morning.
Happy Trails, Marty
I finish reading the novel that I have started and pack my bike. It is around eleven before I am ready to leave. I am so ready to have a great ride. I try packing my bike different and I like it a little bit better, but the load still needs to be back farther.
I like to pack the tent, the back duffle, which is full of my camping equipment; (stove, propane, food, sleeping bag, and lantern), then the side bags which right now are full of books and then the front duffle. The front duffle has a lot of what I need in the mornings (clothes, shampoo, my computer) which means that it is heavy and needs to ride square on the back seat.
I think about dropping by Hastings one more time, but decide against it. I really miss J. Rock and want to drop by and see her.
The ride is perfect. Beautiful weather, back roads, etc. I kick back and enjoy it all. When I get to the hotel, I see that it is next to a Barnes and Noble. What a joy. How cool is that? I call J. Rock and find out that she doesn’t have a car.
I ask her if she knows someone that she can borrow a helmet from. She thinks so and starts to call around. After a bit she calls back and tells me that she can borrow a helmet, but it will be tomorrow before she can get it. I tell her that we need to do dinner tomorrow, but that I can handle going to spend some time at Barnes and Noble.
I get a sandwich as it has been hours since I eat, find the book that I was in the middle of reading at Hastings and read some more. Let’s face it, even though I could afford another book money wise, I couldn’t afford it space and weight wise. So I read and devour as much as possible. I am looking at natural healing, pesticide and growth hormone use, and other toxic chemicals and how they might affect our bodies, both mentally and physically. I am in Lincoln for four nights, and I hope to make it back. I don’t, but have a great time doing other things.
I get to bed as early as I can as I have to present to a senator, or two, (or more) in the morning.
Happy Trails, Marty
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
May 6, 2007 Drenched trip into Omaha
May 6, 2007
Today I lay around when I woke up and listened to the rain. And listened to the rain. And listened to the rain. Tomorrow I have to be in Omaha.
The bad thing about packing up a tent in the rain when one is riding a motorcycle is that there is no place to put stuff to keep it dry. I pack everything in waterproof bags, but the tent, my sleeping bag and a few other things including the seat on my motorcycle get totally soaked. It is hard to keep my clothes dry.
I get up, start to pack while it is still sprinkling. Then, it starts to pour. I pull on the pants to my rain gear but the rain still pours in whenever I have to bend over to reach down to stuff my tent in the bag or pull out the tent stakes. I think about putting on the jacket to my rain gear, but rain gear is a mixed blessing. I can smolder inside the rain gear, get overheated and become drenched by my sweat, or I can become drenched by the rain.
I decide to be drenched by the rain, pull out a dry shirt and jacket to travel in, put them in a plastic shopping bag and keep on packing up.
About the time I finish packing up, the rain starts to slow down. By the time that I get on my dry shirt and my rain jacket, it is pouring once again. I have to wait a bit to start as it is raining too hard for me to ride and be able to see.
The rains coming across Kansas last night were vicious and I am going to end up catching some of them. As I head out to St. Josephs, Missouri, it is hard to see. The rain is stinging my cheeks as I slowly head down the road. Even the cars are going slowly. I stop and get some gas in St. Joseph and continue to head up towards Omaha.
A little north of St. Josephs, the rain slows some but the sky still looks alarming and while my body is not totally soaked, the rain is still running out of my boots and drenches the floor around me as I sit in McDonalds and grab a burger. I call a friend in Lincoln, NE and ask her if it is raining. She says yes. I decide to stop and relax and drip some more. After all, it sounds like rain all the way. I might as well take my time.
Instead, as I am leaving the restaurant in Mound City, Missouri, it looks like I am going to be able to catch a break. The rain is abating and judging by the cloud cover, if I travel fast, I will be able to beat some of the rain. I flex my shoulders and get ready to hurtle down the road, once I hit some dry pavement.
A little south of Omaha, I pull off my rain jacket and put it under the cargo nets that hold some of the loose gear to my bike. How absolutely awesome. I pull out the directions to the first hotel and find out about some camping areas for later on in the month.
I check in the hotel and spread out my gear to dry. The newer Holiday Inn Expresses have washers and dryers. The older more formal Holiday Inn’s often don’t have this feature. I can’t find a washer and dryer at this Holiday Inn. The parking is really crowded here, there definitely isn’t enough. I think about parking on the sidewalk, but find a parking space and decide to take it as I can see my bike from my room.
I fall into bed for a couple of hours, riding in the rain, trying to see is harder than regular riding. Later I get up and go eat in the restaurant.
Happy Trails, Marty
Today I lay around when I woke up and listened to the rain. And listened to the rain. And listened to the rain. Tomorrow I have to be in Omaha.
The bad thing about packing up a tent in the rain when one is riding a motorcycle is that there is no place to put stuff to keep it dry. I pack everything in waterproof bags, but the tent, my sleeping bag and a few other things including the seat on my motorcycle get totally soaked. It is hard to keep my clothes dry.
I get up, start to pack while it is still sprinkling. Then, it starts to pour. I pull on the pants to my rain gear but the rain still pours in whenever I have to bend over to reach down to stuff my tent in the bag or pull out the tent stakes. I think about putting on the jacket to my rain gear, but rain gear is a mixed blessing. I can smolder inside the rain gear, get overheated and become drenched by my sweat, or I can become drenched by the rain.
I decide to be drenched by the rain, pull out a dry shirt and jacket to travel in, put them in a plastic shopping bag and keep on packing up.
About the time I finish packing up, the rain starts to slow down. By the time that I get on my dry shirt and my rain jacket, it is pouring once again. I have to wait a bit to start as it is raining too hard for me to ride and be able to see.
The rains coming across Kansas last night were vicious and I am going to end up catching some of them. As I head out to St. Josephs, Missouri, it is hard to see. The rain is stinging my cheeks as I slowly head down the road. Even the cars are going slowly. I stop and get some gas in St. Joseph and continue to head up towards Omaha.
A little north of St. Josephs, the rain slows some but the sky still looks alarming and while my body is not totally soaked, the rain is still running out of my boots and drenches the floor around me as I sit in McDonalds and grab a burger. I call a friend in Lincoln, NE and ask her if it is raining. She says yes. I decide to stop and relax and drip some more. After all, it sounds like rain all the way. I might as well take my time.
Instead, as I am leaving the restaurant in Mound City, Missouri, it looks like I am going to be able to catch a break. The rain is abating and judging by the cloud cover, if I travel fast, I will be able to beat some of the rain. I flex my shoulders and get ready to hurtle down the road, once I hit some dry pavement.
A little south of Omaha, I pull off my rain jacket and put it under the cargo nets that hold some of the loose gear to my bike. How absolutely awesome. I pull out the directions to the first hotel and find out about some camping areas for later on in the month.
I check in the hotel and spread out my gear to dry. The newer Holiday Inn Expresses have washers and dryers. The older more formal Holiday Inn’s often don’t have this feature. I can’t find a washer and dryer at this Holiday Inn. The parking is really crowded here, there definitely isn’t enough. I think about parking on the sidewalk, but find a parking space and decide to take it as I can see my bike from my room.
I fall into bed for a couple of hours, riding in the rain, trying to see is harder than regular riding. Later I get up and go eat in the restaurant.
Happy Trails, Marty
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