November 28, 2000

(...maybe my last ride until spring...boohoo...)
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...As my story continues, I'm heading out of Vreeland's parking lot with my bike alarm sounding and lights flashing...
Finally, I come to my senses and realize I can't do this, swing around and back in the store I go, ask if the service technician can come and take a look, I'm a prisoner on my bike! EEKS!..The tech guy comes outside, I'm explaining what it is I THOUGHT you needed to do to disarm my alarm, the guy does it, and Voila! it works for him! Go figure! ..and I was the one told him what to do! what was "I" doing wrong??...
So...I get on my bike and make a quick get away...
Now prior to this I planned a few leisurely stops to warm up along the way, now I was petrified (okay, I'm exaggerating) to stop anywhere for fear of this alarm thingie happening again, so....no stops, except, I remember it's company policy to call in for work the next day and I was told I had to call in...YIKES! I knew I wouldn't make it home in time before the office personnel left..Now what?? to make matters worse I was out in a rural area where no pay phones seem to exist....
I follow a school bus along route 42 for awhile, quite a few kiddies getting off at their stops, smiling & waving---That always makes me happy! I keep checking at my watch, have to call work....where's a phone?...
Finally, along Route 42 I see Paluschick's Country Store" in Bear Gap, (even though their sign says Catawissa) I think, "Whew! Maybe they have a pay phone..." I go in with my bandana & leathers on, looking a sight I am sure..and the nice little, old lady says they got a phone in the back...a rotary phone! That's how much a country store this is...hehe.. (do kids today even know what they are or how to use one??)...as it turns out, rotary phones have no "pound" key so my calling card wouldn't work..sheesh! as if there weren't enough excitement for one peaceful, afternoon ride???...The kindly lady offers a modern cordless phone and I make the call..Whew! that's solved!..Now back to my therapy....
Further up the road, after all day being cloudy & dreary, I caught a glimpse of the setting sun's rays peaking out from the clouds, I took a detour west and stopped for a pic. I have to admit, in colder weather like this it takes a little more effort to stop & snap a photo, gotta remove the helmet, gloves, (slowly, my fingers are sorta numb) put it all back on & make sure all's tucked in well, gotta keep from gettin' frost-bitten, Often through out the day I struggled between wanting to ride and wanting to stop for pics...since my hours of daylight and warmth (almost) were limited I opted for riding....On the road again, I continued past Numidia, up the mountain, back to Aristes, I couldn't bring myself to make the turn home on the Aristes Road to Ringtown just YET, so I headed straight on through to Centralia, Big Mine Run, Girardville, Shenandoah, and back over to the Valley. The time and temperature on the bank in Shenandoah said 44 degrees @ 4:14...lotsa four's! : )
Oh,the beauty there is to see...if you stop and look...Would you let this suspicious looking, red-faced gal use your phone??..hehe...
What a great time I had! My first solo ride on my new bike! I keep saying, she rides like a cadillac on two-wheels! I only put 77 or so miles on, but now having a new bike in November instead of how many miles "did ya go?", it's more like, "just how cold of weather can ya ride in?" hehe So if ya see any crazy gals out on a purple bike just gliding on the highway in the snow, it just might be ME! : )
When I got home, after she cooled down I cleaned her up, and got out my owners manual on my "Thunder Page" security alarm system and read it thoroughly...: Þ
...I'm still not certain what I was doing wrong except maybe panicing and not waiting for the 10 second delay, after hitting the button, I dunno...Later, I was telling my supervisor my story, laughing, and telling her how STUPID I felt, she said, "You couldn't have been stupid, you rode there on a Harley!" Touche' Kathy!!...: )
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