“A sure cure for what ails ya!”

 

The Stars pick up date has been delayed by miserable weather; rain and hail, wind and cold, and I have been afflicted with a cold. It’s not just an ordinary cold but a stop the world, I am incapacitated, my mother told me to go to the doctor, of course I ignored her, there is no cure for the common cold – cold!

Today I finally arrived at KTec to pick her up and no one paid any attention to me as I stuffed the bags full of my work day paraphernalia. I had already paid for the oil change on Monday when I stopped by to let them know my death by cold was imminent and I didn’t want to leave an outstanding debt (really I didn’t want to sneeze, cough, drip or drool in the new helmet.) So, without fanfare I was ready to ride - sort of, after all it’s been 7 months.

So, after 7 months …“I forgot how much stuff I have to wear. Really, I didn’t bring my socks, how could I forget my socks? Do I remember how to ride this thing?  I don’t think it feels as heavy as it did last year. Freak, it’s not going to start – right, it’s cold, it’s a Yamaha - where the heck did the choke go?” Chu, chu, chu, Bruum, bruum!  I eased out the clutch and rolled, ever so gently, on the throttle … “Am I going to make it out of the parking lot without dropping it? Crap, I should have picked a different day – what was I thinking, Friday night on a long weekend? Am I in third gear or fourth. Man, it’s been a long 7 months. Did I cancel the signal light, oh ya, I did – but I think I’ll do it again just to be sure. If I cough in the new helmet will the germs stay there all summer, hey my nose stopped running.  Is the new helmet going to be too much of a distraction for the first ride? Better take that throughway behind the shopping centre to get a few curves in before I have a serious corner to take. Traffic – what was I thinking! Oh yeah, I’m all alone inside my helmet again, I’ve got way too much time to think. Hey, I like this new helmet, it isn’t distracting at all (as a matter of fact it’s quieter and I’ve got better mobility, I’m going to have to blog about that.) Yeah! I made it home!"

As I opened the door one last time tonight to look at her, I swear I could almost smell the lilacs – almost. Maybe, just maybe, bringing a motorcycle home can cure the common cold.

Take two wheels along with a healthy dose of sunshine, double digit temperatures, add in a Friday night (on a long weekend) and it’s sure to “cure what ails ya!”