Peenie Wallie: Carmel Blue

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June 8, 2012

Carmel Blue

My life is sort of hard to follow. It skips like a needle across a tortured LP. I dunno what to make of it. It's quite confusing at times.

This morning I wake up and realize my alarm didn't go off. Because I don't work on Fridays, so I don't have it set to go off on Fridays. So, I get up and get cleaned up at the flat in North Beach and I try to think about tonight. The plan is that I'll fly into Idaho Falls tonight.

So, I look at the things in the flat and try to imagine what I need to take with me. The flat looks roughly like the inside of a poorly maintained commercial garage. Morotcycle battery charger. Motorcycle batteries. Starters. Broken mirrors. Chain oil. Engine oil. All of this in my closet. Or laying about the room. Bits and parts of bikes that i own, or once owned.

I try to think about what I need in Idaho tonight. Hmmmm. I left chain oil and engine oil in the Givi case on the bike. I'm good there. Gloves and helmet are in my office at work. I grab some cameras, laptop, iPad, some clothes, and hit the street. Unsure of when I'll return to the flat in North Beach.

I walk into work, taking a slightly different path every day. It's about 17 blocks to work. Takes me about 20 minutes. But I like to stop and shoot along the way, so it usually takes me a little longer. Today, I noticed a store as I passed by - it's named 'Carmel Blue', presumably named after the color of the Pacific ocean in the town of Carmel.

At work, the little girl starts sending me IM's. I've given up on her so many times I've lost count.

"Why are you here?"

"You mean, like in the philosophical sense, or..."

"No. I mean. You don't work on Fridays why are you here?"

"I have to go get my motorcycle tonight."

"You fly to Colorado tonight?"

"Idaho."

"Idaho?"

"That's where the bike is. Then, I'll drive it back here."

Probably, next week I'll fly to Hawaii. That's what I tell myself. Idaho. Nevada. California. Hawaii. Sounds like a good plan.

I get into work and they want to know if I got paid.

"I dunno," I stammer.

"You don't know if we paid you or not?"

"Uh...no...not really."

"Dude...the invoice was for like ... twenty grand!"

"Uh...yeah...I dunno....my admin handles all of that stuff for me," I lie. I dunno what else to say. It's to embarrassing to admit that I'm incapable of balancing a checkbook.

"When will you be back?"

"I dunno. I mean, I have to go get my bike...and...I'll try to drive it here. It's 840 miles though. So, at 300 miles a day, that's three days. Maybe I'll be back Monday night?"

"OK. So we'll see you on Tuesday?"

"Prolly so. That sounds about right. Then I have to go to Hawaii."

"For how long?"

"I dunno...just for a couple of weeks I think. My daughter hasn't been in almost a year..."

NXNW - Take 2

So, I'm going to take another swing at getting the bike out to San Francisco. I have roughly 840 miles to go in 3 days, which won't be easy, but it's doable.

Not really sure of my route yet, but I'm leaning towards leaving Idaho Falls on US 20 West. I saw way too much of Nevada last year, so I'm going to try to avoid Nevada, to the extent possible.

I brought a different helmet this time, as I can't stand the persistent problem I have opening my visor on the other helmet. It's what I like to call "over-engineered", meaning it has way too many moving pieces and predictably, doesn't work right.

I got up this morning and seriously pondered going to the DMV to get my license plates straightened out. But, fortunately, reason prevailed. "Like...I'm just going to pull the plates as soon as I get to San Francisco. What's the point?"

I lightened my load significantly for this second leg of the trip. No tripod. Left one of my backup cameras. Left one of my lenses.

Dunno how much difference it will make, but I want to make good time. I want to get that Big Red Pig moving.