On the Road

I’m packed for my first motorcycle trip of the year. Rain gear, spare boots, essential tools. Socks and underwear, a change of clothes. Cold weather gear because you never know. Camera, GoPro, GPS.

Tomorrow morning I’ll strap the bag to the bike and ride north to Flagstaff. I may or may not take the back roads around the Mogollon Rim … I’m putting that decision off until tomorrow morning, after a look at traffic and the weather. Our son Gregory will ride his BMW from Las Vegas and meet me in Flag. We’ll overnight there and on Friday make our way north through the Navaho Nation to Torrey, Utah. Saturday we’ll ride mountain roads from Torrey to Las Vegas. I’ll crash at Gregory’s house from Saturday night through Monday morning. Sunday we’ll hook up with some Vegas riders and ride to Mount Charleston or Spring Mountain. Might even get to see my grandson Quentin perform in a high school play. Monday I’ll solo home down US 93 through Kingman and Wickenburg to Phoenix, then brave I-10 the rest of the way to Tucson.

It won’t be my most ambitious cross-country ride, but I’ve been on a long recovery with my second knee replacement and this’ll be a good test of my ability to put serious mileage on it.

I’ve been worried about an incipient sore tooth, a molar way in the back, but luckily had a periodontal appointment yesterday and the dentist didn’t see anything obviously wrong. She gave me a prescription for an antibiotic, which I’ll take while I’m on the trip, and didn’t laugh at me when I told her I was bringing along a small bottle of oil of cloves. When I made a feeble joke about Marathon Man she got it, which surprised me because she’s in her 30s. Kids watching classics? Who knew?

Later next week I’ll schedule a visit with the endodontist and start psyching up for a root canal. I endured one two years ago and know what I’m in for. I’m lucky to have good teeth and to have had good dental care over the years. But like many my age, I’m starting to outlive my teeth, and can only hope serious problems will space themselves out to one a year, because that’s all the insurance will bear.

Donna’s making a favorite recipe tonight, Portuguese chicken. It’ll be road food the next couple of days, but then I’ll be with with my son and his family in Vegas … Beth is a great cook (and so is our son, who takes after us).

So anyway, in a few hours I’ll be off. I’ll check in frequently with OTR (on the road) updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And photos! Wish me luck, please. I promise I’ll be careful.