This is more than a ride

Well, the parts have been installed and yesterday I rode with Pete for 102 miles around Charlotte. The idea was to get the big hot and make sure everything had been put back into place. We rode around, went downtown - that got the bike hot, the BMW store for a donut and then over to Big Ben for lunch. After a full English Breakfast consiting of two eggs, baked beans, banger (sausage), bacon and fried potatoes, bread, tomato and mushroom we rode to Pete's house and continued a long, lazy afternoon. Tammy cooked pasta for dinner and then it was time to ride home. It was around 9:00 which gave me an excellent opportunity to test out the new higher position of the PIAA lights and there is a definite improvement. With the high beam I feel very comfortable running at night. Actually it was one of those clear nights that made you sad when you reached your exit of the highway as you knew the ride was ending. All in all, a great day.

For some time now Pete and Tammy have been dealing with a very difficult family situation. Brad, their middle son, has been diagnosed with soft tissue sacoma. Brad is what my grandfather would call 'a fine young man', my father discribes Brad as 'a really nice guy' and Christy, my daughter calls Brad 'a cool dude'. Brad has completed 3 tours in Iraq and now faces an ever tougher battle.

Brad will be our support vehicle for the ride. A few weeks ago while having breakfast with Brad, Pete said 'come with us'. It took Brad about 5 seconds to agree to drive his truck across the US in support of Pete and I. The conversation turned quickly to all the extra stuff we could take with us now that a truck was going, but more importantly it gave the ride meaning. This ride is no longer about indulging myself in a two week vacation but about sharing an experience with a true friend and his son as his son faces a very uncertain future. Brad said he 'just wants to sit at a camp fire and enjoy life'. We will spend many nights across the county honoring this wish.

Until Brad decided to join us we had not determined a route. In fact, we still have not determined the route just the starting philosophy. Brad's birthday is July 18. At o-dark-30 on July 13 we will ask Brad which western start he would like to spend his birthday in and we will have 5 days to get there. Last night it was Navada but I am confident it will change 100 times before we start.

103 days to go.