Can't stop being Earl but today I will try to be better...

I make choices and ride to visit Indiana, to see someone that I couldn't on the ride East, he was out of town in Winston-Salem, NC (where I would be later). The choice opened up an opportunity to meet some blogworldfamous people - more of those folks one wished one knew better, okay, I can handle church in Indiana, didn't bring any Sunday go to Meeting, but my wife was happy I was going to stop long enough. But to be around famous folks, hmm. Too far away to sink into my computer cave, I will have to stand up, say hello, listen carefully to the name - try to keep from it immediately sinking into the errant thoughts trying to boil up, link it to something I have read, thought or the actually human body in front of me... didn't I love being a wall flower when I had social functions as a teen? yeah, but I am now older and know I won't be remembered tomorrow by too many.

Ah, well, the adventure is in how much better the world and its people are than the script writer in my mind has written. That guy doesn't get out enough.

Speaking of getting out enough, the Trusty Triumph gets loaded out after church, thunder storms are around waiting, and I dress to ride hard and fast west from Indianapolis, Colorado is the next stop for people to visit, say hello and maybe catch up on my blog reading - which is difficult on the highway at seventy or so. I do want to get home and see that woman I haven't been talking to enough, and I will have to keep the rubber side down and the mind engaged as I ride, safety counts, not all those highway traffic laws but the things I do to make sure I only downshift into a smooth stop, into neutral, one foot on the ground, put the kick stand down, take hands off the throttle and breath, open face shield and take helmet off. Stand up.

What actually happened:(this is my story and I'm adding to it.)

Cathy James made sure I had more than coffee for breakfast, she makes the best oatmeal walnut cookies. I helped (well, I was there) Frank W James harvest some sweet corn for the blog meet later. The raccoons had been there last night helping themselves so it must be good. Clean up and off to church. A very nice little church in the woods, non denominational, and very welcoming. I do wonder if I am often too much of a recluse to enjoy human company, but then when I am welcomed as well as I was there I have to rejoin the better part of the human race. They gave me a gift bag and added a pray for travel mercies for the rest of my journey on the Trusty Triumph. Communion and the singing of God Save America, which the rest of you are using 'Bless' America. Interesting change in viewpoint. I talked a bit with the pastor and another old motorcycler that has done some long distance runs.

Back to the farm to pick up vehicles and food for and afternoon get together with one of their closest neighbors, just down the road. Again, I was warmly welcomed, met two of the sons of the man, Frank calls his brother (having been friends, farmed together and raised children in partnership so successfully). I had sweet tea and listened and watched and enjoyed seeing more of that really good stuff our politicians don't trust, because they don't understand it? But we had to hit the road to Indianapolis for the blog meet (like one of those dreams come true, don't pinch me I might wake up). Frank led me on a merry race in the light rain that came out of no where, faster than the storm drains could carry it off.

As we approached Broad Ripple (the place really does exist - everything Tam had said about her neighborhood was right there - yuppie bicyclists and all) it seemed to me that people just tried to get enough rain in an area so I wouldn't feel homesick - but to me, this was not a Great Northwestern rain - just no weight and not hanging around for weeks of weary.

I parked, left my helmet in the no rain catching position on the fuel tank, and strolled over to the pub for pictures, and some coffee and watching the real bloggers gather - (I have found a comment from Ky Woman saying I should have stopped, but I had no idea that the name meant she lived somewhere on my travel route, I might have tried). I tried to hide in the corner and watch, but I was approached and welcomed by bloggers I have been reading for years and they are more of the ones I am counting on to fix the country. I couldn't meet everyone, and many had no idea who I was. Caleb was there, looking good and when at first we were trying to find out where the missing members were, he called several numbers - the missing ones were inside waiting on other missing members (those of us under the porch roof). He had copies of the current Concealed Carry magazine, and he signed his article and Tam signed hers and they passed them out. Movers and shakers, I didn't have good rainproof storage left so I passed, but will have to find and read those, if they wrote them they are the expert testimony to whatever the gun carrying public needs to consider. I am not going to name drop, the only reason I mentioned Caleb was because he is really active in promoting handguns and shooting, currently a television star of Top Shot (okay he ended up eliminated, but they never even asked me), and I had talked to him long ago on his blog radio show. There was one personality I didn't get to meet that I was sure I know personally, but don't -- Barkley wasn't there, but it was so much better than I could have written that script - my life usually is, I have been blessed. I helped pass out the sweet corn, and it all was picked up by the bloggers (I was the guy leaning on the side of the truck trying to be cool, helped?). Said good bye to all them, mounted the Trusty Triumph and toured Indianapolis until I ran into I70 going west. I was smiling the whole time.