The Law of “What could possibly go wrong?” came into play at 9:45pm the day before our holiday.   

At 9 the conversation was started with:

I’m just going into the garage to throw some last minute things on the bike. 

To

Honey?   Do you smell gas?

And so it began.  The dreams of our trip that took a year to plan – stalled.   It would seem that the coupling on my gas tank decided to give way the night before our trip.  So at 9:30 pm the drip became a small trickle then a stream of gas before a stressed phone call to a friend (whom I personally think wears blue tights and a red cape) came over to look at the problem.  Being a mechanic by trade , this guy knows what he’s doing and a heck of a lot more than my husband and I combined.  

  
By midnight we had looked at the manual, consulted the web, searched YouTube and Google and placed a very frantic phone call to a local emergency mechanic number stating “Please help!  We are trying to leave for Sturgis in the morning! Please call when you get this!”    

Somewhere at 11:15 pm we all looked at my husbands perfectly packed Electra Glide and made the call that it now needed to be striped of all the packed gear and re packed with gear for two.  

Off came the tent….off came the sleeping bags…….and the foamies…….and the rain gear…….and the camp chairs.    Basically everything that was deemed nonessential was striped off and turfed on the garage floor.  Debates and decision waged.   The final outcome was that we would buy a tent and sleeping bags when we reached Gillette WY.  It was the only way.   And if they didn’t have tents-a tarp with rope, tent pegs, two poles, and we would switch off using the foamy.  (when you get old, sleeping directly on the ground loses its appeal pretty quickly). 

Midnight rolled around to find us repacked  and laying in bed staring at the ceiling – myself wondering how our plans had so quickly evaporated – my poor husband wondering when I had developed Tourette’s and how the hell we were going to survive the trip. (As a side note – after so many years of riding my own bike I am fully cognizant of the fact that I do not make a good passenger).  

There was no question of cancelling this trip.  A year in the planning.  Non refundable hotels and camping reservations.   A celebration of 25 years of marriage.   

Let the adventures begin.