Yesterday made the upcoming trip a reality. I rode WB to the bike dealership to drop her off for crating. I have now entrusted her into the hands of the dealerships and the shipping company. Wow. Big step for me. Not a comfy one either.
The other big step was thinking logically on what needs to be in the saddlebags. The original plan was to put all my riding gear in the saddlebags and ship it with the bike – much more cost effective than mailing it separately or putting it in checked baggage for the plane to lose. The morning I was to ride down dawned overcast and grey with 60% chance of rain. Ick! I couldn’t very well pack a wet leather jacket in my saddle bags and hope it arrived in Ottawa without mold. Drat! So I decided to ride down to the dealership and keep my fingers crossed.
Sure enough, just before I threw my leg over, it started sprinkling, but luckily that’s all it did until I left the valley. After that, the 2 hour ride allowed me to dry out enough that the jacket, boots and chaps went with the bike.
The next quandary was how to remember what gear was in the bike. After 14 days, I knew I’d never remember. So out came the camera. I spread everything out on the asphalt – which proved to be an irresistible sight for some people – and took pictures of what was in the bags so I didn’t forget what was in them. And stopped me from stomping around the house hours before my departure muttering and swearing at myself for putting things in a safe place – AGAIN! Woohoo. I’m smart me.
So now the lists start. And the lists of lists.
Still in double digits – but the countdown has started
Two Wheeled Life 