4th of July Ride: My Independance Part 1

No rain in the forecast?

My wife and in-laws took the kids to see Great Grandma in Branson, Missouri. For what ever reason, my wife gave me time off for good behavior so I stayed back. I am not one to argue so I obliged. Most men would take advantage of the situation. You know, sitting at home, drinking beer and scratching themselves. Not me. I went to my sisters to do that. Well, except the scratching part.

I left after noon on the 4th of July. The forecast said no rain but those clouds above told me otherwise. Luckily, I encountered no rain this weekend. That was a nice change.

It's funny. Up until I bought the bike, every trip had to be a time trial. How fast can I make from Point A to Point B. What is the quickest way to get there? I still catch myself doing that now. When I was heading to Middleton, Wisconsin , where I would stay for two nights, I almost fell into that same trip. If I was with the family, I would make my way over to Interstate 90 and head north. While I was coming up route 12, it donged on me. I could catch the Kettle Moraine Scenic drive which includes a bunch of twisties. It took me longer to reach my destination but I was not under a time line. It was great to hit some curves so early in the trip.

Before hitting the Kettles, I needed to hit my stomach. I stopped at the General Store in La Grange. My wife and I use to stop here a lot in our younger, slimmer days. After spending countless days mountain biking in the area, we would stop at the General Store for a deli sandwich or cool down with a scoop of ice cream...or two.

Let's WHOOP it up

After lunch, I was driving the country side. I found these two birds in a farmers field. The red color on top of their head made me turn around to get a better look. As I came back, the birds were not startled by me or the bike. They slowly walked away from me but I managed to get this shot. I think it is a whooping crane but please correct me if I am wrong. I saw three more of these north of Madison on Route 12.

Introducing "Splat"

For the first time in public, this is Splat. He is the idea of my sister, Carrie, and myself. Although, Carrie was the one who crafted him, I get to bring Splat to life. Splat will be going with me on future road trips. I will explain more about Splat and why that fact that I am even playing with stuffed toys in another post. For now, just go with it.

On a side note, I am to riding what my sister is to crafting. I still laugh when I see her blog because I don't picture my younger sister or any younger person, head deep in what she does. Carrie has always been the artzy creative one. Her and friends hold challenges to see who can top each other with their ideas. I am always amazed at her accomplishments. I know this sounds corny, but Carrie makes crafting cool. See for yourself at Ruffled Feathers. (Thanks Carrie!)

Let's Go Hit Some Twisties!

Splat had decided he needed to stretch his legs and go rock climbing

For the 4th of July dinner, we went to Quaker Steak and Lube in Middleton. I have heard a lot about this place from other riders including the weekly bike night. They are also known for their Atomic Wings. No joke, I had to sign a waiver to get a sample wing. I thought it was a gimmick but Quaker Steak and Lube meant business. I decided to try one. I signed the waiver. Out came one single wing followed by a bunch of verbal warnings by the staff. Yeah, yeah, let me be. I am a professional.

As soon as the wing hit the table, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of pepper. I picked it up and took a further whiff. Then it was time. Walk the plank. Put up or shut up.

As soon as the sauce had hit the lips and tongue, it was instant fire! No delayed heat here. Holy Crap! It was insane. I did not break a sweat but my eyes teared up and my nasal passages drained like a sieve. Being the man, I wanted to finish it. It took a lot of will power to take the second bite but I finished the damn thing. For my effort, I got a bumper sticker and my name on the wall. I am sure I gave Carrie and Shane a good laugh as well.

Sign your life away, kid

That's what 150,000 Scovilles looks like.
For the record, Daves Insantiy Hot Sauce is ONLY 80,000.

A few pics of the Quaker Steak and Lube in Middleton, Wisconsin.
I give it two forks up!

What is a perfectly good GSX R hanging from the ceiling?
That's a crime!

The night was followed by fireworks and me getting attacked by bugs while getting money from an ATM. Make that two ATM's. The first one would not read my card. Hope you all still have your fingers and toes!