took off tonight around sundown. the sky had that bright pink and peach color that slowly saturate into a big blue mess right before the stars poke through.

just up the road, on the good side of town beyond the ghetto that lies inbetwixt, are these wonderful roads. they roll past the mcmansions of the fat-walleted, nouveau riche. up the green hills of ‘brentwood’ and through the valleys of ‘forest hills’.

the houses and empire-building yards cease to amaze me but i love the smell of the freshly cut grass and trees hanging over the road. the sun has begun it’s nightly hiding game and everything starts masquerading; shape-shifting into imaginative, impossible structures.

soon the contrast changes and the road, stripes and my headlight illumination are all I can see with any detail. everything drops into washes of amber color from the street and landscape light. not long after, that goes away and i’m left a few degrees colder with farmland stretching further than i can see.

i stopped at a coffee shop to give my eyes a rest. they had started to dry out and it was time for a break.

as i sat and sipped my, as per usual, 2% cappuccino i watched the people around me. they moved through the bookstore, a random copy of this or that under their arm.

before long i had to get back out. traffic was light and i was back onto the rural roads within moments. those are the best. summertime changes all the smells of the countryside. some are welcoming, others are wince-able.

as i left the overgrown farmland behind i could feel the temperature raise. sidewalks and more concrete began to appear in view. the extra clothing that i wore to keep me warm outside of town was now noticeably wet under me riding jacket.

i hadn’t noticed out in the cuds, but now it seemed as my visor was a patchwork of slime and legs. the unfortunate remnants of insects that got behind on their flying skills.

rolling up to home i pulled the clutch early to tone down the engine. pulling the bike backward and into the garage, the door winking closed, i said ‘thank you’ for another ride and a safe return home.

upstairs to greet me is my wife and a glass of wine. next on the agenda: sleep.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ryan
DATE: 7/29/2005 12:01:04 AM
I can’t being to describe how amazing that was, J.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Anonymous
DATE: 7/29/2005 06:56:43 PM
Full-face visors and helmets keep one from tasting the true flavor of the country.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ryan

DATE: 7/29/2005 08:31:17 PM
Full face helmets and visors allow people to write as brilliant and eloquently as J’s post.
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