Return to Preemption
Day 2
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Donna's alarm rang at 6:38. Boooo! Then my ringer alarm clock went off a few minutes later. Double boo! I wasn't ready to get up yet. Donna falls asleep as soon as she gets under the covers. I (Mr. Insomnia) am not as blessed. I piddled on the computer for awhile before going to bed around 2am.
The plan for this morning is to meet the others at 7:30 in the hotel dining room for breakfast, then head to Preemption around 8. We had everything packed on the bike by 7:15 so we sat out front so Donna could smoke. At 7:28 we headed to the dining area and the others were already eating. They had eggs folded over with cheese inside so I scraped out the cheese and substituted some bacon. Not bad.
 With breakfast consumed we took to the road. We rode the same route to Preemption as last time...IL-17 to Viola then north on US67. Temps were in the low 70s so Donna wore her jacket. 
 It was a peaceful drive. Not much traffic and beautiful weather. The shop doesn't open until 9am so we had about 25 minutes to stand around, talk, and explore the area. I noticed the building across the street said 'Bank' on it. I hadn't noticed that last time.
Mike, John, Johnny, Steve. A guy pulled in on an Ultra Classic. His name was Steve and he has been working at the shop with Dave. Steve wasn't here last time. We talked bikes and stuff to kill the time. A few minutes before nine Dave showed up with donuts. Mmmmmmm!
The new aquashield was painted and ready to go.
 There was a GL1500 trike and a Valkyrie trike in various stages of assembly. There was another pleasant surprise. Air conditioning.
 Throughout the day lots of people came and went. Some to do business and some just to hang out. At one point there were several trikes in the parking lot.
 I liked the exhaust turndowns on the white trike. They gave it a hotrod look. I enjoy checking out others' bikes to see the customizations they've done to them. I enjoyed sitting in the office with the air conditioning. Donna teased me about falling asleep. Who me?? Donna liked the warmth of the sun more so we took turns sitting outside and in. It was perfect outside when the clouds rolled in...sitting on the bench and taking in the view of Preemption. There was a lot of traffic and cars and bikes to watch. Donna was getting a little bored setting around so we rode back to Viola and got pop for everyone.
The damaged aquashield. Hard to believe it's been two months since it happened.
The replacement aquashields are on.
John also had Dynabeads installed to dynamically balance the tires. 
 It was about 1pm when the repaired trike was driven outside. It was complete again and John was happy to have his aquashields back. I enjoyed another day of hanging around the shop in Preemption. I like the atmosphere of the shop and the town. I do about 99% of my own bike work (1) because I'm cheap, and (2) because I've learned a lot of 'professional' work isn't. There are two places I would allow to work on my bike any time. Midwest Custom Cycle in Evansville who did my Traxxion rebuild, and here at Hammer's Cycle Works. Both places leave you with a great feeling of a job well done. Dave is a super nice guy, professional, and will spend the time to do the job right. I also like the way he takes the time to educate his customers as well. And let's not forget the donuts!
 I've noticed when I travel with Donna I don't take as many pictures as I normally would. When I got home I found I had only taken a couple pictures of Dave and they were from behind. I guess I spend too much time hanging with my sweetheart.
Thanks for the great service! With the trike repaired we headed east on a different road. My GPS said it was the fastest way back to the interstate. It was, but the roads were kind of crappy. I think there was a storm north of us somewhere. The wind was blowing that way and was annoyingly gusty.
 I-74 & IL-17. 14:41, mileage 62,944 - I hadn't planned the fuel stops on the way back. Since it was hot I thought we'd keep the hops a little shorter than yesterday. The IL-17 interchange looked like a good place to fuel up and get something to drink. The next couple hundred miles will be nothing exciting...interstate. A couple times I thought I saw something flash in my peripheral vision but I didn't know what it was. It turned out to be the potato chips Donna had bought earlier. The wind had taken them out of her hand.
 Carlock, IL, 16:28, mileage 63,036 - 92 humdrum miles later we stopped in Carlock, IL, for more gas. The clouds are providing some sun shade and the gusty wind is still annoying. It was a little over 100 miles to the Beef House so we decided that'll be the next stop.
You don't see Chinooks very often.
It's still warm and the sun is at our backs.
Back home in Indiana at 6:15pm.
 I don't know if it was the excitement of our home state or the smell of the Beef House but everyone suddenly passed me and left me in the dust. 
 The Beef House. It's Saturday night and they are busy. We had to wait in line for about 30 minutes but it was worth the wait. We were ready to set down in the air conditioning and rest for awhile. The Phelons crew ate here in 2010 on the fateful day John & Debby wrecked their Venture. Donna wanted their frog legs but didn't know how many came with the dinner. Her blue/gray eyes lit up when the waitress said eight pair. I got pork chops and mashed potatoes. The dinners also come with salad bar, soup, and rolls so we were stuffed. We even took a box of food home.
 I-74 & IN63. 20:16, mileage 63,144 - There is a Pilot truck stop across the road from the Beef House so we fueled up there. It was dusky by now and will be dark soon. I dug out the clear glasses I had bought in South Dakota to find they were badly scuffed. That sucks...but it's better than catching a bug in the eye. My search for night glasses continues. The sinking sun meant cooler temperatures which were welcomed. It also meant a higher chance of deer which aren't. At Crawfordsville we took two-lane US231 south and left the interstate behind. It was a good ride. No deer and the traffic was moving fast. As we rode through Greencastle they had a band playing on the square. I have mixed emotions about riding at night. On one hand it seems more peaceful, there's usually less traffic, and cooler temperatures. One the other hand the blood smears on the road and the dead deer are a solemn reminder the little monsters are everywhere in the Midwest.
 Ellettsville, IN. 22:33, mileage 63,247 - Our last stop. It felt good to be almost home. It's been a fun trip. Donna & I will peel off on the way home so we gave Johnny his jacket we had been carrying. Eureka, IN. 23:24 - 31 miles later we were home. Unpack, take a shower, and go to bed. Another nice bike trip to reminisce about.
426 miles. Click here for thoughts from the trip. |
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