Day Minus Two

Forty, unmarried, childless, jobless, shiftless, aimless and often gutless, I may or may not be the typical "Adventure Rider." I'm not the first to start a long ride with close to zero plan on a bike I've never touched and only a vague idea of when I'm getting back to town. And I'm certainly not the first middle-aged guy to buy a semi-expensive toy to go out and find where he left himself. But this is the first for me and I'm excited, scared, anxious, worried, thrilled and giddy.

It's the last day of filming in Fairhope, AL. Once we've found out who the guy is keeping I'll have half a day to pack all the sound gear for shipping back to the rental house, leaving me less than half a day to pack everything I suddenly don't need because it can't possibly fit in the space provided by two saddle bags.

Because this ride was totally unplanned all my motorcycle gear is in the hands of UPS and will, hopefully, meet me in New Jersey on the same day as I arrive in the Garden State. My roommates (yes, I have roommates because that's what happens when you're 40 and recently divorced) and friends (yes, I have friends--divorce doesn't have to mean you lose them) have jumped in and done their best to pack up and ship out what I need. Thankfully, one of the advantages to being a little older is that if I need to buy something while I'm on the road the dilemma will be finding what I need--not paying for it.