Canadian Buffoon's Back to Front Vacation - Update! 05/18 - Falling Down

[pkondz]

Little Cayman

Niiiice!
That's been on my bucket list
since before people had
bucket lists.

Eagle Ray, lots of turtles, reef sharks, fish everywhere! Squid! Scuba every day!

Cool!!!!
I'll have something similar
to say about that a bit
later in this TR.

Yup, guess I'm late to the party again! Maybe next time.

I'll keep posting my travels,
stay tuned!

 

[pkondz]

Duluth, MN? If so I live in Duluth! Ahh we could have had a Dis meet!

​

Yes we could have!

I actually had some down-time.
A rarity on my road trips.

And...
to the TR!

I hope your back improved as your trip went on, no fun having your back go out, ugh!!

​

It did... and didn't... and did.

It was never as bad as just
before I left.
Minor tweaks and pain,
but nothing serious.
​

It’s been awhile since I have been to Winnipeg but I believe it is straight above us, right?

Not quite. We're northwest of you.

Next time you are in Duluth let me know and we can say hi

Okay!
Not sure when that will be.
I have some unfinished business
in northern Michigan...
So it's possible. ​

 

[pkondz]

Made it!

Hi, Dee!
to the TR!

Looking forward to being a passenger on this trip. Can't wait to see who we are going to be meeting!

First meet coming right up.
Actually... little surprise update
attached to the front of
the next chapter.

PS- Why aren't we calling this part of the trip "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?"

Or maybe that will come as you are leaving Toronto.

oooohhh…. that's a very good idea!
Gonna have to steal that one.
Maybe...

I never know my titles
until after I've written
the update.

I know.

Patience.

 

[pkondz]

I feel like I've been missing out on all the fun, so here I am for my very first @pkondz TR!

Hi Jackie!
to the TR!

I enjoy reading your comments on several other TRs I follow, so very excited to read along here

I've seen you there as well.
Always happy to have a new
face along for the ride.

 

[pkondz]

I am.

The horror.

Well, 10 seconds can seem like an eternity to some.

Said everyone who's ever
sat in a dentist chair.

Thank you! Happy to be here!

Yay! I can be part of the meet!! Virtually!

Sure!

Feel free to take any picture of me on my TRs. But only the good ones. Which is like 5%. Wait that is .5%

I highly doubt that.
You're very photogenic,
and probably even more
beautiful in real life.

I suspect every shot of you
is a good one.

 

[pkondz]

Well by all means, if you see him again, send him my way! My latest brush with the Land of Hope and Expectation came to a disastrous halt just this past weekend

Oh, no!
I'm really sorry to hear that, Tracy.

PM sent.

 

[Ladyfish77]

Cool!!!!
I'll have something similar
to say about that a bit
later in this TR.

Hmmm, looking forward to it. Remember if you need to do some bucket list diving, I'm your connection!

 

[pkondz]

Hmmm, looking forward to it. Remember if you need to do some bucket list diving, I'm your connection!

Okay! Got it!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Ponz! Oh no! Not your back again! I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble. Looking forward to your adventures. Next time I might actually get to be part of the PNWMM! I'm a resident now.

 

[natebenma]

Little Cayman
Eagle Ray, lots of turtles, reef sharks, fish everywhere! Squid! Scuba every day!

Wow! That sounds incredible!

I don't scuba, but snorkeling is my favorite activity. Squid are such a surprisingly beautiful creatures!

Sorry to hijack pkondz!

​

 

[orangecats2]

Hi hi hi! I’m here. Finally. You can now continue.

 

[pkondz]

Hi Ponz!

Hi, Tammie!
to the TR!

Oh no! Not your back again!

Yes. Again.
I think it’s time
for a replacement.

I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble.

I’ll have more to say
about it in the next update.

Looking forward to your adventures.

Glad you’re here
for the ride!

Next time I might actually get to be part of the PNWMM! I'm a resident now.

Hopefully I’ll write about it
before the next one. :laughing;

 

[pkondz]

Sorry to hijack pkondz!

Never apologize for that, Dee.
I encourage conversation here.

 

[pkondz]

Hi hi hi! I’m here. Finally.

Hi, Carrie!
to the TR!
You’re right on time.

You can now continue.

Thanks.
I was just waiting
for you before continuing.

 

[mFont23]

I'm here! I'm here! I'm here! And I see that bar and shield! My husband just moved to the New Orleans dealership yesterday. He's the General Manager. We are really excited about it! Let me know if you ever make it that way for a chip. Oh, and if you know anyone interested in a Vrod, let me know. I'm still trying to sell his.... yes, you read the correctly. I am trying to sell HIS.

 

[pkondz]

I'm here! I'm here! I'm here!

Hi Michelle!
to the TR!

And I see that bar and shield! My husband just moved to the New Orleans dealership yesterday. He's the General Manager. We are really excited about it! Let me know if you ever make it that way for a chip.

No way! That's great!
I'd love to get down that
way someday.

Actually, DW and I had
planned to this spring,
but plans fell through.

Oh, and if you know anyone interested in a Vrod, let me know. I'm still trying to sell his.... yes, you read the correctly. I am trying to sell HIS.

I'll pass on that.
It's not my style.
Too.... crotch rocket-y,
you know?

I own a Slim S.
Much more my style.

But not super great
for highways.
I'm trying to figure a way
to own two bikes...
but the insurance on two bikes
would kill me.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

So. I actually read this last week. But it was on my work computer, and so, per usual, I get a little black box with an x rather than a photo. So I told myself I'd reply when I got home and could pull it up on my laptop.

Yeah.

Here I am week later and still haven't pulled it up at home, so I'm going to reply and just pretend what I think the photos are.

We're all fairly harmless
and generally friendly.

For some reason I first read this as "Fairly hairless"

because I know I've got a whole
lot of folks who want to know about it.

Whaaaat? I can't imagine there's anyone reading this TR for the sole purpose of reading about you meeting them.....

That's me.
(The much more good looking
one in the background is not me.
sorry to disappoint.)

When did you get a picture with Joe in the background?

Elton John announced that he would
also be performing in Winnipeg.

Isn't that the way it always goes?

Or in my case, I bought tickets for a concert in Atlanta, saw said concert, and then the next month the band announced they were breaking up.

The first thing I did was pick up these:

Yes! Excellent choice. I always pick those up for a road trip.

My wipers were doing an okay job,
but... they were getting up there
in age and I figured new ones were in order.

Oh, ok. Maybe not then.

And then he put his arm on my lower back
and pressed down.

I think the screaming caused him to ease up a bit.

So I see a massage therapist every two weeks because I have the back of an 86 year old. Joe had mentioned wanting to try it, so last year I booked him a massage with my lady as an early Christmas present. He said it hurt too much and he didn't enjoy it. I was laughing about this with Alexis, and she said "I went like half as hard on him as I do you!"

I suspect you are similarly inclined,
unless you don't pump your own gas.

I tend to unscrew my cap first before anything else. And then because every car I've owned prior has had a broken clip, I let it fall and hang by it's cord. Joe yells at me every time and says I'm going to scratch the paint. I tell him it's my car and if I don't care then it doesn't matter. Then I pump my gas, finish, put the nozzle back, tell it no receipt, then screw the cap back on and close the door.

And then get into my car and check my mirror to make sure I've put the cap back on.

It was a few minutes later, as I drove on,
that I realized I hadn't had time to put
on my "innocent and not-a-terrorist" face.

Huh. Guess my clueless face was good enough.

Also maybe why he didn't ask if you were constipated.

Slightly less than dull.

Next TR title?

 

[mFont23]

I'll pass on that.
It's not my style.
Too.... crotch rocket-y,
you know?

I own a Slim S.
Much more my style.

But not super great
for highways.
I'm trying to figure a way
to own two bikes...
but the insurance on two bikes
would kill me.

I know what you mean. I'm pretty sure that's why he chose that one. It was the most "muscular" of them all. But he gets to pick one to ride around on and he is going to get one we can both enjoy. Something a little bigger, smoother, and with a SEAT BACK if he expects me to get anywhere near it. There's not enough junk in my trunk to keep me on the VROD without flying backwards a few inches each time he accelerates.

One bike on insurance is more than enough for me!

My dad bought some anniversary bike about a year ago and I think he is going to try to sell it soon. I can count on one hand how many times he has actually ridden it, but he says he just likes to own it and be a part of something.

 

[pkondz]

I know what you mean. I'm pretty sure that's why he chose that one. It was the most "muscular" of them all.

Yeah, I can see that.
I didn't like one part of the styling and...
I did want more of a cruiser.

But he gets to pick one to ride around on and he is going to get one we can both enjoy. Something a little bigger, smoother, and with a SEAT BACK if he expects me to get anywhere near it.

Tell him you insist on CVO Limited.



Then after he wakes up,
you can pick anything you want.

There's not enough junk in my trunk to keep me on the VROD without flying backwards a few inches each time he accelerates.

Pictures or it never happened!

One bike on insurance is more than enough for me!

No kidding.
Dunno what you're paying,
but mine is around $2,000/year.

My dad bought some anniversary bike about a year ago and I think he is going to try to sell it soon. I can count on one hand how many times he has actually ridden it, but he says he just likes to own it and be a part of something.

Wow.
Expensive paperweight.

 

[pkondz]

Heading On Down and Up


In keeping with the TR theme,
a quick real life update.

This past weekend,
Fallon (@fallonkendra)
and her DH, Luke, were in town
for a visit.
The only time that worked
for all of us was while I was
at work.
But luckily, weekends are
pretty slow and I was able,
with some help from my
co-worker, to have them
come see me there.

I showed them around the place,
hopefully not boring them
to tears in the process,
and then had lunch.
We chatted, mostly about Disney,
for about an hour,
before I had to kick them out
and get back to work.

Fallon? Luke?
Sure was nice meeting you both.

Still haven't quite gotten
the hang of selfies.
Sorry about that.


Now back... or whatever...
to our regularly un-sponsored TR.


My phone politely chirped
at the preset time of five a.m.
Hmmm.... perhaps "chirped"
isn't quite the right term here...

Blared.

Blared is a good word.

Waking up at five a.m. for work sucks.
Waking up at five a.m. at Disney is okay.
(It's just "okay"... it's still five a.m.)
So you can decide for yourselves
how I felt about getting up at
five o'clock in the morning,
with about a twelve hour drive
ahead of me.

And you'd be wrong.
Because you forgot to factor
in something else.

I attempted to roll out of bed
and my back immediately
put in a request that I switch
from rock n roll to doing the shuffle.

It was not a fun morning.
I kinda needed help.
I was able to do most of the things
that you take for granted with
little difficulty.

But then I had to put my socks on.
That was not easy.
It took a while but, with some sweating,
moaning and groaning,
I eventually got one on.

I looked at my other sock,
it looked back at me.

I eventually got the stupid thing
on and realized that I should
have worn flip-flops.

Woman blames flip-flop trouble for crash in MA parking lot | Miami …
FYI, Flip Flops May Cause a Staggering Amount of Car Accidents | SELF
Do you ever drive in flip flops? It can void your insurance if you're in an …
Stuck flip-flop causes vehicle to plunge into river - WCVB-TV
Is It Dangerous to Drive in Flip Flops? - Eliot Reiner APLC

Okay.... maybe not.


I had everything back in the car
by six a.m. which was when
breakfast started.

One of the reasons I like
Country Inn & Suites
is they have a "free"
hot breakfast.
Except today I just felt like
having some fruit.
And of course there wasn't any.
I grabbed a couple of hard-boiled eggs
and a muffin that was smaller
than the hard-boiled egg.
I snagged a couple of to-go cups
of OJ and headed out.


I did snap this one photo
before I left, however.

So that's the breakfast room.
Any comments?

Am I a prude for feeling
that the gentleman in
the robe may have been
a touch under-dressed?
Would you go out in public
like that?
No condemnation or criticism
implied or intended.
I'm just curious.


Around three hours later,
I arrived at Northwoods Harley Davidson.

I said I wouldn't go over every
Harley shop I stopped at.
But there are a couple that
I will mention.
And this is one of those.

As you can see in the map below,
Northwoods HD is at the bottom
of a "U" shaped part of the drive.

One downfall I've noticed
about using a GPS to navigate,
is that when people ask me
"So. Didja come up I-95?"
I frequently have no idea.
I just followed Betty and
turned when she said to.
Sure, she'll say something like:
"Take exit, on right, to I-95 South."
But that was three hours ago.
I have no idea now what I did then.

But one thing I did know,
from the above map,
was that I would arrive
from the West and then
continue to the East.
Or for those of you
directionally challenged,
I would come from <- there,
and keep going there ->.

After I collected my poker chip,
Betty tried to make me go back
the way I'd come from.
Ha! Not gonna fool me that easily!

I have no idea where she was
wanting to take me,
but it was obviously the wrong way.

Stupid GPS.

I mean... come on.

Really.


Sheesh...



Maybe I better look a bit
closer before I turn and
head off in the opposite
direction that she wants.

Um....
So... it looks like
she was right.
I turned right instead of left
as directed, and retraced
my path for a few miles
before continuing on
that-a-way. ->


One thing that I was not
aware of when I plotted
out my drive...
The Michigan Upper Peninsula
is beautiful.

For the next few hours,
I wound my way along
winding roads that snaked
through gorgeous fall foliage.

I had a timeline to stick to,
so I couldn't stop to admire.
But I did manage to take
one quick photo.
There was no one on the road,
so I stopped just long enough
for one quick snap.

I mean.... come on.
Who wouldn't want
to drive this?

My only regret was
that I didn't have my bike.

Future bike trip, for sure.


And as I sat there,
I got rear-ended by
a slow moving turtle.
I put the car in reverse
and squashed him flat.
That'll learn him!


Oh, relax.
I'm kidding.
I didn't want him
to get hurt so...

uhhhh…

Let's keep driving!!

Along the way I spotted
a fox and about a half dozen
wild turkeys.

No not that kind of wild turkey
​

this kind:​

(No. Not my photo. Off the internet.
I didn't have time to stop to take one.)

I also spotted a deer
bounding across the road
not too far up the road.
I immedieately started
looking for more.

Safety tip:
If you see one deer,
there will be another.

Sure enough, as I approached
the spot where the first
deer crossed,
a second one ran across
right in front of me.
Good thing I was prepared
as I had to slam on the breaks
in order to miss it.

Second day of the drive
and I've already almost
been in an accident.

Sheesh.

Three hours later,
I'd hit my 2nd Harley shop
of the day and three hours
after that, I arrived in Mackinaw City.

I had to cross the Mackinac Bridge
to get there.
The bridge is the 19th longest
suspension bridge in the world
and is the "longest … between anchorages
in the Western Hemisphere." (wiki)
​

And that's the only shot
I got of it.
They're resurfacing it
so I was at a standstill
long enough to take this.

Enjoy!




Mackinaw City, from the brief
time I was there, looked
like a very pretty and touristy town.

Certainly the Harley store there
was one of the prettier ones I'd seen.

I had decided to stop here
for dinner when I first learned
of pasties.

No, not the kind that you might
find tasseled and counter-rotating.
(Although that too,
would be a fine reason to stop.)

These pasties were for your mouth.

I mean... It's food! I stopped for food!!

A pastie is a baked pastry,
in this case filled with meat
and vegetables, and was brought
to North America by Cornish miners.
Since you could eat it as a hand-meal
it was a convenient lunch item.

I ordered my pastie
and wanted to try a side
of cole slaw as well.
I was told that the combo
included that plus a cookie.

Well... twist my arm...
Peanut butter and chocolate chip, please.

The pastie was good,
although not as good as
a good French Canadian tourtiere.
The cole slaw was fine.
The cookie was outstanding.

Sated, I walked back to....

No, I didn't.
There was a sweets shop
right next door.

I bought some caramel corn
for the drive.
Maybe not today, but tomorrow.

Yeah, right. It didn't last to the hotel.

I arrived in Frankenmuth around
eight thirty in the evening.
If you're keeping track,
that was a fourteen and a half hour day.

I was ready for a break.

I did take a couple of quick snaps
of the hotel room.
I didn't bother anywhere else I don't think.
(Maybe one other?)
Pretty much all the rooms looked alike.

Sometimes I got upgraded
to a suite, like this one.
Sometimes I didn't.


I woke up the next day
around seven thirty.
I felt much better
than I had the previous morning.
I was even able to get dressed
without screaming.


Always a plus.


Today would be a much
shorter day of driving.

I drove down to Upper Sandusky
with a few stops at various
Harley shops along the way.
Some day, I'd love to drive
up to Lower Sandusky...

Wait! I did!
When I took my eldest
daughter and her friend
to Cedar Point.

Okay, I'm done.
No more driving goals.


I put my new wipers to use
as I hit about twenty minutes
of heavy rain.
Visibility wasn't too bad,
but I was grateful that I was
driving in the daytime.

A short three and a half
hours after leaving the hotel,
I arrived at Don Tomasso's Pizza.

I was meeting Jenn (@Chrystmasangel ) there.
Why there?
Because there's not a whole heck of a lot
to chose from!
I counted thirty two restaurants
with a quick internet search,
including two KFCs, a McDonalds,
Wendy's, Bob Evans, Hardee's,
Domino's, Arby's, Burger King,
Subway and Taco Bell.

So... choices were a tad limited.
Nevertheless, Don Tomasso's
rated in the top five on a couple
of searches, so...

That's where we decided to meet.


Jenn was kind enough to drive
thirty minutes north to meet me.
(That about right, Jenn?)
She came right after her class.
I was touched that she'd make
the drive and the effort just to meet me.

I pulled into the parking lot
close to our meet time.
I must admit to being a bit
worried when I saw that the
restaurant was in a small
strip mall... and wasn't busy.

I saw Jenn right away,
waiting for me outside.

We exchanged hellos
in that nervous, hopefully
optimistic way you do when
meeting a fellow DISer
for the first time.

One nice thing about these
first time meets...
You always know that you
share at least one thing
that you can talk about.

Yup.


The weather.



Oh, and probably Disney, too.


Jenn is a real sweetheart.
She even gave me a present!
True to her screen name,
she gave me a Christmas ornament.
It was a glass motorcycle!

Thanks again, Jenn.
That was very thoughtful.


I never ask for, nor expect a gift
when I meet DISers…
So I was quite surprised
with her thoughtful gesture.


Since I only had an hour or so,
we went and ordered our pizza.
Jenn asked me what I liked
so I gave her several options.
She suggested sausage, bacon & meatball.
(I think that's right? Jenn? Sound right?)

All meat.
No kale.

If I wasn't already in a
wonderful relationship
I might've asked her to marry me.


We were happily chatting away
like two long-time friends,
noshing on pizza
(which turned out to be
surprisingly good!)
when my TR writing duties
tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, dummy. But aren't
you supposed to take a photo?"

Whoops!

We also both had ice tea
that I was pleased to see
tasted like Canadian ice tea.
Sweet. Not tea-like.
As it should.

All too soon, I had to leave.
I still had miles ahead,
a couple of stops to make
and another DISmeet.

Jenn? It was really nice meeting you!

I really have to work
on my selfie skills.
It looks like we're balancing
a tomato between our heads.

Maybe we were.


I'll leave off here
and pick up the rest
of the day and the next meet
in the next chapter.


Did you see it in this chapter?

Coming up.... More Christmas
and another meet.

Chapter 3. Cole at Christmas​