Gypsy Chickens in an Unholy Land

[Brian A]

No reason for me to share my pics here. They pretty much are the same as the rest.

It was a good trip. Good guys. Good riding. No major incidents.
Some good laughs and a lot of really good food.

Key West is a cool place. A lot of history. A lot more than I knew.

I really enjoyed lunch at that pier restaurant. Good food and good discussion with good guys.
Mallory Square was cool in the late afternoon and at sunset.
I thoroughly enjoyed Reidiculous Reid's street performance. It was good for the entertainment experience and for memories.

I reckon experiences and memories are what it really is all about anyway.
It is kinda cool to be able to say we rode from Bham to Key Largo in one day.

But the experiences and memories are what make it all worth while.......

* Popping a wheelie through an intersection in Columbus, Ga. It was only later that JR told me there was a police car, sitting there at the intersection, waiting in the turn lane. I never saw him. If he saw me I guess he figured a) it wasn't worth the hassle or b) "that was pretty cool!"

* Eating "dinner" on a curb at a convenience store at 1:00 am in Key Largo because the Wendy's across the highway closed before their posted 1:00 am closing time. I joked that I rode 800 miles to eat a convenience store sandwich on a curb at 1:00 am in Key Largo.

* A very funny experience, prior to departure, on the Key West Tour Trolley. You had to be there....

* Some dude, solo, doing Pink Floyd stuff at Sparky's Landing restaurant at Key Colony Beach. And the dude did it really, really, REALLY good.

* Breakfast: Eggs with Toast. The three at our table all ordered Eggs with Toast.
It came with bacon or sausage and grits. But they don't have any grits. So we opt for hash browns instead.
Food arrives. No toast.
I ask. She said she forgot the toast. (Eggs with toast and you forget the toast? This ain't like trying to recite the preamble to The Constitution. It's Eggs. With toast. Kinda simple really...)
A few minutes later she brings the toast, which was more like just warm bread. She sits the plate of toast down, looks at Kevin (why Kevin??) and asks.... "Do you want toast too?"

* Busting 90+ mph after dark, in the rain, to catch up with the group. Then looking in the mirror to see waaayyyy back in the distance a flickering blue light. Thinking "Oh no..." and then a minute or so later, as the car drew closer, realizing it was just the Halogen headlights of a car flickering in the rain and in my mirror. They flickered blue in the distance but were white when it got closer. I exhaled.

*  JBMFT (quoting him as best I can remember his words) "Guys! Mentally I am fine. Really. Good. But my ass. It's dying."





* Stopping at the ValuJet Crash Memorial. Thinking about all those poor souls. Just another day. A trip. Somewhere.
"See you in a few hours."
"Call me when you get there."
"I hope I can catch a nap on this flight."
"Did I remember to turn off the TV???"
"Remember to bring the kids a surprise!'

And then pffttt. Things go bad wrong.

Flight 592 pushed back from gate G2 at Miami International Airport on May 11, 1996 with 110 souls on board, headed to Atlanta.

It took off at 2:04 PM - Runway 9L.

At 2:10 PM passengers and crew reported smoke and fire in the passenger cabin.

Flight 592 disappeared from radar at 2:13 PM. The McDonnell-Douglass DC-9 buried itself in the Everglades swamps at 507 mph.

Nothing much of anything or anybody remained.

Captain Candalyn "Candi" Kubeck's remains were never found.

Seeing the memorial and thinking about it all was maybe a bit somber and sobering. But it served to remind me once again how blessed and fortunate I am. I thank God that I am able to go and see and do and live a good life with good friends.
And make more good memories.

Thanks Glenn for making this happen and thanks to all who went for being part of another great ride experience!


* Disclaimer - The flickering blue light experience - that didn't really happen. I just made that up for dramatic effect.   :-X

[Brian A]

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT #2

I just now realized where I got skimmed. At a Shell station in one of the plaza stops on the Florida Turnpike on the 1st day of the ride.  One pump would read my card, allow me to enter my zip code and then "process" but never turn the pump on.

I moved to a different pump and all worked well.

I mentioned it to the clerk inside and she said she gets complaints all the time. Something about the banks and some of the pumps, blah, blah, blah.... there wasn't anything she/they could do about it, blah, blah, blah.

It didn't click w/ me at the time. The fact that my card had just been skimmed. I wonder if the clerk was in on the deal?

I think I will try and find the specific station and make a few phone calls.....

EDIT TO ADD: Mile Marker 184 - Shell Station at Fort Drum Service Plaza

EDIT AGAIN: I called and talked to the manager. Very nice guy. He said they have serial numbered seals for all card readers and he was going to go reinspect the card reader for the pump I was at that gave me problems. I noted that it was odd that one pump would read my card, allow me to enter my zip code but he come back and tell me to see the attendant, but the next pump I moved to worked fine.
I told him there was good chance that the skim happened somewhere else but I didn't recall any other anomalies on the trip. In any event, he was nice and very appreciative of the call.


Not related - I just realized another thing: I was 3/4 finished a tuna salad sandwich when I noticed mold on the bread. So I just at bread mold.
If I die, you all will know what killed me and also, it was nice knowing you!   ;)

[JBMFT]

Glenn and I had similar problems at a couple stops, it would read one card but not another.
I am keeping a close eye on my cards...
>:(

[KevinB]

I had a similar incident (I think at the same gas stop). Used one CC and it wouldn't process and the display said "See Attendant"...swiped another card at same pump and it worked. So far I haven't seen any nefarious activity.

[catang5oh]

I did also, wouldn't run as credit, but would as debit sometimes then the other way around. Damn thieves, always trying to get something for nothing.

[griff]

Looks like you guys had a great time. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. This makes me miss living in Florida.

[catang5oh]

Anybody else get one of these?

Took a while!

[Brian A]

I have not.
What was the date of the infraction?
Best I can recall none of us busted any toll booth anywhere.

[Nice Goat]

The last 47 miles of the turnpike, from Miramar to Homestead, are advertised as "toll-by-plate."  We did not do anything wrong.

That evening, on the way down, I was wondering whether or not the cameras would be able to read our (smaller) motorcycle license plates at night.  I guess they figured out Darrin's plate number.  I wonder if it was worth the $3.82 for them....

[Brian A]

Ah yes! I had forgotten about that.

I guess that cloaking device I rigged up actually worked!

[JBMFT]

Yep, got mine yesterday.

[Brian A]

But the experiences and memories are what make it all worth while.......

* Popping a wheelie through an intersection in Columbus, Ga. It was only later that JR told me there was a police car, sitting there at the intersection, waiting in the turn lane. I never saw him. If he saw me I guess he figured a) it wasn't worth the hassle or b) "that was pretty cool!"

* Eating "dinner" on a curb at a convenience store at 1:00 am in Key Largo because the Wendy's across the highway closed before their posted 1:00 am closing time. I joked that I rode 800 miles to eat a convenience store sandwich on a curb at 1:00 am in Key Largo.

* A very funny experience, prior to departure, on the Key West Tour Trolley. You had to be there....

* Some dude, solo, doing Pink Floyd stuff at Sparky's Landing restaurant at Key Colony Beach. And the dude did it really, really, REALLY good.

* Breakfast: Eggs with Toast. The three at our table all ordered Eggs with Toast.
It came with bacon or sausage and grits. But they don't have any grits. So we opt for hash browns instead.
Food arrives. No toast.
I ask. She said she forgot the toast. (Eggs with toast and you forget the toast? This ain't like trying to recite the preamble to The Constitution. It's Eggs. With toast. Kinda simple really...)
A few minutes later she brings the toast, which was more like just warm bread. She sits the plate of toast down, looks at Kevin (why Kevin??) and asks.... "Do you want toast too?"

* Busting 90+ mph after dark, in the rain, to catch up with the group. Then looking in the mirror to see waaayyyy back in the distance a flickering blue light. Thinking "Oh no..." and then a minute or so later, as the car drew closer, realizing it was just the Halogen headlights of a car flickering in the rain and in my mirror. They flickered blue in the distance but were white when it got closer. I exhaled.

*  JBMFT (quoting him as best I can remember his words) "Guys! Mentally I am fine. Really. Good. But my ass. It's dying."





* Stopping at the ValuJet Crash Memorial. Thinking about all those poor souls. Just another day. A trip. Somewhere.
"See you in a few hours."
"Call me when you get there."
"I hope I can catch a nap on this flight."
"Did I remember to turn off the TV???"
"Remember to bring the kids a surprise!'

And then pffttt. Things go bad wrong.

....................................

Thanks Glenn for making this happen and thanks to all who went for being part of another great ride experience!


* Disclaimer - The flickering blue light experience - that didn't really happen. I just made that up for dramatic effect.   :-X

I took a notion to relive the Key West trip this evening. What a great time it was. I laughed out loud about some of my memories above. In particular the "Eggs and Toast" thing, especially when she asked Kevin if he wanted toast too.

And JMBFT!......  "Guys! Mentally I am fine. Really. Good. But my ass. It's dying."

What a great trip that was!!

Rumor has it that 3 of those (including myself) who mae the Key West ride, plus two who were not in attendance, will be making a trip later this summer.
I ate on the waterfront in Key West. I got the hankerin' to eat on the water front somewhere else.

Hint: Lobster.


Still a few months away.

Stay tuned......  ;)

[TFancher]

It was a great trip. One of the many I have had the pleasure of taking with the BamaRides family. I hope to take many many more.

Lobster . Hmmmm.....

[jrobinson]

Brian's facebook account of the trip popped up as a memory this morning. After sharing his post I started thinking about the trip again. So I read through the 10 pages of planning and 5 pages of the Ride Report.

It felt like we just got back home yesterday.

Cheers to the Gypsy Chickens in an Unholy Land and the visitors of that land.