13 September 2009 Back Home Again

My job from here on out is Mary, finding out what my job status is???????????, paying bills and tying up loose ends involving my trip around the world. I will write some more about my motorcycle and websites I used to help me plan this around the world trip. But today I’m going to chew on AT&T.

12 September 2009, Home in Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA

I didn’t exactly get out bed early and by the time I finished breakfast I knew I would be having a late start. I wanted to be home by 7:00 p.m. but by the way things were shaping up it would be closer to 9:00 p.m. Before I left we took a bunch of pictures of my brother and his wife and his son and grandchildren. A hundred million years ago his kids were standing around watching Uncle David leave. Now it’s his grandchildren standing around watching me leave. I said to myself "Where did the time go?" I shook hands good-bye and hugged Alverne. I told them I’d do a drive by and to wait and watch. I drove out of their yard and down the road about 500 yards/500 meters and turned around. I got my speed up to about 40 mph/65 kms and just before I passed their property line I stood up on my foot pegs. I turned and waved at them as I passed their driveway while they were standing in their garage. All too soon they were gone. I often wondered what they thought when they saw me standing up on my foot pegs and waving. Maybe someday I will find out. I drove into Grand Forks, North Dakota, filled up with gas and purchased a bottle of Cherry Pepsi. I sat around a bit, had a drink of my Pepsi and then got on I-29 south to Fargo, North Dakota. I drove into Fargo and picked up I-94 East to St. Paul/Minneapolis. I will never forget the time I drove thru Moorhead, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota on I-94 in three lanes of traffic. I was fast asleep. It wasn’t until my girlfriend Mary pulled up alongside me that I woke up. She asked me why I missed the I-29 exit to Grand Forks. I couldn’t give her an answer because I didn’t know where I was. I drove another twenty miles until I found a place where I could lay down and sleep. After a catnap I got my bearings and continued up to Grand Forks. Was Mary ever mad at me. I bet the Motorcycle Safety Foundation would love to hear that story. I have long known that when you’re tired or sluggish and you eat greasy or hard to digest food it will put you to sleep. And that’s what happened to me. We stopped and ate some ice cream and it shut me right down. I kind of got onto another subject from days gone by. Anyway, I filled up with gas again in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and the sun had disappeared. I was hoping that I wouldn’t run into rain on the way back to St. Paul/Minneapolis. It wasn’t long after I left Fergus Falls that I was back in the rain. I put on my rain suit and continued on. Just prior to Monticello, Minnesota the sun came out and provided a beautiful rainbow. I stopped and took a picture of it hoping it was a good omen. I stopped in Monticello, took off my rain suit and filled up with gas again. It was 7:00 p.m. and I had called Mary on Friday that I’d be home at 7:00 p.m. or earlier. I grabbed my cell phone to give her a call and it wouldn’t work. Now I’m mad. When I get home the first thing I’m going to do is give AT&T a piece of my mind. I arrived back in my neighborhood about 9:00 p.m. I drove the circle thru the neighborhood just because it seems like ages since I was here. I pulled into Mary’s driveway and beeped my horn that I was home. She came walking out of the house asking me why I was blowing my horn. I said to let you know I’m home. We hugged and smooched a bit. I told her I officially had to mark the time that I arrived home. I pulled out my SPOT and pushed the button saying I was at home ok, and the time was officially 9:10 p.m. I finally reached the end of the road and am a little road weary.

11 September 2009, Arvilla, North Dakota, USA

I got up late and ate breakfast with my brother and sister-in-law. They wanted to hear the highlights of my trip. I then went out and checked over my motorcycle and clothes. I wanted to make sure my clothes were drying out for the ride back to Minnesota. I adjusted the chain and oiled it. When I got my tools out to adjust the chain I found my saddle bag had leaked again. I checked the other side, and it had also leaked. That was no surprise with the amount of rain I rode through the night before. I took all my tools out and dried them. By 5:00 p.m. most everything was dried out and could be put back. I loaded my bike with everything except the clothes I would wear the next day. During our conversations we figured out that the rain I was caught in Thursday night was the same weather front that I drove through the last three days on the Alaskan Highway. It was a slow moving weather front that was moving south and east. When I drove straight south to Shelby, Montana I drove out of it. When I left Shelby driving east on Hwy 2 I drove back into it. How lucky can a person get? That night Alverne prepared supper and their two sons came to visit. Steven and his fiancée from Fargo, North Dakota and Joe, his wife Lori and their two children from the Arvilla area. We talked about diss, dat and the udder ding and my around the world experiences till they left. It was great to see those guys. The reality that my around the world trip was one day from being over was increasingly on my mind. My thoughts were turning to the home front and what my work situation is or is not. The last words I heard was work is slow. We closed the night with some television.

10 September 2009, Arvilla, North Dakota, USA

I didn’t set any records for getting out of bed today but I was back on the road by 10:00 a.m. this morning. It was about par for the course. I was going to be driving East on Hwy 2 across Montana into North Dakota. I was hoping to make it to my brother’s place in Arvilla, North Dakota sometime today. It will probably be very late. Rough figuring the mileage, it was over 700 miles. I got about 10 miles down the road and I felt something hit my foot. I looked down and realized my aerosol can of chain lubricant just fell off my bike. I stopped and turned around. I drove back to where I thought the can fell off the motorcycle. I drove slowly down the shoulder of the road looking in the ditch for any signs of a white spray can. I didn’t see anything in the east bound ditch so I turned around checked the west bound ditch. It wasn’t long before I spotted what looked like a white aerosol can. I stopped my bike and went to investigate. Sure enough it was my chain oil can. It had a few dents in the top and the bottom but the spray nozzle was intact. I bent down to pick it up and saw a small pinhole leak in a seam that was dented. Well, that was a new can of chain oil that just went down the toilet. I just paid $16 dollars for it and used it twice. That sure didn’t make me very happy. I turned my bike around and took off. I had a long way to go before I reached my brother’s place. I reached Williston, North Dakota sometime around 6:00 p.m. Earlier I had to drive thru a rather lengthy stretch of road construction. They actually didn’t recommend motorcycles drive this road construction and to find an alternate route. I drove it and it wasn’t that bad. It was very dusty with wind blowing. I made it through ok. I gassed up in Williston and cleaned all my lights because I will be driving in hours of darkness. By the time I finished cleaning my visor and lights it was dark. I drove out of town and continued driving East on Hwy 2. Sometime around Stanley, North Dakota the lightening was getting closer and closer. I stopped in another truck stop and put on my rain suit and boots. I figured if I put on my rain suit I’d get lucky and it wouldn’t rain. Well that was just wishful thinking. It started raining sometime before Minot, North Dakota and continued to rain the rest of the night. I stopped somewhere after Minot to fill up with gas. It was a Cenex gas station that was closed with pre-pay pumps. I prepaid at the pump and checked the valve in the gas cap to make sure it was venting. I just filled my gas tank with gasohol which seems to make my vent in my gas cap sticky and not vent. I continued east on Hwy 2 and the rain started coming down harder. I had to slow down to 40 mph/64 kph in order to see. I could only see the width of one lane and about 30yds/30 meters ahead of me. When the lines on the highway disappeared I had no idea where I was on the road. I continually watched for reflectors, guard rails and lines on the road to keep me on the highway. Those last 150 miles/240 kilometers were a tough ride. It required 100% concentration on the highway. Somewhere in that 150 miles/240 kilometers Matilda drowned out. She shut off and turned black. My heart sank again knowing she might be gone forever. Probably the last 50 miles/80 kilometers I had to go to the bathroom. I sat there hoping a rest area would show up. You would be surprised how something like that won’t let you fall asleep. I was really tired and my eyes wanted to snap shut. I couldn’t because it would be seconds and I’d be in the ditch. Having to go to the bathroom helped keep me awake. Something else I had to be ever vigilant about was traffic. I was only driving 40 mph/64 kph the traffic that passed me usually was going 60/70 mph/96/115 kph. If I saw them coming in my rear view mirror I would turn on one of my signals to let them know I was there and traveling rather slow. Hopefully I wouldn’t get rear ended. Just when I thought I could wait no longer to go to the bathroom a rest area came into view. With all the glare on my visor I missed my left turn and drove up the wrong side of the road till I found the West bound entrance to the rest area. I pulled in and parked by the nearest sidewalk into the rest rooms. An SUV was parked two spaces away and when they saw me they left. I don’t know why, just more mysteries. I shut my bike off and dropped my hand off the handbars. It instantly filled my left glove full of water again. That put me in a foul mood instantly. I put down both of my kick stands and headed into the restroom. I used the electric hand drier to warm my hands and dry out my wet glove. I probably worked at drying out my glove for 15 minutes before I headed back out to my motorcycle. I started my bike…………..guess what…………Matilda was back. Hurray my day just got brighter. I let my motorcycle warm up until the fan kicked in and then left. I took Hwy 18 south to Larimore, North Dakota. I was in no rush as I was only 10/15 miles/16/25 kilometers from my brother’s house. I drove into Larimore and then turned left on Hwy 4 or 17th Avenue to Arvilla, North Dakota. I pulled into the yard and the whole house was dark. I blew my horn three or four times hoping to wake them up. No luck…………It was still raining………..I got off my bike and went and knock on the door. Alverne comes to door and lets me in. She’s backed her car out of the garage so I can put my motorcycle in. I look up and here’s my brother standing in the doorway. He said I was a little late. I asked him "How late am I?" He said it was 4:30 in the morning. My how time flies when you’re having fun. They said they waited up until 1:00 a.m. for me to show up and then went to bed. They always laugh when I show up because it’s either raining or snowing. Again they were right on the money. I believe it was their kids who first said that when Uncle David comes to visit it is always raining or snowing. I undressed and hung all my wet clothes up to dry in the garage. We talked some and then went to bed. I was tired.

9 September 2009, Shelby, Montana USA

Edmonton, Alberta, through Leduc, Alberta to Shelby, Montana………Lots of flat land with small towns and grain elevators. It was wheat growing country in the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains. It was a blustery day blowing me around on my motorcycle. The wind was strong enough to blow me out of one lane into another. I had to be careful not to get blown into oncoming traffic. As I drove through the wheat fields you could see oil derricks and smell the crude oil. It was sunny when I got up and it stayed sunny all day. You have no idea how great it was to feel the warmth of the sun after days of cold and rain. I also forgot to say how nice it was to be able to see out of my visor with no fog and to be able to breathe inside my helmet and not fog up the visor. I was running cross winds and head winds which maxed out the power out on my KLR 650. I could barely pass a slow truck or car. Flags were flying straight out and the grass in the ditches was almost laying flat on the ground. I was passing a semi-truck and was stopped by wind coming around the nose or front of the truck. He finally let off the gas so I could break through the wall of wind he was pushing. I made it through the border ok. I was only asked to take off my helmet so they could see if I was the person in the passport. It took me longer to put my passport back in my shirt than it did to get thru customs and immigration. While I was stashing my passport away several women customs and immigration officers were going through a late model Corvette. They were opening all the bags and compartments looking for contraband. I left before they finished. I stopped in Sweet Grass to exchange my Canadian currency for U.S. dollars at the duty free store and purchased a large chocolate bar. It cost me $6.25. I stashed it in my bags and ate it later. I took several pictures by the Montana sign and then departed for Shelby. I arrived about 7:00 p.m. I got myself something to eat, gassed up and found a hotel for $45 a night. It was as good or better than some of the $100/$200 dollar hotels I paid for on the Dalton Highway in Alaska. I put on a lot of miles/kilometers today and I really needed to adjust my chain and oil it. It was the first thing I attended to after paying for my room. I was in the process of adjusting my chain when a police officer pulled into the hotel with his police cruiser. I had to move my motorcycle because I was directly in front of his parking spot. Come to find out he also owned a red KLR 650 just like mine. We talked about changes I made to mine, small things he could change to improve his bike and about my experiences as I traveled around the world. He helped me put my bike on the center stand so I could spin the rear wheel while I oiled it and then left. I finished with my bike, put it in a parking spot, covered it and spent the rest of the night in my room.

8 September 2009, Leduc, Alberta

When I got up the day was cloudy but no rain. I was hopeful there would be no more rain. I filled up with gas and found three quarts of Shell Rotella 15w–40 sitting on the shelf at the gas station. I was extremely happy about this. I have been looking for it for days. I asked a guy filling his truck with diesel fuel if he knew of a garage that would allow me to change my oil. He recommended Marvin’s Mufflers and More, and provided the directions to get there. I drove to the garage and found Marvin at work. I inquired about changing my oil and told him I’m presently riding around the world. I asked if it would be possible to change my oil. He said yes, showed me where I could work and provided a drain pan. I offered to pay him for the convenience of letting me change my oil, and he said "no thanks". I told him I had all the tools, oil and oil filter to complete the job. All I need was a spot to work and a tank to empty my waste oil into. This doesn’t sound like a big deal but when you are presented a bill from a motorcycle dealership for changing oil, it costs you $100 dollars plus. Changing oil becomes a big deal. As I was wrapping up my oil changing, I helped Marvin and his men push a Jeep Cherokee into his garage and up on to a hoist. Damn, that thing pushed hard. By time it was up on the hoist everyone was huffing and puffing with their tongues hanging out. I don’t think we pushed it more than 30 yards/30 meters. I cleaned up my mess, dumped my drain oil, gave Marvin my blog address, took a picture of his business and himself for my blog and departed. He told me that during the summer months he does a lot of RV work. For those people driving RVs to Alaska and other northern parts of Canada, Dawson Creek British Columbia might be a good midpoint to stop to have your vehicle serviced. I departed for Edmonton, Alberta. It was cloudy all day and no rain. I took a few pictures by the Alberta boundary sign and was greeted by a friendly hound/dog. He got a few free pets and then I left. I arrived in Edmonton about 7:00 p.m. I was going to pick up Hwy 2 South according to AAA maps. The Hwy 2 I was looking for never appeared and before I knew it I was on the East side of Edmonton. I’m sure the road number changed so I stopped at a truck stop to get gas and to sort out where I was. Even Matilda couldn’t find it. While I was looking at my map a German-Canadian guy Emil walked over to talk to me. He was 71 years old. He told me if I wanted a good touring motorcycle I should buy a BMW. You know the boxer type with two cylinders. I told him I had a BMW 650cc and decided not to ride around the world with it because it was too high tech. I told him I preferred a low tech motorcycle I could work on if it required maintenance and that’s why I chose a 2007 Kawasaki. After I explained that to him, he wasn’t quite as outspoken about my choice of motorcycles. Especially since I rode it trouble-free for 18,000 miles/29032 Kilometers. He was generally amazed that I rode my Kawasaki around the world. We talked until 11:30 p.m. about Canada, the U.S., his perceived faults the U.S. has, which diesel engine is the best and WWII. He said it took 53 countries to subdue Germany and said Adolf Hitler made a huge mistake by pushing into Russia just prior to winter. The repercussions of that decision are still being felt today. Somewhere in the discussion he told me he and his son operate a gravel truck business, hence the reason he knows so much about diesel engines. They haul rocks from Montana to Edmonton because of their color. Apparently colored rocks are a highly sought after commodity in the Edmonton area. It’s a very lucrative business. You know I kind of liked this guy. He wasn’t afraid to walk up to a complete stranger in the dark and just start talking. He was kind of like the gravel trucks he and his son operated; rough and tumble on the outside but if you keep the windows closed, a pretty decent person on the inside. His swearing was a little off the mark but you still knew what he meant and how he felt about the subject. When he left to go home he drove back over by me with his new Dodge dually pickup. He rolled down the window and asked me to listen to the best Polka music ever. He told me the name of the band but I have long since forgotten it. He was right about the music. It was clear and crisp with the familiar Polka beat. I almost asked him if I could have the CD. It would have been a great souvenir from Edmonton. He left the truck stop for home with the familiar clatter of diesel engines around him. When he dies I hope there’s a gravel truck in heaven with a CAT or CUMMIN diesel engine in it waiting for him. He was very proud of his German heritage. Well, for whatever it was worth I didn’t know anymore where I was now as when I drove into the truck stop. I looked at my map and told Matilda to get me out of here. I typed “Leduc” into Matilda and she led me all the way to Leduc. I left the truck stop and arrived in Leduc 30 miles south of Edmonton, about 11:30 p.m. I stopped at the bottom of the exit ramp and checked Matilda’s list of available hotels and motels. I picked the nearest and cheapest hotel for the night. I found the hotel ok and while unpacking the motorcycle another guy came over and started talking. I didn’t get to bed till 1:00 a.m. Another day I didn’t get any work done on my blog.

7 September 2009, Dawson Creek, , Canada

I checked the weather forecast for Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek. All it said was to expect a steady rain all day. I got up and looked outside and it was still raining like last night. I groaned and closed the door. Another day in the rain. I got dressed, packed my bags and my motorcycle cover. I put on my rain suit, started my bike and then loaded it. I came back into my room and put on all my riding gear. The last thing I did was wipe my hands dry, put on my riding gloves and then put on my rain gloves. I drove over to the gas station, filled up with gas and bought some food for breakfast. I also needed to purchase some Canadian money as I was about out. This gas station had an ATM but it didn’t like my debit card. I asked the girl behind the counter if another ATM was near. She said across the road there was another in a credit union. I drove over and this ATM liked my card. I purchased the money I needed and walked outside. Another motorcyclist walked up to me asking about the weather for today. I told him more rain. He was from Fairbanks, Alaska and was stuck in Fort Nelson because his older BMW 1976ish Boxer didn’t like the rain and wouldn’t run. He wanted to leave but couldn’t because of the rain. I left town and on the way out my motorcycle stalled. I quickly unscrewed the gas cap allowing the gas to start flowing again. The vent inside the gas cap was stuck again. It was then I realized that the rubber seal or vent in the gas cap did not like gasohol or gasoline with alcohol in it. I continued to tighten and loosen the cap until I came upon a deserted gas station where I could stop, remove my gloves out of the rain and break the rubber vent loose in the gas cap so the gas tank could breathe. Yes it’s still raining. I found a rag I could wipe the gas cap dry with and then reverse-sucked on it until the rubber diaphragm broke loose. I put the gas cap on and didn’t have a problem with it again that day. I continued on to Dawson Creek and once when I stopped for gas the gas station attendant allowed me to dry my glove on his heaters. They weren’t wet but they were damp and it was 40 degrees outside. In the process my hands warmed up. My hands at times were so cold I almost had to pry them off the throttle grip. On the outskirts of Dawson Creek I took some pictures of the "Welcome to Dawson Creek" sign and then continued into the city looking for a hotel to stay for the night. I drove downtown and took pictures of the “Zero Mile Marker” which is the start of the Alaska Highway. It was bloody windy and I thought for sure my bike would blow over by this marker. If you look at the flags in the pictures you will see they are horizontal to the ground. I then drove back out of town until I found a hotel where my motorcycle would be out of the wind. I was very afraid my motorcycle would be blown over. I found a hotel with a ground level room out of the wind where I could work on my motorcycle. I also asked the hotel staff if they could provide me a heater to warm my room because it was cold and damp. I also needed it to dry my clothes because I was soaking wet again just like the day before. They did and I turned it on to its maximum setting to warm the room. I then adjusted my chain on my motorcycle and oiled it. It was the first time in three days I oiled it because of the constant rain. It was dry and shiny from the lack of lubrication. I went inside after I finished with the motorcycle and hung up my wet motorcycle clothes. The rain tapered off when I entered the city and then started up again after I finished with my motorcycle. When I had all my clothes positioned for drying I left the room for a pizza place and ordered a pizza for supper. I came back to the room in the rain and went to bed for the night. I was going to work on my blog but was too tired.