I often write about my reflections and deep thoughts from the seat of my motorcycle and just to be clear, not all of my thoughts are always that deep. Sometimes I need to rely on just my good looks to get through the day. On my 54-mile-one-way October commute this morning I decided to take notes on exactly what goes through my mind on a normal ride. Some may not make sense to you and quite frankly I’m just as confused. Random and weird? Of course they are. These are basically in order from when I left the house to arriving at work, so here we go;
- Wow, the weatherman said windy today and it is. Is this a stiff wind? Who originally called it stiff? It definitely isn’t gusty.
- All I can taste is my toothpaste and Frosted Flakes this morning.
- For once, I’m wearing the right gear for the ride. I sure got it right this time.
- That is a new Stop sign post. I wonder what was wrong with the old one?
- I wonder what that red tail hawk sitting on that fence is thinking about?
- Why don’t they call it Festober?
- That skunk smells like a banana, in a weird way.
- I love the smell of chimney smoke.
- I came home this way last night about 8:30 pm and that t-shirt wasn’t laying in the road then, and what it’s doing out here in the middle of nowhere. I’m curious as the size…
- Another red tail hawk sitting on a fence post – that’s two.
- Why haven’t we added any more letters to the alphabet? Is 26 all we got?
- Deer Rd. Why isn’t there a Red Tail Hawk Rd.?
- This wind hasn’t let up yet. Still no gusts but would I call it stiff? Perhaps.
- Three white vehicles in a row.
- What ever made me think as a kid, my thumbs were double-jointed?
- What is Doug Heffernan’s father-in-law’s name on the show King of Queens? I should know this.
- I’m going to need gas today.
- I need to walk more. If I ran out of gas, I could do that. (laughing inside my helmet)
- Arthur Spooner. I knew I’d get it.
- It’s going to get hot today for October.
Yes, these are actual ponderings this morning, and the ride was over before I knew it. And it’s crazy how an hour commute can cause the mind to think of so many insignificant things to pass the time. But if all else fails, I have my good looks!
Jeff Maddox 
Hey Jeff, I really enjoyed your thoughts while riding to work. I think this is a simple pleasure for sure. I ride a 2009 Ultra Classic and the wife rides with me every now and then. Sometimes on long road trips. My bike has the hookups for headphones for both the rider and passenger that I have never used. I have often thought of getting blue tooth for our helmets, but still haven’t. Now we’ve ridden this bike for 8 yrs, and we still haven’t pursued this. The point I’m getting to is this. A lot of my riding is with no music playing and since the wife and I don’t have electronic communication. Its nice to just enjoy the open road and let the mind wander and think about such things as you mentioned. No music, no calls, no texting, just living in the moment. Enjoying wildlife, and wondering how that t-shirt ended up in the middle of the highway is a freedom that few know anymore. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading my blog! I will say this, I don’t ride to listen to the radio but in 2016 I installed a Sena S20 Bluetooth for a big trip to Boston. The guy I went with had one so I thought it would be nice to have the ability to talk bike-to-bike. It was a complete success and I would find it difficult to ride without one now. It completely changed the experience and sometime you should vice It a try with your wife.