Well the trip home is over and I am back “home” in Kabul now. All I can say was that it was an adventure. It all started on the trip home. As I was packing to leave and checking and hearing about the forecast for the Metro D.C. area I began to wonder if it was not meant to be. Record snowfalls does not equate to good air travel. I hoped that the forecasters were just trying to be careful. However, wouldn’t you know that they were right on target with a foot and a half of snow. I did not choose my dates but they were chosen for me by our travel office based on what I told them, cost, and the semester calendar. I actually could have left a day earlier but I was lucky this time in that the day’s delay kept me out of the direct snowfall and gave the crews at Dulles time to clear the runways. Where they failed was clearing the planes that could not get out of Dulles due to weather from the gates. We were a bit delayed leaving Geneva, where I laid over, but the pilot made up the hour in the air actually plus some and we were on the ground about 10 minutes early. That is where the delay really kicked in and we had to wait 10 minutes short of 3 hours on the tarmac for them to get a crew out to clear the plane from our gate. Luckily the pilot was conscious of us having been in the air for almost 10 hours and allowed us to roam a bit. Though they did run out of refreshments, food, and all but tap water. I don’t know if they eject the bathroom waste at 40,000 feet or what but luckily we also had facilities. When I got off the plan I was tired and hungry and just ready to get home. Passport control was terrible as ever and 5 hours after landing I was in a cab. Luckily the Fairfax and Loudon County road crews did an excellent job and the cab ride home was uneventful.
All in all I was really impressed with the road crews. 2 days later I was even able to go get my bike on time and ride it to Lorton, VA, the beginning point of the Amtrak Autotrain. Snowy, Icy roads and motorcycles do not mix. Thanks to their hard work I arrived having only touched the tires on a very little bit of snow.
The Autotrain was a truly delightful experience. If you have not done it you should. They are so well organized and things went off without a hitch, almost. We had an incident overnight during the trip in which a guys wife thought he was having a heart attack and they stopped the train for emergency medical crews to board. I actually slept through the whole ordeal but was told all about it by fellow passengers the next morning. The conductor, however, made up the time lost and we arrived outside of Orlando at the destination of the train early, in fact. An hour later I was on the bike and on the road.
It was a delight to be back in the saddle and the weather the first day was awesome despite hitting about 5 miles of rain just before the hotel stop. The next day the weather adventure began, though. Record lows across the whole south including the Florida Panhandle and pretty much everywhere in the south. For those that know me, I am not a 50/50 rider (one who only rides above 50 degrees and with less than 50 percent chance of rain). 40 degrees for 8 hours, though, is a bit tough and very uncomfortable but I forged on and that was pretty much apropos for the entire trip. Stops included Destin, FL, Pensacola, FL, and a 4 day visit with my daughter and a cousin I had not seen in many years in Biloxi, MS. The cold lifted to 50 degrees, still not a normal mid 60’s for the trip to New Orleans for New Years eve.
New Orleans was great as always. I had not been back for almost 10 years and I enjoyed most of it. The part I did not enjoy was the bike breaking down just outside Harrah’s Casino off the French Quarter. But after a call to the Harley Owners Group for a two back to the hotel, I was still back in the Quarter a few hours before the magic New Year’s Eve bells to toll. The Quarter was packed with revelers, most of them awaiting the January 1 Sugar Bowl. Thousands of drunk Cincinnati and Florida fans rejoicing in pre game merriment. If you have not been to New Orleans for New Years, and up to this point I had not, I fully recommend it.
The following day, New Years Day, I spent the day dealing with the bike. Nothing I could do really on a holiday and it was not readily fixable to my novice mechanic’s hands. That combined with the cold convinced me to reserve a U-Haul for the following day, load it up, and head north in the comfort of a heated truck cab. Really that is where the motocycle adventure ended. I spent the evening, again, in the Quarter, returning by half time to watch the rest of the Sugar Bowl, one of the worst I had seen in years and really one of the worst bowl games.
From their I drove north to Arkansas seeing my eldest daughter, further north to Jonesboro, Arkansas to see my son. I dropped off the bike at a shop in Jonesboro which is near my family as the intention was to have them watch it and ride it while I am in Kabul. My brother loaned me his truck for rest of the time there and promised to pick up the bike when it is done and ride it home to his house where it will be garaged kept waiting my next big motorcycle adventure which will probably occur in the summer. I also will have a bit more custom work done to the old Hawg while she is in the shop. Oh, I failed to mention the previous work didn’t I? Well check out the pics of what my old black bike has now become. Soon, though, it will be a complete softtail bagger!
A few days with my parents and brother then back to D.C. to spend a few days there and back on the plane to Dubai in route to Kabul, I was. I arrived in Kabul to all sorts of news. That news included quite a few personnel changes and the biggest fact of all, that they are closing our guesthouse. Therefore, I have to move! I went and took a look at it today. The digs are much nice but still, I have to move. I like my stuff and with the trips home, our shipping allowance, etc. I have collected quite a bit of stuff. What a pain it will be to move. However, my new room is almost twice the size. I have a bathroom with a real tub. I am on the third floor and a huge balcony adjoins my room. Best of all we have a completely finished out basement which will be ideal for group gatherings. So all in all a good trade. I still have to pack though. YUCK
It was great seeing those that I got a chance to see and for those that I did not, I am sorry my short time in D.C. did not allow. Will be back sooner than every before, I promise. Those that I did not get a chance to tell the story, I will be in Afghanistan longer than originally intended. I am doing such a good job, or so they tell me, they wanted me to stay and we are all slave to the almighty dollar so I elected to stay. July 2011 is now my new final return date. Yeee haw!
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