Day 4

July 23. Where do I begin?

I'm writing this from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (which sounds like a line from a Daffy Duck cartoon) after 655 pretty interesting miles (interesting, not necessary all pleasant, miles).

The weirdest part of the day: I planned to stop at the HD dealer in Winnipeg to pick up a quart of oil. As I was approaching the city, this very pretty girl pulled up beside me in her beat up old car and gave me a big wave and smile. Not that weird. Chicks dig big Harleys. But when I got up to the service road for the dealer, there she was again, with her 4-ways on, just sitting on the shoulder. She followed me into the parking lot and got out to tell me that she'd seen my NJ tags and figured I was headed for the dealer and she wanted to make sure I didn't miss it.

Then she told me about how she used to have a Honda, but it got stolen, and she hasn't gotten a new bike because she broke her neck on her way through the windshield of her boyfriend's car after he ran into something while he was driving drunk, and now when she sits a bike for more that an hour or so, her head feels heavy. Funny, mine too. But in hindsight, she wishes she'd taken the money from the settlement and bought a Harley. Bet her boyfriend is pissed off.

After all this talk, she offered to go get coffee for me and another fellow who was waiting for the place to open so he could get an oil change. A very nice thing to offer.

Now, this girl had on a Hooters halter top, but she didn't fill it out very well. I could tell she was trying to get me to ask if she worked there, but I just couldn't, because there was no way, given her particular gifts. I suspect she is a Hooters aspirant and was afraid the conversation would get around to whether she had a shot at landing the job and I just wouldn't have had the heart to tell her that if she could get past the physical handicap, the fact remained that she just wasn't smart enough to be even marginally qualified. I just couldn't hurt her feelings--she was just too kind and sweet.

So the ride: From rolling hills in Ontario, all the way through Manitoba, which is flatter that that girl is up top. Manitoba is kind of like Kansas, except instead of being brown and hot, it's green and cool. Pretty neat place actually. Then more than halfway through Saskatchewan where we're starting to see a hill here and there.

What about the weather, you ask. After late morning, rain on and off all freakin' day. Every once in a while the sun would come out and I'd get tricked in to doffing some piece of garb that I would have to put back on again, like 25 miles down the road. Finally, the sun came out altogether, the road was completely dry, and so I stopped for dinner and got out of all that gear. When I left the restaurant, the rain was coming down the hardest of the day. Oh well....

The next three days are supposed to be clear. I should be pretty close to AK by then.