Day 11 - T.C. Steele Park

The group here has been a nebulous one - with many folks coming and going. After I came back from town yesterday, I found a new bunch of folks had come into the camp. They were quite impressed with my entrance on such a cool yamaha (haha I laugh when I hear how badass my bike is... duct tape and all). Most of them were from Fishers, IN, and had grown up with Rachel, who was hosting us. After the lady running the ropes course left, everyone sat down for a bowl. When a dark cloud approached, I covered up my bike, and watched the fireflies light up the early evening sky in the few moments before buckets of rain and soft thunder enveloped the area.

My bike on the formidible opponent: the gravel road.

At one point it started to hail - that was neat, I was glad my bike was covered. When it got dark, folks started drinking. There's a nice open fireplace, that people were hanging out, and one girl was passed out by. I started flirting with Stephan, a really cute half Greek half Columbian. Liz didn't think it was so nice though that we decided to retreat to the cabin I was sharing with her... ah well new boyfriends - how would this ride be complete without at least one new lover? Stephan had to leave today with his friend Jeff, but we promised eachother to maybe visit someday. I was able to take him on a ride around the road that goes between bloomington and nashville, I think he was pretty nervous, especially on the gravel road (I'm getting pretty good at going on it), but like most people I've taken, I think he liked it a lot.

Stephan - so much cuter in real life than in $14 camera pixels.

Then after he left and some others left, we've whittled the group down to about ten folks who are staying until tomorrow. Most were taking a nap, when Amanda put on the white album by the beatles, which reminded me of summers our apartment driveway in Carmel Valley, where you could usually see the neighbors working on their cars. I had just been thinking about doing all those things that I wanted to do in Chicago to my bike... and I took it as a sign. I started with the idle, which I had found just before it started raining yesterday (thank you guy on YZF600R message board for the service manual) and adjusted it so i could start the bike easily, and it didn't die. Ah so easy, good thing to start with to boost confidence. Then I decided to see if I couldn't fill up the oil to the correct level because it's not leaking oil, and I know that I put in just about enough oil between when I changed the oil, and added some earlier on this trip. Ah well... still couldn't see it in the oil sight... but I'm sure it's fine... for now. And then! I got liz to help me bleed my brakes, which involved scraping a knuckle and smashing a thumb - man I miss my wrenches in CA. But the brakes are better now.

Southern Indiana is beautiful. The motorcyclists in Indiana don't wave nearly as much as other states. On the way I've seen a lot of fat people. I heard that Indiana is one of the most obese states in the US, but I don't remember that from my Public Health studies. I'm looking forward to meeting up with Danny tomorrow. I love this crowd, but am tired of the drumming. Right now all the folks are doing some psychedelics, and I'm going to go back and watch them tripping. At the moment, I feel disconnected enough, and I'd like to preserve my brain cells at least until I start motorcycle racing (haha - I mean I'm not thinking about racing - until I get faster... thank you Dafan)

Ah there seems to be drama here at Panera, poor food preparing people. Tomorrow morning for Illinois - and Central time zone - for the third time this trip.