Chapter 11

Our wakeup call the following morning was a more reasonable 8AM and we had breakfast in the dining room of the motel. They seemed a little tasked to take on a sudden influx of 35 people all at the same time, even if a few of us just wanted coffee.

We discussed our traffic strategy for LA. We all agreed we would tighten up a bit on the discipline of changing lanes and making sure we were in distinct separate groups. This last would task the FRS systems but we would live with it. We left the gas station next door to the motel right at 9:45 so we could have a clean ride to LA. After we hit the city limits, all bets were off on relaxed riding.

Glenn, Gary, Rob and I would have our hands full, but the guys riding backdoor were going to be crucial. We left on time and pulled out in a loose group of eighteen but we were in our individual groupings so we could spread out. We were on the 1 and it was just a short ride to the 101. We had decided we would take the 101 through Santa Barbara, and would stop in Thousand Oaks for our last gas stop before San Diego.

We had a rather uneventful ride south to the 101 and then through Santa Barbara. It was nice to relax a bit and enjoy the ride. The ocean was beautiful and the road well-maintained for a change. No surprises; it was all good. We got to Thousand Oaks without incident and gassed up for the ride through Los Angeles.

We left the gas station and hit the 405 and turned south. Things got interesting real quick. We spread the groups out to about a minute apart and decided to let each group make its own best speed and track. I KNOW how Rob thinks and we both like the number 3 lane on the interstate. For some reason or other that lane just naturally moves. You may get passed on both sides but nine out of ten times, if you stay there, you will pass those that passed you in less than ten minutes.

We got on the 405 and I called for a lane change to number 4 when safe. My back door, Mike, said, "Standby."

I was watching him signal and then move to the number 4 lane. I then heard 'bring it over from the rear after the red Corolla'. I saw the car he was talking about. The bikes in our group peeled off and changed lanes as the Corolla passed them until it was my turn to move. I asked Mike to get us to three as soon as it was safe.

I had just gotten settled in the number 4 lane when I heard Mike say 'check six and move as a group'. It must have looked like four people had their heads on the same string as all of us looked over our shoulders, signaled and then moved as a unit. It looked like we rehearsed the move just to impress cages. Well, we do practice it, every time we are in a group, but it's for safety in riding as a group. Just imagine a group of four or five bikes just moving when we feel like it. This way, no one gets too close to the bike in front or behind them. I told Mike to keep us here and we'd go through LA like this. I then asked the group, a little late I admit, if everyone was ok going over the toll road. We all said yes and the passengers were digging for the $3 it would cost.

I called back on the FRS to the other three groups that we were taking the Toll road. Rob, Gary and Glenn all said they were on it and everyone was willing. It's great riding with folks you know. We all think just about alike.

We left the 405 behind us and jumped off on the 73 toll road. We literally saved ourselves more than an hour on the 405. That road cuts the corner of the 405/5 merge and saves a lot of time. It's worth the $3 toll.

We hit the 5 South, just north of San Juan Capistrano and almost felt as if we were home. Mike moved us to the number 3 lane and it wasn't five minutes later when I saw group two behind us. Thank heavens it was a Monday, hardly any traffic and a smooth ride south. We saw two of the bikes pull out and slow down from one of the groups behind us then a couple of others speed up to fill their spaces. It looked like the Escondido group was forming up to take the 78 east.

We blew by San Onofre and sure enough, as we were approaching the 78, the last group slowed down for the turn-off. We heard numerous "good-byes", and "keep the dirty side down" as our northern group headed for home.

As we approached San Diego, we started to lose some other bikes as they left us to head home. Not everyone lived close to each other. I told JJ and Rob we would be having a BBQ at the house since Shelly was already home. We crossed I-8 and there were only four of us when Mike said he was gone. Going through downtown San Diego, it was the three of us and we made a bee-line for the OLF (Out Lying Field) in Imperial Beach. They had a Navy Exchange and gas station only three minutes away from the house.

We all got on base and gassed up. We pulled into the driveway at 4:30. We shook the kinks out and dropped the leather and mesh in the mud room. As we got into the kitchen Shelly met us with a hug and kiss. She had sun tea on ice and started pouring tall glasses and passing them around as we moved to the back yard and the smoking grill. I just looked at it and wondered how she knew we had gotten home. Nothing was cooking but the ceramic briquettes were heating nicely in anticipation of the steaks I saw on the counter as we passed through the kitchen.

We all grabbed a seat with Randy on Shelly's lap and a bottle of fruit juice in his hands. Shelly said the phone has not quit ringing since she got home. Mostly, inquiries of when I would be home.

We let Shelly know about the trip south and the "Dykes on Bikes." She only said leave it to Gary to find that crowd in one night. We had a good laugh and relaxed a little more when Shelly put Randy down and went into the kitchen to bring out the food. She had made kabobs for Randy and herself, and steaks from Costco for the rest of us. She dealt out packets of tinfoil onto the grill with sliced potatoes, onions, butter and a clove of garlic. Ten minutes later the steaks hit the grill. I'll tell you now, Shelly can COOK and Reggie and I let her. We will gladly do KP as long as she keeps cooking.

I don't know what the occasion was but I nudged JJ and nodded towards the end of the patio. Shelly had apparently been VERY busy. Sitting on the edge of the patio unnoticed by most, especially Randy, was an ice cream freezer. It looked like we were in for some homemade ice cream tonight.

Our meal was more of a banquet: steaks, kabobs, salad with homemade dressing, fresh veggies and the homemade ice cream. It just didn't get much better, especially when you added the good friends and lovers. I had truly hit life's lotto. Now I had to keep Al Gore and Dick Gephardt (or in this day and age, Obama and Pelosi) from finding out about it and taxing it to death.

We wrapped it up around 9 since most had to go to work the following day. Reggie had stopped after one beer since she was on call the next day. JJ and Joy left with a sleeping Randy. Sybil and Rob left shortly after with a promise to host the next cookout at their place.

The three of us finished the final clean up and then made our way into our oversized shower and bed. I think it took us less than 2 minutes after we were in bed to start snoring. It was a tiring and fun-filled few days.

I woke the following morning to kisses on both sides of my face and just laid there enjoying them both. Reggie finally gave up and threw a liplock on me and said she had to go to work. Shelly wasn't far behind her. I got up and stuck my head under a faucet. Brushed my teeth and trimmed the beard.

I walked into the kitchen just as the Eggs Benedict hit the table. I have GOT to figure out how Shelly does that. OJ, coffee, milk, eggs, toast -- if we wanted it, that girl was a wonder. I firmly believe her skills would be wasted in a marketing or biology environment. Hell, I had enough to probably bankroll a restaurant if she wanted one.

Reggie was the first up. She kissed me good-bye and headed out to her Porsche and work. Shelly and I cleaned the kitchen and I gave her a lift to class with a promise of picking her up at 3PM.

I went home and decided that I would drain the oil while the bike was warmed up. I had just put the bike on the center stand when the phone started to ring. I picked up the outside extension after the second ring.

"Dom, JJ here, do you want a maintenance day?"

No hello, no how ya doing.

"Sure come on over; call Rob and have him come too. BYOO."

"See you in twenty."

I had just finished draining the oil when I heard another wing pull into the driveway. Thinking that was quick, I looked up and saw Rob getting off his bike.

He smiled and waved. "It looks like you are ahead of me."

"JJ called and he's on his way. He was going to call you but I guess Sybil will tell him where you are."

"No problem, we'll be done by the time he's here."

We got the bikes drained and also drained the secondary gear oil in the back wheel. We were just finishing the fill when JJ rolled up.

"You guys were already ahead of me on this, I take it," he noticed.

"You know Dom. After every long trip, he thinks he should change oil even if he just changed it the day before we left. Sort of like gassing up before he gets home," Rob wisecracked.

We settled into the maintenance that was the norm for long riders and we discussed where our club would be heading in the next few weeks.

We had deliberately missed the "Staff" meeting the previous night and we would hit the meeting that Saturday to see how much of the feces had hit the oscillating air mover as a result of Shelly's outburst the previous Friday. We decided we didn't care.

It was getting to be close to noon when I offered burgers all around.

We cleaned up and JJ started the grill while Rob and I did the sides and got the burgers ready to go. We cooked them up and were just sitting outside with our drinks when we heard someone hail us from the garage.

I yelled to come in the back. Mark and his wife Gladys came in and I offered something to drink. They must have ridden up since I didn't hear their car. We settled down with iced tea and I asked what the occasion was.

"Well," Mark started, "the meeting last night was a fiasco. Gracie had to get on her soap box and start in on you and your two girls. It seems she didn't like Shelly telling her to ride with someone else."

"Well, Shelly just said to pick another group of bikes to ride with on the trip. While we are on the subject, what business is it of ANYONE what type of life I lead? Besides, Gracie leads an alternative lifestyle, just not the one I live. What the hell happened to "Diversity"? What happens in this house and between me and Reggie and Shelly is nobody's business but ours. I'll tell you right now, I don't care what you or the club thinks. I happen to have a life outside the club so if you want me to not participate, fine. Just make sure that you also send a letter to the national headquarters informing them that you are cutting loose a life time member and you no longer want him to affiliate with your chapter. Oh, and don't forget to tell them why," I said, defensively.

"Now Dom, it doesn't have to come to that," Mark said.

"It has come to that," I said.

JJ jumped in at that point and just lowered the boom on Mark. "If Dom is asked to leave, I know of at least four other couples who will no longer affiliate with the group, and two of them are officers. I don't know what you want but this is what you are going to get. The person who is raising the most hell about Dom is a LESBIAN, two of the people who will probably leave with Dom are GAY. We, as a group, include EVERYONE in our activities and I for one don't have a problem with that. I also know of folks who will not associate with us because we do welcome "alternative" lifestyles in our group. Well, Dom just happens to have an alternative lifestyle too, just not the one that most folks recognize as one. I say, let it die, don't do anything and don't allow one or two people to stir up the entire group. Dom hasn't said or done anything to them or anyone else. Let it die and it will go away, one way or the other."