The Great Morgan Hill Zig-Zag

Night-time games

A couple of failed push starts later (you try running fast in my clodhoppers) we gave up and walked back to the motel to get Max, Don's bike. We rode it to my bike, rigged up leads using unravelled coathangers, and jump started my bike. I then got to ride it the short distance back to the motel. We then stayed in for a bit until we got hungrier ;-)

Finally I persuaded Don that there would be food in the centre of Morgan Hill, so this time taking Max, off we went. We found that Morgan Hill centre was full of booths for its own craft fayre, so we headed towards the freeway and there found Jack in the Box. Except that Don couldn't see the way in, so we did yet another loop of the freeway, all the time with me going "Huh?" because I had seen the way into the drive-through. We got there eventually, and took our Philly Cheesesteaks "home".

We carried on talking until the small wee hours, then I settled down for a really comfortable night's sleep. In the morning, we talked about new mattresses ;-)

Coathangers to go home

Of course, we ended up in San Jose again, but this time we thought it was a doddle. We'd just find El Camino again and we'd be fine. And sure, we found El Camino - and then we lost it again. We were in familiar territory, but didn't know the way home without using a freeway.

We then found a place to stop and take a rest. My bike wouldn't start up again - grrr - so yet another jump start was arranged (after a panic when Don thought he'd left the coathangers back at the motel!)

Finally, finally, we got out of San Jose, guessed our way North, and found El Camino. From that point, it was great as we passed into familiar country and came home. But we hadn't quite finished our zigzag. I hate city driving! All the lights were red every time! Grrr!

We got in, settled down, and later went to do stuff to my bike. We took out the battery to check it, and found it looked okay (water and stuff) so we started up a trickle charge to see whether the battery is duff or whether my charging system needs new diodes. We then went and curled up for a bit, but Don realised that he'd left his little radio at the motel - hance, there was another leg to the zig-zag!

I found out the phone nunber of the motel and Don confirmed that the radio had been found, and then we were off on Max! Because we used the freeway it was significantly quicker and I think we were there within half an hour. We got the radio, took a few photos (I'd forgotten my camera) and, having seen the monstrous traffic leaving the town because of the craft fayre, we went back the "slow" route. Which gave me the perfect opportunity to drag Don into a Denny's for dinner :-)

By the end of the day, we were pooped. I had ridden 72 miles and we did another 55 or so with me on back. We had zigged thrice and zagged twice. We had been lost in a city, connected with the ground, and had lived to tell the tale. I was proud of what I had coped with, and suspect that after I do my training course I'll be able even to cope with the Factor X of slithery oil. A fun time was had by all ;-)

Oh - and in the mail on the way back, to my intense amusement, was a catalogue of naughty underwear and kinky clothing - everything from satin to latex rubber. Addressed to the previous residents, who hadn't bothered to arrange to have their mail forwarded. As I'd told my friends we were off for a dirty weekend, this was a fun reminder that the wyrd was in full working order.