Alright, all you kids out there in radio land, anxiously awaiting my update, anticipating my prose about the beautiful state of Arizona and all of the wonderment that it holds. Here goes nothing.
I’ll try to live up to your regimented standards.
Thursday the 8th, late, I picked up my riding partner for the week. I spent 3 of my best years with this woman, in New Orleans and still love her very much. She attended my graduation from the BMW Motorrad program at MMI on Friday morning, along with my adopted parents Mike and Kip. It meant the world to me to have her there, even though I didn’t want to be there myself. I would love to tell you all I am very proud of my completing the program, especially considering I seem to have a problem completing anything in life, I tend to walk away from things a little early. This can probably be explained in my ways, my lack of discipline during my formative years, my insecurities stemming from my….well who knows. Anyway, the program at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute is probably exactly what you might think it is. It is an education that is built for the “lowest common denominator,” one that is in no way interested in making craftsmen out of young men and women, it’s not interested in teaching you about or even stimulating an interest in the intricacies and the beauty of mechanical engineering. AND I’m here to tell you, there are few things more beautiful in this world than the beauty of a finely crafted motorcycle. It is a program, however, than does employ a few amazing instructors (NOT A LOT MIND YOU, but a few) that do truly care about craftsmanship and stimulation. Or as Pirsig would say, Quality. I truly appreciate the few instructors I had that cared about quality and made my last year worthwhile and interesting. Regardless of how I feel about my own pride in regards to what I have been doing the last year, I did still get paid to just play with motorcycles, I suppose it’s hard to complain about that. So, the woman I am in love with, my adopted parents and I attended my graduation. It went well, apparently I had made the directors list. I did well, 4.0. Certified as a BMW Technician. Chapter closed.
New Chapter. Saturday morning we loaded up my 2000 BMW R1150GS and set off for Flagstaff from Phoenix, via Prescott, Jerome and Sedona. A nice 5 plus hour ride though the mountains of Central and Northern Arizona.
We visited friends. We ate vegan curry in Flagstaff. We reminisced about our high school days (both my travel companion and myself grew up in there.) We hiked the Humphreys Peak a ways and spread some of her mother’s ashes, which while understandably a very emotional moment for her, turned out to be far more emotional for myself than I would have expected. It was a great moment, a great weekend and I really do feel the entire experience brought us a lot closer. I also haven’t been to any sort of a meeting since the 5tth or 6th and I am still sober. I am feeling pretty great about not drinking.
Refuge on the Road 