Day Three: Hello Schröddy

Yet again, it's been a day of ups and downs.

We rode about 150 miles today up into Oklahoma.  Apparently I finally got to see the pretty part of Oklahoma because it was stunning.  I also got to see how my rig handles on decent curves.  I was pretty impressed.  Because of it's height and the wide stance of the rig I was expecting the handling in curves to be...well...alarming. I was surprised by how well it did.  Having an excessive amount of power at my disposal worked in my favor.  I was able to keep up with Mr Man and while he wasn't riding like a rockstar, he also wasn't going slow. We were taking the curves between five and ten miles over their posted speed.  Although I was taking the 45 mile an hour curves at 45 miles an hour.  Again, the power of the bike enabled me to quickly catch back up with Mr. Man.  I also learned that on 55 mile an hour left hand curves I have to actively slow the bike down.  The centrifugal force of the sidecar pulls the bike around the corner.  If it's a long curve the whole rig just keeps building speed as the car tries to whip around the bike. It's like the sidecar becomes a rock in a slingshot that never leaves the sling.

I booked us into the Days Inn in the thriving metropolis of Potoeau, OK.  Since it is Labor Day Evening all the tourists have left town and we are actually the only people in this hotel.  Neat but creepy.  Buy hey, we have our bikes parked on the front porch of the hotel and there is no one to care.

On the sad hand, Austin seems to be on fire.  Our house is fine as far as we know but it's unnerving being so far away from Very Bad Things that our happening almost in your backyard.  It reminds me of when two F4 Tornadoes chose to tear into my hometown while I was in college.  All I could do was stay up and watch the weather and call my loved ones.  Speaking of houses, our house alarm keeps going off.  Twice.  Both times were false alarms but it's making me wonder if the alarm itself has a malfunction.  Unfortunately, until we get home, nothing can be done.  So we'll just keep riding.

Tomorrow we are heading into the Ouachita National Forest for a day of fun curvy riding.  After that, plans are vague.  We really don't have any.  We only have possibilities.  We are Schrodinger's Motorcyclists.  Our house exists in of state of Fire/No Fire while simultaneously maintaining a state of burgled/safe while we ourselves exist in endless possibilities of North,South, East, and West.

And that is a sure sign that my brain is down.  Tomorrow the report from the Forest....perhaps even pictures.