DAY 53
Week 8
AUSTIN (Texas, USA)
Saturday August 12th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 123 miles or 198 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 7387 miles or 11888 kilometres
Do all my ex's live in Texas??? 
It would appear that the evening was spent working on Anglo - Cyrlic relationships was a complete success. By all accounts, the Russians didn't invade anyone or even have their fingers on the red "big bang" button.
As with any undertaking of such magnitude, there are bound to be some casualties and injuries. I woke up with a mouth that felt like the bottom of a bird cage and my throat was as raw as Gangsta rap. As my ex-wife will attest to, the more I've drunk the louder my snoring gets. I have my own inbuilt con-piss-devitus measurement device. I also suffered a minor self inflicted head injury (hangover), but a good feed and a couple of bottles of Gatorade resolved that issue.
The day had no serious pace about it, thankfully, so I dropped my Trailblazer off at Champion Toyota, my insurance companies preferred repair vendor, before heading back to Dash's place.
Ever since I purchased Dash's Harley, I was as excited as a kid on Christmas. This was for a number of reasons, least of which is that it was a goal of mine to own one before I was forty. Add to this the fact that I love riding and you can see why I was itching to get in the saddle.
This eagerness was tempered somewhat by the fact that the bike is Dash's baby. He purchased it brand new and has made numerous tasteful upgrades & additions so it's hard to give up something you've built, have come to love doing and is a reflection of what you are about. I knew exactly what he was going through as I've done the same with numerous vehicles over the years.
My first stop was the local Harley dealers Central Texas Harley-Davidson and then Cowboy Harley-Davidson of Austin in search of a skid lid (helmet) and eye protection. You're thinking that Fitzy would be the one person you'd pick not to wear a stack hat huh??? I didn't get to be this good looking by being an idiot ALL the time!!!
That evening we travelled the 18 miles (29 kilometres) Southwest of Austin (Texas), to the "World Famous" Salt Lick Barbecue Restaurant in Driftwood (Texas). Personally, I had never heard of the joint, but like sex, I willing to have a crack at nearly anything.
Thankfully the ambient temperature had cooled down considerable by the time we got there, so sitting outside under the trees, sipping on the ice cold Heinekins we brought (the joint is in a dry county), was a great way to spend an evening.
As Texas BBQ goes, it was simply OK for my mind. I simply didn't like the fact that all the meat served to us looked like it had been run over by the Exxon Valdez.
Anyways, it's off to church tomorrow???