Posted December12, 2010
The meet was set for 4:30pm at Micky D's in Flanders, arriving I found a group of bikes and a trike all dressed for a Christmas light parade, I was running on the Dark Side. It was good to see the troops and talk. Before leaving we had another lit bike and trike arrive.
We picked up I-95 south towards Old Saybrook and looked like a Christmas float going down the highway, I'm sure it turned a few heads. We arrived in Old Saybrook, pulled in through the train station to the staging area, and found there wasn't much in the way of organization, the reason would be evident later. As we stood around talking and trying to find out the game plan more bikes arrived including the Serenity Soldiers. I have to say I like the patch, anything with skulls is cool. The plan for the Club members would be three wings of five bikes in a Vee pattern with the now three trikes in a Vee at the tail, (we borrowed one from a non club member), we were to lead the group of bikes with the Town selectman in front of us on his bike. After a bit of waiting with no official news we were ordered to head out, the plan changed instantly, from 5 in a Vee it went to three, the "Parade" headed down the road for about a 1/4 mile where we turned into a parking lot and parked. We walked in the building, dropped off the unwrapped gifts, grabbed a coffee and came back outside... something was a little strange...no parade. There were people lining the roads just as when we came through but there was no parade, Nada, nothing. Now the reason for the lack of organization became evident, the motorcycles weren't really part of the parade, we were sort of a primer, kind of like "what do you do with a group of motorcycles we invited to a parade that we really didn't want in the parade?" Let them go first, get them out of the way, then run the parade.
Now the Parade was going to last a hour and a half, and once it started we would be toast, trapped in a parking lot until it was over. Well, I can't say what the all the others did, but Myself, Dan, Tom Y. and Ted and his trike beat feet, we got outa Dodge in a hurry. right turn out of the lot, right on a side street, left on rte 1, a right turn and we were on the Highway northbound. I can say the ride down was comfortable, the ride back... by the time I was at Four Mile River my fingers were beginning to burn, so I headed to the kickoff point at Flanders to warm them up. The followers, followed. As we pulled off the highway the Prez blasted by on his way home. Dan and myself went inside to warm up while Ted and Tom took off. Once warm we headed out also, Dan north on 395, I to the Equinox in Mystic for coffee and supper before heading home.
I can say if they have this parade next year, I'll be sitting at home doing anything else, the Club had a great turnout though, 15 plus bikes and two trikes. Showing even in the crappiest time of the year for riding we are willing to get out there.
Now a little sidebar about the ride home...
We had just come over the Connecticut river when I heard a voice from above, a deep resonating voice, "Turn Off, Something, something" It was hard to hear with the stereo cranking. I glanced in the left mirror and noted a car in the passing lane with its own blue and red Christmas lights on the roof. "Lights", right away I knew he wanted the lights turned off, I saw one of our compatriots heading for the breakdown lane, The announcement came again, "Turn off those lights" (not even a please, kinda bossy and rude like) I slowed and pulled the riders into the breakdown lane also but continued cruising at slow speed. Once our "State lighting laws violator" had done as instructed and caught up we headed back up to speed. I was a little concerned about Ted, I wasn't sure how much of the Boss Hoss would fit on the shoulder as we cruised along, I also noted that at night, from up front, in single file, you cannot see anything behind the first bikes headlights unless there is a hill.
Now... when the voice came from above, our VP, not yet realizing want was going on, had a thought, he said to himself, "When did Klay get a CB on his bike?"
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