Where are we going?...

…How do I get there?/What should I bring along?*

Welcome to LAX, where there are not enough outlets near actual seats—and my back really can’t take sitting on the floor. It’s probably wrong and bad for me to resent people sitting near those outlets and not using them, huh?

I’m off on another adventure! I thought I’d rambled about this before, but folks have asked, so probably that rambling was all in my head. So here’s the scoop.

We’re going on our annual bike trip to Curve Cowboy Reunion (CCR), which this year is being held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Missouri. CCR has little in common with Harley rallies like Sturgis. For example, we have whiskey tastings. Oh, and financial seminars… Anyway, it’s held in a different place every year—we’ve been to Tennessee, Colorado, and Wyoming, but we missed Atlanta last year due to Ken’s work. There are usually about 500 riders/passengers and 300 bikes, mostly BMW K12s and other BMW bikes. (Ken’s riding a GT now.)

As you know (Bob), Ken’s been doing a lot of distance riding/rallies, with his ultimate goal being the Iron Butt Rally, held every other year. This year, the starting, midpoint, and end point is St. Louis, and Ken’s helping out one of the riders by changing his tires, doing a tune-up, etc., at the midpoint.

Ken left for Missouri Sunday night/Monday morning (to miss the worst heat of the desert), and is closing in on the state as I type. For a variety of reasons, including my trip to Virginia happening right before this one, I’m flying out and meeting Ken there. (Plus there’s that “avoid riding through the desert in August” factor.) Tomorrow I’ll hang out in the hotel room and work while Ken kicks tires with the riders. On Saturday, we’re heading to visit our friends Hope" and Bob, who moved to Missouri from southern California last year. We’ll stay with them through Sunday.

Monday we head to Tan-Tar-A (which in my head becomes “ta-ran-ta-ra, ta-ran-ta-ra,” thank you Gilbert & Sullivan), where we’ll be sharing a cottage/townhouse/something-or-other with another couple. From then ‘til Friday, we’ll be riding through the Ozarks, exploring caverns, visiting a Victorian castle ruin, hanging out with friends, taking an advanced riders course (Ken) and a self-defense class (both of us)…. And I’ll be working as much as I can.

Friday we’ll go back to St. Louis for the IBR finish and banquet. On Saturday, we’ll head to Arkansas to visit Ken’s 93-year-old grandmother and aunt. At some point after that, we’re going to Texas to visit Ken’s brother, and then I fly home Wednesday.

So, that’s the scoop. You have been illuminated.

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Scored an outlet—twelve minutes ‘til boarding. I’ll take what I can get. :-)

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The Denver airport notes that the ladies’ rooms are also tornado shelters. I don’t know whether to be disturbed or relieved.

That said, this is the first airport I’ve been in that has visible, clear clocks.

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Ken says that while he was riding, he had the iPod on random album shuffle. As he pulled up in front of the hotel, a new album started, with a crowd cheering.

And then Tommy Shaw shouted, “Hello, St. Louis!”

I cannot stop giggling about this…

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Currently Reading: Shadow Game, Christine Feehan
Lately Listened To: airport announcements
Recently Watched: Painkiller Jane, Graham Norton

*Bonus points to anyone who can ID this song!