November 4th-5th, 2009

Time to move on…we had one last breakfast with Aphazia at the Waffle House, said our goodbyes, and rode off.  It was a sunny day today, but one can sense a hint of winter in the cool crisp air.  The last thing I wanted to happen is to get trapped due to poor weather.  I felt like we were behind and felt the urge to press on.  We took in one last view of the impressive skyline as we crossed the Verrazano Bridge.  Must be tough living in NYC/NJ…it’s criminal what they charge to cross over that bridge!  Next stop:  JohnnyX in Far Hills, NJ.  He had mentioned that he was going out to the Pine Barrens with AndMoon, unfortunately they were going out at 6 in the morning and there’s no way we’ll be able to make it there at that time.  I also heard that the Pine Barrens can be a wee bit dicey for a noob; so it’s probably better off that we skipped that part for the time being until we get more experience in the sand under our belts.  On our way to JohnnyX we passed through some interesting parts of NJ…parts where you don’t want to be idling for too long.  We arrived in Far Hills late afternoon and met JohnnyX and family.  He had gotten back from the Barrens not too long ago and had tweaked his ribs & shoulder from a fall; makes me wonder if we should attempt to ride in the Barrens at all. 

Casa JohnnyX

JohnnyX and his wife had the slow cooker running that very morning for dinner and it really hit the spot.  After riding in cold weather for hours, there’s nothing better than chicken stew to warm the soul.  We spent the night sharing stories and had the privilege to listen to JohnnyX’s wife play the harp; it was most eloquent. 

The Kitties

JohnnyX decided to call off work the next morning  to recover from his injuries.  We spent the morning trying to install a horn from an old Honda Goldwing onto Amanda’s bike with the hopes of boosting the decibel level.  We never got it to work, so instead we worked on patching up a crack on the fairing of Amanda’s bike.

The plan later on that afternoon was to check out Cycle Gear to see if we needed any supplies for the road.  AndMoon was on his way to join us, but his motorbike broke down on the interstate and we had to bail him out with the truck.

Finally...the pictures to prove it!

After our visit to Cycle Gear, we had lunch for the first time at a Jersey diner.  The portion size was overwhelming; my stomach was aching by the time I was done.  Amanda had to doggie bag the remainder of hers.  We also had the chance to get to know AndMoon.  If you’ve ever met AndMoon in the flesh, he doesn’t look like the kind of guy who spoke fluent Spanish…as soon as the waitress came; he turned it on like a switch.  It was quite impressive.  He’d have no problem travelling South America. 

After lunch we said our goodbyes and proceeded onwards.  A part of me wanted to stay a little longer, but the other part of me wanted to get down south before it snowed. 

Bike stranded on road.

Got the trailer hitched on truck.

That’s what friends are for.