Motorcycle Maintenance

I have been very much enjoying the thrilling experience of riding on a BMW motorcycle. I had no idea that I could be so afraid and so joyous simultaneously (is this love?)! My father, who was never one to enforce rules on me as a young girl, had one rule when dating boys: never get on the back of a motorcycle.

Yet here I am, riding with Joe as often as I can. He's even got me addicted to The Long Way Around. I'm watching Ewan and Charlie fight the difficulties of traveling through Mongolia and Siberia on motorcycle, and I can't help but wonder: some people are just born ridiculously beautiful, even six weeks into a wild camping adventure - Ewan McGregor is one of them. But then, so is Charlie.

(I know. It's an old show that was produced in 2004... but this is the brilliance of today's TV -- watch what you want when you want. Rent the series on DVD, find it on Surf the Channel or stream on the show's site...)

I love the grounded personalities of these men. Funny how I find them "grounded" when they are traveling around the world on motorcycle leaving their wives and children behind. What does that say about me? Their ups and downs, their desire at times to quit (and that producer David who I wrote off at the beginning as a wank, actually reigned Ewan back in - he's much more of a mother figure than I ever would have imagined), their delight at seeing a black bear for the first time (wait til they get to Alaska!) Oh, it's great fun for me. More than I can even admit to Joe and my father though they will likely read this...

My father, when he met Joe, pulled out his motorcycle for him. And get this! When Joe sat on it, my father took photographs of him! Then he wordlessly allowed me to get on the back of his steed and allowed this new man in his daughter's life to take her off to the wineries of Prince Edward County.

What does that say about my father? About Joe? About all of us? How I will like to know what my father thinks of this TV series.

One more thing: unbelievable how MUCH Siberia looks like British Columbia and how much the truck drivers look like BC loggers. Even Ewan and Charlie become Mountain Men.

I marvel at how small this world can feel sometimes. And at the same time so infinite.