Inside the Beltway. . . and Out

I used up all my vacation time on Harley-riding trips, so I am stuck in the office this week. But it is quiet here. Congress is gone, thankfully. And bush is vacationing in Texas, again.

The weather in DC hasn't been as cold as normal for this time of year, so I hope I can get in some riding time this weekend. We haven't had snow or ice lately, so the roads will be fine. I'll throw on my heated vest -- it plugs into a harness connected to the bike's battery and works like an electric blanket with heated coils -- and ride off through the Virginia and Maryland countryside.

Thanks to the heated gear and the big Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, I can ride 12 months a year. The only time I don't ride is when we have ice and snow on the roads. I can deal with heat, cold and rain, but I am not interested in sliding on ice.

We are already starting to plan motorcycle trips for the coming year. We will do our traditional Southern tour at the end of August and will probably ride to Daytona Bike Week in October. And we have a few other rides already planned, including a weekend ride to Memphis for some bar-b-que and blues.

But I don't want just to think about riding, I want to ride. The extended forecast says we might get some precipitation Saturday afternoon and/or Sunday morning, but then again, the weather folks have been wrong before. Maybe we'll have a good weekend for riding. I can't wait.