"F" It
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:29 pm
“F” It.
PMS is real, no not that one. They make Midol for that. For those of you that suffer through the Parked Moto Syndrome like us Northern folks, it can be miserable. That is where I am now and have been for a few weeks if not months. I have been waiting for a window of weather and opportunity and it has just not materialized. You Southern Riders can hush it, no one wants to hear from you and your endless riding opportunities without compiling a ride report. The only true friends from the south go on rides, take pictures, and share. The rest of you that just say “went for a ride” can pound sand because all you are doing is teasing us. Don’t get me started on the retired members who literally can’t remember what day it is because everyday is either a weekday or weekend……just depends on what they want to call it. Maybe that is just the envy in me coming out, but I have a critical case of PMS.
Some of it is work related. Sickness has been rampant here and it hits who and when it hits with complete disregard. Having to cover double digit staff members with subs on a staff of 40 some is untenable. I have been covering classes and trying to teach stuff with pathetic lesson plans because staff have been out for 3, 4, and 5 days in a row. My AP has also been out sick with either herself or her kids and running the whole ship is just crazy. Then right in the middle of this one of our teachers' kids ended his own life after a long battle with mental illness. I knew the kid well and coached him in track a few years back. I just can’t wrap my head and heart around what the family is going through. They are salt of the earth Christian people who are just devastated. It makes no sense. It makes me realize just how hypocritical I am for bitching about my pathetic 1st world problems. Here she is dealing with unfathomable grief and I am annoyed that some of my staff can’t come to work with a little cough, sore throat, and sniffles. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and wouldn’t trade them for another staff, but damn, sometimes you gotta just show up. Another layer is that my work has a “use it or lose it” policy for 12 month employees. Basically if I don’t use my vacation day, I lose them. They do not roll over and I do not get them paid. I foolishly left a combined 35+ of them unused the first 2 years in this job and I need to burn 16 before July 1 or they vanish.
About 3 weeks ago, I came to the realization that my PMS was not going to cure itself, I was going to have to go for a ride. The next phase includes finding somewhere to ride. The usual suspects of Arkansas and North Georgia came into light. After seeing horrible forecasts, Pants suggested Mississippi as a possible destination. I looked there, but it is quite a bit further than the other options. As the weeks went by I watched the weather with the knowledge that MLB players, NBA three point shooters, and Weathermen have something in common. They can all keep their job being successful only hitting .333 at their target. I spotted a window of tolerable weather coinciding with a weekend in N. Georgia. As a disclaimer, in case this turns out to be shit show, Pants warned me about the Southern Appalacians. The likelihood of the weatherman now being right when I just called him out for being wrong 2/3rds of the time is not lost on me. My condition is highly advanced. Drastic times call for drastic measures. So BDRX on dirt is what it is gonna be.
The plan is to leave Thursday am and base camp out of TWO of Suches. And when I say “Plan” other than camping and riding, that is the extent of it. From there I will either ride to Elijay or Dillard. There are 3 legs with the longest being approximately 133 miles. That will give me plenty of time to loosely explore the triangle between Elijay, Suches, and Dillard. So if any of you are around those areas this weekend and want to grab lunch in any of the local towns, shoot me a text. If you don’t have my number, get it from OFace, he will either give you mine or a SE Asian sex worker he frequents…….proceed at your own peril.
The 450 is already packed for cold weather. I got a zero degree bag and tent and whatever I would need to survive in the Giant Loop. Tonight I supervise 3 Volleyball games, Wednesday I play cards, and Thursday am I am loading up to drive south in search adventure. Heck, maybe I won’t find any adventure but at this point, I would be good with sitting by a campfire knowing I don’t have to solve all the problems of the school tomorrow.
Report with pics and narrative to follow.
PMS is real, no not that one. They make Midol for that. For those of you that suffer through the Parked Moto Syndrome like us Northern folks, it can be miserable. That is where I am now and have been for a few weeks if not months. I have been waiting for a window of weather and opportunity and it has just not materialized. You Southern Riders can hush it, no one wants to hear from you and your endless riding opportunities without compiling a ride report. The only true friends from the south go on rides, take pictures, and share. The rest of you that just say “went for a ride” can pound sand because all you are doing is teasing us. Don’t get me started on the retired members who literally can’t remember what day it is because everyday is either a weekday or weekend……just depends on what they want to call it. Maybe that is just the envy in me coming out, but I have a critical case of PMS.
Some of it is work related. Sickness has been rampant here and it hits who and when it hits with complete disregard. Having to cover double digit staff members with subs on a staff of 40 some is untenable. I have been covering classes and trying to teach stuff with pathetic lesson plans because staff have been out for 3, 4, and 5 days in a row. My AP has also been out sick with either herself or her kids and running the whole ship is just crazy. Then right in the middle of this one of our teachers' kids ended his own life after a long battle with mental illness. I knew the kid well and coached him in track a few years back. I just can’t wrap my head and heart around what the family is going through. They are salt of the earth Christian people who are just devastated. It makes no sense. It makes me realize just how hypocritical I am for bitching about my pathetic 1st world problems. Here she is dealing with unfathomable grief and I am annoyed that some of my staff can’t come to work with a little cough, sore throat, and sniffles. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and wouldn’t trade them for another staff, but damn, sometimes you gotta just show up. Another layer is that my work has a “use it or lose it” policy for 12 month employees. Basically if I don’t use my vacation day, I lose them. They do not roll over and I do not get them paid. I foolishly left a combined 35+ of them unused the first 2 years in this job and I need to burn 16 before July 1 or they vanish.
About 3 weeks ago, I came to the realization that my PMS was not going to cure itself, I was going to have to go for a ride. The next phase includes finding somewhere to ride. The usual suspects of Arkansas and North Georgia came into light. After seeing horrible forecasts, Pants suggested Mississippi as a possible destination. I looked there, but it is quite a bit further than the other options. As the weeks went by I watched the weather with the knowledge that MLB players, NBA three point shooters, and Weathermen have something in common. They can all keep their job being successful only hitting .333 at their target. I spotted a window of tolerable weather coinciding with a weekend in N. Georgia. As a disclaimer, in case this turns out to be shit show, Pants warned me about the Southern Appalacians. The likelihood of the weatherman now being right when I just called him out for being wrong 2/3rds of the time is not lost on me. My condition is highly advanced. Drastic times call for drastic measures. So BDRX on dirt is what it is gonna be.
The plan is to leave Thursday am and base camp out of TWO of Suches. And when I say “Plan” other than camping and riding, that is the extent of it. From there I will either ride to Elijay or Dillard. There are 3 legs with the longest being approximately 133 miles. That will give me plenty of time to loosely explore the triangle between Elijay, Suches, and Dillard. So if any of you are around those areas this weekend and want to grab lunch in any of the local towns, shoot me a text. If you don’t have my number, get it from OFace, he will either give you mine or a SE Asian sex worker he frequents…….proceed at your own peril.
The 450 is already packed for cold weather. I got a zero degree bag and tent and whatever I would need to survive in the Giant Loop. Tonight I supervise 3 Volleyball games, Wednesday I play cards, and Thursday am I am loading up to drive south in search adventure. Heck, maybe I won’t find any adventure but at this point, I would be good with sitting by a campfire knowing I don’t have to solve all the problems of the school tomorrow.
Report with pics and narrative to follow.
