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I have deep sense of peace over me at the moment. No I have not just spent the last few hours in deep meditation. Even though this would have been most desirable.

I have just come back from a 110km ride with Jan as pillion. 110kms is not a lot of distance travelled. Some would even scoff at how far I have gone this morning. I don’t really care. My biking soul needed this ride. I commute to work on the bike everyday. This commute is only about 10 to 20 minutes each way. It is the bike riding equivalent to breathing. We breath to exist. So my commute to and from work is to exist. Nothing dramatic about it like breathing.

I needed a ride on country back roads. My bike soul needed to feel the bike underneath me hammering along tight and narrow back roads. I needed corners to fly through. Needed to climb up hills and hear the bike on song. To feel the bike let go a wee bit in a damp corner. Hear loose gravel binging off my exhaust system. To have the air rushing at my face to make my eyes water. To feel Jan on the back moving in unison with me as the bike was flung around corners. This all happened this morning. And it was so good.

There was no desire on my part to stop and take photos of the beautiful, sunny, winter scenery. This ride was about restoring my sanity. This has now been done. I feel alive again.

Motorcycling can do that to yer!
Now you are ready for the week ahead.

ME 109 wrote:Motorcycling can do that to yer!
Now you are ready for the week ahead.

My working weeks starts this Wednesday and has 2 different shifts over the 4 days I work. Shift work for 18 months and it is doing my head in that's for sure. Today's short ride really has helped.

More than once my wife has said to me -
"Go for a ride, go get your demons out."
And of course she is right, it works.

Ross wrote: My working weeks starts this Wednesday and has 2 different shifts over the 4 days I work. Shift work for 18 months and it is doing my head in that's for sure. Today's short ride really has helped.

You get used to it after 10 years. Unfortunately, most of your friends and family won't!
How does 28 years of it sound? Unfortunately, this year I've been edged into the night shift 25% of the time. It's probably going to nudge me to part time instead.

A decent ride is always an excellent antedote. Spring is almost here, so the inclination to duck out for a spin is difficult to deny.

Ross wrote:

ME 109 wrote:Motorcycling can do that to yer!
Now you are ready for the week ahead.

My working weeks starts this Wednesday and has 2 different shifts over the 4 days I work. Shift work for 18 months and it is doing my head in that's for sure. Today's short ride really has helped.

The paychecks can be good therapy, too.

I worked third shift, 8pm-8am, for 12 years and never did get used to it. I never could sleep well during the day. Now I work day shift and feel like a new person. I feel better at age 62 than at 55. Man was meant to sleep during the night! I don't know how anyone works rotating shifts.

Bluesman

NO, I could never work a rapidly rotating shift.
There was one place in the 80's where we rotated every 3 months - that was O.K.
And I've never (yet) worked a 12-hour shift. At least not with out O.T., which was the standard with my current employer the last few years. But that consisted of sitting on my ass and only getting up to walk around the building to fend off bed sores.

ross,

You have discovered the best of what motorcycling will have to offer ...

vanzen@rockerboxer.com wrote:ross,

You have discovered the best of what motorcycling will have to offer ...

Best thing in the wrold if you ask me.