If you said, "The Wagon Queen Family Truckster, from the National Lampoon movie Family Vacation, 1983," you get 20 bonus points. 10 additional bonus points if you said, "That wagon was made by famous customizer George Barris, from a heavily-modified 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon," and 15 more bonus points if you can state in the next 3 seconds (no fair looking it up) how many headlights that wagon had. (8 is the correct answer)
What does that trivia have to do with anything, Jim? Thanks for asking. Joan has the factory Yamaha top case (also known as a trunk) for her Xmax. She does not like it. Not even a little. According to her, it spoils the looks and aerodynamics of the bike.
But today, after going out for breakfast, we needed to make a grocery run to Wally World. No, not the Wally World from NL Vacation, but thanks for making the connection. I don't have a top case for the Burgman, so Joan gets to pilot the Family Truckster (AKA the Yamaha Xmax with the top case)...
Joan was putting leftovers from breakfast into her bike (above). My Burgman in the foreground is still more of a "fat bottom girl." We bought $82 worth of groceries and fit them in her bike, my bike, and the top case... with room left over. On the way back, I stopped at the office at the campground to pick up two Amazon packages that Joan had ordered. Yeah, they fit, too. I paid the nice lady at the counter the $5 fee for vehicle washing... no, they do not wash your vehicle for that. I assume it is for the extra water you will use. That will happen in the next few days.
There was one more "side trip" I made on the way back to the campground: Joan said, "Your scarf just blew off!" My new scarf (with cooling ability) that Joan ordered for me since we've been here? Damn! I told her I was going back for it, she continued on to the campground (that right there is worth the price of admission for the helmet communicators we've had for years). There are cross-overs every once in a while on this divided 4 lane, and I slowed down near where I thought she said it was... right there, about 30 feet down from the cross-over. And then, 5 cars (well, 2 cars and 3 pickup trucks) came down the road, passing over my helpless scarf... and carrying it past me and further down the road. When there was a break in the traffic, I had to run about 50 yards to retrieve my scarf - got it! And, I did not get run down in the process. I would say I ran back to my bike, but I have been watching the Olympics and what I did to get the scarf does not qualify in any manner as running. The take-away here is: I got my scarf back. Joan will wash it before I wear it again. And only a few tire marks on it.
Back to the coach, I took my share of the groceries in, along with the Amazon packages, and put the bikes away. Here's another look at the bikes from the rear, with the top case on the Yamaha...
I don't think it looks bad, but it certainly makes her Xmax look a lot bigger than my Burgman 200.
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I spent some time this evening editing video, most the 360 footage from yesterday's ride on the Tail of the Dragon... goodness; these new cameras have more resolution, which means bigger files, which means it takes more memory, which means everything on my laptop an iPad moves slower than I'm used to. I'll work on the video as time (and patience) allows... reminding myself that I'm doing this "for the fun of it." ;-)
2 comments:
A bit sad to see the bikes put away. The end of the adventure is nigh. Any big plans for the return trip westward?
We're all happy to have Alice back, but Duke especially. We stayed up late on Monday as she told me some tales. She slept all afternoon - she must have had a LOT of fun at flute convention, as she almost never naps. But I finally got out and mowed the lawn once she woke up at 5 pm. It was only 99° by then. But a cool 62° this morning and we have the whole house fan on to pre-cool the house. That has not been possible for a week or more. It is nice when we can do that, as the AC does not come on until about 6 pm even on hot days. A fan is much cheaper to run than the AC, but as hot as it has been lately I don't mind the cost.
Hi Earl - Fear not; OK, you weren't fearful. But, no sadness regarding the bikes... I was just showing that huge top case on Joan's bike and how it makes my Burgman's backend look small. (Does this scooter make my butt look big?) ;-)
We'll be using the bikes as necessary for transportation before we leave on Monday. The plans for heading west aren't particularly big, but there should be more riding in a couple more states. More as that unfolds.
Glad Alice is home. Sorry to hear about lawn mowing... but, that's just me - I understand some people find that enjoyable. Stay cool.
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