It started off like any other ride-day morning. I checked emails, texts and voicemails for last minute cancellations; looked outside…stepped outside to see what the weather was like; picked out which of the dozen Kitty shirts I was going to wear; had the normal “do I wear chaps/do I not wear chaps” Fall ride debate with myself; wrapped a bandana around my gawd awful hair; snapped on my nametag; threw on my coat and headed to the garage. And here’s where my routine went all to hell.
When I flipped the switch to make the bike go vroom vroom, all it did was a whole lot of nothing. Houston, we’ve got a problem. This bike ain’t going nowhere anytime soon. Resigned to the fact that I was stuck at home, I jumped in my car to tell the other Kitties my bike let me down and oh yeah, who wants to lead the group to Anthony? Anyone?? Someone??? Please???? Sandy raised her hand (or maybe she was just scratching her nose) but regardless, she got the job and I started throwing instructions at her before she could interrupt with “Janice, seriously, I wasn’t volunteering. I just had a booger in my nose.”
As we were standing around sipping coffee, Bobbie pulled into the QuikTrip and was immediately given the intel on No Wheels Janice. In the true spirit of No Kitty Left Behind, “Bike Rentals by Bobbie” made the very generous offer of using one of her not one, not two, but THREE bikes! My first gut reaction was “Oh no, I couldn’t – I’ve never ridden someone else’s bike before”, but then I imagined the beautiful day being spent at home washing windows and I couldn’t get “Yes Please” out of my mouth quick enough. There was the matter of getting the second bike to the QuikTrip and me getting my coat and helmet which was still at home, but in no time, we were all assembled once again and ready to roll…well, after a quick tutorial on what the heck all those buttons were on Janice’s Bike for the Day. After a couple of intersections worth of stops and starts, I got the feel of the bike and by the time we hit K42, I had bonded with Janice’s bike for the Day and we became great companions for the remainder of the trip.
The weather was spectacular as Sandy led us down the path that ironically, was the exact same route we travelled on the first ride of the season way back in April when we went to Waynoka, OK. About halfway through our journey, I saw what appeared to be a huge fur ball flying across the highway. Now I’ve heard of tumbleweeds rolling across the prairie, but I ain’t never seen one made of fur! Turns out, Libby lost the tail that was attached to her bike’s back fender. Oh thank goodness! I was scared to death that some poor little critter was scurrying around tailless today.
As we approached the last intersection of the trip, Sandy looked back at me and asked which way – left or right? OK Janice, you’ve got a 50/50 shot of getting this right. One way takes us to Anthony – the other takes us to God knows where. As luck would have it, I picked the wrong “50” and steered us right toward Kiowa. Hey, we could all use a little practice making those U-turns, am I right? Everyone was a great sport about it and oddly enough, Sandy didn’t ask me again for directions…ever…not once.
We all enjoyed a great lunch at Kristy’s Café with lots of Kitties trying the infamous Baked Potato Pizza. Sure enough, it tasted just like a baked potato with all the fixins! Everyone got caught up and learned who was expecting a grandbaby in the next several months (which was like almost everyone at the table!) and I got on my “Save the Pink Bathroom” soapbox and gave Linda a severe tongue-lashing for even thinking about tearing out an all original, pristine pink bathroom (yes Kitties, you should always consult with me before making any decorating decisions in your own home…that you pay for…and live in.)
After getting directions to the 9/11 Memorial, we all biked up, fired up and were ready to head out. That’s when I saw the wave. You know the one. The one that says, “Shut your bike off. We’re not going anywhere.” It was like déjà vu. Bikers hits switch. Biker hears nothing. Biker curses. Said Biker was Denise and she had one dead, and I mean really, really, dead battery.
Like Jeff Gordon’s pit crew, Bobbie and Sue started pulling out tools and hooking up chargers, while at the same time, Denise decided this might be a good time to take a peek at the ole Owner’s Manual. My assignment? To flag down the first likely candidate(s) who might be able to assist in this situation. In no time at all, we had a half-dozen very big, vey burley bikers with hearts the size of Texas, ready to lend a tattooed hand. After several attempts at push starting, it was decided that the only thing that was going to fix this problem was a jump start from car. A bike charge just wasn’t going to get the job done! As luck would have it, Susan ran into someone she knew when we first arrived in Anthony so she chased him down and he gladly offered the use of his car; however, like so many of us unprepared motorists, he didn’t have jumper cables. Drats! Several more Kitties mobilized and found a store clerk who had what we needed and after longer than I thought it would take to jump a bike, the engine finally turned over, prompting screams of delight from the cheering section. Our new biker buddies hopped back on their bikes and yelled back at me. “Y’all are always welcome to come to our bar and hang out with us!” Probably a good thing for all of us that I didn’t quite catch the name of that bar.
It was a unanimous decision that the 9/11 Memorial would have to wait for another day and we pointed our bikes north for the 60-mile journey back to Wichita. As I as riding Janice’s Bike for the Day, my thoughts wondered to the many instances that the Kitties came to the aid of another Kitty Sister over this past season. It really is an “All for One and One for All” sisterhood. I personally have had two examples this year – the flat tire escapade and then the disabled bike of that morning. Both times my Kitty Sisters stood by me and made sure I was taken care of. I’m so very proud of the women who make the Krome Kitties who they are. Whether they be on their bikes or off, more caring women would be hard to find.
October 14th marked the official end of the Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club’s 9th season. It’s been a great year of riding and on behalf of the entire Cub, HUGE KITTY KISSES to Kathryn and Christine for giving us variety, education and fun on each and every trip. You guys rock!
Those on board for the for One for All and All for One trip were Janice, Libby, Linda, Denise, Sandy, Sue, Bobbie, Sueanne, Vicki and Susan.
Janice – KKMC Founder