Whew!

OK, it could have been a lot worse. Used duct tape to attach a carbiner to the end of the shifter lever and that got me 65 miles to a Kawasaki dealer in Harrodsburg, Ky, where they installed a new one. Actually, it only got me 63 of the 65 miles there -- it fell off right before I got there -- had to change gears by tucking my toe under the broken shifter for the last two miles. C'est la vie. Really scored -- the lever was only $34 and they refused to charge labour for installing it. Did I mention that the guys at Lee's Kawasaki in Harrodsburg are really awesome?!!!!!!

The ride there from Sparta (where the Ramada Inn parking lot ate my shifter lever) was on some of the best winding roads Kentucky has to offer. Took the 127 South most of the way and it was beautiful. I got a little verklempt -- this is the part of the country where my dad grew up. He used to ride his Electraglide on some of these very same roads (before he almost rode it up the back of a semi with my mother on the back and my mother made him get rid of it). All of a sudden I was really missing my dad and wishing he were on the ride. He died more than 20 years ago but as we slalomed amid those Kentucky hills I felt a re-connection.

We had lunch after Baby was fixed and were on our way to Knoxville by 2:30. Marc insisted we stop at Colonel Sanders' birthplace. Kitschy, I know. He's a nut. I think I have a pic but am too tired to download it. Gotta get up early tomorrow because I have to do an interview first thing in the morning for an article that's due when I get back to Toronto. And then ... we're off to meet the Dragon!