More than I hoped for

What a day! Yesterday, I went to DMV and got the coveted permit and came home. David and I went to practice at the empty school parking lot. Things felt different, but slow turns and figure eights finally came more easily and we took a ride through the back roads. We did about twenty-five miles, with some turnarounds to practice on tight corners (that we could see around) and I felt pretty good. In the afternoon, I had PT and rode my bike through traffic for the first time. I kept in mind all the great advice I had from David and the different forums and magazines I had read and kept my eyes and chin up, continuing to look for all the signs that someone was going to pull out in front of me or rear end me, but it all turned out fine. That was a big relief. Today was the "final test" so to speak. I drove the 132 miles to Augusta and back on the "superslab," that's the interstate for you non-cyclists. David rode behind me on the way there just in case something went wrong with the bike, but nothing did. We had breakfast at Friendly's and I went off to my meeting. After the meeting, I rode home without a hitch. I did have to get gas in Augusta, but I figured the gas mileage and guess what! That's right the gas mileage on this bike is even better than I could have imagined. I got 55 mpg! That is 15 mpg more than I was planning on when I was calculating the savings I would get from having a motorcycle. I couldn't be more pleased.

The picture is of me just before I started out this morning. Helmet, jacket, gloves, and none too hot or cold.