Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover

What I Did For Love

I just returned from a trip to Julian for a piece of pie. It is Labor Day and 110 degrees outside. This morning Edward asked if I would like to go on a ride with him and get a piece of pie. Well never one to turn down Apple Pie…I said yes. So off we went. Edward loves the heat and I don’t. I didn’t put on a coat but did wear gloves and my helmet with the communications in it. I had a short sleeve shirt on and my good jeans and boots. It didn’t take me long to realize that my neck was going to fry and my arms from elbow to wrist. I asked Edward if he bought water and was it cold? He said, “Yes”….We got to the Pie place and I got off the bike and nearly passed out. I was so hot…But I had the piece of pie with a huge helping of whipped cream and a glass of water. Got back on the bike and we headed home…

I thought we were going straight home…We went the long way- through Ramona to get to the Wendy’s for a shake and down to Escondido. I was so nauseous and dizzy that I thought I might fall off the bike. Every corner and curve we took made me want to throw up and I just couldn’t get cool enough. It hurt to breath. We made it home with 3 more stops so I could drink water and complain. We pulled into the garage and I got off the bike and took off the helmet….

If anyone has ever raised blood red beef stake tomatoes you will know the color of my face, neck and arms. I was soaked to the bone and barely made it into the bathroom to throw up and worship the porcelain God. For the next 20 minutes I drank ice cold water and sat on a chair and just starred out into space with a blank look on my face.

Edward then reminded me of our trip to Las Vegas and our side trip to the Hoover Dam. It was a stinking hot day that day too -118 degrees (I think it was hotter)… I had on my jacket, gloves, helmet and long sleeve shirt. If you look at the picture I have enclosed with this article, you will see a sign that says “Heat Kills” with me standing beside it. We didn’t take it on purpose but when we got it back it was appropriate. I almost died from heat stroke that day. We made it down to the Hoover Dam and Edward let me off the bike to go to the bathroom and said he and 2 of our son’s were going to tour the dam and ride across it on the bikes. (He didn’t know I was feeling sick) I found a bathroom and sat on the couch and just sat there. I didn’t know where I was and couldn’t talk. I didn’t even take off the helmet or jacket. People came and went and I could hear mothers saying not to look at me or talk to me. I guess I looked pretty bad. I just wanted to scream out and say I was a grandma and loved kids and was a regular mom.

Finally a lady came in and asked if I was all right. When I didn’t respond, she took off my helmet and jacket and was very patient with me and then started pouring water down me and putting my head under the water faucet. She did this for what seems like forever and finally asked if I was alone or was I with a group. I managed to say I was with my husband and sons and that they looked like me all dressed in leather. She went outside and returned shortly with a man. I looked up and saw my worst nightmare. You all have a vision of a “Biker from Hell”. She handed me over to him and left.

I didn’t know what to say for a few minutes and just starred at him. He spoke gently and asked if he could help me find my husband and boys. He was with a group of riders from Texas and had a few minutes to help me. Oh how I missed judged him. For the next hour he stayed with me looking for Edward. He had to leave but wished me well and a few minutes later I saw Edward and the boys.

It turns out that they had been looking for me for hours and had been told that a lady was airlifted out back to Las Vegas. One of my sons had gotten a $225.00 ticket for talking to a federal agent with an attitude and for carrying a “concealed weapon”. The other one just disappeared because he didn’t want to get into trouble and Edward had been stopped by the Federalizes for trying to lane share in AZ. They duck tapped me to the bike and the boys rode on either side of Edward’s bike to prevent me from falling off. When we returned to the hotel, Edward took of my helmet and tossed me into the shower and I sat in there for what seemed like hours and was forced to drink water forever. I didn’t go to the Valley of Fire (I thought it was the Valley of Death) the next day with the boys and was told not to leave my room and drink more water. I was glad.

The point of my story… Drink water and use common sense. Know the signs of heat stoke. Dress appropriately and hope that someone will help. Listen to Mark and Ken (our great safety officers) learn what to do in an emergency and above all, respond to little old ladies who are trying to find a husband with the description of “he looks like me all dressed in leather”, and help! It could be your wife or loved on e stuck out there.