Absence weakens mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind blows out candles and kindles fires. ~ Francois de la Rochefoucauld 

Saturday morning, we woke up hours before the dawn to travel for Ulysses’s first maintenance. We had several hours to ride before the dealership opened. I had checked the weather forecast. It was going to be a great day. It seemed a bit chilly, but I could dress in layers. I do have plenty of knit wear after all. It was still dark when we started up Ulysses, but I was excited to see the sunrise from the sidecar. We were prepared or so we thought.

We were prepared for hiking or snow shoeing in cold temperatures. Sitting in an uninstalled metal box at nighttime temperatures while driving at speed in the open air, we were not. We actually had to stop at one point so we could move around and allow feeling to come back into our extremities. It did make us realize we need to invest in a few heated items for riding in colder temperatures. 

The dealership had told us it would be several hours to service Ulysses so I had done a little research on fun activities in the area. I didn’t realize our loaner might not be another Ural. Fortunately, the British Hubby knows how to ride two wheels. However, this was my first time riding in the bitch seat. It was exhilarating and terrifying in a completely different way than Ulysses. 

We decided breakfast and then the local bookstore was a better way to spend a few hours instead of our planned excursion. I’m pretty sure I shivered the entire way to the dealership so I figured a little bit of carbs was necessary. We’ll see if I regret it on my run Monday morning. The British Hubby and I split a cinnamon roll and some toast (TOAST!). 

Ernie was warm and cozy instead of riding around in the cold. Smart kitty.