This morning was the Big Texas Toy Run. It’s a motorcycle run that is held every year in N. Texas. Bikers show up in downtown Dallas, downtown FT. Worth and downtown Grapevine. Everyone who shows up must have a toy or donate $10.00. Then everyone leaves and parades to the Arlington Convention Center to donate their toys.
One year, there were approximately 50,000 bikers that participated and we raised about $750,000 in cash and toys for the kids. The turnout this year was expected to be about 70,000 bikes!!!!
Unfortunately, I was not one of them. I don’t always get to ride in the Toy Run because most of the time I am out of town. When that happens I usually buy a toy or give someone some cash that I know will be out there.
This year, though, I was home and ready to go. I had my toy, and got it all strapped to the back of the bike.
But a cold front moved in and dropped the temps. My friends were leaving out at 9:00am, which I thought was too freaking early considering how cold it was. I checked the temps and it was 22 degrees.
I put on some gear to try to stay warm – thermal undies, a wind-suit, sock, jacket liner, jacket, heavy gloves, etc. But it wasn’t enough.
I took off to meet up with my friends and made it about ½-way there before I turned back around for reinforcements. At that point my body was OK even though I was still a tad cool. The problem was that my chin and neck were seriously hurting from little exposure they had to the cold and my finger tips were stinging from being too cold.
I got back to the house and checked out my snowboard gloves, but realized I wouldn’t be able to have control of the bike so that was out. I thought to myself….I can still make it if I just take care of my face.
I got out my balaclava that I wear when I am snowboarding and it’s brutally cold. I was able to get my helmet on, but just barely and I could feel my circulation getting cut off at my neck and face from it being too tight. That wasn’t going to work.
Then I looked for a “chin skirt” – a little piece of spandex that clips on under the helmet to keep the wind off you. I know I have one, but I couldn’t find it. I looked everywhere. I even found my helmet’s instruction manuals, warranty cards, etc. No chin-skirt.
Between my neck and fingers it just wasn’t conducive to me riding and either risking frost-bite, or risking not being in control of my bike because I was too distracted, too uncomfortable, or too bundled up – take your pick.
That really put me in a foul mood because I had it all done and ready, but I just didn’t feel safe riding like that. And of course, I was now sweating profusely from being in the house and being mad.
My friend was going out that way to meet up with some other friends. He was caging it so I asked him to take my toy.
I am not having a good Christmas experience.
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