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I was planning on just taking off. There had been discussion with my friends Nick and Stephan accompanying me for the first few days of my trip. We batted this idea around for a couple of days and as it ended up, I got invited to a camping trip outside of Santa Cruz on a beach with a great bunch of friends.
Brenda, my wife, met me at the apartment around 10 that morning to help me close up the place we had shared for the last seven years. It was with a heavy heart that I mounted my bike and left the woman I had expected to spend the rest of my life with standing, crying on the sidewalk.
I turned right on Haight street and tore down the hill to Nick's apartment where he and Stephan were waiting. We stood around talking for an hour or so waiting to hear from someone about something (I forget what). At this time Stephan presented me with my going away present, a brand new pair of H-D chaps that he had picked up somewhere. They dared me to wear them, I probably would have except they are too long so I need to bust out the scissors before I can wear them without falling all over myself. We finally took off to Anna and Bobs house in the Mission after a quick swing by my friend Marks place to say goodbye.
We stood around outside of A & B's place making helpful comments watching them finish loading the various vehicles for the two day camping trip. They packed enough stuff to spend a month on the moon; I figured this would be a fun trip.
After a great ride, we managed to time it perfectly, arriving at 4pm, long after the auto bound had arrived and lugged all the crap they brought out to the campsite. We set up our tents, had some beers and proceeded to cook DelMonico steaks on the grill. After dark we headed down to the beach for a bonfire. At some point before Ranger Rick drove up in his truck to throw us off the beach, Bob and Vinnie decided that it was a good idea to go skinny-dipping in the very cold water. Some things are better forgotten...
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