and other irrelevant chit-chat 
For once, the promise of a weatherman came true! The sun came out and the skies turned bright blue. We hit a gravel road or two a few miles from home and some farmland sweepers, but we were looking forward to the Catoctin area for some dual sportin' good times. Joe thought maybe I might benefit from a run through on Hawbottom since the DAMN ride would be going through there. That way I would know what to expect. I mean I've only been dual sporting on the XT a couple times so far and really only through Michaux and Frederick Watershed on pretty tame roads. Of course, I was happy just to be riding on such a pretty day...didn't care much about the destination.
I noticed Joe started slowing way down in the turns. I was usually the one slowing us down, but I was running up his ass on turns and had to roll off a couple times. That was a new experience for me lmao. Then we came out of a stretch with a couple 90's and he just stops in the middle of the road. I sighed. That's when I knew the day was about to change.
"Tire's flat," he says, in his disgusted Joe voice, looking down at his rear wheel as I rolled up beside him.
I sighed again and suggested he push it over to a nearby driveway out of the road. We examined the tire and sure enough there was a slice right through the middle of the tire:
Then, a phone call was made, directions were given and a friend with a trailer would be on his way soon.
At first during our hour wait, the mood was light and I got a smile or two out of Joe:
But, the rest of the day was pretty much this:
Finally, Joe's ride showed up and I followed them to JT in Frederick who had a tube and tire waiting.
Of course, the day's riding might have been salvaged (albeit with the Wee) if the guy had told us up front that it was going to take 2 1/2 hours instead of the "hour or so" time frame he told us. But, we had sent Dan and the truck away and were stuck at the dealer to wait. After finally getting out of there close to 2 p.m., we called it a day and headed home. Joe went to bed to try and pretend the day never happened, vowing to no longer celebrate his birthday on the actual day of his birth ever again. And I went out to get some dual sport riding in on the lawn tractor....
Hopefully, Saturday's ride will give me an actual DAMN ride report to write.
In the middle of farm fields, during the mid-day and sunny, I really doubt anything would've happened to me. 
Bad sense of time for the service mngr. Otherwise, I was thrilled they could do it the same day. Had I known, probably would've gone home and left the bike at the shop, grabbed my other bike and still had time to go out riding. Oh well, lesson learned. 
