Here is my excuse for not writing last week: I was completely unplugged from the Internet and cell service for FOUR WHOLE DAYS!

In today’s modern world, that’s nearly impossible! I enjoyed it very much and took the opportunity to recharge my batteries on one of the few off weekends of the IndyCar Series.

If you are new to the blog, I typically spend my summer weekends on the road working for the Indy Racing League. Racing is exciting, especially the IndyCar Series, but for me, it’s tough to miss out on my favorite time of the year – the summer and quality time with the fam.

About a week ago, I went out “camping” for a few days with a bunch of friends. It’s the best way to go “camping.” For the most part, everyone else sleeps in tents, and I snag a couple of 60-year old bunk beds that have nearly crippled my back.

For much of the first two days, my little guy, dog and two buddies were alone on the farm. We spent most of the time getting everything prepped and ready for “the others” and played on the four-wheelers and motos.

My little guy, Van, is only 22 months or so old, but he looooves machinery. I purchased him a small bit of moto gear – helmet, googles and a chest protector – so that he could learn to wear protection and feel like he was a big boy. The two of us spent most of the time riding around, at a slow pace, watching my buddies Phil and Jeff tear up the farm on the four-wheelers.

It was quite a good time with Van on the four-wheeler.

When everyone else showed up, including my wifey, the moto antics picked up a bit more. With a newbie on the farm, a sport quad and a few dirt bikes and a “baby sitter,” things got a little dirtier! We have video of most of it which I will share as soon as Phil gets the time to upload them somewhere.

Jeff flipped hard and managed to drive up a tree, and Greg flipped even harder on “the widow maker” turn during a five-quad race on the long course. Luckily for him, the quad didn’t squash him like a bug.

Then we went off to the woods…where I did my fair share of falling. If anyone can recall last weekend in Indiana, it was awfully muddy. Can you imagine how swampy it was in the woods?

We were tearing through creeks, mud plains, hopping trees, etc, all on an uncut or groomed trail. It was a lot of fun until I hit the wrong branch at the wrong time that completely took the bike out from underneath me.

Thank you to Aceberis for the excellent handguards!

I did, however, impress myself and do something that I’d never done before. We were all weaving through the woods, and we came across a fallen tree. I’d say that the trunk of the tree was about 2 feet or so high. I’d never truly jumped a tree without a take-off and landing area before. Typically I pop the front wheel off the ground, high-center the bike and then rock it off the other side. To be honest, that was what I was going to try to do.

Instead, I popped the front wheel over the trunk and carried enough speed that my rear wheel hit the trunk and catapulted me over the tree. I pretty much bunny-hopped it!

This trip was also a good time to test out the new pit bike. Not much action on it, but Van and I did spend time cruising around slowly. I did take the pit bike out to the flat track when some of the other guys where on the quads. I nearly got the hole-shot, but I had no chance of survival once we got into the corners. One, it was terrible slick with packed mud, which felt like ice, and two, those guys are crazy on the quads. I wasn’t about to get steamrolled. Finally, three, I was helmet-less. Not smart, so I “pulled up.”

All in all, it was a great weekend. Dirt Days with Van, the Wifey and my friends was a much-needed vacation.

P.S.: I did ride my bike on Monday for National Ride Your Bike to Work Day. The company rolled out to the 500 Grill at the Indianapolis International Airport for lunch. I’d honestly never ridden in a group that large before.

Jarrod