My Summer institute

Today is the first day at the GAETI training. Had a serious adventure just getting here like no one would believe. Took a Greyhound to pick up my electric motorcycle I kept talking with my students about in Atlanta, GA. Got a free t-shirt for this very pricey bike. Most everytime I stopped longer than a few minutes someone would ask about the bike. On the way, I was rained on in the we hours of the night/morning, went to a car lot and slept in a car that just happened to be unlocked, socks till soggy. I met a former(?) KKK member who joined the Tea-Party but says its "different from the Klan" and THAT was my cue to exit stage left! He's friend came by to admire the bike as well and when klansmen gather usually a brother's blood tends to splatter... Back on the road I decided there were 3 main places I'd charge up (restaurants, churches, and large public locations) for safety w/o my glock (of course I told the klansmen I am a member of the NRA and carrying!). I didn't b/c I took the greyhound to GA and didn't want to risk getting caught w/ it and it being a problem on the bus at all. That said I met quite a few very humane individuals. Overestimating my charge I ran out and had to push the motorcycle WITH the 60+ pound back pack with an ineffective solar generator (voltage was not in sync w/ the bike and would auto shut off). One guy helped me lift the bike on the back of his pick up truck and he dropped me off at a gas station, BUT they had no open outlet I could use, it was dimly lit and I was not loving the location which led me to the car dealership across the street. Just happened to feel on the right car door to keep me out of the elements and get some rest, bad thing was I still hadn't charged the bike but the rest gave it enough of charge to get to the bottom of a hill. Guy with a bleeding arm offered to drag me up the hill with a rope (he's white, I'm Black, this is Alabama) that thought ran through my mind, but I was like hey gotta live, so he hooked it up to his car and it work (took a mental note: Bike is an EASY tow*). Went to a church and met a decent minister, provided me w/ a root beer, internet and some rest while charging. His wife also teaches STEM who I met and the couple was very warm and inviting. He was the second person, in my series of persons I began to photograph. I started taking pictures along the way of people who would tell me, "I've never seen an ELECTRIC motorcycle before" so I'd have my bike in the picture with them and snap... Phone died before I could snap many more. Met a highway patrolman who followed me when the charged died when I was about 2 miles away from Fulton, MS. Decent guy, fellow veteran, we spoke about him coming to speak w/ my students as a guest speak and I told him about my motivation for getting the electric bike, he agreed to come or find someone else who would. Got to admit soooo much happened along the way I know I won't remember it all. One church along the way was my rejevenation church can't say much more than that BUT I am eternally thankful for that church. From Tupelo I went just a bit further to Pontotoc, MS where I came to my fork in the road (go home 1st OR go to MSU institute?) and I decided on the latter. Charged up the bike one more time in Pontotoc and headed to Starkville for the institute. It's about 4am and my stomach was doing some major flip flop skip drop kung fu fighting, felt like I had some food poisoning going on, had to make another church stop then a stop at the hospital in Pheba. 7:30am institute starts at 9 I think, bike was charging at the hospital so I knew I could make it to the college, no doubt. WRONG! I made it JUST 1 hill away from hwy 82 and 389 on 389. Found a strap on the road (re: getting a tow) and decided to keep it for life. Got another tow up and over the road to a gas station and charging up so I can travel approximately 2 miles to get to MSU, yup, just that close. Met Dr. Bracey when I saw the group gathering in preparation for a campus tour. Charged up my bike again. Soon as I sat down for longer than 5 minutes after all that driving, I was kinda dead to the world or at least in and out at best. Kinda sparked up when the person next to me pulled out the exact same Spanish textbook I used when I was in school. Dr. Bracey did too... I'm tired but I know the journey continues until I get home and begin again tomorrow..