Letter from Michael!!

This is my friend Michael.. He waited for Vi, and I for hours as you will read in his letter. I am sorry Michael.. but not that I met you!! You are a gem of a friend, from the first moment I met you. I remember pulling into the gas station, feeling bad that we were late, and happy that you were still there.
Your are right.. instantly, I started thinking about all the things, I probably forgot..The most important thing. MY PASSPORT! I was thinking I wouldn't even get through the boarder with out it. You so gracefully, even thought you might have been pissed off at me, helped me RIPP my saddle bags, luggage rack and every other knook and cranny apart to help me find it. I was even more frantic in my mind that you could ever imagine.
Not to mention, you must have known how important my SEAT was because you got out your cleaning liquid and started to clean it up. Funny how these things come back to me as I read other perspective. Were we not all releaved after a phone call was made to Doc and she ramsacked all the stuff left behind to know it was safe and sound in the place it was suppose to be. The very last place I looked. you must have thought...This Flo is a piece of work!!!

There we are, me, you,Vi, and Dale, Sunflowers DH. We are getting ready to leave you behind after you just getting used to going with the Flo.

I have to say Michael, it may have been a short time, but very special. We had lots of laughs, even though, in 170 miles, we rode, ate, and looked at maps. You totally rule.. are really cool! I look forward to riding with you again, and thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule to go with the Flo on the Conga 1.

Sorry about the pic of you eating. you still look good, and no one would have known it. I know I drove you nutz for a short time. The videos.... I had a Flo moment and delted 90% of them by mistake...Ask me if I hate myself for that.
Love ya!!
Flo,
Getting to ride just a small portion of your Conga (about 170 miles) with you was great, even though you and Vi made me frantic waiting for you!

There I was waiting patiently in Metter, GA, while y'all go gallivanting off to South Carolina (unbeknownst to me) just so you can say you've been there.

I was expecting you between 10:30 and 11:00 am. 11:15 comes, no Flo. 11:30, I'm getting worried, has something happened, did they pass me by? I call Vi on her cell phone, no answer. 11:45, getting REAL worried! Has there been some kind of catastrophe? Did they get stopped by the cops for some reason, has there been an accident? I have my eyes glued to the freeway off ramp, almost unblinking. 12:00 comes and I have almost convinced myself that nothing has happened, it's just that you and Vi forgot about me, when I hear a couple of bikes downshifting.


Then I see a Valkyrie and a Road King appear from behind the bushes lining the off ramp and I know that y'all are okay and I haven't been forgotten. Y'all pull into the gas station with huge grins on your faces, pull up to the pumps and, just as I am about to berate you, Vi explains that y'all just HAD to make a side trip into SC because it was so close and you needed to color in the state on your map.
Okay, I can understand that. Hell, I ride, too. But ya coulda called! LOL.
While you gassed up, I cleaned your bug-spattered windshield. Then I hear you bemoan the fact that your beautiful white seat is dirty, so I clean the seat for you while giving advice about what to use to keep it that way.
Then, for some reason, you think about your passport. Where is it? All three of us begin to unpack every piece of luggage on the bike and search through all of this stuff you are carrying.
Vi calls Donna to see if, maybe, you left it at her house and is it in your other stuff to be shipped home? Well, we finally find it on the bike and it is re-packed where it can be easily found.
Off to the Taco Bell/KFC next door to get lunch where you begin to get snap-happy with your camera, even getting a picture of me eating! After lunch, more pics, this time with the bikes, and video of me and Vi planning the route (whatever happened to that one? I haven't seen it posted).
Vi convinces me that I am to be the leader on my portion of your trek (Vi-"You're gonna lead." Me-"What? Why? Vi-"Because I don't want to lead." Me-"Oookaaayyy.") Off we go to meet Sunflower in Madison, GA.
Conversations and laughter at gas stops.
Pulling into Madison 3 hours later than planned. Meeting Sunflower and her DH. More pictures (how much memory have you got for that camera? Oh, the batteries are dying. No spares? Okay, time for y'all to go.)
Watching you, Vi and Sunflower pulling out and praying y'all will be okay on this next leg to Ellijay, GA. Flo, I've only known you for a few short hours, but you've made a friend for life. If you ever need something while down this way again, call me.


Ya know that you've gotta come back and color in Alabama. Maybe we can ride together some more. I hope so.

Michael Martin
Michael if you and your wife, ever get a chance to come our way, you know you have a place to stay...Hey, I'm a poet and don't know it.