Planning Mice

I've always wondered about the best laid plans of mice...
Our plan yesterday was to go with a group of riders to Wheeler Dam on the Tennessee River just at the Alabama boarder. Not too far. We left our house at 5:00am to meet the group which planned to be back in Centerville around 12:00 - 1:00. It takes 15 minutes to get to Centerville. We didn't meet the last person till 6:30. Still, it was just beginning to get light and it was still cool - not bad.
An hour down the road someone decided to stop at Shoney's for breakfast. Nice. Wrong jeans at this point - tight waist band - but still happy.
Wheeler Dam was eventually reached. It is not remote, but it is still isolated and in the country. The cottages built for the dam builders who were there on a more permanent basis are still there - including numbers 2 and 13 where my parents lived with Martha and Burkett in the early 40's. This is where Burkett says the primodial soup of the river entered his psyche at birth. It is still very beautiful.
Just down river is Muscle Shoals/Florence and home of Wilson Dam. My dad also worked there in the 40's. It is now in the middle of town - and what a town. Name a restaurant chain - it is there. From Krispy Kreme to Red Lobster - they had it on this one stretch of road. It was beginning to get warm. It is 11:30 by now - no way to get home by 1:00 since we're 120 miles from Centerville.
We stop once again about half way home for lunch. Finally we are getting into Centerville and the NEW story starts around 3:30. We'd been riding about 60 miles or so and the seat is getting really hot - I'm into some serious fanny fatigue and Scott decides to take the scenic route home! About 10 miles into the last 30 home I poke him and tell him to pick the next wide spot in the road - I've got to get off. Luckily, within a mile or so, we come upon the wildlife ranger's house and stop there. They aren't home. OK, we'll sit on the porch. In just a few minutes, I'm ready to ride again, we get all soaked up to go and gear back on and the bike won't start. I push Scott 5-6 times from the crown of the road into their 30' driveway - not nearly long enough to start it, before we give up and see if we can call someone to come out here in the absolute wilds of Hickman county to jump the bike. After umpty jillion phone calls - why do they have service out here and I don't at my house? - help arrives and we visit with them for nearly an hour while their truck is running and charging the battery. Great visit with friends we spend too little time with. Finally, 13 1/2 hours later, the planned six hour ride is complete and we are home. And I wonder why I never have any time to clean up around here...