Sturgis: I Don't Think So

I've had several of you ask me if I'm going to Sturgis this year. I've been saying for months now that I'm going. I think I even told one person, "Come Hell or high water, I'll be there!" Well folks, the water has just overflowed the levee and drowned me. In other words, I'll not be going after all.

Some of you know that my wife was permanently laid off a few months ago after faithfully serving the same company for 13 years. It cuts our household income in half but I was still determined to get to Sturgis.

Until...
The owner of the company I work for called me in his office yesterday. He let me in on some confidential information that was not public yet. He told me that I might want to hang on to my pennies a little tighter because everyone in the company was probably going to get a 2-week "unpaid vacation" in July. So, the money will definitely not be available for me to go.

As sad as I am about this turn of events, I know that everything happens for a reason and I'm glad that some of you will be there. Be sure to take a lot of pictures for me!!

Riders To The Rescue

"I felt so helpless sitting there protecting her spine while we waited for the ambulance to arrive," said Casey Jackman. In a letter to Dean Akey from the Rescue Riders, Casey related the story of how his wife was still in the hospital after a terrible motorcycle accident on Mother's Day weekend. He wrote of how he had nothing better than a Band-Aid and sun block to help and how he will never again be without supplies or training to take care of someone in need.

Casey's letter emphasizes how we collectively need to support each other and the importance of being prepared. The Rescue Riders is a perfect example of living these values. Dean Akey established the Rescue Rider program about 5 years ago after he was in a motorcycle accident and no fellow riders had the training to help him. The program was developed to recruit, educate and organize bikers in support of each other and the communities in which they live. Rescue Riders receive training such as Accident Scene Management and CPR certification and use these new skills wherever and whenever the need arises. Being regular participants at motorcycle events volunteering as medics, they are able to be first on the scene administering care during the vital "Golden Hour". The "Golden Hour" is the time period of about one hour in which the lives of a majority of critically injured patients can be saved if emergency care is provided.

Dean Akey has been tirelessly promoting the Rescue Riders program by traveling around giving presentations to motorcycle groups. I was lucky enough to have Dean invite me to one of his recent presentations where he teamed up with Tony and Vicki Sanfelipo from Accident Scene Management Inc. in giving the law firm of Hupy & Abraham an award for years of supporting the motorcycle community and worthy programs such as this.

Do you want to ride for a reason? Check out the Rescue Riders program by visiting their web site at www.rescueriders.org.

Sons of Anarchy - Season 2

Those of you who are jones'n for a little Sons of Anarchy, here's some candid shots from the set while shooting Season 2.

Another Morning Commute

Whoosh! A dump truck passed me going the other way. Man, I hate that! Why do they kick up the wind so much? Other trucks don't.

I looked up and noticed three geese flying parallel with the road. They seemed to be pacing me. Then they started honking as if to say, "Come on biker-guy! Let's race!" I obliged them and kicked their feathered asses.

I saw another biker up ahead. Do I know them? I sped up and realized that it was a guy that I met at a stop light last week. He's new to the area and basically has the same 30 mile commute that I do. I pulled in behind him and he gave me a nod over his shoulder to acknowledge my presence. I like riding with other bikers during the morning commute. It makes me feel safer. So, we motored down the road together but not really acknowledging each other again after the initial encounter. Rolling down the road, together yet alone. Hmm...together yet alone. A feeling that's been all too familiar to me lately.

I noticed that there are a lot of joggers out at this time of the morning. God bless 'em. I hate jogging so I admire these people. I admire their commitment to exercise that I don't have. I try but more important things always get in the way: like riding.

I turn off the main road as I head towards work. My fellow commuting biker continues up the road without so much as a head nod. Yeah, together yet alone.

Reflections From A Morning Commute

There’s a red Jeep in front of me today. Not like it’s that unusual but it catches my eye because it’s got California plates. Through the back window I can see that there’s a woman driving the Jeep and a young boy sitting in the back seat. I start wondering why they’re in Wisconsin. She’s not just passing through. She’s taking a back route that only local commuters use to avoid the highway morning gridlock. She probably just moved here and hasn’t changed the plates on her vehicle yet. Why would she move here from California? It can’t be because of the weather. Today is the first time in 6 months that the morning temperature has been above 50 degrees. So the reason has to be worse than enduring a Wisconsin winter. Maybe she left California in order to get away from an abusive relationship. Yeah, that’s probably it. She grabbed her son in the middle of the night, threw some clothes in the back of that Jeep and left town as fast as she could.

Seems like she’s checking me out. She keeps looking in her rear-view mirror when we’re stopped at the lights. Not that I blame her. I’m looking pretty good today. Wait a minute! The boy is turning around. He’s got to be about 5 or 6 years old, curly brown hair with freckles. Cute kid. He gives me a half-smile as if to say, “I like you biker-guy but you kinda scare me.” I drop my bike in neutral and give him a little wave. His little face lights up like Madison Avenue and he bares a huge toothy grin as he waves back to me. In her rear-view mirror, I can see that his mom’s face has changed and she is smiling now also. I think that I have now become their topic of conversation at dinner tonight. “Hey Mom! Did you see the man on the motorcycle wave to me?” “Yes dear. That was pretty nice.”

It gets me wondering. What effect will my little wave have on his perceptions of motorcycles? Will he forget about me by tomorrow? Or will he carry the memory of that chance encounter for the rest of his life? He is intent on watching me out the back window now as we motor down the road together. He keeps his eyes fixed on me even after they take a left-hand turn and start to drive away from me. The thought of his face lingers in my mind for a while and makes me smile.

I think it’s going to be a good day…

All Roads Lead To Sturgis

A couple of weeks ago I went to a book signing at my local H-D boutique. I picked up a copy of the book "All Roads Lead To Sturgis" by Edward Winterhalder and James Richard Larson.

Edward Winterhalder is the author of several books about bikers, the lifestyle and the outlaw motorcycle clubs. He was a member of the Bandidos M/C for several years and uses his experiences as the basis for his books.

The newest book "All Roads Lead To Sturgis" is Book 1 of a fictional series. I'm about half way through it and can't wait for the next book to come out.

Anyway, I went to the book signing. Edward Winterhalder was busy talking to folks he knew so I struck up a conversation with James Richard Larson who co-authored the book. He was a great guy to talk with and I found out that he only lives a couple miles down the road from my house. Add one more to the biker friends list!

James Larson is a real biker in his own right. This may be his first biker novel but he's lived enough of the life that he knows what he's talking about. James is the author of several previous fiction books about the Vikings.

Mid-Life Crisis: Part 2

I just got the video of my skydiving jump and wanted to share it with everyone.
Enjoy!!!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!!