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.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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…
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…
Saturday, May 16, 2009
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.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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!!
Enjoy!!!
CHECK IT OUT HERE!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Ready, Set, Jump!!!
Seen as how my mother lives 5 hours away, I only had to give her the obligatory phone call for Mother's Day and then the rest of the day was mine. So, what to you do when you've got an afternoon to kill?Jump out of an airplane, of course!
What a freakin' rush! It's definitely another one of those deals where "if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand". It's something that I'll definitely be doing again!
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Slimey Crud Run
I went on a run yesterday for the first time called "The Slimey Crud Run". It was a warm sunny day and everyone was ready and willing to talk about their bikes. There were over 1000 bikes there and there was something for everyone. Harley, Honda, Norton, BSA, Triumph - mostly old and really cool! It's something that I'll definitely have on the calendar for next year!
To see the official video from the newspaper and hear about the history of the Crud Run, check it out here:
http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/video/?bcpid=13960334001&bctid=22000441001
To see the official video from the newspaper and hear about the history of the Crud Run, check it out here:
http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/video/?bcpid=13960334001&bctid=22000441001
I noticed that One True Media kinda makes the pictures a bit blurry. To see better copies of my photos, you can see them here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013522&id=1041451199&l=4d6cab6d79
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