I’ve ridden motorcycles for many, many, … many years. Every time I got on a bike, I learned new things about riding, about being a rider, about other riders.

I had stopped riding for a season, “settled down”, got married, divorced, married again. Got involved with Patriot Guard Riders in 2009. At first, I just showed up and held a flag. Then I wanted to be back on a bike and ride escort. Found one, through a friend. Rode that 2005 650 VStar for quite a while, and started riding with the Missing in America Project on that same bike, until I found (with the help of my Pastor) a 2009 Honda VTX1300T. I was in love with a big, beautiful, comfortable cruiser and I showered it with attention and accessories. Added a trunk. Added glow lights. Added marker lights. Upgraded the turn signals to be flashback driving lights also. Added escort flashers.

All through this time, my wife expressed her concern quietly, privately. I assured her that I would ride safely, that I would not get hit.

October 6th, 2021, my Honda let me down. It developed a “speed wobble” or “death wobble” – the neck bearing failed. It was in a curve, and I had no opportunity to correct it. I was thrown. The bike landed left side down in the median ditch. The fairing, tank, engine guard, left saddlebag and trunk were all damaged.

I landed in Kingman Regional Medical Center. My wife was called, and she quickly arranged care for our daughter and drove up to Kingman.

The bike has been totaled by the insurance company; I will be receiving a check for compensation. I was thinking I could fix it, “buff it out”.

What I cannot “buff out” is the look on my wife’s face when she walked into my hospital room. She had almost lost me. If not for God’s hand of grace on me, and the helmet on my head, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be here to write this.

I am not scared to get back on a bike – if I was not healing, I’d be back on one in a heartbeat. Nothing can match the feeling of riding your own motorcycle.

I am scared of the look on my wife’s face. I never want to see that look of sheer, abject fear again. She thought she might have lost me. I will not be riding again as long as she lives, not because I can’t, but because I value her peace of mind over my adrenaline.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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Today, my alarm went off at 4:30, like it has for most of the last 30 years.

Today, I went to work at a cabinet shop, like I have for the better part of 30 years.

Today, I left a cabinet shop for the last time.

I’ve been designing, building, or installing cabinets for most of the last 30 years (took three years out, while managing a toy store). Around August of this year, I realized I was tired of working in cabinets. I started casting around, knowing that I still need to provide for my family for at least another 13 1/2 years (mortgage, you know …) and into my lap fell the opportunity to be the construction manager for a property management group.

I talked it over with my beautiful bride. I prayed about it – long and hard! – and sought His will for my life. The week after Thanksgiving, I knocked on my boss’s door and had a long talk with him. I had only been working in this shop for three years, but I felt like I had finally found the shop I should have been in all along (including the time I worked for the worst boss possible – myself) and I owed him the courtesy of a long discussion. It wasn’t the money. It wasn’t the workplace. It wasn’t the people.

It was, however, time. He was disappointed. He had seen the office crew really start humming along since I came on board, he was sorry to see me go, and he said that if, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out, to give him a call, because he would take me back in a heartbeat.

I was the preliminary designer, you see, and it was my work that got approved or adjusted by the customer. I would meet with them, measure their spaces, and work with their requirements to create what they needed. I had the knowledge to keep the paperwork part organized, and the OCD-ness to stay on the customers until ALL the questions were answered. Sometimes this resulted in overly polite and extremely professional emails and phone calls basically telling certain interior designers and project superintendents to get off their butts and make some decisions, but that’s what it took!

I love making peoples dreams become realities. I will still be able to do that, but from a different perspective, and for a more limited number of people – the investors in the property management group. I am really looking forward to this next stage in my career path.

The last 30 years have been challenging. I have been injured in this industry (although I can still count to ten without taking off my shoes). I have seen coworkers fatally injured with the tools we use every day. I have had some pretty loud discussions regarding the heritage of interior designers, I have fired customers, fired people I supervised, and fired a pair of bosses once (they owned the company, and were divorced. Messy, and bipolar, and dys___ctional – meaning there was no fun there).

I have met the most talented people in this industry, some famous names have my work in their homes, and met some leaders in the entertainment and sports industries that are nothing like their public personas – and others who are the most down-to-earth and wonderful people you would ever want to meet.

The bottom line for me is – this is the end of an era, and the start of a new one.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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As long time readers know, we have dogs. None of the original pack are left, but we have Pack 2.0, plus various fosters at different times.

None of the dogs we have ever been blessed to share our life with understood the concept of sleeping in on a Saturday morning.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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A few days ago, I asked for prayers for a decision to be made, for God’s leading.

Lead me he did.

I leave you with this prayer:

I pray that you have enough:
– of The Son to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the days may appear
– rain to help you appreciate The Son even more
– happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting
– pain so that even the smallest of joys in your life may appear bigger
– gain to satisfy your needs
– loss to appreciate all that you are blessed with
– hellos to get through the final good bye.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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Up to 1774: this country faced a dependency on government largess for almost every need. The liberties of the people residing in this land were restricted and the government operated outside the rule of law, protecting and rewarding those who bought or coerced the rulers into satisfying their demands. The rulers acted as though they cared about the people, but in reality were out of touch with the day-to-day needs and actions of the general population, relying on their well-placed and well-to-do friends for information on what the people were actually doing.

1776: Independence was declared, constitutional government through a representative republic formed, freedom fought for and won from the ruling elites.

2016: this country faced a dependency on government largess for almost every need. The liberties enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights and all the Amendments were being restricted and the government was operating outside the rule of law, protecting and rewarding those who bought or coerced the rulers into satisfying their demands. The rulers acted as though they cared about the people, but in reality were out of touch with the day-to-day needs and actions of the general population, relying on their well-placed and well-to-do friends for information on what the people were actually doing.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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