I was raised by wolves. Very kind, very nurturing wolves. I love riding to a town a just barely learned the name of on a Friday, making a decision at the intersection to get myself lost 1000 miles away from home on a Saturday, and trying to figure out how the hell I can get home on a Sunday. Just ride a place and see a thing.
So I got the coolest geek present ever—–a 16 gig iPhone. This is my first post from it, from my inlaws living room. Still getting used to the keyboard, but it’s getting easier.
Had a good Christmas. So did my family. Heading to my brothers house in a half hour to hang out, then home tomorrow to go back home and get back to work
Wendy and Megan at Kirt’s in Ogden. Being silly, as usual.
Today I woke up, broomed the snow off my truck and went to work in the snow. It was awesome. I busted ass till noon, went to lunch with Erik, and low and behold as we sometimes do — we ended up at Rix and I got 2nd tat in as many days
After 33 years, I Think I've earned the right
I became a Pittsburgh Steeler fan on January 18, 1976.
That’s when I watched my very first super bowl. I watched with my father, who seemed to have an aversion to the east coast. He was a dallas cowboy fan that day, and as my father often did, he sold me on the virtues of his way of thinking. My father was interesting. He respected a man who stood on his own two feet, but if you had any doubts or waivered, he was there to shoulder that burden for you. Even at a young age I was aware of this.
That January day the Dallas Cowboys who we’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. I had no idea what was going on. Black and Gold seemed to have a nice contrasting color, and I had no idea what the west coast really was. I was just spending time with my old man. Life was good. I was 9 years old.
As I watched the game, as 9 year olds would do, I was forming an opinion on what was going on and who *I* was rooting for. I wanted to steer my own ship. I was listening to my father and I knew I was being sold a bill of goods. My father loves underlings. He loves having an ally. My father was a natural captain, and it was always clearly his ship. No one ever disputed that my father had what it took to be captain. On the other hand, Just like My Dad, I was naturally resistant to Captains.
And then it happened. It was a boring game, but the moment happened that would change my life. The game was boring as games go to a 9 year old boy. I remember some small guy tried to kick the football through the goal posts, and missed. One of the dallas guys patted the steeler guy who missed the field goal on the helmet, and a thin, skinny, white INSANE guy ran across the field, threw the Dallas guy to the ground and just…. flipped out. Apparantly the crazy Guy in black didn’t like the dipshit with the star on this helmet touching the guy who kicks balls through the giant “Y”. Another nuance that I’ve yet to see in sports outside of hockey. The referee wanted to throw him out of the game, but he ended up staying. This was getting good now.
The crazy white guy with missing teeth got mad, and took over. No one could block him. I swear to God, no one could block him! He stood behind everyone, pumping his legs up and down waiting for the plays to start, then rushed in and destroyed anyone with a star on their helmet. My dad was wrong! The guys in black are the good guys! “Did you not see the skinny guy destroy that Dallas guy dad? ” “I know everyone East of the Mississippi is a Liberal Pinko, but Dad….are you watching this guy? ” My father seemed miffed. It kept happening. Skinny guy with no teeth wins again! A feeling came over me. It was half a rebellion against my father for obviously trying to sell me, and half this crazy, sweaty toothed linebacker. I just know that right then and there, at that very moment — I became a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. I still remember it.
The steelers went on to win their 2nd super bowl in a row that day. The maniac’s name who sold me was Jack Lambert. He went on to lead the Steelers to two more super bowls, and I watched both of em. I’m not being dramatic when I say Jack Lambert changed my life. I’ve been a steeler fan ever since, and its extended into a love affair with the city of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins and someday I may even enjoy an occaisonal baseball game, if the Pittsburgh Pirates ever manage to win a game or two.
For 20 years I followed the Steelers through 3 of the 4 super bowls they won in the seventies. Then onto the 80s when they couldnt really win anything, to the day they hired Bill Cowher the year I got married and started winning again. Then finally to the day I sat and watched the Steelers win the superbowl with MY kids. I’m 41 years old, and I will be Steeler fan for life. There is no other team.
My 14 year old daughter is a true blue, died in the wool Steeler fan too. She has watched EVERY single game with me for the last 4 years, from playoff disappointments to Super bowl glory. Megan, straight up, is my hero and my best football buddy. Every sunday you will find us on the couch, with our Jerseys on, clutching footballs and waving terrible towells. It is quite possibly the finest moment in my life, and perhaps my pinnacle of fatherhood. She asked me for a ben Roethlisberger jersey for christmas the same year that she gave me an official NFL football that we still pass back and forth on sunday. This Tattoo is for her. She told me to get it.
This post is a tribute to my father, who directly and indirectly inspired me in so many ways. For that day he called me in to watch the superbowl with me, and making me look foward to the day I can share that with my kids. My family are all Steeler fans. Sundays are our day.
Here is a little summary of the guy that started it all. I present to you, Mister Jack Freakin’ Lambert:
I have a few photos hanging on the wall of my office, but my 2 favorites are General George Patton, and my autographed picture of Jack Lambert.
“If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler! . – Jack Lambert, Hall of Fame induction
Historically, December 25th was a day of pagan ritual when the sun hung lowest in the sky and at its highest point appeared to hang in the same spot for 3 days and the rotation of the solar system and our place in it was at the right distance and location to pull it off.
So I got a new tattoo. That doesn’t have anything to do with anything. I just felt like throwing that in. Christmas is a week away. Still, more random thoughts. That’s how I roll.
New Tattoo
Oh, and it snowed again today. They closed the schools, and my kids are 3 shades of excited about that. I wished I could have a snow day, but that’s not going to happen, unless it hits 3 feet deep. I doubt if st george actually DOES have snow plows, Santa Clara has none and I’d be forced to bunker down till help arrives. Maybe I’ll just not look outside and pretend that happens and work on my laptop. I’m the boss, I can do that right? haha, yeah… right.
Its been in the 30s in the morning, and I’ve pussed out and been taking my truck to work. It makes me angry. Tomorrow, I will report that I rode my bike to work. Afterall, look at this guy:
Yah, he’s on a trike, but I’m not driving in snow. Its cold thats the enemy here, not the roads. I’m starting to forget what it’s like to ride.
Penguins game tonight. Steelers won last week. Life is good. I’ve been kicking ass and taking names at work. It feels good. Im about to reorganize my company, like patton did when he showed up to take over the africa corps. I cant wait. I love the edge.
Its cold outside. Not cold enough to ride the 20 minutes to work, but cold enough that I’m not leaving at the break of dawn and heading to unknown or even known destinations at my whimsy like I like to. I could do it, but common sense tells me I’m leaving at 2 and in a motel by 6. That gets me to vegas, or maybe barstow at best. Its not touring weather.
It sucks. I really want to hit the open road. I’m trying to make the best of a cold situation, but I think my touring days are over unless I ship my bike to phoenix or Texas. Then I couln’t ride it to work and at least get my daily fix.
So I’ll prep for the spring. Hell, even EARLY spring, when its at least 60 degrees SOMEWHERE I can reach.
I’ll keep prepping. I don’t know how long I can do it without making a jump somewhere and getting myself in a freezing cold situation. I’m about to. I can only change my oil and fuck around locally so much. I want to ride.
Pat was down this weekend and I know he’s in the same boat I am in.
Winter riding, as long as theres no snow or rain is really actually kind of cool. Its a new dimension that Im starting to enjoy. ONe of the better things about riding is the smells. In the summer, you get fresh cut hay, smell the rainstorms and summer barbecues. Im starting to enjoy riding in the winter. Mostly because it brings back memories of our old wood, open fireplace when I was a kid. Alot of people in southern utah still must have em, because I can smell em in the morning. Its almost as good as a cup of coffee in the morning.
I traded Erik for a pair of winter gloves, gauntlet style for a pair of my favorite summer gloves. Im excited to ride to work in the morning with em and see how warm they keep my hands.
I had a great ride last weekend with pat. sometimes it takes me a while to decompress it all when I ride with other people because I had alot going through my mind as we took the trip, and it was all good.
Getting Gas in Overton Nevada
I got my act together by around noon on thursday, and by 1 I met up with my brother and we headed south to overton, which I knew would be our first gas stop on our way to kingman for the night. Our rooms were booked, so our destination was set.
what kept going through my head as I rode was Qui Gon Jinn, talking to a young Obi Wan Kenobi. “keep your mind on the here and now, don’t center on your anxieties”. Its funny how you sometimes recall things. That quote there, is another reason I like to ride. The road forces the here and now most times, and the here and now forms your future. Its mortar in the brick wall of why Riding is such a positive for me.
We hit Lees along the way, which has become a required stop, we talked a bit
Great Stop at Rosies Den
and I knew this ride was going to be a great one right then and there. Pat is going through a transition right now, and this ride was for him… showing him my most frequent and common path along route 66 to california, and quite honestly my favorite. I was only hoping he liked it as much as I do, because some people I show this route to don’t get it: Its varied, old and full of americana. If you’re not into those sorts of things, its just sagebrush and old buildings.
we rounded the 60 miles behind lake mead, hit hoover dam and headed into kingman for the night. It was a great ride. 40 miles before kingman we stopped and had a couple of beers and a place Ive visited a bunch but never stopped into. Going there with pat first made it perfect. Another point of view on a route I’d taken before. That night, we had a round of scotch and rested up for what I was hoping was going to be a great weekend.
DAY TWO
Oatman Road
The next morning we stopped by the harley shop, and milked a bit of time to make the ride into oatman timely. Oatman is one of my favorite stops. Not only for the winding road, but for the town itself. its a throwback, and ive seen it revive in the 20 years ive been hitting up route 66. Its doing good. we stopped into the oatman hotel for a couple beers and a long lunch, then headed out through golden shores, topock, past the colorado river and down through amboy.
Roys in amboy is doing well. They sound like gas sales are going good, and within a week or so theyll have the reverse osmosis filtering they need to get the restaurant open. From there, theyll start working on the hotel. If that happens, Amboy will replace kingman as my friday night stop for weekend rides. I try and support them as much as I can. I love the fact that the town of amboy is starting to revive. It says something about people to me.
from Amboy, we headed south and Pat pointed
Oatman Epitaph
out something I missed last time. Just a few miles south of amboy, they process chloride from the natural drainage point of the valley. We passed through and headed up to twentynine palms, through the town to get gas, and up over Joshua tree national park. The sun was in our eyes, so we missed alot, and the ride was winding down and we had 100 miles to go yet.
Just like last time, we took missed our turn and was 60 miles out of our way. Just like last time, I didnt really care. the weather was good, and aside from the initial traffic, I was enjoying the ride. we rode down through the windmill farms and into palm springs for the night, got wasted at applebees and crashed for the night. As always, I 100% enjoyed the company with my older brother.
DAY THREE
Outside the Patton Museum
We debated a few different routes, but decided to double back after going to our loose reason for taking this ride: The patton museum in Chiriaco Summit. I have been, and will always be a fan of George S. Patton. Ive read a couple of biographies on him, as well as several other books about him including his war diaries. He is a testament to recognizing what he was best at in life, as well as focus, which I believe makes anyone a “natural” born leader if he has the passion. He did. I really should invest in helping preserve this museum. The land around here is what trained men to help us win world war 2.
We stayed for about an hear, then h
Oatman Hotel at Dark
eaded back up through Joshua Tree and back up through Amboy, where we stopped and took some pictures of the chloride leeching trenches. Then made time to get back to Kingman. Oatman dies at dark. We had dinner and headed back to kingman, hit up a local bar for a couple and then crashed for the night.
DAY FOUR
Sunday morning we were both in the mindset of getting breakfast at the hotel and hitting the road to home. We had a 4 hour ride, plus pat had another 4 hours ride to get home. At overton, we parted ways and pat made miles to get home. I rode home slow, mozying back to be home by 1 to watch the Steeler game with Megan, something we’ve done for the last 4 years together.
The last thing pat said to me was “thanks, you saved my life this weekend”. I knew what he meant. He’s saved mine before. He’s got some tough decisions to make, and letting those decisions come to him and having a good ride, versus sitting around and feeling the weight of his situation is what he meant. I love my brother.
Something flipped for me this weekend. Ive always rode by myself and preferred it that way, but I have a feeling if I did it that way now I know I’d wish he was there. We work well together.
