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.
This last friday I took my RV down to Mesquite to save our spots for the B.A.C.A. Toy run. My brother was going to come down but decided to stay in Vegas with his daughter, so I had the night to myself so I filled the trailer with Guinness, hit up the red Box next door, and watched a few movies and enjoyed a night off.
The next morning we had the event. It went nearly flawless. we Raised 50,000.00 for abused kids, gave away a bitchen bike, and everyone had a great time I think. Im looking foward to next year.
I think my life took a new direction today, at least confirmed the direction I was going.
I joined Bikers against Child Abuse a few months ago, and today was my first child Ride. We met a bunch of families that the chapter has been working with, present them with a few things, and take them for a motorcycle ride. Ive been as involved as I can the last few months, but today was pretty special. I met alot of innocent kids who have been preyed on by predator fucks who’d id just as soon see die than live, and these kids were awesome. I saw a bit of fear about life in some, but mostly saw the optimism and resiliency that only a kid can have.
I’ve worn alot of hats in my life, but BACA is the most noble thing ive ever done. I’ve never felt so good about an act of service in my whole life, especially when I connect with these kids. Im working with people who all feel the same way. I hope they look back on the shitty hand that they’ve been dealt and remember how heartfelt our desire to help them and keep them safe were. Its for real. I’d take a bullet for these kids without thinking twice. Theres not alot of innocence in the world, and its our job to protect the things in life that are.
I havent been riding on the weekends this month like I normally do, just because of work and other commitments, as well as its been pretty cold lately. This weekend it was warm, and earlier in the week Pat talked about trailering his bikes down to do some riding and leaving them here to do some exploring of southern utah. Ive done that here ad naseum, as most of my friends think riding to zion is a day of hardcore riding, but Pat is different. He’s like me, where he likes to explore and see new things make him curious and ride new roads to explore, so friday morning when it was confirmed that he was coming, It made my day. He showed up with his kids and friday night we hooked up and made plans to show his wife zion the next day. Robyn was ready to go too, and with my kids wanting to earn babysitting money, as well as a desire to have my kids get to know their cousins, the plan seemed to fit perfectly. In the morning, we ride.
Mental note to self: Always remember the smile on Pats face as he pulled up to the convenience store that friday on the fat boy, and how much fun he said he had on that bike. Also remember he hole shotted me three times on highway 91, even if for a few feet. Our tires both busted loose.
Robyn Me and Staci at Zion National Park
Pat slept in and we started later than I expected, but the timing was still perfect and noone cared we were getting on the road at 11. I certainly didnt. I was just excited to to go with the wives and have a good time. I found a pair of leathers in my closet that quite frankly, I have no freaking clue where they came from, but I cut them to fit robyn and once we hit the harley shop got her the boots she wanted, so the day couldnt have started any better. We left the dealership by noon and headed out towards Zion National Park. The weather and the company was just right. Good rides are effortless if the the people you are with are right.
We headed up through zion, through the tunnel. Robyn took some video on the camera: Heres on the switchbacks, stopping to take it all in:
we then rode through kanab, stopped at the buckskin tavern in Kanab for a couple, then to Pipe springs and on home. Was a good riding day. I gotta say, Staci is a GREAT rider. She handles her bike better than any of my friends, keeps great formation and was a straight up pleasure to ride with. Robyn and I both had a great time. I want to do this a bunch more. It was great to take robyn, and adding staci to the mix was perfect. Their bikes are in my moms garage, so hopefully we can sneak a few more rides in over the next few fall and winter months.
Im feeling the pull to explore today pretty bad. If I didnt have a meeting on monday I’d be on the road already. I think next weekend I need to point my bike in a direction, pack my sleeping bag and sleep out under some familiar stars with a new skyline. Im running out of time. I need to feel that feeling of a new experience. I can feel it right now.
Its getting cold. I wen to a BACA event today and it was just damn cold. For the first time in months, my truck is starting to look good. Thats not good.
I started looking into getting heated gear. Pants, socks, jacket liner. That might do it. I know I wont be able to go too long without riding, but riding to work isnt the same as touring. Theres alot to see.
On a good note, my business is turning around. If it keeps going at this rate, next summer I’ll be able to take a couple of weeks off and ride back east. Right now, thats the only warm thought I have.
Well, we made it. Pat came down thursday night, and friday morning mister sunshine finally got his legs underneath him and we hit the road and on over the utah hill. We stopped at lees to buy some scotch, sample the same, and then on to vegas, avoiding the freeway as much as we could. What the hell right? we had nothing but time.
We hit vegas, and gassed up right before we checked into the hotel to get settled and head out. The only problem is I filled up on 85 percent ethanol without noticing what I’d done. by the time it hit my injectors, I knew It wasnt going to fly on that fuel, so we had to find a place to drain it. In about a half hour, we fixe the problem, I fueled up again on shit that wasnt made out of corn and we went and got registered. Our fun wasnt over. After registering, Pat and I managed to illegally pass a vegas cop who pulled us over. Luckily he was a biker himself and very cool and even had a sense of humor:
Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do...
After that, we went over to Las Vegas Harley to see the local entertainment, then back to cashman center to check out all the vendors, which there was quite a few.
Friday night was pretty uneventful. We headed back to the hotel, grabbed some dinner and some drinks and crashed fairly early to be up by 7 to hit the poker run. The pot was $100,000, and we had as good a shot as anyone.
Saturday October 4th
Load em up, heading out...
woke up, grabbed some coffee and headed out. It had rained that night a bit, and the clouds were looking like it might again. It didnt. It was overall a helluva good day. We went and registered, made our stops at Las vegas harley for our first card and a doughnut, then out to Mt Charleston, a place I’d never visted. It was awesome. Nice and high, and you could really smell the desert from the rain that night. It smelled great, and I really enjoyed the ride up the mountain. I had a possible straight flush at that point. I was feeling lucky to be honest, and had a feeling I was gonna win the 100k. If I didnt, I didnt care. The deal Pat and I had that whoever won, we would split the money and pay off the bikes. Maybe I felt
100k Poker Run
lucky because my bike might be paid off sooner than I thought, but it wasnt because of my hand, because the next stop in south vegas screwed my straight flush up, but not a straight. The next stop screwed up my straight at the harley cafe, where we ate lunch and then pressed back to the final spot, then to cashman center where we started.
We walked around, had a few beers and I bought a novelty helmet that everyone wears in Nevada, some stickers, and we pulled out and headed back to the hotel. It was a pretty mellow weekend, but the company was great hanging out with my bro. We hit up a hooters for dinner, i lost 50 bucks at the roulette table, then went back and crashed. The next morning we were up early and opened em up, hit a steady 90 and I was home by noon. Pat was home by 4.
All in all, a great weekend.
Pat rode down today, and at the end of a particularly great week, topped off by a really positive day having his hotel right around from the office with a bar across the street really topped it all off. Tomorrow morning we’re heading down to vegas bike week.
I think I prefer glen fidditch over glen livet. Its a bit stronger on the peat side, and my self imposed graft from celtic welsh to celtic scottish almost complete in my head, im going with more peat in my diet. Peat makes the man. If you drink enough, I find myself more apt to feel like a have a proper brogue-ish scott about me. Pat would disagree, but I think my scotch of choice is fidditch.
Tomorrow morning we ride. Ill take my laptop with me and try and grab some good pictures and report from the road. This should be one for the books.
Its sunday morning, and sitting here in bed on my laptop watching easy rider and thinking I havent had a meaningful ride for a few weeks. Ive ridden every day, but not really gone anywhere but around town.
Next week is bike week in vegas. My brother will be down and we’ll hit that up, and that will count for one. Theres a poker run and Im excited about seeing the vendors.
