Random Thoughts

Watching it this morning.   What a great show.

I’ve been here.   Didn’t realize it till now.

I’m learning up here, never forget the jacket.     July means shit.    I’m learning that.    Down south, I hung it up for the summer.  Not so up here.    Basically, I have 1 1/2 saddlebags up here.    Spent the day with the wife and kids at Lagoon (a utah amusement park) and man, it was a bit chilly.    I live in the mountains now.

Had to explain it to cagers twice this week.      55 degrees walking to your car is a lot different than riding it on a motorcycle.

My first thought on the Aurora shooting is that my heart goes out to the innocent victims and their families. Good people, shot by a bad person. They just wanted to see a movie. My second thought is, If more of us carried legally, maybe less innocent people would have died. Pretty sure a 9 at the hands of a good citizen would have gone through that helmet. Either way, sad deal.

Missus Zip’s grandpa’s funeral was today. Found things I never knew about him. What a life. Went on a mission to Germany when Hitler had just come to power, served in the phillipines during WWII, came home, got married, built his home with his own hands, raised a family, was active in just about every community club around, and was an honest solid and genuinely good man. Tom Brokaw was right, it was the greatest generation. RIP John. Proud to have known you.

Between his mission and the war, he was the catch of a small Utah town.     He was also shy and wanted to date (his wife to be) Arlene.   He pulled in front of her house, and told the nearest family member he would like to date Arlene.   When that message reached her, she said “if he wants to court me, he’ll have to ask him himself”.     John did, and his whole life happened from there.

John and Arlene wrote love letters to each other all through his 4 year military stint.    It was through these letters that he proposed, and they eventually started their life and family together.   he was in Blythe california and told her to get a one way ticket to California, and she did.     She tells a beautiful and romantic story of her courtship.   John said “she drove me to the desert and all I could see for miles were sidewinders and cactus, so I chose the lesser evil and asked her to marry me”.

John Irwin lived to 96.   I’ve only known him for 20 years or so, and wished I’d have known him more.   He was a quiet guy, but his convictions were deep and solid.    The test of time always proves that.

Rest in Peace John.

I got off of Steppenwolf for a long time.   The whole born to be wild thing got a bit sour tasting somehow, but lately I’ve been enjoying them like I used to.       This is a great song.    I’ve had a few snowblind friends who would be cool to see again.

Andy Griffiths died this week.   Man, the first I’d heard of it I was surprised he was still alive.     He was 86 years old.   I grew up watching the Andy Griffith Show.     I’m a channel surfer to the point I drive my wife nuts, and I gotta admit, if that show is on I stop and watch.    Other than the color ones.     I don’t know why.   I don’t like seeing Opie and Aunt B in color.    Somehow it cheapened the whole thing.

Don Knotts died in 2006.     We used to watch his movies in grade school assemblies.    The apple Dumpling gang and “gus” if I remember right.   Do you remember Gus?   He was a donkey that made the football team.   The prick could kick a football.    Yeah, thats what a Utah grade school education gives me.   I have no regrets.

Andy Griffith was one of a kid.    Ever seen “a face in the crowd”?      1957 was right when rock and roll was peaking, and he held his guns to play that part.    It was almost foreshadowing of a time we’re all too familiar with now.    Ahead of its time.

Rest in Peace Andy Griffith.    86 is a ripe old age.     For a whole lotta years I’ve wished I lived in mayberrry.     I gotta think you  were honest and good through all the hollywood bullshit.      I hope others can keep your way.     Those are the people we honor, right?

Man, half way down the canyon this morning I realized I forgot a huge thing yesterday.   Hell, maybe the the most important on the list.   Sunglasses.   What was I thinking?

You got a pair that you love?   The pair I wear I’ve had 3 pairs of over the last several years.   Only lost one pair, and the others just got too scratched up to see through so I replaced em.   I don’t know the name of em, but when I see em in the dealership I snatch up a spare pair if I’ve got the money.

They have strong hinges and I’ve never had to do that thing where I stick a toothpick in where the screw worked out to keep em going.   The shade is just right – not too dark and not too light.   They’re tall enough they deflect a lot of wind.    I hope I can keep finding pairs of these over the years.

For clears, I got some ones I really like for fathers day.   Transitional lenses, and although not dark enough for my taste during the day, they’re killer at night.   By panoptyx, before they got bought out by 7eye:

I have terrible night vision.   I don’t know why, but cheap clears at night just fuck with my head.   Like I can’t process the info thats getting thrown at me.   Plus, to be honest I don’t want to die at night because I didnt see something.   Your reaction time is so much shorter at night, so I’ll always stick with more expensive clears than regular glasses.    These have the eye cups which are nice when you take the windshield off.    I don’t get watery eyes so bad and have to stop from the wind.    Ive had these for a few years, and they’re solid.    Hats off to whoever you are now….   I like how you make glasses.

I really want a third pair.   For rain.   I’ve been eyeing those pugz goggles you see in Maverik’s and 7-11’s.    They’re cheap, but I gotta think for rain glasses they’d be the best investment in the world.   maybe I’ll get a pair for 13 bucks and  have my kids hit me with the garden hose as I run up and down the street.   They’d love that.     Thats real life beta testing yah?    Ya gotta think it’d work.

I have a few other pairs in my little hutch in the garage I keep my bike treasures.    I got old maps in there, bungee cords of varying sizes, spare sunglass cases, I think a few toothbrushes and tools, and 2 more pairs of sunglasses that somehow I horse traded over the years with other bikers.    One of em are expensive Vuarnet’s with these deep ass eye cups.  I don’t know where he got them, but the lenses are great and you could eat a small bowl of cereal out of those eye cups.   Great in the wind.   Maybe good in the rain.    I should give those a second try, maybe tomorrow.    I also got a cheap pair that  I keep when I missplace my good ones, and they’ll always be there when I get too impatient to keep looking and I just wanna get the bike out of the garage.

I think tomorrow I’ll talk about long ride saddle bag must-have’s.     Most of what I need I’ve committed to memory, and about half of that I don’t bring because I get ants in my pants or just plain forget.    Maybe my wife is right….   Maybe, but I’ll be damned if I ever admit that to her.

You got a preference on what kinda shades you wear when riding?

Man, I’ve been in a writing funk for months.

I just decided, right now that I’m going to write a blog post every night till I get it back.     This is the first.

I’m not sure why.    To be honest, life has never been better, but I dare should say when i’ve been more involved and working.   I’m in a spot now where, when this next goal is over, I’m going to take some time out and get me a ride in.   I just can’t right now.     Too many people are relying on me and a weekend off isn’t happening.    All good.   I’ve had the opposite before.

See you tomorrow.   Motherfuck, I’ll get my mojo back.   Even if just writing about it gets me to riding somewhere, smoking a fat cigar under the stars with my bike pinging and cooling down next to me.