As I'm writing this blog, mother nature is dumping bazillions of her little snowflakes in my yard. It's amazing how something as tiny as a snow flake can become such a pain in the ass! It can't come visit without bringing a few gillion of it's best friends along.
********
The Holidays are upon us. Our kids and grand kids are anxiously waiting for Christmas to come. Christians around the world are ready to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Presents are placed under the Christmas Tree to be given in love to family and friends. Christmas is a good time to reflect on all the blessings God bestows upon us. Life is good.
*******
2008 was a great year for the NLMC. Our new membership has swelled our ranks to record levels. We finally have a parking lot where we can park our bikes and cars without concern of them being sucked into a quagmire of mud. Despite threatening weather, we had a successful bike blessing and are looking forward to a better one this spring. Long riders completed the epic Alaska Run and Big Red made a good part of it before breaking down. That's not bad for an '84 Evo with over 100K on it.
*******
May we all share a special bond of love for one another in the upcoming year.
*******
Gray Beard
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
It's Hard To Be Humble
30 members of the New London Motorcycle Club gathered to ride in the Niantic Light Parade. This event proved, once again, the value of hard work and preparation on the part of our drill team.
Our elite five put on a demonstration of precision riding that left spectators spellbound. Extremely positive feedback, complimenting us on our riding skills and our ability to put on a great show, was overheard by several club members who came to watch and support our parade entry. Just wearing The Club Patch that evening made you a celebrity.
What can you say about this kind of club recognition?
Well, I know one thing for sure.
It makes me darn proud to be a member of the
N L M C!
Gray Beard
Our elite five put on a demonstration of precision riding that left spectators spellbound. Extremely positive feedback, complimenting us on our riding skills and our ability to put on a great show, was overheard by several club members who came to watch and support our parade entry. Just wearing The Club Patch that evening made you a celebrity.
What can you say about this kind of club recognition?
Well, I know one thing for sure.
It makes me darn proud to be a member of the
N L M C!
Gray Beard
Monday, December 1, 2008
Build a better club, and they will come!
Down to 67 members and bills to pay.
That's what Jim Moran and his crew were faced with, 4 1/2 years ago.
Today we are flourishing with a close to 180 members on our club's roles.
There is a story here.
I want to share it with all our members, new and old, for there is an important lesson to be learned.
When Jim took over the helm, we all knew survival of the NLMC was dependent upon hard work, cooperation and above all, a positive, can do attitude. We wanted our club to prosper, but knew it wouldn't be easy.
One thing was obvious to us: We had to stop the dissention to attract new members.
Over the years, our club has transformed itself several times. Originally an Indian M/C club formed by Ralph and Ruth Strong, it grew to accept European bikes, British Bikes, and Japanese bikes. However, at any given time, one bike seemed to be dominant. Indian, BMW and then Honda Gold Wings were the dominate bikes in our club. This worked out OK because all bikes were "welcome" to join us for a ride.
Unfortunately, a few members who rode the dominant bike, tended to get an attitude. They associated with other members who rode the same kind of bike and basically ignored members who rode a different machine. Some of them wouldn't be shy about saying any other kind of bike in the parking lot wasn't "a real motorcycle" and sometimes referred to them as crap.
Needless to say, this caused a lot of hard feelings and arguments.
This is what I walked into five years ago.
The "old guard" rode Goldwings, Silverwings and BMWs. They liked quiet bikes, Gortex and insisted on helmets. They're motto was "ride your own ride" and did so whenever they had a "group" ride. Spread over different zip codes and time zones, they kept in touch through CB radios and cell phones. Eventually, they would find each other and share a meal. They would then split up and head home.
When Jim decided to become a Road Captain, he didn't even know the club had a Road Captain. He won the next election and set up rides. Guess what? Nobody came! They didn't like the idea of organization in any way.
Well, that didn't set will with Jim. He decided to bring in new members and would invite riders to join in on the fun. I was checking Nasty out at Dunkin Donuts in Montville. This rugged looking guy came out and started talking to me. Before I ordered my coffee, he had me interested in checking out the club.
Jim brought in several new members, I brought in some and the new guys invited their friends to join in on the fun. Before you know it, we had a darn good looking line of bikes to ride with on Sunday afternoons.
This didn't set well with the old guard. They saw more and more bikes with loud pipes and riders without helmets show up on meeting nights. What happened next was ugly.
Thursday night meetings became contentious. Members argued over everything the new guys were trying to do to improve the club. We lost many good people because of it. Some of the new guys left in disgust. That was tough to take.
The old guard finally left in a huff, "knowing" we would fall on our collective butts without their "help". But, Jim had something they didn't have, a core group of stubborn bikers that were determined to turn things around.
Today, you see the results of our efforts.
Our formula for success is simple: respect the club and fellow members, show the patch, encourage bikers to check us out and give all our guests a warm welcome. Show respect for their ride and let them know we appreciate them joining us.
As long as we keep this in mind, the NLMC will continue to grow and flourish!
Gray Beard
That's what Jim Moran and his crew were faced with, 4 1/2 years ago.
Today we are flourishing with a close to 180 members on our club's roles.
There is a story here.
I want to share it with all our members, new and old, for there is an important lesson to be learned.
When Jim took over the helm, we all knew survival of the NLMC was dependent upon hard work, cooperation and above all, a positive, can do attitude. We wanted our club to prosper, but knew it wouldn't be easy.
One thing was obvious to us: We had to stop the dissention to attract new members.
Over the years, our club has transformed itself several times. Originally an Indian M/C club formed by Ralph and Ruth Strong, it grew to accept European bikes, British Bikes, and Japanese bikes. However, at any given time, one bike seemed to be dominant. Indian, BMW and then Honda Gold Wings were the dominate bikes in our club. This worked out OK because all bikes were "welcome" to join us for a ride.
Unfortunately, a few members who rode the dominant bike, tended to get an attitude. They associated with other members who rode the same kind of bike and basically ignored members who rode a different machine. Some of them wouldn't be shy about saying any other kind of bike in the parking lot wasn't "a real motorcycle" and sometimes referred to them as crap.
Needless to say, this caused a lot of hard feelings and arguments.
This is what I walked into five years ago.
The "old guard" rode Goldwings, Silverwings and BMWs. They liked quiet bikes, Gortex and insisted on helmets. They're motto was "ride your own ride" and did so whenever they had a "group" ride. Spread over different zip codes and time zones, they kept in touch through CB radios and cell phones. Eventually, they would find each other and share a meal. They would then split up and head home.
When Jim decided to become a Road Captain, he didn't even know the club had a Road Captain. He won the next election and set up rides. Guess what? Nobody came! They didn't like the idea of organization in any way.
Well, that didn't set will with Jim. He decided to bring in new members and would invite riders to join in on the fun. I was checking Nasty out at Dunkin Donuts in Montville. This rugged looking guy came out and started talking to me. Before I ordered my coffee, he had me interested in checking out the club.
Jim brought in several new members, I brought in some and the new guys invited their friends to join in on the fun. Before you know it, we had a darn good looking line of bikes to ride with on Sunday afternoons.
This didn't set well with the old guard. They saw more and more bikes with loud pipes and riders without helmets show up on meeting nights. What happened next was ugly.
Thursday night meetings became contentious. Members argued over everything the new guys were trying to do to improve the club. We lost many good people because of it. Some of the new guys left in disgust. That was tough to take.
The old guard finally left in a huff, "knowing" we would fall on our collective butts without their "help". But, Jim had something they didn't have, a core group of stubborn bikers that were determined to turn things around.
Today, you see the results of our efforts.
Our formula for success is simple: respect the club and fellow members, show the patch, encourage bikers to check us out and give all our guests a warm welcome. Show respect for their ride and let them know we appreciate them joining us.
As long as we keep this in mind, the NLMC will continue to grow and flourish!
Gray Beard
Sunday, November 30, 2008
To Trike Or Not To Trike?
As a club, the majority of us are seasoned riders with many miles under our belt. We love Being In The Wind and the Call Of The Open Road. New adventures await us around every turn, especially if we're following Tom. He keeps things interesting.
There comes a time in all riders lives when they realize they can no longer handle a two wheeler safely. Most often, this is due to physical limitations we face as we wander through the golden years. Unfortunately, some of us face this earlier in life than we figured on. When we get to this point, most of us find out it's darn hard to hang up our chaps. They've become too much part of our lives to part with.
Oh, I personally know some Gold Wingers I rode with in the 80's and 90's who gave up their bikes and bought motor homes. You probably passed them while they clogged up highways and byways across our great land. But, is this the way we want to go?
I think not!
So, what's our alternative?
In the future, we will undoubtedly see more of our members riding trikes.
Once they begin riding them, they find out that though they do give up the fun of leaning through serpentine turns, there are definite advantages of riding a three wheeler.
First, they will enjoy having better traction on all road surfaces. Increased luggage capacity along with being able to pull a trailer without adversely affecting the handling of the ride are a couple of more benefits if riding a three wheeler.
.JPG)
Trikes are serious machines in their own right. They deserve all the respect motorcycles get both on the road and in our club house.
I enjoy riding with everyone who rides them.
Gray Beard
There comes a time in all riders lives when they realize they can no longer handle a two wheeler safely. Most often, this is due to physical limitations we face as we wander through the golden years. Unfortunately, some of us face this earlier in life than we figured on. When we get to this point, most of us find out it's darn hard to hang up our chaps. They've become too much part of our lives to part with.
Oh, I personally know some Gold Wingers I rode with in the 80's and 90's who gave up their bikes and bought motor homes. You probably passed them while they clogged up highways and byways across our great land. But, is this the way we want to go?
I think not!
So, what's our alternative?
Trikes!
In the future, we will undoubtedly see more of our members riding trikes.
Once they begin riding them, they find out that though they do give up the fun of leaning through serpentine turns, there are definite advantages of riding a three wheeler.
First, they will enjoy having better traction on all road surfaces. Increased luggage capacity along with being able to pull a trailer without adversely affecting the handling of the ride are a couple of more benefits if riding a three wheeler.
.JPG)
Trikes are serious machines in their own right. They deserve all the respect motorcycles get both on the road and in our club house.
I enjoy riding with everyone who rides them.
Gray Beard
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
"Real Bikers"
I like playing with words.
What I like best is words have a different meaning to different people.
Some words have dual meanings. Comedians make a living out of that.
George Carlin is my hero!
Esoteric words have a specific meaning to a particular field and are seldom used else where. Economist talk in terms of utils (units of utility). Electrical technicians measure resistance in ohms (units of resistance). Accountants encumber funds and amortize assets.
Phrases also have different meanings to different people. To a pilot, In The Wind means fighting a head wind. To a sailor, this means a lot of tacking is in order. To a biker, it means the freedom to ride the open road.
However, there is one phrase that troubles me. It's meaning sometimes eludes me.
What I like best is words have a different meaning to different people.
Some words have dual meanings. Comedians make a living out of that.
George Carlin is my hero!
Esoteric words have a specific meaning to a particular field and are seldom used else where. Economist talk in terms of utils (units of utility). Electrical technicians measure resistance in ohms (units of resistance). Accountants encumber funds and amortize assets.
Phrases also have different meanings to different people. To a pilot, In The Wind means fighting a head wind. To a sailor, this means a lot of tacking is in order. To a biker, it means the freedom to ride the open road.
However, there is one phrase that troubles me. It's meaning sometimes eludes me.
"Real Biker"
Dah..................
Dat's one I should know.
But, really, what is a real biker?
T T Riders (tavern to tavern) must think it's all about "the look". The machines they ride look like they would break my butt after 100 miles. Their rags wouldn't give me much protection if I went down. But, they look like real bikers, so they must be, don't you think?
Well...
Then there is the Vanilla Bean Crowd. You know who I'm talking about. They ride fine, European machines that cost more to maintain than a panhead. They insist in riding in expensive full leather body suits (the look, you know). It's really fun to see them on a 100 degree day try to act "cool". But, they must be "real bikers" don't you think?
Well...
Then there are those hearty souls who ride with the NLMC. Long riders (Canada, New Found Land or Alaska anyone?). Or, how about those crazies who ride 80 miles on a day that starts out at 17 degrees and ends up in a 35 degree heat wave? Oh, they aren't in it for "the look", unless layers of clothing and gauntlets turn you on. They ride Harleys, Gold Wings and metric cruisers. Nothing special, but durable and solid. They ride with windshield and saddlebags, not necessarily good looking but functional. Can these guys be the elusive "real bikers"?
Hmmm.
I'll have to ponder that.
Gray Beard
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Have you ever considered what makes the NLMC such a great success?
What do we have that other clubs don't have?
What do we offer riders that no other club in our area offers?
I pondered this and consulted the great oracle.
Here's what we came up with:
1. We have a club house and put it to good use.
2. We get together around 50 times a year to socialize and take care of business.
3. We ride as a club over 144 times a year, not including parades and honor guard missions.
4. Chef Douton and crew offers great home cooked meals before every meeting during the cold weather months. He packs the clubhouse and we all enjoy a night out together.
5. We support all who serve in our armed forces. We honor our vets. That makes us proud!
6. We are there when our brother clubs sponsor events to help those in need and they support our events. This brotherhood goes beyond the patch we so proudly wear.
7. When one of us faces the misfortune of an accident or a medical problem, club members show up and do what needs doing. No one ever need ask, we're there!
8. We have a dedicated and seasoned e-board that works hard for the good of the club.
9. We have committee chairs that know how to get the job done.
10. The spirit of volunteerism in our club is incredible. All we need to know is something needs doing. When the day comes the job is to be done, a whole bunch of us show up and we end up tripping over each other to lend a hand.
Leadership inspires membership and membership makes us the club that we are. !
No other club can offer this and none ever will. We are that special and all of us have a
hand in it!
Bottom Line:
Each and every one of us help make the
NLMC the great success that it is!
Gray Beard
What do we have that other clubs don't have?
What do we offer riders that no other club in our area offers?
I pondered this and consulted the great oracle.
Here's what we came up with:
1. We have a club house and put it to good use.
2. We get together around 50 times a year to socialize and take care of business.
3. We ride as a club over 144 times a year, not including parades and honor guard missions.
4. Chef Douton and crew offers great home cooked meals before every meeting during the cold weather months. He packs the clubhouse and we all enjoy a night out together.
5. We support all who serve in our armed forces. We honor our vets. That makes us proud!
6. We are there when our brother clubs sponsor events to help those in need and they support our events. This brotherhood goes beyond the patch we so proudly wear.
7. When one of us faces the misfortune of an accident or a medical problem, club members show up and do what needs doing. No one ever need ask, we're there!
8. We have a dedicated and seasoned e-board that works hard for the good of the club.
9. We have committee chairs that know how to get the job done.
10. The spirit of volunteerism in our club is incredible. All we need to know is something needs doing. When the day comes the job is to be done, a whole bunch of us show up and we end up tripping over each other to lend a hand.
Leadership inspires membership and membership makes us the club that we are. !
No other club can offer this and none ever will. We are that special and all of us have a
hand in it!
Bottom Line:
Each and every one of us help make the
NLMC the great success that it is!
Gray Beard
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gray Beard knows, "Iffy can be good"
Gray Beard has heard the word, several times, at our club house.
The weather this Sunday is iffy.
It's hard to plan a ride when the weathers looks iffy. Yet, our intrepid Road Captain, GPS Tom, does a good job handling this iffy thing. When weather looks threatening, he checks Doppler Radar and heads for the sun. Sometimes a little rain is involved, but without sun and rain, we'd never see a rainbow!
Tre has a saying, "If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride"
That works for Gray Beard.
Sunday, he headed out ready for what ever the gods of sun and rain had to bless us with. But, guess what? Sunday, iffy turned out to be great! Riding with several brothers and sisters over beautiful, winding country roads was just the tonic his aging gizzard needed to really feel good! After enjoying the ride, he was ready to put the feed bag on. Of course, he wasn't disappointed. Our Road Captain always sniffs out where the good eats are at.
While enjoying a good and peaceful meal, Tre defoliated in public! She let it be known, one of our brothers went wide when leaving the D&D parking lot at the beginning of the run. Our teacher of how to ride rubber side up, Tom, held class right then and there. With a lamb gyro going limp in his hand, Gray Beard listened to Tom enlighten one and all how to pull out of a parking lot. Smiling, Gray Beard nodded, realizing he was, once again, spot on.
The ride home was relaxing and uneventful. A small stretch of 395S was lightly traveled and allowed us to roll along briskly. Good enough! We don't want carbon build up, do we?
Banquet Report
Great Food
Great Turnout
Good DJ
Good Drinks
What more is there to say?
Well......
Gray Beard ended his evening early, knowing he was going to ride the next day. Listening to other riders at D&D the next morning, he found out several of our younger and more viral members shut the house down. Good Going Guys!
Our group came dressed comfortably and ready to party. Road Captain Tom, was dressed to the hilt (who would expect any less) and his long suffering wife Donna looked stunning. We can be proud of all our club sisters, as they really looked good and had a great time!
Bob Douton won the Presidents Award. Talk about a guy that works hard for the good of the club! His meals pack our club house on meeting nights during the cold weather months!
Laughter was the predominant sound of the night
Charlie Kay won the coveted Dauntless Rider Award. He earned it the hard way, with his head! He is also able to wear the distinguished upside down deer with a broken leg pin! Good Going Charlie!
Could it get any better than this?
Yup!
Charlie was presented with a special pin and medallion for all the great things he has done for our club this past year. Most folks aren't aware of a lot he does because he's one of the guys that works behind the scenes. He doesn't like to bring attention to himself. That he was the only one who got a standing ovation for the night was really right way to let him know how we feel about him.
Good tunes kept things festive and Judy did a great job with the raffle.
Charlie cleaned up there too!
Mrs. Gray Beard won a "Dash Board Duster". Gray Beard is still trying to figure out how women think. Why didn't she go for the S90, or the quartz lamp, or............
Well, that's the way it was.
We owe our banquet committee chairperson, Judy Moran, a standing "O" the netime she joins us at our clubhouse. Steve and his wife Elaine were active all night long making sure things went smoothly. Gray Beard is sure there are others who pitched in and thinks we should all let them know how much we appreciate their service.
Ride Free Ride Safe Ride Often
Gray Beard
The weather this Sunday is iffy.
It's hard to plan a ride when the weathers looks iffy. Yet, our intrepid Road Captain, GPS Tom, does a good job handling this iffy thing. When weather looks threatening, he checks Doppler Radar and heads for the sun. Sometimes a little rain is involved, but without sun and rain, we'd never see a rainbow!
Tre has a saying, "If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride"
That works for Gray Beard.
Sunday, he headed out ready for what ever the gods of sun and rain had to bless us with. But, guess what? Sunday, iffy turned out to be great! Riding with several brothers and sisters over beautiful, winding country roads was just the tonic his aging gizzard needed to really feel good! After enjoying the ride, he was ready to put the feed bag on. Of course, he wasn't disappointed. Our Road Captain always sniffs out where the good eats are at.
While enjoying a good and peaceful meal, Tre defoliated in public! She let it be known, one of our brothers went wide when leaving the D&D parking lot at the beginning of the run. Our teacher of how to ride rubber side up, Tom, held class right then and there. With a lamb gyro going limp in his hand, Gray Beard listened to Tom enlighten one and all how to pull out of a parking lot. Smiling, Gray Beard nodded, realizing he was, once again, spot on.
The ride home was relaxing and uneventful. A small stretch of 395S was lightly traveled and allowed us to roll along briskly. Good enough! We don't want carbon build up, do we?
Banquet Report
Great Food
Great Turnout
Good DJ
Good Drinks
What more is there to say?
Well......
Gray Beard ended his evening early, knowing he was going to ride the next day. Listening to other riders at D&D the next morning, he found out several of our younger and more viral members shut the house down. Good Going Guys!
Our group came dressed comfortably and ready to party. Road Captain Tom, was dressed to the hilt (who would expect any less) and his long suffering wife Donna looked stunning. We can be proud of all our club sisters, as they really looked good and had a great time!
Bob Douton won the Presidents Award. Talk about a guy that works hard for the good of the club! His meals pack our club house on meeting nights during the cold weather months!
Laughter was the predominant sound of the night
Charlie Kay won the coveted Dauntless Rider Award. He earned it the hard way, with his head! He is also able to wear the distinguished upside down deer with a broken leg pin! Good Going Charlie!
Could it get any better than this?
Yup!
Charlie was presented with a special pin and medallion for all the great things he has done for our club this past year. Most folks aren't aware of a lot he does because he's one of the guys that works behind the scenes. He doesn't like to bring attention to himself. That he was the only one who got a standing ovation for the night was really right way to let him know how we feel about him.
Good tunes kept things festive and Judy did a great job with the raffle.
Charlie cleaned up there too!
Mrs. Gray Beard won a "Dash Board Duster". Gray Beard is still trying to figure out how women think. Why didn't she go for the S90, or the quartz lamp, or............
Well, that's the way it was.
We owe our banquet committee chairperson, Judy Moran, a standing "O" the netime she joins us at our clubhouse. Steve and his wife Elaine were active all night long making sure things went smoothly. Gray Beard is sure there are others who pitched in and thinks we should all let them know how much we appreciate their service.
Ride Free Ride Safe Ride Often
Gray Beard
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gray Beard Seeks Enlightenment
I got this straight from the Great Oracle:
Question: "Oh great one, what is in our future?"
Oracle scratches his bald head, then piously responds:
"As far as the NLMC is concerned, it's in for the greatest year ever! An experienced e-board is in place and appointments are being made based on members' willingness to serve for the good of the club and the individual abilities they bring to the table."
"The club will have no problems filling chairmanship positions in charge of committees that serve the needs of the club and volunteers for these committees will be plentiful!"
"The proven administration of Jim Moran will start it's new term with membership roles at an all time high and they will continue to grow through the upcoming year."
"A great time will be had by all at the club banquet this coming Saturday and also at the club's Christmas Party"
The Great Oracle finished with, "Everything about this club will just get better and better!"
I felt a glow of warmth overcome me.
I knew all was going to be well with our club.
I offered many thanks and left on my putt, smiling and pondering: "Now, if the can just get it right in Washington!"
Gray Beard
Question: "Oh great one, what is in our future?"
Oracle scratches his bald head, then piously responds:
"As far as the NLMC is concerned, it's in for the greatest year ever! An experienced e-board is in place and appointments are being made based on members' willingness to serve for the good of the club and the individual abilities they bring to the table."
"The club will have no problems filling chairmanship positions in charge of committees that serve the needs of the club and volunteers for these committees will be plentiful!"
"The proven administration of Jim Moran will start it's new term with membership roles at an all time high and they will continue to grow through the upcoming year."
"A great time will be had by all at the club banquet this coming Saturday and also at the club's Christmas Party"
The Great Oracle finished with, "Everything about this club will just get better and better!"
I felt a glow of warmth overcome me.
I knew all was going to be well with our club.
I offered many thanks and left on my putt, smiling and pondering: "Now, if the can just get it right in Washington!"
Gray Beard
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Back In The Wind
YEAH!
Get ready for some sage advice!
BACK IN THE WIND AT LAST!
My 2008 riding season can be described in a few, well chosen words. Unfortunately, I dare not put them into print, as I have a few people tricked into thinking I'm a nice guy.
Actually, my riding season was divided into two periods: January 1st to Mid March and October to present. I spent the intervening months hallucinating from Oxycontin, getting married and hanging out waiting for my broken leg and sternum to heal. My Harley had it's way with my leg (bad Harley) and a surgeon had his way with my chest (valve job and a double bypass). The healing went along well and the marriage seems be too.
So, to be truly happy, all I had to do was find a way to get back in the wind.
I found out two things when dealing with doctors and nurses. 1: They don't understand the need to ride the open road. 2. They look at bikes as donor cycles. So, naturally they will advise us not to ride as long as they feel they can keep our butts off our putts.
Working for a nursing agency for 25 years gave me an advantage: Knowning how to talk to medical "professionals". To get what you want, it's all in how you ask.
Example:
Wrong way to ask.......
Biker: "When can I ride again, doc?"
Doctor: shaking his head as he looks down and says in a condesending manner, "Next year, if you're up to it!"
Biker: hangs head as he pictures himself folding laundry all winter long
Right way to ask.....
Biker: "So doctor, when can I resume my usual activities of daily living?"
Doctor: beams with pride over his good work and how well the patient's recovering and says, "Go back to what you do. Take it easy. No heavy lifting. Listen to your body and let it be your guide!"
Not one to go against my good doctor's orders, I made sure my C90 was easy to lift of the kick stand and I am taking it easy. I haven't been over 75 since my heart surgery.
Oh yeah, I'm listening to my body. It's saying, "Life is good!"
So, that's how you can reduce your butt off the bike time from 6 months to 2 1/2 months, with your cardiac doctor's knowledge and approval.
I offer this valuable lesson for the good of the club.
The Oricle
================================================
09/21/08 The Club supports the National Guard Troops
The City of New London and National Guard hold a collection to send items to the troops in Iraq and Afganistan, the New London Motorcycle Club rides in support
********************************************
Disclaimer: The opinions and or statements published in this blog are those of it's editor and do not necessarily represent those of the New London Motorcycle Club or it's members
Get ready for some sage advice!
BACK IN THE WIND AT LAST!
My 2008 riding season can be described in a few, well chosen words. Unfortunately, I dare not put them into print, as I have a few people tricked into thinking I'm a nice guy.
Actually, my riding season was divided into two periods: January 1st to Mid March and October to present. I spent the intervening months hallucinating from Oxycontin, getting married and hanging out waiting for my broken leg and sternum to heal. My Harley had it's way with my leg (bad Harley) and a surgeon had his way with my chest (valve job and a double bypass). The healing went along well and the marriage seems be too.
So, to be truly happy, all I had to do was find a way to get back in the wind.
I found out two things when dealing with doctors and nurses. 1: They don't understand the need to ride the open road. 2. They look at bikes as donor cycles. So, naturally they will advise us not to ride as long as they feel they can keep our butts off our putts.
Working for a nursing agency for 25 years gave me an advantage: Knowning how to talk to medical "professionals". To get what you want, it's all in how you ask.
Example:
Wrong way to ask.......
Biker: "When can I ride again, doc?"
Doctor: shaking his head as he looks down and says in a condesending manner, "Next year, if you're up to it!"
Biker: hangs head as he pictures himself folding laundry all winter long
Right way to ask.....
Biker: "So doctor, when can I resume my usual activities of daily living?"
Doctor: beams with pride over his good work and how well the patient's recovering and says, "Go back to what you do. Take it easy. No heavy lifting. Listen to your body and let it be your guide!"
Not one to go against my good doctor's orders, I made sure my C90 was easy to lift of the kick stand and I am taking it easy. I haven't been over 75 since my heart surgery.
Oh yeah, I'm listening to my body. It's saying, "Life is good!"
So, that's how you can reduce your butt off the bike time from 6 months to 2 1/2 months, with your cardiac doctor's knowledge and approval.
I offer this valuable lesson for the good of the club.
The Oricle
================================================
09/21/08 The Club supports the National Guard Troops
The City of New London and National Guard hold a collection to send items to the troops in Iraq and Afganistan, the New London Motorcycle Club rides in support
********************************************
Disclaimer: The opinions and or statements published in this blog are those of it's editor and do not necessarily represent those of the New London Motorcycle Club or it's members
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)