“Keep The Rubber Side Down”

The countdown begins! Sunday kicks off the last seven days my youngest son will be living in my home as a child. On Sunday, June 2, Ethan will fly to Paris Island for three months of boot camp and graduate as a United States Marine. Immediately following graduation, Ethan will head directly to the University of Findlay, to commence his freshman year.

As all of you who have faced this situation understand, there is a part of me looking forward to his maturation and the continuing of our relationship as man to man. Yet there is another part of me screaming for the hands of time to stand at attention, demanding the years roll back to the time he was innocent, protected, and pliable. Ultimately I know he needs to go, to explore, to experience, alone with only the lessons we have instilled in him and as always leaving him in God’s care. Thereby knowing he will be fine no matter what!

One of the fundamental purposes of this site is to encourage others to not only enjoy cycling, but life.  It is so easy for our lives to become only an existence, to live on cruise control, if you will.   We get so busy just trying to get through the day we often fail to invest any energy in much else.

So as we approach this holiday weekend, I hope you will make an investment in the people around you who ultimately make life; well, LIFE!  

By…

• really listening to your spouse or significant other.
•  having a conversation with your kids.
• helping a neighbor with a small project.
• calling your mom.
• connecting with a buddy you’ve lost touch with.
• taking a solo ride.

This morning my youngest leaves for Costa Rica.  I hate that I am not there for the send off, but I spoke with him this evening and he is anticipating a fantastic time!  Have a great trip Ethan, I will see you in a couple of weeks, Blessings!

I have spent the past few evenings in my garage fitting my bike for the trip.

• seating adjustments
• suspension adjustments
• adding extensions for the tank bag.
• placing my sheepskin seat cover on (sweet!)
• oil change
• other misc.

While tinkering around in there I have enjoyed a couple bottles of Foster’s, and a pleasant cigar or two, the company of my sons, and a couple buddies.  Not  bad!

According to the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, women spent an average of 27 hours a week on housework in 2002, while men spent 16 hours (which at least represents an improvement over the 16 seconds or so a lot of them spent a generation ago). Even today, married men perform little more than a third of household labor, whether or not their wives are in the paid labor force. And women spend more than twice as much time as men do on child care .  Read more about why men suppossedly don’t do household chores…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptct17Y78pk

Tuesday my wife left for an extended trip to the south. No we aren’t experiencing any difficulty with our marital bliss.  She is opening a new office for her company and will be gone for approximately one month.  I guess a great deal of riding is in my future!

Temperature: 9 degrees
Wind: From the North @ 35 Miles per hour
Snow:  15″

With a level 3 Snow Emergency in place for Clark County almost everything is shut down.  The Miami Valley normally recieves 1-3 inches of snow, but this weekend we were hammered with 15 inches of the devils powder.  Oh well, we have plenty of food, coffee, firewood, and cigars.  Have a good Sunday!

him:  I’ve tried everything!

me:  do you have fuel?

him:  I’m not stupid!

me:  what is it doing?

him:  “explains noises”

me: you’re out of fuel.

him:  NO I’M NOT!!

(later with gas can)

him:  IT’S NOT OUT OF GAS!

me: pour it in Damn it!

him:  hmmm,  out of gas I guess

me:  love you son!

On Sunday I spent a good portion of the day planning our trip to the Southeastern part of the United States.  Highlights will include…

• Knoxville
• Deals Gap
• Myrtle Beach Bike Week
• Charleston
• Savannah

Unlike many of my long rides, I will be riding with a group of six or seven other guys.  I normally prefer to ride solo, because as my wife tells me…  “I don’t play well with others”

Keep the rubber side down!

The time: 11:45 p.m.
The place: My warm bed.

My wife and I had been in bed for a few minutes and I was at the crossroads of reality and dreamland, when my phone went off! “Damn it”! I knew it had to be Jonathan, my oldest son. He had been on campus all evening doing some studying (right!) I answer the phone; “What?” Dad, my bike won’t run! Jonathan says, I asked him what it was doing, then diagnosed the problem as NO FUEL! The kid ran it dry. It is midnight, he’s in a bad part of town, I was in bed, and now I have to take him fuel. I pull on my pants, grab a flashlight, and head to the shed for the gas can, mumbling loudly the entire time. I jump in my wife’s car, because I don’t want mine smelling of gas, and I am off to meet him. I arrived at his location in a matter of minutes, I added the juice, and the bike fired immediately, and we are headed back to the house. As I followed my twenty year son back home, my mind raced with what lecture I should give him, as several would be fitting for this occasion. But once inside our warm and safe abode, I decided not to say much, I was glad he was home, and after all isn’t that what a dads for?