Don’t forget to forget

Been thinking this morning (the kind of thing that gets me in trouble) and thought I would do a count of all the States I hit between May-June and late August-September of this 2010 season.  I lost my GPS in New Mexico and my nifty Harley map took flight I’m guessing somewhere in Oklahoma, so [...]

I didn’t tell you about my last road trip out did I?  There’s actually not much to tell, it was rather uneventful.  It didn’t rain in Tennessee!  But I got buckets dumped on me in Arkansas.  I’m usually pretty good at avoiding rain, I aim between the clouds.  But if the weather is just plain nasty and [...]

Philosophical Nonsense

Yesterday is the past, today is the future.  Things can change in the blink of an eye. I’ve been giving some thought to going to Bob’s hall of fame ceremony in Omaha this month.  Of anyone up there, they deserve it most.  For some 15-yrs Tight Fit played anywhere from 200 to 300 shows a [...]

Standing on a corner

Took a leisurely day trip to Winslow, AZ on Monday.  Lynda wanted to try a road trip, so a run to the mountains turned into a 400 mile cruise.  More than she bargained for I’m sure, but it was a nice ride straight up Hwy 87.  When we got there a group of Swedish-speaking Harley [...]

This might just work…

This fix on my hand seems to be doing the trick, and not a moment too soon – here come the monsoons. What they did was to pull my thumb out of socket & stuck a needle in with a shot of something or other which is suppose to last up to 6-months.  It won’t, [...]

Red light green light

I’ve been noticing something lately … well, I always have, it’s just making another pass through my mind… Unless its’ the only place you want to be known in, people are rarely accepted in the place where they live even though they may be well known elsewhere.  So why do you suppose that is? Anyway… [...]

…and then what?

I made back into Phoenix; albeit it was the toughest part of the entire trip.  It just seems like forever going in & out of the desert. The Ozarks are beautiful.  If you’re a biker-type with a few days on your hands, I highly recommend a visit.  But I had a shot through tornado alley [...]

Lost on the Road

We tend to put limitations on ourselves, and our ability to adapt can either expand our world or box us in.  So what’s up with these invisible walls?  Why do we allow outside forces to dictate compromises even when its against our better judgment? I had article after article written out in my head as [...]

Must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque

I probably couldn’t have picked a worse week to start out.  Leaving Phoenix a couple hours later than I wanted, I headed to Payson then across 260 to 377 up to I-40.  It was fairly uneventful since I only stopped for gas.  I really wasn’t in the mood to interact with people.  I ended up [...]

And so we begin…

Time has come, and as promised the blog begins.

People think these bike trips are a lot of fun & games – ok, I’m guilty, I make it sound that way – but they’re actually very hard on me. Every time I set out, I’m prepared to come home in a box.

Don’t get me wrong, I do have fun… its the challenge and meeting people that makes it worthwhile. That’s the thing about being on the road, for some reason you seem to find those people who restore your faith in mankind. They go out of their way to help you and make sure you’re ready to get going again. Of course as a group they can be very annoying. Walking into a diner and have all eyes on you and the whispers about the leather and boots and, ha, the hair. That song “Turn the Page” is a very apt description of everything.

I remember one time I stopped to help a couple ladies with a flat tire. They didn’t know who I was; I was just this road-worn biker. But we talked and joked and I got them back on the road & on their way. A couple months later I received a letter. As it turned out, these two women were on their way to one of my shows. The thrill they described of realizing it was I who helped them just tickled me to death. Bless their hearts.

In the past I’ve tried getting charities involved and been pretty much ignored; which I really don’t understand since people raise money doing much less. Maybe its my own fault for not running around screaming “look at me! look at me!”. But I’m going to give you something to think about: say a penny a mile or a dollar a State. You don’t have to tell me, I would rather assume nothing will come of it and be surprised. But everything will be documented and posted here in the end – you can decide then. I’m thinking UNICEF and/or the Red Cross. With all the things happening in the world, maybe these 2 most need our help. Food for thought.

Ya know what else?? We’re going to write a song. All of us. We need a title – a theme – and all you guys to pitch in a line or two. You’ll get credit when its released and all proceeds will go to one of the charities. How does that sound? Obviously I think its a cool idea or I wouldn’t bring it up. We’ll work on that as we go, and I’ll have Bob & Karen help me put it together. Feel free to throw a title at me for now. Clearly we may not be able to use everyone’s input, I mean its a song, it will have to fit together; but it’ll be fun.

That’s it for now, I’m on the road Wednesday. Time to wrap up loose ends and pack up the ride. First destination – Omaha, NE.

Our journey has begun….