Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Daniel in Phuket, Thailand
Talk about lucky. Daniel just happenned to be on his honeymoon in Thailand during, you guessed it, Phuket Bike week. From the pics and stories he had, he and his new bride had a truly amazing time. From Phi Phi Island to Nicky's Handle Bar, it all sounded like a great trip. Before leaving for their trek to Southeast Asia, D 'n' K got hitched in San Antonio, TX....and would you believe it, by pure coincidence, their wedding took place during the River City Rally weekend in SA. Though we were not able to attend the Rally, the sights and sounds of bikes rumbling around throughout the weekend added a special flavor to our, otherwise, formal occasion.
True to a rider's fate, during the actual ceremony on the terrace of the Rio Plaza, some unseen biker reves his bike and the roar echoes through the downtown streets of San Antonio....ah, music to my ears, I sat there smiling to myself as our Daniel prepares to step forward into the future with a great young lady.
I repeatedly joke with D about the coincidence of his wedding and honeymoon occurring during bike rallies from one side of the world to the other. He grins and shrugs it off but I'm telling ya, there's something to all of this.....
His visit to Nicky's HandleBar was also exciting to me. I've been aware of the HandleBar for quite some time though I've yet had the pleasure of traveling there. Evidenlty, Nicky's is a very popular spot in Phuket, p
robably the only biker oriented bar in the whole area. D tells me there were many european patrons at the bar, but, the owners were an American couple. The husband was back here in the States at the time but the wife was a very nice lady and great hostess.
robably the only biker oriented bar in the whole area. D tells me there were many european patrons at the bar, but, the owners were an American couple. The husband was back here in the States at the time but the wife was a very nice lady and great hostess. In fact, she's the one who hooked him up with official Phuket Bike Week shirts even before the stalls were up and running.
All in all, his visit only re-enforces my determination that sooner or later, I myself will make my trek across the ocean and pay a visit to Phuket during Bike Week.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Prayers for a Bro
Got a text last week from Eddy 'carebear' Piez, "Bench had motorcycle accident @ herman hospital downtown critical condition". Eddy's an old friend from way back and also a rider.
Not the kind of news a friend and rider ever wants to hear about another friend and rider. News of riders, perfect strangers, going down always bums me out. But when it's someone I know, in this case, someone I've known since middle school, it's really unsettling to me. K Bench has always been a big brawney fella. I can't say we we're real tight but we always knew each other and he's always been cool to me. Even during our midgit gang wars, usally between different ethnic groups; whites, mexicans, blacks, and asians, or when rumbles erupted between different cliques; heads, jocks, breakers, etc., we never clashed. The best throw-downs were always with outsiders though, other schools in the district. In those times, our differences were set aside, school/turf pride set in, and we were raging Mustangs (our school mascot).
I met up with Bench again just in the past year thanks to Eddy. Found out he's now married and runs a towing business with a small fleet of trucks. He also told me he was riding a Harley nowadays and we spoke of getting together sometimes. Never came round to it.
The story is Bench was riding along some nice open country roads with a few other riders, his wife was with him. Out from a gravel side road comes flying a young fella on an all terrain vehicle (4 wheeler I guess). With no time to react, Bench T-boned the crossing vehicle. Luckily, his wife was wearing her helmet, he didn't have his on. It's been nearly a week and he's still sedated. Doctors are planning to facial reconstruction on him but it's still too soon to begin. He's still in pretty bad shape. My prayers go out to the Bro and his family.
Keep the chrome up and the rubber down bros!
Not the kind of news a friend and rider ever wants to hear about another friend and rider. News of riders, perfect strangers, going down always bums me out. But when it's someone I know, in this case, someone I've known since middle school, it's really unsettling to me. K Bench has always been a big brawney fella. I can't say we we're real tight but we always knew each other and he's always been cool to me. Even during our midgit gang wars, usally between different ethnic groups; whites, mexicans, blacks, and asians, or when rumbles erupted between different cliques; heads, jocks, breakers, etc., we never clashed. The best throw-downs were always with outsiders though, other schools in the district. In those times, our differences were set aside, school/turf pride set in, and we were raging Mustangs (our school mascot).
I met up with Bench again just in the past year thanks to Eddy. Found out he's now married and runs a towing business with a small fleet of trucks. He also told me he was riding a Harley nowadays and we spoke of getting together sometimes. Never came round to it.
The story is Bench was riding along some nice open country roads with a few other riders, his wife was with him. Out from a gravel side road comes flying a young fella on an all terrain vehicle (4 wheeler I guess). With no time to react, Bench T-boned the crossing vehicle. Luckily, his wife was wearing her helmet, he didn't have his on. It's been nearly a week and he's still sedated. Doctors are planning to facial reconstruction on him but it's still too soon to begin. He's still in pretty bad shape. My prayers go out to the Bro and his family.
Keep the chrome up and the rubber down bros!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Beast Within......
It's taken some time for me to find the right words and mind set to sit down and put into words what has surfaced amongst us...kissed by Judas.
It saddens me to say that the crew has been plagued by internal cancerous cells. It's always hard to accept and/or accuse that one of your own has betrayed you. Like a cancerous cell that preys on other cells within the same body, an unexpected, unwanted predator, yes, but still part of you, no less. How to severe your ties with a part of you and not be affected, not feel a loss, not feel that somehow as a whole, you are now 'less'.
There's no more precious relationship between men than true friendship. That sense of brotherhood, comaraderie, companionship. Of course, true friendship requires commitment, trust, loyalty, respect, and much more. At the same time, the lowest form of scum is someone who betrays that trust, sells out that loyalty, abuses that respect.
What is a man if not his brother's keeper? Not much of one at all!
As with all things in life, there's always a price and your time will come...surely, your time will come.
Well, I've given these bottom feeders enough time and space.
The "chill", not winter mind you, has kept many of us off the road. But, seasons change and time moves on...we'll be back!
Shout out to Chau...crashed but not burned...hope to see you back on the road soon.
It saddens me to say that the crew has been plagued by internal cancerous cells. It's always hard to accept and/or accuse that one of your own has betrayed you. Like a cancerous cell that preys on other cells within the same body, an unexpected, unwanted predator, yes, but still part of you, no less. How to severe your ties with a part of you and not be affected, not feel a loss, not feel that somehow as a whole, you are now 'less'.
There's no more precious relationship between men than true friendship. That sense of brotherhood, comaraderie, companionship. Of course, true friendship requires commitment, trust, loyalty, respect, and much more. At the same time, the lowest form of scum is someone who betrays that trust, sells out that loyalty, abuses that respect.
What is a man if not his brother's keeper? Not much of one at all!
As with all things in life, there's always a price and your time will come...surely, your time will come.
Well, I've given these bottom feeders enough time and space.
The "chill", not winter mind you, has kept many of us off the road. But, seasons change and time moves on...we'll be back!
Shout out to Chau...crashed but not burned...hope to see you back on the road soon.
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