Didn't buy the bike

[best]

The 72 sporty will need wait. Stocks that the Co gave us are still hanging around waiting for who knows what *LOL*
So with what funds I had... bought the dishwasher (portable) Wow is she happy *grin* and I also bought new saddlebags. They say large won't fit my bike. These could still be 2 inches bigger and still fit. Spent the sunny part of today (after 2 PM) putting on the bags and giving the bike a bath. Would rather be riding but this being Memorial Day weekend and I will be adding Ole Glory and a POW flag to the flag pole.... I washed and polished out of respect for those who gave so that we can ride in a free country.
Large studded saddle bags, shine on the chrome, new flag pole (old one bent last year) that will be added in the AM. Will be riding with the colors in the wind with me till the rain returns to this area (Tues.)
Daughter called from Vegas tonight, all 3 sons are home, beautiful weather for the weekend, night off from work, don't need be back till Tuseday night.
Live in a free country bought and paid for by so many over the years.
So much to thank the Lord for.
So much to thank the wife for.
And so much to thank all the vets for.
being sober and being able to enjoy all that life has to offer and they say heaven is going to be filled with even more to be thankful for.
Thank you Lord and Thank you wife, and Thank you AA, and Thank you to all who served in the past and those who serve now and a special thank you to those who gave their all, with prayers for their families

[shadowrider]

Did buy the bike! Picked up my new Road King last Friday - already exceeded the break in mileage despite several days of rain. Road to Maryland from Virginia for dinner last Saturday. The Road King is an awesome ride!

[BillJ]

Yeah, it is! Enjoy, and be careful out there!

[shadowrider]

We had a regional Ride For Kids event this Sunday to raise money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. There were about 400 bikers there and raised a total of slightly more than $94,000. It was a real nice day for a great cause. Had about 7 or 8 brain tumor survivors there on stage ranging from 3 to 17 years old. Police led route for about 60 miles through the back roads around the Richmond area. Bikers raised over $3.4 million dollars last year via the Ride for Kids program. About 89% of the funds raised goes directly into research programs.

Ride safe and sane

Rick

[mackat]

rick
you rock!

[shadowrider]

Thanks mackat - there are a whole bunch of folks that work very hard all year long to put this regional ride together. As President of our club (Richmond Riders Motorcycle Club), I am just a "talking head" and get to take the bows on stage. They do all of the work :-)

It's the kids that are the stars of the show - the survival rate has gone from about zero to better than 50% over the past 5 years or so. There is no where near enough federal money to provide the research to defeat this disease - the Ride for Kids program provides a large part of the funding for this research. I am also proud to say that there is also a fund that provides scholarships for brain tumor survivors (it's great that we even have those kids now!) Our small club (about 50 members) raised almost $20,000 for the cause this year - we have supported this charity for the past 12 years now.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me be proud to be a biker!

Keep the rubber side down!

[best]

Knowing what that illness can do from people in my life who have been there...
May I say

Thank you Kind and faithful servant.

The thought of a child going though such an ordeal can bring anyone to tears.
What a wonderful outreach you and yours bring to life.

Thank you

[shadowrider]

Dear Best

We had 7 kids on stage this year...kids who have brain tumors. They ranged from 3 to 17 years old. The 17 year old has been in recovery for about 12 years now - she looks great! There were kids in just about every stage of treatment - some of them very impacted from either the disease or the treatment itself. I defy anyone to sit there and look at these kids without having tears in their eyes. Whenever I am having a bad day, I use the image of those kids to remind myself that I really don't have it bad at all. I don't know what I would do if a child in my family was stricken with this terrible disease!

One child dying from this disease is 5 to many!

Ride on!