New to this....

[sturpin]

hey Jul, my b/f is a memeber of a sober group called second chance....we have numerous campouts throughout the year with other sober clubs, there are TONS of them, not sure what is your way, but to name a few I do know Tenth Souls, 2nd Chance, Fifth Chapter, oh pooh wouldnt you know I can't think of all the names....I cant even remember his webiste addie this early, DUH...big time brain fart...will find out from him when he awakens and let you know.

Sue

[sturpin]

Gotta tell ya'll this.....I go to sober rallys and have only been to 2 non sober rallys...one being Sturgis....WOW....the only difference is no fighting everyone is just as crazy, as loud and has twice as much fun...and you know we have a meeting every night, and there is not one biker who doesnt mention how great it is to be sober, and to be able to have fun and remember it!! Plus to be able to go to sleep, hear a siren and KNOW it isnt coming for them. Juls, next year if you want to go to Sturgis, I know a sober camping area, let me know and I'll set you up....its cheap, and we have access to a basement, fridge, power, all the luxuries of home
Sue

[greeneyedjul]

Sturpin and all, hello from the pacific NW. Day 13 is hot and bright...only too hot if you slow down so we rode long and fast. Went out on a ride last night up the Gorge to the Skamania Lodge for dinner. The waitress is a rider and got a kick out of my logo clean and crazy. She told us about a street dance in Hood River featuring blues, so off we all went. Lot's of people getting stupid and I didn't have to be among that croud. It felt good. Today featured another trip in the foot hills of Mt Hood. I actually concentrated on those neat little hole in the wall eating places that serve breakfast all day instead of on the next tavern. It's amazing how many miles one can put on a bike when one is not bar hopping. Us goofs were out in force. Not only were we all clean and crazy, we were all riding with those plastic animal noses and it was a kick watching reactions. The kids loved us.

Sturpin, thanks for all your insites and I would love to join you all at Sturgis next year. Life and the people in it can be such a great blessing, I just need to keep looking in the right places.

Off to a meeting and a chat with my sponser.....You all are the best!

[Gooch]

halloween 1990 ... Fired up the Triumph and pogo'd the girder through the potholes to an NA dance... The face paint was glow i the dark and I had a blue light under the frame so the scoot looked like it was floating on a cloud of blue light. I did a lap through downtown past the bars and watched somebody stagger into a no parking sign tryin to scope me out while they maneuvered the slidewalk.

[greeneyedjul]

you were scarey! lol about your downtown adventure.... welcome back. i missed your banter. hope you are ok.

humor...gotta keep laughing at myself. this week's lesson is all about the humor for me...

someone said something about loosing the right to choose tonight at the meeting...the right to choose how to use and not have it choose you. well, today i don't choose to use....i just choose to be a crazy without the drugs and booze and because i can make good choices, my life good.

any leads on that tee yet big foot?

[best]

No tee yet. I have looked at many a tee site. Found many a tee that may be worth a wear *LOL* Some that even I would get for myself but with male sayings of course *LOL*

A friend was telling me how she can print her own iron ons. I will check with her this week I hope.

Now as far as boot size thing goes.... I measured both and what they say is
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not true. One foot is not bigger then the other. Both measured to be the same size *LOL*

[sturpin]

LOL!!!!!!!!! Best you are a hoot!!! Why oh why does my mind wander when you do the measuring and sizing differences??? hmmmmmmm

Juls, you are so very welcome, I am soooooo happy for you g/f...your doing awesome, and having so much fun, keep it up!! I also am a nurse....so is my b/f think of all the things we have in common, YOU gotta come to sturgis next year, you just GOTTA...I bet we will find you a shirt there...if not they will make you one...
Talking about tees, I saw one said "I got a Black Hills B/J"....well off course it was eye catching..so b/f and I wander over to the booth, DUH its a fire starter, you can get both for only $20.00 @@@@@ WOW what a deal lol.....I would not be seen with that shirt on or with him wearing that thing regardless of what it "really meant"
Sue

[greeneyedjul]

Well best,

I was afraid to scroll down to see what the answer was..you guys got me on that one last time....! (so what was the answer ) Sturpin! I am making plans for Sturgis! Am getting a license plate for my bike which will say RN 2 GO. RN 2 go to sturgis and meet other clean and crazy RN's! In the mean time, I'm the blonde on the back of a duece with a kitty nose on choosing to be goofy in a sober kind of way! Have a good one!

[sturpin]

Well I'll be the red head on the back back of the harley ultra glide.....my honeys hair is the prettiest, wont be hard to tell us apart he has the long beautiful curly hair, I have the short, grrrrrrrrrrr whatta you do with it hair, cant wait to see you Juls.....there will be a tent space right beside us for ya!!! Wooooooooo hooooooooooooooooo Sturgis wont be the same ........... cant wait to see the kitty nose!! Oh and when you get the tee, get me one also.....we can go as "twins" hmmmmm

[greeneyedjul]

Sturpin...this is going to be a blast. I'm going to need the details of planning like cost there etc. You can reach me a changeworks49@yahoo.com and then I'll give you my number so we can stay in touch! As far as that tee, I'm waiting on best. "Hey best...two tee's to go please for the twins... LOL.

It's day 15, my sponser is a hard a-- hoot, got home from a rally last night tired yet not stoned to the gills and off to work this morning. Today is a good day.

P.S. I know this place that sells noses, what's your preference????

[sturpin]

hmmmm are they all animal noses? I wrote you an email, lets keep in touch. Ok best you have until August of next year even if you have to hand sew those tees

[greeneyedjul]

sturpin, no. not all animal noses. you could be a bird or a fish or a reptile or an animal. heading to yahoo to see what you wrote!

best...hmmmmmmmmmmm. best sewing. our tees???? sounds like trouble to me!

[sturpin]

congrats on day 16!!!!!!!!!!!

still thinking on the nose.....i gotta have a pig nose for b/f though he LOVES pigs....I collect hummingbirds, candles, and he collects PIGS lol we have a beautiful house let me tell you!!

Again, congrats 16 days....AWESOME

[greeneyedjul]

well sturpin, think away. there is a nose waiting for you. pig nose for the b/f...no problem! i'll check out the bird noses...maybe take a pix or two and you can choose!

Day 17...thanks to all for the support. Missed a meeting last night r/t a spontaneous ride to the coast...road king- anniversary firemans classic. Serenity and an almost toooooo smooth ride. It was bliss!

[best]

greeneyedjul
Must be near 20 days now? Congratulations on the day collecting.

Still looking for that tee shirt. No preasure now. I have till sturgis of next year *LOL*

[greeneyedjul]

hi best! day 20 and going along pretty strong...it hasn't all been smooth riding yet i knew that from the get go. meetings and sponser, sponser and meetings AND riding!!! sunday's sun should set with an endorsment in my hot little hand. can't stay away from the harley shops and have picked up some application's so that i can spend a few hours a week staying in the energy. got my big book open, this site running with the harley site side by side, building my bike and working the steps...lol

by the way best, i don't think sturpin and i will let you off so easily on the tee thing. it was good hearing from you. happy day, happy riding.

[Gooch]

Way to go Jules My own Harley was a real incentive to keep me from picking up the first hit no matter what else was happening. When I hit 6 years clean, I found the bike I believe I was guided to.

[greeneyedjul]

Hi Gooch...wow. Two of my favorites contacting me today. You both are very special to me...you and best...sturpin and the rest...bill etc.

Was picking up my 13 yo in Eugene OR on Saturday. My brother-in-law had stopped behind my Subaru Outback with his mouth hanging open. "Tom, what's up?" I asked. He replied, "well, I can understand the Whistler sticker and I'm getting used to the Harley stuff but what is that right wing NRA crap?" I walked around the back of my car to see what her was looking at. He pointed to my "insured by smith and wilson" :tri bumper sticker yet he saw it as smith and wesson. Boy did I let out a hoot and then the education began...!!! Life can be so comical! Sweet dreams all and thanks for being in my silly little life! juls

[Gooch]

confession here... I probably have seen those stickers before but never caught it, being as I'm more of an NA member. I used to have an NRA sticker on my truck as a deterrant to would be thieves.

[BillJ]

Originally Posted by Gooch

Way to go Jules My own Harley was a real incentive to keep me from picking up the first hit no matter what else was happening. When I hit 6 years clean, I found the bike I believe I was guided to.

When I'd been sober for a year I started rebuilding the financial aspects of my life - working a steady job, establishing credit, etcetera. A short four months later I was guided to the motorcycle I'd always wanted. It was a shovelhead - the largest-displacement production motorcycle in the world, at the time - and it was fantastic! I've owned that shovelhead for over 25 years, now, and it's still fantastic!

Like Gooch, I've had times when my bike was one of the "last knots" on the rope I was hanging on, and helped me ride out rough patches in sobriety. I've had times when my bike helped me clear my head, and get focussed on what is important in my life. There have been other times when my bike has been a vehicle, to carry the message of joyful recovery to others. Through it all, my bike has brought me pleasure, comfort, excitement and adventure.

In the years I've owned that bike I've also owned others, but my shovelhead (affectionately known as "The Bitch") will always be my first and favorite. :smlove2:

It is my belief that God does "guide us" to the things we're meant to have, and that, so long as we use them wisely, we're allowed to enjoy those things in sobriety. It is also my experience that, having prayed for a God-centered life, I must be careful not to place my motorcycle, or any other person, place or thing, before my sobriety and my relationship with God.

If God wants you to have a motorcycle, you'll be amazed at how quickly one will show up in your life. Be patient, focus on the program of recovery, and you'll see.

[Gooch]

Exactly Bill! and I really appreciate God's infinite wisdom in helping me be patient until I was ready for that shovelhead of mine.

[greeneyedjul]

thanks bill, thanks gooch. i'm right there in those thoughts. my sobriety and spirit..the God shot is my focus. i know from past experience that if these two things are formost in my daily life, everything else will follow. i also know from experience what happens when they are not my focus which brings me back to humility which brings me back to trying the best i can to have a God centered approach to my life. i also know the bike is meant to be...i can feel it in my bones. i'm not fixed on any one way, any one bike or any one time this will happen. i'm fixed on clean and sober, my God as i see h-im/er and going with the flo on this thing. it will happen when it will happen and i know now from experince, strength and hope, miracles DO happen. WE are all one of those wonderful miracles! it really helps to hear your stories and learn from your wisdom. gooch, i happen to be one of those unfortunates....a grateful recovering addict as well as an alcoholic. i kept bouncing from drug to drug to drug until the bounce hit bottom. those bumper stickers never made me bat an eye either until my last bounce. they make me chuckle now. so with a sparkle in my eye, i think i might just find me a NRA sticker to put with the rest! (kidding dear brother-in-law, just kidding)!

[greeneyedjul]

My course starts this evening through the weekend. I'm ready and willing clean and sober to boot.

Sat on a few potential rides yesterday...two softtails and a 2005 low rider. The pearl white one will show up in 2 weeks. Was dressed for work and had to kick my heels off to make sure I could reach the floor...totally weird sitting on the bike bare footed but would have been much weirder sitting on one in high heels!

Went to another meeting last night. One of the best I've been to, only three of us showed up so the sharing was extra potent and meaningful.

Went to a leather shop yesterday afternoon and got the info for the "Solutions" MC here in town.

Been doing my daily home work and doing the leg work starting and ending in communion with God.

I'm enjoying the forums here, loving all the humor and valuing all the wisdom...

[greeneyedjul]

Day 28 and counting one day at a time, motorcycle endorsement in hand, ABATE of Oregon membership in hand and the Big Book in hand. What more could there be? Well, a Harley wouldn't hurt... working on that one! (and the steps) Yipee!!!!

[best]

28 wonderful days. Congratulations
course passed and now legal for the front seat. Congratulations
Good friends, good rides. very blessed
Harley in your dreams. future hopes
A whole future ahead filled with many sober days...one day at a time.

Yes life can be good and when sober.

As far as getting that Harley....

In my haste I bought on impulse. If I had to do it over again I would research my options a little more and maybe be on a 883 or 1200 Sporty. What I have works, what I have was affordable but after riding for a bit... that 1200 I think I would have liked more.
If I looked beyond the dealers in my area I would have found the HD in stock at normal prices as well.
The dealer who quoted me $2,000 over sticker still has 2001 bikes on his floor *LOL* gee I wonder why? There are dealerships and there are stealerships.
Look about for sure.