August 2010
Well it's a typical hot Florida summer & if you ride you will
get wet! Here's a few safety reminders: I know money is tight but
bald tires on wet pavement is a disaster waiting to happen (when it
first starts raining & mixes with oil film on road). Traffic
light intersections - vehicle's drip oil - air conditioners
drip water on top of the oil - you stop at the light & put your
foot down on top of it & your foot slips out - down ya go -
watch where you put your feet. Heavy rain will also wash sand to the
inside of turns which can also cause the bike to slide out from
under ya. Glasses fog up - spit on the inside of the lens will keep
the fog down or scuba divers lens clear works good (purchased at
most scuba shops). Visibility - if you can't see - odds are the
cages can't see you either. Don't be afraid to stop! What the hell -
your already wet. Sure stopping will make your journey longer but
going down or crashing will really make you late - is it worth
it? If you don't feel safe don't do it. Sorry I don't follow the
ride fast & take chances shit. I like riding too much to risk it
all. Improper tire pressure on wet roads will also help to
lost traction & that's not a good thing - keep your tire's
properly inflated. The Big Ragoo's Bike Nite's at Chickie's Pub are
back & going strong on every
Friday night. I guess Chickie's could not settle for less
than the best & brought The Big Ragoo back. Scootergoods
Magazine - With this issue marks the rags 6th birthday. Most of you
do not realize the work & B/S Don V goes through each month to
get it out & on time to to us all in central Florida. Being on
staff sense November of 07, I see it 1st hand & it's not as
easy as one might think. Except for the staff writer's article's,
some help with getting advertiser's & deliveries - Don pretty
much does it all himself. As the Big Ragoo would say -"let's
give him a big hell ya"! I am proud to say that I am part
of Scootergoods Magazine but most of all - proud to say that Don has
become a close friend. I enjoy writing the monthly article's but
again most of all is; meeting all the new people & gaining new
friends in the process of attending events and travel's the Deuce
& I have associated with the magazine. I thank Don V for
that opportunity! The magazine has come a long way's in the
past 6yrs - along with the web site. You can bet Don V will not sit
back & become just one of the B/S rag's. Scootergoods may
not have the big money but one thing strait off the top: At
Scootergoods Magazine "ALL" staff members ride! There Fore
We Are: Scootergoods Magazine! Hope to see ya all at events, bike
night's or just puttin down the road. Ride Free -Ride Safe - Ride
Again - Brother John
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July 2010
Sunrise - Monday, 31 May, 2010 - I lowered our
American flag to half
mast in honor of our fallen veteran's. The fog was trying to burn off
& lift in the east as we jumped on the scoot's, heading to the Florida
National Cemetery in Bushnell. At 10:00am
in all the National Cemeteries around the Nation a Memorial
Day ceremony was to be held to honor all our fallen warrior's. On
the way there I noticed that a very high percentage of flag's (on a
controllable mast) were still flying tall?? Have people forgotten why they
fly our flag, don't know why or just don't care? It is quite evident that
Memorial Day has a different
meaning to different people, as we saw the numerous boats & jet
ski's heading down the road. We came in the back way to Florida National
by way of Lake Lindsey rd. My heart got a warm feeling at the entrance as
we had to wait in line to get in. We were told that in the other direction
that traffic was backed up to & onto I75. There must have been between
700 & 1000 bikes & the same for the cages - some people have not
forgotten! We ran into many people that we knew as most we did not but
everyone gathered together for the same reason - HONOR & RESPECT. As
the ceremony progressed my mind began to wander on Memorial Day's past. As
a small boy our family would gather in the small town of Chelsea, Michigan
for the parade into the local cemetery in honor of our fallen veterans. As
only being about 7 or 8 years old (mid 1950's), my mother dressed me in a
realistic Marine Corps dress blue uniform with a sized m14 parade rifle. I
marched ahead of the color
guard and lead that entire parade into the cemetery for many years
- oh I was proud of that uniform. When the uniform no longer fit I wore my
Boy Scout uniform - oh I was proud of that uniform. Upon being
drafted into the military during a period when it was not popular to wear
the uniform in public. I would still wear it in order to fly military
stand-by on domestic flights
but many times I would take it off in flight or in a rest room upon
arrival (did not want the hassel) - but I was still proud of that uniform.
Upon being discharged in 1970, I wore my uniform for one last time -
Memorial Day 1971 - I again lead the color guard in the Chelsea parade -
oh I was proud of that uniform! Brother John
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