Matt,
I rode motorcycles a lot for 25 years. Several years of fairly serious back problems took the fun out of it and I got away from them. My back is enough better now that I may get another one someday.
Back in the '70s I was a volunteer instructor for the first M/C safety course at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, CA. Those days were before helmet laws, but the base required them. The PX sold helmets from $19 up to real good Bells for $75 (a bargain). I used to have quite a talk with the young Marines about the decision deciding how much their brain was worth.
Be careful over there. A local Shasta County Navy man died over there this week, the victim of an explosion. He was in bomb disposal, on his third tour. Last year he was named Sailor of the Year.
On a happier note, tonight I was pumping gas into my Jeep. A 75-year-old woman walking by saw my Marine Corps sticker. She asked if I had been in the Marine Corps. When I said yes, she thanked me for my service and shook my hand. She made my day, and I think my surprised smile made hers, too.
That's too bad about the Shasta County man passing over here. My prayers go out to his family and friends.
I've been riding streetbikes for about 16 years now. I have somewhere between 100 and 200K miles on two wheels so far. My last bike was a pristine 1976 Honda GL1000 Goldwing. I logged about 7K miles on it this last summer. I never ride without all the protective gear. (ATGATT) I spent 23 years of my life in CA and I've ridden all over the state. I hope to someday ride down through Canada into CA to visit friends and family then back to AK.
I echo the elderly woman's sentiments. Thank you for your service! It's always nice to receive that support. It always seems the most heart-felt from the older generations too.
