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Back On Two Wheels

March 18, 2005 By Bob 3 Comments

Reading Time: about 2 minutes

Last night, I got my Harley out for the first time in several months. The cold doesn’t bother me, but there’s been enough snow out that I didn’t want to take the chance of dumping the bike.

All I did was run an errand, then meet my wife and kids at church. I didn’t put more than eight miles on the bike. But I was out on two wheels again, tipping and leaning my way through some nice curves near the house. It’s a different kind of riding than when I’m working. It’s easier to enjoy the whole concept of riding. The air seemed just a little clearer, and the grass and leaves seemed just a little greener than they had just a few hours before.

I love to ride motorcycles. I got my first bike in 1989, after I got out of the Army. My mother hated them, having lost a boyfriend to a crash. I don’t think my dad cared one way or the other, but he had to support my mom. My parents said that when I could afford a bike and the insurance, I was welcome to get one, but they wouldn’t help me pay for it.

I found a used Honda CB 650 – maybe a 1983 or so. Had it for several years, and rode it hard. I recall one night I was riding to a friend’s house, doing about 95 up the road, in deer country, during late November, just as they’re coming in to the rut. Not too smart, eh? I looked down at the road, and realized that there was only about six square inches of rubber between me and the asphalt. I decided at that point to slow way down, and pretty much behaved myself after that.

I sold that bike in about 92, and didn’t ride for almost nine years. Then I bought a 93 Harley (FLHTCUI 90th Anniversary Edition) that used to belong to my stepfather-in-law. I still have that, and ride it as often as I can. With six kids under 9, that’s not very often.

About three years ago, I started working for Police Motorcycle Escort. More about work later. The important thing to know about this is that for the last four months, even though I’ve been riding, I’ve been on four wheels, using a Voyager kit attached to my GoldWing. It’s OK; I’m still getting paid to ride, but it’s four wheels, so it’s not quite the same.

Two wheels are better than four.

Nothing Good This Way Comes

March 17, 2005 By Bob Leave a Comment

Reading Time: about 2 minutes

I think the only good thing that will come out of the Terry Schiavo case is that thousands of people will finally understand exactly how important things like a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare are. If Terry and her husband had executed these documents when they were first married, none of this would be happening now.

Please, please, please. If you’re following this case, and you’ve found yourself saying “If I’m ever like that, pull the plug,” you must draw up a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, or no one will be able to do what you want them to do.

There are other reasons for a DPA. Do you own a web site? A business? Are you a guardian for someone, or a trustee for a financial trust of some sort? If you don”t have your instructions written down, and if people aren’t given power of attorney to do what you want or need done, then things can fall apart very quickly. Without the legal authority from you do make business decisions, or sign documents in your name, or write checks in your name, everything you’ve worked for can be lost.

Advance Directives can be very broad or very limited in their scope. A DPA is designed so that it only goes into effect if you are incapacitated in some way, such that you can’t make your wishes known to others. It can be limited to finances, or health care. You can give one person POA over your finances, and another person POA over your healthcare decisions. You can set it up so that three people have POA, and all (or just two) must agree in writing to whatever action is taken.

But without these documents, you could well end up as the next Terry Schiavo.

What Makes Me So Special?

March 17, 2005 By Bob Leave a Comment

Reading Time: about 2 minutes

So who am I, and what’s the point?

I’ll fill you in on who I am over the next several days or weeks, and then eventually archive that to an about page or something. No point in doing a data dump of my life in one humongo post now, is there?

As to the point, well, I’m not sure. Is what I’m going to say that much more interesting or thought-provoking than anything in the blogosphere? :shrug: Probably not. But I think my main point is that I want to start writing more, and eventually try to make some money as a freelance author. This will help me get into and stay in the habit of writing regularly, as well as thinking more carefully and critically about what I read.

That probably explains one of the categories that I’m using. The public safety category comes from my background. I’m an ex-cop, having worked for a while at “a small, private, Midwestern college” in southeastern Ohio. I’ve also served in in the Army as a military police security specialist (also translated as gate guard). I’ve done a good bit of security work as well. I have an interest in all things relating to public safety, including law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and anything else that could be lumped in there.

I’m Christian by faith, and Nazarene by denomination. I expect to post a good bit about issues of faith. I assume those posts will draw comments that will make me explain and justify my position. But it will also help me grow as a Christian, I hope.

I’m a closet libertarian, too. I say closet because even though I believe in much of the LP platform, I still wimped out last November and voted for Bush. Why? I wasn’t sure that he was the right thing for the country, and I wasn’t certain either about Michael Badnarik. But I /was/ certain in my heart that Kerry was wrong for the country, and I didn’t want to take the chance that Kerry might win. That position I’m sure will draw fire, but there it is.