I’m sitting here this morning working on healing up after surgery and trying to pick up a little of the slack for Vernon in the process. He is always, and I mean always busy. Between gun shop business, magazine business, and family business he rarely has time for much else. In fact, to the point that he feels he is being lazy if he takes some time for himself. So, since he is running errands for me and helping me regain mobility around the house as additional work this month and I am pretty much a recliner jockey for a while yet, I am sitting in for him this time.
It made me laugh when I sat down to write this “Looking Forward to Spring” letter this morning, as for some unbalanced reason, mother nature has decided that after weeks of warm weather and spring allergies she was going to dump more of that evil white crap on us all today. One last winter hurrah if you will….well go ahead you bipolar wench, your time is limited, because the time for riding is fast approaching, and that makes everyone smile.
As Vernon has said before, he is a victim of seasonal motorcycle deprivation syndrome (this is not an official medical term, I just made it up to describe my husband’s yearly period of suffering). This is just a fact of life for him, as I am sure that many of you reading this understand and suffer from as well. He genuinely misses his two wheel time in the winter months, and I don’t blame him one bit. Riding for him is one of the few ways he has to truly decompress from all that he does on a daily basis, and the only way that faithfully rectifies the bullshit that life throws at him. Spring is upon us my friends, and with it comes the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, an opportunity for rebirth if you will. The sun and the warmth and light it brings can just improve most everything if you give it a chance.
That being said, the time is here…time to do those pesky maintenance items on your beloved, get yourself out for the season, and improve your mental status. Two wheel time is not selfish; it is for the greater good if you really want to break it down. So, check your tires for wear and proper pressure, check your brakes for functionality, make sure your signal lights and horn are working so everyone can see you, check your controls to ensure smooth clutch and throttle operation, and change your fluids for those upcoming rides.
Speaking of rides, make sure you get yourself ready in time to attend the Sleeping Angels Fun Run on Saturday, May 4th. This ride has been happening for over a decade and it just gets better every year. The Sleeping Angels Foundation puts on this run every year to help raise funds to assist Iowa families experiencing infant loss. Since 2012 they have helped over 300 families with over a million dollars raised, and by attending the ride you can help those numbers continue to grow.
Start planning your summer rides now; our pages are filled with great places to eat, drink, and shop that are biker friendly year round. The biker world starts gearing up for riding season late winter with swap meets and the like, transitioning to rallies as the weather heats up. Participate in these events all you can, support the businesses and events that support your lifestyle. The events listing is sure to find you a plethora of places to ride this summer but check back often, as new events are added every month. You can also check the Thunder Roads Facebook page every Monday for an updated list as well. A big thank you to all of our advertisers, as we could not do what we do without you! We appreciate your continued support.
Until next month when the big guy returns with his words of wisdom…ride safe!
Melanie Schwarte
Quote of the month:
“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” ― Ernest Hemingway