[SRL790]

Had to put one of my dogs down this week.  He was just a Husky mix mutt that we got from the pound as a puppy, 13 years ago.  Got to the point where he couldn't even lift his leg to pee anymore, plus had liver problems and the vet thought maybe a tumor causing other problems.  So we made the decision to let him go out with dignity.

Just wish that someone could (legally) do the same for me when the time comes or just let me ride a bike off the side of a mountain.  Sometimes I think that we treat our pets better than we do our friends and relatives.

Andy

[prof_stack]

Sorry about your Husky, SRL.  I know it's never easy.

I started on a Honda 90 and might end up on one.  In the middle I had a 700# Harley Eletra-Hog and then started coming down:  1340, 984,744, and now 499cc.  I've had my sights on the new Honda CBR250R and Suzuki TU250x. 

It is clear that I am not as strong as I was 25 years ago.  Night vision is worse now.  Patience with poor drivers is, uh, less.  I have the feeling that I will know when it's time to park the helmet.  Or at least I hope so.

[boggy]

Sorry to hear, SRL. That is sad stuff, but you gave a pound dog a life. A life. That's good stuff.  Cheers to ya man. And your pup.

Hang in there Blue Ridge.  When you are ready, kick it over and see what it sounds like.

[2bikebill]

I only got back into motorbiking last year after way too long. Getting another bike was always something I was going to do "later". You keep shoving a thing onto the back burner for "later" for long enough and eventually it just comes to belong there - just that thing you're going to do "later".

I have profound gratitude for the sheer rip-roaring pleasure that's now back in my life, and utter disbelief that I went so long without it. How the hell did that happen....?
Luckily, perhaps it's age or perhaps it's grace, not much attention is now paid to such thinking. Noise in the head is just noise in the head and has nothing to do with anything. THIS right here right now is all there is, all there's ever been. Most of it wasted paying attention to some bullshit version of it arising in the head, always spoiling now, always wide of the mark.

Nothing you can say can pin life down. No need for a story about how good/bad/right/wrong it might be according to me, you, him, her, them, or any other clever delusional well-meaning bullshit artist.
We're all looking out of very confined spaces remember......it cannot possibly make sense on our terms.....

Get on yer bike, if that's what you like......

[AgentX]

If or when it stops being fun and the real reason for doing it becomes to prove a point rather than to enjoy myself, I think I'll have no problem letting go.

I have a new first baby and the selfishness of riding motorcycles for my own enjoyment does occur to me.  But then again, I am teaching her the joy of two wheels in all forms.  To whit, a recent recording:

The Happiest Baby on Two Wheels

[Andy]

I plan an leaving this life the same way I came into it:  Screaming and covered in blood.

[1Blackwolf1]

I plan an leaving this life the same way I came into it:  Screaming and covered in blood.

  My kind of guy you are.  Can't see being sedate(d) in life.  I told my wife that I'll keep one of the pistols loaded and take a long walk into the woods at the end.  Simpler than wearing a diaper and eating baby food...

[Andy]

  I told my wife that I'll keep one of the pistols loaded and take a long walk into the woods at the end.

Who told you about my retirement plan?   

[1Blackwolf1]

  Good guess huh?  Just can't see living when/if someone has to change/feed me.  That is being alive only..not living.

[single]

This is some purty serious stuff.As far as riding or whatever being selfish,it is,obviously.Are we not just somewhat entitled to a few small treats ?Do we not spend most of our time practically in the service of others?That is the set-up,no?I am not complaining about it,life is great,but it is not exactly stress free,after all.One must take a bit of pleasure out of the whole just as surely as we must sleep.Ride on,Brothers,forget the requirements for a bit.Mite not be a bad idea to add something to the list of goodies to think about what mite interest you when you do get past riding.I intend to immerse myself in American history,Civil War focus.I can do this from the nursing home,if that is the case.
I know that suicide is tempting,at times.For myself,I want to see Jesus.But I do not want him to be angry.

[rbelyk]

I'll be turning 56 in a couple weeks, until I got my Molly I hadn't ridden a bike in over 25 yrs. I think of it as my mid life crisis, and I'm hoping that's what it is, mid life.

like Blackwolf said, When it's your time to just give up I believe you'll know.  I was put on this earth to accomplish a certain amount of things and right now I'm so far behind I can never die...

sympathies SRL. reading that brought a tear to my eye, I am not looking forward to that day

ride long and ride safe everyone

[single]

Yeah,SRL,sorry about you doggy.My crazy schnauser has just been diagnosed to be diabetic,like my wife,and now I can probly see his end approaching.We have had other critters this happened to and it didn't go good.As stated,you gave a home and hope to a forlorn critter,but we are never ready to let them go.You did right by him,to the last.

[prof_stack]

  My kind of guy you are.  Can't see being sedate(d) in life.  I told my wife that I'll keep one of the pistols loaded and take a long walk into the woods at the end.  Simpler than wearing a diaper and eating baby food...

Heh, you might not even be able to walk, let alone take a long one.  More likely you'll wheel yourself far away and finish the business.

[1Blackwolf1]

  I look at it this way..cheated a stroke at 38, diagnosed with lupus at 41, found out about the degenerative bone disease in my spine last year at 49.  I've been living on borrowed time since 38...how many lives are you allowed?  I still work 40+ hours every week and am no slouch around the corral, so I've had a bullseye. dead on view of the end for a long while.  Doc says I'll probably be in a wheelchair by 60, so I live life responsibly as much as possible.  No regrets, whatever is next is next.

[t120rbullet]

I was thinking about Uncle Ernie last week as I was being driven to the hospital after the cheep shit tires slid out from under my Ural.
Out of the deal I got,
2 broken ribs
1 fractured elbow
1 partially collapsed lung with a hole in the bottom half of it from the rib.
And last but not least I lost about 1lb ground meat on the street.
So as a lay in the hospital for the last 5 days I have come to the conclusion that none of these injuries are bad enough to prevent me from being able to ride again but I don't think I'm going to make it to the VMD in 2 weeks.
Yea, getting old sucks but if you give up everything you love just because someone told you were too old to do it life would suck even worse. Besides the way when I'm out riding it's the only time I feel young or don't feel old and broken. I'll never quit riding but like the guy in BCs story the bikes are getting smaller.

CJ