LOL

When things seem like they are turning to shit it gets pretty damn difficult to laugh or even crack a smile. I told my friend last night that if I ever stop laughing just shoot me. That's figuratively speaking of course. I'd take a firm crack up side the head, maybe.
It's easy to get stuck on the negative when things are not going the way you had hoped, but that's life. In the midst of it all sometimes we just have to laugh...

Thank you Shane for letting me feel the wind in my hair and your hand on my leg...uhhhh.....

A good friend lets you on the bike of the bike, a great friend stays your friend even when you post the picture on the Internet!

Thanks for the laughs bro.

Jim

Fire it up...

A couple years ago I was watching an episode of Bill Maher's show, "Real Time". George Carlin was one of the guests on his panel that night. I've always been a big fan of him and one of my greatest memories is seeing him at the Klein Memorial in Bridgeport. What makes that memory even fonder is that my Mom had taken me and my best friend to see him and we couldn't have been any older than 13, true story! Thanks, Mom! I don't think she knew how crude he was and I remember sitting there watching my Mom with tears rolling down her eyes from laughter. She was swatting me in the arm as if to say "close your ears for this part" but she couldn't say much because she was laughing so hard.
Bill Maher had asked George a question regarding the current state of the country and I remember his response. George Carlin said that as a comedian he was basically a commentator on life and that the things happening around us at that time were much greater than all of us. I've often taken that stance in the scheme of life and watched things just happen around me. I believe there are things happening that we do not have much control over. Some things on a spiritual level, political, environmental etc. I do think that talking about things without activity can be a waste of energy and if we do not make a decision to act this can be hurtful to ourselves and others. That activity needs to start on a personal level and getting through the fear and doubts to get moving is not an easy task. George Carlin's way of speaking and use of comedy helped provoke thought in other people and he had a knack for exposing the ridiculous things in life we all spend way to much energy on. Maybe that was his way of being proactive to make people think and fire them up to act.
Does anyone have a match or a lighter or perhaps a flamethrower please...

Here is George Carlin's take on the way life should really be...

I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death. What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch and you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities. You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, spend your last nine months floating... and you finish off as an orgasm.

- George Carlin

I think he had the right idea. Happy Monday all.

Jim

Passin' time...

As I get older I find myself engaged in conversation with friends about our struggles and hopes for this life. We talk about our concerns for the future, our dreams and our effort just to get through the daily grind. Some of us have strong ideas of what we expect to do, others may not be so clear but still we all wake up and step into our routine of life. I usually end most of those conversations with this, "Well friend, essentially we are all just passing time". We work, we pay bills, we eat, we sleep and try to throw some fun in there from time to time for good measure. This may come across as a nihilistic view. What is it we are headed towards as an ultimate goal? We certainly don't all have the same idea about this and depending on our belief system this will vary greatly from person to person. We all believe we have control over most things in our life and on some level this holds true with the choices we make along the way. No matter where we come from there is one thing that we all share and have no control over, we will all grow old and we will pass on. So what do we do to "pass the time" and what determines the importance of what it is we are doing? I suppose we need a purpose or life can seem very nihilistic...

Here is an excerpt from some writing I did awhile back. It's not and answer to my own struggle with day to day life but it does act as a reminder of one thing that is important to me to get through. Maybe that's our purpose, to find what it takes to keep going along our own path in the most fulfilling and happy way possible. Control what we can and embrace growing older with a little peace of mind.

Purpose

I am not exactly sure the first time I heard the term “existential frustration”; I just knew that it somehow defined an experience at a certain time in my life.  So I looked further into its meaning and it basically came down to “What the hell am I here for?”  As the years passed, I felt as if maybe I do somehow have a purpose in life and I felt less frustrated at times but then inevitably the frustration would creep back up and I would find myself in the same situation, searching for a reason to be. My exploration into different spiritual paths seemed to define or shape the reasons I had to “carry on” or live for the day but they just never seemed enough. There were moments of groundlessness that I would experience and it seemed as if I had become free of attachments to this frustration. These occurred during long trips on my motorcycle traveling across the country and taking in the beautiful land of the Midwest. These temples of nature had a certain draw and calming feeling to me and I felt as if I needed no purpose to be here. I have sat in front of the Red Rocks of Utah’s most breath taking parks, climbed the Rocky Mountains, stared into the canyons of yellow Stone Park, listened to wind whip through the badlands of South Dakota and each time I was removed from myself. No worries, no anxiety, no frustration. I am not sure why these places have such a draw and calming feeling. I suppose there sheer size alone makes me feel insignificant in the scheme of life and detached from the empty idea of “purpose”. Whenever I would arrive at such places across the country, I had nothing to do but sit and stare and take in the landscape that had provided me with this feeling of calm and absence of existential frustration.

 I miss riding the motorcycle but I'm trying to stay busy until I get back on. I was hiking  through the woods today and felt very content just looking at the colors of the trees and listening to the river and I sat and watched the sun dance off the lake. Anything to grab hold of a little peace of mind is a fine way to pass the time...

Friday? Really... See ya, Jim

Back with a little of those Blog-rockin' beats...

It's been a few days since I posted anything. I sat down a couple of times with the intention of doing a little bloggin' but as I sat in front of this machine I felt completely empty. With the loss of my dog, I believe I needed to grieve and I know it will take more time to go through that process.
There is a Robert M. Pirsig quote that I keep going back to and  thinking about.
"If your mind is truly, profoundly stuck, then it might be much better off than when it was loaded with ideas"
I'm not sure I understand this completely but I've got some idea of what he may have meant. I think my mind was stuck this past week and I have certainly experienced it before quite often. Not being able to tattoo, or ride or do a bunch of other things that require the use of my left hand is forcing me to find things to do as I go through the healing process. It is hard not to think about those things I am missing right now and sometimes it makes me feel very stuck. I've often found myself in a spot where I may have been faced with an uncomfortable situation that I needed to deal with and my mind would race wildly with different possibilities on how I could face that with the least amount of discomfort. This injury has removed most possibilities of how I can deal with this particular situation. I need to listen to the doctor take care of my self and then go to therapy for the hand before I can get back to those things I miss. Time is the only thing that will help. I am still left with some discomfort and I know that sometimes there is no avoiding that. I expected to experience discomfort on the bike as the weather began to change. I knew those cold days would be tough riding through and probably leave me with an achy body. The physical aspect of discomfort is one element to deal with then the mind starts racing with thoughts like, "Oh it's so cold, my back hurts, my hands are stiff, my ears are frozen, why am I riding today, shit I have to stop for gas, I have to take my gloves off, and on and on and on...
These are the ideas that load my mind and are completely useless. They do not help me to remain present in anyway and they are just thoughts. Unless I am willing to take any action to relieve some of that discomfort there's really no point in allowing those ideas to float around. I certainly don't want to complain to anyone else either and make someone else suffer too!
I suppose for now I am profoundly stuck with this thought, I'm injured and I will heal...
I've got lots of things to embrace to get through this time and I'll keep bloggin' away to pass this time and as the finger heals and strengthens the motorcycle will also be on its way to shaping up.
I had quite a few people ask if I would ride again, the answer was easy to that. I've almost been hit crossing the street but that didn't make me stop crossing streets...
I've got a couple of pics to share and though I wish they were taken while riding the bike, it's important for me to remember to enjoy this great time of year broken finger and all.
Enjoy...
Jim

Nice morning

From the four wheeled cage

Penny riding shotgun

and goodnight...

I've been pinned!

Here's an updated picture of the finger. I've got some fancy pins holding things together. I was going to ask the Doc to put pins through my entire body, mind and spirit so that I could hold things together. Having taken a big bite of a crap sandwich this year invites some days where I don't feel very positive and things can appear to be falling apart. I know that it depends completely on my own outlook. Too much time spent worrying about the future can be a sure way of stopping you in your tracks and make you feel like sinking in quicksand. So what to do...
Stay present. Easier said than done of course.
I have a friend who experienced a terrible car crash and had several operations and spent a great deal of time in therapy. When I told her about my crash and that I couldn't tattoo for a couple months she offered this advice.

"You will be on an emotional roller coaster for quite some time. You will be sad, angry and depressed. You can not fall into that black hole. You have to let yourself heal, go through physical therapy and when you feel like giving up,  instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't (go on) give yourself reasons why you can."

Her accident was tenfold compared to my crash and she came through stronger and happier than before. I know she's telling me to stay positive and keep moving past those black holes. I've got a motorcycle waiting to bring me to the far corners of the states to explore more of this land and in turn more of my own mind. That's a pretty damn good reason for starters, for this "ole" biker...

Peace, Jim

Life is "Ruff"

The 3.6.5 ride was just a thought in my head for quite awhile until I decided to actually give it a shot. As a reminder to you all, it was going to be my attempt to ride my motorcycle everyday for one year straight. The main motivation to actually go through with it stemmed not only for my great love of motorcycling but as a reflection on everyday life with it's highs and lows. Forcing myself to ride was my way of staying present and mindful of things happening around me. The ride started strong and as you know not too far into it I crashed. Was I distracted and mindless? Bad karma? Oil slicks or sand? Whatever it was it happened and it has shaped this blog into a new kind of ride. I think the 3.6.5 ride is an appropriate name for all our travels through life. We are all on this ride and I hate to break it to you but there's no getting off. We experience life's highs and lows during the course of a day, a week, a month and of course 365 days one year at a time until it's our time to "park it". The injury to my hand has been a tough thing to swallow. Though it's temporary it has taken away things I love to do as well as my livelihood. As I start to heal I look forward to getting back to those things but realize I will have some tough days. Fortunately I have some personal friends who have gone through way more traumatic things and are living life with smiles on there faces.
At the end of September I titled one posting "When it rains it pours", that was in reference to some of the lows I was feeling but more towards the week long of rainy weather we had. I'm not sure of the phenomena that happens from time to time when a succession of unfortunate things seem to happen close together but I seem to be experiencing that. Maybe it's just timing...
Yesterday I lost my dear friend Tut, my 11 year old Boston Terrier. The health issue that took him came out of no where and the old boy lost the fight. I've read a great deal on impermanence and death. I've got some quotes that I believe are true and helpful in times of loss. I read them, I post them and I'd like to think I understand them. When I was experiencing this loss yesterday it was pretty tough to keep those thoughts and ideas of impermanence in mind. I felt as if I would have an easier time losing my finger than that dog and it has left me with an aching heart and a quieter house.
My fingers broke as well as my heart, my body is banged up and so is the bike. One thing I feel certain of in this moment is that I am going to keep riding two wheels or not. I'm gonna ride life with my friends and family through highs and lows and always make sure I'm occasionally stopping to smell the flowers.

A friend of mine passed this on to me today , "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."




Rest well friend...
I'm sure he enjoyed his ride



Just keep "riding"...

Jim

A cup of insight, extra light...

I've learned a couple things this week about myself, and it's nothing profound cuz frankly I'm tired...

1. Right handed shaving sucks
2. I can make the bed using my teeth (no sexy!)
3. I can rock sweatpants in public when I'm wounded but will always refrain from slicked back hair and gold  chains while sporting them.
4. Road rash scabs are not good snacks.
5. I have a new hairstyle because I have no style. One handed "Dapper Dan" maneuvering just don't cut it.
6. I can balance a piece of toast, a water bottle and a cell phone on a cup of steaming hot coffee.
7. A plastic bag over a bandaged hand makes a good loofah sponge.
8. A swollen knee is useless for trying to steer a car.
9. Hot laundry does not heal wounds.
10. I'd still rather be riding my motorcycle...



For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.  But there was always some obstacle in the way.  Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.  Then life would begin.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.  ~ Alfred D'Souza

Have a great Friday...it is Friday isn't it?
See ya all...
Jim

GPS for minds?

I went to visit the bike at Valley Motor Sports yesterday and I have to say I think shes in better shape than me. The guys did some minimal work just to be able to test ride her and look for any mechanical problems. It was tough looking at her knowing I can't jump on and ride but a good lesson in patience. I think she's gonna be fine and I hope the same for myself.
Today's weather is looking nice especially coming out of that stretch of grey skies and rain. It seems as if that crummy weather started right when I went down. It was a reflection of the blues I was feeling after the crash. With the sun shining I'm gonna try and get some energy from it to remain hopeful and keep smiling.

I've been looking back at some of the past runs I've done and of course thinking about the ones I'd like to do in the future. I've met some great people along the way and  I wanna give more props to those respectable riders and friends of mine.
I met Keith through my buddy Jeff when we did the El Diablo Run in 2008 and we've stayed in touch. Keith lives in SoCal so he can ride the shit out of his bikes since the sunshine is plentiful. He's a talented photographer and a great dude. He's also the first person I met that had a pet pig.

While blasting through the desert in Mexico on a straight away we were all snapping shots with our cameras. I happen to get this cool photo of Keith. My camera was on the wrong setting and we were cruising pretty fast but I really love this shot.

I'll make my way back West eventually and ride some of those incredible roads again. In the meantime I'll be on this path of self discovery cruising through my own mind and taking time to stop and rest my attention on things that may arise for me. With the hand wrapped up and kinda useless right now, I'm forced to slow down and be very aware of every move I make so I don't hurt any work that the surgeon has done. It's a tough practice to keep my mind there with every action I make. I'll have to think of it as motorcycling and be conscious of every turn  I make. I know I'll fall off from time to time and struggle with thoughts, but at least I wont end up in the ER if I'm just having a bad day. Here's to a good day enjoy it before it slips away to quickly.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” ~  TNH

Peace,

Jim

Damn this right handed world!

Surgery went smooth and the Doc was happy with the results. Now it's a waiting game and doing my part to heal  this digit healthy and strong. Since I'm doing one handed typing and I'm in a little pain, I'll keep this post short today. Thanks for all the well wishes from Facebook everyone.

Do not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive.  ~Elbert Hubbard

For those of you who didn't know, I'm left handed and if you need a good laugh just watch me get through one day its quite comical.

See ya...

Jim

Sunday, Monday, Bruiseday...

I bet the bionic man rode a motorcycle...

If you don't see a blog for a day or two I'm recouping. Be well friends.

Jim

Hail, hail the pain's all here...

Tomorrow I go in for surgery on the index finger, and though I'm not very excited about it I can look at it as the true start of the healing process. With the help of some friends I was able to get some parts for the bike  today so she can start her healing process as well! She's laid up at the mechanics and I really miss the little lady. There was quite the chill in the air today and we even had a period of hail. It definitely presents a challenge for a rider. I got caught in hail once while traveling through Ohio and let me tell you it's like being shot with a BB gun. I think I would still take riding in cold, wet weather over laying on an operating table tomorrow. I went to the Doc's today to check the finger out once more before he works his magic and he reassured me, he's gonna "fix me right up". While I was leaving the office there was a little boy with his hand all wrapped up. He had lost the tip of his pinky and he was laying on the floor with a coloring book while his folks finished up with the receptionist. This kid was coloring with the wounded hand and I'll tell ya he was doing a hell of a job. It was a bit of inspiration before I get my operation done and it made me look forward to get back to tattooing. I'll be practicing patience for the next couple months so I'll try to keep that little kid in mind and maybe I'll pull out a couple of coloring books to keep the chops up!

I saw a couple of bikes out there this morning before the rain made it's way to us and I wished I was out there. I'll look to those of you still riding, like the little boy at the doctor's office, as an inspiration to do what you love fearlessly. Keep riding in warm weather, cold weather, rainy weather and for now I'll watch from the confines of my 4 wheeled cage as I sip on my coffee in humble appreciation.

Here's to a new day and a new finger!

Happy Monday...

Jim

Down on the Bayou...

A couple years ago I crossed paths with a young guy named Mark. He was referred to me from another friend to get some tattoo work done. I did a couple tattoos on Mark and through our conversation I discovered he also had an interest in motorcycling. The more we talked about bikes the more I could see he was crazed about them like myself. He really jumped into motorcycling with both feet. He's got a great scoot that he's learned to do a lot of wrenching on as well as riding the hell out of that machine. I know he's braved some harsh weather down south and driven in some very extreme situations.
Mark is a young guy with an old soul and a strong spirit.
I was able to shoot off an email and let him know about my crash and he wrote back with some very encouraging words. I'm gonna post some that stood out from that e-mail...

"Aw man. Jim I'm sorry brother. Your bound to go down sometime, I'm glad your alright though and still have your life. Being an occupational artist and hurting your hands is a rough time for a man's spirit...
... throw away how you do, take what you know and do it differently. Life is not stagnant and even though we are resilient to change, it's not so bad to get hurt when you learn of a new path.
I know you'll get back on, and you'll have the machines you love in your hands again soon enough. Take your time away from them in positive light. Breathe a lot, think a lot"

If you asked me what a real "biker" is, this is the kind of person that comes to mind. Thanks Mark, I hope our paths cross again soon.



Mark's sweet machine down on the Bayou

 Enjoy all...
Jim

Travel the path, become the path, hold the road rash.

It's been a week since I dumped the bike but my body feels like it happened yesterday. I know I'm on my way to getting better and it's gonna take time. I go in for surgery on the finger this Tuesday and that will be the real beginning of recovery. I've done alot of reflecting this week and I know the rest of this year holds alot more. I'm looking to next year as a fresh start to ride hard, tattoo my ass off, make some music and enjoy life. I've had a couple fleeting moments of feelin' blue but that's expected and if this had happened 10 years ago I would not have handled this as well. I'd like to think that some of the principles and ideas that I've learned and share within this blog have made a difference. My intention with the 3.6.5 ride was to practice getting through things in daily life that aren't always comfortable using the bike as the source of both enjoyment and challenge. I didn't expect a crash as the catalyst to force me to be more mindful but its part of the path now.
The Buddha said, "You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself" I should have explored that a little deeper before I projected off the bike and literally became the path! Like many of the winding roads I've spent time on, this ride has taking a new turn. When I'm on the bike and I discover new roads or even get lost, it's exciting  and there is never a sense of fear. I welcome the new sites around each corner and look forward to things I've never seen before in my lifetime. Can I adapt that kind of thought with this experience? That remains to be seen. I'm traveling this path now and there is no going back to before I crashed my bike.

It's a beautiful autumn day and if you ride, gear up and get out there! I heard a couple bikes buzz by earlier and I believe a tear came to my eye..I mean I...uh...was glad I'd be nice and cozy in my car today yah, yah!

Here's to my friends who ride and I hope they make me proud and put some miles on today. Much respect to my friend Shane today. He's ridden quads, dirt bikes, sport bikes and bought a sweet Harley this year. We had been riding every chance we got before I crashed. Shane picked up my bike and took it to my mechanic the other day and has helped me out countless times before. Hope he's out there in the wind right now!

Thanks Shane'dawg! We'll be shredding pavement soon enough. I'll try not do it with my body though!

Enjoy the weekend, all.
Jim