Eerie morning motorcycle ride.

January 19, 2011

Woke up this morning just like every other one, got dressed for work, checked the weather, mid 40’s, ten percent chance of rain. Perfect day for a motorcycle ride to work…Well, so I thought?


It had been around 4 days since my last ride due to rain and carrying my kids to school in the morning, but my bike fired right up and purred like a kitten as I put my gloves, helmet and sunglasses on.


Ok this is where things get a little strange…as I was pulling out of my driveway; this since of fear came over me for some reason.

I guess it left me wondering, "does this happen to other bikers from time to time, as it has happen to me two or three times over the years I’ve been riding. "


It’s hard to explain, but here goes… it’s really more of a strange feeling, more than fear, here are some examples; I normally roar


Yea, Right!!!


out of my driveway and fly down the streets in my neighborhood on my way to work. This morning I found myself looking at a small puddle

on the road at the end of the driveway and inching my way to it ever so slowly. Then once passed thinking to myself, wow I survived that,

then at each curve

found myself slowing to a crawl. To make matters worse it felt like the bike was fighting me the entire time and it was winning.

Things like dogs even the ones 100 yards from the road give me the feeling of uneasiness.

Then as I entered the hwy (this is a very straight road that takes me almost to work)

safe right…NOOO!!! First it seemed that the car behind me was tailgating

(it really was not) not to mention the cars waiting to pull out on the hwy just seemed like they were going to pull right out in front of me,

Sorry I could not help myself, been holding this photo to long.

It would cause me to lower my speed big time. As I went to turn off the hwy on to a city street, I found myself looking at the small pile of gravel in the middle of the road,

thinking I hope my front tire does not slide out in the turn. Then I crossed a railroad track, again I kept thinking I hope I don’t fall over while crossing the track. Finally I make it to the office and start backing my bike into its parking spot, again having the feeling of dropping my bike.


Whew, off the bike and safe inside my office. Hmmm strange right? I guess what puzzles me is this has never happen while doing anything else in life, like driving a car, a boat or just life in general. I guess the really strange thing is when I got back on my bike to go home, it was like it never happen, I was roaring down the roads like it had never happen before.

I talked to a biker co-worker once inside to see if he had ever experienced anything like this before, he told me he sometime had a fear of deer late in the evening sometimes…

my guess is we are talking about two different kind of fears… but not sure, maybe it’s the same.


Oh well


Till next time


Big AL

When we get older we think different don't we?

This is a touching story.

Just when you have lost faith in human kindness, someone who teaches at Kean Elementary in Wooster , Ohio forwarded the following letter.

The letter was sent to the Principal’s office after the school had sponsored a luncheon for the elderly. An old lady received a new

radio

at the lunch as a door prize and was writing to say thank you. This story is a credit to all human kind.


Dear Kean Elementary:


God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior
citizens luncheon. I am 84 years old

and live at the Sprenger Home for the Aged. All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady. My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio,

but before I received one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping.


The other day her radio fell off the night stand and broke into a lot of pieces.

It was awful and she was in tears. Her distress over the broken radio touched me and I knew this was God's way of answering my prayers.


She asked if she could listen to mine,

and I told her to...



Kiss My Ass!!!

Thank you for that opportunity.
Sincerely,
Agnes Baker

Did not see that one coming...Did you?

Big Al

Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives…Oh MY!!! ... Blow Fly Inn

Saturday, January 15, 2011, my wife, son

and I took a trip to the gulf coast; to look for a leather motorcycle jacket…still did not find one. Anyway while we were there, we decided to go eat lunch at the Blow Fly Inn for lunch.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blowflyinn.com%2F&ei=gZ4zTePHAo3rgQe3yaXKCw&usg=AFQjCNFAXGRxrYpXWSQZbaA8bxkAGipcog


Yea you guessed it was another dive featured on the TV show Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives. Second one I have featured on Big Al's Compound…coincidence, I think not!!!

Here is what’s going on, first I’m a big fan of the show, second I have started a scrap book on all of the dives I visit that were featured on the show…yea I said scrap book…and yea  I like to scrap book…what of it…



WELL ARE YOU LAUGHING PUNK!!! GO A HEAD, MAKE MY SCRAP BOOK!!!


Ha-ha. I will also post my dinning stops here on my blog.


Ok back to the story, I use to eat here as a kid, it was famous for its steaks and the plastic fly they would put on your food. The old building before Katrina was just about to fall apart and slide into the bayou…but the food was great. The new building is built on stilts about 15 feet up in the air, nice looking building but is missing the charm of the old pre-Katrina building.


The views are great

They have a bar under the building

Also a bar inside

Outside dinning with views to die for

 Ok let’s get to the food…hmmm


Well in its defense it was lunch time and we did eat off the lunch menu

For an appetizer we had fried dill pickles (lightly batter, very good the family and I thought)

The boy and I had steak and a baked potato (steak had a good taste but look at the green bean beside it, it’s almost as big as the steak) not a great deal for $ 10.50, it came with a small salad

(more dressing than lettuce) the veggies were straight out of the can and the baked potato was a little cold.

The wife had seafood pasta; it was given thumbs up by my wife and son who took a few bites

The surprise came in the form of banana pudding…it was great

Ok lets get to ranking this sucker…I’d have to give it  three stars out of five…due to the portion size for the money. To be fair I need to go back one night and give it a try. That's all I'm going to say about that...

Till next time,


Big Al

Trips, trips and more trips.

Sounds like 2011 is going to be a good year for trips,

you may have noticed I added two countdown clocks to the upper right hand side of my blog…


Here is the scoop of the up and coming trips…


The first is a hiking trip to Eagle Rock Loop Trail in Arkansas.

This is one killer hike if you are not in shape (I plan to be this time)

its around 27 miles long, crossing nine mountains, nine rivers,

and more stream crossing than I care to count. The plan take off work Wednesday-Sunday, May 4-8, 2011 this will give us two days travel time (8 HOUR DRIVE FROM MY HOUSE) and three days for the hike. So far, we have signed up…


Chad “my packs to heavy” Smith,

Mitch “I need a nap” Hembree,

Matt “wrong way” Roland,

and myself; Big “I almost died the last time on this hike” Al,

Oh yea and a possible mystery guest, that will get named later if he attends.

Looking forward to the trip…more to come in future post.


Trip two; Big motorcycle trip of the year.


Getting ready to get hot and heavy on this one, many, many more post to come about it. Planning on leaving work around noon Friday June 10th, and returning Sunday June 19th. Ten days of motorcycle fun, the “Quest for Lobster” That’s right Big Al is heading to Maine,

why you ask? I’m going to eat a lobster, that’s why. Well it makes since to me, its only 1500 miles there and 1500 miles back. Ok here is the funny part…I HATE LOBSTER!!!

Trust me, more on this trip later.


Got another weekend trip planned too, no countdown clock for this one…Natchez trace ride, (Jackson to Natchez)

but in a little different way. My buddy Matt “The Hammer” Roland is a member of the bicycle club R2W Cycling,

as much as it pains me to say it these guys can RIDE.

The plan wake up around 5:00am in a week or two on Saturday load my truck with “GET THIS” two bicycles, one 49cc Yamaha Zuma scooter,

camping gear and head to Jackson. Once in Jackson MS, unload the gear and head to Natchez.  On the Natchez trace about 100 miles one way,  two guys will be riding bicycles and I will be carrying the gear on the Zuma (pack mule).

Once in Natchez, camp for the night, then turn around and ride the 100 miles back to the truck Sunday. This should be a trip to remember! Don’t worry I’ll post all about it, should have video too.


I’ll do another post soon of the Bike Rallies I will be attending this year.


Until then,


Big Al

AMEN TO WHAT THIS GUY HAS TO SAY AND HOW HE SAYS IT.

AMEN TO WHAT THIS GUY HAS TO SAY AND HOW HE SAYS IT.

I Am the Democratic Liberal-Progressive's Worst Nightmare.

I am a White, Conservative,
Tax-Paying, American Veteran, Gun Owning Biker.
I am a Master leather worker.
I work hard and long hours with my hands to earn a living.


I believe in God and the freedom of religion, but I don't push it on others. I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and drive American-made cars, and I believe in American products and buy them whenever I can.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and not some liberal governmental functionary, Democratic or Republican, that wants to share it with others who don't work!

I'm in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!

I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer; it makes you a smart American.

I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac or any other item, you should do it in English. I believe there should be no other language option.

I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.

My heroes are Malcolm Forbes, Bill Gates, John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson, who makes the awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.

I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time watching or arguing about it.

I believe if you don't like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!

This is AMERICA ...We like it the way it is and more so the way it was ...so stop trying to change it to look like Russia or China , or other socialist countries!

If you were born here and don't like it, you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you.

I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the White House, the seat of our biggest problems.

I want to know which church is it, exactly, where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution.

Can I get an AMEN on that one?

I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you're breaking the law, regardless of what color you are, but not just because you happen to ride a bike.

And, no, I don't mind having my face shown on my driver's license.

I think it's good.... And I'm proud that 'God' is written on my money..

I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don't want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.

I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making 'donations' to their cause....
Get a job and do your part to support yourself and your family!

I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents....

I believe 'illegal' is illegal no matter what the lawyers think.

I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA !

If this makes me a BAD American,
Then yes, I'm a BAD American.

If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know....