Monthly Archives: January 2008

Riding in the cold

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I love to ride my Harley, but when it’s really cold out, my current windscreen-less bike lets the cold air strike. But that’s what leather and tall boots are for!

I picked up my bike from a routine service visit late yesterday afternoon, when temps were above freezing, but barely so. I have to admit, under all that leather, I have on wool long johns, two t-shirts, and a flannel shirt. Layers indeed work best. And while this pic shows me in a Muir Cap, of course I wear a full-face helmet when I am on the road. That also provides protection from the biting cold.

As long as there isn’t ice, snow, or water on the roads, I’ll ride. Well, as long as it’s above freezing. Below that, no matter how much I bundle up, I just get too uncomfortable to enjoy the ride. Sooooooon… oh how I dream, Spring will break. Dream on! Let’s boot up and ride!

Life is short, wear your boots

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Life is short. I was reminded of that last night when a very close friend, mentor, and elected leader in the county where I live informed me that she is undergoing open heart surgery today to have a heart valve replaced. I have debated, engaged, and worked so closely with this elected official for the past 28 years that I am reminded not to take your friends and family for granted. I am sending messages to my family and friends today just to say “hey, I’m thinking about you, I love you.”

Life is short. Wear your boots. Pictured is what I’ve got on today, sans the tie. I thought about wearing the tie, but didn’t need to, and didn’t want to. I don’t like to dress up and find ties constricting. Lucchese 1883 brown cowboy boots with fancy stitching are on my feet today.
They are real comfy, and the soles are worn enough that they won’t slip on wet pavement since it rained last night.

The feel of tall boots

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I work in an office. I can’t really wear my boots outside my pants as it doesn’t fit the office dress code. I do, however, really like the feel of tall boots on my legs. Today I’m wearing my tall Champion Attitude Cavalry Boots with a pair of dress pants over them. The boots peeking out from under my pants look just like dress black shoes of some sort. But the feel of the boot shaft all the way up my legs to right under my knees tells this Bootman what’s on his legs. It’s a great feeling.

Only problem is that the weatherdudes got the prediction of rain wrong, and instead of rain happening late today, it was already raining this morning. These boots I have on have all-leather soles, so they are subject to slipping on wet surfaces. Had I known, I might have worn boots with tread soles for better grip. I’ll just walk carefully.

Testifying in Cowboy Boots

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I always wear boots, and usually don’t have to dress in a suit, but today is an exception. I’m wearing my Dan Post Black Ostrich Leg Cowboy Boots today. I will appear before a committee of our state senate to testify on a pending bill to restrict using a cell phone or sending text messages while operating a motor vehicle. A good buddy was killed several years ago by a cell-phone-yapping-SUV-driving-yuppie, who only got a slap on the wrist and no jail time for killing my friend. Personally, I think cell phones have their place, but not inside a 5,000-pound moving vehicle.

This bill hasn’t passed committee before because our part-time legislature is forever on their cell phones, and they don’t want to restrict themselves. It’s time for this practice to stop.

I have to say, though, that while this law has been on the books in Washington, DC, for a couple years, nobody abides by it and the cops don’t enforce it. I see cell-phone-yapping yuppies blathering away all the time while driving on DC city streets. Nonetheless, I think it’s time the law gets passed in Maryland, and the cops enforce it.

Another day in leather

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Man, I hate the cold. But cold weather does give me a good reason to be in leather from head to boot. Pictured is exactly what I’m wearing today — long-sleeved leather shirt, naked leather jeans, Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. I’ll thrown on a biker jacket of some sort, too, before venturing into the cold. We have to run some errands today, and leather is the way I’ll be going. Leather is warm and practical.

To those guys who are afraid of going out dressed in boots and leather: get over it. Nobody cares. Your money is as green as anyone else’s. Go for it — enjoy your leather. I guess that’s one good thing about getting older. I remember when I was in my 30s I was quite self-conscious about what other people thought, and only wore leather when I rode my motorcycle. Now that I’m more mature, I realize that nobody gives a darn and I can wear what I like. So I do.

Daily life in boots and leather

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Sometimes some guys have asked me about living in boots and leather. Some people seem to be concerned about what other people might say or think. I guess that’s why I consider myself lucky to live in a large metropolitan area, and in a county composed mostly of forward-thinking progressive people who don’t try to force others to conform to narrow moralistic points of view.

Thus, on Saturday as I head out to pick up some grapefruit at the local Catholic church’s monthly sale, take my elderly aunt grocery shopping, and then go kick some tires on a new Harley that I’m thinking about buying, I have on my really comfy “naked leather” jeans and my Chippewa firefighter boots as shown in this pic. I’ve got on a t-shirt and flannel shirt, and will wear a parka. It’s still below freezing. I will likely switch to my warm leather jacket and vest later today when I go to the Harley dealer. Living in boots and leather? No sweat. Really, nobody notices and most could care less.