Ain’t No Fag in Flip-Flops

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Chipbrownharness17My spouse and I completed our chores at the mother-in-law’s place in Pittsburgh, and headed back on the 250-mile trek to our home in Maryland.

When nature called, we stopped at a rest stop on the Turnpike.

When you enter the building, there is a Starsucks on the left and bathrooms on the right. Waiting in line for Starsucks were the “usual suspects,” millennials starting at smartphones, wearing shorts and flip-flops. Wearing denim jeans and brown Chippewa harness boots, I don’t fit that kind of crowd; I turned right and headed into the bathroom and into a toilet stall.

You quite never know what you will hear while using the toilet at a rest stop, but the subject of this post is exactly what I overheard when two guys who entered the bathroom about the same time that I did…
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Leather Curious?

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Leatherdude1I received an email the other day after a young man found my Guide to Leather Gear on my website. He said:

Hi just wanted to say thanks for your plain speaking straight up advice on leather gear and the leatherman community. As a newbie who has admired from the side but wasn’t sure what was important and what not your advice was real helpful.

Thanks, man. Glad my experience and straightfoward approach was helpful to you.

As the summer heat dissipates and leather weather returns, I am revisiting my advice on “leather for the newly curious”. Read on.
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Pavement is a Cheese Grater

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One of my well-intentioned but non-motorcycle-riding friends continues to send me articles that she finds on the web to try to discourage me from riding my Harley again. I know she cares, but I really wish she would lay off. I understand the risks and work hard to minimize them. I know that I cannot completely eliminate all risk, and I understand that riding a motorcycle — especially on congested suburban roads where I live — is dangerous.

I learned many lessons from my experience when I crashed while riding my Harley to work on May 31. One of the most important lessons was…
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Police Motorcycle Competition Pix

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My staycation last week did not completely consume my time with knocking off projects on the “honey-do” list and looking after my mother-in-law. I took two days to serve as a judge at one of the largest motorcycle police riding competitions (aka “police rodeo”) held in Virginia. I cropped, edited, and posted 142 photos from the event. Some of what I saw with comments…
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A Cop’s Son Wants Tactical Boots for School

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It is that time of year again when schools open for the next school year. In years past, I helped great nephews of high school age to get boots to wear to school. As far as I know, all those I got booted are still wearing them, even to college.

At a recent motorcycle police rodeo, I overheard a motor officer speaking with his son about going back to school. That conversation wasn’t unusual, but my ears perked up when I heard the son ask his Dad,
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Surrounded By Cops

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CopriderIn closing my staycation this year, I continued my service as a judge for a motorcycle police riding competition, otherwise known as a “motorcycle police rodeo.”

This event was held on Friday and Saturday, and I rode there on my own Harley each day. I am glad that my spouse has recovered enough from his illness such that I could leave him alone.

I enjoyed…
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