Crasymaker

Much to the dismay of probably everyone who cares for me, I bought a motorcycle on Friday.

For about a year now, I have been wanting to get a scooter like the one I had in high school. Lately, the urge has been getting much stronger, especially since my Mom’s death (she always wanted me to grow a beard and ride a motorcycle…whole other story) so I finally went to a couple of shops to see what was out there.

There are plenty of scooters on the market right now and unlike when I was 15 years old, they are now sitting right there at the front of all the motorcycle shops when you walk in instead of being tucked away in some corner at the back. I suppose it’s because of the recent hike in gas prices and the newfound popularity (at least around here) of scooting around town on two wheels.

After sitting on a few scooters, I was walking around and noticed the beginner bikes. After plopping down on an actual motorcycle, I knew I had to either get one or get out. It felt way more comfortable (and cooler) to be straddling a motorcycle instead of sitting on a scooter like a chair. The problem was, they were twice as much money as the scooters.

I talked to a salesman and he said that if money was a concern, maybe I should consider buying something used instead. Turns out, there was a slightly used beginner’s bike in the back. I sat on it, fell in love and after realizing that it was the same price as the scooters I’d been checking out, I financed it on the spot. They delivered it yesterday and I can’t wait to get my insurance and learner’s permit tomorrow morning so I can start learning to ride.

It’s a 2003 Honda Rebel 250 and it barely qualifies as a real motorcycle. In fact, when I Googled it, I found a TON of photos of kids and women sitting on them. Because it’s so small, it’s mainly bought as a first bike or for someone who can’t hold up a normal sized bike. It’s perfect for me since I am not much of a motorcycle guy and all I was really looking for was a scooter to get to work in the mornings.

In other words, it’s pretty small, really inexpensive and completely mine.

While digging through an old photo album last night, I came across this great picture of me, my Dad, my sister and our late dog, Duffy. That smile on my face, coupled with the Christmas tree in the background leads me to believe that this picture was taken on Christmas morning and we were about to open presents. Oh yes, those were some good, good times.

The one thing my Dad was always really good at when my sister and I were kids was finding out exactly what we wanted for Christmas. Instead being showered with a ton of crappy little things that we would’ve been excited about upon first glance, we usually received something major like a bike, a Nintendo, a Barbie house, etc., and then a few items to compliment the big gift.

I’m sure there were times when I’d go to my friends’ houses on Christmas afternoon and drool over the fact that they’d gotten tons and tons of gifts, but overall, I think we ended up way more satisfied in the long run. In fact, the gifts we received were so monumental to me that I could probably name them all if I tried. How many people can say that?

It was no accident either. My Dad is one smart dude. I’m sure he knew that come March or April when my friends’ cheap toys were broken and/or out of batteries, my quality mountain bike would still be getting me around the neighborhood in style.

Thanks for being such a great Dad, Dad. There are a million stories like this I could tell. I love you. Happy Father’s Day.

This Wednesday, it will be one month since my Mom died. I’ve had the urge to post something about her death on here a few times since then but when it came down to actually doing it, I backed out. And posting about anything else seemed a little inappropriate.

Today was gonna be the day but the truth is, I don’t think I’m ready for something like that, at least not on a grand scale. So instead, I got out my photo album and found this picture of us together.

I believe this was taken in Fordyce, AR at my grandparents’ house when I was just a wee little guy. I love this photo because even though my Mom looks like she’s trying to be all serious and nonchalant, both her hands are wrapped around me perfectly and she has kind of a smirk on her face like she’s pretty pumped to finally begin holiday celebrations (looks like Easter to me) with her family…something she truly enjoyed.

I hope to write a lot more about my Mom as time passes, in hopes of documenting the days of her life before her sickness took over. It’s those days that are the most important and it’s the memories they hold that I hope will one day overshadow the darker times leading up to her death.

I’d like to give one final thank you to everyone who sent gifts and condolences and to those who have kept my family and I in their thoughts throughout the last month. We really, really appreciate it.