HEY!!  Have been working with the mentally and physically handicapped for 11 years.  Am the Team Leader of two residences each housing four handicapped adult males; and four staff working in each home.  Staff turn over is high so I work a lot of extra hours.  So when I get the chance to get out on my bike even if it is to run a short errand...i take it.  We have a very short riding season here in Alberta, so I braved the cold to start the season while snow is still on the ground.  I couldn't wait this year and I started riding May 15/08  at -5 'C.       Well as of January 10/09 I just got sick and tired of my employer taking advantage of my good nature by riding my ass on every little detail of my job.  Got a new young " supervisor" two months ago who wants to make a name for herself,  and me a 12 year veteran in the field would much rather work under a "TEAM" mentality rather than under a dictator ship so I resigned!!  With all the wife's family in Vancouver I see no reason to stay in this cold provence of Alberta any longer.  So the idea of moving to a warmer climate where I can ride up to 10 months of the year sounds like a pretty good trade off.  A man gets to a point in life where he is confident enough in himself and in his abilities that he knows his knowledge and skills will be of value some where.  With discovering bikes so late in life I became very acutely aware that I love my recreation infinitely  more than my job; and that my future job will have to work around my riding rather than the other way around.  Just so you know, I presenty get from 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. off for my self.  That's 30 hours/week and no weekends.   Yes indeed it is time to move on!

Sorry, but as depressing as this sounds it only took one year of riding before a car made an illegal left turn in front of me causing my first accident with a car. The driver was a 67 year old lady, her passenger was a 77 years old and the lady in the back seat was 87 years old. I had just turned East bound onto a main drag. The ladies were sitting at a red light behind me. They soon came up behind me than passed me on my right. They were chatting in the car when and one lady said. "You missed your turn" And that's all it took. She had driven up behind me, passed me, and she STILL turned left right in front of me as if I wasn't even there. Not even so much as a shoulder check. " I didn't see or hear you". She said. [PLEASE NOTE THE VERY LOUD HARD KROME SIDEBURNERS THAT NOW ADORN MY BIKE]. Every person that even comes near me looks at me now. They were sure worth every penny. At the time of the accident I was just making a "quick trip" to the store and chose to wear my muscle shirt, shorts and running shoes. I had never had the nerve to ride without my leathers before but again it was "just a quick trip to the store". My right running shoe made contact with her drivers side door and it wore the material right down to my bare baby toe, which never received a scratch. I never dropped the bike which is the one fact I am most proud of. But then again that may have meant that I didn't squeeze my front break enough which may have avoided me the accident. I am guilty of not knowing right at that moment what was beside me in the right hand lane and I may have been able to avoid it all had I swerved into that right lane. But the truth is I was so relaxed and into what a ride is supposed to be about, the sun, the warm air on your face, that I didn't know what was there in that right lane and I wasn't going to risk moving over onto a lane that I didn't know what was coming up behind me. It's really weird. Time slows down in moments of crises. I had time to decide not to swerve into that right lane. I don't know what the answer is. There will always be bad drivers who make erratic lane changes without signaling or shoulder checking. You can be as defensive a rider as you can, but will you, or can you be "READY" for every possible situation that may pop up in front of you at 60Km/hr? Believe me riding on that day with no leathers on I WAS driving defensively. I was very aware that I was virtually naked. I have done my part to fix at least my part of what went wrong that day. She said she "didn't hear me"........well now she will. And as for not being seen. I added more chrome and ride with all my lights on at all times. KEEP THE SHINEY SIDE UP!

Interests and hobbies:
Love to ride my bikes (of course). LOOKING TO SELL THE SUZUKI IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED. Have three horses which are still in Alberta. Want to bring them to B.C. but haven't figured out how yet. As much as I love my bikes there is some thing to be said about having a live animal between your legs :)

I would like to meet:
Gene Simmons, as I would love to pick his brain on his business sense. Going from bass player to business mogul. CHER introduced him to the Hollywood crowed when they were dating and the rest is history. I guess when you are famous you don't have to go looking for something to put your brand name onto....it comes to you

Best attribute:
My even temperament

Worst attribute:
My even temperament

Favorite bands and musicians:
KISS: Was too young to see them in /76 so /97 got to be my year to see the ORIGINALS. MOTLEY CRUE: GOT SUCKED INTO THE BANDS LOOK OF "SHOUT AT THE DEVIL" Was in high school at the time and when I opened that album cover up and saw MICK MARS standing in those flames, that was it for me, I was a crue fan. METALLICA: MASTER OF PUPPETS.......NEED I SAY MORE! Got to meet James and Kirk in /89

Favorite movies:
Alien, Scarface, The Last Samurai

My Pet:
MY HORSE

Status:
Married

Religion:
No answer

Ethnicity:
White/Caucasian

Education:
College graduate