Autism Ride 2010

Mary and I finally got to participate in the motorcycle ride for Autism Speaks. It was incredible how many bikes were there. I know that when we arrived there were over 400 bikes registered. As we waited for the ride to start, bikes kept arriving. There were over 500 bikes there. I don’t know for sure how many left from our location but adding all sites together they announced there were over 10,000 riders that signed up in advance. With the number that showed up and registered the day of the ride, I would not be able to guess how many riders donated their time and money to this cause.
With two sons that have been diagnosed within the Autism/Asperger syndrome spectrum Mary and I have attended the Walk for Autism Speaks and we had signed up for last years ride. However last year my back surgery prevented us from being able to participate. This year we were able to and it was a wonderful experience.

here are the first 200 bikes lined up ready to go.

There is My bike. The second one in with the helmet by the windshield

The next 100 bikes lined up here on the side of the building.As bikes kept arriving they lined up down the street and around the corner.

This is during the ride The line of bikes ahead of us. and behind us.

This was about 85 mile ride with no stops. We had police escorts the whole way. They blocked intersections for us as we rode past.

Thank you to the State Police for providing their services and also to all the local Sherriff offices and Local Police that also assisted with the traffic.

A thought for 9/11

For the record, I am NOT a Muslim.
I am an AMERICAN, A Citizen of the United States of America, where we celebrate FREEDOM OF RELIGION.

For many months now I have heard of people demanding that a mosque not be built at ground zero.

From all the details I can find, the site is not to be an official Mosque, but rather a Community Center that has as a feature a prayer facility. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/steve_chapman/2010/07/the-truth-about-the-ground-zero-mosque.html

Also the location is at least TWO BLOCKS AWAY from ground zero. A person cannot see the building from Ground Zero. From the building you cannot see ground zero.

This is an unwarranted attack on the Muslim religion. An unwarranted attack, that goes against everything that the Unites States is supposed to stand for.

Terrorist DOES NOT equal Muslim.

Should we prevent the building of Churches in Germany because during the Holocaust, many NAZIES claimed to be Christians?

Should we prevent the building of Churches in the United States because many Ku Klux Klan members who were involved in the Lynching of innocent people have claimed to be Christians?

The terrorists were not true Muslims. They did not follow a true Muslim leader. They follow an extremist bastardization of the Muslim religion. They distorted the words of the Muslim religion to justify their own evil acts.

Much as the Christian Church has done over the centuries.

But to blame the entire Muslim religion for the acts of a few evil men is just wrong.

Attacking Muslim Mosques, or Burning the Quran, is not a valid statement. It only adds fuel to the terrorist extremist’s fire. And they use these acts to prove the lies they are perpetrating.

I have several friends and coworkers who are true followers of the Muslim religion. They are good people and do not believe that the radical terrorists follow the Muslim religion.

Please remember to think before you act. Make sure you know your target before you attack. Make sure you know what you are talking about before you speak. Please remember that several Muslim families lost loved ones in this horrible attack. The difference is, during their grief, they have been forced to live through unwarranted attacks, suspicion, and mistrust. Some victims were even falsely accused of being terrorists.

A 23-year-old New York City police cadet was a part-time ambulance driver and incoming medical student. Because he was a devout Muslim, when he disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials came to his family, seeking him for questioning in relation to the terrorist attacks.  They allegedly believed he was somehow involved.  His whereabouts were undetermined for over six months, until his remains were finally identified.  He was found near the North Tower, with his EMT medical bag beside him, presumably doing everything he could to help those in need. Salman Hamdani was declared a hero. But until his remains were found, his family was treated as suspected terrorists during the time they should have been allowed to grieve in peace.

People forget there were several VICTIMS of the 9/11 attacks that were Muslim. Below is a partial list of those Muslim victims that I was able to find with a simple Google Search.

Samad Afridi
Ashraf Ahmad
Shabbir Ahmad ( leaves wife and 3 children)
Umar Ahmad
Azam Ahsan
Ahmed Ali
Tariq Amanullah (leaves wife and 2 children)
Touri Bolourchi (a retired nurse from Tehran)
Salauddin Ahmad Chaudhury
Abdul K. Chowdhury
Mohammad S. Chowdhury (leaves wife and child born 2 days after the attack)
Jamal Legesse Desantis
Ramzi Attallah Douani
SaleemUllah Farooqi
Syed Fatha
Osman Gani
Mohammad Hamdani
Salman Hamdani
Aisha Harris
Shakila Hoque
Nabid Hossain
Shahzad Hussain
Talat Hussain
Mohammad Shah Jahan
Yasmeen Jamal
Mohammed Jawarta
Arslan Khan Khakwani
Asim Khan
Ataullah Khan
Ayub Khan
Qasim Ali Khan
Sarah Khan
Taimour Khan
Yasmeen Khan
Zahida Khan
Badruddin Lakhani
Omar Malick
Nurul Hoque Miah
Mubarak Mohammad
Boyie Mohammed
Raza Mujtaba
Omar Namoos
Mujeb Qazi
Tarranum Rahim
Ehtesham U. Raja
Ameenia Rasool
Naveed Rehman
Yusuf Saad
Rahma Salie & unborn child (wife of Michael Theodoridis; 7 months pregnant)
Shoman Samad
Asad Samir
Khalid Shahid (engaged to be married in November)
Mohammed Shajahan
Naseema Simjee
Jamil Swaati
Sanober Syed
Robert Elias Talhami
Michael Theodoridis ( husband of Rahma Salie)
W. Wahid

Autism Speaks Charity Ride September 19th

Mary and I will be riding in the Autism Speaks Charity Ride September 19th. If you ride join us if not you can donate at the Autism Speaks web site if you wish. http://ride.autismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=423031&supId=262806362+

Weekend task

Well this weekend was quite busy.

We had a lot of work to do getting ready for Jordan’s Graduation Party.

I had been unable to work on the deck last year due to my back problems. The deck was looking mighty bad. Sandy let us borrow her pressure washer so we could clean this thing up.

Here is a few samples of before and during the process.

This side of the deck shows what I was starting with, all grey with patches of algae. Pretty ugly don’t you think?

This shows the wood wet before even putting on the cleaner. This is just the pressure washer.

Last one shows the pressure washer in action.

Here is the view after using the deck wash.

Such an improvement.

Well Next weekend we need to get the deck chairs out of the shed and set up the umbrella. Lets just hope that the weather is this good the day of the graduation party… if not… well this still needed to be done.

For you animal lovers worried about Mama Cat and her kittens... She moved her kittens out on her own almost a week ago.

OH NO! CRITTERS!

Monday evening Dillinger was outside in the back yard enjoying the weather.

Suddenly he started straining against his chain to get to the gap in the deck by the basement window. I had a hard time pulling him back. He was growling, barking and snapping at the opening too narrow to get his face into it further than his nose. Something got him on the nose. He was bleeding a little bit.

Well next morning I look in the gap myself and what do I see?

KITTENS!

and not far away … Mama keeping a watchful eye.

They are very cute kittens, but until she decides to move them, I cannot put Dillinger out the back yard. He is scratching up the wood trying to get at the kittens. I hope he just wants to play, but then again he only wanted to play with the possum, and Mr. Possum is not with us anymore. So now Dillinger is back in the front yard guarding the house.

Oh well…

Kittens….Hmph!

At least she didn’t find a way to have them inside the house.

Denny’s Bike

My Neighbor and friend Denny Hanula passed away this year.

He and I would occasionally go out for a ride, He on his 100 year anniversary Dyna and me on my Sporty. He would follow me around as he just wanted to ride, and didn’t like taking the lead on a ride. LOL

Well after his passing Sandy (His wife) was torn about what to do with his Harley.
 

It is one beautiful bike

Sandy could not bare the thought of a stranger taking the bike.

 

Sandy finally decided to give the bike as a gift to her ex Son-In-Law Craig Ringler.

He was well loved by Denny and when They went out to visit them He and Denny had taken a long ride through the mountains. 

Well he is a good man who has had some struggles that were no fault of his own, And Sandy knew he would love and care for the bike. Sandy said he deserved to be given something.  So She told him to come and pick up his birthday present. She presented him with the title so he could have it home by his Birthday.

   

He showed up on his delivery run to pick up the bike. It just seemed to be meant to be. as the truck he was driving had Denny written on the side.

 

He said the first ride he is going to take will be the same ride he and Denny last took. I wish I could join him, but that is out of my range at this time.

I had never sat on Denny’s bike. So before it left Sandy said I had to get on and take a picture.

  

I am grateful to have known Denny, and am glad that this bike went to someone who Sandy and Denny knew and loved.

My New Toy!

I received my new toy this past week. A Dell Inspiron 1764.

also has a 17” wide screen HD display, DVD Writer, a memory card reader, and a full size keyboard. (This means I had to get used to typing with my fingers not in the center of the screen, but I have a keypad on the laptop! So entering all the numbers is easier when doing spreadsheets. And it has a built in camera and microphone so Skype works so much better. I am still working on configuring the applications I need. The challenge of a 64bit O/S with 32bit software is being handled quite will by Windows 7.

So far I have enjoyed it immensely! We ordered it on the Dell 10 Days of Deals promotion. It was a very good deal.

Love my new Laptop so far! Will let you know how long it takes me to screw it up!

So here is what it looks like!

Well. Happy Computing everyone!

Tired today

Toss and turn all night. No reason. Just not sleeping.
too tired to read. couldn't concentrate on the words. But still couldn't fall asleep.
Then the morning came sooner than expected. Oh well Back to work.

Snow Snow Snow... Where did the nice weather go?

Had a nice ride just a few days ago it seams. Bike started up and ran great. Drove around a bit and filled up with fresh gas. Drove around a bit more. Then home thinking "This was great"
Can't wait to go out again.
Then ... Snow
Then ... More Snow
THEN ... MORE SNOW! NUBBINS!
I guess I won't get out any time soon.
Today I did see a State Trooper Motorcycle Officer on 294 North bound lanes.
He looked cold... but happy.
Made me wish I didn't have to work... Oh well. Gotta get back to work.

FIRST RIDE OF 2010

Woo Hoo! Pulled the Harley out and it started right up! Took a ride around the neighborhood and filled up with fresh gas. It was very fun, relaxing, and actually quite warm. I would have stayed out longer but there were too many spots where there was water on the pavement, so I came home... it makes me want to ride more!
should have taken pictures!

Feeling cold and flat today

So, how is your morning going?
Here is has already been an adventure!
It is Butt Cold Out there and Mary has a flat tire.
She had to take Jordan's van to work.
It is the right front tire...
I was going to put the spare on but there is so much Ice around the place that the Jack goes under the car that it won't lock in place. So I had to pump up the tire and will have to drop Jordan off at school this morning. Then pump it up again when it is time to go pick him up from school.
Two weeks ago I pumped up Jordan’s Right Front tire.
Ethan has to pump his Right Front Tire up regularly, about every two weeks.
Yesterday I came out of the post office to find a flat tire on my truck.
I had to pump up the Right Front Tire of my truck in the Post Office Parking lot.
What is it with our cars and the RIGHT FRONT TIRE?

Avitar - Great Movie

OK we went to see Avitar tonight. It is a great movie great story. Unbelievably realistic.
Only problem we had is we went to see it at the IMAX theater... It was too much for us. We got dizzy.
Mary and I both had to look away from the screen often.
We wish we would have seen it on a smaller screen.
The IMAX screen was too much for us.

We did really enjoy the story.
beautifully acted.

Now that I am no longer dizzy, I am interested in going to see it on a smaller screen.