Keep It To Yourself

It seems as though I like to talk about my new motorcycle a lot. So sue me. It's a blast to ride again and it makes me happy.

What I don't like about it is the opinions of others who are convinced that I am going to end up an organ donor. I don't verbally slap people for this, but I sometimes wonder if they don't say these things because they like to be fatalistic rather than the idea that they care about what happens to me. "What, do you want to die?" "Why would you buy a death machine?"

The negative to positive comments run about 5 to 1. I don't mind if people say, "Be careful when riding." I appreciate it when people say, "Nice bike! Are you wearing the proper protective gear?" Those kind of comments express genuine concern. But comments like the "organ donor" statements and such are just for the sake of sounding like they are smarter and wiser than you are. Guess what? I know the dangers. I know the dangers of riding a bicycle on the street. I know the dangers of walking through bad neighborhoods. I know the dangers of letting a dog lick your face! OK! I recognize the dangers, accept the dangers, and take all the appropriate measures to avoid damage. Driving a car is dangerous. Driving like an idiot is incredibly dangerous! Riding is dangerous. Riding like an idiot is often fatal.

If you want to express concern, do so. Do it in a way that acknowledges that I am an adult and not an insane person with a death wish! You want danger? Go on a carnival ride at some county fair. (Not implying that all rides are dangerous, but you do frequently hear of injuries and deaths on these things!) When I ride, I wear a high quality helmet, padded gloves, armored jacket, etc. I keep my head on a swivel and try to be aware of everything going on around me. I assume that other drivers are going to pull out in front of me or not stop when pulling up behind me. I'm sure you do the same thing in a car. But I'll tell you one thing; if I see a car not stopping as it pulls up behind me, I have a chance to get out of the way by scooting out of the way. You can't do that in a car.

For those who care; thank you. I'll ride as carefully as possible.

For those who ask if my wife took out extra life insurance on me; thanks...for nothing.

Bad News Keeps Coming

It's getting scary out there. The economic news gets worse and worse.

I can understand why people are nervous and being cautious with money. However, the people who are panicking are making matters worse, not better. Look at it this way: the economy depends on people investing, spending, and for want of a better expression, living their normal lives. When money is pulled out of the economy, businesses fail.

I am not going out to purposely spend money I don't have. Far from it. However, I'm also not going to stop spending entirely. If there's something I need, and I have the money, I'll buy it. For example, my watch conked out on me last week. I started to go through convulsions not having a watch on my wrist! So, I decided to get a new watch. Did I NEED a new watch? Well, need may be a strong word, but I sure felt like I did. Thus, I looked around and found a nice Pulsar (made by Seiko) for under $100. I love the watch, and I pumped a little bit of cash into the economy.

I didn't go out and buy like a madman. (Except for the Ninja, maybe.) But I bought groceries, I went to Ikea and picked up a few things. (Does anyone else love that crazy place as much as I do? Used to hate it. But that's a blog for another day.) We need to be careful with money...always. It's overextension that got us into this mess. But careful and reasonable isn't the same as panicky and miserly. Don't stuff your mattress. Use the banks for your savings, and make your reasonable everyday purchases. It's confidence that pulls an economy up.

And tell the stupid politicians to quit arguing and get to work, will ya? (Just kidding...none of my business, that's for sure!)

Rainy Days and Mondays

No, I'm not going to sing. (Even though I still am trying to find a talk show that will interview me. My purchase of the Ninja has solved the drought!)

I just found out that my homebuilder, John Laing Homes, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Now, I'm not vindictive. Also, this isn't good news for my home inspections and warranties for the first year of ownership. In fact, I haven't heard from them yet to schedule the walk-through! But I am beginning to be a believer in "What goes around, comes around". They were so jerk-like at times during the negotiation process that I almost feel as though they are getting what they dealt. Still, I don't wish anyone out of work, and there were several very nice people who worked with us on our home purchase. I hope all of them are doing okay.

But to all of you out there who think that just because you're in sales that you have to hard-sell and hard-line your customers...be careful...you never know what you're setting yourself up for! What's the old saying? Be careful as you climb the ladder of success. Don't step on anyone on the way up, because those are the people you'll have to deal with on the way back down. (Or something like that. It's Monday, for cryin' out loud!)