Yesterday, July 26, was another day like many others this month: the best laid plans wrecked by a Florida summer thunder-boomer. We were gonna do three biker events and ended up only doin’ one of ‘em, but we met some old friends, made some new friends and ended up takin’ some impromptu pictures for this month’s cover (August issue of Dixie Biker Illustrated). It’s funny how things have a way of workin’ out.
Boots and I loaded up early and headed to Merk’s Bar & Grille in New Smyrna Beach to hook up with Chad for the end of a poker run. After hangin’ there we were all gonna ride to the Warlocks MC clubhouse in Sanford for the end of the Veterans Run they were hosting. From there we were gonna ride down to the Shovelhead Lounge in Longwood for their grand reopening party. We ended up only battin’ .333 for our plans, though. After gettin’ a BLT and a couple five or six beers at Merk’s, we were fixin’ to head out and one of Chad’s friends, Dennis, came in and said, “Man, I got soaked! And only on the last mile.”
Oops. We went out on the deck and it was drizzlin’ a bit, but sunny to the east and south. We checked the radar on Chad’s phone—yeah, on his phone. And don’t ask—he tried to explain it to me, but. . . never mind. The radar looked bad headin’ west on Hwy 44 to Hwy 415 for the run to Sanford. South looked a little better so we figured we’d run down to Oak Hill and take Osteen-Mayport Road and circle around the rain. That didn’t work out either. It was gittin’ dark and nasty and we saw some lightning so we pulled into the All American Club, hosted by the Boozefighters, about three miles south of the No Name Saloon, unassed the bikes and ran inside just as the rain started. Lucky us!
Big Jim and Cappy welcomed us, introduced us to everyone and Sherlyn got us a couple more cold ones. We were just sittin’ around shootin’ the shit and catchin’ up with each other when someone said, “Hey, Precious (Cappy’s wife and who we’d just met and were shootin’ the shit with) is in this month’s issue of Dixie Biker.”
“No she’s not,” I said. “I lay out the photos and I would definitely remember her!”
Jim, Sherlynn’s husband (and DBI moto-journalist Kim’s dad) reached under the bar and brought out a copy of the July issue. Sure enuff, on page 68 was a picture of her that Chad had taken at the Cabbage Patch during Bike Week. I guess I didn’t recognize her cuz she was air-brushed up in Chad’s picture! Yeah, right. It’s that dang thing of being over fifty and sufferin’ from “Sometimer’s Disease.” Boots said something about we oughta take some pictures and put her on the August cover. “You have time to do that, right, Monk?”
Not really for the August issue, but. . . Boots wins. We shot a buncha pictures and spent a couple of hours waitin’ out the rain. It finally stopped, around 7 o’clock, and we headed out for the hour ride north. We got damp on the way, but it was a good day ridin’, hangin’ out and makin’ the best of it. And that’s what it’s all about.
There ya have it. And you thought it was all about plannin', studios, lights, camera, action. Nope. It's just about hangin' with friends and takin' it as it comes.
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