Health Care Bill - Should Congress & Senate Be Covered?

Although I generally avoid political blogs, I am making an exception. Regardless of whether you are for or against national health care, you should consider doing this. After all, if natoinal health care is good enough for the masses, shouldn't it be good enough for our elected officials? This is on the web site for Representative John Fleming.

Here`s your chance to vote in a poll to see how many American People think that the ones responsible for the health care plan should also be mandated into enrolling in the same healthcare plan that they think is good enough for us, the People. If it is too busy, try again!!!!

Subject: HR 615
ACTION ALERT

On Tuesday, the Senate Health Committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment, courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn which would require all Members of Congress and their staff members to enroll in any new government-run health plan.

Congressman John Fleming has proposed an amendment that would require Congressmen and Senators to take the same health care plan that they would force on us. (Under proposed legislation they are exempt.)

Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go to his Website and sign his petition. The process is very simple. I have done just that at: Congressman John Fleming : Home .

Senator Coburn and Congressman Fleming are both physicians. Regardless of your political beliefs, it sure seems reasonable that Congress should have exactly the same medical coverage that they impose on the rest of us.

Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!

From Dream to Reality

For most of you, this blog is too long and talks about places too obscure, but after putting my motorcycle log together into a document, I felt the need to share it with those of you who might relate to it. A brief note about who and where: City Limits is a Harley dealership in Palatine, IL where I bought my 883 Custom Sportster. Carl and Judy are my son Exodio's step-father and step-mother.

Saturday, 09-08-15, Went to City Limits and met Carl & Judy for “Sturgis in Palatine”. I met Mike Parth, a salesman, when I was looking at bikes. I mentioned that I was “dreaming” of getting a bike but probably wouldn’t be able to get one then. I told him I was interested in the 883 Low as I wasn’t sure a higher bike would be very easy for me to mount and ride. He took a look at me and said there was no way I would be comfortable on it. But I sat on it anyway and found that my legs cramped just in a few seconds. He suggested an 883 Custom since the foot pegs are mounted forward. I tried it out and discovered that it was PERFECT!

I reiterated that I couldn’t get one and he suggested that I just think about it. I walked around with Carl & Judy and generally mulled it over. After about an hour, I called Pat. After a very brief discussion, she gave her OK!!!!

I went back in to the dealership and talked with Mike and then Tony. Judy helped me negotiate a deal and between Mike and her, I got $1000 off the price, a free Rider’s Edge class, and the cost of the charger hook up (around $100) removed. I elected to get the 5 year extended warranty added. After all was totaled up, it came out around $10,000 which wasn’t bad on an $8000 motorcycle.

I turned down delivery since they scheduled me for the Rider’s Edge Course the following Thursday through Sunday and felt I could just pick it up after that.

Sunday, 09-08-16, Called the dealership to arrange for delivery to be made on Thursday, since we were going to have the Wisconsin grandkids all week and the Illinois grandkids on Wednesday. It was also necessary to put off the class until 09-08-27 for the same reason.

Thursday, 09-08-20, Motorcycle delivered! Had 6 of the 7 grandkids on hand and Carl & Judy too! Carl took me over to DMV to get my learner’s permit.

Friday, 09-08-21, First ride on the new bike!!! Rode around just a few blocks from the house with NO busy streets

Sunday, 09-08-23, Second ride. Once again just stayed by the house and didn’t venture out on busy streets.

Thursday, 09-08-27, First night of Rider’s Edge Class at Wild Fire H-D. Instructor was Ric Case and Bill Lowry. All book stuff but very interesting. Some I knew, some I thought I knew but didn’t, and some new stuff. Got to meet the others in the class. Estafania Pederson (I had to introduce her to the class after exchanging info), Bob (I believe he dropped out), Caryn (eventually dropped out), Dee (Caryn’s sig. other), Mike, Blair, Paul, Randy, and Raj. Covered mostly general topics and learning about each other.

Friday, 09-08-28, Second night of Rider’s Edge. Started learning about controls and basic operation of the bike, range operation, and safety rules for the range.

Saturday, 09-08-29, First day on the range! Learned more about controls of the Buell bikes, starting the bike, basic riding skills, and beginning maneuvering. Caryn and Estafania both dropped their bikes but were able to continue riding. Went back to the class for more safety and general riding skills information.

Sunday, 09-08-30, Second day on the range. Caryn and Mike(?) didn’t come back to class. More maneuvering, turning, both low speed and higher speed weaving, turning, and braking. Paul put his bike down on a turn/straighten/brake exercise immediately before I tried it. Luckily I didn’t imitate him. Took the riding test for the class and didn’t find out until the end of the day that I only dropped 8 points on it (needed less than 20 points to pass).

Went back to the classroom for more instruction including much on safety including the effects of alcohol. Took the written test managed to get it all right even though I was the first one finished. It was a relief to have done so well on both riding and written tests.

Monday, 09-09-07, Labor day! Beautiful day and finally able to ride again. We were up in Wisconsin for the grandkids first days at school and so I wasn’t able to ride until now! Carl and I went to McDonalds on Oakton and Busse.

After making the turn from Landmeir onto Higgins, I noticed a cop following us. Carl had seen him in the far right lane of Landmeir but I was busy watching some traffic behind me and immediately to my right, so I didn’t see him until after we made the turn. He “chirped” his siren at me and I pulled into the parking lot at the club (Hunter’s) next to McDonalds. He got out and said “Mr. Sackis?” He had run my temporary plate number already. He asked to see my learner’s permit and then asked to see Carl’s motorcycle license since I needed a licensed driver accompanying me at all times. After verifying everything, he wished us a good ride and sent us on our way. A pleasant experience in all ways.

After that, we rode over by Carol & Phil. I called them from outside to see if they wanted to look out at my bike. Instead, they both came out and talked with us for awhile and Carol told me that her brother Paul recently got a Harley too!

On the way home, I stopped at the gas station at Arlington Heights and Beisterfield and put some air in the front tire since it was down about 8 pounds.

Tuesday, 09-09-08, Rode around Elk Grove some more, including the BP station at Devon and Tonne where I put more air in the front tire. Went to Portillo’s and rode around the Industrial Park.

Thursday, 09-09-10, Driver’s test at Wild Fire. Failed!!! On the second stage, I did the weave but missed the last cone. I got frustrated with myself, gave the bike too much gas on the turn, and when I started going too wide, hit the brakes too hard and managed to put the bike down! Not only an automatic failure, but damn embarrassing too!

Although it didn’t seem that I had done any damage to myself, it turned out that I had squashed my right foot under the bike and banged the left leg on something. My right foot got black and blue and swollen in about an hour. The left leg had a scrape but the bruising didn’t show up until a day or two later.

Saturday, 09-09-12, A misty, foggy morning. It fogged up my glasses and I found that my gloves can wipe it off very effectively so I can continue to see. Carl and I rode down to Wild Fire to see if I could possibly retake the test successfully on my own bike. It went very well even though it was the first time with my larger, heavier bike. We stopped at the Rider’s Edge Class and talked briefly with Ric and a couple of his four students. I enjoyed the experience.

Monday, 09-09-14, We went back to Wild Fire so I could practice on the driving course again. On the way back, Carl and I stopped at Songbird Slough. After the earlier light fog, it had warmed up t o about 70 and was sunny. Carl had not known about the fishing available there and may go back some time to try it out.

Tuesday, 09-09-15, Practiced at Wild Fire again after getting gas for the first time. 2.3 gallons for a whole $6.50. Stopped at Krispy Kreme on Devon on another great day. 72 and sunny. Couldn’t ask for better weather.

Friday, 09-09-18, Rode to the VA at Hines for some bloodwork and checked on why I hadn’t gotten a referral for another audiometer test. Also rode out to City Limits for the first time to check on my plates and see Mike, but he doesn’t work on Fridays.

Monday, 09-09-21, More practice at Wild Fire. Stopped at McDonalds for breakfast and got gas (2.6 gallons/$7.00). Rode over to Busse Woods close to 53 and Higgins and rode around there. Carl showed me where he usually fishes and then Judy met us for her Egg McMuffin.

Tuesday, 09-09-22, Again, more practice at Wild Fire. Took Medinah road and Thorndale to Rohlwing/Beisterfield/Plum Grove to Algonquin/New Wilke/Golf to Gamestop.

Thursday, 09-09-24, Wild Fire for driving test (DMV). After having a couple of shaky runs during practice, the examiner (Bobby) asked if anyone needed to go first to get to work. When no one stepped up, he asked who wanted to go first. I hesitated only a second and volunteered. I then proceeded to ACE the test on my own bike!!!! One of the people told me I had given them all a tough hurdle to surpass. Nice words!

Carl then took me over to DMV to get my license. Totally cool!

If you made it all the way down to here, thanks! I'm still very excited about having a new bike and can't keep it all to myself.

Let the good times roll (on two wheels)!

Ye Haw!

Passed my motorcycle test this morning, went straight to the DMV and I now have my motorcycle license! What made it even more enjoyable was that I failed it two weeks ago by hitting the brakes on a turn and put the bike down (a Buell loaned by the dealership). This time I used my own 883 Custom and proceeded to ACE the test! It was good times! 

As I told my riding buddy (my son Exodio's father-in-law), the weird thing now is only hearing my own motorcycle, not two.

Let the good times roll (on two wheels)!

A New Record - 2 days/2 blogs

Well here I am. 66 years old and old enough to know better. BUT, after 41 years of marriage, my wife has finally relented and is willing to let me get a motorcycle! I'm looking at possibly getting a Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 Low. I don't know that I need or could safely manage a 1200, but who knows. I only know that sometime in the next month or two (or three), I will be getting a motorcycle!!!!

The last time I had one was when I was in the Army down at Ft. Hood, Texas. It was only a 250cc German Zundapp and in the short time that I owned it, it was an adventure. Biggest problem was broken clutch cables. In the 3-5 months that I had it, I must have gone through 4 cables. It was checked out every time and had the cables installed by the local bike shop in Killeen. On the road, when it would break, I learned how to run alongside the bike, jump on, and jam the thing into gear. It would shift without the clutch enough so I could get back to the shop (or base) as needed.

The last time I rode it, I had gone to the bike shop and gave a guy a ride back to base. BIG mistake, I wasn't that good a rider and he outweighed me. My friend was on his 750cc Triumph (I believe) and as I followed him on the back roads into Ft. Hood, we went around a curve at around 60 mph. There was some dirt and gravel on the center line and my rider decided we were going to slide. So he sat up and straightened out the path of the bike, right off the road, headed for a barbed wire fence. I managed to get the bike slowed down a bit and turned so we were driving at the bottom of the ditch. Unfortunately there was a telephone pole there and as we headed for it, I was starting to ride up the ditch enough to go by it, but the rider thougth I was going to hit it, so he dumped the bike. I rode it right down into the ground and was stuck under it when it stopped.

He was hobbling around since he twisted his ankle and he ignored me. My friend didn't see us go down and didn't miss us for a while. A car of GI's stopped, got the bike off of me, and looking strangely at me said I should sit down. Since I was a little woozy, I did, put my hand up to my head and felt that it was wet and bloody! When I went down, I caught a piece of barbed wire on the top of my head (no helmet!). They took me to the infirmary on the base where I had 12 stitches put in, an ace bandage on my sprained wrist, gave me some pain killer.

A memorable experience that I would not wish on anyone else. By the time I healed up, it was time for me to go to Vietnam, so I sold it and my car, and said farewell to bike riding.

Oh, by the way, I was off base without a pass and damned lucky that we had made it back to the base limits before the accident!

Oh, to be young and foolish again, instead of just foolish.

Something good!

Something good about meeting up with folks in person like I was able to do on Saturday for a couple of hours at the 2o2p Lan. Got to talk with a bunch of folks and watched a bunch more playing their little hearts out. Talked with MikeJames, Doodi and TrashGuy, got to meet USCM1 and watched Phreak and Beldan (and others) playiing some great Halo 3 FFA in a tourney match. Of course I managed to spend some time with Pearly and Tdrag too. Also got to meet J-cat and talk about the non-gaming world and a little about Canada. All in all, a very enjoyable couple of hours.

Even though I sometimes feel a little old with such a bunch of young, active, hard drinking folks like them, I find it exciting and comforting to know that I am a part (little though it might be) of such a great bunch of people.

Thanks for being you and for allowing me to part of such a dynamic and caring group.