Lucky Me - 2013

New Years Eve 1986.

I was riding my Yamaha 650 through a snowstorm.

Approaching Houston and 2nd Avenue the light changed to red.

I skidded through the intersection excepting the worse. Cars crisscrossed my path. I stopped against the curb.

A 9th Precinct cop said, "Damn you were lucky."

"That I was." "Where you headed?"

"Home to East 10th Street."

"That's not a bad idea."

He was right.

I was lucky.

But if anyone was luckier, it was Indian Larry. Wintah was wintah once he rode bare-chested in the snow. His words;

The right bike, the right day, the right road. I just pretty much feel. One with the universe
When I feel like I don't fit anywhere
Lonely
All screwed up in the head
I get on my bike and go
For a ride
All of the sudden, I'm fixed
Indian Larry
Foto by Grégoire Alessandrini

I bet he's having a Mr. Softee somewhere wherever and maybe with the mr. Softee's jingle in his ears.

The jingle came from a famous tune from 1915 A WHISTLER AND HIS DOG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FDtVe04Z5I

WHERE'S MY MR. SOFTEE TRUCK.

Motorcycle Columbian Watch Thieves

In Columbia two thieves on motorcycles targeted drivers of luxury cars with their arm hanging out the driver's window. The driver grabbed at the Rolex, as the drier tried to fight off the theft, the pillion driver stuck a lit cigarette in driver's right hand. Vroom off into freedom with the watch. Columbians are also the world's best pickpocket and the Roma of Paris are a close second.

In 1990 I broke my left wrist in a head-on motorcycle crash with an Lanna Thai opium farmer's pick-up. I was killed instantly and even faster reincarnated into this life. Same body, except my wrist thereafter resembled a Klingon Bird of Prey starship.

No watches have sat right on my left wrist since.

Foto by Randall Koral and the car in the ad might be his.

Unlucky Someone

This evening a biker ran a light at West Broadway and Houston. He didn't make it to the other side in this life. Drive safe, bikers. The first Kawasaki Ninja came to America in 1986. We called them 'widowmakers'. They were too much speed for a man. Same as this Unlucky Someone.