We try to keep the world from intruding on our happy lives, but sometimes all defenses fail. I don’t mean to make light of what happened at UC Davis, and god knows the photo itself is horrifying, but this photoshop somehow makes the latest pepper spraying incident all the more Orwellian:
What a world we live in. Do parents and schoolteachers still teach children that policemen are their friends?
Like any of us need to be reminded the world is full of assholes, right? Let’s move on.
Yesterday I got on the Wing and rode to my favorite burger bar, Vogan’s Alley in Tombstone, Arizona. What a beautiful day for a ride: mid-60s, blue skies with scattered puffy clouds for shade, light breeze, no traffic … I’d put out the word ahead of time and hoped some of my motorcycling buddies would come with me, but I was the only one at the meetup so I wound up riding solo.
About that burger. A burger’s a burger; it’s the condiment bar that makes the difference. Vogan’s Alley has great condiments, and that’s why I like to go there for lunch once or twice a year. The place is a dump otherwise, but man, when they give you green chilis to put on your burger, who cares about the ambiance … or the roaches?
Which, in turn, prompts this thought: putting a tomato on a burger doesn’t make it a tomato burger. Nor onions, nor pickles. But put green chilis on it and all of a sudden it’s a green chili burger. Who makes this shit up?
This coming Saturday I’ll have the chance to put 200-300 miles on a new BMW six-cylinder. I’m packing my warm riding gear, but if the weather’s anything like it was yesterday all I’ll need is a helmet, jacket, and gloves. Here’s hoping.
We leave Wednesday morning for Las Vegas. Our daughter-in-law Beth is cooking the traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, and on Friday my son Gregory and I plan to smoke a brisket … I’m bringing some of my home-made rub. Saturday is our motorcycle day, or maybe Sunday. Or maybe Saturday and Sunday, if we can keep the bikes that long. We’ll drive back to Tucson Monday.
I don’t know. Talking about motorcycles and family normally cheers me up, but I’m still upset. I think I need to hug my dog. Oh, yeah, we’re bringing her too!