: About Me

I've just retired after spending 35 years in the fire service. I've witnessed the unbelievable power and unpredictable behavior of wildfires, experiencing this force of nature up close in a way most will never see, and may not even imagine. Humbling. I've seen Paramedics save lives, and firefighters put themselves in harm's way to protect total strangers. Also humbling. I may never understand how some professional baseball players can make more money in one inning, standing in left field spitting and scratching themselves, than a Paramedic earns in a year. But then I don't set our great Nation's priorities. In retrospect, I have no regrets. I've received local and national fire prevention awards which I'm proud of, and I once took actions that saved a life but I certainly wouldn't have expected or accepted more pay for it, so maybe I've solved my own mystery. My life has also consisted of a series of "almosts". I was "almost" a famous musician - my late brother Gary and I had a band that "almost" had a recording contract after appearing on TV in 1969 (9th Street West) when our band opened for the Doors and Jefferson Airplane. We "almost" landed a contract to perform the music for The Monkees TV show, and we actually "were" the music behind the famous '50's group The Drifters on a Southern California tour they did back when I had hair. Looking out at a crowd past the backs of the legendary Drifters as they took the audience back to a simpler time of honest, great music with extraordinary harmonic skill was magical. This was powerful stuff. But it was short-lived. Lately, my heart has been working hard to convince my head that I'm "almost" a motorcycle journalist. I have 40 years worth of the motorcycle part down, but I still need to work on my writing, which is why I'm here at Helium.

So, who am I? I'm a happily married (34 years) guy in Oregon with the most wonderful wife and daughter one could ever hope for. At the end of the day, that's what's most important to me. I love to make people laugh, or at least smile. If my stories can bring a little happiness into someone's life, or maybe take them back to a time or place that made them feel good, maybe I've done my (real) life's work. Folks, life is short and it's far too easy, nowadays, to get trapped in the terrifying pace we've created for ourselves. Before I go too far into reflecting on the virtues, trials, and tribulations of growing old, I'll stop and save that for another story. Today, I'm happy. What more could I possibly want?

My passion is ...

Motorcycles

I know too much about ...

How easily corrupt and greedy powermongers can destroy humble decent people

My parents always told me ...

Respect others, be kind, help those less fortunate.

My childhood ambition ...

Baseball player, firefighter

My favorite memory ...

The day my daughter was born

Why I write ...

To make a point, share information and/or make people smile

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Reading Peter Egan, watching less TV, listening to Mariachi music

My first job ...

Paperboy

My best moment ...

It would be "moments" (plural) and there isn't enough room to list them all.

My inspiration ...

My family, and the belief that good (miraculously) will somehow prevail.

Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Christmas traditions

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Putting up the Christmas lights OK. So, now that I've waited until the second week of December to install our outdoor Christmas lights, I have no choice but to tackle the job in the rain. I knew I should have been out on the ladder on Thanksgiving Day instead of stuffing the turkey (me) with food and beer. When we first considered moving to Pepperwood Street I thought the homeowner's association contract sounded great. No large trucks, motor homes, junked cars, etc. parked on the street, no loud or obnoxious activities, and yards must be neatly maintained, etc. Oh, did I mention Christmas ...

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