From the Mind of Big Ed

Mt. Olive Pickle

Big Ed aka 2Timer

Hello You Happy People!

Happy Spring to y’all!!

I didn’t get to ride much in January. Me and my wife decided to jump on an opportunity we had to remodel the bathroom. Ripping down the old paneling and replacing with sheetrock and replacing the toilet, the tub, and the vanity. Inside “Honey Do” list that had been needing some attention for some time. When all was done with that I had me a good ol’ fire in the backyard and kept a good eye on the blaze as I downed with a few beers. The whole month has been screwed up with the Virus hitting my family members, including myself. We had to do everything late. Christmas parties, family gatherings, and we are yet to get a Birthday party done for my daughter. But we’ll get it done before you read this article...I promise.

While I was out in the yard I figured I’d go out to the shed and check on my bike. You know, give her a crank and let the girl run for a bit. It took a minute, I guess my charger just can’t hang during the really cold moments but once I charged the battery on the big battery charger she sang. I slapped the battery in and with a few gags to the throttle she was rumbling out her sweet melody. I say to Hell with this. This bike is sounding good. I went in the house grabbed my helmet and let her hit the wind for a few miles. I was just digging into the throttle and letting the bike chug up some gas. I hit a few of the backroads around my house and let the neighborhood kids hear those pipes as my bike screamed past their houses. Man! That just feels good! I just put everything past me...the virus, the house, the crap election. I just dropped it all on the asphalt and left it behind me. I wanted to just keep digging into that throttle and forget the world for awhile and You know what? I did. I got back home and parked that Harley under the shed, hung my helmet up and I felt good inside. It’s the best therapy in the world, if you ask me.

Something about it man, riding motorcycles, it’s just something about it that feeds my soul. I remember back in the day. I was working at Dupont. I was 18 years old and I really didn’t have a trade or any skills back then. I was just a poor boy who was getting a taste of the real world. I worked 12 hour shifts at night and my job was to push and pull cart loads of product to other areas of the plant. It was hard work. The carts were big and old and the wheels won’t in the best shape. I remember them sometimes being a struggle to get them to move, plus I was like 150 pounds soak and wet back then. So, sometimes it took every bit of strength I had to get them going. Those nights were long and most of the work was coming from my back, so there wasn’t much going on in the brain department. This gave me a lot of time to day dream, and trust me people. I was 18 years old. There was just only a few things on my mind. Women, getting high, more women and winning some sort of lottery. We didn’t have scratch offs and lottery back then like we do now. The only thing you could wish to win big back then was a visit from Ed McMahon. I’ll let you research that for those who ain’t old enough to understand that. Very often my day dreams would fall on hitting like 20 million. 20 million dollars sounds like a good round about number. With that I could throw some towards my family so mom and dad could chill for life. Then I’d head straight to the motorcycle shop. There I’d buy the bike of my dreams and my road gear. I’d pack what I needed and head west to chase the sun right out of the sky. Bare bones and check out this great nation from Behind Barz. I’d go to places I’ve always wanted to go, like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Badlands in South Dakota. I’d head over to California and drop into those wild head shops I’ve heard about. Then run over to Yampa Valley, Colorado. Just because of it’s beauty. Then turn my forks towards the south and chase the Worm in a bottle down in Mexico.

I wouldn’t need a lot of comfort and shine. I’d camp off the side of the road somewhere at night and maybe burn me a chicken or something on top of my fire. Then lay back and maybe burn me some sticky green in a bowl and watch the stars as the moon dances across the sky. When I start to smell like a junk yard Dog. I’d knock the road dust off my boots at some five star hotel. Walk my rough ass to the counter and watch the jaws drop from the high society upper class as I drop those Benjamins on the counter top to pay for a room. Hell yea, son!. That was my day dreams back then. I always thought that would be the way to live. Young and have that much money. Shit, that’s freedom of unimaginable sorts!. Those day dreams carried me right on through some very long nights pushing and pulling those carts around.

Now days, I don’t day dream much. Life has made some good turns. No, my bank account ain’t high rollin’ but I have some beautiful children and I have a beautiful wife and you can say I’m living my day dreams these days. I spend my time chillin’ with my family and still get to hit the road and let that Harley carry me down that black top chasing the horizon. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. I see my brothers in the club and share some laughs. Life ain’t all about that dollar. It’s about making memories with your friends and family and sharing some adventures on that open road. Well folks, I’m going to leave you with that. It’s not going to be long now. Spring is about to swing back our way and it’s going to be great to drop those heavy leathers and catch some sun and the breeze to the knees.

Y’all be safe out there and I’ll see you once again, Behind Barz.