Beer break.....
Before we lost Jimi two years ago to a heart attack, I spent a lot of time at his shop. He sold used bikes, mainly HDs, and worked on American made bikes, hence the business name: American Iron. Interestingly, it also went by Blackland Choppers; I never figured that one out ( two names).
Nothing better than rolling in on a Friday lunch and seeing them with the grill going, cooking up some burgers or some other meat for lunch. They always invited to me stick around for some grub, but seems like every single time, I'd just had lunch or .. was headed somewhere else. I kept telling myself I needed to stop by 'unexpectedly' for one of them lunches with them, but never did.
Whether it be lunch or afternoon, especially on Fridays, Jimi would always give me the 'look' and ask me if I wanted a cold one. For 4 quarters in the old coke machine, an ice cold bud would pop out. If it was after 4 or on a Saturday ... Jimi usually had one he was working on behind the counter, tucked just out of sight. But, this was only late in the afternoon, as the day was winding down. However, as one of his trusted customers, that machine was open to me at any time. The only catch was not to 'advertise it', if an 'unknown' customer walked through the front door. Hey .. it worked for me!
I spent a lot of money down there. Jimi worked on my '09 Indian's exhaust back when I first got it, as well as became a KM Indian repair facility for warranty work. He spent a lot of time on my HD. He took one of his custom softail's and converted it to a bobber for me. He worked on my '00 and '03 Indians as well. I sent a lot of friends down there for work on their bikes. He was the real deal. A good person. Had a great attitude. And, he'd 'been there done that'. He's spent a lot of time around MC's in East Texas back in the day. He told me a few stories, but it was obvious he was holding back. Holding back on a LOT of stuff that had gone on. But, what impressed me the most about was .... he'd adopted his grand daughter and another young girl, as their own due to the mothers have drug issues. He and his wife's lives were forever changed. He was several years older than I, and he and his wife are taking care of two young girls. Was awesome and inspiring to see.
I spent twenty years in the military. Lets just say, many of us put away a lot of beer over those years. Not many of us hand hang ups, on the subject of beer, or spirits and wines. Now, not everyone felt the same, but the vast majority of us, could kick it up. We did kick it up. What's that great saying out there? Yeah... that's it... one of the 'causes' of great stories! Hell, I remember back in my early flying days on Friday afternoons up at Offutt AFB, we had keggers. For the life of me, I don't remember who provided them. Not sure if it was our Chief or if there was a slush fund that ensured they showed up week after week, but what a way to end the week. I spent seven great years up in Omaha.... good times. My last duty station was here in Greenville, TX at a detachment. What an awesome 4 years that was. I worked with a foreign military group and they would sometimes break away at lunch for and .. um.. .extended lunch. Them boys had it figured out and I enjoyed those times. Hell, me and my fellow NCO's would sometimes break away on a Friday once in a great while for a burger and cold beer. Then, come end of the day, we might sneak off to the local tavern to do it right. Hell, I remember many a night being in that place in my flight suit or my BDUs, throwing 'em back after a long day or when my buddies were in TDY. But the icing on the cake was the "B&Bs" here. This last duty station was where we refurb'd aircraft for the military and had a large civilian presence and just a 'few ' of us military guys in contrast. Well, whenever a major plane project was completed, or someone retired, or some other major event that needed our attention, we'd roll into the plants recreation center and have a "B&B" .. basically Beer and BBQ. It was catered, there was always a huge abundance of beer available and ... a stash of liquor was poured in the corner for those that wanted it. Most of us would be there in uniform. Sometimes this was during duty hours ( but in all fairness, that was rare). But we all came together and had a great time. Man, those were the days.
I've been out of the military for almost twenty years now ( hard to believe sometimes!), but civilian life has it's beni's. In my line of work, I have the opportunity to spend time with customers and peers at business lunches, business dinners, conventions, customer and or work events and usually it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere. If you want an iced tea, knock yourself out. If you'd prefer a cold Shiner . knock yourself out. It's a great world, and it just ... works.
Now, why does all this matter? Well, it doesn't actually. I just think it's laughable when some folks have ulterior motives .. some are .. prudes .. that assume the worst when they see a beer bottle or can, and make judgements on issues they have zero info about. Sometimes, it brings out the 'sheep' in them and they line up and point fingers at those that have done no wrong, but assumed so because someone else assumed so, or misdirected facts. I know.. I know .. this whole post is starting to seem like a 'riddle of sorts. But, my god folks, we're not talking drinking Bloody Mary's at the 911 desk on a 24 hour shift here. Maybe.. just maybe... sometimes .. someone has a cold one when they are off the clock and threw the evidence in a trash can. Maybe .. just maybe... there was something to celebrate and they had a couple of cold ones with fellow peers. Maybe .. just maybe... what we see as evidence, isn't evidence at all?
Or .. what the hell.. go ahead and judge ... believe what is spun before you ....
Nothing better than rolling in on a Friday lunch and seeing them with the grill going, cooking up some burgers or some other meat for lunch. They always invited to me stick around for some grub, but seems like every single time, I'd just had lunch or .. was headed somewhere else. I kept telling myself I needed to stop by 'unexpectedly' for one of them lunches with them, but never did.
Whether it be lunch or afternoon, especially on Fridays, Jimi would always give me the 'look' and ask me if I wanted a cold one. For 4 quarters in the old coke machine, an ice cold bud would pop out. If it was after 4 or on a Saturday ... Jimi usually had one he was working on behind the counter, tucked just out of sight. But, this was only late in the afternoon, as the day was winding down. However, as one of his trusted customers, that machine was open to me at any time. The only catch was not to 'advertise it', if an 'unknown' customer walked through the front door. Hey .. it worked for me!
I spent a lot of money down there. Jimi worked on my '09 Indian's exhaust back when I first got it, as well as became a KM Indian repair facility for warranty work. He spent a lot of time on my HD. He took one of his custom softail's and converted it to a bobber for me. He worked on my '00 and '03 Indians as well. I sent a lot of friends down there for work on their bikes. He was the real deal. A good person. Had a great attitude. And, he'd 'been there done that'. He's spent a lot of time around MC's in East Texas back in the day. He told me a few stories, but it was obvious he was holding back. Holding back on a LOT of stuff that had gone on. But, what impressed me the most about was .... he'd adopted his grand daughter and another young girl, as their own due to the mothers have drug issues. He and his wife's lives were forever changed. He was several years older than I, and he and his wife are taking care of two young girls. Was awesome and inspiring to see.
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I've been out of the military for almost twenty years now ( hard to believe sometimes!), but civilian life has it's beni's. In my line of work, I have the opportunity to spend time with customers and peers at business lunches, business dinners, conventions, customer and or work events and usually it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere. If you want an iced tea, knock yourself out. If you'd prefer a cold Shiner . knock yourself out. It's a great world, and it just ... works.
Now, why does all this matter? Well, it doesn't actually. I just think it's laughable when some folks have ulterior motives .. some are .. prudes .. that assume the worst when they see a beer bottle or can, and make judgements on issues they have zero info about. Sometimes, it brings out the 'sheep' in them and they line up and point fingers at those that have done no wrong, but assumed so because someone else assumed so, or misdirected facts. I know.. I know .. this whole post is starting to seem like a 'riddle of sorts. But, my god folks, we're not talking drinking Bloody Mary's at the 911 desk on a 24 hour shift here. Maybe.. just maybe... sometimes .. someone has a cold one when they are off the clock and threw the evidence in a trash can. Maybe .. just maybe... there was something to celebrate and they had a couple of cold ones with fellow peers. Maybe .. just maybe... what we see as evidence, isn't evidence at all?
Or .. what the hell.. go ahead and judge ... believe what is spun before you ....
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| Now that .. is an Iced Tea .. Texas Style |
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