Everyone has ambitions, even if it's just getting through the day.

I'm an ambitious guy, I always have been, with many hopes, dreams, fantasies, covering many subjects some probably very common, some quite rare,
cars, property, money, career goals, life in general, women (including a few on NN although I think this is at the fantasy end of the scale), there's many more, but for me one overrides all the others....motorcycle racing.

I'd always wanted to but it took me until I was 30 to get round to it, mainly due to a lack of motivation and never believing that I was good enough, the end of a long term relationship was the boot up the backside that I needed to do something with my life.

Like many sports it's classed as a young persons game, if you haven't made it by the time you're 25 you probably aren't going to, but I gave it a go, and as someone that came last in almost every sport at school I found something I could win at, I revelled in it, doing wonders for my self confidence.
Over an 8 year career I won countless races and 3 club championships (in the background of one of my pics is a trophy cabinet, the contents of it are among my proudest possessions), although I broke a few bones along the way, but that's par for the course.
Then I picked up a big injury which resulted in me being off work for quite a while, so I couldn't afford to race the next year, I never wanted to stop but there was no way to carry on. The plan was to take a year off to rebuild my finances, but it turned into 2 years, then 3, whenever I went to a race meeting people would ask if I was going to make a comeback and I would say yes, but it didn't happen, eventually they stopped asking.

Some people may have noticed that I've spent less time on NN over the last couple of weeks...…..I've been in my garage with a new purchase...

Now 10 years later I've just bought another race bike. I've been told I'm mad (got my NN name right then!!) and too old.
Will I be as fast as I used to be ?.....realistically, probably not. Will I win ?...unlikely, but you never know.... Will I have the biggest grin in the paddock ?...... You bet I will.
It's been a long time coming, but I've got unfinished business with the sport I love...….

Added another toy to my collection, always wanted one of these and when this appeared in a local dealer at a good price I couldn't resist.

Play along if you’d like!

Broken Bones - Yes, too many
Shot a gun - Yes
Driven 100 mph - Yes, and more
Ridden in a helicopter - No
Gone zip lining - No
Been to an NFL game - No
Been to Canada - No
Visited Florida - No
Visited Mexico - No
Visited Vegas- No
Eat alone at a restaurant - Yes
Ability to read music - No
Ridden a motorcycle - Yes, used to race, see broken bones answer!
Ridden a horse – Yes
Stayed in a hospital – Yes
Donated blood - Yes, 47 donations so far
Slept outside – Yes
Driven a stick shift - Yes
Ridden in an 18 wheeler - Yes, drove one for 10 years
Ridden in a police car - No
Driven a boat - Yes
Eaten Escargot - No
Been on a cruise - No
Run out of gas - Yes
Eaten Sushi - No
Seen a ghost/spirit - No
Been to London - Yes, it's only 100 miles away
Been to Central America - No
Been to Alaska - No
Been to Hawaii - No
Seen a UFO- No
Been to Europe - Yes, many times
Been to San Francisco - No
Been to NYC - No
Been to Washington DC - No
Been snow skiing - No
Been Ice skating - Yes

Hold your finger down and select all, then copy. Then go to your blog and paste. Change the answers and post. Have fun!!!!!

Someone's status post about a running injury reminded me of this little story from my past............

When I met my 2nd (and current) wife, I had just got back into motorcycle racing after my 1st marriage ended.
My new girlfriend, who thought my chosen sport was a bit risky, was a member of our local running club and when we were out in town she would point out fellow members, often adding "but he/she's not running at the moment because of injury" (usually a sprain or pulled muscle etc), after a few of these comments I remarked that "this running lark sounds a bit dangerous !"
On being introduced to her friends, when told of my hobby they would say "Oh that sounds dangerous, B...... you should get him to join the running club"
" No thanks" I would say "I've seen how many of you are injured !"

After we had been together a few months, B..... came along with me to the first race meeting of a new season admittedly very nervous not wanting to see her new boyfriend get hurt. As it was a two day meeting there would be plenty of time for her to get an idea of what went on.
Saturday went without any problems and quite relieved B asked "so what happens tonight and tomorrow ?"
"Well tomorrow will be pretty much the same as today, and tonight, as racing at this amateur level is very social will involve beer and banter in the bar"
After a fun evening in the bar meeting the people I raced against, B remarked "I like them this racing is quite fun"
"Yes" I replied "and they're all in good health, doesn't seem so dangerous now, does it ?
"Maybe you and your friends should change sports!"

In the last two weeks :-
We booked a holiday (Tenerife with the wife - excellent)

My bike got a recall (just an excuse for a ride down my favourite twisty road)

I got made redundant (it's only a job, happened before, will probably happen again I'll just get another)

My neighbour & drinking buddy died from Motor Neurone disease, less than a year from fit & healthy to the end.