It's that time of year!

Yep, it's that time of year again. The rowdiest of birthday wish lists for the upcoming day on May 21!

Here ya go, a rowdy guide to what sort of gifts I'd dream of seeing to assuage the awfulness of my ever advancing chronological age.

-An Atlas belt for shooting. Any color. Probably a small as I'm a 31" waist. Here

-THIS Vintage shark book on Ebay I remember from my childhood.

-Akrapovic full exhaust system for my motorcycle, 2014 Yamaha FZ-09. HERE.

-If I get the exhaust then I need a Dynojet Power Commander as well. Here

-A genuine fossil Megadolon shark tooth. From this dude.

-A used play style dirt bike, as super D has one and I don't. Super D acutally has more two wheeled things than I do, motor or non motorized..... A used Yamaha TTR 125 LE would be best. (electric start, big wheel, disc brake version preferred) Like THIS one in San Diego CL for $1300.

-More sheets and cardboard spacers for my coin collection.

-Private Arabic lessons. I'll need to go slow, as I now know I don't learn non-Latin foreign alphabets that fast. Probably Language Door.

-New shorts for summer.

-New summer sunglasses. Either sporty or fashionable.

-The silver or black edition of the latest GoPro. I want the higher mp and fps those versions bring. Especially the mp in the camera mode. I only have 5mp at best available to me currently. My two year old phone has an 8mp camera for goodness sake...

-Gift certificates to Dairy Queen, Chik-fil-A, Phil's BBQ or Oggi's pizza.

-More 5.11 taclite pants. Any version, any color. 31 or 30 waist and 30 length. HERE

-A Glock 41. As they are an off roster pistol for CA I need a vertical family member, meaning parent or child, to buy it for me in a "free" state and then I can legally transfer it to myself here in CA. Brother or sister doesn't work sadly.

I am drugs-Salvador Dali

I have never done heroin, cocaine or lsd. I have never been in a band in front of thousands. I've never "dated" a super model. I can't imagine the type of buzz/high you must get from these sorts of things.

I have been in life or death situations. I have sky dived, swam with sharks and stood near a volcano. I've ridden my motorcycle over 160mph. Yeah, you can say I have had my own share of adrenaline, "buzz" or whatever from what I have done in real life.

But there is one thing I get a buzz from that can't be replicated from drugs, people, fame or danger and that is getting a new motorcycle. It gives me like 24 hours of hand shaking excitement.

So with that now said, check out the latest "high" to make its way into my life.

Gojira

Three weeks roughly until I can see the new Godzilla movie. Happy birthday to me!!!

5 year plan.

Job interview, self help books and well meaning parents have all stressed that you need to have a 5 year plan. Otherwise you are just lost and much less likely to accomplish your goals.

Now for some, everyone living in Ocean Beach, goals and plans aren't that big of deal. But I like crossing things off the list, meeting my own personal expectations. With that, here is a roughed out 5 year plan for myself.

2014-continue to teach motorcycle safety class. continue pursuing professional shooting career.
2015-earn my Teaching Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) certificate. learn the arabic alphabet.
2016-move to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Oman or some such place.
2017-continue 2016 plan and include learning of Arabic language.
2018-return to the US and buy a spread near Austin Texas.

There you have it, my roughed out 5 year plan.

It's all in a name.

I am the third grandchild in my mom's side of the family. I have two older female cousins. It was their mom who gave my mom the idea to name me Rowdy. As often happens in families, grandparents have nick names. From either familial, cultural or ethnic sources. Think of all the Nana, Oma, Opa, Granny names you know.

Well my two older female cousins took to calling our mom's dad "Pop Pop" as it was an easier to pronounce derivative; Grand Pa turning into Grand Pop turning into Pop Pop. I don't think I knew my Pop Pop's real name until I was like 10 or something. I don't think I've ever heard another grand father called this name, but he took to it and wore it proudly. And all of his eventual 20 some grand kids called him it for his entire life.

I think my dad gets called "Poppa" by most of his grand kids. I should ask my mom, she'd know for sure. Either that or "Grandpa B" from some of the older ones. I don't know, hahahah, to me he is just Dad.

Long story short, it looks like I'll be assuming the mantle of the "Pop Pop" name when that event comes about and I hope to do it proper justice. In respect to the original Pop Pop.

Me on horse with one of said older cousins in front.

As a toddler sitting on Pop Pop's lap.

Salmon fishing in Oregon with Pop Pop.

Death

So one of my part time jobs right now is teaching the Basic Rider Course so that people can get their motorcycle license in California. The basics of riding skills and safety. So it was unnerving last night to see this dead body under a plastic sheet. LINK TO STORY

I've been on a group ride where someone died in an accident. I know multiple people who've been paralyzed from motorcycle crashes.

But seeing that dead rider last night and then the S Korean ferry incident in the news; which was made stronger for me since Killer is living in S Korea, made me think about the effects of death and dieing in my life. Which really is sparse, so it I feel kind of nervous.

None of my friends or class mates died growing up. In high school two people I know had distant family members die, whom I'd never met, but I went to the funerals out of support. These were the first funerals I'd attended.

In college my paternal grandparents died. I didn't see them die, I wasn't in town when they died. I did attend both their funerals and gave the eulogy at my paternal grandmother's service. I don't think my dad has even placed their headstones over a decade later. Sad.

After college and at work I had a few patients die in my presence during medical procedures. I've personally seen people die from heart attacks and sepsis and pulmonary embolisms. But I didn't know them and it didn't really effect me emotionally.

Later both my maternal grandparents died. I didn't live in the same state as them, they were both ill and it wasn't really a surprise. I didn't attend either funeral though I was closer as a child to this set than the other. For which I do feel some guilt.

Basically my grandparents died when I was an adult and that's my sole experience with death in a close, touching way. Now, there have been times in my life where I thought I was going to die due to illness, injury or explosion but I don't think that really counts. It would have effected others much more than myself.

Which all makes me wonder what I will feel when a first order family member dies. Or one of the few close friends I know pass away. Or heck, anyone I might have known personally. I see grieving, stricken faces in news photos and feel sad seeing their anguish. So I really wonder what I'll feel and more nervously, wonder when it will be my turn???????

This is my............

This is my cat. He is cute when he's sleeping. Some other times as well.