The trip to Albany was amazing and covered parts of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Cities included Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany. Normally, when traveling on the Interstate, you really don’t get to see much, and with this trip, we set that as our expectation. Gladly, we were wrong. I had never been West of Albany (yes, I’m one of those type of New Yorker’s) and the scenery simply amazed us. From the rolling hills and mountains to the lakes and rivers, the trip east absolutely provided some great views of the country.

While in Albany, Yeni and I enjoyed great food, great company, and a great time. The weather was slightly more wet than we had hoped, but being surrounded by family is like having a sunny day regardless of weather.

The trip home allowed Yeni to experience riding the Harley through some heavy rain. When we hit the Cleveland area, the sun came out and we enjoyed great weather until we reached the Ohio turnpike — where a very strong wind decided to throw us around until we made it home. Despite the rain and heavy wind, the ride was great and we’re looking forward to the next one.

Total miles: 1302

This morning, in a Detroit Federal Court, Monica Conyers plead guilty to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery. The presiding judge, Avern Cohn, advised the court that “the defendant now stands convicted.”

At this point, Conyers is still a councilwoman for the Detroit City Council. The Detroit city charter requires Conyers to resign “immediately” the minute she is convicted of a felony, but apparently, in Federal Court this is viewed as when the Defendant is sentenced.

Detroit Rock City shines again. The bottom line though…

Monica Conyers Pleads Guilty

She took bribes. She is married to US Congressman John Conyers (who had not commented as of yet).

Great article here for more information.

The amount of daylight surprised me. This picture was taken at 9:30 pm:

Sunset in Ann Arbor, MI

The short story concerns Rayford W. Jackson’s recent guilty plea in Federal Court on Monday. Jackson pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy in which “Council Member A” was given more than six grand in bribes in connection with a 1.2 billion dollar contract. This same “Council Member A” had also been bribed by another person, James R. Rosendall, Jr.

And speculation points to Monica Conyers as Council Member A. It’s a interesting read… please read the Detroit News article.

My favorite quote in the article comes from Council President Kenneth Cockrel, Jr.:

I know in my experience with federal investigations, they tend to be slow and meticulous, but when they come, they come like a ton of bricks.

Update – It looks like Monica Conyers doesn’t want to go to jail.

I don’t know why, but watching Monica Conyers is like watching a train wreck… you just can’t stop watching… you know it’s coming… you know it… but you just can’t stop.

Both the Associated Press and Detroit News report that Monica Conyers appears reluctant to take a plea deal. And today, coinciding with the taping of her television show (Ask the Councilwoman with Monica Conyers), the councilwoman stated:

All these things that are going on right now … I believe in my heart that God will deliver me from them. And so I say to all of the people out there: If you’re not praying for me, then you’re just adding to the problem.

Well, I guess that means I’m adding to the “problem,” because there’s no chance that I’m praying for her.

Incidentally, Monica Conyers is 44 and her husband, who is 80 years old, happens to be none other than US Representative John Conyers… aka the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee (that oversees the FBI and US Attorney’s Office).

Monica Conyers did give the AP a statement, however:

I’m not going to talk to you today, tomorrow, next week. What difference does it make?

PS -> I have some great video of Monica Conyers in an earlier post.

Yet Another Update — Monica Conyers has been convicted in the bribery scandal

More pics...

Yeni and I just got back from a quick trip to Chicago… visiting her brother as well as celebrating our first month of married life.

It was a short drive (few hours) from Michigan to Chicago, and figuring the parking in Chicago would be interesting, we chose to take the Versa instead of the Expedition. Although, if we hadn’t have needed the trunk space, taking the Harley would have been much more fun. The more highway driving I do, the less I love Michigan roads. It’s funny too, as the second we hit Indiana, the road just smoothed out and we just smiled. Then, when you hit Chicago, well… welcome back “holes in the floor.”

Coming up this week… some Twitter coding, more Asterisk work, and if all goes well, a motorcycle ride up the east coast of Michigan with the wife (We have a new bluetooth headset to test as well as a trip to Albany to prepare for)

As expected, I did not receive a response and there was no mention of donations, declines, or anything else from Bernie Machen.

Fast Forward to 2009

Today the Gainesville Sun reports that Bernie Machen is donating $285,000.00 to a scholarship he created for students. Yes, it’s a nice thing, but is it the best thing and/or too little too late? Why did we need a new scholarship? Couldn’t any of the already existing scholarships have benefited from this money? And again, thank you Mr. Machen for donating this money– and yes, that’s an amazing tax write off you’ll get– but what about all the other bonuses you have received? It’s nice to hold a big press conference for this, but honestly, I still think he needs to do a lot more.

Anyway, this last weekend I:

• Celebrated mom’s birthday with my family (including my sister and our spouses)
• Had an AMAZING meal at Joe’s Stone Crabs (but, when do you not?)
• Celebrated Mother’s day with the family
• Worked a little in Boca Raton, FL
• Enjoyed a nice afternoon on the beach with my wife.
• Read some hilarious comments on the Gandy Dancer review

I’m looking forward to the drive up on Wednesday… love those Mountains.

• Got married (blogged @ yenifred.com)
• Reviewed the Gandy Dancer at Fat Freddy Says.com
• Had an AMAZING cake from Cake Nouveau (review coming)

And those are the biggies I guess.

Remember when flying was fun?

As a boy, I loved going to the airport. I remember being fascinated by the TWA terminal at JFK, awed by the escalator down from LAX, and excited to see the ocean immediately after take off from Fort Lauderdale. Airports also meant seeing family, visiting new places, and let’s not forget all the cool planes. I associated air travel with very positive emotions.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to Detroit…

Today’s world finds me loathing any experience with airports, airlines, or at this point just air travel. For the third time in a year, US Airways cancelled my flight. I like numbers, so let’s look at it this way… I’ve taken 3 trips on US Airways since April 2008. Each of the three have had a cancelled flight, and, two of the three delayed overnight; requiring a hotel stay. So, in percentage… 100% of trips on US Airways have a cancelled flight and 67% delay arrival by a day or more.

After my last trip on US Airways, I became so upset with the way I had been treated that I promised to boycott them forever. On this recent trip, my client purchased the tickets to LAX and I neglected to mention “any airline other than US Airways, please.” I justified the flight thinking to myself, “Well Fred, you didn’t give any money to US Airways, so it’s still ok.”

Flying from Los Angeles to Detroit yesterday, the schedule had me traveling to Phoenix, spending 2 hours in the Phoenix Airport, and then continuing to Detroit. I checked in, went to the gate, and waited. Boarding time (4 p.m.) came, and no announcement. The next gate also had a flight to Phoenix, and I watched that plane take off into the clear, blue sky (very similar to my Newark experience). At 4:30 p.m., the representative said there was a slight delay and not to worry, the staff would be taking care of connecting flights and ensuring we make it to Phoenix very shortly. Some of us started to form a line and were told to “just sit and wait” by the manager (no please, no sorry, only “just sit and wait sir/ma’am”).

Well, 5:00 p.m. came and the representative announced the flight had been cancelled. The manager told us to form a single file line and we would be booked on new flights. When my turn arrived, the representative booked me on an American Airlines flight to Detroit via Dallas. I’d arrive at 7am, and yet… I was happy to just go home. The representative printed an itinerary and told me to head out to American. I asked for my confirmation number, and was told to “just show them the itinerary.” I asked again, “can you please give me a confirmation number?” The manager cam over and said, “Sir, you have an itinerary and it’s time to go. They will help you at American Airlines.” I thought about it, and well… Yeni’s been encouraging me to “be nice” and there were other people needing help… so I went off to American.

I will say this: The people at the American Airlines ticket counter were beyond friendly. Very nice. Sadly, US Airways did not book me on an available flight. The flight, being full, could not accept the booking which is why US Airways had not given me a confirmation number. American tried to get me on a different flight, but simply couldn’t find a seat. They said they were truly sorry and let me know I needed to go back to US Airways.

I arrived at the US Airways ticketing counter at 6:30 p.m (it was a very, very long walk from Terminal 4 back to Terminal 1). Fellow passengers from my cancelled flight (493) greeted me in line — each with a similar story. Whether American, United, Delta, or others, each of the fellow passengers in line had been improperly booked on another airline. The line moved at a snail’s pace as only 2 agents were assisting us. At 7 p.m., our “friendly” manager strolled to the counter; drink and cellphone in hand.

A guy about 5 people in front of me yelled “Hey, that’s the stupid bitch who told me it was ok.” Which, in turn, had many people in line agreeing. When it was his turn, the man received news he didn’t like and literally had a meltdown. The police came; he calmed down, left, and was out of sight / out of mind from the rest of us.

At 7:30 p.m. or so, my turn had finally come. I walked up to the counter and was given a flight leaving LAX at noon (the next day), flying to Philadelphia, then to Chicago, and then to Detroit. I would be arriving in Detroit after midnight on the next day. I believe my exact words were “You’re kidding me, right? Can you just put me on a train instead?” She laughed. “I’m not making a joke. I don’t think you’ll get me there without canceling another flight.”

I told her to put me on the flight that gets me to Detroit the fastest. Not what leaves the earliest, but rather what arrives the soonest. While she was typing away (for what seemed like an eternity, but was actually less than 20 minutes), our friendly manager returned to the area. She was getting a little bitchy with three passengers and I had had enough. Sure I was hesitant with the police already called, but I figured “I gotta be me” and just maybe keep it down a notch.

I told her, “Excuse me. You know what? You need to apologize.”

“I’m sorry your plane had technical problems.”

I continued, “No. We’re all fine with that. You need to apologize because you’re a horrible manager and you did a bad job.”

“I didn’t.”

I was thinking to myself that this is nice… she argues like a 6th grader. So I continued, “Yes, you did. You’re a horrible manager and you did a bad job. All of us are here because you are a horrible manager and did a bad job. You didn’t even call American Airlines to make sure any of us had confirmed flights. You wasted our time and caused us further delays.”

“I did call.”

“No, you really did not.”

“I did call —”

Now a bunch of people were watching. “You’re kidding me here. No, you didn’t call. And there’s a whole bunch of us here as proof. You never once picked up a phone. I know. I was there. You are simply lying. You are a horrible manager. You did a bad job, and you need to apologize to us now.” (People clapped, which I gotta say, was pretty awesome)

“I’m not going to argue with you sir.”

“You are arguing with me, and you’re not winning. You are a horrible manager. You did a bad job. Now apologize.” She just stared at me. No words, nothing. “Did you go to manager training?” Nothing. “Well, if you didn’t, you need to go. And if you did, you need to get your money back, because you’re a horrible manager and you did a bad job.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For…”

“For being a horrible manager.”

“And for doing what?”

“A bad job.”

“Thank you.”

With that, they gave me a hotel voucher for a local airport, a ticket to a Northwest Airlines flight (the next day), a $10 meal voucher, and I was on my way. You know, when it comes down to it, I know that planes have problems. Hell, if it’s a machine, chances are there will be a technical issue now and then. And, I’m much happier being safe then sorry when it comes to air travel. That being said… sometimes it’s not what you say or do, but how you handle the situation that makes the difference.

In the last year, 100% of my US Airways flights have had at least one cancelled leg. That number is ridiculous. And in my entire life, I have had 0 flights cancelled on other airlines.

When I was delayed for 4 hours in December, American Airlines handled it perfectly. When I exited the plane, I was told to please go to the assistance counter. They had already booked me on a new plane and gave me priority standby on the next flight to my destination. And even more, they sincerely apologized.

To make a long story longer, there’s a reason why I have so many road trip photos and blog posts. With carriers like US Airways, flying simply doesn’t appeal to me. I’d much rather drive to where I need to go and enjoy the flexibility, ability to use a phone while traveling, and a nice comfy ride where I’m not treated poorly. When it comes down to it, I can usually drive to where I need to go for less than plane ticket (plus no rental car needed of course and I can take as many bags as I can fit).

As a child, I would have never dreamed that one day I’d prefer to take long trips in the car than a flight in a big, shiny airplane. Sometimes, I miss seeing the world through the eyes of a child.

Norman Botsford, the current Police Chief of Gainesville, Florida, announced that he would be retiring from his position. Although the following Gainesville Sun article highlights his history, they don’t mention how in recent years he has helmed a department who’s morale has dropped faster than, well insert your metaphor here… it’s way low.

This is a good thing.

Here’s what the Gainesville Sun said:

The City Commission will discuss the decision at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. There will be a presentation from City Manager Russ Blackburn about the decision.

There will be a nationwide search for a replacement, and Botsford will remain at the department until the search is completed. Blackburn said that transition period should take four months and will not go past November.

#Chief Botsford has been contemplating this issue, I think, for some time,# Blackburn said Thursday at a news conference. #It was his decision to submit his intent to retire, and to ensure that we have an orderly transition.#

Blackburn acknowledged recent issues at the department during his speech, but emphasized that Botsford retired of his own volition.

Last week the media reported about three officers within the Gainesville Police Department who, on three separate occasions while off-duty, drove through a high-crime area with the intent of harassing prostitutes and drug dealers.

#I am saddened, particularly our most recent incident, and I#m insulted to some degree by the actions of these individuals,# Blackburn said.

Botsford began his career in law enforcement in 1966 as a patrol officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. He spent almost 30 years climbing the ranks to become interim chief and then left for the Broward County Sheriff#s Office.

His next move took him to the college town of Columbia, Mo., where he was chief of police for three years.

#Chief Botsford has done some remarkable things in his career,# Blackburn said. #The Reichert House is really one of the best examples in the nation of how a city can be proactive in trying to address the issue of crime. He worked together with other law enforcement agencies, including the Alachua County Sheriff#s Office # in ways that are atypical for other departments.#

Blackburn emphasized that there would be a nationwide search for a new chief.

#Certainly we have a number of people in the department who will be interested in being police chief # I would encourage those people to apply,# Blackburn said.

Details will be forthcoming about how the search will be conducted and Blackburn said #it will certainly include opportunities for the public to be involved.#

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who had served for years with the police department, declined to comment on the announcement Thursday. Lt. Steve Maynard, a spokesman for the Sheriff#s Office, said his agency was prepared to assist with the transition of a new police administration in any capacity the police department requests.

Some higher-ranking GPD officers learned about the announcement at a meeting held shortly before the 12:30 press conference. The announcement also was being at a shift change this evening, according to some officers. But police also said rumors had been rampant for some time before reports that some officers had been involved in an egg-throwing incident that Botsford was planning to leave the agency in this fall. Talk had already started about in-house candidates for the job.

“Our job pretty much is almost not really impacted,” since Botsford will remain at the agency at least for several months, said Capt. Lonnie Scott. He said the agency must continue to “re-establish credibility and repair our image with the community.”

“We’re more focused on that than other items like the politics and other items we can’t control,” he said.

Staff writer Lise Fisher contributed to this report

Yeni and I have had this one Bob Marley song stuck in our heads recently, so I leave you with:

Don’t worry about a thing,
’cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Don’t worry about a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right!

Rise up this morning,
Smiled with the rising sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singing sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Saying this is my message to you.

Singing: don’t worry bout a thing,
’cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singing: don’t worry about a thing,
’cause every little thing gonna be all right!

Don’t worry… =)

Hey... I thought it was Spring!

So, last night Michael and I caught up over a few Bourbon’s at a TGI Friday’s down the road. The last time Mike and I visited Friday’s together? 1989. Anyway… as the evening wore on, the window showed us something I thought I wouldn’t be seeing again for a while — snow. And we’re not talking “oh just a little white powder” here, we are talking big, huge, white flakes. Big ones. Coming down like the ground was Macy’s and it was a 90% off sale.

The snow continued throughout the night leaving 4 – 7 inches on the ground (depending on which paper you believe). All I know is that Yeni had to break out the winter boots (She said, “Oh, Winter Boots I thought I would not see you again… but here you are.”) and I got to de-snow the cars yet another time this year.

I will say this though… Looking at snow is nice. Dealing with it, not so much. There’s more pictures below…

Starting the morning

View from our living room

Campus

Near the Lab

It is cold!

Downtown Ann Arbor

No, I did not. I did not say she needs to get a man. But does she? And not be with everyone else’s man. Does she? I am just asking you. This is what her people say about her. I don’t know. (yes, there’s a video)

The news story is only 2 minutes long, go ahead and click play. You know you want to… after all, how often do you get to hear the president of a city council tell a widow to “get a man.”

Luckily, Councilwoman Conyers provides us with an example of why we need to completely change Detroit. If this is the chosen representative of Detroit, time to start packing up the house. But hey… it’s not like she would, I don’t know… debate an 8th Grader (seriously, you tell me the 8th Grader didn’t win)

1. Our trip to Cabella’s (45 pictures)
2. January 2009 (34 pictures)
3. February 2009 (33 pictures)
4. Disney March 2009 (46 pictures)
5. March 2009 (15 pictures)

Still to come? Pictures from my sister’s wedding and more!  There’s decent pictures in each section…

Now, you know you can see the entire album, right? Either click here or on the Fred’s Photos link on the right.

But this isn’t a post about Florida. This is a post about two law makers in Michigan that want to raise income tax.

Right now, the State of Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the United States. Right now (March 2009), the Michigan unemployment rate is 12%. And with GM getting ready to lay off thousands more in May, this number will rise quicker than it will fall.

So, with 12% of the state unemployed and (as the media reminds us hourly) one of the hardest economic times we’ve seen, Representatives lma Wheeler Smith (D-Salem Township) and Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) are proposing that income tax be raised by more than a percentage point.

You see, unlike Florida, Michigan taxes the income of residents. So after you pay your Federal Income Tax, you get to make another check for the State. Right now the income tax for Michigan is 4.35% of your income. If Representatives Smith and Warren have their way, it will rise to 5.5 percent. What will this money go to you ask? They want to provide free college tuition to residents.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m all for higher education. But, I’m also someone who worked full-time while finishing my degree. I believe that college serves a great purpose but also isn’t for everyone. And more importantly, it’s not for the hard working citizens to pay for everyone to get a college education. The majority of students either work hard to get loans, get money from Mom and Dad, use financial aid to pay for college. The nice thing there is that when you have to answer to yourself (or to Mom and Dad) you hold some accountability. But that’s another discussion…

What I truly don’t understand here is how, when unemployment is so high, two lawmakers can actually believe that raising taxes will be a good idea. Here’s an immediate idea… all state representatives should earn a salary of $1 per year. Instead of making the position a full-time job, Representatives should be required to earn their income like the common citizen and instead serve the republic out of honor, pride, and sense of duty.

The Founding Fathers of our country expected Congress to be a sacrifice and not a full-time job. The pay rate of a Federal Representative in 1789 was $6 a day (and payment was only while Congress was in session). In today’s world, that would amount to around $1,500 a year. Sadly, the State and Federal representatives earn considerable more.

Perhaps this is a perfect time for nostalgia. After all, perhaps the best way for State and Federal lawmakers to better the economy is for them to depend on the economy for their livelihood — you know, like the citizens do.

The government who robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. — George Bernard Shaw

Once upon a time, government budgets were balanced, our money was sound, the streets were safe, and taxes imposed by all levels of government took less than 10% of our income. — Harry Browne

Anyway… I made the mistake of contributing a very small donation to Ron Paul’s campaign. Well, Ron Paul became the Campaign for Liberty and now, they somehow think I want to be a member. And they won’t stop calling me.

I’ve asked them 5 times, left messages, sent emails… but the calls keep coming. So, today I tried a new approach. I’m demanding money from them. Here’s the letter:

Let’s see what happens.

Ann Arbor . com website

The Ann Arbor News (in Ann Arbor, MI of course) recently announced it’s closure. After 174 years, the Ann Arbor News could not see a way out of economic difficulties and will be relaunching as an online media company — AnnArbor.com. But this post isn’t about the closure… for information on that check out:

• AnnArbor.com
• The News to Fold in July
• Why We Grieve the Ann Arbor News

This post is on why I do not grieve the Ann Arbor News closure.

To be in business for 174 years is truly an amazing feat, and congratulations is due. Of course, the business became part of Mlive.com and was more of a conglomerate lately than a truly local paper.

This weekend, Yeni and I went to Meijer’s (the local supermarket) twice (long story). Both times we entered Meijer’s, we were greeted by two salesmen in a booth selling subscriptions to the Ann Arbor News. The approach was that one individual would stand in the entrance way and ask you to talk with him. When you said “No, thank you.” (like I did) he continued his pitch, and his style was effective — many elderly people were signing up for new subscriptions.

Businesses can and will fail. It’s the nature of, well, it’s the nature of business. Surely we can feel sadness for the persons who will lose their jobs and we can also feel sadness for the closure of a local institution, but to me, I feel more of a loss for the new subscribers I saw this weekend.

Traditionally, the elderly do not get their news online. I feel that selling subscriptions “hard” over the weekend for a business announcing it’s closure on Monday is in poor taste. And sadly, sometimes the last taste in your mouth is how you remember the meal.

I asked The Ann Arbor News what would happen to these new subscribers. They said:

“You’ll keep getting the paper as you do through July. We’re still working out what happens after that. You won’t lose what you paid though.”

To me, if they want my support, they’ll issue immediate refunds to anyone that bought a subscription this month. Full and immediate refund.

But, as Dennis Miller would say… That’s just my opinion.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. — Thomas Jefferson

The point to remember is that what the government gives it must first take away. — John S. Caldwell

We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. — Benjamin Franklin

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. — Thomas Jefferson

I am for doing good to the poor, but…I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed…that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. — Benjamin Franklin

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority. — Benjamin Franklin

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. — Benjamin Franklin

Never trust a government that doesn’t trust its own citizens with guns. — Benjamin Franklin

Once upon a time, government budgets were balanced, our money was sound, the streets were safe, and taxes imposed by all levels of government took less than 10% of our income. — Harry Browne

Benjamin Franklin

I’ve always liked Mr. Franklin. Some think he’s the only non-president on money… but those people probably think Mr. Hamilton was once a president. Anyway, Benjamin Franklin is perhaps my favorite American in history. I love his quotes and many of his thoughts can guide us still today.

Today’s the following Benjamin Franklin quote comes to mind:

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.

Which brings us to…

Ann Arbor Parking

Ok, although I’ve lived in Florida for the past 20 years (and love it), my family is traditionally northern in attitude and heritage. Often my love of Florida is mocked with southern jokes and generalizations. And if Florida somehow makes the news, my phone won’t stop ringing. I still get ribbed over Elian Gonzalez, the 2000 election, Terry Schiavo, and more.

But what does Florida have to do with Ann Arbor Parking? Two words: Sunshine Law. The Sunshine Law provides public access to government (no closed doors, let in the “Sunshine”) and Florida takes this very seriously. Besides criminal and civil penalties for violating the Sunshine Law, it has become such a part of Floridan culture that it’s hard to imagine not getting easy access to public information. After all, this is why the news loves Florida. If something happens in the Sunshine State, it happens in the Sunshine.

Enter the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. This publicly funded group receives their budget from taxes and parking fees. Oh, they also think I’m a security concern.

Yes, even though I have a very clean background (just ask the FBI), the A2DDA thinks I pose a security risk and have blocked my access to their website.

When I look at the list of things that my mom can be proud of, I think:

• Court expert on DUI and Marijuana
• Firearm “incident” in Gainesville
• and now, Security Risk to the Ann Arbor DDA

Thank you DDA for your hard work, and for bringing to mind this other Benjamin Franklin quote:

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid”

Which brings us to… (if you want to see more details on Fred vs. the DDA, click here)

Motorcycles

The weather in Ann Arbor warmed up enough to remove the ice and snow from the roads. And it’s been so long since I’ve seen a salt truck that Yeni and I decided to go for a quick ride on Saturday.

It was the first time I was able to ride since December and it took all the stress right from my face, replacing it with a smile.