The Motorcycle Wave

This blog may interest motorcyclists and non motorcyclists in different ways. 

I have been riding motorcycles ever since I was 14 years old.  As an avid motorcyclist who rides often I am always curious about the motorcycle wave. You non motorcycle people may not know that motorcycle riders wave to each other as you are riding ... mostly in opposite directions. 

I discovered quickly long ago as a proud Honda Gold Wing owner that many Harley owners refused to wave back.  They just have thought that Hondas are not motorcyclists. I was NOT in the club. I thought, “You Harley owners, your such snobs….”  I snickered as I flew past them in my FAST Gold Wing.

I wonder, why riders of convertibles don’t WAVE to each other.  Even bicyclists don’t execute the courteous wave.  

Origin of the motorcycle wave

Just what is the origin of the motorcycle WAVE.  Now it gets interesting.  There are multiple theories:

Theory #1: Arthur Davidson and Williams Harley invented it as they waved to each other on their own Harley’s.  Other’s noticed the wave and there you go…. The reason why Honda Gold Wingers are OUT of the club.

Theory #2: The wave was used as a recognition of military service between bikers.  The gesture V for victory over the Germans.  

Theory #3: Knights in medieval times invented the traveler’s wave.  As two knights approached each other the knights would raise their heavy face shield armor to wave or acknowledge the apposing knight and to determine if they are friend or foe.

Theory #4: The motorcycle wave is just a common bond between the motorcycles.  It is the camaraderie that is felt between us.  We all wonder why others don’t enjoy the freedom of the open rode with the wind in our face and the sound of Bruce Springsteen blasting in our ears.

Imagine a ride on the ocean

Get in my head as I am riding A1A with many motorcyclists passing by.  Here comes another bike.  Will he/she wave?  Who will wave first?  Will they leave me hanging with my lonesome wave?  You know how it feels when you reach out to shake someone’s hand and they don’t reach their hand out. What kind of wave will they give me?  The left hand stretched low with palm forward, the left hand thumb up wave or will it be the left handed salute?  Is that 2 wheeler a scooter?  If so I would not dare wave at a scooter rider.  That would be motorcyclist blasphemy. What do I do when a group of a dozen riders approach?  One long wave, or individual waves for each leather jacket?

To the car drivers of the world, drive A1A, roll your window down, wave to the motorcycle riders passing you by.  I bet you will get many who wave back.  If you wave to other automobile owners, you will get just a stupid is, stupid does look.

Now as a proud Harley Davidson owner, I gladly wave to all motorcyclists excluding scooters.  If I inadvertently wave to a scooter rider, I get the craziest looks from the scooter boys.  

Wave to me next time you see me. 

— Tom

Our most interesting date: A dual colonoscopy

On our trip to Washington DC on the Autotrain.

Taken at the Wedding expo…. Pavilon Grille

It has been a while since I have written a blog.  I thought this would be an interesting read. Let me warn you, this blog may be real s….y!

Alice - trying very hard to extend my years

Alice has been VERY persuasive with me making sure my health is optimum and I will live a long time.  She has strangled my jelly bean count, diminished my consumption of meat, and constantly nudges me to have eat less salt.  Since we have been together she has persuaded me to go to: the podiatrist, the dermatologist, my first GP (General Practitioner), and others.  Vitamins from Life Extension every morning including vitamins A-Z.  It takes multiple swallows to get all my pills down.

Now, for the most exciting date of all…..  A colonoscopy. It has been 12+ years since my last one. 

My first colonoscopy

I will never forget my first experience with a colonoscopy.  I remember waking up in a room with a dozen or so other post colonoscopies.  All of us waking up and wondering where we were.  The doctor was visiting the patients one by one.  The patient right next to me who was there with his son, spoke no English so the son had to translate the words form the doctor.  I will never forget the words.  “I am sorry to say you have cancer and may have less than 2 months left to live….”  I saw the oriental son with tears in his eyes translate the message to his father.  Next up was ME.  Now I was really worried.  The doctor confirmed I had diverticulitis and no other real issues.  I have been battling with diverticulitis now for well over 2 decades.

Fast forward to Alices request/demand I get my next colonoscopy.  It just so happened she was also due for hers.  We decided it made most sense for us to schedule the procedure on the same day.   A date (actually the day before) that will go down in infamy.

Preparation date is the date before.  No food is allowed and we started with multiple ex-lax pills.  We were simultaneously coordinating all our prep work.  Next up: a $100 each PREP kit called SUPREP BOWEL PREP kit.  Multiple doses of this nasty tasting stuff with 2 gallons of water during the day.  It is a REAL good thing we had 2 bathrooms.  

Time for the pooper scooper

It started getting real miserable at about 5:00 pm.  We both kept a meticulous LOG of how much liquid making sure we downed 2 gallons.  Thank GOD we had 2 bathrooms.  Two gallons in and two gallons out.  How miserable.  

At about 8:00 pm I looked at Alice and I said, “you look exactly like I feel…

After hundreds of trips to bathroom I finally fell asleep at about midnight.  

We drove to the Gastroenterologist for our 8:00 procedure in Boynton Beach.  Alice went in first and I followed her about 30 minutes later.  I woke up to a smiling nurse not knowing where I was.  The doctor met with me soon thereafter and told me all was well with no cancer polyps found.  He also told me I had diverticulitis all over the place.  Surprise, surprise.  

Alice’s results … ALL CLEAR!

We took an UBER home and could not wait to end our fast with some real food.  

Lesson to be learned:

GET your colonoscopy today!  Unfortunately too many people die of colon cancer when it could have easily been solved by early detection.  Many of us have lost someone close to us from colon cancer when a colonoscopy could have easily prevented it.

Father’s day memories of my kids

I am a father of 5 children and grandfather of 3.  This blog will focus on some of my fond memories with each child.  

Eric 

My oldest son Eric was born nearly 38 years ago in Denver Colorado.  He passed away in his sleep nearly 9 years ago now.  I have many fond memories of Eric. We played many many rounds of golf together.  He was a 2 handicap golfer with my mentoring and had aspirations to become a pro. Lots of time on the driving range and in a golf cart side by side.  We were very close. I miss him so. 

David 

My second son David who is 34 years old was born in Hollywood Florida. David lives in North Carolina and is the father of 3 beautiful children. He served on a Mormon mission in Italy and speaks Italian. My memories of David are of a child who was always willing to help no matter what.  A real good soul. 

Heather 

Heather is my third child and is 31 years old.  Heather loved to ride motorcycles with me. My fondest memories are the numerous times she greeted me at the door after a tennis match and said in such a sweet living voice "Dad, did you win?"  

Allison 

My fourth child who is now 22 years old.  I have many fond memories of Allison. Allison is multi talented with many abilities.  I am sure she could have been a professional dancer or choreographer.  A fantastic competitive figure skater. I remember watching her on the skating rink and smile that big smile knowing she just nailed her routine. She is studying now to become a doctor. 

Ryan

Ryan a 16 year old boy and my fifth and youngest child.  For years Ryan swam on a swim teem.  I went to every practice.  READY GO. My fondest memories of Ryan are our days together on the golf course when he was swinging those child left handed PING golf clubs.  It's time we get back to that Ryan. 

I am proud to say all my living children either received a college degree or are working on one now. Even Ryan taking some college level courses.

I am proud of and love all my children

My experience on a Motorcycle written by Alice

Where to begin? A year ago, our second date Tom invited me to take a ride on his Harley down to South Beach. Having never ridden on a motorcycle, I was a bit intimidated and of course very concerned for my safety. In my mind, only wild crazy people with tattoos ride motorcycles….I really liked Tom, and he seemed to be very normal and cautious. I thought this could be something new and different and definitely out of my comfort zone. Could COVID had anything to do with this new attitude?

Tom’s tattoo I got him for his birthday

I called my friend Donna that rides with her husband and really enjoys their adventures. I told her Tom invited me to go to South Beach on his Harley. Her response was priceless…”OH, HELL NO!” She told me because I had never been on a bike, it was much too dangerous for me to have my first experience on I-95. She recommended I call Tom and tell him I was newbie and my first time should be a nice & easy scenic ride. I made the call and he was in total agreement. I drove up to Delray, a bit nervous and determined not to let it show. He explained the rules, seemed that I could do this. I put my complete trust in Tom.

Our first motorcycle date

Understand, I had to learn how to get on, get off, lean into the curves and much more. We went on a beautiful ride. We left Delray Beach and headed up to Palm Beach on A1A..WOW! What a great experience. It is like being in a really cool sporty convertible, only on steroids! To feel the total openness around me was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Tom told me I did great..On the way up, I held on a little tight and on the way back to Delray I was relaxed.

I was cautious and watched every move he made…It was a perfect introduction to being a passenger on the back of Tom’s Harley.

Tom on his new Harley

I LOVE bring on the bike and experiencing the openness and space around me! The physical experience is very unique. I like the sound of the engine, especially as Tom accelerants and changes gears. Our vacation on Auto-train with the bike up to DC, I have ridden1200+ miles on this trip. I did get a new comfortable seat for the trip. Yes, it goes in storage and the smaller (sexy) seat goes back on for our local rides. Most of our dates we use the bike because it is a special experience. Not bad for a newbie a year ago. Thank you Tom!

One of our rides to West Palm Beach

Yes, Tom now has a tattoo! I gave it to him for his birthday in September. Now he is the wild and crazy guy!

Me posing in front of Tom’s Harley in the Shenandoah Mountains

Tom’s birthday present to me…. my first leather Harley jacket. Love it!

Blog day 9 - Ride back to DC

One more time up the hill with the bike

I have never dropped a motorcycle at a rolling pace.  However during my life I have probably dropped a big bike four or five times when stopped.  This is when the bike is the heaviest and the hardest to balance.  When the bike goes down you either tick and roll away from it or it sits on top of you. When a motorcycle is sitting on top of you and you squeeze out from underneath it you hope that nothing is broken. The motorcycle engine guard saved my legs again. This is why I feared going up and down the very steep gravel slow at the Airbnb. 

One last time up the hill with nothing packed on my bike and no passengers attached. We brought all of our luggage up to the top of the hill and put on the luggage at the crest of the hill.

Detour to shed 30+ pounds of excess weight

Alice was very wise to forcefully demand that we lose some weight on our motorcycle for our trip back to Delray Beach. We packed up about 35 pounds of stuff and had to detour around to find the UPS store in Charlottesville.  Alice was right the motorcycle was much easier to handle. Thank you Alice!

Drive to Washington DC

We drove to Washington DC from Charlottesville without stopping and it took about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  The drive was beautiful rolling hills and certainly a motorcycle riders dream ride. I'm going to miss those rolling hills when we get back to the flat straight roads of Florida.

Back to an old familiar fantastic hotel in Alexandria

We liked our location and hotel so much in Alexandria we decided to stay in the very same place. A Hilton Hotel with a TV which was perfectly located right across the street from metro rail.  We both highly recommend this hotel at this location for those who want to visit Washington DC even if you don't come with a motorcycle. 

Dinner date at Le Diplomate

We decided to go to another restaurant recommended by Alice's friend Liz. We were not disappointed. This fantastic French restaurant located in urban Washington DC. We had lobster risotto and mushroom tart. Yummy. I really loved the ambience and decor of this restaurant ... very cool place to visit in addition to the fantastic food. Lots of energy and excitement in this restaurant and we had notice ages of all kind. As matter fact we were so impressed with the energy and excitement of the surrounding neighborhood. Great pictures will come after I get back!

Just another Tom and Alice day

Tomorrow we get on the auto train for a 14 hour drive and will hopefully arrive back in Delray Beach Thursday afternoon

Blog day 8 - Shenandoah Park Day 2

Confrontation with the next-door neighbor

We were warned by our Airbnb host that his next-door neighbor is not very friendly and doesn't like anyone to touch his 900+ acres of land.  In order for me to ride up the gravel steep hill leaving the property we unload everything off the bike. With a hope and a prayer at the bottom of the hill I accelerate up the hill up into the street where traffic could be.  After successfully making it up the hill I realized I was wearing my tennis shoes and not my Harley Davidson boots. Not a good idea for many reasons one of which is traction when I put my feet down on the ground. I asked Alice to go back to the room and get my boots while I hold the Harley up so I wouldn't fall over.

I parked the bike at the foot of the driveway of his neighbor.  Within a matter of minutes I was confronted by his neighbor asking me what I was doing. I told him I was simply trying to be safe and stay off the road while waiting for my partner. He seemed very annoyed and irritated and not friendly at all. Parking my Harley on anything but an up slope or flat surface is very dangerous and if I can go down way too easily. There's no place around for me to park my bike I'm a flat surface. 

Another ride in the park

Our ride in the Shenandoah national park was another glorious day of motorcycle. Yes I have created a monster. I think Alice had a smile on her face the whole day! We turn right At the park entrance instead of left as we did the day before.

Lunch with Alice on top of the world

We picked up a nice sandwich, chips and drinks at the gas station before heading to the park. I parked our bike on a beautiful overlook in the mountains and we had a great lunch. When we reached the end of the trail I told Alice we could go back a short way and she twisted my arm to turn around and hit the trail again one more time. It did not take much twisting!

Lots of hikers in the park

Hikers were every where young and old. We met one young man maybe in his mid 30’s He said he had been hiking since April 4th 2.5 months ago. Left his wife and child at home to do his thing.

Finished the Netflix series The Assassination of Gianni Versace an American Crime Story

In the evening we watched the final episode of the Netflix series on Versace's murder. We both loved the series very much. So well written, such great acting, such a moving and distressing story. It was very interesting for me to observe again the Versace mansion which I have photographed inside and out many times. I remember when they were filming the series at the mansion.

Now it's time to prepare to start our journey home. Today we drive back to Washington DC and spend the night there before getting on the auto train to head back to Orlando on Wednesday

Blog day 7 - Harley ride in Shenandoah Park

Breakfast at AirB&B

Our breakfast at the Airbnb was outside on the patio. We were served a fruit plate and a vegetarian omelette with a smiley face.  We also had coffee made in a percolator. Alice liked the percolator. I bet she's going to get us one LOL.  Just as we finished breakfast 2 deer came right up to take a look at our breakfast feast. I grabbed my iPhone and snapped a picture and they immediately ran back in the woods. I kept my eye out for the cougar the B&B owner had seen a few days earlier in the very spot. 

With my heart pounding hard I drove my motorcycle up the gravel steep hill to get off the property. I was very happy to have made it without dumping the bike. I used to ride dirt bikes as a kid and this Harley is not a dirt-bike. 

Ride in the park

Our motorcycle ride to Shenandoah National Park took about 35 minutes to get there. We were met by the park ranger at the gate. She offered me an option: "Mr. sexy motorcycle rider would you like a $25 pass to see the park today or an annual pass to see any National Park for $20."  I think she was testing my stupidity. I hope I chose the right option.LOL

We had a choice upon entering the park to either turn left which is south or right which is north. The park ranger recommended that we go left which was south.

Up, up up we went on my Harley Davidson. It wasn't long before the fog was so heavy we could not see more than 20 to 30 feet in front of the bike. It got scary for me and I wondered how Alice was feeling right behind me. I think I was riding about 10-15 mph. We parked the bike and snapped a bunch of pictures and had a great time. Alice told me I have created a monster. A motorcycle monster and a camera monster. She snapped some pictures of me and I think she did a great job, we shall see! 

Against my better judgment we got back on the bike and continued in the dense fog. The combination of the dense fog, moisture on my motorcycle helmet visor and the moisture and fog up my glasses made me almost blind. We finally pulled over again and cleaned off the helmet shield and glasses and waited for the fog to lift a bit.  The fog finally lifted and we had a great ride. Most of this ride was photographed by my GoPro mounted on top of my helmet. Maybe I will include a few of those videos here. Our motorcycle ride in the park lasted until about 2:30 PM. We were both hungry and decided to go back into town and have lunch. 

Lunch at Elpaso Mexican Grille  Elkton VA

We were both very hungry and thankful that we had a place to eat. Again I was under impressed by the quality of the food. Where is Liz when we need her recommendations?

Following lunch we noticed the storm was brewing and decided to head back quickly to our bed-and-breakfast which was about 40 minutes away. We hustled home and beat the storm only by minutes.  It seems rain has been impacting most every day of our trip.

T-bone steak grilled by chef Tom

For dinner chef Tom cooked a T-bone steak on the grill while the sous chef Alice make sure everything was proper. The T-bar steak was fantastic. Another great day on our vacation!

No televisions. What are we to do?

Blog day 6 our ride to Shenandoah Valley

Blog written by Alice

Tom asked me to write today’s blog. Such an honor! We worked in the AM for about an hour and half. Tom editing photos and I was answering as many emails as possible. 

We packed it up and got on the motorcycle and headed to the mountains. Getting out of Alexandria wasn’t easy. The GPS had Tom doing multiple uturns! Finally, we hit the expressway and lots of traffic!

As we left the city behind we started to see mountains about an hour into the trip. The rolling hills and farm land were beautiful! Finally, hit the country roads and WOW… everything is beautiful and green.  After many turns on the country roads we finally arrived at our destination. Only to find it was down a VERY steep gravel drive way. Did I mention we are on a Harley Davidson..heavy bike! We unloaded everything, and Tom rode the bike down. A bit nerve racking! An Airbnb…Singing Springs. Yes, there’s a creek running through the property. Our host, Jack informed us that he often sees bears, deer and cougars in his back yard.

Now it gets interesting…there isn’t a store within 8 to 10 miles. There’s no food, no water, and no wine. No way are we taking the bike out to get food and risk going up that steep gravel hill. Thank goodness we had nuts and a protein bar with us. We were hoping that we were going to be met with a basket of snacks, wine and cheese. Right away, Tom noticed there wasn’t a TV in the room. Wow, what do we do to entertain ourselves?

We came to the area to ride each day in a different area. Stay tuned and Tom will inform you about our rides in the next blog. 

Blog day 5 Holocaust Memorial Museum

Pouring rain and flash flood warnings preventing us from getting on the Harley

We had planned on getting on the Harley and spending most of the rest of our vacation touring  the mountains of Virginia. However due to heavy rainfall and flash flood warnings we stayed one more night in the hotel and chose to go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC.

Holocaust Memorial Museum

Upon arrival at the museum we were told that all the tickets were sold out and we were stuck in the rain to decide what to do next. We went for a walk in the rain and determined that almost no museums in the local area are either open or available. We went back to Holocaust  Museum just to stay dry and decide our next steps.  We waited undercover for over an hour watching many potential patrons be turned away as the museum was sold out. One of the guards came up to us and told us since we are so nice she would let us in. We are very happy to hear this news. Our experience in the Holocaust Museum was emotional, informative, draining, and an information overload for us.  I am really happy we were able to go there and oh by the way the tickets were free.

My main take away from the experience as a Holocaust Museum was how could humanity ever have allowed this atrocity to happen? I will forever be saddened by this experience. 

Dinner at China Chicano by Jose Andrea

Following our experience at the Holocaust Museum it was about 3:00 PM and we decided to do an early dinner. One of Alice's good friends recommended a fantastic restaurant. We made a 4:15 PM reservation and walked a mile and a half in the drizzling cold rain.

Finally we had a fantastic eating experience. As a matter fact it was one of the best experiences we have had. This restaurant is famous and the chef is a world class leader. I will show some pictures of the food that we had.

• We started with Ceviche de Pulpo... Octopus

• We also had 2 variations of Dim Sum: Pollo and Traditional

• Our main course was Tam Tam: hand cut wheat noodles and scallions in some spicy sauce 

• For desert we had: Suspiro Limena.  Soft and crunchy meringue passion fruit 

All I can say ...  All of the food was so unique and different and special and flavorful. Thank you Liz for the recommendation!

China Chicano by Jose Andrea

Blog day 4 - National Gallery of Art

Our planned intentions were to leave the DC area on our Harley Davidson and go for some beautiful motorcycle rides in the Virginia mountains. However, due to rain and flash and flood warnings we decided to extend our stay one more day in DC. so we left our Harley in the garage and got back on our favorite new transportation method the metro rail system in Washington DC.

National Gallery of Art

I let Alice decide what art museum to go to and she immediately chose the National Gallery of Art. Our metro ride required a transfer from one train to another which went very smoothly. Within 30 minutes we are at our final destination

The first part of the National Art Gallery was an outdoor sculptures gallery. I was impressed with the many school children who were attending and properly mentored by attentive teachers. The children were also well behaved and respectful. 

The experience at the National Gallery of Art left us both speechless. It made me feel very humble to even consider myself an artist after seeing what I saw there.  Original paintings by artist like Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas and many others.  I was allowed to take photographs of the pictures and sculptures with my Nikon with no flash.  Just wait until you see a photo gallery or slideshow from me on this day. We spent nearly the entire day there and could've spent hours, days or more in the massive museum and still not have seen or been able to appreciate everything. 

I was also reminded how many of the paintings and sculptures celebrated the artistic beauty of a nude body.  Never sexual but always classy and artistic. My photography and art will be forever influenced. 

Pizza dinner

During the early evening hours it was still raining very hard.  I was silently thinking about how much I would love to have Italian food or pizza. Alice mentioned restaurant we had seen the previous day across the street. We decided to venture out in the rain and have a little Italian dinner.  The restaurant was almost entirely empty like all other restaurants in our area due to Covid.  We were both a bit disappointed in our food.  To date  neither one of us have been impressed with the food. Perhaps we just have been choosing the wrong restaurants. 

Blog day 3 - National Treasures in Washington DC

No parking in Washington DC

We got up early in the morning to go out to see our national treasures in Washington DC. Our first objective was to see the Vietnam war Memorial. If anyone knows me I want great light for my photography. I call it the golden hour of the gods. Nothing drives me more crazy than trying to create great photography during the flat hours of the mid day sun. 

Our motorcycle ride to the Memorial was less than 20 minutes.  We discovered quickly that there was no parking anywhere in all of DC. We finally found a parking spot amongst dozens of other motorcycles at the Pentagon. Of course I took my camera out and started taking a few pictures. We were approached by a very nice man fully decked out in his Military uniform. He told us to be careful and not take any photos as my photography gear may have been confiscated. He also told us we could not park there nor almost any place in DC. We decided to drive the motorcycle clear back to our hotel. 

DC Metro rail

We then took the metro rail which was a great experience for both of us. Clean, fast, efficient, and very affordable. Our rides each way was less than four dollars. 

Now, we are off with Nikon and GoPro hand. Some of the national treasures we saw and photographed are:  The Washington Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, World War 2 Memorial, World War 1 Memorial,  Vietnam War Memorial, and many others. We walked well over 5 miles with my heavy photography gear, bad knees and bad feet. I took at least 400 photographs with my Nikon and many beautiful video clips with my GoPro. Unfortunately many of those photos will not be available until we gat back to Florida.

We met an older lady at the Vietnam War Memorial wall. She asked us to take a photograph of her with her camera. She told us about her son and pointed to his name. She started to cry, 55 years later she is still crying. Alice teared up. It was a very touching moment. Such a senseless and worthless war. Did you know that my generation was the first generation without a mandatory war draft. I think my older brother Randy just missed the draft to the Vietnam war. 

The security at the White House. 

I was saddened and disappointed to see the massive fences and guards preventing even a "looksy" at the White House.  I took a few photos of the one glance I could get over the massive solid white 15' plus wall. Mr President: "Tear down these walls!".   I wonder what the world will look like for my grandkids. 

We had a late lunch at a place called the Corner Office. Alice had a veggie burger which she said was the best she ever had. I was struggling to make it back to metro station where's my bad knees and feet. 

With a big grin on her face we took the metro back to the hotel.

After resting in the hotel room we decided to venture back out on the motorcycle to have  dinner by the Potomac River.  Alice was on a quest to find her soft shell crabs. I never heard of soft shell crabs. I guess they molt once a year. The females have sex right after molting.  From what I understand it is one and done for them. We found the soft shell crabs and we were both under impressed by the presentation.

It was a great and memorable day. We will never forget!

Rain storms scheduled in DC all day tomorrow.  Means our plans to hit the mountains on the Harley will be delayed.  Maybe another day on the Metro rail. Museums I hope. 

Don't forget to tell me you are enjoying these blogs otherwise I will stop writing them.

Blog day 2 -Autotrain to Washington DC day 2

Yesterday morning we got off the train in Lorton Virginia. It did not take long to get our motorcycle. I was sad to see a motorcyclist fall down as he was departing the ramp. I believe his ego was hurt the most. Amtrak autotrain experience was so awesome.

We checked into the Hilton hotel in old town Alexandria and got upgraded to a beautiful room on the executive floor.  Alice is all about upgrades. 

Next stop was a 20 minute motorcycle ride to our first home base at a Hilton Hotel in Alexandria Va. Our first day in Alexandria was an eye-opener as to the impact of Covid in a city like this.  

For lunch we decided to drive down to the river in old town Alexandria.  Right when we started to ride it started raining on us. It was not only rainy but it seemed like it was 100° and 100% humidity.  We will stop complaining about the Florida summer heat and humidity. We got off the Harley and both of us put on our new rain suits. The rain suit still had the price tags hanging on them and Alice got her first attempt at putting on a rain suit in the rain. It's not an easy thing. Just to get your feet in the pants past your boots is the biggest hurdle.  As soon as we got the rain suit on it stopped raining and we took the rain suits off. We then had a nice time at the river front (Potomac River) and took some beautiful pictures in the 100% humidity.  For those few fans of my photography you will see those at a later time. You may even find a few prints on my walls in Delray Beach Florida.

Alexandria seemed like a ghost town. Beautiful architecture, buildings, restaurants, etc. We were in shock to see all these beautiful restaurants with no one in them. One or two people sitting down at restaurants that would've been packed to the doors in Delray Beach. It's clear the Covid dramatically impacted this city. We had lunch by the river in old town Alexandria. I took some really cool photographs of boats and architecture. Any one want to see those photographs? We drove our motorcycle to Mount Vernon and just had a great time. We did not go in.

Alice reminded me we are on a quest to find soft shell crabs whatever that is. 

Tomorrow will be our quest to view some of our national treasures including Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials.

We ended the evening in an air-conditioned hotel room and we're glad to relax. If you are enjoying these blogs please let me know and they will continue!

Blog day 1 - Autotrain Harley trip to Washington DC day 1

Challenge #1 was packing the motorcycle with all the essential gear for me and Alice.  Forget about bras and evening gowns.  My camera equipment takes precedent.  We also cannot load down the Harley with too much gear as to make it difficult to balance and drive.  NOPE, I am NOT taking the car Alice.  Where is my NIKON in this big bag of gear?

Our motorcycle ride from Delray beach to Sanford was easy.  Beautiful weather and it took us about 4 hours including a 30 minute break for breakfast.

Our first major problem came up when we arrived at check in and found out our round trip reservations were made in reverse and the TRAIN was full.  Luckily they had 1 handicap room available.  Our only other choice was COACH or wait another day.  ROOMETTS do NOT have toilets but our handicap roomette had a toilet.  I still choose to use the toilet in the hallway. This made Alice happy because the room was twice the size….. FOR and UPGRADE price.  Oh well, this is a once in a lifetime event.

After check in we took a bus to downtown Sanford and had a wonderful Germain lunch called Hollerbach’s. It was authentic and awesome.

I really cannot describe the experience of Autotrain. So very fun to experience the sights, sound and the food.  I am sitting in the dining area at this moment writing my blog.

We slept in a handicap version of the what they call a roomette.  This room is slightly bigger than a closet and has bunk beds.  I called TOP bunk.  That was a BAD choice.  Getting in was my first problem with my bad knees.  Getting out at 4 am in the morning with no lights on was a nightmare.  Where is the light switch?  Where do I put my foot down?  I can’t reach the bottom.  My leg is cramping.  I need to GO!!  On the way back I call the bottom bunk. 

Dad, I remember when ...

In the twilight of your years I want you to know I remember when:

• You played catch with me for hours probably hoping I would become a major league pitcher

• You took me golfing for the first time ... Highland Hills Par 3.

• Playing golf with you on countless Sunday's when it was frowned upon by the local church congregation for breaking the Sabbath 

• I caddied for you on the golf course and tried to give you advice 

• You gave me a case of tomato paste for Christmas.  As tears rolled down my face I was shown a golf membership certificate to the local club right below the tomato paste cans

• You frequently came home late after a hard day of manual labor at the grocery store 

• When you made homemade chili, homemade waffles and soup

• You shoveled all the neighbors walks from snow just because

• You got bored mowing your own lawn so you just kept on going and mowed the neighbors lawn as well

• You took our family to grandma and grandpa's house both Schmuki and Stephenson on a regular basis

• Tears came to your eyes nearly every time you spoke of your experiences in the war

• You got home late every Christmas eve from work and we got in the car and rode in the snowstorms to grandma's house for our traditional Christmas eve family gathering 

• You supported me on my mission for the Mormon church even though you were a catholic and thought I was a little off 

• You coddled and took care of mom during her years of ill health struggling with cancer and cancer treatment 

• You knelt at mother's grave just a few months ago with thoughts of joining her side soon 

  Thank you dad for all these and many more memories. 

  Your loving son --Tom

My Birthday wishes as I turn 65

Two years ago I wrote a blog which i called "My Birthday Wish"

Today I thought I would write a follow up to that blog and update some of my thoughts and wishes. Tomorrow I turn 65 years old, a milestone for me in many ways. Many things have occurred professionally, personally and globally since my first birthday wish blog.

• American government, FIX it.  Come on, it has been broken for years.  Can’t we come up with 2 presidential candidates we can all be proud of and not have to always vote for the best of two really bad choices?

The American government is more broken now than it ever has been needI say more?

• In addition to WORLD peace, I want inner peace.  Have not had it for years.  My soul left when my son Eric was diagnosed Paranoid Schizophrenic when he was 19 and then died in his sleep over 6 years ago.

I feel like I am finding my soul again.  However the loss of my son Eric looms constantly on my mind.  

• I want to feel like I made a real contribution to the world even in my own small way.  What kind of legacy will I really leave?

My contributions to society seem basically irrelevant at this time.  Maybe some day in the distant future my work and value will be remembered and realized 

• I want my photography to be so unique, interesting and beautiful that I will be unable to keep up with the work. 

I now believe my work is unique, interesting and beautiful.  I am very proud of what i do yet the demand for my skills and talents do not seem to match up to my own personal belief. 

• I want my photography to be valued by more than a passing “like” or a single comment on social networks.

This remains unchanged from my perspective. One of the greatest joys I get from photography is when my clients tell me that one of the photos I took of them is their favorite of all time, or when they say that was the funnest photo session I have ever done. Many of my clients/models shoot with photographers on a weekly basis or more. This has great value to me!

• I want to feel young again.  I am stiff, sore and inflexible created by a lifetime of sports and orthopedic surgeries. I won the battle of multiple club championships in golf and tennis but lost the war of flexibility.  While I am wishing, how about single vision instead of double vision created by my health incident a few months back?

I feel healthier than I have been for years.  This is a result of my almost daily exercise regimen of bicycle riding, swimming, tennis and going to the gym. I am now more conscious than ever what I put in my mouth 

• I want to hear one person whisper to another…… “hey, isn’t that Thomas Schmuki, the world famous photographer?”

I heard one person say this a few months back.  A fellow photographer saw me in a shoot in Hollywood and said something very similar.  It made my heart and soul song with joy. 

• Two months from now I want to look back and say, “MAN I SHOULD HAVE RETIRED YEARS AGO, now I can do what I really love 24/7 – Photography”

The jury is still out on this.  Perhaps I retired to early.  One thing for sure I have dedicate my life to my photography 24/7.  I love what I do. 

• How about a real friend?

Someone recently told me a real friend invites you over for dinner and social events.  Hummm. I guess I still need to work on that one.  Nearly 5,000 facebook friends and no dinner invites lol. 

My birthday prayer: May GOD reach out to all HIS children on the earth, young and old, male and female, from all countries and walks of life and help THEM and their families get through these unprecedented times.

Kamikaze Pilots and my fathers PURPLE HEART

Pictured here is my father who is a very proud now 95 year old World War 2 veteran.  As I mentioned previously my fathers naval destroyer was attacked many times by Japanese Kamikaze Pilots.  Two planes hit my fathers ship, one of which injured my father with shrapnel from the plane.  This piece of shrapnel which is about the size of 3-4 silver dollars together he still has and used to proudly show it off.  This WAR injury earned my father the PURPLE HEART which he also proudly displays on his cars drivers license.

Anthony Augustine Schmuki, a proud 95 year old World War II Veteran

My father describes the Kamikaze attack

“My responsibility was in the fore (front) part of the ship.  I loaded the massive machine guns with the BULLET pelts that fired on the attacking planes.  You could hear them coming from miles away.  As they approached the ship and their death defying suicidal attempts you could see the whites of the pilots eyes as they approached…” He mentions it seemed as if they were coming in slow motion, although the planes were stripped of weight to make as fast as possible.

I asked DAD why they called the Destroyer Naval ship a Tin Can…”the HULL was a thin layer of TIN”

As the plane hit the deck of the destroyer, my father was injured.

I have become very intrigued by this whole Kamikaze thing.  

I found the following information on Wikipedia very helpful:

Kamikaze (神風, [kamiꜜkaze]; "divine wind" or "spirit wind"), officially Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (特別攻撃隊, "Special Attack Unit"), were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who initiated suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy warships more effectively than possible with conventional air attacks. About 3,800 kamikaze pilots died during the war, and more than 7,000 naval personnel were killed by kamikaze attacks.[2]

Kamikaze aircraft were essentially pilot-guided explosive missiles, purpose-built or converted from conventional aircraft. Pilots would attempt to crash their aircraft into enemy ships in what was called a "body attack" (tai-atari) in planes loaded with a combination of explosives, bombs, and torpedoes. Accuracy was much higher than that of conventional attacks, and the payload and explosion larger; about 19% of kamikaze attacks were successful.[2] A kamikaze could sustain damage that would disable a conventional attacker and still achieve its objective. The goal of crippling or destroying large numbers of Allied ships, particularly aircraft carriers, was considered by the Empire of Japan to be a just reason for sacrificing pilots and aircraft.

These attacks, which began in October 1944, followed several critical military defeats for the Japanese. They had long since lost aerial parity as a result of having outdated aircraft and enduring the loss of experienced pilots. Japan suffered from a diminishing capacity for war and a rapidly declining industrial capacity relative to that of the Allies. Japan was also losing pilots faster than it could train their replacements. These combined factors, along with Japan's unwillingness to surrender, led to the use of kamikaze tactics as Allied forces advanced towards the Japanese home islands.

The tradition of death instead of defeat, capture and shame was deeply entrenched in Japanese military culture; one of the primary values in the samurai life and the Bushido code was loyalty and honor until death.

Another interesting video which helped me understand the psychology and tactics of this pitiful attempt by the Japanese helps me understand….

I also watched a very interesting video which I would highly recommend:

Top 10 Amazing FActs about Kamikaze Pilots

As World War II was coming to an end, American Naval forces were quickly approaching Japan and unless something radical happened, Japan would be defeated. Th...

Some interesting things I learned from this video:

1. Pilots were shamed into volunteering to fly to their death.  Shame would come to them, and their family if the pilots did not accept the mandatory “volunteer”.

2. The Japanese used their best pilots for their first run

3. The Japanese designed the planes specifically for Kamikaze missions

4. The Japanese also designed and attempted suicide torpedo man driven torpedos

5. The German Nazi’s also attempted the Kamikaze tactics - also an utter failure

6. The Japanese pilots were likely drugged … high on Meth to increase their short term intensity and focus 

7. The whole Kamikaze attempt was a major failure… sank 51 ships, only one was an aircraft carrier.  Responsible for the deaths of about 3,000 American and British men.  Japanese losses were 1,300+ planes and submarines lost and over 5,000 Japanese pilots, most of which were their BEST pilots.

8. Today the Kamikaze project is considered one of the biggest blunders of World War 2

As my father is still living, I honor him and all those veterans who have fought for all of us. I cannot imagine what he and his comrades went through. I love you DAD and I am so very proud of you! — Tom

My visit with DAD to MOM's Gravesite

I cannot see through my lens

On July 2, 2015 my mother passed away after a long battle with lymphoma cancer.  Her funeral services in Denver was the last time I had been there. Shirley Mae Stephenson, MOM, wife, singer, choir conductor, and my personal vocal/singing mentor, I miss you so much.  The following photos were taken during my trip to Denver last week.  I could NOT see through the lens of my camera.  Very emotional indeed.

Adventures to houses past

Visits to the homes that meant so much to me

Visiting Denver has brought back many memories of my childhood in Colorado.  Visiting the houses I either lived in or visited frequently in my youth made my soul explode with emotion.  My visit to my cousin MaryAnn’s house in Arvada was no different.  Many family gatherings, holidays and food festivals held at this house.  I even baby sat the 3 children in this house including young MaryAnn who is now nearly my age.  I remember playing football in the yard with uncles, cousins and brothers.  I remember the smells of home cooked meals and the laughter of family.  Thank you MaryAnn for inviting us over.  Thanks to the memory of your parents Uncle Frank and Aunt Ann.  Two very special and extraordinary people!

First house in Denver 1-4 year old

I decided to visit some of the houses that were part of my past and childhood.  I asked my father the address of his parents house and he gave us the address of the first house I lived in in Denver Colorado.  I moved from that house from Denver to Arvada when I was 4-5 years old.  I don’t recall anything about that house, but do recall a few photos I have seen taken there.  Young Tommy in a swimsuit with the next door neighbor … “Let’s go swimming in that portable round plastic pool,”  I want to knock on the door and ask to view the house I was raised in until i was 4, but couldn’t dumb up the nerves.

Denver house ages 0-4

Grandparent’s Schmuki House in Denver

After viewing and photographing my first house, I decided to FIND grandparents Schmuki’s house in Denver.  Last time I was there was when my Grandfather Schmuki died when I was 16 years old, nearly 49 years ago.  I was able to drive right to his home in Denver.  My grandparents were from Germany.  Grandpa Schmuki worked for the Catholic church as a janitor and I believe the house he lived in was part of his compensation from the church.  He died while mowing the lawn of this very Catholic church. Many fond memories in this house.  We visited them nearly weekly for years.  Grandpa would open up the gymnasium and me and my brother Randy would put the boxing gloves on and enter the official boxing ring where he proceeded to beat me up every time.  When grandpa died it was the first time in my life I had ever seen a dead man…. open casket.  I was terribly impacted.  He was a silent and humble man, always with a smile on his face.  I miss you Grandpa!

My house in Arvada Colorado

I moved from Denver to Arvada when I was 4-5 years old, and lived there until I went to college in Provo Utah when I was 18 years old.  I attended Arvada West High School and participated in the golf team, and was a very active participant in the music program mostly as a singer.  My one attempt at theatre was playing the part of the Padre in Man of Lamancha.  To this day, I still feel my high school years were the happiest years of my life.  Thank you Monte Otto and the Madrigal singers I sang with for 2 years.

The importance of family visits

It has struck me this trip to Denver how special it was for my parents to bring our family to both grandparents houses on almost a weekly basis. Perhaps as children we begrudged it but now with tears in my eyes I am grateful for it. Thank you Mom and Dad and thanks grandparents Schmuki and Stephenson for showing us the importance of family and the bond of love that frequent visits provides.

Denver Visit to Colorado - time to see Dad

A little history of my father 

My father and mother met in Denver Colorado after my father returned from his service on a Naval Destroyer in World War II.  My mother said she fell in love with “the skinny handsome man in a sailor suit…”  Tony was a handsome man but not any more handsome than my beautiful mother Shirley.  My father Tony was born in 1925 which makes him 95 years old and clearly impacted by the GREAT DEPRESSION which went from the late 20’s to the early 30’s.

My father served as a sailor in the military on a destroyer in the the Pacific Ocean.  During non battle times, he was a cook and helper in the kitchen.  During the heat of battle when the kamikaze planes were zeroed in he loaded the guns with ammo as the shooters aimed at the planes.  His destroyer was hit 2 times by kamikaze planes and one planes shrapnel hit my father, wounded him and he earned a purple heart.  His license plate on his car says PURPLE HEART.  During the WAR he observed fellow ships go down and saw the sailors in the ocean all being gobbled up by a frenzy of sharks.  Blood and guts every where.  He cannot speak of the war or his memories of it.  I can truly understand why.

Typical Navy Destroyer

My father worked in the grocery business nearly his whole career as a manager of a mid sized grocery store - Millers Super Market.   He was forced into early retirement when Millers Supermarket went bankrupt.  His retirement years were filled with golf, skiing and taking care of his yard.  I think he has now been retired now for well over 40 years.  Imagine that!  

My father Anthony Augustine Schmuki

My father taught me the beautiful game of golf, the best game on earth.  I started at age 14. We played together many times.  We could never afford a golf cart and therefore always walked the courses.  I loved it and never knew any difference.

Denver visit to Colorado - Emotional and meaningful

Time for me to start blogging again

For those of you who have read a few of or the select few who have read all my blogs, you may have noticed I stopped writing blogs almost a year ago. There are many reasons for this neglect.  I discovered very few people read my blogs or at the very minimum acknowledged they had read them.  If you have not read my blogs and this is your first one you will find that I am a very honest and transparent writer.  Transparent even to a flaw. Perhaps blogging for me is more about inter perception than blogging for external reasons, perhaps even like a personal journal.  I know it is healthy to sit down with pen and paper and write down your thoughts.  Perhaps this entry is for me and a select few may enjoy some of my thoughts here.  

If you want me to continue writing my blogs, a little encouragement may be necessary lol.

If you have not read some my my blogs here are a few of the more popular ones or maybe my favorites:

The Shy man with a Camera

https://tesphoto.squarespace.com/blog/2018/8/16/the-shy-man-behind-the-camera\

My Birthday Wish

https://tesphoto.squarespace.com/blog/2018/9/11/my-birthday-wish

Ten things you probably don’t know about me

https://tesphoto.squarespace.com/blog/2018/9/17/ten-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-me

The moment you find out your child is schizophrenic 

https://tesphoto.squarespace.com/blog/2018/9/21/the-moment-you-find-out-your-child-is-schizophrenic

Five things you probably don’t know about me

https://tesphoto.squarespace.com/blog/2018/10/14/5-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-me

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N95 Mask, Face Shield and gloves soon to be worn on my trip

Day 1 -travel to Denver Colorado

Flight from Fort Lauderdale to Austin Texas

The Fort Lauderdale Airport seemed almost a ghost town when I arrived. My flight was on Spirit Arlines with a connection and layover in Austin Texas.  My round trip airline cost was less than $140.00.  I paid in advance for 1 checked bag which cost less than $40.00  When I made my reservation there was a COVID-19 disclaimer which required acknowledgment that I have NOT been sick nor in contact with anyone who has been sick for the last 14 days, and my temperature is NORMAL.  I was extremely surprised and was expecting a mandatory temperature check to get on the airline, but there were no checks at either the Fort Lauderdale Airport or the airport in Austin.  I was surprised and disappointed.

My flight to Auston from Fort Lauderdale was about 50% occupied and therefore there was moderately good spacing between guests.  Luckily I had an isle seat.  I wore an N-95 mask, face shield and gloves during my entire flights.  I noticed only a few other passengers had on shields and no one else had gloves on.  Surprised again.  Drinks and beverages were served for a $ on the plane.  Of course that meant you take your mask off to eat and drink.  Again, moderately surprised and disappointed.

Flight from Austin to Denver

The Austin airport was even more ghost town than Fort Lauderdale.  However my plane was at least 95% occupied with two rows of 3 each on the plane,  Same situation with masks, shields, and gloves.

Another disappointment:  not organized formal way to debark the plan with safety and social distancing.  When the plane landed, everyone stood up and crowded the isle in a rush to get out of the plane  Why did the airline allow this?  Organized departure by row would have given us all safety and social distancing

Denver International Airport-  Arrived at about 10:00 local time.  Again the airport was a ghost town.  So different the the hustle and bustle I was used to in this airport for the last 30 years or so.  Does anyone remember the old Stapleton International airport that preceded the Denver International Airport?

Stay tuned for my blogs on Days 2-6.