Generally speaking, I prefer manuals over automatics, but... That was before. (My life is broken up into before and after, and the event dividing the two is my disability...) Now that I'm dealing with the after, I'm pleased to be alive, even though I did pass temporarily and visited the other side and was getting all my questions about the nature of reality answered, I came back with only snippets of what I was told and learned, so that was disappointing. But... While had you asked me in the moment if I wanted to come back I may have said no, I'm glad I did because my wife was not ready for me to go, despite the increased workload my disability has put on her, she would rather deal with that than with my death. If I was given a choice, as many NDE experiencers are, I do not remember it. At any rate, I'm getting myself a little off track, as I do a lot, my point is while I would hypothetically prefer a manual, I may not have the physical capability of using one anymore. I do not know that, as I'm not completely paralyzed, but I am close. Who knows?
Out riding my recumbent bicycle around the four Mile rectangle where I live on. Probably only ride it once tonight but there have been nights in the past I've rode four times and stopped by the house every time I pass around and get me another cold drink... This video clip because I think it's funny. Anytime someone wants a ridiculous amount of money on Facebook for a used motorcycle I asked them if they have taken it off of any sweet jumps ...
My near death experience occurred in my early twenties and was triggered by the use of psychedelic mushrooms. I was not actively under the influence at the time of my NDE but I was in an emotional place in the state of mind and had been using psilocybin a lot lately. I don't remember being given a choice either but I do remember being slammed back into my body like when you wake up and you feel like you hit the ground. I would like to think at least once and everyone's lifetime they have some similar sort of event but I think all of our circumstances are very different
Some say dreams are little mini-NDEs, and when you really think about it, dreams are a little... illogical. Why would we have such experiences in our sleep in the first place?? And if you've ever had a dream when you realize you are dreaming, often called a 'lucid dream', those can be pretty powerful experiences, because you can direct what happens... Want to be naked in a hot tub with the entire Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders? Just think about it, and... POOF... There you are. Many say that is close to what the other side is like to live in between lives, though I've gotten so tired of this place this time around, I'm not sure I am inclined to come back here, if I have any choice in the matter, which I believe we do.
I'm more than halfway done through the second time around the irregularly shaped rectangle that is 4 miles according to my vans odometer. I'm shooting for three revolutions tonight which is 12 miles. I'm only in my early 40s so I don't need to be this fat. I'm 6'1 and 235 lb. Need to get back down to 185 190 or so... Takes me about 35 minutes to get around it.... There are roughly 600 acres within it.... As I ride around, I like to pretend that I'm the landlord and I own it all. Lol ... Just checking on my interest. And yes I'm riding a bicycle.... Not a motorcycle. The blue dot is where I was moments ago. Ain't technology great? The Sandy Orange Grove up near 11:00 p.m. is where I broke my ankle.
Came home this morning and got about 3 hours of sleep after work and back to Northport to ride the dirt bike today. I also have tomorrow off but I understand there could be a hurricane. It's supposed to hit at least a hundred miles north of here but I've heard that before. There is not a whole lot I can do except basic preparations and stockpiling a bit of food and non-perishables and water. So what does Florida man do the day before the hurricane? Let's go drink some beer and ride a dirt bike and say the hell with it! I was hoping today would be good riding weather but I've gotten rained out and I don't really mind the rain but when lightning starts popping I'm done. So only a little riding and only a couple of pictures today. Interstate 75 overpass. If you're out here riding it is the only shelter from the weather. Got the bike loaded up ready to leave. Time to hit five guys burgers and fries on the way home. They are expensive but damn are they good ! If you get a burger and large fries and a milkshake it's going to be close to 25 bucks Not a everyday thing but once or twice a month anyway. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we could die in a hurricane. If it comes here I will be at work keeping an eye on the store and my girlfriend's sister lives in public housing which are nice Stout concrete block houses and I think she will go there if need be. We live in a mobile home so that's not where we're trying to stay during a hurricane. Nevertheless.... Hurricane Ian last year was a category 5 hurricane and we had category 5 wins for about 5 hours with gust of probably over 150 mph. I had all my camping gear packed in the van because I was expecting to basically be homeless. I did not have time or resources to cover any of our multiple and numerous windows for a mobile home.... And miraculously we did not lose a single window. We lost the skirting off of the bottom of the trailer and a few shingles. So category 3 is barely enough for me to buy an extra case of beer. PppFffff.... I fart in it's general direction. We have freak summer thunderstorms that are stronger
Speaking of Florida man stuff... In 2004 during hurricane Charley, I left a good solid brick House to go hang out with my friends in a mobile home. We all tripped on mushrooms and tried to fly a kite out in the middle of the street during the middle of the hurricane. Fortunately for us at the time.... Charlie hit 100 mi South of Tampa and incidentally hit where I live now. I might be crazy but I'm not stupid even though I was kind of stupid during Charlie I'm not going to leave a solid brick structure to go hang out in a mobile home.
Post about 40 hours ago.... "So what does Florida man do the day before the hurricane? Let's go drink some beer and ride a dirt bike and say the hell with it!" Well, about 15 hours ago I come around the corner in my van and saw a guy playing golf and I thought to myself..... Well played sir... Well played
If I had my druthers... I would just ride my dirt bike in new and interesting places out in the middle of nowhere forever. Dreams are a very unusual and illogical occurrence. Where are we while we are dreaming? Of course physically we are laying in our bed.... But where is that place mentally? That place where the dreamer roams freely... Could it be the physical life is more of a dream than a dream is? You have probably heard the one, the philosophical conundrum of.... " I had a dream I was a butterfly.... " If only I had never ending magic beer and ice on that dirt bike ride..
Okay back out here at Northport on these subdivision roads where they built them all with grand dreams of a large subdivision that never was. Here is where I'm parked at and many of the typical blacktop roads look like this. Got me a few hours of sleep and I'm ready to go explore. We'll update with pictures perhaps when I take a break or when I get done riding today. Forecast calls for mostly sunny skies so maybe I won't get drenched today
The last time I was in this particular area it was all dry sugar Sand so I know how deep it is and I also know that I'm not going in it. But if you had a four wheeler or a side-by-side or a pickup truck with some big tires and wanted to go mudding.... Yeehaw, get er done !!! I have seen some properties out here for sale so I should get the phone number and see what an acre cost around here. There's tons of back roads and every once in a while I go down one and find somebody parked or someone camping so I turn around and leave them alone.
I have now entered the orange hammock wildlife Management area in Sarasota county. There is an electric gate saying for public Access during legal hours press the button. So I figured what the hell and I pressed the button.... Voila the gate opened! Evidently legal hours are one and a half hours before sunrise to one and a half hours after sunset. This place is probably a good 8,000 acres or better. Pulled off on this little side road for a break. The gravel road from the entrance says three and a half miles. Which probably ends at a parking lot and a you are here sign and perhaps a porta-potty and a bench. Wildlife Management areas are typically pretty sparse. I believe there is hunting allowed here during the fall season. I like to go to Google maps and see how long it takes for the blue dot to appear where I am. Lol.... Kind of off the beaten path here. MCcall ranch Road evidently..... I should have bought my gun with me just in case one needs it because you never know what you will run into out here. But of course I can only have certain muzzleloaders and a lot of dumb cops don't understand that and I don't want to be pulled over and found with one even if I can legally have it. Even if they did understand the law they would probably still take it and haul me in. Because most of them would still take my ass to jail and I could explain it to the judge. A lot of little interesting side roads out here but most of them are marked no trespassing so I just stay off of them. There's enough of the legal gravel ranch Road that I have never seen to entertain myself with to worry about possibly getting in trouble. Even though I highly doubt there is another sole around for miles. Definitely the sort of place you do not want to get hurt alone. And one would be a damn fool to not have a cell phone. I can't even get calls out of here to my home 30 miles away. But this is what you buy an adventure bike for, no? It's funny I can still post on the forum just fine but I can't make calls. One would certainly hope at least a 911 call could go through out here. And this one that is me certainly hopes I don't need to find out
Now.... To find that little pet pygmy rattlesnake I've been wanting to find.... They're so cute, I just want to boop them on their little snoot !!! Yes I do !!! If I find an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake I will pass on that unless it is a juvenile. About 30 in would be my limit. Imagine getting pulled over and being asked if I have any weapons....." No officer I don't, but there is a live rattlesnake in a container in my saddlebag ". You think he would want to search it? Lol I'll just tell him it's my emotional support animal.... I get lonely and afraid out here in the woods by myself and I require some emotional support. Don't judge me because we are all different and different strokes for different folks... Anyhow enough sitting on my ass.... Time to get back on the bike and see about that porta potty at the end of the road.
Okay so I was mostly right.... There is a gate you must manually open that says please keep the gate closed and no off-road vehicles past this point. Yes I have a dirt bike but it is licensed as a on-road vehicle and I stopped in the parking area and I'm not going to go on any trails any further. So they can't give me a hard time about that even if "they" were here to do anything. But they do know that you are here because I passed several cameras on my way in. Sorry I was almost correct about what I would find at the end of the trail.... There is a sign saying that you are here and what hunters should do when they make a kill and that morons should not be picking the palmetto berries because they can sell them for about a dollar a pound to make prostate supplements or something... The Asians buy them and trespassing on private land to pick them is sometimes a big issue. So we have a manual gate and a bench and a you are here sign but instead of a porta-potty there is a shed. A beautiful place and you know you are very much alone here. Of course never assume that but I passed no one on the way in. Hunting season doesn't start until later on this month so I'm not too concerned about stray bullets and whatnot.... Plus if anyone was here they would assuredly be a vehicle in the parking area. It's a pretty damn long walk without one. I was able to comfortably and confidently keep a speed of roughly 25 miles an hour on this gravel Road. I could go 40 easy enough but I'm not in a big hurry and I'm alone
That sugar Sand is a moe fukka. Mostly today I've been riding these blacktop roads and some tame gravel but I decided to take on some off-road trails and fortunately where I laid the bike down at very low speed.... Was banked and I was able to easily pick myself in the bike up and did not stall it out. The bike has a tip sensor. If you activate the tip sensor it doesn't want to turn back on for about 10 minutes. But all is well that ends well and I was uninjured but guess what ankle the bike decided to fall on again? The same one that I broke March the 20th that has two titanium screws in it. I have some decent work boots on but damn it I need to get some real off-road riding boots. I'm not done riding yet but I am sticking to asphalt. I saw about a 200 lb wild hog crossing the road. Now you see if I would have had my gun with me..... Coulda of loaded his ass up in the back of the van too ! I still haven't seen any rattlesnakes but I've got some riding yet to do
So this probably 20-year-old kid on a four wheeler asked me if he could ride my bike... I asked him if he knew how long it took me to save up $6,800 to buy it? And how long would it take you to f*** that up? It doesn't cost anything to ask but it sure as hell doesn't cost anything to say no either. Lol Okay I got to get out of here. It's almost full dark and I stopped out in the middle of nowhere to take a break in the mosquitoes are about to carry my ass away. Time to take my fat ass back to the van and load my bike and go to five guys burgers and fries and get my ass back home. My adventure for the day is officially over. * Note to self. ... Don't come out here in the boondocks after dark with a tank top and shorts on and no mosquito spray.... You know better than this you were raised and born in Florida.
Not one damn rattlesnake did I see the entire time. Me and my girlfriend are going back out here tomorrow and my minivan just to see some place to go and some place to ride. Maybe we will go to Boca grande and swim in the Gulf?
So on my way out the gate said that it would open automatically. Well when you ride a motorcycle very few things operate automatically.... So I had to jump the gate and press the button that was automatic that I came in with m.
That looks like fun but it doesn't look like as much fun as a dirt bike. I would like to get myself one of these powered paragliders one day so I can kill myself in style!
If they tell me one day that I'm going to die of liver cancer or something like that..... I'm going to ride out in the middle of nowhere with a shotgun and never be found again. If I ever do that, I don't intend for anyone to find me... At least not for several weeks But I am still doing well and I hope that that day will be at least 20 years from now
