Skip to main content

To Laconia and Canada Too


 He began, "So, I got this deal..." 

Me, "Yeah?"
Norman,  "I went up on 23, and saw her. "
Me, "Where did you go?"
Norman, "Sport Spot on 23 South.  And there she was."
Me, "Uh oh."😊
Norman,  "I'm graduating to a BMW.  She was sitting there. 1986, an R80RT. A touring sportster... "
Me, "What about the Yamaha, Norm?"
Norman, "I'll get a buyer before I have to pick up the R80RT."

It was 1987, we'd just had a semi long motorcycle ride up North together for a week. New England that'd be.  Norman was all enthralled about the open road. Married just over three years at the time, and he rediscovered a new love.  Me wary, yet curious.  'Maybe she'll ride easier.  Less bumpy on certain roadways of upstate New York'.

Norman even had me considering getting a motorcycle license.  I'd driven nearly every style, engine from small military jeep to tractor trailers... Yet, I hadn't touched base on being a motorcyclist. I held off enjoying Norman driving, having me ride on the back of his motorcycle.

Before I knew it he arrived home now the new owner of a BMW R80RT. Just two years before he swore off ever owning anything BMW. It was our joke, "NO MBA, NO CONDO, AND NO BMW". It was actually a black shirt with white lettering he wore proudly in 1985. Meaning, we weren't going to be one of those privileged Yuppies.

So, after his father passed, that is when months later Norman purchased the 1986 BMW R80RT off the lot in late 1987. I think he began to realize what I knew too early in life... 'I could be dead tomorrow... What I know now, could all be erased...' It was time to do, and not wait. 

Later in life, thirty years into our marriage he said one day, "Jody, you and Dan Sheridan are so much alike." I inquired, "Yeah? How?" Norman replied, "You go for it . You take everything and throw it on the wall. And whatever sticks, you go with it." I thought for a second, "Huh. Well, you can't just sit around.  You gotta' move. Be productive.  Don't hesitate on everything,  cause it could be gone... the moment then is lost."

At times, I knew I truly perplexed him. It wasn't my intention. June 1989 we were Laconia, New Hampshire. Norman had ridden he and I up for a week's vacation.  One thing we hadn't realized, yet Norman had wanted to experience it. Was it was Motorcycle week we arrived on.

Thousands of motorcyclists from all over, gangs and well everyone. Including the French-Canadian wild women... skinny as they may appear,  could drink any 350 pound man under the table, pouring down bottles, not shots of Stoly. Vodka that is every night.   I marveled at their potential liver functioning at high capacity. For vodka was something I wouldn't touch.

That was one of our last long road trips with me on the back of the motorcycle.  I decided I loved my health, we wanted children,  as well we became busy in the middle of our being busy changing careers and dealing with a tragedy all at the same time.  However, he rode alone, happy, as I prayed.  As much as I began to not feel safe about him being on a motorcycle, I dare not hold him back because, it was who he was... And we had ridden to Canada too.😊 --- Jody-Lynn Reicher

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2023 Holiday Letter from the Reicher's

Well, I didn't think I'd be doing a Holiday Letter this year, but here goes... The Spirit of Norm is in the air. As the wind whips with minus a true snowstorm.  In hopes the Farmers Almanac was correct, I pray to the snow gods. Rain ensued the month of December thus far. We have nearly tripled the amount of rainfall usual for December in New Jersey. And I've witnessed its treachery. Storms such as these hit us hardest in July. Then remained fairly intense through til about early October.  Our daughters are doing well, Thank God.  Their Dad would be proud of them. Our oldest Sarah, now a Junior at UCLA pursuing her degree in Chemical Engineering. She's digging the whole California scene. Which I thought it was for her. She's had some good traveling on her off times from school. For her March 2023 week off, she drove her and a few friends out to Lake Tahoe and went downhill skiing for a first in nearly 5 years. She had to rent the ski equipment.  Funny enough when ...
3 comments
Read more

"It’s the Hardest Thing..."

My friend since 1996, neighbor and pet care person texted back, "It's the hardest thing...". She texted back the morning just hours prior to my decision to have our last pet euthanized. It's not something I'd ever done. Although I've been told I have a killer instinct. Which I've discovered over the past 20 years that would be true. A promoter said that to my fight coach after my first cage fight. The promoter saw the charged smile on my face after I'd just lost to a decision. I am disciplined, so thank God for that. My feeling is we all have that, but not the amount I've discovered I have, and most certainly most do not have the obsessive level of discipline I have had or have. Fast forward to yesterday afternoon holding our bunny for quite sometime before her sedation in a veterinary treatment room.  About 20 minutes later the vet and vet tech arrived finding a spot to inject a sedative into our pet bunny. They said it would take ten minutes, th...
1 comment
Read more

June 12th 2025

  Finally getting our oldest on the phone. "Mom! Chill! A man faceplanted on the ground. Blood was everywhere. It was so bloody Mom. We helped him."  She continues her hyper mode annoyed I called/texted 6x in one hour when no response was received from them. You know that parenting Mom thingy.  Oldest: "Didn't she tell you? We're doing pictures near sunset." She remarked, annoyed. Me/Mom: "Oh. Wow. Okay. And Thank you for being kind."  That's what I was reduced to. Hours later... Youngest explains now in my hotel room. Me/Mom: "So, what happened?" Youngest: "Mom, I thought he was like praying. He was laying facedown." Me/Mom: "Oh. Did it just happen?" Youngest: "People were passing by. But we didn't see the faceplant. As I approached, I realized he wasn't praying... you know like some religions do at certain times." Me thinking... I guess that ten years in the morning of teaching the kids religi...
Post a Comment
Read more