It's A WAR ZONE HERE!

AS I'VE SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IF A BLOG POST I HAVE WRITTEN AND SHARED EVER CHANGES, IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM FROM ITS ORIGINAL CONTENT, I WILL NOTIFY YOU IMMEDIATELY AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE CHANGE IS:  As this announcement is written in bright red, so will the change to the piece.  In this case, you will find the change at the very bottom of this post.  I ask that you please share this and if you can possibly help to please do.



As many of you know, I believe that I was put on earth to help people and to bring smiles to their faces.  Unless I am out of my mind pissed off, disgusted with the way things are with the world these days or sharing a video of another psychopath cop violating someones most simple of human rights, I try to keep things on this blog positive.  There are times though that topics that I must touch on fall between the cracks of shedding light on something or trying to make you laugh and these are the posts that I find to be the most difficult to write.  This my friends, sadly, is one of those posts that falls in to the deepest part of the abyss between these topics. 

I was on the phone today and I could hear the call waiting beeping and beeping but I could not see who was calling, it just wasn't coming up on the screen.  If I can't see who is calling, there is no way on earth that I am going to answer the phone!  I'm pretty sure this goes back to the time in our lives when we were losing everything and the bill collectors called at all hours of the day and night!  For two years each and every single time the door bell rang or the phone rang and it came up with "unknown caller" or an "800" number I would want to duck and cover.  Those days are gone, but they are not forgotten.  I was on the phone with a pretty important call and I was sitting on the patio when the back door opened and Diane came walking out with a panicked look on her face.  "Adam is on the phone and he sounds really upset, I think something is very wrong" Diane said.  So we switched phones and for my friend Adam to be this upset, I already knew what the call was going to be, what I didn't know was who was this call going to be about?  My gut and my fear were correct!  I've known Adam now for quite a few years and I've never heard him so shaken.  His voice was like I've never heard it and I was able to make out all the words he spoke but the name of the person that we lost.  I said that I was sorry to make him repeat it, but I couldn't understand what he said and when he repeated it, my heart sank.  Our friend Randy Pants was killed on his bike, not far from where I live.

Now I'm not sure of the details as I've already heard conflicting reports which are just so typical when something like this happens and I'm not even sure what bike he was on, but of his rides, seeing him roll up on this bike always brought a big smile to my face.

To say that Randy Pants had an attitude would be an understatement!  I loved this guy!  He always had a way to bring a smile to your face.  Over this last year, I've not gotten to see him as much as I use to, but that doesn't mean that I didn't often think of him.  Every now and again I'd be looking for a specific pic on the computer and come across some old shots of him and in each and every shot there was one of two things, either a big ass smile or him giving the finger!  If you can't read what the tank says in the pic above, take a look at the pic below.   I think this sort of put his whole attitude in one single statement out there for the whole world to see.

The day these photos were taken we were at a benefit for another friend who had been killed on his bike.  Riding here in AZ truly is  A WAR ZONE and unfortunately, you just never know how things are going to end up when you fire up that bike and simply go for a ride.  His big ass smile brought a light to an otherwise dark day.  I'll never forget laughing that he had just paid to have his bike washed to benefit the family that day, yet the bike had NO PAINT to mention and looked better dirty as hell, but he did it because it raised money for the children left behind and I hope that those of you who are reading this will help when the time comes for us to do the very same thing for his family!  I think one of his kids is just now a toddler and this child will never get to know his dad at all and that breaks my fucking heart!

Like I said, he either had a big ass smile or he was giving the finger.  What seems like an eternity now, we had a mutual friend that I had a falling out with and that mutual friend was one of his dearest friends.  Rather than say "hey fuck you Jack" I'm choosing sides, it was never mentioned, he never chose a side, he just stayed a friend to each of us and I have mad respect for him for that!  He never let what happened between two mutual friends affect his relationship with either one of us! 

It's when a tragedy like this transpires, that you look back and regret not going out more or making it to more events that your friends are attending.  It never enters your mind that you just may never see some of these people again until the stark realization that it is too late and you will never see that smile or stand side by side flipping the bird to the camera or to the passing police cars!  Once again, my heart bleeds, my heart aches and I am left confused and wondering why the best people are taken from us while the scum of the earth float along leaving nothing but damage, pain and bad karma in their wakes.  Perhaps we will never know the answer to this question and if history is any indicator, it doesn't seem like this will be something that will ever change.

 Randy Pants, you will always have a positive place in my heart, in my memory and to those who have been left behind by yet another tragic loss, know that this man left a positive mark on this world and all those he encountered while just living in it!

Between my brother Adam who called me with this horrific news and Randy Pants, they are each equally half responsible for one of the most memorable moments I've ever experienced at a bike run.  When you listen to fools, the MOB RULES and that is just what they did that night when after non stop peer pressure we made them box it out for a gas tank that they both equally wanted and at the very same time, equally wanted the other to have.  There was no one that night that did not laugh until they damn near cried!  It was the first time I ever got to "call" a live boxing match and even now as I sit here writing this, in my profound sadness, I can't get the smile off of my face!  The fact that neither one of the two really even wanted to hit the other, the fact that Randy, being the MUCH smaller of the two, still climbed in to the proverbial ring for our enjoyment and fought like THE MAN THAT HE WAS was a testament to the kind of guy he is, oh hell, to both of them!  I'll never forget that night as long as I live and Brother Randy Pants, I will never forget you as long as I live!  I know that the video of that night is floating around on you tube somewhere and if I can find it, I'll share it because I know that you will all enjoy it as much as we did that night we witnessed it!

Brother, friend, husband, father, veteran and BIKER!  Long may you run man, long may you run!  For those of you reading this, love with all you've got, be decent to every one around you and live each and every single day to the very best of your ability because you never know if it will be your very last!  For those of you in the cages driving out there, hang up the fucking phone, pay attention to your surroundings and STOP KILLING US, I beg you!

It has also been asked if it would be okay for people to meet up at my place here in Mesa so that we made ride in together.  I would be honored to welcome those who want to do this in to our home.  We are meeting at 1pm here at my house.  If you don't know where that is, message me here, by phone or on facebook or email and I will gladly give you an address or directions.  I think we should pull out no later than 1:20 so that we can ride and make an arrival at a respectable time.  Again, thank you!

Randy Pants, Randy Batty's services will be held this Sunday at 2pm at Bunker Family Funeral Home @ 3529 E University in Mesa. Jack, Randys dad has invited everyone back to his house after the service. Feel free to call me with any questions or if you need a ride. (480) 862-4014

Until we see each other on the road again;

Keep the wind in your face,
Tits in your back
and The Man off your ASS!

Your friend,
Jack Shit