I think it goes without saying that we are living in a new world. Even my Father who is 86 years old has never been told to stay at home and self-quarantine. As much as I understand the ramifications of not heeding this warning I still have trouble being cooped-up.

My wife and I have never (in almost 14-years of marriage) seen this much of each other-all day-every day. Don’t get me wrong, we love each other, get along great, and generally respect each other. We’re only human and I know that when I tell her I’m going out for a while it’s a welcome gesture.

March has been more like winter here in Bend than it was in February, so getting outside has been hit-or-miss. This may or may not be a blessing as it relates to keeping people inside? We’ll have to wait and see if couples start strangling each other.

Thank God for motorcycles and bicycles. Jenn and I have managed to escape the REAL-WORLD and keep our sanity by riding out into the desert a couple times this month. We met up with friends to camp, fish, hike, and bike just three days before they slammed the doors shut on all of our state parks.

Yesterday I met up with a friend and rode about 35-miles of singletrack on the KTM-300 TPI. The dirt was perfect and I even liked that there was a bit of snow and ice left in the shadows, it makes things interesting. I packed some special cargo for the turn at the top of our loop. Velvet Underpants from Crux Fermentation Project, Google is your friend.

People have gone bat-shit crazy buying up everyday goods needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. TOILET PAPER…WTF! We usually go to our little local market and buy enough food for the coming week, usually fresh food and there has been plenty of that-go figure?

I recently got a little pissed off at a friend I’ve known since childhood who is a registered nurse. She was posting notes all over social media early on about how bad this pandemic was going to be. Was she wrong? Not in the least, in fact, pretty much everything she said was going to happen, has! My issue with her messages wasn’t whether she was right or wrong, it was that the messages were going to help cause a huge panic – which they have. Hers and every other doomsday messenger has caused a shortage of several items needed for everyday life.

This pandemic has come, will peak, and pass but not before it wipes out those who are most susceptible to its perils. It won’t do any good to panic, hoard food and be selfish. We all just need to calm down and help do our part to stay healthy and safe while limiting the purchase of certain items we THINK we need to survive for a couple weeks.

I have been getting some good advice from a self-taught professional on how to build a healthy immune system. In fact, when it comes to being proactive in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise, this guy has helped me more than any M.D. I’ve ever seen. This doesn’t include being stitched up or having broken bones set. THAT I DO NEED A REAL DOCTOR FOR!

Yes, we are living in a new world and as compassionate individuals, we are here to help each other as much as we can. Self-preservation is a natural instinct and as a motorcyclist, I get it but damn do we have to be so selfish with the TP? COME-ON-MAN!