Well, it has been two years since I last posted in my blog. Much has changed since then.
The trucking job at Hyndman went well and lasted till March of last year, when I handed in the keys and left the industry entirely to start work at my dream job. But more on that in a minute. The trucking lifestyle had its ups and downs (mostly downs) and it's unlikely I'll ever pilot a semi-trailer rig again, but I've kept my licence just in case. I did get to see much of central and southwest USA, plus most of Ontario and a bit of Quebec, and I have many photos and memories to last a lifetime now. But those two years in a truck took a toll on my health and accelerated a major problem; back in February of last year I was diagnosed with diabetes and had to make some drastic changes in order to stave off the effects of the disease. I've lost some weight and have altered my eating habits since then, with the result of cholesterol levels being half that of what they were a year ago and blood sugars dropping to a more sane level. However, the disease is here to stay and despite my efforts I've probably only bought myself a few more years of living. Not trying to be melodramatic, but I’ve known two people who are no longer alive because of diabetes and both of them had less than 5 years from diagnosis to deceased.
Anyway. I’m still married to the same vivacious, lovely blonde and we still spend much of our free time motoring about the countryside on our Harleys, so it’s not all doom and gloom. I also have a new canine companion; while nothing could ever replace Hector The Wonder Dog, this one is a gem in his own right. His name is “Sir George of Grey County”, he’s a three-legged English Bulldog that I got from the Bulldog Rescue located a few minutes from where I work…
He’s still a pup, only 17mo old at this point, and although I’ve only had him since January he has fast become a major part of my life. His story is that when he was 3mo old, he apparently fell off a bed and broke his left rear leg. His owners immediately surrendered him to the local pound, apparently unable to afford the surgery. They operated twice, but the break wouldn’t heal and on the third try they decided to amputate it halfway up the upper leg. He was then given to the rescue, where he spent nine months waiting for a new forever home because nobody wanted a three-legged dog. Until I met him, that is. I took one look at him and somehow just knew that this 50lb of goofy in a 60lb bag puppy was a keeper…
He’s adapted quite well to his new home and has already blossomed into a couch potato like me…
And he is a very good passenger in the sidecar, having quickly assumed the title of Loyal Sidecar Ballast and picking up from where Hector left off…
He also has another title of “oVc Shop Dog”, where he spends all his days with me at the motorcycle shop where I work…
Yes, my dream job is working at a motorcycle shop. After years of riding and wrenching, I’m finally getting paid to do what I love to do the most – play with bikes! oVc, aka
Old Vintage Cranks, is the dealership where I first started my Ural adventure back in ’05. Ken, the owner, has been a friend ever since he handed over the keys to my then new Ural Tourist and when he told me last year that he was looking for reliable help to manage the shop with him, it didn’t take long for me to jump at the opportunity. I now spend my days selling and servicing Ural, Royal Enfeld, SYM and KYMCO motorcycles and scooters, as well as installing Texas Sidecars, Cozy Sidecars and Champion Sidecars on a wide variety of bikes. Including my beloved Road Glide, which has been repainted and renamed as the Blackbird Stealth Bomber…
So if you’re ever in Ontario and find yourself heading northeast out of Toronto, stop in at the shop in Hillsburgh and say hi!
Mike 
