My number is up...

[Zekester]

Originally Posted by Jack90210

Wow. Found myself thinking of you yesterday, Dale, wondering how you were. Hoping that you are doing well.

Me too. Happy Belated B-Day!

[East Coast Rider]

Originally Posted by DaleB

well, shit.

here i am, comin' up on 3 years later, just as cripple as the day is long!

i am doin' O-TAY! Thanks for asking and wishing us well!

The boys are growing, too fast. Little Ben was just a bun in the oven when i was injured, and he's just past 2 years old! what a little tyrant he is!

amy and i are home schooling the boys (Elijah is 6y/o now), and continuing the home renovations started by the deck ya'll helped make happen. we figured we needed to do something or we'd be living on that deck - the best built part of this 70 year old joint! we've got a standing seam metal roof done, cedar shake going up on the sides (we're just a few blocks of the point where the Ches. Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean - lots of salt in the air!). we've got water reclaimation (sp?) gutters going up which feed a 1,500gal cistern which in turn feeds the toilets and hose bibs outside. Have ~2500k/w per month worth of PV panels slated to go up on the south side here in a bit. very cool stuff!

i'm not riding anymore, nope, amy won that battle.

on the bright side, i'm home full time with not much to do other than nurture my relationship with my wife and boys!

still playin' b-ball with the VA Sunwheelers, what a great bunch of guys. I'm putting together an archery team and an trap/skeet shooting team to compete in the PVA games next year. that should be a riot! i can't wait.

other than that, not much new. OH YEAH! i got a new wheelchair! The best one i could find on the planet. the frame is magnesium, and the hardware is all titanium. i had it done up black and grey, like my GS. very nice powder coat, custom color. single sided forks for the front casters, very cool and built just for me ;) the cloth is carbon laminate racing sailboat sail cloth - very strong and light weight. carbon fiber mud guards, and piston disc brakes. very trick stuff.

it is all hand made by a guy in his shop up in Alaska, Lasher Sport. He makes them one at at time - took 5 months to get. what a freakin' wait. he measured my little butt personally, so it fits like a well worn glove.

the whole outfit, cushion and all, weighs 17lbs which is~ 10lbs lighter than anything else out there, with as many gadgets on it as this thing has.

if you've gotta roll, it may as well be in style. here are some pics:






not much other than that...homechool, lovin' the family, still cripple (though my right and left legs are working much better, can stand for short periods! and my nether regions have started working again! suuuwweeeet!)

Seriously - thank you for stopping by and saying HEY!

and coach - HOLY CRAP DUDE! you are the stuff of my DREAMS! no WAY amy will ever let me near a rig like that, but i can stand on my knees, so there's hope for me yet! i've been workin' it as best i can! thanks for all the info and encouragement)

CHEERS ALL!

Love,
Dale B.

peace on earth and good will toward men!

Heya Dale,

Talked to Daniel this past weekend, and have been thinking about you ever since. How ya doing? Hope all is well!!

[BobbySands]

hope you're doing well and happy you got your schwing back!

your story has been an inspiration.

[Milosh]

God bless you Dale.

[Piddlin Panzer]

Hi Dale. I just wanted to add my voice of support to the countless others. I'll say a prayer for you and your family. To be honest with you I'm not very knowledgable about this or similar injuries/conditions. But I read that you mentioned some improvement in your condition, I truely hope this continues.

With deepest respect.

Piddlin Panzer.

[tagesk]

Sir,
Even though I am sorry for you accident, I am happy that I found this thread. With all the misery
in the world it is necessary from time to time to see how people react and offer to assist "a stranger".
Every now and then I need to see that the good in people still exists and is doing well.
I hope you are doing well.

I guess there wasn't much I could have done from Over Here, but I would have liked to cheered on those
that rose up and assisted you.
If any of those who did rise up read this: I offer to serve you lunch in my garden as a small token of gratitude.
If you happen to be in the vicinity, PM me and I'll (very!) indirectly do my part by serving those who served.

[TaSK]

[Jack90210]

Great bump. Hey, Dale. Hope that you and the family are well.

[Rptyd]

Shalom Dale, may G-d keep you and yours in his mercy......

[O.C.F.RIDER]

Why are so many people on this site SO afraid to mention...........................GOD????


G-d


Dog


Just wonderin'.




Dale, hope you doing good!

Chris

[Rptyd]

Originally Posted by O.C.F.RIDER

Why are so many people on this site SO afraid to mention...........................GOD????


G-d


Dog


Just wonderin'.




Dale, hope you doing good!

Chris

Not sure about the others but I'm a Messianic Jew and that just happens to be the translation to English, it's a courtesy out of respect to G-d, as much as traditionally practiced by both Orthodox and Messianic.

[Coach]

Hi Dale,

You hanging in there? How about some smiles.... This is from yesterday.

Your SCI Buddy,
Coach

=========

My BMW Rally Bike went into a container yesterday-- it's headed for Germany. Who would have thought that life would let this happen...

Yesterday was my seven-year anniversary. On the night of November 7, 2003, I crashed hard during an indoor motocross race. Three vertebrae trashed, spinal cord messed-up, traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, punctured lung. etc. etc. I was unconscious and my wife was stunned. Hours of delusion. Days in the ICU. Weeks of surgeries. Months in the hospital. Years of rehab. Depression: they said I would never walk again. More depression: my wife left. Now, seven years to the night. Life is good.

Hope. The stuff that hospitals have a hard time giving. Hope. A future worth living. Hope. I'll make it.

The speech therapists helped me get my voice back. Hope.

The occupational therapists taught me new living skills. Hope.

The physical therapists didn't have much to work with. No Hope. Wait-- that's not fair. Their Hope was about adapting to my new body. I wanted more.

Now, seven years later, I have more. I'm back in the shop. It took hundreds of shop hours to get my 1150GS back into road shape and set-up with a sidecar. I can't hold it up at a stop sign anymore, so I adapted to my new body. Make it happen.

I'm back on the seat. Miles of Smiles is my new motto. Yes, I walk with a cane now and it's ugly. But it gets me to the gas pump. It didn't happen overnight. Be patient.

I'm back on the road. Next summer I'll be riding in Europe: Germany, England, Spain and beyond. Seven years ago this was out of the question. But Hope is not about the now; it's about the future. So put up with the now and see the possibility of change. That's Hope.

So what's the message, Dale? Same as always my friend, the future. Make it yours.

And for all the others, if you have some extra Hope to share, do it. It's like 110 octane for humans... And keep doing it-- sometimes it takes a lifetime to get over a bad crash.

Ride Well,
Ramey 'Coach' Stroud

[pythag]

just back on the board after a while bieng away.. condolances on your accident, but good luck on the rest, so good to see you enjoying bieng at home with your kids and family.. best wishes on the future..

and that chair rocks :-)

ps does it come with knobblies :-)

regards n slainte

Pythag

[ramon]

I never come to faceplant, but today I did and read your story. You are an inspiration to us all. I'd hate to give up riding, but if the "boys" are working again, I guess it's a good trade off

[Jack90210]

Originally Posted by Coach

So what's the message, Dale? Same as always my friend, the future. Make it yours.

And for all the others, if you have some extra Hope to share, do it. It's like 110 octane for humans... And keep doing it-- sometimes it takes a lifetime to get over a bad crash.

Good stuff, Coach.

Thinkin' about you here, Dale, as I often do. Hope that you and your wonderful family are well.

[jenx]

Hi Dale, family and friends

Warm greetings from South Africa. I'm getting on my beloved dr650 this morning for a quick ride - but wizened after browsing this thread. Your attitude is inspiring, Dale. Please send us an update on how you're doing.

Kind regards to you and your family

Craig