New Licensed and Number Limited Edition M & M Helmet

Purchase this one at http://www.agelessparlor.com

Take a look at our new M&M Kyle Busch Modular helmet. It is a beauty.

This helmet is a limited edition M & M Designed Kyle Busch Helmet. Each helmet is numbered with a letter of authenticity to each new owner.

I tried this helmet. It is comfortable to wear. My head stayed warm. The fit and the padding made my head feel secure. The clear shield provided good eye sight and protection. I caught a lot of eyes in this flashy helmet that is not only fun to wear, but a dream to own. Taken care of it will go up in value.

This extra fine quality helmet represents our factory design director, Tony Dilberto’s, dream of putting animation on production helmets. He started with a photograph of animated M&M’s and instead of drawing it as art or using computer aided design-programs, he had the animation separated into the same four-color process that prints books and magazines. Then the four-color separation is ink printed on thin, flexible water slide decals, put on the helmet and clear coated. This unique method of design is made to last and to be fade resistant.

The inside of the helmet is pure quality. Dot Approved. This helmet has:

A hobby is work you enjoy and usually do not get paid for. Work, on the other hand, is work you must do to keep bread on the table, and the wolf from the door. When your hobby becomes just work without the pay, get a new one or rethink the old one.

When Jerry and I first got married, we spent a lot of week-end time at his Grandparents place on the river, about two hours from home. He was determined to teach me to fish. There’s just something about worms and minnows wiggling around in your hand that deters my interest in fishing. I am a softie. I love to eat fish, but I do not want to catch them and kill them.

One week-end when we arrived, the nearest neighbors, Pat and Wayne were there. They were an older couple, and spent a lot of retired time on the lake. As we were unloading, Jerry started telling them about the fishing news he had heard at the minnow place. The crappies were reported moving into shallow water, and biting hard. I’ve never seen such enthusiasm. “Let’s Go Buddy,” I heard Wayne say. The two men begin to throw tackle boxes, rods, reels, flashlights, running lights, life preservers, nets, drinks, a few food supplies and two buckets of minnows in the boat. The motor on the boat was revved up and they were out on the water with hardly a wave. The last words I heard either of them say was Wayne’s “Wait to cook. We’ll bring in some fresh fish.”

Pat looked over at me after they left. “Come on Honey,” she said. “I’ll show you how to catch the real fish.” We walked down to her boat and hopped in. I looked around. I saw one cane pole. No rods, reels, or other tackle was in sight. Having never learned how to swim, I looked at the old ragged life preserver seat cushions with great concern. “Don’t you worry,” she laughed. “I’ll save you if I have to. I guarantee we will have fish for dinner and it will be fish we brought to the table.” Being a fishing newbie, I had no idea how that was going to happen without bait or tackle, but she had been fishing a lot more years than me. Pat cranked up the boat and off we went the opposite direction from Jerry and Wayne.

“Do you have a secret fishing hole,” I asked. Jerry had told me most fishermen, who knew the river, had favorite places they fished and rarely shared these secret places. Pat just laughed. The twilight was ending and darkness coming on.

In Alabama in the spring, days are warm, but the nights cool off quickly. On this late spring day, darkness was fast approaching. Crickets were chirping. Bats were flying around looking for food. The moon was coming up. I was just wondering how far we intended to go when the motor started puttering and the boat begin to slow down. I looked around to see where we were. Pat was pulling up to an old broken down dock.

“Grab that rope and toss it around the piling, she said. As soon as I got it tossed around, she took out the oar and began to paddle us to the edge of the dock. “We will get out here. The boat will be easy to see when we get back.” She said.

“Get Back,” I thought. Where in the world are we going? The dock gave me the willies. I was pretty sure Pat was going to have to make good on her word to save me, when I fell through the rotten boards. The house I could see in the distance did not look much better. Dogs begin to bark. I know a lot of you love dogs, but the truth of the matter is not only can I not swim, and am afraid of the dark, but dogs, especially big dogs, make me want to climb the nearest tree and wait for rescue. I admit it. I am a wimp! These were very big dogs racing toward us with their jaws open and teeth showing. I prayed.

Pat took all this in stride. She called them by name and they calmed down somewhat. My Dad, who tried his best to help me for year to get over my fear of dogs, drilled one home truth in to me. “If you show fear, the dogs will know it, and then become more nervous themselves. You want to put a brave front on and ignore them. Never run. Stand still until they get used to you” he used to say. I remembered his words. I looked at the dogs. Baloney, I thought I am running like the hounds of Satan are after me, and climbing the first tall tree I find. I was so preoccupied with the dogs I had failed to notice the man walking toward us. His shout at the dogs sent them all running back to the house.

In the failing light he looked like one of the moon shiners my Mother used to describe to me, when she was cautioning me who to stay away from as I entered my teen years. Being from the hills of Northern Alabama, where the counties are “dry” meaning they do not allow alcohol sales, moon shining was a way of life we all heard about. It flourished. The man coming toward me was dressed in a pair bib overalls. He had an old hat pulled down low on his face. He had a shot gun in his hand. As he got closer, I could see his overalls were torn, ragged and covered in what looked like dried blood and dirt. Murder immediately came to mind. Who I wondered had he killed, and are we to be next? I pulled on Pat’s shirt, which I hadn’t even realized I was holding on it. She kept walking to meet him. He opened his mouth and in the flashlight Pat shined on his face, I saw a perfect set of white teeth. Now surely, a man can’t be all bad if he cares enough to keep his teeth looking good.

“Hello Pat, what can I do for you two nice looking ladies,” he asked.

“John, I’m training Judy on how to put fish on the table after every fishing trip. We need a stringer of nice crappies if you have them, and I think a big catfish or bass would round us out,” Pat said. John started grinning and walking. We followed along behind. The path was strewed with buckets and old foam ice boxes. There were several boats sitting around in various conditions, none of which was good. The light from the house lit our way as we picked through the litter to walk. We finally reached a boat house. Outside the boat house were several tubs filled with fish. Water was circulating around in the tubs keeping them alive. John started reaching in the tubs and putting this fish and that fish on a stringer. In the last tub, he pulled out a cat fish I could hardly hold it was so big. “That ought to do it John. Just put it on my bill and I’ll catch up next time.” said Pat. John just smiled and walked us back to the boat.

I could hear him laughing and talking with Pat about retirement. Said he was never going to retire, not as long as there were fish in the river. Back in the boat, Pat stored the fish in the fish well. “Who is that man,” I asked.

“He’s a trot man. Every day he baits his trot lines and goes back later to check them. He’s got hundreds of lines running on the river. He ties a trot line from bank to bank or floats a line across creeks that feed into the river. He spaces hooks on the line and baits them. Then later, maybe even the next day he goes back and checks for his catch. Most of the time he sells his catch to the local restaurant, but he always keeps back a few to sell to people like me, who like to count on real fish for dinner,” Pat explained. “Trot fishing is his hobby and he also makes a little pocket change.” This hobby sounded like a lot of work to me.

To be honest, I never used Pat’s approach to putting fish on the table. I had confidence in Jerry’s skill to catch them. Fishing was his hobby for years, and he worked hard at it. Like he used to say, sometimes he got the fish and sometimes the fish got him.

A hobby is just work you enjoy. If motorcycling is your hobby, you already know it takes work. First you have the expense of the bike, insurance and license. Then you have the expense of equipment, Saddle bags, sissy bar bags, tools, clothing, and helmets. We can help you with your search for Motorcycle Helmets and clothing at our web store www.agelessparlor.com In the store we carry top quality leather jackets, vests and chaps for men women and children. Also you will find Dot Certified Helmets and novelty helmets. Our new DOT M&M Licensed Full Face or Motocross MX Helmet is a jewel to own. These helmets are limited editions and all are numbered.

If your motorcycling is just a hobby, get the maximum fun out of it. If your bike is sitting in the garage, basement, or driveway, more than it is being ridden because you do not have the time to ride, the bike is broke down and you do not have the money to get it fixed, the weather is bad every off day, you have other obligations that must come first, you do not have the equipment you need to ride, or etc. prepare ahead.

Living across the street from us is a couple who have been riding for years and years. In the summer we see the husband cutting the grass as soon as he gets home on Friday. His wife goes by the grocery on the way home and stocks up the kitchen for the next week. They do laundry on week nights when they get in from work. Saturday mornings they are out of there on the bikes. Most of the time, we do not see them again until Sunday afternoon. If you want free time to ride, you must make it available by getting organized with your other obligations.

Decide where your priorities lie. Getting your bike up and running correctly has to be the top priority of your biking hobby. Getting this priority in line with all the other projects you have that need and require money is a key joy to enjoying your hobby. Jerry and I save our coin change. We roll the change and deposit in our hobby savings account about every two weeks. Small amounts deposited regularly add up. Every day we empty our pockets in our change jar. We do not dig for change at checkouts. We fish out the next dollar. We keep the change and put it in the jar. We put left over allowance money in the jar. If I cut coupons and save money at the grocery store, I pay myself the savings in my change jar the amount I saved. If Jerry gets an invite out to lunch and doesn’t have to pay, he puts his usual lunch money in the jar. Sometimes we give up eating out all together and save the money we would have normally spent in our jar. Especially, if something special is coming up we know we will need money for. Do we have more money than you? No. We live and breathe on a budget. We get by on less so we can use this money for our hobby, whether it is for gas, repair or new equipment. We plan ahead for emergencies by having a savings going for them with our change. There are areas you spend money on where you too can save a little here and there. By the time warm weather arrives you bike will be fixed and on the road with the money you have stashed away.

Acquiring the equipment you need to ride is another priority. Saddlebags, Tool bags can wait. A helmet cannot. Buy it first. Your head’s protection is the most important part of your ride. Live to ride another day when you have a spill, wear a good quality Dot or Snell Helmet. Our Bell Sprint Helmets are Dot and Snell Approved. They are terrific!

www.agelessparlor.com for more of these fantastic helmets at great prices and free shipping.

Controlling the weather is out of my realm of ability. What I can do is when the weather is too poor to get out of the house is use the time to catch up on jobs that need doing, spend time on the phone with relatives who haven’t heard from me in a while, cook a few meals ahead and freeze them, call up the kids and invite them to dinner, spend some quality time with Jerry. I like to spend time scrolling on the net, talking to other bikers, seeing what is out there to buy or trade. Rainey days and short winter nights are great times for these activities. One thing I’m not going to do is bemoan the fact I am stuck in the house. Jerry’s boss use to say “fight the battles you can win and let the rest go”. I cannot win any battle and win with the weather. I can just get ready for another possible riding day. When it comes, I am the first one out of the door.

Take charge of your hobby. Make it fun. All hobbies are work, but it is work you enjoy…… Come visit us with your motorcycling needs. We want to do business with you. www.agelessparlor.com

Judy

Life happens. What you do when it happens can be the difference between success and failure.

Never seems to fail, when I‘m having a bad day, I have it all day long. Murphy’s law: “If it can go wrong, It will” works well at my house. More often than I would like to think about. A case in point was just a few weeks ago.

Our coffee maker kept overflowing. It was a known brand bought new at our local department store. When it first started overflowing, I packed it up in the box, carried it back in to the store and got a replacement. I thought I had just bought a defective one. I had no idea the whole darn batch of coffee makers were garbage. The second one was worse than the first. You would turn it on or program the timer, sit back and wait for that first cup only to find it never went in the carafe. Instead, it ran over, down the cabinets, onto the floor and all over the place. Not only did I have a mess to clean up, I had zero coffee. I was going to be late to work cleaning up the mess. My day was shot before I had even gotten out the door. I drove too fast, risking a ticket. My boss was upset I was late. I missed one of those endless staff meetings. At 10 o’clock I still had no coffee. The phone rang off the hook. No one was happy with anything, and my patience was running low. Murphy’s Law was working well that day.

My husband was convinced I was doing something wrong making the coffee, so he decided he would make the next pot. I guess he was doing something wrong also, because the darn thing made another mess. He said, “Okay tomorrow we want a refund.” The next morning he woke up to a cup of coffee by his bedside. “What happened,” he wanted know.

“I Fixed it.” I proudly proclaimed. He went in the kitchen to look. Sure enough there was no mess on the floor or on the cabinets. I had set the worthless contraption in the sink. The overflow went down the drain. At least we can say we each got one cup of coffee out of the thing. We bought another brand. If you would like to help us pay for this new more expensive piece of machinery, buy something from our great motorcycle shop. www.agelessparlor.com We’ve got a little something there for every motorcycle or Off Road rider.

Life happens all the time at our house. My daughter and I were sharing a car. She was driving to school one morning and I was riding with her so I could use the car. We were talking and in a hurry. We both got in the car, fastened our seatbelts. She started it up, threw it in reverse and backed right through the garage doors. The good news is the foundation of the house was still intact. At least that is what I told my husband when I called him. The bad news is the doors are a bust and the car is slightly damaged was the next message he got. He called the insurance company. I will have to give them praise here. They came through. For my home owner’s deductible, $500, I got new garage doors, my car repaired, a long lecture about safe driving and a rate increase. When you least suspect it, life will happen to you.

To minimize the damage an unexpected life happening can do while you are on your motorcycle try to think ahead and be as prepared as possible.

Keep your bike in good running condition. Do not ignore small or large repairs that need doing. My husband likes to say he’s cheap and he can be. He likes to spend just enough to get something fixed. I, on the other hand, want to spend enough so the problem does not reoccur. He will wait until the last minute to buy windshield wipers for the car. It drives me nuts. I buy wipers for my car whenever the rain starts smearing the windows instead of clearing them. I do not like limited vision. I check my tires on the bike and car regularly and get them replaced when the treads starts to wear. He waits until he starts having flats. I top off my gas whenever it gets below the halfway mark. He drives until the light comes on or the gauge is rocking on empty. Needless to say, I spend more than he does on the vehicles I drive. Has it made any difference? No. He gets by as well as I do and has more money in his pocket. Why do I continue this spending and anticipating things going wrong, when he has proved to me over and over his plan works just as well. His plan is: “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” I thought a lot about this and I think it is because I cannot fix it, so I want to prevent it from breaking down. He has mechanic skills and knowledge and can fix it. This confidence carries him through. If you are like me and not a walking talking book of knowledge on how to fix a broken down motorbike, then keep it in good shape. You will be safer on the road. Life won’t happen near as often.

Wear Protective Gear. You really don’t want a life happening without a Dot helmet on, Do you? One spill with a hard bang on the head and your brain stops working all together or will put you in a vegetable state. The only way I want to be in a vegetable State is when I’m traveling through the Mississippi Delta and I am reading the signs on the fields of what company these vegetables are being grown for, then I will know I am in a State known for it vegetables. At our new helmet site www.helmetsforfun.com you will find a great selection of helmets at prices you can afford. Protect your head.

Lighten Your load. Yesterday I saw an unusual site on a motorcycle, even for the south where there are thousands of bikes on the road at any given time and you just might see anything at any time. It was a pretty cool day for Southern living with a high of about 40 degrees. A rider had a child about 5 or 6 bundled up in a fur coat and a helmet riding behind him. The little girl was sound asleep and leaning way over the side of the bike. I hope the driver’s excuse was this is the only transportation he had, and he was taking her to the emergency room, because I can’t think of another reasonable excuse for the child being there and being hauled around like that. It also reminded me of top heavy driving.

Weight not properly secured becomes a top heavy hazard you cannot control, Use a good sissy bar bag or saddle bags to carry the things you are hauling around with you. The range of the bags today is outstanding. There are even travel bags with wheels. Secure them with the tie downs and locks. Make sure you cannot feel a weight shift when you start up. Everything is important to your safe ride. If something is loose it will shift or come off. You will either lose the luggage or the bike. Take a look at our motorcycle bags www.agelessparlor.com If you don’t see the one you are interested in, let us know. We will be glad to look for the size and design you want.

Laugh a Little. When your next life happening comes along, laugh a little at it. What else can you do? Need a new job, can’t find one, reinvent yourself and do something different. You may not make what you were making, but work is out there. Car or bike broke down and no money to fix it? Trade a few jobs with a good mechanic. They work long hours with little off time, and always looking for yard workers, house repair people, and babysitters. Kids need clothes and money is tight? Shop the thrift stores. The possibilities there are endless. Want entertainment but you are on a tight budget? Take in the local museum. Take the kids, wife or friend on a bus ride. See the city you live in. Go hiking. Go on a picnic in the park in the snow. Try trading videos with a friend. Bills got you down? Cut back to the bare bone. Make sacrifices. Ask the kids to make sacrifices. Have a yard sale. Try selling on eBay. Take one day at a time.

Life happens all the time to all of us. We can wallow in it or meet the challenge.

MOTORCYCLE MISTAKES

Whether you are 20 or 50 years old, if this is your first time to drive a motorcycle you are a young driver. Avoid making the mistakes all young drivers make with a little common sense and forethought. Arriving alive is your number one goal.

February of 2007, Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters released this statement:

“Motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled in 10 years and now account for over 4,500 highway deaths and 78,000 injuries each year. Even worse, the crash rate among motorcyclists in the 50-plus age group has increased by over 400 percent. We shouldn’t be letting any customer take a bike out of the store without a helmet as part of the package. Safety shouldn’t have to be an option when purchasing a motorcycle.”

Secretary Peters said only 58 percent of riders wear helmets today, which is down 13 percent from just four years ago. We encourage you to get equipped for your ride as the first safety rule to arrive alive.

We sell quality DOT motorcycle helmets, excellent naked cowhide and cowhide leather jackets, vests, and chaps. You can find them at www.agelessparlor.com on our website, where discounted products will help you get the equipment you need to protect yourself on the street at prices you can afford. We offer free shipping to further help you on all helmet purchases. We also have a few good suggestions on your quest to arrive alive.

Paying Attention to the Job:

When I first started driving my car, I was a young inexperienced driver, yet I had been practice driving for three or four years before I tried for my license. I thought I knew a lot about driving. After three wrecks the first year, I changed that opinion.

I will never forget the first wreck. I ran into the side of a garbage truck. Hey, how can you miss seeing a garbage truck? Unfortunately, I was making a turn onto my street, but looking sideways waving at my Dad who was sitting on his porch nearby. The only thing that saved me and my daughter was I was barely moving. Garbage truck was not hurt or the guys on the back of the truck. My car’s front end looked like a sardine. My 18 month old was thrown in the floor. (Of course this was before the car seats and seatbelts they have today.) We were uninjured but really shaken up.

The next wreck I had a few months later, I ran into the back of an Army truck. We were at a stop sign and I thought he moved. He was in front of me and instead of watching him, I was watching the traffic. He moved about 4 inches and stopped. Right about then I mashed down on the gas and slammed into him. The Highway patrol officer told me this was one of the most common errors drivers make, “not watching the car in front, instead anticipating the moves and watching the traffic.” My car took another hit. My Mother-In-Law and I were uninjured. My insurance company was not pleased.

The third wreck I had almost caused me to stop driving all together. I was convinced I was a danger to the road and to the people I love. I ran into the side of our house. You can’t miss a house, can you, unless you are stupid. Stupid is exactly how I felt. My husband, who was in the den watching TV when it happened, came running out. Needless to say the impact shook him up. He had a few words to say which I deserved, but the ones that have forever stuck in my mind is this: “You have to start paying more attention. This car does not run by itself, you run it.” You are running your motorcycle. Your life and the lives of others depend on you paying attention.

Rules of the Road

If you drive a motorcycle you have probably already mastered car driving and may have been driving for years. You know about safe driving. You know how wrecks happen and how quick they happen. You may think you are above the dangers since you know them. What you don’t know can get you killed. In fact, if you look at Secretary Peter’s statement above, the crash wrecks of people over 50 has increased 400% in the last ten years. Notably there are a lot more motorcycle drivers over 50 now. Not only is our population ageing, many older riders are just now embracing this sport. Empty nesters whose last child is finally grown, gone and on their own, divorced guys and gals looking for something new in their lives, early retirees seeking a bit of adventure after 30 years of being tied down to a job, all are out there on the road. These are all knowledgeable people, yet they are getting killed and injured every day. One thing a lot of these people have in common is they have spent years rushing around. Rushing to their job, rushing to get the job done, rushing home, rushing to take the kids here there and everywhere, rushing to participate in church, sports, clubs, family affairs, life. You cannot rush as a new motorcycle driver. It is time to slow down and enjoy your wisdom if your goal is to stay alive.

Motorcycle riding is unlike a car. There is no protective hull around you. It is man, machine and street. Buy a quality leather jacket and chaps set for your body. Protect your head with a DOT helmet. We sell only the best at discounted prices at www.agelessparlor.com. Use your own common sense. Driving below the minimum, in the slow lane, on the back roads, until you know how to handle your bike is a good place to start. When you feel confident you can venture out to the freeways. Suddenly speed becomes all important as you try to keep up with the traffic. This is the time when you need to be alert and using all your past years of driving experience. Foolish risks are just that, foolish. Reduce your speed.

Remember your driving rules and adhere to them. Stay behind a vehicle at least one car length for every ten miles an hour you are driving Drive below maximum speed. Be alert for road hazards, gravel, repaired holes, dips in the road, things off trucks, old tires and recaps, litter. Watch out for the other vehicle. Do not take risks.

Four teenagers were killed on I-20 close to our home last year. They were traveling in a convertible and one of them lost a hat, so they begin backing up on the freeway to retrieve it. They were run over by a semi. Young inexperienced drivers make mistakes. You can avoid them by practicing what you already know. There was never a more important time to refresh your knowledge of the rules of the road. Most of all drive sober.

One of the articles I read from the Insurance Society’s web page said 50% of these accidents are alcohol related. One of the things a few beers does is cloud your judgment. Suddenly you take chances. You increase your speed. You show off. You drive recklessly. You drive drowsy. You get killed or injured or you injured or kill others. Leave the drinking for when you are parked for the night. You can live another day by following just a few good common sense rules you already know. Practice them.

Protect your head. Visit us at our new helmet site www.helmetsforfun.com We have something for every new and old driver.

Responsible Motorcycling

If we all looked daily at statistics for fatal motorcycling, none of us would ride. It’s scary. For this article I went out to the National Transportation Department’s web site to find out what is going on in the motorcycle world of accidents. I was shocked. Fatalities are up. Brain injuries are up. Crashes are up. Drunk driving is up. Okay, I thought, more people are on the road now than ever before riding and driving motorcycles. Surely this accounts for these statistics.

The more I read and the more information I gathered, I came to realize a few things. No matter how many people are riding, if we all practiced safe riding at posted speeds, left all the tricks at home, paid attention to what we are doing, and left the beers off, we might make it back home alive today.

Here are a few tips for a safer ride:

Protect yourself. Wear a Dot or Snell helmet. See our website www.agelessparlor.com for some of the safest, well constructed helmets on the market today at a price you can afford. Wear Gloves. Wear a quality leather jacket and chaps set. You can find top of the line leather at www.agelessleather.com

Practice good safe driving habits. Drive the speed limit or under. Avoid weaving in and out of traffic. Don’t race to catch up with the group. No wheelies on the highway. Don’t Drink and drive. According t o the statistics 8 of every 10 motorcycle wrecks involve alcohol. A sign I remember from my teenage year’s sticks in my mind. Don’t drink and drive, drink milk and Stay alive. Now, I opt for coffee or soda when driving. I have plenty of time to drink with my friends of I want to, when I get where I am going.

Keep Your bike in Good Repair. Listen to your bike. The sound of the bike should be consistent. Any changes need to be checked out by a qualified mechanic. It could save your life. Check Tire Tread. Tire Tread should be checked regularly. One of the best ways to avoid a serious wipe-out, especially in the rain is to have good tread on your tires. Check your air pressure before you ride. Buy quality tires. Your life depends on them. Make sure your lights and turn signals are working before each ride. Get out of bad weather. Protect yourself and your bike from the rain sleet or snow as soon as you can safely. Rain, sleet, snow, icy slick roads, lightning strikes, high winds should be avoided whenever possible. Take a few minutes for a coffee break and get out of the weather. Don’t ride unless you have to in hazard conditions. Ride smart.

Be a courteous Driver. Just because you can get in small tight places, don’t. That little spot you see in front of the semi may just get you crushed under his wheel. Squeezing in between two lanes of traffic may just make you the next fatality. Standing on your bike to see what is over the horizon just may cause you to lose control and go down the embankment, distract other drivers who just have to watch to see if you are going to kill yourself, and end up killing you or them. Don’t try this unless you are riding in the circus arena and it’s your act.

Be a responsible driver and you will not be the next statistic. You will arrive home alive with a great ride and adventure under your belt. When you get home, turn on the computer and check out our new website, www.helmetsforfun.com There, you will find some of the latest designs and some old favorites in helmet brands you recognize. You deserve something new.

Buy These great sets at http://www.agelessparlor.com/products.asp?cat=52

I’M Game

A while back I was watching a show featuring Joe Namath. He was promoting his new book and was going to be in our area in time for the Christmas sales. I couldn’t wait to get in line to buy one.

I like Joe Namath. He has a great success story to share. His talent is legendary. His activities on and off the field sold millions of papers and tickets to his games.

I have followed Joe’s career since he was Alabama’s Star Quarterback and I must say it has been interesting. I was proud of him last year when He went back to school last to finish his degree. This action said a lot for his determination to finish what he starts.

Thinking it over, it is not his talent or looks or personality I like. I like his downright honesty. He doesn’t make excuses for the young and foolish things he’s done or the older mistakes. He admits to them and moves on. I guess the thing I liked most about the TV interview when asked about women seeking him out, he looked right into the camera and said “I’m Game”. I thought to myself, go for it Joe!

If you have just started riding a motorcycle, whether you are a teen-ager, ”thirty something “ or in mid-life, Take these two words and make them your motto. You will need this attitude.

Riding a motorcycle is a learning experience. You have power under your hands you have not dreamed of. Riding along, you can feel the power race through your body as you slip it a little gas, feel the wind rip through your clothes, and immediately you know just a small part of what a Nascar racer feels every time he revs it up. Like Joe, get game.

At www.agelessparlor.com we can help you rev up for this adventure. We sell motorcycle clothing, helmets, gloves, saddlebags and motocross gear. If we don’t have what you are looking for, email us we will check and see if we can find it for you. We want you in the game, having fun riding safe. If you need just a helmet, check out our new helmet site, www.helmetsforfun.com , where we are running a 5% discount on all purchases for a limited time. We have the equipment you need, the rest is up to you.

One of the first things to expect, when you are new to riding, is a wipe-out. If you have been fortunate to avoid this terror of the road, count yourself very lucky. I sure remember the first one I experienced. Back in the early sixties, my brother came home one day with a brand new Cushman Motor scooter. He had never driven one in his life, but from the dealership to home, he had become an expert. I hopped on the back like a seasoned pro. We went two blocks hit gravel, and wiped out all over the alley. It looked like a blood bath had taken place.

Neither of us had on helmets. (No helmet laws at that time)We were wearing our everyday clothes. He had on a sleeveless shirt and jeans and I had on a blouse and skirt. My legs and arms had gravel embedded in them. My Dad worked about two hours to pick it out with tweezers. My Mother worked on my bottom, which had scrapes 3inches long and gravel hid in unmentionable places. Fortunately, I protected my head, when I was tossed off, with my hands and only broke my glasses. My hands looked like a meat grinder had got a hold of them.

My Brother came out no better. He was not thrown from the bike as I was, instead went down with it sliding until it quit. His leg got a nasty cut and burn from the pipe. His hands looked like mine and his head had hit the big windshield and he had a nasty bump. We were both bleeding and hurt .He righted the bike and darn if we didn’t get back on and ride home very slowly. The scooter was making a puttering sound.

We felt scared. We were afraid we had torn up the new bike. Back then insurance was unheard of. My Brother had sold his old car to buy the scooter. On the ride home I didn’t think of the pain at all. I thought about how he was going to get to work and school. Most of all I was dreading what our parents were going to say to this new teenage disaster. I was pretty sure my Dad was going to kill me for being on the bike. Girls just did not do those type of things. It was not ladylike. Bless his heart he had a long road to hoe with me.

In reality, the only real damage turned out to be to us and the windshield, which was cracked. Puttering sound turned out to be no big deal. We felt stupid. We had let the machine defeat us once, but it was never going to happen again. Did it? Sure. Until you master the ins and outs of man and machine the machine is going to get its way occasionally. Expect it. Learn from the mistake. Ride slower and off busy streets until you feel you are on top of the game. In the meantime keep Joe’s attitude of “I’m game” in front of you. Whatever comes up, you can do it.

Buy one of our great Bell helmets for your ride. http://www.agelessparlor.com/products.asp?cat=39

Try one of our top of the line Rodia Modulars.

www.helmetsforfun.com

Your child’s life is precious to you. You have worked hard to get him/her where he/she is today. Some of you have worked two jobs, long hours, given your money, time and talents on the sports fields, cheer leading, football, soccer, Little League, basketball, and hockey, served as Scout Leaders, taught Sunday Schools, and supported school and parent organizations. This list does not touch the hours, sweat, tears and worry you have in this child. Now he has his first motorized vehicle. How can you protect him as he embraces “man and machine?” We can help you at http://www.agelessparlor.com Your child’s safety is important to us.

Riding machines mastery becomes boy, girl against machine and elements. They are more than a fun toy. They are serious fun and must be treated as such. They are dangerous to your child’s life. If this machine is your passion or your child’s passion, get prepared with the best safety precautions out there.

The first thing to consider is your child’s head. Protect his head with a good sound quality DOT* Motocross helmet with a good fit.

How to find his size? Please use a cloth tape to take your measurement. It is better to have a helper do the measuring in order to get a more accurate measurement. The circumference of the head should be measured at a point approximately one inch above the eyebrows, or at whatever point gives the largest possible measurement. If you find that your measurement falls between two sizes, choose the smaller size.

A proper fitting DOT* helmet is critical to the comfort and enjoyment of your helmet. It also plays a critical role in the performance of your helmet in the event of a collision.

Never or wear a motorcycle, motocross helmet without making sure you have a proper snug fit (not too tight, and not too loose - just right!) There are several methods and tricks to size a motorcycle helmet. We recommend the following method:

A. Measure: Consult sizing chart for that brand. Different brands have different charts.

B. Not too tight: Once you have the new motocross helmet in hand, put the helmet on by grasping the sides in each hand and pulling it on over your ears until you feel the top portion of the helmet touch. Check for the following red flags: A. The helmet immediately feels too tight. B. Your head does not touch the top of the motorcycle helmet. C. You can’t pull the helmet down over your ears. D. It’s painful in any way. If any of these apply, you probably need the next size larger.

C. Not too loose: Once you have found a helmet that feels comfortable and snug, you must make sure that it is not too loose. To do this, securely fasten the chin

strap, grasp the helmet chin bar or sides firmly with one hand and try to move the helmet from side to side and up and down. If the helmet slides on your skin and hair, it is too large. If your scalp and skin want to move with the helmet, the fit is about right.

D. Just Right: One final check. Reach back to the back of the helmet and try to rotate the helmet as far down and forward as possible. Then do the same as far backward as possible. If the helmet feels as if it might slide off in either direction, the helmet is either too big or the chin strap was not securely fastened.

Congratulations! If you passed these tests, you now have a properly fitting helmet that will maximize safety and minimize wind noise as well! Check out our sizing charts http://www.agelessparlor.com/sizing_charts_for_leather.htm

The next thing to consider is your child’s eyes. Buy goggles. Protect your child’s eyes. We offer a free pair of goggles with each motocross youth helmet purchased. We feel that strongly about this safety feature. Goggles should have an adjustable strap, have an optical quality that promotes distortion free lens with slopes to reduce glare. Meet or exceeds Z87.1-68 requirements set forth by OSHA for safety.

Another Important thing to consider is your child’s chest. Chest protectors are a must to protect your child’s chest from limbs and flying rocks. We sell a quality line of chest protectors in today’s new light weight designs.  Check out our new fun site: http://helmetsforfun.com/…?main_page=index&cPath=11&zenid=0016e8495025bb15a9bd255e3c695738 Our chest protectors are made of high impact resistant polycarbonante and provides a high level of comfort and protection. This chest protector shields against dirt and debris while off-road riding, which includes Motocross and ATVs. It will not protect against street riding impacts. Its shape conforms to a rider’s back, superior roost deflection, bio foam padded edges, quick adjustable arm guards, fully adjustable front and rear shoulder attachments for custom fitting, dual density shoulder padding, two piece back panel, and secure side release closure buckles.

Last and not least protect your child with a good machine. Be sure this is a fine tuned well running machine. No Matter your choice, dirt bike, ATV, Snowmobile, used, new or rented, make sure this machine has been checked out by a qualified mechanic.

You’ve done what you can. You have outfitted him in the best gear, You had the machine checked out. You gave him the rules you can live by and the consequences for the breaking of those rules. You’ve taught him to respect other’s property and ask before he rides on someone else’s land or woods. Now the challenge is to let him go try to master the machine. He can!

* DOT-Department of Transportation approved.