Gidday. Ha ha.
I've been meaning to get on here and just read and catch up with my OLD Buddies for some time now.
It's been an interesting year or more though due to events that were out of my control so i thought it a good idea to explain why my sudden absence from this great forum.
Most my old chums would remember I've had back problems since forever. Well after seven years of masking the chronic (means continual) back pain with heavy pain meds as a fireman, it got to the stage I couldn't manage it any longer.
I went on sick leave and basically just couldn't return back to work. Sounds pretty drastic and retiring at 52 years of age from the best job in the world isn't ideal. To be honest, I knew the time had come for me to hang up my boots and focus on my health otherwise I was going to end up a nervous wreck and / or endanger myself, the public or my work colleagues. I'd always sworn to myself that whenever I couldn't do my job to the level I felt was the minimum standard I had set for myself, I'd take myself off the road. I had done it three times before for six month plus stints for rehab and operations but the last time was the final one over a twenty five year career.
Fortunately I am fine in the financial department due to the fact I was retired on the grounds of invalidity. This meant my pension assumed I had worked till I was sixty five with the same remuneration.
So I've been busy since being retired last February and in fact, spent a month staying with my yanky bro Eddy (Fast Eddy) for a month and even riding down to the mid west rally last July. The trip and getting to know Eddy properly as well as many other forum brothers, was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The warmth of the people from the Mid West is indescribable. Something that is hard to explain back home here in Aus because you simply have to experience it and feel it.
Then on returning home I bought myself a new Triumph Tiger Explorer. It's a fantastic bike and which has now replaced my Speedmaster as my tourer of choice. I haven't sold my 865cc baby though. Oh no, I've got plans for her but mainly as a project type bike as another interest in retirement.
So there ya go. I'm still doing some final touches with readying the Tiger for big travels but ill leave that story to the "Other Bikes" section on this forum.
I hope to catch up with many of you as I read and respond to posts but thought it a good idea to explain my absence.
Cheers
Stacka
