AUGUST 5, 2007

In the distant past, from time to time I would take a vacation to Las Vegas to spend some time (and money) in the casinos. When Atlantic City opened, I visited there on several occasions that took me to the East Coast. When I would drive on islands that had casinos, I would on one or two evenings try my luck. For more than twenty years I regularly met with a group of my brother priests for socializing that centered around playing small stakes poker. Periodically, if a hunch overcame me, I might "play a number". I would almost always purchase a raffle ticket for a good cause. At various Street Fairs and Carnivals, it would not be unusual for me to fritter away a few quarters at the various wheels of fortune. And of course, the seasonal football pools and fantasy leagues would receive attention, and investment, from me. Petty stuff all, but enough to assuage what seems to be a basic human urge to take a gamble, to beat the odds, to define ourselves trivially as winner or loser.

I no longer indulge in any of these pastimes. I have found a much more challenging and exciting way to gamble. It's called: "THE WEATHER!" There are about a zillion cliches concerning weather: "Everybody talks about..."; "Hot enough for..."; "It ain't the heat, it's...."; "If you don't like the weather, wait a few..."; "I want the weatherman's job, you can be wrong..."; and on and on. Weather effects everyone, all the time, and no one is in control of it. But here is the real gambler's thrill concerning the weather - riding a motorcycle.

For comfort and safety's sake, riding a motorcycle is best when the weather is warm and dry. Only a fool would deliberately mount his bike to start a ride with snow on the ground or in the midst of a thunderous downpour. BUT, once out and on the road, what may happen before one returns safely home? I read the newspaper predictions; I have a weather band radio; my cable TV is constantly tuned to the weather radar channel. Every time I have to leave the rectory on a vehicle, my primary choice is my motorcycle. First I look out the window: if it is not raining or snowing, that's a start. Then I check the radar channel - are there any rainstorms showing in the near vicinity? Then comes the NOAA up to date weather conditions: what may occur in the amount of time I plan to be away, and where? Finally, all the information in and all the odds computed, I take the big chance - ride the motorcycle!

Do you realize that when they say there is a 30% chance of showers, and it does rain, you get 100% wet? Casinos, cards, numbers, wheels, raffles, lotteries, pools - they are for wusses. You want a real gambling thrill - come home from a 3 hour bike ride when there was a 75% probability of hail and thunderstorms, and if you are warm and dry, you're a winner!

Thus endeth the meditation. Herein begins the business: We at St. John of God are raffling a Harley Davidson motorcycle - plus other great prizes - for our August 15 to 18 festival. There is more information in the bulletin. But we have less than two weeks to sell the 2,500 tickets. Take a double gamble - buy some raffle tickets, and if you win, you can go on a ride with me! Also, my one motorcycle club, The Blue Knights, is having a motorcycle run on Sunday August 19, beginning at 9 AM at the Ice Skating Rink in North Park. It is a fund-raiser, and I will be speaking about it on WWSW radio next Sunday at 7 AM and we will have more details in next week's bulletin. Take a gamble and ride with us on that Sunday!)