D & Dee

It's midnight. In the morning, I'll be heading to the Dee Snider Ride to Fight Hunger on Long Island. I should be getting some sleep but I'm having trouble sleeping and I'm hooked on Bojack Horseman. Netflix is often the cause of my insomnia.

D (my wife Denise) shows up a little after 1 a.m. returning from the Rock Carnival in New Jersey. The man of the hour, Dee Snider, would have just finished one of the final shows touring with his band, Twisted Sister. D (my wife again), shares a few photos from the show. He's gonna be tired in the morning.

A quick nap before the ride

He's not gonna take it!

We talk about the night for a bit. Hers was much more exciting, hanging out with her girlfriends and the bands. We've gone to a lot of shows over the years but I'm much more content staying at home these days. My evening consisted mostly of sitting on the couch with our dog, Snow, and eating cereal for dinner. We talk for almost an hour and I look at the time. We'd better get some sleep. If she's going to join me for the ride tomorrow, we'll need to get up early. Lights out.

The alarm goes off at 6:30 (I should've reset it). I snooze until about 8, half listening to the news and the weather. We're supposed to get some rain which would certainly put a damper on the ride. I look outside and it's overcast but not raining. I let D sleep a little longer and hit the shower.

Can't miss that pink helmet...

At about 9:30, we're almost ready to leave. It's about 57 degrees outside. I'm ok riding in the cooler weather but I'm guessing D will want to drive the car instead. The ride begins at Lido Beach--about an hour away. She surprises me and layers up for the ride. She models a few hats. "Black or pink?" I let her decide...

All geared up and ready to go, I strap a GoPro Session to my helmet and we hit the road. It's a little chilly but I've got a HeatTech shirt under my leather. I'm feeling pretty toasty. I can feel D's cell phone against my back as she chooses to text for the ride. I guess the cold isn't bothering her yet.

We pull into Lido Beach about 45 minutes later. We made good time on the Meadowbrook. As a pre-registrant, we get preferred parking right up front. Sweet!

D dons her pink hat and we wander over into the event area. Lots of bikers milling about. A female singer belts out a Janis Joplin tune on stage. She's got some pipes. Dee (not my wife) hangs out in front of the stage meeting people, signing autographs, and taking selfies. D runs into a few friends who were also at the show last night. Sounds like the rain turned it into a mud-fest. Not unhappy that I missed it.

We finally get our moment with Dee. He doesn't seem to be too affected by the late night show. He's always very approachable, always has a smile, always ready with a joke. D tells him that she was at the show last night. When he finds out I wasn't there, he playfully pushes me out of the picture. He's just a normal guy, which is why he's loved so much out here on the Island.

Me, Dee, and D

We poke around the area for a few minutes, grab a pretzel then head to the bike. Dee says a few words followed by the National Anthem. I see a few cyclists respectfully remove their hats. Say what you will about the biker community, but these guys are patriots through and through. Mark Mendoza gives us the rules: stay to the right, be respectful of the guys in front of you, etc. Kickstands up in 10 minutes.

D relinquishes her pink hat for her sparkly pink helmet. I snapped a sun shield on in case it starts to rain. She looks like a funky stunt driver. Kickstands up! We're in the first group out after Dee. A few rumbles and we're headed out of the parking lot.

Ocean Parkway is closed off for most of the way to allow the event to pass. Spotters at regular intervals flag us forward. Some give us the thumbs-up; some are using cell phones to film the onslaught of 100s of bikers as they roll past; others stand by idly chatting with a fellow rider. The local fire department has strung a few engines across our path and tied an American flag between their ladders. The sky is a steel gray and the air is slightly chilled. Perfect!

Patriotic Firefighters

We cruise by the oceanfront but catch only glimpses as we speed along. Beach towers mark our way at the few turnarounds along the route. The highlight of the ride is crossing back across the Robert Moses bridge. Riders honk and wave as we pass each other moving in opposite directions. The lead passes along the line and it's a wonder to behold all those bikes and happy faces. The air is crisp and clean. Freedom at 40 mph.

We ultimately wind our way back to the bandshell and pull into the parking lot once again. A task well done. Dee is beaming and taking photos with his wife and other riders. He makes his way to through the crowd and back to the stage where he is at home. His chords are raw from a night of screeching with the band, but not too raw to belt out a few tunes with the musicians on stage. A few choruses of "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" are sufficient to put me in a nostalgic mood. I remember the young Dee strutting across the stage in tights and make-up as part of the glam movement in metal. I'm glad he opted to leave the tights and make-up behind today. It's just Dee and Rock n' Roll. I grab a cigar from one of the booths and puff away into the cold air.

It was a lot of fun, but before you know it, we're ready to suit up and make our way back across the Island to Queens. D is bundled up in her pink jacket covered by an old peat coat. She'll be warm enough for the ride back.

My mind starts to wander as the wind whips through my helmet. The cold weather is slowly arriving and I'll be stowing the bike for the winter soon. Fall is here and you can smell it on the wind. Leaves swirl through the air and groups of birds are collecting for their flights which will soon commence to the south. The year is coming to a close. I'll add another pin to my leather vest. Another ride completed. I reach over and pat D lovingly on the thigh. She reaches around from behind me and clasps me in a hug. It was a good day.

I filmed a bunch with the GoPro. Once I get a chance to edit it all together, I'll post here. Y'all come back now. Y'hear?!