I saw a guy over the weekend riding a sport bike, in full leathers.  He was definitely dressed to avoid injury in case of a fall, but it was nearly a hundred degrees.  I am sure that the heat index was much higher.  Whew.

Have fun riding in the Texas heat, but stay safe.  Take your time.  Watch out for slick patches.  Avoid riding at night in areas where deer might be crossing roadways.  Above all, despite soaring temperatures, wear a helmet.

A Bastrop County jury sentenced a drunk driver this week to two consecutive 17 1/2 year prison sentences.  The driver, Sandy Sendgikoski, was found guilty of two counts of intoxication manslaughter.  Mr. Sengikoski, driving a Dodge Neon, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a truck.  The truck went airborne and in turn struck another truck.  Two men died as a result of the crash – a former Travis County chief deputy and the owner of a landscaping company.  Here is a link to an article about the verdict -

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/man-sentenced-in-dwi-deaths-591570.html

Hopefully, the day will come when a drunk driving crash will be a rare occurrence.  Drunk driving injuries and deaths are 100% preventable.  We make decisions whether to drink, when to drink, and how much to drink.  We then decide whether to get behind the wheel of a vehicle which can maim and kill if not operated properly.  Let’s make the right decisions and avoid the consequences of driving while intoxicated.

Photo Source: Freebase

During the holiday season, we think of family, friends, faith, and leisure time.  As Americans, we have unique views of the holidays.  It is almost impossible to go anywhere in December, or turn on the radio, without hearing “White Christmas.”  However, there is a more sinister side of the holidays which wrecks families and ruins lives.

Drunk driving continues despite increased criminal penalties and societal disdain for the behavior.  Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of any improper substance can lead to serious injury and death, as well as prison time for the drunk driver.  Let’s do our part to stamp out the practice on Texas streets and highways.  The first simple, basic rule, which can be followed by all thinking adults, is don’t drink and drive.   Then, let’s be bold and mature enough to encourage others to do the same.

It breaks my heart every time I hear of a college kid dying or being severely injured as a result of fraternity hazing.  We are all proud of our kids when they head off to college.  Hopefully, they will apply the good (and forget the bad) that we have taught and/or demonstrated for them.  When we hear of our son getting involved with a fraternity, we hope that it is one made up of young men with convictions and morality.  However, far too often, fraternities push pledges over the line.  They harass to the point of injury and, far worse, death.

No young man wants to feel singled-out as a pledge not willing to do what it takes to become a member of a fraternity.  Even so, as parents, we owe it to our kids to educate them about the dark side of some fraternities.  It is far better for our kids to be embarrassed that to be victims of group-led crime.

I went to a store in a small shopping center in Dallas this morning.  I parked my car and began to walk toward the store.  As I got to within about seventy-five feet of the store, I noticed an older woman driving in my direction.  I made sure that she could make visual contact with me, and I began to walk across the lane of traffic parallel to the front of the store.  It was then that I realized that she apparently was not going to slow down and yield.  I hurried toward the store.  She must have finally seen me, because she abruptly slowed.

In the store, while I was talking to someone at the counter, the woman entered and asked one of the employees a question.  The woman left, and I finished my business in the store.

When I left the store, I noticed a couple of ambulances at the nearest parking lot exit.  There was apparently a car wreck.  I exited the parking lot at another exit and noticed, much to my dismay, that one of the cars involved in the crash was that of the older woman.  It appeared, based on the configuration of the vehicles and damage to her vehicle, that she might have pulled in front of another vehicle at the intersection.

I love to drive, and I do not look forward to the day when my vision or other physical issues will keep me from driving.  Driving is a form of freedom that we as Americans usually get to experience as early as our teen years.  I, like many others, began driving at the age of 16.  Driving allows me to have individual freedom and the ability to travel when needed – or when I simply want to go for a ride.  However, the day comes for many of us when driving should stop.  Due to physical issues, we become a source of danger to ourselves and others.  Hopefully, most of us will know when that day comes and be mature enough to admit that our driving days are over.  However, for some of us, it might take a friend or family member to nudge us toward the truth.  Let’s be responsible with the public trust given us through issuance of a driver’s license, and let’s help those closest to us to do the same.