This is Murphey's on Main.

I went there today-

in my station wagon.

I talked J into going with me.

Me: Hey J, whatcha got going on today?

J: Nothing.

Me: I'm going to a biker bar.

J: You're crazy.

Me:Oh good, then you'll come.

Now, across the street is where I pick up my coupons. As I pass this bar, the oldest biker bar in Galveston County, I always notice the flags they fly-- US, Texas and one to commemorate POW and MIAs. Sometimes they have benefits out on the parking lot. The owner, Wayne, active in the community, raises money for a local food bank and for the Shriners and rides for the troops.

Every time I passed I thought, I really need to go in there and introduce myself. I have a guy in Iraq, several actually, who are bike fanatics. They would love some pictures of these folks and their bikes.

The other day I voiced this to the paper lady as I went in for my papers and she said, "You know I bet they wouldn't mind you taking pictures one bit and you should also talk to them about how to raise shipping money for your guys. They hold benefits all the time." Hmmm. Well maybe I should.

So I did.


The sign says Come Home Safe and the owner is in the sunglasses and black ball cap. J gets to sit on the '38 Harley. Cool eh?



This mama can play some pool, man.












(below) Sandy here with her friend Billy standing still so J can get a picture. It's payback since I made her sit on the Harley earlier...Which was equally hilarious considering she confides when we are inside, that she had never been in a biker bar before. Before yesterday, neither had I.


This is Wayne, the owner of Murphey's with some of the other mamas - I need names for them, yet. Angel is in the fringe coat and Rita is in the striped top.There were a lot to learn this afternoon! I'll edit when I get them. Nonetheless, they were all really kind and welcoming.

The thing I learned about bikers today was their strong sense of family and their willingness to share their time. You hear about the tight knit community that they are and yet as tight as they were, they made room for us. For instance, I went in with J and asked about pictures and whether they had time to send some messages to the troops and within 10 minutes we were outside. Multiple folks, before I had even a chance to ask about how they fund raise, were walking up to me and saying, "You know, you should talk to Wayne about a benefit for your guys. I bet he would do that for you."

It's funny how the universe works things out. Seems Wayne has a drive he does for the food pantry here in town and so that would be something our milproject could do for him. Most of our grocery and toiletry supplies for our troops are raised through couponing. There are some serious couponers in my midst. I am not the only one...lol. There are about a dozen mamas who support by shopping, baking and sewing and more who help with postage so that our guys get what they need in Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti, Africa. The other privilege was to talk to bikers who themselves were veterans of other wars in Vietnam and Korea.

There are more pictures of these folks on the Words from Warriors blog. The messages were for the troops so it seemed fitting that it go there.


Another cool thing to watch happen was two bikers who came in to the icehouse, victorious in a field of 30 other bikes at the Macho Eliminator, a 1/8 mile race at a local Houston racetrack. Dave (l) was met with a hero's welcome and he and his brother Gary (r)used some of their winnings to do something Dave said he had always wanted to do, which was to buy the house a round!