I was just out at Home Depot waiting for them to get freed up to go see if they could shake some potting soil loose for me; the kind I went after was outside. While waiting, I spotted a pack of 5 pairs of gloves coated with nitrile for $5. Can't beat that so bought those, mens' large, I like large, long fingers but smallish hands otherwise. Also, while I was waiting for them to check for the kind I wanted (took an empty bag), they had MG potting soil sitting on a low display. It was 1-1/4 something and $8.95 or maybe $7.95, can't remember. Tested the weight and could lift it with ease. I thought I should just make it easy on them (and myself) and buy the MG but didn't want to pay that and my last had more twiggy stuff in it. So they roll out 4 bags of what I wanted for me, went to check out, and it was $3.77 a bag! Those things are so heavy even they had trouble lifting them, frozen solid. So I'm waiting for help to get them out of the trunk of my car, won't try to do it myself in the snow. Son said he was going to go for me so I told him I saved him the trouble and did that part myself. Now he will come by, hopefully when he needs to head this way for something else, and unload it for me.

I wear old jeans and t-shirts unsuitable for anything else. I rarely wear shorts as I cannot stand dirt at the back of my knees. Also always a baseball cap. I try to remember the sunscreen too but sometimes forget. I usually carry a bandana around to wipe my eyes if I get sweaty(which I do ). I wear last years hiking boots on my feet and always with socks. My pruners are clipped to my jeans in a holster, my pocket knife in my pocket and a pencil behind my ear. I try not to lose my gloves but it happens often. In fact I lost my right glove in the front yard and my left in the backyard on Sunnday! My mom came home from dinner and found them. I don't need sunglasses, my bifocals have transition lenses. I also use a kneeling pad for my bad knees. I tried the ones you wear but found the straps to be uncomfortable at the backs of my knees. When I worked landscaping for a living 20 years ago I had several sunscreen shirts. They were pricey but very nice. I have since not only aged but also expanded and they went to the goodwill years ago. My neighbors all think I'm a little off anyway when I'm talking to my flowers or out at the crack of dawn pollinating. So it dosen't really matter how I dress.LOL! Kim

Always wear gear, regardless of the weather or the distance. I have both what my hubby calls a three-quarter helmet and a full-face helmet, several pairs of HD over the ankle boots, and some darn good leathers. On really hot days I'll wear jeans, boots, helmet (that goes without saying), gloves, and a leather vest. Admittedly I should wear a leather jacket when riding in hot weather but I don't always listen to my brain. I have never ever ridden in shorts and never will. If it's so hot that the heat takes your breath away when riding, then I don't ride. Been there, done that and it wasn't pleasant. Mike, in-town riding is the same as out-of-town riding, be protected at all times. I'm not sure if it was on this thread or another one on this forum but someone said that it's always best to dress for the dump and not the ride (or something like that). That is something that my husband has drilled into my head from the very first day I got on the back of a bike with him and now it's just second nature, moreso when I started riding my own bike. This is an example why and one that I hope never to repeat. Four years ago my husband rode his bike to work. Something happened to him at work and he was rushed to the hospital. Turns out everything was ok but he didn't want to leave his bike at his office. So we went to get it in my car. We live a couple towns over from where his office is and decided to come home thru the adjoining towns instead of the freeway. Because it was a warm day he decided not to wear his leather jacket (which he always wears, even in 100+ weather) and he tossed it into the car. He did put his chaps on, altho that did surprise me. Anyway, to make a long story longer, I was following him home in the car. As he was about to enter a large intersection on a green light a SUV came from the stopped direction going about 60+ MPH. This vehicle had gone around all the other stopped vehicles to run this red light. Several things helped keep him from being killed. One was his riding expertise (he's been riding since he was 6 and he's 57 now), his helmet, and the crash guards on his Harley and his chaps. The expertise came into play when he realized that if he hit the SUV broadside that he would die but if he laid the bike down there was a chance that he would miss hitting the vehicle. He was already down when the SUV went by him but he still could have reached out and touched the back panel. If he had swerved the bike instead of laying it down, it most likely would have been worse. His helmet saved his head and the crash guards saved his leg before he was able to get away from it and his chaps prevented road rash and possibly a broke leg or two. Believe me, it was the most horrifying thing to watch and think that your husband is going to be killed right in front of your eyes. To watch him rolling away from the bike and the bike skidding across the intersection was scary, especially since I at first thought that he had actually hit the SUV. Altho it was a rare thing for him not to wear a leather jacket that day, it did teach him never to be without it. His arms still show the scars but those are nothing compared to what could have happened. And the SUV? It never even slowed or stopped. Another driver who was in the right hand turn lane going in the same direction as we were chased the SUV and she came back and told the cops that it sped up and she lost it when it hit the nearby freeway entrance going about 100. Amazingly, two off duty paramedics were in a car waiting at the red light as was an off duty CHP officer waiting for the red going in the other direction. We had cops, CHP, and an ambulance there almost within minutes. I'm sorry this is so long, but I seemed to have almost relived this accident all over again as I was writing. Anyway, Mike, you never know when something might happen, altho we all hope that nothing ever does happen. You could be pulling out of your driveway or pulling into church. You don't know the if's or when's or even that something could happen. Always ride safe. Here's two more examples of something that can happen that is totally unexpected. A bunch of us were on a ride up to Reno, Nevada, via Lake Tahoe two years ago. In the middle of nowhere a basketball came whizzing across the road. Our friend dumped her bike cuz she thought it was a dog at first. Nothing hurt but her ego. All she could do was lay there on the side of the road, laughing, and saying something to the effect of "you mean a f**king basketball made me lay it down?" A couple months ago my sister and BIL were on a ride with their HOG group up in the mountains and the lead rider got nailed by a deer. He spent almost a month in the hospital and was told that if he hadn't of had his full leathers on and his full face helmet that it would have been alot worse, if he had survived at all. The deer was killed. Does stuff like this make me apprehensive and not want to ride? Oh h*ll no!!!! But I am more aware. Ok, again I'm sorry about this being so long...just couldn't stop myself. :)) Jenna

I have to take a strong steroid medication which makes my skin thin and easily cut or torn. So I try to wear thin leather gloves while working whenever it's practical. But working in electrical boxes or any other work in close quarters like that is impossible for me to do with gloves on. Right now I have 2 different large cuts on my right hand in the process of healing, and that's just from replacing a standard recep with a GFCI last Thursady.