no transfusion confusion

At first glance, the guy on the motorcycle next to me looked familiar. I was sitting at a traffic light near West Town Mall this afternoon. I looked again and realized that it was State Senator Tim Burchett in the next lane. He was wearing goggles and a helmet with some unusual markings on the side.

I've interviewed Tim a couple of times. One time at the oldies station on Sharp's Ridge, it was still dark when the senator arrived early for his 7:00 a.m. segment. Burchett was dressed in a suit and tie but that didn't stop him from using an air conditioning unit to give himself a boost onto the roof. From there he could jump up and knock on the window of our broadcast studio to let us know he had arrived. Since then, I've always said hello to Tim when I've seen him around town at high school football games, parades and other events.

While we waited for the light to turn green, I yelled hello over the sound of his motorcycle. It looked to be a classic bike. I think he said it was a '57 or '59. I asked about the squiggles on the sides of his helmet. I'm pretty sure he said that he had gotten the Pettys to autograph it. I am positive that he said he had written his blood type on the back of his helmet. In fact, I saw it as he drove away.