Friday morning I rode the Tomos to Burger Burger for a breakfast sandwich and coffee which I immediately carried to the Riverview Park. I sat on one end of a bench eating and watching the boats come and go from the marina. It was mostly go that early in the morning.

The old black man just appeared on the other end of the bench without warning. "So where you been boy?" he asked.

"On vacation, got back last night."

"Well it's good to see you. I would have asked around, but I didn't want to make any noise. Never know these days, if you was sick or just layin' low."

"Good idea," I agreed. "So what you been up to old man?"

"Sittin' right here and visiting friends over a Meadowview."

"Oh what's Meadowview?"

"County home for us old folks. Lots of my friends seem to have ended up there."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh, I 'spect me and you will be there one day."

"Yes, I expect that is how I will end my days. Unless I get lucky and some 25 year old jealous husband shoots me." I laughed at my own joke.

"Well, I don't expect that to be a problem in my case," he suggested.

"Just wishful thinking on my part as well." We both got quiet and watched the water. "You know what old man? I need more coffee. I'm going to ride over to that little diner across from the marina that used to be yours. Can I bring you one?"

"No thanks Michael, if I drink more coffee, I will be spending the day walking back and forth to the bathroom." I nodded as I walked away.

I had the coffee and was about to climb on the bike when a police officer pulled up behind me. He had been headed into the diner no doubt, but he took a moment to say, "Hey you, hold on a minute."

"Yes sir," I replied. I did not want to stand out for attitude, so I was very respectful.

"Do you have a driver's license?"

"Sure," I replied digging for my old driver's license.

"That's okay, I don't need to see it. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that you needed one. It's not a DUI caddy." he informed me.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just decided to save a ton of money since I don't go anywhere alone anyway. I have close neighbors who invite me to ride along when they go to Jacksonville."

"Good, as long as you know." He nodded then walked into the diner.

When I first moved to Georgia, I sorta knew about that law. Then when I went on vacation, I forgot all about it. The reminder was all I needed to get serious about the Ebike. According to all I had read, the feds had determined that small ebikes were to be regulated as a bicycle. No special laws for them were allowed. That being the case, I planned to push it right to the limits, but to build an ebike just as soon as humanly possible.

Still in non compliance and defiance I rode to the park. I told the old man and we both laughed. Even though it was sort of funny, I still planned to build that bicycle. When I got to Becky's house, I spent the afternoon and evening reading all I could find on bicycles and electric bicycles. I had not ridden a real bicycle in thirty or more years. I had to relearn not only how to balance on one but what the parts of one were. Since I planned. to build it from scratch I needed to know all about the bicycle in general.