But Karen Paulsen is not your typical grandmother.
"When I got my divorce ten years ago, I knew I needed to get around somehow," says the rambunctious grandmother of eight. "So I decided what better way is there than on the back of a Harley?"
"And I've been riding every since," Paulsen smiles.
That is until Oct. 21.
Paulsen, a member of the American Legion's Wasmer Post 241's American Legion Riders Motorcycle Association, was on her way to Worthington, MN, when she took a nasty spill.
"We were going up to welcome home the 100 members of Troop C 113th Cavalry who were coming back from Iraq," she recalls. "I was blocking one of the side highways in Alton so the motorcade could pass through but I hit some gravel instead and then I went flying."
"I broke my femur, the ball right behind my knee," Paulsen says, rubbing her leg. "It was a very bad break."
Paulsen was immediately taken to the Orange City Hospital where she was transferred to Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars.
"I spent over a week there," she says while pointing to her X-rays. "They had to put a plate in while screwing my knee back together."
"Not a pretty picture, is it?" Paulsen says with a painful laugh.
Even more painful than the break for Paulsen was the fact that she didn't get the chance to meet the troops.
"It must've really been quite a sight to see those soldiers piling off of those buses," she chuckles. "It was a madhouse with people all over the place."
"I guess one of the mothers was having an awful time finding her son," Paulsen smiles as she continues. "One of our riders told her to climb on board his Harley and they drove around until she was able to spot him."
"Apparently the son was absolutely shocked," she says, "to see his mom greeting him from on top of a 'Hog.' Well, it just goes to show ya that one shouldn't make assumptions when it comes to us cyclists."
"I'm sorry I missed the expression on that kid's face," Paulsen laughs, "because I'm pretty sure it was a beaut."
Paulsen knows her own motorcycle mania has earned her some sideway glances but she says she doesn't care.
"To me, riding represents freedom," she answers simply. "I've been to Louisiana and to Sturgis and every place in between. Not too bad for a grandma like me, huh?"
Paulsen's involvement with the American Legion Riders Motorcycle Association represents her tribute to her parents.
"Both my mom and dad served in the U.S. Air Force," she informs. "My mom's passed on but my dad's still around. I guess I'm riding for him."
Paulsen is also riding to honor the returning soldiers as they return from war.
"I ride with a lot of Vietnam-era veterans," she explains. "They were treated pretty shabbily when they returned home. They don't want the same thing to happen to the guys coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq."
"Neither do I," Paulsen adds emphatically.
The American Legion Riders Association's Jerry Hansen calls Paulsen "one of the most patriotic people I know."
"Karen was not only one of the first women to sign up to become a member of the Legion Riders," he says, "she was one the first people to sign up period. Nobody is more outgoing than Karen and nobody is more positive."
What Paulsen is most positive about is the fact that she hates being laid up.
"I began my physical therapy today," she says. "My doctors told me two things: I can now start putting a little weight on my foot, which is news that I like. They also told me that physical therapy is gonna be torture for me, which is news that I do not like."
"Why can't my doctors lie to me," Paulsen cries out good-naturedly, "because that's all I wanted them to do."
But what really has Paulsen nervous are her mounting medical bills.
"I work at the Double D in Alton and at Uncle Albert's Restaurant and Pub and I also bar-tend at the American Legion in Brunsville," she says. "When you're juggling three jobs at the same time, you simply cannot afford to be laid up."
"And I'm afraid I'm gonna be laid up for a while," Paulsen sighs.
"Karen doesn't have any medical insurance," Hansen explains, "and she didn't know where to turn. That's when the American Legion's Wasmer Post 241's American Legion Riders Motorcycle Association decided to raise money to help with some of her medical expenses."
"When they stopped by my house with a check for $500, I couldn't believe it," Paulsen says softly. "It was something I wasn't expecting."
"When you're living paycheck-to-paycheck like I am, anything unexpected really throws you for a loop," she suggests. "Getting an unexpected expense around the holidays just makes it so much harder."
"Karen's one of the most giving and one of the generous people around," Hansen explains. "When someone on our family needs our help, we want to step up to the plate."
"Karen's a part of our family," he says. "She'd do it for us and we wanted to do it for her."
"I just want everybody to know how grateful I am to the Legion Riders," Paulsen says. "They've touched my heart and I will always remember them for their generous gift."
For now, Paulsen is looking forward to a brighter holiday.
"I'm gonna be spending time with my kids and my grandkids," she says. "They all think it's kinda cool that their grandma rides a Harley."
"My oldest grandson used to be scared of the bike," Paulsen says, letting out a laugh, "but now he's come around and loves it. Guess I'm gonna have some competition for my Harley."
"I like that," she smiles.
