One more time before we call it a year?

[subvetSSN606]

My apologies for the late notice.

If anyone is interested, Wendy (gogoboots) and I would like to host one more ride/get-together this coming weekend before most folks call it a year.

Where? My place and environs.
When? Ride meet around noon-one on Saturday 10/14 depending on who's coming and other details (will firm up the time and meet place ASAP). Dinner probably around 7PM, but by all means try to be here by 5PM for hoorah, appetizers and conversation.

Notes:
1. The basic ride will be fairly short and very mellow. I've got two very new riders (gogoboots and Pameloca), so I'll be tailoring the ride for them. However if enough others decide to make it, I'll probably be willing to drop them off and lead a second ride. But "thems whats knows me" knows that'll still be a pretty mellow ride, just on more challenging roads.
2. I'm going to send out some private invites for the prime locations to stay at our house to a few of our favorite people who would also have to come from likely the farthest. If they decline we'll open it up for others, and in any event, we can always come up with sleeping bags and blankets and find a horizontal surface for anyone who needs it. I don't have time to research hotel availability, but there are plenty in Bloomington if that's what you'd prefer. Google and Yahoo at will.
3. If the weather turns to crap, and/or you just don't feel like a ride, PLEASE! Cage it in and come for the dinner and get together anyway!
4. Again apologies for the late notice and not having it together sooner. We've been awfully busy and distracted lately.

Anyone interested?
Tom

[subvetSSN606]

Ok the first 4 on my list can't make it, so there's 4 bed spots available before we get to sleeping bags, blankets, and floors. Anybody? Bugguts and Wrench? Mike, Mel? I'll give you next dibs!


Tom

[Bugguts]

Oh, you and Boots are sweeties for thinking of us, but I got a variety of situations that are in play.

Need a new rear tire before any more long trips, out of vacation time (and I'd need Friday off to be there by Saturday noon) and I may be on babysitting duty with my mother who's been ill.

But thank you so very, very much of thinking of us. We appreciate it!!!!

[melwel3]

Ok the first 4 on my list can't make it, so there's 4 bed spots available before we get to sleeping bags, blankets, and floors. Anybody? Bugguts and Wrench? Mike, Mel? I'll give you next dibs!


Tom

Thank you SO MUCH for the offer Tom, but I'm already committed to some other stuff this weekend. Sounds like it would be a great ride - I'm sorry I'll have to miss it.

- Melissa

[LDYAPXR]

I wish I lived closer Tom! One of these days I am going to plan trips to fly around and visit everyone. I would love to meet GoGo so I could see what kind of woman was crazy enough to tie you up(or down as the case may be?? lol)

[Paduan]

Let's see.

If I hit the road tomorrow morning, and put in about 1300 miles each day, I could be there late Saturday evening....

[MsPotatoPotatoHead]

Would love to, Tom, but it's a tad far for me, too. Y'all enjoy!

[Bobthearch]

Well crap... if I'd of gotten fired today, I could have made it. The boss is on vacation and there's no one around to fire me this week anyway...

Maybe some other time. Let me know in advance though. There seems to be virtually no way of getting fired and staying that way, so I'll have to think of something really good to ensure at least a week's worth of 'fired'.

Ride safe, and I hope the weather's nice for your gathering.

-Bob

[subvetSSN606]

Well it is short notice, and it's not a big ride, and we are a bit spread out across the world... but the door's open.

If nothing else I'll just lead gogoboots and Pameloca around again, although I understand from gogoboots I may get to enlist Carla (their RC from the BRC) as my tailgunner.

And if noone else shows up... MORE LAMB ROAST FOR ME!!!! ;)

Tom

[LoDownSinner]

Well crap... if I'd of gotten fired today, I could have made it. The boss is on vacation and there's no one around to fire me this week anyway...

Maybe some other time. Let me know in advance though. There seems to be virtually no way of getting fired and staying that way, so I'll have to think of something really good to ensure at least a week's worth of 'fired'.

Ride safe, and I hope the weather's nice for your gathering.

-Bob
You'll never go anywhere in this world unless you learn to take some initiative.

Fire yourself. You'll probably get a raise and a promotion for it.

[crankshaft]

Tom,
I really appreciate the offer, but I'm also on the not able to attend list. This weekend is Angies Saturday to work and it's her grandson's birthday. Damn! I've been wanting to get back over there since the first gathering you had several years ago. My niece is now attending IU (freshman this year) and I told her we'd make a day trip and stop by to see her this fall but don't know when that's going to happen.

Thanks again

Mike

[subvetSSN606]

Tom,
I really appreciate the offer, but I'm also on the not able to attend list. This weekend is Angies Saturday to work and it's her grandson's birthday. Damn! I've been wanting to get back over there since the first gathering you had several years ago. My niece is now attending IU (freshman this year) and I told her we'd make a day trip and stop by to see her this fall but don't know when that's going to happen.

Thanks again

Mike

Well, give me a call anytime you're coming to town!

Tom

[Bobthearch]

You'll never go anywhere in this world unless you learn to take some initiative.

Fire yourself. You'll probably get a raise and a promotion for it.
I'd have to give myself a promotion in order to have the authority to fire myself. Guess it could be done... Thing is, we're so shorthanded that someone else would re-hire me the next minute.

Here's what some other people have tried: Smoking dope on the job, that's two weeks worth of "fired" in the past, but today you'd just get bumped to a different location. Got so drunk on payday (and every payday) that you couldn't get out of bed for three days and unplugged cell phone so boss couldn't call, we're happy to have you back as soon as you can walk again. Screw up two jobs in a row, costing thousands of $$$ and days of highly valuable time, that's an immediate but temporary transfer to another location. Only one of these was me. :)

-Bob

[Paduan]

Here's what some other people have tried: Smoking dope on the job, that's two weeks worth of "fired" in the past, but today you'd just get bumped to a different location. Got so drunk on payday (and every payday) that you couldn't get out of bed for three days and unplugged cell phone so boss couldn't call, we're happy to have you back as soon as you can walk again. Screw up two jobs in a row, costing thousands of $$$ and days of highly valuable time, that's an immediate but temporary transfer to another location. Only one of these was me. :)

-Bob
Sounds like management recruiting criteria within the company I am indentured to.

[mechdziner714]

I'd have to give myself a promotion in order to have the authority to fire myself. Guess it could be done... Thing is, we're so shorthanded that someone else would re-hire me the next minute.
-Bob


We could send some of our Mexicans... ahem illegal aliens yor way.

[LoDownSinner]

Central time zone, right?

[subvetSSN606]

Nope. EDT.

Tom

[Bobthearch]

We could send some of our Mexicans... ahem illegal aliens yor way.
We could have used a couple today. The office called, saying everyone else was already busy and asking if I was available to work a sudden special drill project. I said, no, that I would likely get called in a couple of hours to my regular rig. Five minutes later my rig called and said they weren't going to move until tomorrow. So I went for a motorcycle ride - didn't make it to Indiana though.

Can you get me one illegal alien for Noon-ish tomorrow? After calling me, the office called my assistant and he got sucked into the special job...

-Bob

[LoDownSinner]

Tom - I'm assuming you have caller ID?

If not - sorry about the abruptness...

[LoDownSinner]

Man that was fun!!!

Thanks Tom and gogoboots!

[subvetSSN606]

Yes it certainly was!

Thanks again for making the trip up!

Tom

[Catt42]

MMMMMmmmmm good food, good wine, good friends. Great evening!!!!!!

Thanks again for having us over. Hope Wendy recovered quickly from the migrane. You two have wonderful boys. They were very well behaved, a credit to their parents. It was cool to finally meet them.

[jenniferb]

What no details on the ride???

No pictures???

For shame!!!!

[MN_Smurf]

If there are no pictures, it didn't happen....

[LoDownSinner]

Reader's Digest Version:

Me and Catt finally decided to go at the last minute. Ergo, with no prep time, we drove.

We decided to stop on the way back at an OHV and play dirt bikes. So, Saturday morning we messed around way too long with the dirt bikes and got a late start.

We got there shortly after Tom and Wendy had finished the ride.

I unloaded the KTM from the trailer and we took a VLX home (I'll let those involved flesh out the details as to why, if they're so inclied).

We returned to Tom's and proceded to eat, drink, and play music until the wee hours of the morning.

Wendy's cooking is absolutely outstanding. I have no clue why Tom doesn't weigh 600 or 700 pounds!

Dinner conversation was witty and engaging. We covered the gamut from art to geography to motorcycle-based hovercraft.

Wine and beer nearly became extinct as electric guitars, 12-strings, Dobros, and drums all combined to show off the songs that were lurking inside of them.

Up early the next morning and on the road for a busy afternoon of trail riding in Kentucky. Catt finally got the chance to ride on a bike that wasn't too small for her, and did an outstanding job!!! I watched her progress from scared to tentative to determined to relaxed and confident. She got some pretty decent air a few times, and did some spooky steep gravel descents. Like I've said before, don't get a dirt bike that you cant wrestle around or push a mile or so...

The camera was shy on Saturday, but poked it's head out as we were loading up from rding dirt bikes on Sunday...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/lodownsinner/Dirt%20Bikes/100_6878.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/lodownsinner/Dirt%20Bikes/100_6876.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/lodownsinner/Dirt%20Bikes/100_6874.jpg

[Cindy]

Spur of the moment trips are ususally the best. Great pics!

[subvetSSN606]

Re: the VLX

One of the folks with us who is a very new rider has been having trouble with sometimes going wide on turns from a stop. She had assured me she was doing better, but did it again Saturday and went ditch diving. Fortunately at low speed, she's a little bruised but OK, and the bike was a little goobered. Handlebars not bent, but the risers shifted. Clutch lever rotated on the bar, mirror loosened, and clutch cable adjusting nut broken... which made getting the clutch to work at all a tad tricky. She was a trooper and limped the goobered bike back to my house (that first limp back home on a goobered bike isn't a particularly noble one, but one many of us have had). But between her getting a bit sore, shaken confidence, and my concern about her ability to deal with it if the clutch quit working, Dewayne and I trailered it to her house for her.

Re: No Pictures

I conspicuously avoid documenting anything that might be construed as incriminating. ;) :mrgreen:

Tom

[jenniferb]

That's great that you were with her to coach her through her trial by clutch!

[subvetSSN606]

On one level yes... but it was also damn distressing when I realized she wasn't behind us anymore. It was my first time out again after the events of last weekend, so I was not a happy camper as I pulled a u-turn and went back looking for her.

Tom

[gogoboots]

Tom,
I really appreciate the offer, but I'm also on the not able to attend list. This weekend is Angies Saturday to work and it's her grandson's birthday. Damn! I've been wanting to get back over there since the first gathering you had several years ago. My niece is now attending IU (freshman this year) and I told her we'd make a day trip and stop by to see her this fall but don't know when that's going to happen.

Thanks again

Mike


Tom and I are both off this weekend....a miracle. I'm sure your neice misses you and I have a prime rib that needs cooking.
And I don't think we finished the gifts of beer and wine fairies...we just got sleepy around two. If you're in the neighborhood.....

Any of the Indy contingent looking for twisties?

We had a great evening, even though the ride was shorter than expected. The neighborhood kids were ringing the bell on Sunday to see the dirt bikes which they KNEW we had, 'cause they saw us unload them tot he garage and SAW someone riding one in our yard and HAD to try them....LDS as pied piper? who' a thunk.

[Prof._HH]

I'll speak for my part of the Indy contingent.

I'd love to get down there and ride around. It's possible if I could get there and back on Saturday. I can't leave untill Saturday morning and have to be back early Sunday morning.

I can get away on some Sundays but I have to plan a few weeks ahead.

Are you thinking about going again this week (Oct 21st)?

[subvetSSN606]

Prof,

I wasn't planning to. I have to work part of Saturday, but I'll check with Wendy on her schedule. We might be able to get out for a bit around mid-afternoon. I'll get back to you if it's a go.

Tom

[Prof._HH]

It would be tough for me to get out much this weekend. Between work and Deal's Gap, last weekend was the 1st I've been home in about 6 weeks. I wasn't sure if gogo's post meant you were trying to put a ride together again this week.

Sorry if I caused some confusion.

[subvetSSN606]

Wine and beer nearly became extinct as electric guitars, 12-strings, Dobros, and drums all combined to show off the songs that were lurking inside of them.

OH Nay Nay! Wine and beer are never anywhere near extinct at my house! Although your contributions certainly helped in that regard. I shall dilligently and appreciativly work my way through the designated beer fairy's contributions!

It was way cool how the guitars worked. LDS has previosly expressed in answer to "Why so many guitars?" "Because they all heve different songs in them!"
It really was like that! As we each picked up different guitars and passsed different guitars back and forth... different songs came out!

I bet that means nothing to 99% of you... but it was very true, and very cool at the same time.

Tom