Bonafide - I didn't know your wife rode as well! That is awesome, I'm gonna try and get my wife to take the MSF this spring and if she is into it I will buy her a small beginners bike. She has full riding gear right now so the bike would be the only thing missing.
I hope a lot of you guys bring your significant others with you so my wife will be more inclined to come. We discussed this last night over dinner and the first thing out of her mouth was, "I'm not riding 150 miles North on the back of a bike" I said that’s silly you and I have done over a 100 several times already. She said she doesn't like the non-stop pace I travel at, so I promised her that there would be many stops along the way for stretching and pee-pee. She said it will be all highway, I said we are in the beginning stages of planning the ultimate back road New England Country experience that will just be gorgeous! She said well will see.
No matter what she already knows that I'm going and that isn't a problem. As I have told several of you already I'm on the fence with her coming or not. On one hand it would be nice to include her so she can, first of all, meet all my Brother Rat's, and secondly I want her to have a great experience with the past time of motorcycle distance traveling so that she wouldn't have any future contempt about these events. Thirdly, I want her to experience what a slow beautiful ride through one New England town after another without going on Parkways or Highways will be like going up to Bennington so that she can feel the beauty deep into her heart the way we already feel it. This is why we get excited about trips like this 1/2 a year before they even start!
On the selfish side, I wouldn't mind if she just bailed on me, which percentage wise, knowing my wife, she will say 1 week before the Bash, "You go and have a good time with your buddies and I'll stay here or shoot down to Maryland and visit my sisters." This would be fine by me because she loves going down to Maryland and visiting her sisters and she has enough to do around home - not care about this trip. But the real deep down selfish part of this option is I can configure my Bonne into 1-up Stealth Mode and go Hooligan!
Next up - Whispersmith - I love the photos of you and your ride but looking real hard at the one of you and your beautiful daughter just makes me feel real good about mankind! I can feel the love and proudness that you have for her in that picture and you know what? I feel that love you have, and looking at that picture of you two makes me happy!
Next - Greg - I love the picture of you and your buddy and I couldn't help adding the comment contest underneath it. Looking at you I can see a real friendly guy that cares about people that are close to him. You look like the kind of guy that makes people feel comfortable around you - and I so hope you make this trip.
Sweat - as a newbie on the RAT I was in awe at your knowledge and I always referred to you and a couple of others as the “Master Wrenches” here; sought of the RAT Guru's. Now that I have put a face to the name and learned more about you I can sense that you are another really likable guy. In life, there are people that you come across in first meetings that are either very likable or not quite likable. Your pictures make me think - here is a very likable guy. I love the Tommy gun, looks like a 1945 or so I can't really tell. I can tell from the picture of you drinking the beer that your one of those guys that loosen up after a few and fit in comfortably wherever you may be! Finally, you blew me away with the picture of you playing the bass, I had no idea; I knew you loved music, I knew you had good taste in music, but I didn't know you actually played. That picture is fucking great! I hope you are able to make the bash as well, and if there is anything that is stopping you from coming, that I can help change, just ask, you would be surprised how resourceful I can be. The same goes for you Greg, I know Florida is a long ride but we can figure out ways to make this work for you and all of the long distance riders.
Mr. Mello - your pictures, I see how it was and how it is today and I think to myself, we're very much alike more than we are different. It seems that your loving life - as it should be!
Rick - I'm laughing my fucking balls off at the High School picture. You remind me of Robert Chambers! Thx for taking us through the different facets of your life via your pictures.
Tito - Every picture I see of you shows me you have the world by the balls and live life very loosely and comfortably! I envy this. Your pictures seem to show that you enjoy sharing kindness with whoever is lucky enough to be within your presence and I’m really looking forward to meeting you and riding with you.
Benny – Any friend of UncleCharlie is a friend of mine and he speaks so highly of you that I look forward to spending time with you. He says the same about Bucky and Geoff from Jersey so I’m hoping to conduct myself so that I slip in the back door and enter the BA family of love!
Speed – I think me and you have more in common than not. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better.
Jimmy my man – I feel that you and I go back a long way and have known each other forever; the kind of guy who has you back – good, bad or indifferent! I so look forward to shaking your hand.
Paula – I have zero experience with biker chicks but once again, UncleCharlie talks highly about you so I’m looking forward to meeting you, Robin and any other biker chicks that come up to the bash; this will be a new experience to me!
If I have forgotten anyone, please do not be offended we have many more months to go to get to know each other and I look forward to meeting every one of you!
John aka Hedge aka Ugly Monkey Ass!
