Remembering Those Who Rode 2006 - Post Ride Reflections & Thoughts

[Keetoman393]

Great posts from everyone. I'm still processing things and haven't quite found a way to put it into words yet.

[VET393]

These are all great posts. I'll pipe in later, still soaking in the weekend.
I will say, I have met some of the finest people in my life thru this place ATM.

[jaswhitt393]

Ernie....great post! One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the pow wow at the Berg's with you, Char and myself.

[char393]

Jason...me too! I told E earlier I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. Makes me just remembering it.

[Dirtbikindad393]

Well it's been a few days now for me to decompress and think about it all. There is so much that happened in such a short time that is hard to remember it all.

First off I would like to thank Debbie & Jack for coming again. This is a special weekend and I was blessed to be able to spend it with my family and two very close friends in Ernie and Robert Wright.

Friday night my highlight was being able to meet Cody and his parents Shell & Josh. I took Cody out to my truck to show him the number plates I had made for the weekend and he liked them very much. As always the food was awesome at the Berg's and I enjoyed meeting new people that I have only known through the internet. I was also happy to meet Cherie as we had talked so many times on the internet or phone about the planning of Cody's trip.

Saturday we get up and head to the track after breakfast and as always I am in awe of the track. It was hard to look at at first with all the trees gone but it did make it better for the spectators. Once out on the track I felt like I could do all the jumps on the track if I had time to work at it and get comfortable with them. I however didn't take as much time as I could of working the track but I wanted to socialize too. I did get comfortable with a few jumps including the double portion of the triple step up. I decided that the jumps I was doing were the jumps I would do during Sundays race program and I would be comfortable with that.

We headed off to Howard & Donna's and I got lost getting there but finally made it after much frustration and almost giving up and going to a restaurant we made it and I was glad we did.

Sunday was just as awesome as it always is. Watching b-bike393 ride my bike with the GMB V Plates on the second lap of the parade lap of honor was a great feeling knowing that the right man was on the bike for the right reasons.

I had a very fun day racing and best of all having a little competition with Bruce from the Riderdown.org web site. We raced eachother both motos and the best part was the hand shake and thanks we both gave eachother for having fun. Thanks Bruce I really appreciate the fun and clean racing.

I was fortunate enough to be able to load up and get my crew to Hobby in 45 minutes from Splendy giving them plenty of time to make their planes. We then had dinner with Cody and his parents and that was a complete eye opening highlight to a wonderful weekend. I learned a lot about Cody and thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend that time with him and his parents.

Thank You Mike, Suzette & Shannon for letting us into your lives and home for anothet great GMB weekend.

Dane

[Gwyn Hobby]

They say when you get old - you get smarter - well WRONG! I did not go with Mark to GMB this year - a minor health thing - but just know when I got up on Friday morning and was not on the way to Texas I was miserable. I kept thinking all day - this or that is happening at the Bergs, at the track and Saturday and Sunday was just plain awful....all day long I kept saying to myself "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID...I have read all the posts, looked at all the pictures and it has made me laugh and cry...just like last year when I was there. Only when I was there it was bunches more fun. Thanks to all of you for the pictures, videos and all the trash talk. Trust me when I say this - if I am breathing next year and even if Mark has to buy a bigger truck - I will be at GMB. I really missed you guys. This is an event that is bigger than a minor health thing - it touches the very heart of families and friends. So this is my thoughts on this years GMB....God Bless you Garrett - just look what you started....

[char393]

Mama Gwyn...you were definitely missed this weekend!

[Macho393]

Ok ...she can ride with me,lol.

[Imahoot393]

You better let her in the truck next time Macho. You don't think we want to see you now do you? Hope you can make it next year with Macho.

It was great to meet your family Macho. You ahve some wonderful kids there and an outstanding wife. It was great seeing Brian again and I will always remember GMB II when I met the two of you at the Berg's. You guys and your family are just amazing!!!

[char393]

So, I’ve had a little more time to reflect on the weekend. A few more things that came to mind…

Meeting Cody and his parents, what a great family! Cody has this contagious smile that lights up his eyes and a strength that most people twice his age don’t possess. I had to laugh when he told me that the doctors didn’t want him to ride and basically told them they couldn’t stop him. He’s got spunk, no doubt about that. His parents are both very cool and super easy to talk to. They used to live in Alaska so we had something in common. I really enjoyed my time visiting with Shel.

Having Ima, Wobbie and Lyn at my house was just way too cool. We had a blast. We laughed lots..as usual. Ima and I went to see Motoman in the hospital on Sunday night and we laughed pretty darn hard more than once. I’m sure there was more than one time the nurse thought we were nuts. And driving home in the car….apparently we can’t drive anywhere without being together….where are those darn wipers anyway??

Not much has been said about riding and that’s cool, because I really do think that riding is just a fringe benefit of the weekend. But, I have to say, that sitting on the starting line next to Ima again was pretty cool. I really can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy riding with her. It’s just a very special thing for me. Riding next to Shannon was a blast too…she’s looking really good on a yz250f. It’d be cool if she got one so we could ride together once in a while.

Jim…I’m so sorry you got hurt. I hated to see you on that stretcher. However, I am thankful for the extra bit of time I got to spend not only with you, but Randy and the Tooth Fairy as well. It made my GMB weekend last a little bit longer than everyone else’s.

Now then…when is the planning meeting?

[MotoMan]

Just wanted to chime in and say that my report will be coming shortly.

[Macho393]

Hey Big Dawg.....did anybody say they loved ya?welll we love ya

[MotoMan]

All I got to say is.....there is a vicoden bottle in the other room with my name on it.

(I love you guys too. )

[RRsis393]

Originally Posted by MotoMan

All I got to say is.....there is a vicoden bottle in the other room with my name on it.

(I love you guys too. )

So glad to see you make it out of the hospital. WE had a nice little post about you going here while you were in there. So how long until you get to get back on the bike Get well soon Jim!

[jaswhitt393]

I've never been very good at this, but I will give it a try. This is my fourth GMB, and I have to say the best so far. Friday night at the Berg's was just a blast, I met lots of new people, plus quite a few that I have met before and we were able to get reaquainted. The is the first year that I really felt comfortable enough to really meet people, I'm not really shy, but I usually take a long time to warm up to people. It really helped that Char and Daniel are here now and I've lucky enough to ride just about every weekend with them, so I had someone I "knew" there. It was great to meet Ernie and our "always" conversation was hilarious, Ernie has been a great sport too, especially since I'm the one that uses a panty liner in my helmet and he has taken all the grief for it. It was so go to get to hang out with the Cochrans too. Riding saturday was a blast, Dee and Michelle had the track in perfect condition. I really enjoyed riding with Pragmatic, Char, Daniel, Vet...Howard let me ride the 525...man that thing made me nervous, I really could not tell how fast I was going on that thing. Saturday night at the BeerButt Chicken Cafe was awesome, last year I missed being at the Berg's and Howard's so I was not about to miss this year and I'm glad I didn't. I know Daniel and I spent about two hours talking and the food was incredible...BTW Cherie...that is NOT a salad....more like a desert it was yummie. Sunday the race rolled around aweful early, but we made it out to Splendy by 7:00 and Jacob and I were ready for the day. It only took about six seconds for Jacob and Marshall to become friends, then John joined in, and Cherie's kids, and pretty soon there were about 6-7 kids terorizing the pits. I have never seen some many dirty kids in all my life. Jacob kept getting in my truck(that's where the ceral bars were) and I still haven't got all the sand out of my truck. I really rode too much Saturday so I was still tired on Sunday so I just raced the ATM/TT class, and I am proud to say I raced with some really great people, and I race both motos with stopping for a break(unlike some people that some how finished in from of me...No names just intials Charlene Campbell..j/k) But the best part was towards the end of the day, I just happened to be up by the scoring tower when Cody received his trophy for winning the ATM/TT class....his smile was worth all the blisters, and fatigue, from a long weekend. And at the end of the day it was really cool to tell Char and Daniel "hey see ya later" and it meant where are we riding next weekend not, I'll see next October!!

Oh Yeah! One other thing that was incredible, was flagging the Pro class and having front row seat for Robbie Reynard, Jimbo Morton, Don Wells....Robbie, was really cool, I know he problably had nine million other things that he could be or needed to be doing, but to show and race....well, He has a new fan. He is a class act.

[MotoMan]

Originally Posted by RRsis393

So glad to see you make it out of the hospital. WE had a nice little post about you going here while you were in there. So how long until you get to get back on the bike Get well soon Jim!

5 weeks 3 days 10 hours and 15 minutes.

[char393]

Originally Posted by jaswhitt393

I've never been very good at this, but I will give it a try.

Jason...you're very good at it! Nicely said!

[Imahoot393]

It was good to see you again Jason. I appreciated the kind words and help in finding a bike for me to ride. I didn't even know that your son was there. He must have been running around the pits so much that I did not see him. Thanks for the info on our bikes. It is good to hear that you are having such a good experience with yours. I will have to chat with you next time as well as meeting your son this time. Have fun with Charlene and Daniel. They are priceless.

Char- If we are talking about riding for a second. Riding in this race means more to me than any other that I have raced. It is amazing riding with the gurls of GMB. Shannon is an amazing person and it is always fun to see her on the track. Char, you are just simply amazing to ride with. Thanks for slowing down so we could all ride together part of that lap. It is so amazing to see you get faster and faster each year. If there was anyone that I would love to see kick my butt and hand it to me, it would be you. Thanks for the wonderful memories and good times that I will always hold dear. That trophy means more than placing in a race, the sisterhood that we experience is beyond all other and I am glad that we can enjoy the love of riding together each year.

[OlSchoolFool393]

Let Me See Now where do I Start
Oh Yeah ......CAN YA HEAR ME NOW
Sorry about Blasting everyones EARS, But My son raced Moto 9 and I was
Moto10 and the rear of the silencer and the packing blew out at the end of
Kev's Moto
WELL There's NO WAY I was gonna miss My Chance to line up beside Robbie
Reynard....... .......How many Old ,Fat ,over 40 Guys can Say I lined up and was Lapped By Robbie Reynard That was really COOL Thanks For comein Robbie!
Sorry I wasn't able to spend more time just hangin out But i tried to say Hello's to most everyone There ....But if i missed Ya i'm Sorry
This was My 4th GMB was stuck in Fort Worth workin last Yr was not happy
about that !
Got to spend This one with My Son Which is very special to Me cause we've had our problems for acouple of yrs So this was Definately good for the Soul
Spent Sat night at the track enjoying a fire and the comradery of My Son and Some time with a Friend i actually have never met in person but is
always in My Heart at splendy Thanks Garrett for listening to My rambles
young Man You've brought some very good people together and We will
always try to help keep You family in good spirits!
Cherie THANK YOU for coming and for putting Your Hand on Josh,Shel,&Cody
being able to make the trip, It was really cool meeting All of Ya'll !
Cody I can't think of a More Deserving Young Man to loose a racetoo
I'm not even gonna start with the names of friends and family I'm so glad to see again Even if for such a Short Time !!!
OSF393

[Florida 393]

I was bummed at not making the weekend but the threads reporting everyone's thoughts and the pics make me feel as if I at least got to watch and listen. Thanks for these memories of a fantastic weekend, it helps the morale.

Bill