Volume I No. 3
Well
here we go again. It's the end of December; I've gotten
through The Holidays and another birthday too. It'll be
nice to stay the same age for a whole year while everyone
else is having birthdays during the months ahead. Even my
bikes stay the same age all year long. I have come to
appreciate being a model year myself, changeless as it
is.
Next
month's Newsletter will be designated as Volume II No. 1.
The volume will have at least 12 issues, or more if
special articles are written. Each year will be a new
volume for archival purposes. This month has been riddled
with all kinds of commemorative parties. We at BA-MARC
had our soon-to-be Annual Christmas bash at the home
of Ms. Claus, none other than our own and very favorite Sandra Pacheco, KG6HHP. We featured a
Honey-baked ham but that was the only main course brought
to the premises. Sandra and her very sophisticated, and vocally talented
daughter Alyssa, fixed everything else from scratch, and
boy, was it good!
Of
course, with Gizdich Ranch being so close
by, it would have been a crime not to bring some of their
Holiday ranch pies to the party. In
fact, I could hear the rumblings of a lynch mob on the
radio if I failed in my mission both of crime and mercy.
You see it was a crime to clean the ranch kitchen out of
their last hearty efforts and not leave any for the
stragglers who might have shown up after I left. I did
make a clean getaway out the back gate and got to Salinas
undiscovered on the back roads. I am indeed fortunate
that I know the countryside so well and was not
intercepted by any road agents or pie men. I did see a
few, cleverly disguised as CHP patrol cars, but the smell
of apple and berry did not escape out of my car.
Now I
have to admit to some personal failings too. On the
Wednesday before the Sunday party I went to the store to
buy a fresh turkey that I could put in my smoker and we
could enjoy smoked turkey too! Problem was, there were no
fresh turkeys to be had, so I got a frozen one and left
it out overnight to partially defrost, and then it could
have 3 days more to completely defrost in my
refrigerator. On Sunday morning I took it out of the
refrigerator at 6am to wash and put on the smoker. Guess
what? That bird was still frozen in the center and I
could not get the giblets and neck out of the cavity. I
have a cool refrigerator, dudes and dudettes, so we were
limited to the 10lb ham that fortunately, was enough for
all of us. I don't like being the turkey when this sort
of unplanned thing happens.
But
being with friends and family is what makes the Holidays
worthwhile. We are very fortunate that all of us in
BA-MARC get along well and are a pretty close-knit group.
I also notice that most of us are getting out of our
casts, crutches, and slings, and in general are an
improved lot, both mentally and physically. I've noticed
that my memory is improving. I even remembered to bring
my camera.
Ah, but
alas, I do ramble. We all enjoyed a landmark of a
sumptuous meal that by anyone's standards was reflective
of a pinnacle of effort by Sandra and Company. The
executive chef did herself in for this year's party -
everything from hors d'ouevres to dessert. Thanks Sandra,
it was a GREAT job!
Whenever
I am a guest at someone's house I always try to offer
assistance in meal preparation, serving, or cleanup.
"Too many chefs in the kitchen" I was told. I
still feel guilty when I leave with dishes in the sink at
someone's house, that I in part caused. I still have the
feeling that having 15 or more guests is a bit like the
locusts descending on your house and leaving things in
Ravage State. What was the children's story about the hen
that wanted to bake a pie? No one would help gather the
materials or help cook the pie, but everyone wanted to
help eat it. I feel a bit like that, feeling guilty as
charged.
Well,
the party is now over and everyone is back safely at
home. In the intervening days I've had 12 days off work,
with dinner celebrations for the past 4 days straight. If
ever I've said I feel fat and lazy, this is it. And of
all the things I'd planned to accomplish, I've only done
a few of them. Oh well, there are still a few days to go
before the New Year. My resolution this year is to make
no resolutions. That's fair. Maybe I can keep this one.
In the
intervening days the MARC e-mails have turned to
discussions about frozen tundra and cold conditions. I
have a serious warm suit and ride just about anytime it
isn't too wet or icy. We have had a real wet spell up
here in Northern California and I have a very clean
Harley and Wing that I want to keep that way. Yesterday
in-between storms, I rode about 90 miles over to Lodi
just so I could get a really good taco at a place called
Jimboy's. Quite a lot of them up in the Sacramento area
good places, but this is the only one near the Bay Area.
Yes, it was worth the trip. So much so, that I had four
of them myself. And then there is another place in the
tiny town of Waterloo that has this restaurant. Can't
pass up some good ribs to take home with their homemade
sauce. This place was made famous by their sauce, and I
don't mean the bar. It is a ride stop on one of our
planned rides this spring, or summer; so don't miss the
opportunity to join us.
We had
also planned a December ride but when I shredded a foot
tendon and was in a wheelchair longer than expected, we
just published the ride schedule starting in January and
played the December trip by ear. It looks like rain
through the end of the month so it looks like the trip to
the Sacramento Delta with ferry crossings and lunch in
Locke at Al-the-Wop's won't occur this month. We may try
to squeeze it in during January because it is such a good
trip. Watch our web site and e-mail and join us if you
can and are in the area.
One last
thought. Livermore Harley-Davidson is forming a charter
HOG chapter and has been looking for new charter members
and officer candidates. They are planning rides every
weekend or more often if anyone wants to do them. I may
be helping them out, at least in the planning stages.
Warren Birmingham
K6PHW
