Cheaha....good news....bad news...

[RedValk]

First, what a blast....good to see everyone again....but also good, to finally get some rest now!

GOOD NEWS. Yes, we WILL be doing Cheaha next year............and...........we WILL..........be at the lodge.....after all. Thanks to your generous donations and splendid raffle sales....I feel we have enough seed money to proceed with getting the lodge. i won't know how much we will need to charge per person to cover the cost....but i KNOW we can do it for 20 per person...and MAYBE...even the same 15 per person we did it for last year. i'll have to crunch some numbers and look at the final budget....guestimate costs next year...etc. so it will be some time before i know THOSE kind of details. But, we will do the lodge...and the cost will either be the same...or $5 more.....so....that's the GOOD news.

I DO NOT KNOW THE DATE AT THIS POINT. i know some of you reserved rooms for next year....IN FACT, THE HOTEL IS ALREADY FULL....for the weekend of 30 April - 2 May. That is the weekend i THINK it will be....but........we have to get that confirmed in the next few weeks by hotel folks. THE ONLY thing that might make it change....is WHEN the Talladega race is. IF the race were that weekend, then we'd have to move it one week before or one week after. WE THINK........Cheaha will in fact be 30 April - 2 May. STAY TUNED..............and if you booked for THAT weekend, hold onto that date....but...........stay tuned and IF we find out it has to be moved one week forward or back, we'll post here...and you can always change to the proper weekend. BUT....you'll want to be watching for the FORMAL announcement. with the hotel folks, there's always a chance IF the date has to be moved due to the races....that....POSSIBLY, someone might beat you to a room on the NEW date...SHOULD THAT HAPPEN. SORRY, but there is NOTHING i can do...other than find out as SOON as i  can what the official "engraved in stone date will be" and post it here. I really think 30 April is good............but.............suddenly the hotel folks said wait...........we have to check on the race date......

BAD NEWS. I'M JUST THE MESSENGER BOY ON THIS .....but...........i took an earful from the Park folks upon checkout. You see, now they have new management. A lot of the folks i knew for years, have retired, moved on, etc. There is a "new sherriff in town". So, now i have to deal with him. and many new employees. Anyway, in the past, i have helped police things DOWN AT THE HOTEL....cause in the past years....i stayed in the hotel. I'd clean up bottles and cans and cups folks left littered outside their rooms the next morning (yes, i did that .....even though i don't like doing it....but i knew SOMEONE had to do it............or...................). But NOW THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVATE LODGE, i stay up there. I keep that place VERY clean....stay on top of it. But i can't watch what's happening at the hotel (or campsites, chalets, cabins, etc.).

So, the earful i got, was on people getting a little loud outside their rooms late at night...and more so...for them leaving bottles, cans, trash OUTSIDE....in front of their rooms....and...parking their bikes on the sidewalk.

look, i know....we all like to gather outside the rooms and party some. I USED to do it too....when i stayed in the hotel. But here's the deal. I need folks to consider doing the following....PRETTY PLEASE!

1. Try to do MOST of your partying.....at......THE PARTY PLACE. That's right, the Baldrock Lodge. that is EXACTLY why we pay FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS (eh, that's $4000 folks....)...so we can party as much as we want, as late as we want....LEGALLY, with no hassle "from the man". NO ONE can say anything to us about having open containers in the lodge. NO ONE can tell us we have to shut down in the lodge. In the past, the "man" would come by and tell us to "tone it down" in the pavilion after 1000 PM....cause the park has quiet hours after 10 PM. Likewise, while they looked the other way when we drank in the pavilion, it was ACTUALLY ILLEGAL. you can't have an OPEN container in the park...OUTSIDE YOUR ROOM OR CAMPSITE (or....the PRIVATE Baldrock Lodge...thus the name PRIVATE!). They probably won't say anything if some of you gather outside a hotel room...on the sidewalk RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT ROOM...and drink.....AS LONG AS...you keep it down...and clean up after yourselves!!!!!!!!!  ( I think the last item is CRITICAL).

but why not party at the lodge....and then all this is moot. Again, that's why we pay $4000. that IS Ground Zero. (plus it has more beds for us to sleep in, the commercial kitchen, the indoor banquet room if the weather gets bad, etc.)

2. If you must party SOME ....later....at the hotel, BE DISCRETE AND LOW PROFILE. if you make too much noise.................

3. CLEAN UP WHEN DONE. that was the biggest complaint...all the trash left outside.

4. Don't park bikes on the sidewalk. I know, we've all done it as some hotel....storms are coming....we want our "baby" protected from the elements. But..............not in the park. one year, the OLD Ranger actually came and got us....told us we should  move our bikes UNDER the pavilion (the one you can easliy park under)....cause hail was coming! i tried doing that when weather was coming .....last year........with this new ranger on the job, and he came and FOUND ME....and told me to move the bike OUT FROM UNDER the pavilion or have it towed..........  Bottom line, no parking bikes anywhere ....other than in the parking lot!!!!!!!

Bottom line, after all that effort to get the money....to get the $4000 lodge....when i first walked down to the lobby to close out and check out of the lodge....AT FIRST, i was being told WE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BACK NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I did some damage control, and now...........we're good to go.

BUT I PROMISED........next year, the hotel folks would be a bit quiter late at night.....drink a bit "closer to their door"....and most importantly, WOULD CLEAN UP after they were done!!!!!!!!!!  Just help me keep things good to go. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!  I work hard to keep the lodge clean....as do others (yep, that's why i was CONSTANTLY picking up your empty beer cans, water bottles, checking and taking out those big black trash bags, etc.)  I don't like cleaning up after others, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT!!!!!!!  so now, i need YOUR help....keeping ALL of our areas clean....next year.

Pretty please!!!!!!  

i'll post dates as soon as i can....................but ......we're going back to the lodge!

[stormrider]

Thanks again; Tim, Sherry, Phillis, Jack, Lori, Carl, Anita, Ray, and everyone else for the great job.

You would think the money they make off our event they wouldn't mind the extra noise and trash, but that is more grief they have to put up with as employees. They get a paycheck wether we are there are not. But like you said, party central is the place to be.

[PIBIT #34]

Thanks for a great time and all the hard work by all those responsible for this event.
I caught the "eh" in your post (not exactly subtle).
We did party back at the hotel, after 1030pm when the festivities at the lodge had wound down...there were no guests in our area other than VRCC members and if anyone had asked us to tone it down or move it inside we certainly would of. As far as garbage goes, both Pam and I cleaned up the area and we absolutely did not leave a mess when we left...as Strider said, the only stuff left behind was neatly placed full and unopened liquor, which I am sure the staff would have appreciated rather than complained about. There was no mess, period...and I know nothing about the bike on the sidewalk.
Yes, I did party at the hotel...we actually had a very good time at both the lodge and back at the hotel. But your "eh" reference was uncalled for...we partied (who would have thought that was not ok) but we cleaned up any mess and to suggest otherwise is unfair. I would be very interested to know how you handled the "damage control" with the hotel, eh?
Overall, Pam and I had an absolutely amazing time, seeing old friends and meeting new ones...again, thanks to all who made this such a fun event. The purpose of this post is not to sugest we did not party at the hotel, or enjoy the company of others and the noise that goes with it, but to make it clear that we did not leave any mess and cleaned up everyone's mess both nights, that we did not park on the sidewalk, and that we were not rude to anyone and would have very happily responded in our overly polite Canadian way to anyone, guest or staff, had we been asked to cease and desist. And please note, the majority of this post is in response to the "eh" in your post, clearly directed and understood by other's to mean us, making it necessary for me to at least clarify for the record. I hope my response is received in the spirit that it is intended.
PIBIT #34

[thumper]

Thanks for a great time and all the hard work by all those responsible for this event.
I caught the "eh" in your post (not exactly subtle).
We did party back at the hotel, after 1030pm when the festivities at the lodge had wound down...there were no guests in our area other than VRCC members and if anyone had asked us to tone it down or move it inside we certainly would of. As far as garbage goes, both Pam and I cleaned up the area and we absolutely did not leave a mess when we left...as Strider said, the only stuff left behind was neatly placed full and unopened liquor, which I am sure the staff would have appreciated rather than complained about. There was no mess, period...and I know nothing about the bike on the sidewalk.
Yes, I did party at the hotel...we actually had a very good time at both the lodge and back at the hotel. But your "eh" reference was uncalled for...we partied (who would have thought that was not ok) but we cleaned up any mess and to suggest otherwise is unfair. I would be very interested to know how you handled the "damage control" with the hotel, eh?
Overall, Pam and I had an absolutely amazing time, seeing old friends and meeting new ones...again, thanks to all who made this such a fun event. The purpose of this post is not to sugest we did not party at the hotel, or enjoy the company of others and the noise that goes with it, but to make it clear that we did not leave any mess and cleaned up everyone's mess both nights, that we did not park on the sidewalk, and that we were not rude to anyone and would have very happily responded in our overly polite Canadian way to anyone, guest or staff, had we been asked to cease and desist. And please note, the majority of this post is in response to the "eh" in your post, clearly directed and understood by other's to mean us, making it necessary for me to at least clarify for the record. I hope my response is received in the spirit that it is intended.
PIBIT #34

I normally don't get involved in these discussions but here it goes.....

I was in the room right next to Pibit.  My medical condition causes me to kind of fizzle late at night so I went to bed early both Friday and Saturday night and slept right through the partying that was going on right outside my door.  If I thought they were being inconsiderate I would have said something and I didn't.

Also, I was polishing my bike Sunday morning when the maintence man came to pick up the liquor bottles outside on the sidewalk.  He gave me a lecture which I did not appreciate since I had nothing to do with it.  I mean, we're talking three maybe four bottles and I can assure you that his attitude improved exponentially when he found out they were full or nearly full.

Bottom line is if this is a problem maybe we need to find a more biker friendly/people friendly location to meet.

JMHO 

[Duffy]

First, PIBIT (that's "Paint it Black in Toronto"!)  - great to meet you and Pam. 

Next, the hotel's complaint is really BS. As PIBIT and Paul said, the trash was cleaned up and some "gifts" were left behind. 

There is no cause to blame the Canadians  beside's PIBIT's ipod rocks! 

Also, at $75 a night, a little clean up after the guests is not unreasonable. Get over it a do your job! 

As far as the lodge, I was happy with just the pavilion and the hotel... jmo 

[Strider]

We were only playing Chess......

Seriously - we DID party on the sidewalk in front of a room (And that was my fault) - Duffy and Thumper were our time keepers on when we shut the music off. 

Pam did an outstanding job of policing the area before we went for BBQ on Saturday and I sure didn't step on a can leaving out on Sunday.  There was never a bike on the sidewalk and I take full responsibilities for leaving my almost full bottles (that Pam and Pibit stacked neatly near a post) when I left because I had no room in my bags.  But the bottles I thought a fellow VRCC may want that was left (was my fault).

I agree with the others - and I posted earlier that we made sure the entire block (upstairs and downstairs were VRCC) that at the rate we paid, they can't throw away a couple of neatly stacked bottles (hopefully to a fellow member or groundskeeper) - you may want to look elsewhere.  We threw away trash, we policed the area, we tried to keep it quiet - but for God's sake, this was a motorcycle rally that folks rode a long way to......I really can watch John Wayne at home ya know.

All I can say is there must have been one helluva party on the other side of the hotel that we were not aware of........Another example of the "man" making accusations because we ride a motorcycle is all I can say.  I have now been threatened the last two times I have been there with being "kicked off the mountain" for our actions by the Cheaha Hotel Staff or Rangers.  I have to admit that Cheaha doesn't seem real "biker friendly".  Tim, ya KNOW I love ya, but seriously, things were calmer this time up than ever before.  According to Duffy, we turned the music off at 1:52 on Friday and I was in bed by midnight on Saturday (and that was in front of the PARTY central sidewalk).  I think the hotel is going way BEYOND if they said we were disturbing guests, leaving trash and parking bikes on the sidewalks.  Two and three years ago maybe, but SURE NOT THIS YEAR!  WE KEPT THINGS CLEAN and with the group being split into two parts, the party group at the hotel was much smaller.  My damage control would have been to tell them that they just lost 100+ people at the lodge, hotel and (over worked) restraunt.  I can see a complaint if we were hanging from the rafters and asking for the "little girls".  We were adult bikers, enjoying some fellowship in a civilized environment.  Just like Ashville, I think this is a problem with them, not us.

JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION.......

I know I had a blast - but it was in a semi quiet, respect to the property kind of way.  Not what the hotel said at all.  Next time, since it is my fault, I will pour any unopened liquor down the drain instead of leaving it for anyone that wants it.  Better yet, I will stay up (even though I can't listen to music) and drink it - no matter what my state.  Don't want to bother the hotel staff to pick it up and put it in the black bag they always carry..........

JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION.......

Like everyone has said - WE DID NOTHING WRONG AT THE HOTEL PARTY and it was cleaned, even though we didn't want to do it either, EVERY MORNING.  I guess next time I will change my own sheets as well.  That may make the new management happy!

Sorry Bro - but we did nothing wrong down at the base of the hill...........Contrary to hotel belief.  We passed a LARGE TIME and picked up afterwards.  I don't even know where Pam got the big bag that she was throwing stuff into Saturday morning - not much stuff - just a big bag.

If they said we left a mess, tell Cheaha to stuff it into one of those big bags that Pam had.

IMHO

Here is a picture you can pin to it......



In fact you can say the entire group that partied up there says "hello" and that they are number one.



Brother Magoo agrees! (and he wasn't even there)




We were only playing chess up there (and trying to make sure this wasn't a Winger Swinger Thinger).

Play Chess	powered by Aeva

[razor]

Tim,

I have to agree with what the others have said here.  The party at the hotel was more sedate than I have seen in the past. I didn't stay for the whole thing but my room was upstairs just over from the party sidewalk. I could not hear the music nor any voices in my room.  Neither did I see any trash the next morning.  As for parking on the sidewalk, SO WHAT!  I my opinion, they ought to be finding places out of the weather for all of us to park our bikes!!!!


Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think we booked every room in the place, and if they are going to bitch about things that I believe are not true, then they just don't like motorcycle groups. 
I say, tell their Boss, if you don't want us there, we'll take our $4000 plus all of the rooms and the cabins, and go some place else.  I realize this place is really a good place to have this gathering,  but not if they are going to be buttholes.  I think it's more about the group getting together than where we get together. 

THIS IS NOT MY "HUMBLE OPINION".........I'M RIGHT !

That said, as always ya'll did an excellent job!!! Had a great time and great food.  Thanks to all !

[Crazyhorse]

Gee guys it hard to believe that a group of Valkyrie Riders could be rowdier than the Talladega Race group, which they seem to cater to there on the mountain. I didn't make it down because of the shortage of rooms, was on the waiting list for months. I know that Tim, Sherry and others put alot of work into having this each year but with the way it has grown may be it's time to consider a location with more room and that's biker friendly.

Mac



 

[RTaz]

...good thing that kind of thing don't happen up here in the far north...


wait a minute...your not talking about late night (after 11:00pm) gathering and outrageous debauchery..in a motel parking lot are you...



loose women and late night dancing?



...well I guess it could happen.....

[RedValk]

man, i can't believe this. No matter how CAREFUL i try to be, someone ALWAYS misinterprets what i'm saying.

SO...........HERE GOES (man, I DO get tired of trying to explain WELL meant intentions  )

1. PIBIT. NO, you got it ABSOLUTELY WRONG. the "eh"....is something i use over and over and over....in MANY OF MY POSTS FOR MANY YEARS...and had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with YOU. PERIOD. I use that ....and have used that....for YEARS....in posts. just like i use........these "dots"......to indicate "pauses"....that i'm thinking about what i'm saying (Raymond can appreciate this...it's like Ham Radio morse code for AS....or Standby............). SO NO, i have NO IDEA who all was there....nor do i care. I had ZERO idea you were there. Come on, you and i have known each other for YEARS. i would NOT single someone out in Public. Old Military officers do NOT do that.

2. I'm just the messenger man. I took the brow beating. (though sounds like a few of you might have gotten a tiny earful too?). I did damage control by telling them i wasn't there, i don't see any bottles and such NOW (when i came down in the morning), so i wasn't aware of any issues personally. but i DID tell them, in the future, we'd make sure IF THERE WAS ANY MESS, we'd clean it up. that's all....just make sure we police each other, keep noise down after quiet hours (State Park, 1000 PM, quiet hours...NO NOISE...EXCEPT...at the PRIVATE BALDROCK LODGE....). Even in the pavilion, the old Ranger...WHO KNEW ME...would come by as a courtesy and say something to me IF we were too loud....turn the music down....etc. I just dealt with it in the past. Now, a new Sherriff in town.....maybe flexing their muscles a bit????

3. NO, we did NOT have the whole hotel. Our numbers were DOWN this year (remember, i was sweating EATING $2000). So, as such, there were folks NOT part of our group staying there. I certainly wish we would have filled it up..........we came close! In fact, when i checked out, there were folks NOT part of our group checking out right behind me.......  The hotel wasn't quite full of us, the camp ground was 1/3 us, 2/3 NON bikers....a few cabins were not us...etc. THIS YEAR, a third of the park up top, was NOT us.

4.Why must ANYONE turn this into something it isn't????? This is NOT directed at any one person or group. OK, it makes reference to folks staying at the hotel. But how about this, two years ago, I GOT THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT PEOPLE STAYING IN THE CAMPGROUNDS!!!!!!  I just elected NOT to post it that year. i took the earful, humbly appologized....and told them i would try and make sure it didn't happen again. No complaints THIS year about campground....just mention of the hotel.

5. I'll be more careful with my use of "eh"....but it is NOT a reference to Canadians. It's a slang i use...as i said above...and have for years. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THIS, do a search on posts by ME...and i'll bet you any amount of money you'll find MANY OTHER POSTS...with that exact same "eh" ...in there. Also, you'll find these ....... dots.....in 2/3 of my posts. Old habits die hard  

6. PLEASE....let's not make a mountain out of mole hill. JUST HELP ME....keep it in line. that's all i'm asking. But, if for some reason anyone is actually offended (i started to use the same language i ALWAYS do right here....but since some might MISINTERPRET THAT...I won't  )....I'll issue a public appology. That of course wasn't my intent. man, this does bum me out. PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES. First, i work my tail off ...to the point of near exhaustion....cleaning up and doing things up at the PRIVATE lodge. Cleaning up after folks (yes, cleaning up .....ok, i'm not going to go into specifics....but others....Slowroad, Carl, Lori, Sherry, the list goes on and on....can tell you JUST HOW MUCH stuff winds up lying around INSTEAD of in the trash....where it belongs). Then i come to check out, and have to get the earful from the Park folks. then when i post about getting some help from MY FRIENDS....keeping things up......I take some more "earful".

A feller can't win in this i  guess. Sorry. I'll take the blame and move on. BRITMAN, appologies to you. Your advice was no doubt best. But i just felt i had to reply with some explanation. I'm probably going to regret it, yes? (i was going to put another two letter expression i have used over and over for years..........but.....................again......................people would have possibly get that wrong..........I'm learning here  ).

Ok, i'm taking that deep breath now Paul (just dawned on me, someone may not realize i'm referring to Paul/BRITMAN....who was so kind as to send me a PM and give me some good friendly.....VERY GOOD advice regarding this thread!!!!!!!).

all i wanted was to ASK MY FRIENDS...to help me...police things up so i don't have to take an earful or risk MAYBE getting thrown out in the future. And just about anywhere you go, you can run into similar issues. PIBIT, you my friend, witnessed the thing in Maggie that one year. Did anyone REALLY do anything bad? Not really. But yet............look what happened? There is probably NOWHERE one can go that something can't become a possible issue with management! I LOVE CHEAHA. i want to come back. I'm just asking MY FRIENDS...........to help me out.............that's all...................

Sorry folks, but these replies sort of caught me off guard. If my intentions were misread and my original post caught ANY OF YOU off guard, i appologize, and remind you.....that was NOT my intention.

[stormrider]

Tim, we stayed in a chalet so my comments are just an observation. You do work your butt off to make sure we have a great event. Going to Barber's two years ago, setting up the 'que' at 29 Dreams, last year's trip to Talledaga, and all the work it must have taken to put together Barber's/AMA Superbike race experience. (A note here; I have put on lots of events and volunteered at many others, so I ended up in the paddock area all day Saturday, more on that later). Coordinating everything at Cheaha, from reserving the Lodge, the shuttle, door prizes, food (lots of great food all three years we've been), wood for the fire pit, having to buy groceries at the last minute cause someone bailed on that, etc., etc. Sweating having enough to pay for the lodge. And like you said, most any place you go, with this large of a group, there is bound to be someone in management that will find a bone to pick. I hope I speak for everyone that was there by saying a great big THANKS

It's a shame though that if there was any kind of issue, wether it was noise, or trash, or bikes on sidewalks, that when it was brought to managements attention that they didn't deal with it right then by going to the "offendors" and resolving it without having to grieve you over it. I have every room, cabin, chalet, the lodge reserved for the second weekend of September and if they are going to give grief after chunking out at least $10k to them for what is a nuicence to them then I may need to reconsider where we need to spend our money.

Yes, it is a state park, and they probably have stricter rules than some other places, but they shouldn't have jumped your case. How do they expect you to bring all this together then police the entire property for them. That's what they have park rangers for. And they know well in advance that we are going to be there with a large group and should have additional cleanup crews so if a gift is left behind it would be well taken care of.

Oh well, we usually stay at chalet 11 which is a short walk from the hotel. We have it reserved for next year and after the party winds down at the lodge ya'll can bring it on down to #11.

See ya in '10.

The "Stormrider"

 ps. what's so crazy bout that handle, we put in close to 600 rain free miles for the weekend. How'd that happen. Course, I left out Sat morning to go to Barber's at 5:30 and didn't get back till bout 8:30 PM.

Ya'll have a blessed day.

[razor]

Tim,

Maybe I should explain my post. 

I'll start by saying I'm totally amazed at your ability to put these things together!!! Your events are always totally awesome!!  I couldn't do it, nor are there too many other people that can put one together like you do.  SO, don't think that I'm not grateful. I think we all are!!!

I think the "Cheaha employees" should be grateful to have us, and should go out of their way to make us feel welcome.  Like someone else said, I'll bet we are a lot less "trouble " than the race crowd!! 

 I was just telling you my experience at the hotel.    I'm not fussing at you, I don't think any of us are.  I believe you took some "heat" for something that did not exist or should be part of their job.  And that's what ticks me off!   

Just let'n ya know we didn't do it, and if there's a fight we got your back!

Peace brother!

[PIBIT #34]

Tim...if i misinterpreted your post I apologize...usually "eh" used by my southern friends is in reference to us Canucks and our tendency to tack that on to the end of every sentence.
My concern was mostly to clarify that we did not leave a mess behind or park where we shouldn't have...if I had brought the valk I might have asked if I could park it in the lobby in front of the registration desk, but would not have been shocked  if they had said no...
I do appreciate the work that you, Sherry and your team do to put this on every year and both Pam and I had a great, make that, AMAZING, time on the mountain.
PIBIT #34 

[Big IV]

but where are the rest of folks pics? That's what I want to see. More pics of what usually looks and sounds like a great event.

[hubcapsc]

2. I'm just the messenger man. I took the brow beating.

Carolyn met up with Henry and I in her car at the first Hardees on I20 on the way home. She was behind you at checkout,
and she told us about the brow beating you took.

And now it appears there wasn't any mess left for them to be yelling about.

Maybe the new people in charge just aren't broken in good yet!

Thanks to all who's hard work made this year's Cheaha possible!

-Mike

[hubcapsc]

but where are the rest of folks pics? That's what I want to see. More pics of what usually looks and sounds like a great event.

I hope you saw the video I posted of us arriving... one of the parts I thought I was going
to have to edit out turned out to be kind of funny 

-Mike

[RedValk]

it's ALL good folks. Honest. I'll do MORE face time with these NEW management folks up top...get to know them...and i'm sure all we be good. I did meet the new Ranger...and he said perhaps some of the other new employess MIGHT be making more out of this than there really was (ya' think?)? I really suspect even MORE SO NOW...that probably WAS the case. I think one guy in particular...the guy with the beard....maybe a maintenance guy on their Staff....might have it out for us??? he jumped me Friday....FIRST...me personally, for leaving my truck and trailer at the cabin we just checked out of...until i could get our bikes moved and go back for the truck and take it to the lodge. i just looked at him like "you got to be kidding me?" He jumped me about parking....etc. i think he just has a bone to pick.

my goal is to get to know the NEW Ranger....like i knew the OLD one. He NEVER would have said anything negative. he'd just politely get me, remind me of anything he needed to...shake my hand...and go on with his business.

again, i'll get that repoire with the new folks eventually. i go up there alot. i'll work on getting to know them.

I get the impression it was a few of THEIR Staff that probably had some bone to pick? the girl behind the counter when all of us were checking out was something too. She kind of gave out confusing info to everyone...regarding race week and dates, etc. Then, she tried to charge me MORE money for the lodge. I told her i had squared up with her boss over a MONTH AGO. she kept insisting we owed MORE money. Then told me I had to go find her boss and settle up. I said NOPE, call your boss on the phone. She did....poof....NO MONEY OWED. i even have a receipt where she tried to get the bill right...it has line after line of multiple corrections....even one line where SHE TYPED IN THE WORD STUPID.....but mispelled it as STUPIED. What is that all about?? 

We'll just all make sure we are doing our part to be SOMEWHAT reasonable and clean up, etc. Hey, YOU GUYS KNOW ME. i'm gonna' drink. I'm gonna' strut like a chicken (there are probably pictures of that, unfortunately  ). I'm gonna' listen to music. I'm gonna' do some partying. SO I FULLY EXPECT EVERYONE ELSE TO DO SO TOO!!!!!! I know if i'm at the hotel, I AM.....GOING OUT......IN FRONT OF MY ROOM....and drinking and talking to my friends i only get to see a few times a year....until however late i feel like!!! I would expect NOTHING LESS FROM ANY OF YOU. Just ....as we always have....help me keep it at a reasonable level and clean up afterwards. And then if the hotel/park "turds" (another one of my insensitive words...that i use WAY TOO much....meant to indicate LOSER, BAD FOLKS, etc.  ) give me crap, I'll take that crap....cause that's what a good "leader" is supposed to do 

i also appologize....for not running the truck and trailer REAL LATE....but by about 1100-1200 PM...most of us Staff are exhausted! that, and that truck SUCKS up gas with that trailer hauling around the mountain all night. We fill it up BEFORE going up the mountain. It's always on fumes when we head back down on Sunday. So, we can't run it too much more than we do. Sometimes, we no more than get back with one load, and folks are asking where we've been...cause they are waiting to go!!! Anyway, i wish we could run it till 200-300 AM....but that won't happen. SO AGAIN, i fully expect you guys to keep up the tradition and drink and socialize whereever you are and can! NO WATCHING JOHN WAYNE....i forbid it! this is a rally 

PIBIT, I'll see you and Pam at Maggie...drink a cold one with me....so i can get more indoctrinated in being sensitive to these language issues....Redneck the I am 

Group hug....sometimes, things are hard to "read" from a keyboard....than compared to face to face. Ya'll know what i mean? (that's Redneck for Do You All................ )

[RTaz]

Tim...if i misinterpreted your post I apologize...usually "eh" used by my southern friends is in reference to us Canucks and our tendency to tack that on to the end of every sentence.

I know some Michigan folks tag that on also "eh" so it's not just a Canadian thing you know eh....

[PIBIT #34]

You must be within a shouting distance of the border, eh?
And, thanks, I stand corrected!
PIBIT #34 

[RTaz]

You must be within a shouting distance of the border, eh?
And, thanks, I stand corrected!
PIBIT #34 

whatever weather we have you will see 2 hours later.....

[Stanley Steamer]

You all didn't have to deal with my half-nekkid @ss this year....that right there HAD to have cut down on some of the beer bottles(Liquid Courage)..... ... ...

Seriously, I missed you guys and gals and I know Tim, Sherry and the Whole Crew do a jam up job with Cheaha!!....