I Wuz Framed!

Dateline:
Gardnerville, Nevada
August 26, 2000

Jerry Grainger <grainger@pacbell.net>

Another very enjoyable annual ride from Burlingame to Gardnerville took place this recent weekend, with perhaps 20 riders and companions having breakfast in Tracy, en route. The five of us who opted for the eastbound route on Highway #4 were met with hot weather and a lot of Gold Wings on the road, along with many other motorcyclists on group rides.

At a fuel stop at Angel's Camp, Ted Newby's 5-year-old battery suddenly expired, but he and John Burnham were able to get a replacement soon enough. The eastbound trek over the 8,730' Ebbetts Pass seems pleasantly familiar yet different from the westbound, homeward route that many of us have used in years past. I made the trip with a couple of BMW's latest battle cruisers, the K1200 LT's of Marc Hyman and Evan Goldenberg.

The usual convention held forth at the Village Motel, fueled by plenty of cold beer and other spirits. The 'uptown' folks who opted for the newer motel up the street reported that the swimming was grand, especially if you like to do it in green algae.

It was fun to have Sunny Gunderson join us again, after losing her to Florida awhile back. She rode Dave Gallegos' old Kawasaki Concours, which looked like new. As usual, Sunny was shy, quiet and retiring. * * * NOT * * * Nice to see you again, Sunny.

Dinner for 40-something attendees was on the early side at J T Basque, with the blazing late afternoon sun discouraging open doors and window coverings, so it was even steamier than usual. It was also pretty noisy, with the other large party dining at the same time seeming to prefer to compete for the highest decibel rating, rather than joining us in telling whoppers, as some dining neighbors have pleasantly done in the past.

My efforts at re-telling a story I gave at the International Norton Rally last month in Torrey, Utah, were not very successful, due to the noise level, and the limited attention span of SMBC'ers intent on partying through dinner. I shoulda' known better.

DA BOOT

I got it, quite to my surprise, since I was sure that the statute of limitations had long since run on the more egregious of my transgressions. I mean, jeez, didn't anybody ever ride a duct-taped, bald-tired old beater to carry around all of their Krugerrands before? Rank discrimination, is what it was, I just know it!

This dubious distinction award by the Sunday Morning Breakfast Club was presented by Ted Newby, who still holds the world's record for the shortest Iron Butt ride on diesel fuel. Other recipients' appeals are still pending. And next year's contenders are already being watched carefully. (* * * Beware * * *)

Bright and early Sunday, most of the group was either headed back to the Bay Area, or on up to Burney Falls, where Mac and Jan McDonell found a pleasant hide-away. But that's another story, since I opted to go to Burning Man, out in the Nevada Desert, from Gardnerville. But that, too, is another story. Pictures for the SMBC events are already on the web, as you may've discovered.

Next week: a camp-out at King's Canyon. I plan to be there, especially if I can locate such camping gear as a tent. Although I just discovered that a Kawasaki bike cover will serve admirably in a dust storm, if you're sleeping on the desert floor. If it was good enough for Lawrence of Arabia . . . .

Felicitations,

Jerry Grainger

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