Return-Path: Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 14:08:03 -0400 (EDT) From: gparsons Subject: thanks; rcr thoughts (fwd) Sender: tridod-request@cog.att.net Reply-To: tridod@cog.att.net i've been underwater with work for the past two days, so i'm only now coming up for air. first off: thanks to andy for getting us back on-line. those long lists of e-mail copies were starting to get to me. ;-) i noticed you sent your test messages in the wee hours of the morning; thanks for the effort. second, some thoughts on rcr... *i thoroughly enjoyed hanging with everyone who went this year. it's way cool being part of the plurality at a dod event. i don't know how many people they get at the dorky little joust ;-) or the rnf, but i doubt they come close to the 105 we got at rcr. i think it's about time we stopped calling it the premier "east coast" event of the dod. *i don't know what it was, but our shirts got more attention from citizens this weekend than they ever have around here. once, when marc and charlotte and i were sitting at a diner near lancaster, pa., some guy came up and practically begged us to give him one. then, at the nearby railroad museum, some dude claiming to be an "outlaw" started up a conversation. i think he thought we were a real club. *the highlands route was, if i do say so myself, way cool. i'm guessing it was pretty much right at 300 miles from clarksville, with less than about a fifth of it on roads with actual lines. most of them were goat-path back-roads with almost no traffic, either heading north or south. they were just great. with our ride to amish country and various toolin' around, i'd guess we were just shy of a grand miles. those who weren't riding along on the way back missed a rare occurance: although i am loathe to admit it, i actually missed a turn. =:-O *my my, the tridods sure do snore like crazy :-) and no, andy, you were far from the worst. in fact, from where i was, i'm not even sure i noticed you snoring at all. you were right, too, about your "best tent campers" award: next year, i'm out on the lawn (unless, of course, it rains; wimp that i am ;-) *martyn loves his bike ;-) 'course, it is pretty cool. i have to say that it suits you, martyn. *it was absofrigginlutely hot on the way back. early morning from thurmont south to cumberland was just golden; wonderful riding on great roads with great weather. by about farmville, though, it was astronomically hot. i even wound up ditching the suit for jeans and a t-shirt for the last 100 miles, safety be damed. i felt like i was about to pass out. *there ain't nothing like ice cream on a hot day. nothin at all. *as a group, the dod/rcr types are pretty darn cool folks. i dont' think i met one who struck me as someone i wouldn't share a beer with, even if it were just me and one other. that is very rare these days. 'course, the same is true of the tridod (no, grant, you can't have my bud light ;-) *it'll be interesting to see where martyn has next year's rcr. i've heard the rumors, but i won't spill a thing. *i'll second the "best newbie" award for marc krouse. dude, you sure hung in there. now that you've passed the 'crack the whip' test, you're now ready for the complementary tridod sponsored psychiatrist's session. ;-) all in all, a great trip. deals gap is coming up in late august/early september. should be another blast. -grant