Subject: Re: from the Oompah
From: Mr. Bill
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 10:44:22 -0500


rg == Ryan Gill  writes:
rg> Ahh, Good, you missed Both Convergence 8 (Goth Music thing
rg> up in Montreal) and the Reading Airshow (WWII Re-enacting).
rg>
rg> I figured you needed someone to say "that is a good date for
rg> me"....

Thank you, Ryan.  As an Oompah Emeritus, I know it's both good and rare for
an Oompah to get positive feedback... ;-)

ms == "Mike Sayers" writes:
ms> But since you brought it up, were _I_ the Oompah, I wouldn't
ms> schedule the RCR on the same weekend as one of the big 4
ms> bike rallies east of the Mississippi, of which only two fall in
ms> the summer.

1) Daytona
2) Laconia
3) Americade
4) Mid-Ohio & Vintage Days (which IIRC, are actually two back-to-back
events)

So where does this "Thunder in the Valley" thing fit in with "the big 4 bike
rallies east of the Mississippi"?  After 20+ years of motorcycling, this is
the first time I've even heard of it... :-(

ms> With all due respect, it is not just something random going on
ms> somewhere on the planet IMO since it likely affects more than
ms> one somebody.

With similar respect, I'm sure it all depends on an individuals personal
niche and interest.  FI, Charlie Smith missed several RCRs due to conflicts
with "The Meet in the Middle", which IIRC is a major BMW and/or Harley
gather east of Ole Man River.  Big enough and important enough in his
personal Frame of Reference (FoR) that he skipped several RCRs to attend it.
But before he called it to our attention, I (and I would believe many of the
others on this list) had never heard of it.

ms> As you say, we have to schedule our priorities, and as the president
ms> of  the VMOA, attendance at Thunder is mandatory,

Which means that this is obviously a "major" rally within *your* FoR.  Which
is back to my original point: Everybody has their own FoR, everybody has
their own concept of what's "major" within that FoR, and if you overlaid
everybody's individual FoRs there would be *NO* appropriate weekend to hold
the RCR within the months of May through September.  You *might* be able to
find an opening somewhere within October to April timeframe...

As has often been said, if you want to make sure the RCR doesn't conflict
with anything on your schedule, take up the mantle and become the Oompah.
Nobody has yet made the declaration "Oh, what the..." for RCR-XII...  ;-)
Although as last year's RCR proved, even being the Oompah doesn't make that
a lead pipe cinch.  You might recall that last year's Oompah almost couldn't
come to the RCR he was *hosting* because he had trouble finding *any*
weekend that would fit in *his* FoR! :-(

ms> I'm also sure that, as one of the crusty elder perfect attendance
ms> survivors with your reputation at stake, you'd skip your own
ms> mother's funeral to be there... after all priorities are priorities...
ms> :D

As the likely executor of her estate, I would be sure to schedule it for the
Tuesday following the RCR.  Mum would understand...  :-)

Mr. Bill, Keeper of the Many Acronyms (KotMA)
(Thanks, Buz...  ;-)