February 2009 - Posts

Thursday, February 26, 2009 2:15 PM

February's A to Z Tour

Recently, RR and I tried to pencil in all our riding season activities to see when we'd have time left to farm.  Our calendar is getting full!  While comparing our calendar with all the ride schedules of the GWTA Nebraska chapters, we found two chapters with only two dates available that didn't conflict with other chapter events.  If we were going to meet our goal as Nebraska Family of the Year and participate in at least one event with each chapter, we were down to the wire.  Road trip!!!!

On February 10, U2 stayed up until 1 am, getting reacquainted with her sewing machine and adding patches to everyone's motorcycle vests.  On February 11, Three Wheels West (minus Hammy) took off for Lincoln.  The weather was beautiful, but we took the cage due to a forecasted winter storm.  That evening, we met up with Chapter A's Heartland Wings for their weekly supper run in Omaha.  Chapter Directors Kim & Becky Johnston had a great turnout, and we all enjoyed our evening together with pizza, pasta, and good friends that we hadn't seen since Fall Follies or Gold Rush...  Thanks, Dan, for getting the belt buckles together for us to bring back to the upcoming Chapter W Anniversary Party.

We spent the night with RR's nephew in Gretna and enjoyed a day of shopping and browsing in the Omaha area.  The Apple computer store was awesome; it was customer service in action, just like the good old days!!!  I loved being able to plop RR's laptop up on the "Genius Bar" and have the operating system's update problem solved in nothing flat without being made to feel technologically inferior and minus the horrendous satellite phone support connection and incomprehensible brogues.  This was Computer Heaven.

Our afternoon shopping trip also included a stop at the new Indian motorcycle store at Gretna Crossings.  Now, this is another store full of dreams.  I don't know why, but there's something about the Indian motorcycle that appeals to my playful side -- the lines, the leather, the trim, the style... it all works... except that it's just a tad out of my price range and my physical capabilties... There is no way I could sit in the saddle of one of those babies, stretch out over the tank, and get my hands around the grips, let alone lean the thing and flatfoot it to the floor.  Still, I can oooh and ahhh and have some fun.  If you get the chance to drop by, don't forget to wander into the Sarpy County Tourism Office on the other side of the mall.  That place is jam packed with the latest maps and travel ideas for the upcoming riding seasons.  The ladies were glad to help us, and we left loaded with enought copies of handouts and other stuff to share with our Chapter W family.  Best of all, it was free!  

On February 12, we ventured over the river and enjoyed the evening with Chapter Z's Country Wings of Blair.  2008 Family of the Year Peggy and Wendell Hakanson officially handed over the Family of the Year Dexter, complete with all the badges, pins, and paraphernalia contributed by each reigning Nebraska Family of the Year.  The purple dinosaur's going to need that rain coat if he's going to ride with us... somebody must have warned him of RR's reputation.

GWTA Region C Board Member Dave Telford hitched a ride to the Indian Valley eatery with us and made the group's evening by offering one of the original Chapter Z patches to the highest bidder.  The "purple people's" patch was auctioned off, redonated back to the group, and auctioned off again... this was some patch!  What a fun way to give back to your club!  It was also nice to be able to come home and tell a friend of mine finishing radiation and preparing for chemo that I spent the evening seated next to a lady who beat a rare form of the big C.  It can be done! 

On February 13, the winter storm hit Gretna just as Three Wheels West pulled out of town.  Thank goodness for all-wheel drive.  We breathed a sigh of relief as we passed I-80's Grand Island exit, the Kearney exit, and the North Platte exit without the interstate being shut down.  We'd passed several semi trucks and cars in the medians and ditches and drove for quite a while with just a single lane open between Kearney and North Platte.  Thankfully, we arrived home before dark, safe and sound. 

But the tour was not over.  On Saturday, February 14, we motored to McCook to enjoy the Republican River Rider's Annual Roadkill Supper.  Hammy's dishes included freshly baked Maggot Cakes (which made a great side dish for the RoadKill Goulash and Black Cat Splat Chili) and Mad-Dash Prairie Chicken / Gas Guzzler's Bumper Gullet Salad... or something like that (Click here for Hammy's recipe).  And what better way to top off a meal than with Valentine Road Apple Cupcakes. Yumm, yumm!  Thanks Ed and Linda for the invitation and Janet and Greg for hosting the event in your home.

To all the remaining Nebraska chapters, your tour will come.  Your group's events are on the calendar!  Thanks to everyone for your hospitality, a great week, and for your concern over our safe travel home.  And to all our motorcycle family, Destination Friendship rules!

 
posted by U2Farmer with 0 Comments