What's in a name? (Tell us about your username)

[Oldodge]

Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. My other two vices........

[DragonRider]

Well at first I used LCRAMER, being thats my name, but after I hosted the first Tail of the Dragon, and riding the Dragon I decided to change my username to DragonRider, because it wouldnt be the last time I rode it or lead the attendee's on the Dragon during a Vogel, to date I have probably ridden the Dragon 15 times, and there will be more I am sure.

[steamer]

I spent the better part of my 21 years in the Navy as a steam propulsion plant operator. 600 psi ,880 degrees superheated steam, driving 50000 hp turbines. So Steamer seem to fit.

[DarkLeftArm]

Haha. Easy.

Been driving big trucks since 1979.

Left arm is REAL dark.

[PBJ]

When i first started i here i was going through a divorce. During my marriage I had combined my last name and hers. So my name on here was PJ Bennettlepel. but it was hard for some to write out. Sweetnothing a member here was joking about it and said why don't you shorten that to like PB&J or something. I told her I like that AND i'D ASK FREEBIRD TO CHANGE IT. he happened to be reading the thread and changed it right then and there. And its been PB&J ever since. Phil Lepel.

[almariders]

Been married to the same good women for 47 years and we still ride together a lot. She has been one two cross country trips with me, one being the Run for The Wall in 05. My first name is Alan her's is Mary sooo we have almariders as our user name

[5 Buck Kanuck]

Mine is easy; I was born in England in 1949 cam to Canada in 1956 in 1967 I joined the Canadian Army. I needed to be a Canadian citizen to serve overseas. It cost me 5 dollars to get my citizenship. So while I was driving all over the USA & Canada I needed a CB handle ??? Thus I am the 5 Buck Kanuck.http://www.venturerider.org/forum/images/smilies/canada.gif

[Angelo]

Uh...........It's my name, kind of simple, just like me:p

[Pegasus1300]

I started riding horses about the same time I learned to walk/ Love horses and loved the freedom of the ride. In Jr High and then in High School we were introduced to mythology and the story of Pegasus the flying horse. My mother told me that even as a small child I would stare every time I saw or heard a motorcycle go by. I actually began riding in 1964 and thought I had discovered the flying horse. When I found the Venturers. Org in 1999 and needed a user name Pegasus1300 just seemed natural and I have brought it with me everywhere I go.Although on Delphi I am PegasusTRA. TRA being Temple Riders Association. Since I don't ride a 1300 V-4 any more I guess I should change but I have had this so long so I guess I'll keep it.

[turtle]

Kind of a hard personality to strangers once I loosen up soft and cuddly I am told so like a turtle hard on outside soft on the inside .

[Chaharly]

Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. My other two vices........[ATTACH=CONFIG]95964[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]95965[/ATTACH]

 

I dont know my dodge's very well but my Dad has a 68 Barracuda thats the same color as the one in the right. Man he loves that car

[Chaharly]

Chaharly came from Charles and Harley. I've always ridden on the back of Dad's goldwings with his biker buddies and they always had a group that would call me chaharly. Even as a little squirt 6 or 7 years old maybe I was a smart'n. When they'd ask me when I was gonna get my own Chaharly I would always tell them i wouldn't because I'd like to make it home without any break downs!

 

Thats how you can tell Daddy raised me right!

[Chaharly]

You should add me on Xbox live CJ AKA CHIEF

[Howard B]

Howard B.... First name and last initial. Yes i know , no imagination. Now back to Christmas cookie baking.

[Hazenson]

Mine is pretty old too, the first time we got internet in the sticks, I had to come up with a name. Ive been in martial arts on and off most of my life and at that time I was studiing Kung Fu. My oldest daughter (now 35) at about 11 or 12 used to make jokes about it. Wax on- wax off- from the old karate kid movie. My name is Hazen and she used to say- wax on- wax off, Hazenson! -- and it stuck-- it is still my email address today Oh and by the way Im still in Martial arts too- studiing Tae kwon do-- keeps me young!

[Oldodge]

I dont know my dodge's very well but my Dad has a 68 Barracuda thats the same color as the one in the right. Man he loves that car

The one on the left is a 1941 Dodge Business Coupe and the one on the right is a 1969 Dodge Dart GT. The '68 Barracuda is indeed a beautiful car.

[midnightrider1300]

well I rode a midnight venture when I joined...so midnightrider was taken thus midnightrider1300 born .......

[Squidley]

Squidley was given to me about 30 years ago when I came home on leave from the Navy. My best friend saw me and stated "Squidley James" and it was just shortened to Squidley. I have run it for many many years and these days it's a badge of honor to have served in the worlds finest Navy.

[stardbog]

Well, nice Thread, My is little confusing, but it comes from my e-mail name as well. I use to owe 2 V-Stars before Venture, and combination of my first and last name. Star Dan Bogdanovich

[retrostude]

Bought my first Studebaker when I was 14 and have had at least one ever since. A co-worker saw my '59 pickup and commented, that rig is retro, and I decided it would be my user name on the spot.

[Zzyzx]

The story behind my handle "Zzyzx"

To make a short story as long as I can I need to begin this tail back in the late 60's, back when my buddy's and I took trips into the Mojave desert, mostly between Victorville CA and the Nevada border to do off road exploring of old mining camps, buildings, and other cool old stuff. Sometimes on bikes, other times is a cage, but always a fun run.

 

About 10 miles west of Baker California was a partially paved road off SR-15, now I-15, that headed out into the desert. Back then the exit sign mostly read *☼y*x☼ because all of the "Z"'s had either been shot at or picked off. We never gave it much thought, we just called it the Z road. If you've ever taken a road trip between LA and Vegas you know the exit. We would sometimes take the off ramp to check out the oasis and maybe see what we could find at the end of the road. I never got all the way to the end but got close to it once, I think.

 

Jump to the 80'S. I had relocated to Las Vegas for work in early 82. My future wife still lived in So-Cal. For a number of years we traveled back and forth between our places to see each other. When I would travel back to So-Cal, and since we liked to dance, on Sunday nights would often close our favorite country bar in Anaheim. I would take my now wife back to her home then, head out on a 4+ hour drive back to Vegas, (always sober by the way).

Along the way I often needed to pull over for a little nap. The town of Baker was a bit past the half way point but was always too busy. There was a rest stop 20 some miles past Baker but I choose to pull off at what I then knew as Zzyzx Rd, mainly because nobody else ever did after dark. It was totally dark and very quiet so when I awoke from a quick 20 I always felt well rested and alert. I never gave it much thought back then but I always felt safe there, maybe because of it being off the beaten path. I would think back from time to time about how I enjoyed exploring the area and when we traveled that route would always try to swing off and just take in the desert.

I have never made to the end of that road. Maybe someday I'll go back and accomplish that as part of my bucket list.

 

Anyway, when I was thinking about a handle one of the names that came to mind was Zzyzx. I knew no one else would ever use the name. There has always been a bit of mystique surrounding it, some of the stories are true, a lot of them bull****, besides, being it is "The Last Place on Earth" it somehow made since to me. Zzyzx is more of a state of mind than a place and because actually reaching the end of that crappy road is on my bucket list it may well be the last place I ever ride and hopefully that doesn't happen for at least another 30 years, if I'm lucky.

 

You asked!

 

That's my version.

 

The truth about Zzyzx:

Known history. Initially known as “Soda Springs”, this was a popular stop for Indians, Spanish explorers, an Army outpost, miners, and the railroad. In 1944, LA radio evangelist Curtis H. Springer decided to make the mineral springs a health resort. As a gimmick to be the last listing in any directory, he and is wife ended up naming it the “Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Resort” as it’s “the last word in health” and the last word in the English language. The government realized on day he had no claim to the land and in 1974 evicted everyone. The BLM took it over and opened a desert research center where the spa used to be.

 

The last place on Earth, as told by others

It was originally founded by a crazy old man, much like myself, who named it ZZYZX since it would be the last word in the dictionary, and hence "the last place on Earth". Currently an abandoned town located in the desert Between Las Vegas and LA.

 

One person wrote about it on a blog;

Why the hell would anyone exit at Zzyzx for? There's nothing out here but miles and miles, of miles and miles!

 

I think that's the point actually.

[Caveman]

Caveman::A 5'6" hair ball barely human.

[Max]

Max10 (old) = Max (current) = greatgrandpa's name. Boring but easy.

[Trader]

I used to run a barter exchage and was into day trading stocks when I first joined...

[Globewalker]

In '98 the wife and I quit our jobs and ventured on a 6 month backpacking Europe trip.

Was looking for an email name to use to correspond with the families from the then popular Internet cafes.

last name is Walker.. was going to be walking the globe .. so came up with Globewalker(s) (a play on the old Globetrotters except we aren't tall enough)