Thank you for coming to my Maintenance Day

[Freebird]

I am finally starting to catch my breath just a bit. Thank all of you so much for showing up and making the day a huge success. It seems to grow a bit each year and Eileen and I really enjoy doing this for all of you. My biggest regret is that I never have time to visit and get to know each of you the way I would like to.

 

This thing has grown to the point that I am now going to have to try and figure out a way to organize it a bit better. V7Goose and I were talking about it late Saturday night and he had some good ideas on how I might be able to do that. We were both afraid that some of you didn't get things done to your bike that you would like to and it bothers me that any of you came with expectations of getting things done that we didn't get to. We will try to do better in the future.

 

I think that if we get organized and started earlier in the morning, get some lanes set up for different jobs and just generally organize it better, we can be much more productive. It would be great to get everything done earlier in the day and then actually have time to do a nice group ride to cap things off.

 

At any rate, I had a lot of fun and hope that you did to. I hope that us catering the lunch was OK with everybody. We have always cooked hamburgers and etc. in the past but it's just getting too big for that to be practical.

 

I actually went riding yesterday. GaryN is still here in the Space Shuttle so he and I jumped on the bikes yesterday and got a couple of hundred miles in. It was a bittersweet evening as he sincerely felt that he needed to go back and visit the site of his accident. We did that and he was even able to meet with one of the paramedics that was on the scene of the accident. Like I said, it was a bittersweet ride but something that Gary felt he really needed to do in order to continue the healing process and was another step in finding some closure. Even with that, we found some nice back country roads and it was a great ride. I am thankful that I was able to do this with him and felt very honored that he asked me to accompany him.

 

Now it's time to get back to work. STILL not sure where I'm going this week and have about decided to not leave until late this evening or even early tomorrow morning. Sorry I got so behind with my emails and PMs but am about to get caught up now.

 

Again, thanks to those of you who attended, I hope you all had a nice time and now it's time to start planning for NEXT YEAR.

[Sweetnothing]

Don,

The thank you goes to You, Eileen, and Dylan for letting us all show up at your house whenever we want, and then take it over!! You did a great job, and you did as much as you could in the amount of time you had.

Also, thank you for being there for Gary!! I know it ment a lot to him, and now he is one step closer to healing. We keep him in our thoughts and prayers daily, but he need more than that!

 

Gary,

One step at a time is all you can do. And we are here for you, if you need something....like dinner

[Eck]

Don,

No need to worry..

You did fine, and thanks to both you and Eilene for all you do.

 

The Cattering was an excellent idea in my opinion...and it was really good food too..

 

It was good to see you again even though we didnt get to talk very much.

I think everyone understands the fact that you cant spend a whole bunch of time speaking to everyone when you are trying to work on bikes and be a host at the same time.

 

 

It was my first time there and I enjoy it a bunch,,, I just wish you would have turned down the heat a little outside..dang it was hot..

Edited June 9, 2008 by Eck

[RoadKill]

I really appreciate you doing this and have enjoyed myself both times I have been able to attend. Also, now I know what the brake lines are after helping you with Crash's bike . Good think Eck was not there last year, because I thought this year was alot cooler

 

Anyway.............when will it be next year??

[Wizard765]

Don, you and Eileen are very special people. This is the first MD that I've been to and I was blown away. Lots of things come to mind. Your beautiful place complete with lots of room and an awsome pond. So many bikes I didn't know where to start because I wanted to look at all of them. The biggest challenge I had for the day was trying to meet as many people as I could. I never even came close to meeting everyone but I did have a blast putting faces with familiar names. Some came close to my imagined picture but most very much surprised me.

Feeding that many people would have been a challenge in any setting but with people all spread out the way they were I believe you guys pulled it off with excellence. Lonna, I was looking forward to your cheesecake and you didn't let me down. Great stuff!!

I really didn't need anything done on my bike and that was not the reason I came. The one big thing I noticed though was that a number of men WORKED tirelessly ALL day dripping sweat and blood in some cases on OTHER peoples bikes. It really is hard to find the words to express what that means.. You guys are AWSOME!!!

A number of people I met were there for the 1st time and every one of them also said it was an amazing day.

For me I am soooo looking forward to next year. This weekend is such a great example of what this organization is all about. I love it here.

 

Wayne

[BigD]

All the thanks should go to you and Eilene. You guys are special people to open your home to so many people. The food was great, and the hosting was outstanding. Thank you for the use of your tools, and for me a special thanks to Vgoose for teaching me how to remove the wheels, and install my new Avons. I would have never done something like this on my own, but what I learned from Vgoose, I feel very confident I could do this next time on my own. Also thank you to Double D for adjusting my CB.

 

It was a great day to spend with old, and new friends.

 

PS. Vgoose., I hope your finger is OK.

[Mariner Fan]

Don,

 

Thanks so much for your hospitality. I had a great time seeing all the bikes and meeting a few more Venture Riders.

 

Wizard, great meeting you. Hope to get up to Canada sometime.

 

Eck, I'm still laughing about the way you harassed that poor waitress.

 

Bob

[GigaWhiskey]

Hey Don, glad you had another successful and enjoyable gathering! I am sure all really had a good time and left with large tummies! The age of my family does not allow me to leave the house for long periods of time (more than a day) unless I am really lucky. I would have liked to make that trip up north.

 

Now to try and work on the one at my place in a couple weeks.

[Freebird]

I think I read that V7Goose is planning to be at yours. If so, pick his brain for ideas. He was here and saw the chaos that can ensue. If yours turns out like mine and you do it every year, you will find it growing larger and larger from year to year. Maybe there won't be TOO many this year so you will get broken in gently. Kent has some good thoughts on how to make it better I think.

[Yama Mama]

Don, Eileen, and Dylan,

Ron and I want to thank you so very much for sharing your beautiful home with all of us. This was our first time to be able to come to a VR event.

we were so thrilled to meet so many members and especially you and your family.

The funny thing is that even though we had never met anyone before, I felt as though we had already known them because of this site.

We hope to be able to come more to the events in the future.

We really enjoyed our time with you, and in fact I believe it was the most fun I have had in years.

Thank you again for all your hard work.

 

Ron and Peggy (Moped & Yama Mama)

[indianriverjack]

Thanks for hosting Maint. Day it was the 1st one that I have been too, actually it was the 1st event of any kind that I have attended. It was great talking with all of the good people and being able to put faces with the handles on the web site, a Special Thanks to Muffinman for syncing my carbs. There were more big Yammies in your yard than there is in within 100 miles of here., it was good to see what different people have done with there bikes and sharing ideas with them.

Thanks again for all that you do.

INDIANRIVERJACK...............

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Was there some kind of get-together? Hell, I been workin and ridin so much...I've had little time to read all the forums!

 

 

 

 

[cecdoo]

Well Don, I think you, your wife and Dylan deserve all the thanks, and Lonna of course for the great deserts! It was a great event and you and your family did all that could be done to host it. Everything was awesome. I think instead of trying to do more work????? Folks should limit their expectations to smaller easier fixes so that you, brad, Vgoose, Hippy and muffinman have more time to relax a bit and enjoy yourselves. Maybe a little more consulting and explaining and alot less sweating and knuckle busting. Just my 2 cents, but you guys deserve a break as much if not more than us slackers:rotf: A sincere Thank You, Craig

[VTirelli]

Don, Eileen and Dylan,

 

Sam and I can't thank you enough for hosting this event every year. I know how much work it can be and on top of all the planning, to actually spend the day working on people's bikes is just indescribable.

I had actually thought that I would suggest that instead of a Maintenance Day, just make it a giant Meet and Greet, with a little work getting done, but not the amount that has been done. Once these events get TOO big, they get out of hand.

This year I saw more people working on their own bikes with help from others and that seemed to work well.

As for the food, it was great and I suggest that anyone who might complain be put in charge of the food for next year's event.

We are already planning the trip for next year.

 

[wkboard]

Thanks Don!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a wonderful time. Learned a bunch. Met more neat people than I can remember names? My friend Mel was very impressed with our VR "family", and has already told me several times how much fun he had. Maybe someday he'll see the light.

The meal was fantastic! I can't think of any way to improve it. It was good food, and easy.

The best thing of all was meeting all of you "Crazy People"! And I mean that in the nicest way!!!! Too many people I know just get too Serious. Sometimes it's good to just have fun!

Thanks for the fun!!!!

[1BigDog]

"Thank you for coming to my Maintenance Day "

 

No, Don, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[IH Truck Guy]

Don and Eileen,You are truly special people...Thanks for hosting such a great event.Great food,made some new friends,saw alot of old friends and saw some of the best looking bikes.It was like being at a bike show.Although I didn't get any work done on our bike,I picked up alot of good info and idea's..

We got home @7:30 last nite.We waited out a bad storm in South Bend,IN.for half an hour.Otherwise good weather.Got the bike in the garage and unpacked and the rain came down.5" last nite.

Now I have to find a good lawyer because I intend to sue the sunblock people.I put it on and got burned to a crisp.

[Mariner Fan]

Don and Eileen,You are truly special people...Thanks for hosting such a great event.Great food,made some new friends,saw alot of old friends and saw some of the best looking bikes.It was like being at a bike show.Although I didn't get any work done on our bike,I picked up alot of good info and idea's..

We got home @7:30 last nite.We waited out a bad storm in South Bend,IN.for half an hour.Otherwise good weather.Got the bike in the garage and unpacked and the rain came down.5" last nite.

Now I have to find a good lawyer because I intend to sue the sunblock people.I put it on and got burned to a crisp.

 

Boy, that's the truth. My wish list has grown!

[b2dad]

We just got home and wanted to thank you, Don and Eileen, for hosting this event. This was our first event ever, with VentureRiders, and it was more than I ever expected. I really didn't expect everyone to come work on my bike. The only thing I had planned was for V7Goose to put in my windshield vents...and next thing I know...he and Muffinman had my bike torn apart! haha! I didn't mean for them to spend so much time on my bike...I guess they just wanted to work on a new Venture, haha! But I so appreciate everything they did and what they showed me how to do for future maintenance. (Thanks guys!)

 

The food was great and there is nothing wrong with catering it...especially with such a large crowd. I haven't been a member for long, but nobody there was a stranger. My wife (b2mom) couldn't get over how many women were there and how friendly everyone was. Thanks to Yama Mama and MiniMuffin and all the others whose names escape us!

 

For the next time, (and this is just my opinion) maybe a list could be set up of who wants what done (keeping it brief) and catering the food is fine. That way maybe Freebird and all the others who spent their day working on bikes would be able to visit with everyone more.

 

Sorry this is so long...but just wanted to say thanks to EVERYONE for such a great time. Can't wait for next year!

b2dad & b2mom (Don and Pat)

[mini-muffin]

The guys are right Don maybe folks should have smaller stuff to get done or at least have better warning of someone needing something. A list may be the way to go there. Now as for the catering best idea you could have ever had. You're wife didn't have to worry about getting the food and getting it ready for you to cook. I really loved meeting your family. That was the main reason I wanted to get to a maintenance day. Jeff talked about Eileen and Dylan last year. I figured the only way to meet them was to head up there.

Thanks for a wonderful time.

 

Margaret

[Marcarl]

This was my second maintainance day at Don's, met Eileen last year, had trouble finding her this year, but she did show up and I gave her a big hug,,wonder, wonder, wonder, if she hugs me who else would she hug??????? oh, Don got one too, soas he wouldn't get jealous.

I thought that last year was a grand day, couldn't have been better, so I was a little dissappointed when I showed up this year, it was bigger, better, better organized, more relaxed and we didn't have any trainees cooking the food... AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to year 3 for me. Year one had 1 pond monster, year two had 2 of them, year three might flood the pond,,,,,,,

Next year I bring my trailer with some tools and stuff.

See you all then.

Thanks a million you Nelsons, you're out of this world.

[Freebird]

I'm really sorry we didn't have some time to just sit down and visit Carl. As for next year, forget the trailer and tools. What we REALLY need is for somebody to bring Harpoons. We'll get those pond monsters.

[BuddyRich]

Yep, That would take car of the pond and everything

 

AGM-84D Harpoon

 

http://www.navysite.de/weapons/harp1.jpg

[Dano]

Being this was my first M-Day and my first time meeting face-to-face a lot of you GREAT folks, I just wanted to take a moment and send out a huge thanks to Don, Eileen and Dylan not only for putting up with us and sharing their home, but making us feel at ease about being there AND making my wife (Rose) feel as if she belonged, also. Her only hearing me talk about the antics here online probably made her think I was ready for the loony bin. Now she knows that WE ALL qualify for it!

We missed the second calling of the pond monster and his "mate"s appearance, but I am truly humbled by the help that was offered on the small things I had to adjust on my bike. For me, having our "Traveling Ambassador" Lowell AND Marlcarl help me adjust my headstock bearings, and having the distinct pleasure of the one and only Muffin take my bike for a ride and give me a report on my hard work and the couple of things I need to pay attention to will be the highlight of the trip!!!!

I did not get to say goodbye to a number of you, the wife wanted to go to Norwalk and watch them taping the "Pinks All Out" drag race show that evening (gotta take care of the Navigator, too!) but please accept my gratefull thanks now.

We look forward to "the next time", and hope to see a number of you in Brown County on June 26th or July 28th for a good ride!!

 

Dan & Rose

[Squeeze]

Yep, That would take car of the pond and everything

 

AGM-84D Harpoon

 

http://www.navysite.de/weapons/harp1.jpg

 

 

Now, that was EXACTLY what i was thinking when i read 'Harpoons" ....

 

 

:rotf::rotf::rotf: