Rocket City Wings Huntsville, Alabama -- Chapter B, Region A Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge September 2010

Director Notes
  -- From the Chapter Directors

September.......... it will be Christmas before you know it!

Please be thinking about your nomination for the 2011 Chapter B Couple-of-the-Year. We would like to be sure that everyone who wants to nominate a couple gets the chance to to do so.  These nominations can be e-mailed to the CD's, the ACD's, or our current Chapter Couple-of-the-Year, Greg & Renee Dempsey.  You may also nominate by phone or submission of the nomination form.  Along with your nomination, a brief one or two sentence description endorsing your nomination would be awesome!

It's also time for the 'Ride For Kids' event in Birmingham at Barber's Motor Sports Park. This is the event that supports the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation -- the national charity that Chapter B supports, and we would like to encourage every person from Chapter B to come out and participate.  Ride is Sunday, September 12th -- rain or shine!!  We're looking forward to seeing you there.

September is also the Region A rally in Eufala. The Region Couple-of-the-Year selection will be held Friday morning. Chapter B's very own Richard & Sue Chapman will participating in the selection process and would greatly appreciate  all the support we can give them. Come on down ............and let's make some noise for Rickard and Sue!!!

We would like to thank everyone, especially the Chapter B staff, for continuing to make Chapter B special.  We continue to welcome any and all comments or suggestions you may have.

Thanks,

Marty & Lisa Knapp

How's your Weather?
  -- From the Asst. Chapter Directors

Howdy!  How's the weather for ya?  You ever meet someone and you don't know what to say?  Why is it that most folks start out a conversation about the weather?  You know if the weather was consistent and never changing, then we'd never have a conversation starter.  So I thought to myself how am I gonna start this article, so why not with something about the weather!

Weather forecast for tonight:  dark.  ~George Carlin

So how simple is that!?  I think I could be a weathergirl!

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.  ~Author Unknown

Puddle popper...that's me.  When there's a puddle, I like to pop it!  Don't you remember jumping in puddles when you were little and your parents told you not to?  Well, my parents aren't around now and I can do whatever I want!  Naa Naa Boo Boo.

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.  ~Roger Miller

Hmm...I kinda like dancing in the rain sometimes.  I was recently told that I don't melt; this entire time I was thinking I was sweet as sugar.  So, I don't bother with an umbrella anymore.  If you think about it, a nice slow rain, when you don't care if you get wet or not, is pretty cool.  I once played in the rain as I was leaving work.  Suddenly, it dawned on me that my cell phone was in my backpack!  Lesson to be learned:  Don't dance in the rain with electronics, put them away in a dry place and commence dancing again!

Have you heard about Earl?  Hurricane Earl that is.  Well, he's seems to be moving fast, which leads me to this question:  Why do hurricanes travel so fast? Because if they travelled slowly, we'd have to call them slow-i-canes.  Bet we'll get some rain as a result of Earl.  After the rain clears then you might have some fog.  Another question:  What happens when the fog lifts in California? UCLA.  Okay, what happens when the fog lifts in Alabama?  U-C-where-U-R going!  Duh! 

Last but not least - I have a cute weather joke for you: 

The Indians asked their Chief in autumn, if the winter was going to be cold or not. Not really knowing an answer, the chief replies that the winter was going to be cold and that the members of the village were to collect wood to be prepared. Being a good leader, he then went to the next phone booth and called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?" The man on the phone responded, "This winter was going to be quite cold indeed." So the Chief went back to speed up his people to collect even more wood to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again, "Is it going to be a VERY cold winter?" "Yes", the man replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter." So the Chief goes back to his people and orders them to go and find every scrap of wood they can find. Two weeks later he calls the National Weather Service again: "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely" the man replies, "the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"

Okay, let's move on to chapter stuff:  We enjoyed nice cool 80-degree days at the Kentucky convention 6-7 August.  I guess being in the higher elevations, we were blessed with cooler temps.  Regardless, we had a good time in Kentucky.  There were some very, very nice roads to ride and coming home we found many more.  Unfortunately, Greg & Renee Dempsey were getting over sickness and didn't need to be on bikes so we took an SUV.  We had the pleasure of Lisa Bass to ride in between to keep us from falling asleep.  On the way home, it would have been hard to sleep cause we laughed till our ribs hurt.  About what?  Hmmmm...I can't remember but if you are having fun, you can find ANYthing to laugh about!  We made lots of new friends in Kentucky.  We have some friends from Kentucky Chapter U that are planning to visit our chapter on September 4th for our special Saturday gathering.  We also have folks from Georgia coming to visit as well. 

The putt-putt birthday (Aug 8th) was too hot so we took it inside of Dairy Delight.  Just guess, they have ICE CREAM!  Lisa Bass, Lisa & Marty Knapp, Steven & I, Avery Howard, and Greg & Renee Dempsey (I hope I didn't forget anyone) enjoyed cake and ice cream in a cool building. 

Weather is still hot but we enjoyed the Alabama North District Picnic in Joe Wheeler State Park on August 14th.  The pavilion had a nice breeze blowing through so it wasn't too unbearable.  It was fun and we had good attendance from Chapter B.  Well, as you know, we've decided to change up our Sunday morning breakfast gatherings to a new location ever so often.  We will still have Mullins on the schedule, but periodically we will plan to move it to another location just to break up the monotony.  On August 15th, we moved it to the Hot Rod Café on South Parkway.  We figured it was a good distance down there and didn't know for sure how many would make it.  I think we had 22 people!  Right now, my memory is as short as my height, but I will mention who I can remember.  We had Avery Howard, me & Steven, Joye Williams, Joanne & Tommy Keener, Greg & Renee Dempsey, Roger & Peggy Allen, Hiram & Lisa Bass, Bruce Shelton, Jimmy & Faye Williams, Walter Gersch & Faye Neal, Jake & Kathy Lawyer, and Bill & Bonnie Nelson.  I think that's 21 people, right?  Well, we filled that little café up.  It was pretty good food, and good service.  We had good fun cause we were all awake and laughing.  It was a great Chapter B turnout.  We made it to Olive Garden this month too.  Seems like we always have a good turnout at Olive Garden; I get the idea that most people like Italian.  I'm not gonna mention names, it's pretty much about the same crew, give or take a few.  Then we have the Helen, GA trip when we went to visit GA-D's 25th Chapter Anniversary celebration.  It was a lot of fun; great food!  Their event was catered by Jim & Nick's BBQ.  It was a TAD bit humid...okay, it was humid as Haiti's.  Dripping in sweat, we still had some good laughs, played games and had water guns & balloons.  Need I say more? 

Steven and I just want to say that we are very proud of the chapter and participation is still phenomenal.  The participation tickets are still going over well.  I can't wait to see who wins next!  You know that you have to show up and participate if you want to win.  It only takes one ticket to win.  Of course, the more you participate, the more chances you have of winning.  We hope we see you all at our SPECIAL chapter gathering on Saturday, September 4th (10 a.m.)  and then on Sunday for our monthly birthday celebration at the lake.  The weather is going to be very nice for the weekend, so we will have some ideal riding weather.  Just to keep you up-to-date, the Ride For Kids weekend is coming up very soon on September 12th. 

Remember, this is YOUR chapter and if you have ideas or want to do something, let the Ride Coordinators know; you are always, always welcomed to show up at a Ride Meeting. 

Again, we can't thank you all enough for being our friends and being a zany chapter.  We are very proud of being a part of this FUN.   

Till next month, ride safe, keep your eyes peeled on the 4M for the Elvis Chronicles and ride in the wind with a grin!  We hope you can join us on the road anytime!  You won't regret it cause FUN really is contagious!

See ya at our September monthly gathering (special date & time).  It's "Just Around the Next Bend!!"

Steven & Tammy Hollingsworth

Chapter Couple Notes
  -- From the Chapter Couple of the Year

August 2010 set many weather records, and I can verify that HOT is putting it mildly when you are describing the weather. The best description I heard was; "this morning I wanted to make scrambled eggs, but when I cracked them open, they were hard boiled".

The endurance of a wing rider is amazing, even with the record setting highs & continuous record setting days in a row; we don't let that stop us from enjoying our rides. The month started for us with a trip to the Kentucky rally -- I must tell you that we had a great time. It's a bit fuzzy but I left with a smile. It's always nice to make new friends. Heard the Trace was as enjoyable as ever. 

Birthday Putt Putt, became a cake and ice cream treat, followed by a brief visit for some German cuisine. Yum!  Alabama District Picnic..... Where was Renee, you ask?      Sorry to answer I have to use that four letter word,      work..........    Now don't get to upset, I did get to go to Joe Wheeler State Park for sea food dinner that night.  Can you say? Shrimp, scallops, & crab legs. My mouth is watering again!

I've heard that, "spice is the variety of life".  And I know that we proved it on Sunday the 15th. The Hot Rod Café breakfast, the food, the service and the participation were outstanding, hope we do that again soon.  Which reminds me; don't forget the Monthly gathering for September is Sat the 4th at Ryan's followed by a trip to Look Out Mountain.

Since confession is good for the soul, I will confess that I have not been feeling well, including the day before leaving to go to Georgia for the plaque give away, and followed by an overnight stay & a visit to Helen.  We almost went on one bike. I will also confess that, I ... sure... am ... glad,  that I rode my trike, & that I didn't miss that Bakery....

OK.    Enough about food -- as you can tell I like it a lot!!!!

What's coming up this month????  Region A Convention, the Region selection, & Wings Over the Smokies.

We'll see you there.  -- Good luck Richard & Sue we are proud of you!

Remember last month when I was polling people for their hero's -- well here's some more....

This is a county named after a hero;

Marion  - First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution.  Marion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama[1]. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511.

This is the Hero:

Francis Marion (c. 1732 -- February 26, 1795) was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven out of the state in the Battle of Camden.

Due to his irregular methods of warfare, he is considered one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare, and is credited in the lineage of the United States Army Rangers.

And just for those of us who are planning on attending the Region A Convention in Eufaula here's a tidbit of history -- that also involves some Hero's -- I found while looking for the other's

Beginning no later than 1733, the site along the Chattahoochee River that is now modern-day Eufaula was occupied by three Creek Indian tribes of the Muscogee Nation. The most dominant of the three, and most open to contact with whites, was named "the Eufaulas" (pronounced "you-fall-uhs.") In 1823, families from Georgia, looking for fertile crop land, established a permanent white settlement on the high bluffs of the area and adopted the Creek village's name.

General William Irwin, a hero of the War of 1812, was granted several thousand acres of land in nearby Henry County. One of the most prosperous men in the area, he served as its first State Senator. With his influence, he promoted the area's development and established the first steamboat wharf along Eufaula's high bluffs. This set the stage for the town's rise to prominence as a center of trade. In his honor, Eufaula was renamed the city of "Irwinton."

You'll have to check out the rest of Eufaula's history on the web - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, to find out how Eufaula became part of Alabama & how it became Eufaula.... again.

I think the ladies and men will like this modern day hero to many --

Paula Deen (born Paula Ann Hiers, on January 19, 1947) is an American cook, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.

Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has also published five cookbooks. Though married in 2004 to Michael Anthony Groover, she continues to use the surname Deen from her first marriage professionally.

All this information can be found @ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Making friends & building memories by the mile.

Greg & Renee Dempsey

Safety Notes
  -- From the Chapter Rider Educators

Now that summer is almost over, we can get down to some serious riding again. Speaking of the end of summer reminds me of one of my favorite poems.

Spring has Sprung
Fall has Fell
It's Snowing Outside
And Colder Than Usual

I'm not sure I got the last word right; but you get the idea. Small things like a silly poem can make us laugh and fell better after a bad day. For me, riding my bike can take away all of the stress I may be feeling and greatly improve my attitude. The key is not to take the things that have you stressed along for the ride. I know this is easier said than done. So to help you; I've included an article written by Bruce & Melissa Thayer about riding with the right attitude. Please take the time to read it and answer the question "Do you ride with the right attitude?"

When you decide to take your motorcycle out for a ride, what are you thinking about? Where is your attention? Are you thinking about the things you will be doing when you get to work? Is your mind playing with the words you could have said, or should have said, in the debate with your boss or your spouse earlier in the day? In short, where is your head at when you saddle up? Each and every time you throw a leg over your motorcycle it matters what you are thinking about. Whether you are simply commuting to work on your motorcycle to reduce fuel costs, or you are heading out on a week-long vacation on two-wheels, your mental attitude plays a big role in how safe you will be on the road, and how much you will enjoy the ride.

Riding a motorcycle is an activity that is 80% to 90% mental while the rest is physical. When you are thinking about the job on your way to work, or going over the list of errands you need to complete, or just letting your mind drift as you idle down to the end of your driveway, your level of safety is reduced. You need to shift your attitude and focus only on the ride to insure an incident free trip.

So how do you make the shift from thinking about daily issues to the ride at hand? Establish a routine that you will go through before every ride. Start by evaluating the condition of your motorcycle as you walk up to it. Do a mental T-CLOCS. Look at the tires as you approach (inflated, tread, visible damage). Are there any oily or wet spots on the ground under your bike (where did it come from, is it safe to ride)? And try to be conservative when you answer these questions to yourself. Keep your eyes open for anything amiss. Then, if everything looks okay, gear up. (Of course, you should do a physical T-CLOCS regularly, too, especially before starting a long ride!)

Next step, finish donning your protective outer layer. Most of us put on our gear in the same sequence every time. Long pants and boots are usually put on in the house. Out at the bike, your jacket, helmet, eye protection, and gloves complete the process. Consider the weather and make sure you have packed any other gear you may need before the ride is over.

Put the key in the ignition and start the bike. While the engine warms, check the fuel level. Determine how far you will be able to go before you need to stop for a fill-up. Do you know the route you plan to take? Do you have all the necessary information with you to get you where you want to go? Good.

With those aspects considered, you are ready to focus on the journey. Now, when you shift your bike into gear, shift your brain into "active rider mode" because nothing else matters now except your safety. All your thoughts should be about the ride you are beginning. Your eyes should be active and scanning your surroundings -- aggressively! Look for potential hazards that might cause you to change your speed (by braking or accelerating), to change direction (by swerving or turning), or to communicate to other road users. A wave of the hand, a flash of your high beams, or a toot of your horn tells others that you are there. Make sure they are aware of you.

All the while your mind should be translating the inputs from your eyes and ears into pictures of things that might happen next. Evaluate in your mind what your response would be to each of the possibilities. When a hazard comes up, keep your options open until you have to choose one -- the best one -- the one that lets you avoid the hazard safely and without any drama. This is riding with the right attitude - the attitude that your job is to ride safely until you park your bike and remove the key from the ignition. Develop a routine like this for yourself and every ride you take will be a safer and more pleasing ride.

Ride Safe Today So You Can Ride Again Tomorrow

Greg & Renee Dempsey

Region-A Convention

MS Convention

September 2010 -  AL-B Ride Schedule

• Unless otherwise indicated, all rides will leave from the ride meeting place at scheduled time.
• As a courtesy to all members, it is important to be ready to leave at the departure time.
• All bikes should be fueled and bladders emptied ahead of time.
• We plan a variety of rides.  Time and money might make it hard to make all events.  We hope this variety will give you an opportunity to pick and choose, and at least enjoy some of them.
• If the weather is bad--come in your car.
• If you have a CB, you will find us on Channel 1 (unless noted otherwise by the ride leader).

• We need your ride suggestions!!
• We need any and all of your ideas!!
• You can be part of the Ride Committee!!
• If you want to help...
  Please e-mail us at Rid eCoo rdin ator

September - 2010

October - 2010