From: steve@bucolix.ncsu.edu (Steve Garnier)
Subject: RCR minus One (was Re: rec.motorcycles.harley vote acknowledgment)
Followup-To: rec.motorcycles 
Reply-To: steve@bucolix.ece.ncsu.edu (Steve Garnier)
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 22:13:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.143156.18233@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>
shz@garage.att.com (Keeper of the 'Tude) writes:
>In article <1992Aug20.165114.1659@ncsu.edu>, 
>steve@bucolix.ncsu.edu (Steve Garnier) writes:
>>My attendance at the RCR wasn't necessary, Seth.  I could hear you and 
>>your straight pipes all the way from Raleigh.
>
>I was looking forward to meeting you and was very disappointed that you 
>didn't come.  Work, school, whatever, there was *no excuse* for you to
>miss the RCR when it was so close to you.  

>Fellow netters are entitled to see the face behind the posts 

Do you really want to view something as *horrifying* as this?!! :-)

>and I rode 1300 miles (much in the rain) 

Yes, I read about this and found it entertaining.  But, c'mon, you're a 
*real* biker, you had *FUN*!!

>and missed spending my birthday with my family (which really pissed off
>my wife and son) so I wouldn't deny my DoD brethren a chance to meet me.

That's a priority that *must* be made by the individual.  If I can find
the economic means to do so, I'll make it to the next gathering.  I would
like to rebuild YoMaha!(tm) first, though.  Either that or purchase a
stable-mate while I perform the inspection/rebuild.  :-)

>Those present got to see first hand that my posts genuinely reflect the
>person sitting at the keyboard.

There were Research Triangle DoD members at the RCR, fer shur.  They could
have given you firsthand knowledge that I'm just a large, fuzzy teddy-bear. :-)
BTW, I did email the east coast mailing list stating I wasn't going to attend
the RCR...perhaps you left early and never saw that email.

Seth, I must admit that I'm more than a little surprised at your expression
of disappointment.  It never occurred to me that I was such a popular (or
anti-popular, depending on the reader's opinion :-) ) person within
rec.motorcycles that my absence from the RCR would bring about such apparent
unhappiness...I didn't realize that I would be missed.  I wanted to go, but
I simply could not afford a weekend away from my research and family.

It has been a very long time since I've had both the time and the means to
undertake a really good long ride with a group of riders;  I put in extremely 
long hours here at NCSU, and rec.motorcycles is my outlet for keeping a
connection to the motorcycling community.  I try to meet with the Research 
Triangle DoD whenever they have a gathering, but even that isn't easy.

Please try not to be judgemental about the level of effort I must produce 
while I pursue a PhDEE, and try to remember that I now have a 6 month old
daughter, and that my research funding is about to run out :-(.  Survival 
does have a large impact on the setting of priorities in one's life.  Every
weekend I work, I'm a weekend closer to getting out...and I'm sick-and-tired
of the poverty brought about by Grad School, especially since I used to make
righteous bucks.

Don't worry too much about the RCR; sooner or later, we're gonna meet.

If you would like to talk more about this and get into the really disgusting
intricacies of Life In Hell :-), then let's take it to email.  This topic
really isn't relevant to news.groups, nor is it relevant to voting problems.  
I'm redirecting followups to rec.motorcycles.  I also changed the subject
line to reflect the contents of this article.

Steve Garnier - DoD #00000005 - '79 XS1100SF w/ 157K+ miles and *climbing*
KotF (Flame),  KotAM (Anecdotal Motorcycle),  The Daemon's Byte
       Contrary to popular belief, I am not the Devil's advocate...
                  ...but I am his speech writer.