11/14/13 Ride and Meeting Report

I arrived at Dunkin Donuts in Montville to find Joe Fogarty inside getting a warm beverage. As I waited for my turn to order Lance Ellington came in behind me. So there would be at least two bikes on this run with no windshield or fairing for protection from the steady cold, 30 – 50 mph breeze.

Our intrepid leader, Dave Adams, showed up a few minutes later. We waited about 10 minutes before taking off exactly at 5:30 PM. It was already dark and Dave’s route would require all of an hour to complete.

We took all major routes: 163, 82, 354, 85, 207, 87, 32, 2, 163, and 82 again where we turned off onto Old Colchester Road. We arrived at the clubhouse in good order and looking for coffee which wasn’t quite ready yet.

Yes, it's cold out. Proper gear is needed to enjoy the ride.

Some of us like the colder weather more than others. Don't forget, Dave works outdoors all Winter and if that's not enough, he does the Penguin Plunge every year!

It used to be that the majority of club members mingled outside before the meeting. Now more and more are heading indoors!

Here is a rundown of what was discussed at the meeting:

Holiday Parades: Groton’s is Saturday, December 7^th and Montville’s is Sunday, December 8^th. Dan Dunn noted that Montville will be closing down Rt. 32 for the parade at 4:30 PM, so be sure to arrive earlier than that unless you’re prepared to take side roads.

If you plan on riding in the Groton Parade, you must give a copy of your insurance card to Dana McFee, Drill Team Captain, at the next meeting.

Dana promised to have more details regarding where to meet for staging at our next meeting.

Dinner: The President, Jim Moran, has confirmed with the Club Steward, Bill “Thibs” Thibodeau, that there will be a “Pre-Meeting Dinner” next week. This year the price is $8.00 for “All-You-Can-Eat”

Iron Adventure: There was quite a bit of talk regarding this event.

1) How poorly it was staged this past year.

2) What a good time everyone had regardless of #1. The roads and scenery are terrific; including dirt roads for the adventurous.

3) The fact that the Best Western Hotel went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everyone had a good time.

4) That even if we don’t participate in the Iron Adventure, we still plan on making our trip that same weekend to get the discounted room rates.

5) Danny Dunn advised that the Pre-Registration rate has gone up to $45 per person and he expects to have the forms available within a few weeks. I wonder if this could be done online? http://www.ironadventure.com/

Christmas Party: Hospitality Chairwomen, Patty Dueller, confirmed the date to be Saturday, December 14^th. I don’t what time they typically start, but I’m sure that information will be forthcoming as we get closer to the date.

Patty indicated that this will be a “Pot Luck Dinner” event and we will be holding a “Yankee Swap” for those who want to participate.

I’ve participated in a few of these “Yankee Swaps” and it seems that there are a number of variations to the game, but it is always fun. Here is a link for anyone who is not familiar so they will have the general idea: http://www.yankeeswap.com/yankee-swap-rules.php. A dollar minimum and/or maximum was not advised yet.

It starts out looking so pretty:

Then it looks like this:

Grounds Keeping: It was very noticeable that someone had removed the drifting leaves that had been piling up in front of the clubhouse. Ground Hog, John Cherrick, wasn’t in attendance to confirm if he had done it or if someone else had. A BIG THANK YOU to whoever did. It made parking our bikes less hazardous and even more so when trying to back out again.

Since nobody at the meeting was claiming that they did this chore, Steve Natale volunteered to take the credit for it. But he was quickly ruled out since it had been noted at a previous meeting that he has been instructed not to lift anything as heavy as a leaf blower. Better luck next time!

Annual Banquet: This Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Norwich. 6:00 PM Reception and 7:00 PM Dinner. There will be a DJ and Karaoke for the crooners in attendance or anyone who has had enough to lose their inhibitions!

Please remember to bring a basket for the raffle if possible. If not, bring cash to buy tickets!

Wreaths Across America: It was mentioned that this event will be happening at multiple locations in our area on Saturday, December 14^th. A number of members indicated that they would be participating.

I don’t know too much about how this works. Evidently you can participate with wreath placement. Use the link below to find the cemetery you want to volunteer at and contact the leader for that location for instructions.

You can also sponsor a wreath for as little at $15. Click here for more information and locations: http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

Sunday Ride Report: Dave Adams reported that a group of 10 bikes rode up to the Lakeview Restaurant in Coventry last Sunday. Other than encountering some moisture on the way home, everyone had a good time. The food was good and the view was fantastic. He said it was an amazing location. He also advised that they were in the process of building a patio that should be very pleasant to use in the warmer weather.

This Sunday’s Ride: Once again Road Sergeant, Dave Adams, will be leading us on a nice country ride. This time we will be returning to Bear’s Barbeque in Windsor. If you missed it last time, here is your chance!

This food was fantastic. Last time we were here some of us got back on line after eating to get some to take home. I may be doing the same this time!

Dave promises to find a more direct route this time for two reasons:

It is a bit cooler out now.
We won’t be departing until NOON due to the Annual Banquet on Saturday night. Jim Moran has dubbed this “The Hangover Ride: For those who need to clear their heads.”

AOB: Noon at Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 32 in Montville

Practice, Practice, Practice: Mike Gentile will be holding a practice session again this Saturday at 9:00 AM at the DOT parking lot on Rt. 85 in Colchester by the new Tractor Supply Co. This is your chance to brush up on the skill of your choice with a professional instructor.

A Big NLMC Welcome to Lance Atwood and Melissa Kowalczyk who were voted into the club. They have been at a number of our events and are a welcome addition to the club. You’ll easily recognize them by their purple Ultra Glide!

We had a number of guests at the meeting including Don and Mike. Two Kawasaki Vulcan riders from Danielson.

Don said he was interested in the club because while he has friends like Mike to ride with, they aren't always able to ride when he is. That's one of the best things about our club. We have rides going on constantly and when there isn't you have a large pool of people to invite to go riding with you.