August 2008 January 2012 Alamo City Wings - gwrra … 2008 January 2012 Alamo City Wings Volume 31 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 01 Chapter H Officers Chapter Director

August 2008

January 2012

Alamo City Wings

Volume 31 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 01

Chapter H Officers

Chapter Director Bruce MacMaster 520-3061 [email protected]

Assistant Chapter Director Vacant

Chapter Educator Vacant Membership Coordinator Phyllis Ellis 695-4320 [email protected]

Secretary/Treasurer Charles Fleming 827-1894

[email protected]

Chapter H Staff

Web Master Dean Davis [email protected]

Newsletter Editor Kathy Vallejo 827-4446 [email protected]

Technical Advisor Len Ellis - 695-4320 [email protected]

Chapter Photographer Dean Davis [email protected]

Activity / Ride Coordinator Charles Fleming 682-1446

[email protected]

* From the Chapter Director *

I am writing this before Christmas because of our

newsletter editor’s holiday schedule so I can’t reflect on the last

two weeks of the year. The early part of December has been cold

and wet on weekends, in fact one weekend I was not able to ride at

all which hasn’t happened in a long time. This last ride was cool but

dry and we decided to go to IH 35 North Honda after breakfast

to get everyone’s GL 1800’s brake inspected according to Honda’s

safety recall. Each bike passed inspection and took about 30

minutes each. If your GL 1800 needs to be inspected you should

get a letter from Honda next year but if you have an hour to spare

you can go to IH 35 North Honda and they will work you in. If you

have your VIN number, give them a call first to see if it is part of

the recall.

The Mid-Winter Roundup will be held January 14, 2012 at

the New Braunfels Civic Center. The opening session will begin at

9:00 AM with the Director’s forum, Rider Ed and MAD update,

Membership Enhancement and Chapter financial transactions

breakout sessions to follow at 10:00 AM. Lunch will be provided on

site at noon. The afternoon sessions will include Leadership

Training on Structure of GWRRA and Membership benefits

overview; Rider Ed and levels program Q & A; and Chapter of the

Texas District Officers & Staff

District Directors ............................................. Fred & Mandy Mew ................... 817-707-3568

Asst. District Directors. .................................... Mark & Lynne Heene ................... 512-814-6432

District Educators ............................................. Chet Roby & Maria Collins ......... 254-718-3977

District Treasurer .............................................. Leona McDade ............................. 817-491-2881

Membership Enhancement Division ................. Carolyn Barton ............................. 254-578-3353

Asst. Membership Enhancement Coord. ........... Donna Holley ................................ 940-231-4026

District Couple of the Year. 2010. ..................... Dave & Jean Simmons .................. 325-382-4469

District Trainer ................................................. Lynn Heene ................................... 512-288-4152

Vendor Coordinators ......................................... Don & Linda Holley ..................... 940-390-0873

Webmaster ........................................................ Mark Heene ................................ 512-814-6432

Newsletter Editor………………………………Mandy Mew………………………817-939-3568

District Admin Support and Security………….Terry McDade…………………….817-491-2881

Volume 31 Page 2 of 9 Issue 01

Year program and Couple of the year

Information and Q &A; and Chapter

Finances made Easy Instantly. The day will

end with an Open Forum Q & A with the

District Team at 3:00 PM. All members that

are interested in any subject are welcome to

attend.

Our regular meeting will be on

January 4th at 7:30 PM at Logan’s

Roadhouse. Come early (around 6:30 PM)

for dinner and greetings.

You will notice that there is one

destination ride per month with the others

being pick a place and go. You can take your

chances by showing up and convincing others

where you want to go or you can let Charles

or me know where you would like to go and

we can change any ride to your favorite

destination. Your choice, just let us know.

Ride Safe and Often

Bruce A. MacMaster

Chapter Director

RIDER EDUCATION

Target Fixation

Rather than let it lead you into trouble, use it

By: James R. Davis

Sometimes we riders tend to minimize the risks we hear about. Take for example, what every student of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has heard about – “target fixation”. “Fixating” on something means not being able to take your attention (your eyes, for example) away from it. In the case of riding motorcycles, for example, this leads to

the phenomena wherein our motorcycles tend to go in the direction we are looking and is usually described with an example familiar to all – that if you see a pothole in the street ahead of you and don’t take your eyes off of it you are likely to hit it. While that is true, it is too trivial an example to get our attention appropriately. We are left with the opinion that “target fixation” is of trivial concern because we all know that we can, if we try, avoid that pothole. In the case study we talk at great length about the tragic consequences possible from thinking that target fixation is a trivial problem. You are strongly encouraged to read that case study. While it is more graphic than most will be comfortable with, I can think of nothing that will better make the case for respecting the danger of target fixation. It is insufficient to simply post the advice that you should avoid target fixation. Saying “don’t fixate” is all very well, but one it starts, you need a positive technique to get yourself out in one piece. So once you are in trouble, use target fixation to save your skin. Don’t look at the oncoming truck/tree/pothole; figure out where you would rather be and fixate on that instead. In fact, those of you that have taken the MSF classes know that “target fixation” is an excellent way to control skids – fixate on a point dead ahead on the horizon, and you’ll be well on the way towards automatically correcting most skids.


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We are looking forward to the Polar Bear

ride on January 1st to start out the year

with all our motorcycle family. Hopefully

we will have a nice day. I’m praying that

2012 will be bring a safe, fun-filled year

of riding!

Be Safe and Have Fun!

Kathy Vallejo

Newsletter Editor

DEER CAMP Four guys have been going to the same deer camp for many years. Two days before the group is to leave, Ron’s wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn’t going. Ron’s friends are very upset that he can’t go, but what can they do? Two days later the three get to the camping site only to find Ron sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and dinner cooking on the fire. “Dang man, how long have you been here, and how did you talk your wife into letting you go?” “Well, I’ve been here since yesterday. Yesterday evening, I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said, “Guess who”? I pulled her hands off, and she was wearing a brand new nightie. She took my hand and pulled me to our bedroom. The room had candles and rose petals all over. On the bed she had handcuffs, and ropes! She told me to tie and cuff her to the bed, and I did. And the she said, “Do whatever you want.”

So, Here I Am.

MEMORIES OF A PAST RIDE

It was in the fall, October, as I

remember. Tom Finch and Rod and I had

a short, but wonderful trip to Big Bend.

There’d been a couple of group trips to

Big Bend in the past, that for one reason

or another, we’d missed out on. It had

been a really long time since we’d been to

the area, and the first time on a

motorcycle.

The weather was cooperative and the

scenery gorgeous. We were fortunate

enough to get rooms at the Lodge, in the

park.


We spent a pleasant afternoon; including

watching wild life in the parking lot… a

roadrunner, what I assume was a prairie

chicken, and several deer, wandering

around the vehicles, grazing on the lawns.

We had dinner at the Lodge restaurant,

and our evening was spent on the patio off

our room, viewing the night time scenery

and enjoying the cool breeze.

We awoke the next morning to a full moon

in the clear, blue sky. To my surprise, I

was able to get a rather good picture.

After breakfast, we toured a different

section of the park for a while, then rode

through Terlingua and Alpine, headed for

Ft. Davis.

Again, the weather was great, warm, but

not miserably hot…clear, blue skies, with

not a cloud in any direction that I could

see. We had the road pretty much to

ourselves. I was enjoying the ride and

was lulled into a state of near oblivion.

We were riding in wide-open country,

mostly scrub brush, not too much in the

way of scenery.


In the distance, I could see buzzards

circling over their potential lunch. Since

there was nothing else to keep me alert,

nothing of which I felt the need to take a

picture, my eyes kept going back to the

lazy circling of the scavengers. The

nearer we got, the further back I tilted

my head, until I was looking straight up in

the sky. Suddenly, I was jolted back to

full consciousness, as it started to rain.

But wait, there was not a cloud in the sky,

it couldn’t be raining! Then the

realization hit…it had to be buzzard pee.

Thank goodness for face shields! Here I

am, on the back seat of a motorcycle,

miles from any civilization, nothing handy

to wipe my face shield, nothing in my

hands except a camera. What am I to do?

I guess I’ll just take a picture!

Rapidly, I went through a range of

emotions, from shock, disbelief, disgust,

ending up with amusement. I was laughing

out loud in a matter of minutes, with the

knowledge that I had just had a rather

unique motorcycle experience. This was

another “first” for me. Believe me, once

is enough! The lesson learned is that I no

longer look straight up when we pass

under circling buzzards; just in case

there’s a bulls-eye on my face shield that

only they can see.

Betty Loper aka Rebel Child

OLD COWBOY

A tough old cowboy from south Texas

counseled his grandson that if he wanted to

live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a

pinch of gun powder on his oatmeal every

morning.

The grandson did this religiously to the age of

103 when he died.

He left behind 14 children, 30 grandchildren,

45 great grandchildren, 25 great, great

grandchildren, and a 15 foot hole where the

crematorium used to be.


MIRROR IMAGE

I pointed to two old drunks sitting

across the bar from us and told my

friend, “That’s us in ten years”.

He said, “That’s a mirror dummy!”


WDC Trike Conversions, Inc. www.2WingNuts.Us

210-872-6206

* MTC Voyager Trike Conversions * Champion Sidecar-Trikes, Sidecars, Colorado

Trailers & Patriot hard bags. * California Sidecar-Trikes, Escapade Trailers &

Sidecars * Cyclone Alarm Systems * Klicktronic-Electric Shifter * LED Lighting * Rivco Accessories

Wayne: [email protected] Daniel: [email protected] Colby: [email protected]

C

Alamo Cycle Plex 11900 I.H. 10 West

696-2000

Complete Bike Financing Sales and Service

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

Betty Loper………………………January 5

Claudia Barlaan…………………January 21

1. Children grow faster in the spring.

2. A jellyfish is 95% water.

3. A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

4. All porcupines float in water.

5. Bats have over 100 vocal chords.

TRIVIA


Ride & Activity Schedule

Date Start End Event Description

1/1/12 10:00 15:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR…POLAR BEAR RIDE…Meet at 10:00am and take a ride for lunch in the

hill country.

1/4/12 18:30 20:30

Chapter Meeting/Gathering at Logan’s Road House on IH 10, Meet around 6:30pm for

dinner, meeting starts at 7:30pm.

1/7/12 8:30 14:00 Breakfast ride- Pick a place and go.

1/14/12 08:00 17:00 Mid Winter District Meeting-New Braunfels, TX

1/15/12 08:30 14:00

Meet at Bandera Café (Bandera Road) for breakfast. Meet at 8:30am for breakfast, or

show up at 9:30am just to ride.



2/1/12 18:30 20:30





2/18/12 08:30 14:00 Ride to Utopia for breakfast at Lost Maples Café – Utopia, TX and then ride in the area



3/7/12 18:30 20:30





3/25/12 08:30 14:00

.Meet at IHOP (Bandera Rd. and Stoneleigh-1st

traffic light inside 1604) for breakfast. Meet

at 8:30am for breakfast, or show up at 9:30 am just to ride.


4/4/12 18:30 20:30



Note: Unless otherwise indicated:

All Chapter "H" rides start at the parking lot behind the Exxon and Whataburger

located at Bandera Rd. & 1604 (Northwest San Antonio) Rides are subject to change;

Changes will be communicated via the website, Newsletter, and/or e-mail.

Chapter Director 6419 Red Jacket Dr. San Antonio, TX 78238

Documents

August 2008 January 2012 Alamo City Wings - gwrra … 2008 January 2012 Alamo City Wings Volume 31 Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge! Issue 01 Chapter H Officers Chapter Director