Re: GERA, Part deux (kinda long)

["Joan Ruprecht" <ruprecht@tidepool.com>]

Great story...don't stop!
 I am I am remembering and laughing my sides off, you must have had nearly
all the experiencess at the same ride.. As a convertee to 50's and11,000
miles of them I still remember my determination to only be a 25 miler, and
someday I expect to return to said status

  Keep enjoying!

Joan Ruprecht AERC #2267
-----Original Message-----
From: Howard4567@aol.com <Howard4567@aol.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Wednesday, September 01, 1999 11:37 AM
Subject: RC: GERA, Part deux (kinda long)


>I'm getting closer.  I see the sign to Dawson Forest and know I'm almost at
>my temporary home.  My horse needs to get out of the trailer and I need a
>beer, even though it is ten in the morning.  OK, maybe I'll wait till
eleven
>for the beer.  I figure I'll be one of the first ones there so I should get
a
>Prime Camping Spot.  I see the GERA Classic sign, make a right turn and
>realize that I was wrong about being one of the first ones there.
>Horse-Trailer City has already been created and it looks like I'm going to
>have to live out in the suburbs.
>
Greatstory, don't you dare stop, nowat11,000 50/l00 milemilesIcanstillrelate
andalwayswilltomyconfirmed25 milerattitude
Istartdwithandintenddtoreturnto.Greattoreliveinyourwonderful redidition.

Onwardmakeusrememberandlaugh moreandmore,itshealthy.

Joan

>I get into a line with about 6 rigs in front of me, climb out of the cab,
and
>hope to see a friendly face.  I find a really nice lady who leads me to a
>great shaded spot and tells me how much room I can take up.  Dance Line has
>come alive and is pounding and making noises, introducing himself to his
new
>neighbors.  I think he really enjoys camping out and making new friends.  I
>start setting up his portable corral, cause I want a place to put him
before
>I unload.  I notice how much cooler it is up here in northern Georgia,
>compared to central Florida, and am extremely grateful for the change in
>weather.
>
>I soon discover that the ground here is kinda hard and sure isn't Florida
>sand.  My plastic rods are bending up at the pointy end that is supposed to
>go into the ground.  This is not a good thing.  A lady next door tells me
>that this part of the forest used to belong to the military.  She, also,
>threw in that they used the land for burying nuclear wastes.  I can't tell
if
>she's making it up or not, but this information doesn't deter me and if
she's
>trying to get me to relocate she'll have to do much better than that.
>
>I finally set up the corral, unload the horse and start on my tent.  I want
a
>nap so bad, I forego the beer for now, knowing it would knock me out better
>than any sleeping pill.  My Wal-mart tent is supposed to sleep six, so I
>figure I might be able to actually get my air mattress into it.  I take my
>time erecting my brand new shelter, not wanting to cause a horse stampede
>from the flapping noise.  With a little help from another neighbor, we
>actually get the tent erected, in spite of the instructions that are
written
>in Klingon.
>
>I offer my neighbor a beer, he accepts (this is a good sign) and later I'm
>off to bed, after pumping up my air mattress.  I'm almost asleep when I
>suddenly hear this "BRAYYYYYY  HEEEEE HAWWWWWW BRayyyyy HEEEEEE HAWWWWW"
that
>continues for atleast 5 minutes.  Seems like I got a couple of Jackasses
for
>neighbors living behind me and they don't like the idea of me resting up.
>Either that or they were just welcoming me to Georgia.
>
>I wake up a couple hours later, feeling rested and awnry.  I look up and am
>amazed that my tent is still standing and even looks like the owner (me,
>Rookie Camper extraordinaire) knew what he was doing.  As I leave my tent I
>take a look around at my surroundings, knowing that nothing makes me
happier
>than what I'm now seeing.  This place has come alive with horse people (the
>only kind I seem to be able to relate to lately), horses, mules, donkeys,
and
>some ponies (oops, I think they were Arabs actually).  Just kidding about
the
>ponies; grey Arabs rule here as usual.
>
>I wander over to the check-in table to register my horse for the 25.  This
>ride also offers a 50 and, something kinda new to me, a 10, for newbies.
The
>head manager checks me in, her name is Angie, and she turns out to be
>extremely funny.  She had me laughing so much I didn't even feel the pain
of
>writing the check to get me in the race.  This lady would make one heck of
a
>saleswoman.
>
>This ride seems to have more men in it than most I've been to, but the
ratio
>is still almost 8 to 1, in favor of the ladies.  Since my wife won't let me
>out of the South, I'm not sure if this is normal or not in the other
regions,
>but I find myself adjusting and kinda like all the female company (gotta
make
>sure wife doesn't read this paragraph).
>
>Well, let's jump to the ride briefing.  Angie's running the show, and she
>still has her humor with her in spite of registering over a hundred riders.
>For those of you who think the 25 LD isn't part of endurance, it was the
ride
>with the most riders.  I really think you'll lose a lot of them if you
>eliminate it (the 25) or keep slammin those who enter it.  I'm starting to
>think they may be the main brunt of your rides, but, hey, I'm still a
Rookie,
>so what do I know?  The numbers are about 60 riders in the 25 mile and 33
in
>the 50 mile.  I think there were about 15 riders in the 10 mile run.  There
>were al lot of groans when Angie mentioned the forest people (Rangers, I
>guess) expected us to take the horse manure back home with us, but when she
>said, "Just do what I do," and she simulates rubbing it into the ground
with
>her foot, the groans turned into laughter and we got the idea.  Angie
>mentions there will be a controlled start cause the first part of the race
is
>uphill and kinda narrow, some more groans came out, but they seemed serious
>about it and the subject was not open for discussion.
>
>I mosey over to one of my neighbor's campsite, have a few beers and lotsa
>laughs with them (they're fellow drunks and like to party) and then go to
my
>tent for an early night's sleep.  The horses & jackasses (human & donkey)
>have settled down and were the most quiet I've ever heard at one of these
>things.  I actually got some sleep and did not wake up until I heard the
>car/truck horn blasting and traveling down every side road/trail making
sure
>any creature that sucked in oxygen was wide awake. As Angie mentioned, this
>person did an exceptional job and if anyone slept thru it they should get
>their hearing checked right away.
>
>After I'm awake for a few minutes I realize that I don't have one basic
>necessity that could be key to my survival here.  COFFEE!!!!   I forgot to
>bring any and start freaking out.  Then I smell some brewing from my
>neighbors, the ones who like to party, and mosey on over and beg for a cup.
>Kay, the wife/girlfriend of the guy (Bernie) who helped me set up my tent,
>says I can get up off my knees, it's really no problem, and she provides me
>with a big ole cup.  God really knew what he was doing when he invented
>Southern women.  I'm so damn happy now I go over to my truck, turn on the
CD
>and play the Cowboy National Anthem.  Yep, you guessed it, Toby Keith's
>"Shoulda been a Cowboy" rang thru my section of ridecamp that morning.
None
>of the horses, jackasses, or riders (some of these may be related to the
>jackasses) complained.
>
>OK, the actual ride story is coming.  But if you 50 milers and 100 milers
>don't kiss & make up, I'm not going to send it.  You have me feeling that a
>25 ain't worth writing about!
>
>
>sincerely yours,
>
>Rookie Rider
>
>
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Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
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