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[Trip Report] Fundraiser Ride for Nolan and Sasha 08/09/03

Tourmeister

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Scott
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Friday
Howdy,

:tab There are those moments that I cannot explain, when I inexplicably do something I would normally never do, and it opens a box I'd never have thought to look into. The events leading up to this ride are of that variety. While browsing the CycleForums, I notice a link in another user's signature to help save a young boy's life. Normally, I would just gloss right over something like this, but this time I get an unusual urge to follow the link.

:tab In the last few months leading up to this point in time, I have had lots of stuff going on that has been derailing my normally cushy and trouble free lifestyle. I'm thinking most of this stuff is a big deal and it sucks that it is happening to me. I'm a nice guy and I don't deserve this! Amazing how easy it can be to lose a proper perspective in situations like this. The link in the signature takes me to the website setup for a young boy and his family. Nolan is struggling for his very life in the vise grips of a normally terminal brain tumor. His family is struggling to make sense of the swirling chaos and uncertainty that has become their daily life. In the space of an instant, I am humbled to think how selfish and petty I am being. :|

:tab I have a weekend that I had planned to do a tour, but the tour has fallen through and been cancelled. I have been trying to decide what to do with the upcoming free weekend. Nolan's treatments are experimental and the insurance companies are not shelling out the bucks to help him. His family is not only struggling with the possibility of losing their young son, they are also under the crushing weight of a huge debt, something I am only too familiar with myself. In a flash I know what I need to do. I decide to organize a ride to help raise money to contribute to the family's trust fund. I immediately set my gears into motion, promote the ride, plan the route, set up a way for people to donate, and spread the word. I have to admit, I am pretty excited about the possibilites for this ride.

:tab They say bad things and bad news comes in triples. Finding out about Nolan was the first sting. The very next day I find out that one of our own has received heart wrenching news. Yulia is an active rider in the Houston motorcycling community and in the CMRA racing series. Her daughter Sasha has just been diagnosed with Lukemia and hospitalized at the Texas Childrens Hospital. The survival rate for this disease for children is 49%. Just like Nolan and his family, Yulia and Sasha have been torn from their comfortable daily routine and thrust into a maelstrom of emotions and stress. It seems only logical to me that I expand the fundraiser ride to encompass both Nolan and Sasha. The wound from the second sting is oh so tender.

:tab Now I begin to spread the word in earnest and to enlist other riders. The folks of Houston Sportbike Network have already begun to organize the effort to ensure that Sasha has sufficient blood platelets donated to cover her treatments. The response to the ride is very positive and soon donations start to trickle in. The weather has been iffy lately, very hot with lots of scattered and severe afternoon thunderstorms. In the weeks leading up to the ride I continually pray for good weather.

:tab You might be wondering what happened to the third sting? A day after learning of Sasha's condition, Beth and I paid a visit to our Doctor for a six week ultrasound. Only recently we found out that Beth is pregnant again. The last few years have been rough emotionally because we have had two miscarriages and have been unable to get pregnant again. So now we are getting quite excited. Within seconds of starting the ultrasound, I realize that we have lost yet another baby. Beth is not aware yet and the Doctor has said nothing. However, I can easily see that the baby has not grown since the last ultrasound and there is no heartbeat. We have been assured that a heartbeat would be easily detectable at this point. The Doctor fumbles around for a few more minutes, obviously trying to find the words to tell Beth what has happened. I can only stand there and wait in a numb silence.

:tab More now than ever before, the ride takes on a whole new significance for me. A life has been lost to us in what seemed like an instant. All of the excitement and expectation dashed in a moment. This thing called life that we cling to so tenaciously seems to be nothing more than a house of cards, so easily blown away by the slightest breeze over which we have absolutely no control! Strangely, I find myself praying and thanking God for this life he shared with us, even for so brief a time. I'm not angry. I am frustrated though and my heart breaks when I see the realization sink in for Beth and there is nothing I can do to make it better. I can only faintly think of what it must feel like for Nolan's parents and Yulia, seeing their loved one suffering and feeling so helpless.

:tab Life goes on. We take the good with the bad and don't lose hope. News soon comes that Sasha has been allowed to go home. Nolan has good days and bad. I check his website frequently for updates from his Mom. Feeling sorry for ourselves doesn't really help a whole lot and we have to just take everything a day at a time and deal with what is in front of us at the moment, leaving the worries of tomorrow for later. It seems to take forever for the weekend of the ride to arrive and I am excited.

:tab Saturday morning arrives bright and early... and hot. The Houston group of riders shows up about 9:45am led by Vittorio on his Honda 919. We're expecting two other riders from Austin that are trailering over. They show up barely a minute or two after the Houston gang. This leaves only one other group coming from the Alvin area, South of Houston. While everyone is standing around, I grab the camera and start taking pictures!

A Beautiful 2004 Triumph Daytona 600
Mounts of the Houston posse
The Austin trailer queens' rides :-P :lol:
Most everyone: left to right
:tab Jason, Tomoko, Michael, Christopher, John, Marjorie, and Beth.
John & Marjorie Hutchinson with their 2001 Suzuki SV650S
Charles Chetkovsky and his brand new 2004 Suzuki SV650S
Jason Dyson and his 2001 Yamaha YZF-R6
Michael Hansen and his "bug eyed" 2001 Yamaha FZ1

:tab Not wanting to leave anyone behind, we wait an extra thirty minutes before leaving. The crew from Alvin never arrive. We leave copies of the route directions on the front porch in case they come after we leave. Our friend Debbie McMullen will be riding with me and Beth is on her 98 VFR 800. Now that she is no longer pregnant, she is able to ride again. I'd rather she were still pregnant :|

:tab We make our way through town. Keeping everyone together after all the stop signs and stop lights is difficult. We soon reach the edge of town and head off into the countryside. A gray overcast sky looms overhead but nothing that really looks like rain. It is not the prettiest day, but at least the clouds are keeping the temperatures in the mid nineties, a real relief from the 100+ temps we have been experiencing the last few weeks! The first stretch of road is rather unremarkable. However, it does give me a chance to see how everyone rides and to see what kind of pace we can comfortably run. I don't want anyone riding over their abilities and getting hurt.

:tab Our route takes us North to the very tiny town of Midway. Here we pick up Old Spanish Road, a route often used by early inhabitants long before Texas became a state in the Union. Now it is paved... with tar and loose gravel :( We proceed catiously until we reach clean pavement and can get back up to speed. The road is not real smooth, but that is okay because I know something better is ahead. After a few miles we turn North again and start up a nice winding strip of Farm-to-Market road. Now I get to see what kinds of corner speeds everyone is comfortable with. Lots of riders go fast in straight lines only to get left way behind when they get to the corners. It is the corners where all the excitement starts! :dude:

:tab Everyone seems to be doing fine. So far I have been running a nice sedate pace, nothing to really get anyone in over their head. We settle into a nice rythm, evenly spaced out in a snaking line as we weave in and around the rolling pastures. Traffic is virtually nonexistent and we have the roads to ourselves. Soon we reach another turn and start working our way to the Northeast towards Hwy 7. Houses, ranches and farms are scattered around the countryside. The numerous cattle are no doubt enjoying the break from the searing heat of the noonday sun. The wind is blowing steadily out of the West but not hard enough to really be of a concern... not yet anyway...

:tab When we reach Hwy 7, we stop at the Pioneer Cafe for a break from the heat. I check to see how late they will be open today because I want to bring the group back here for lunch a little later on in the afternoon. They seem to have a nice selection of food on the menu and I inform everyone that they are going to be my Guinea Pigs for this place so I can find out if it's any good. After some cold drinks, we suit back up and hit the road again. Heading East on Hwy 7, nary a curve in sight for miles :tears: But that's okay...

:tab A few miles up the road, we turn North once again. This time we are on a really nice smooth road. Jason had been asking me if there was a good place where he could "open it up" a little and stretch his legs so to speak. This is the place. I pull to the right side of the lane and wave him by us. I hear his engine winding up to a fevered pitch and he zings by in a flash, several more bikes nipping at the rubber of his rear tire in hot pursuit. The rest of us settle into a nice brisk pace.

:tab I always get a little nervous when a splinter group breaks off and decides to run fast, especially when they are on an unfamiliar road. I make a habit of scanning the outside of the curves for signs of an inadvertent offroading experience by one or more of the lead group. I'd really hate to find someone wiped out in a ditch or wrapped up in a barbed wire fence :shock: Been there, done that, no fun! I told Jason where to wait for the rest of us. It is only a short while before we come over a hill and thankfully find everyone sitting at the intersection, excitedly talking about the last stretch of road, near misses with a tractor pulling out of a side road, curves that seem to never end... Stuff that really gets the adrenaline pumping!

:tab We head West towards Old Hwy 75 and make a run up to Buffalo to look for gas. There really doesn't seem to be much in Buffalo once you get away from I-45. We find a small Shell gas station with pay at the pump, a luxury that usually helps us get in and out quickly. Today this is not to be the case. Charles is having a hard time getting the pump to accept his card, cars are starting to back up and there are bikes all over the place :lol: We finally get Charles taken care of and get back on the road.

:tab We backtrack down Old 75 to FM 831 and head back the way we just came. This little stretch of road has some really fun curves where I can get the bike leaned wayyy over as we arc through the corner. The curves come back to back fast enough in places that it makes me feel like a bird swooping back and forth, gliding on the rising breeze. Debbie leans into the corners with me, totally relaxed. I see the headlights of the others in my mirrors coming up behind me and leaning into the curves with me. I could do this all day. We pass the turn off for FM 1511 and keep going on FM 831, heading towards Oakwood.

:tab The run up to Oakwood has narrower pavement and it is a little more bumpy. This makes chosing my lines through the corners and setting up for the following corner more of a challenge, but it is fun. Here is where the fancy aftermarket suspension bits really pay off. The VFR is riding smoothly over the rippling pavement and never gives a hint of acting like it is having trouble holding to the road, very confidence inspiring. Trees are leaning out over the road casting dark shadows on the pavement. The wind is picking up out of the West a little and the clouds are getting darker. The branches in the trees are swaying hypnotically back and forth... back and forth... I force my eyes to the vanishing point up the road and watch for the next corner, rolling on the throttle as we lean up out of the last corner.

:tab When we reach the end of the road at Oakwood, we wait for everyone to catch up with us. From the smiles on everyone's faces I conclude they are having a good time. I've never brought any of these riders out to play on these roads before and it is nice to see they think the roads are fun as well. Beth comes around the last corner and meets us as we are getting turned around to head back the way we came. Jason is complaining that the suspension on his bike is a little harsh on this bumpy road and that he is used to the nice smooth roads in the Austin area, hehe.

:tab The run back to FM 1511 is just as much fun. We pull over at the intersection to wait for the tail end of the group. Just off the edge of the pavement is a lot of loose gravel so I am careful to keep my bike on the pavement. No sooner than I come to a stop, I glance at my right mirror and see someone's handle bars quickly snap to one side and then hear that distinctive "CRUNCH". :shock: Charles has just learned the hard way that you never use the front brake on loose gravel. His bike is laying on it's side in the gravel with him standing there still in shock and disbelief. It happened so quickly he didn't even have time to realize what was happening. He is unhurt and several of the other riders help him pick the bike up to inspect it for damage. Other than a bent gear shift lever and a few very minor scratches, he is good to go. Fortunately, we will be stopping for lunch in abut 15 miles and we can see about fixing the shifter.

:tab The run back down FM 1511 to Hwy 7 is really fun and a little exciting. I keep seeing little piles of hay on the road, they are getting bigger and bigger. As we come around a corner while cresting a hill, there is a truck pulling a huge trailer with quite a few of the really large round bales of hay and there is hay flying all over the place. We come up on him pretty fast. There is a nice little straight and my timing is such that I can just slide around him easily and slip through the next corner. I check the mirrors and see that others are making short work of him. Before reaching Hwy 7, we have a few more of these encounters.

:tab I am starting to get a little hungry and kind of hot. I'm looking forward to sitting in some airconditioning and sipping some really cold water! When we reach the Pioneer cafe, they have a nice little side room where all of us can sit together and stash our riding gear out of the way. There are bikes parked all over the place outside. The waitstaff takes excellent care of us, bringing pitchers of water and tea so we don't run dry. Here's the gang:

Group 1
:tab (facing us L to R) Michael Hansen, Tomoko King, Vittorio Bachetta-Bonomi, John Hutchinson.
Group 2
:tab Beth Friday, Mike and Tomoko. I think Tomoko has had too much caffine and can't sit still :P
Vittorio and John listen intently to a story, the stuff lunch is made of!
Group 3
:tab Christopher Simpson, Charles Chetkovsky, and Debbie McMullen
Group 4
:tab John and Marjorie Hutchinson, and Jason Dyson

:tab Charles heads outside and removes his shift lever toe piece. We take a look at it and all we really need is a simple standard bolt with a nut. Several local farmer types are sitting nearby. Thinking one of them is likely to have what we need just laying in the back of his truck I wander over and ask them if they can help us.

:tab The farmers can't help us. But they do know who can! They call the owner over and tell her what we need. She looks and the old bolt and then motions for us to follow her to a back room. Once inside we are greeted with the sight of a huge wall covered with little plastic trays with every size and type of bolt and nut you can think of. It turns out that this lady and her husband owned a nut & bolt company in Houston. JACKPOT!! Moments later we have excatly what we need and Charles gets his bike fixed. No charge! :-D

:tab The food comes out and it is your typical burger, fries, grilled cheese, salads, etc,... I'm assuming it is pretty good stuff because the conversation dies down as everyone digs in to their food. When we are done, everyone gets that glazed over far away look. The waitress shocks us back to reality by asking if we are aware of what the weather is doing outside!? "uh no..." We pay the bill and head outside to see what is in store for us.

:tab Outside, the sky to the West has grown dark and nasty. It is quite obvious that heading West as intended will take us into some serious rain and lightning. A quick vote shows that everyone is quite happy to make a run for home in the hopes that we will beat the rain. This cuts about 100 miles off the intended route but no one is complaining. The wind is kicking up the white dust from the parking lot and making dust devils. Already the temperature has dropped from the mid nineties down into the upper eighties. I can smell the coming rain. We quickly get mounted up and head South, the clouds expanding rapidly across the sky intent on cutting us off before we can reach home.

:tab Now that we have been riding together all morning and I have seen how everyone rides, I feel comfortable picking up the pace a little in the desperate attempt to beat the encroaching storm. Checking my mirrors, it seems that everyone else is thinking the same thing. Frequent flashes of lightning light up the darkening sky. I can see the wall of rain off to our right and coming fast. The wind has really picked up now and is blowing us all over the road. The air has that crisp electric feeling that sets the little hairs on the back of my neck standing up. A large drop hits the windscreen, then another, then a bunch! It is not looking like we are going to make it and I really don't think anyone brought their rainsuits. Even if we stop now, by the time we get the suits on, we'd be soaked anyway. We are out in the middle of the country side and there is no shelter, so we just suck it up and ride. :|

:tab Now the rain is coming down in big fat heavy drops. My mesh jacket is no better than a rainsuit made of paper towels. The drops pass right through the mesh and land on my skin. Right now it is quite refreshing, chilling even :eek: But the thought of riding with wet undies is not very exciting. I tuck down behind the windscreen to try to stay a little drier, hoping that this will be a quick shower that we can outrun. We have to bring the pace back down considerably because the road is getting wet and most riders are not proficient at riding on wet pavement. I'd really hate to deal with a downed rider in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.

:tab A few miles pass and the road starts to dry out and the rain lets up. It appears that we just caught the Southern edge of the storm and it will pass behind us to the East. The closer we get to Huntsville, the more the wind blows, being pushed along by the encroaching storm. I can still hear the booming of the thunder over the roar of the bikes. Small branches and debris are blowing across the road. The temperature reaches a low of 79 degrees!! Very chilly for the middle of August in Texas!

:tab The last mile or two right before we get back into Huntsville, the temperature suddenly climbs right back up into the nineties and it is the normal hot and humid day one would expect during the East Texas summer. We reach the house and everyone comes in for a cool drink. I take a few last minute pictures before everyone takes off for home:

Most of the bikes
Tomoko King and her beautiful 2003 Honda CBR600RR
Christopher Simpson and his 2004 Triumph Daytona 600
Jason and Mike confer before loading bikes on the trailer

We head inside the house to check the weather radar. A quick check shows a line of storms coming in from the West. The Houston gang gets on their bikes in the hopes of beating the rain home.

Mike and John discuss the route home
Christopher and Tomoko waiting patiently
Tomoko and Vittorio ready to roll

:tab We wave as the Houston gang takes off. Beth, Deb and myself watch as Jason and Charles finish loading their bikes into their trailer. Right as the get finished, it starts raining. They are really thankful that they decided to use the trailer instead of riding over from Austin. It would be a long wet ride home. As Jason and Charles drive away, the rain picks up and turns into a good shower. We mosey inside to relax. I had hoped to run the full route and then have a group dinner after getting back to Huntsville. nonetheless, we all had a great time. I guess this is just another reminder that just because things don't go the way we plan them, they can still turn out fine. Remembering this little lesson makes dealing with the curveballs of life a little easier.

[You can check on Nolan's progress here ]

[Sasha is home, but the first round of chemo was not as sucessful as hoped for, the next round has been started. She has already lost her hair. According to Yulia, she is in high spirits and taking it all in stride.]

The final totals from the ride are:
:tab Grand total: 750.00
:tab Nolan: 350.00
:tab Sasha 350.00

We are now working on doing a raffle for a set of M1 Sportecs to raise even more money. We are just waiting on figuring out the administrative issues.
 
Life goes on. We take the good with the bad and don't lose hope.

I'm hoping that you and Beth, Yulia and Sasha, and Nolan and his family will all be able find the inner strength needed to see things through to a happier future.
 
You are awesome! Thank you for all you are doing for these children. It is difficult for us, but like you said to me earlier, it is amazing how close one comes to God at times like this. In this sense, I am very blessed.
~Tess
 
you are very right and i want to thank you for reminding me of that. life does go on and we do have to take the good with the bad. hearing about the 3 sittuations you disscused made me realize that the problems i deal with every day and the stupid stresses i have are so trivial when i step back and look harder at whats going on around me and around others. thank you for sharing your story with me and showing me just how petty my problems are compared to those of others. as for you and your wifes recent hardships, i can only offer my deepest condolences and hope that is of some comfort, but i do take relief in knowing that god has a plan for you and eveyone else and these things happen for a reason. i know it is sometimes difficult to look past the now and realize this. i will keep you and your wife in my prayers as well as those you mentioned in the story. thank you again for helping me to step back and take a harder look and like the others that replied i also think that what you are doing is a wonderful thing.
:chug:
 
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