wow..the goblins have come and gone, the turkey is getting plump, and the fat man in a red suit is gearing up...where did this year go?? Some want to see it gone, while others have had a monumental year. I don't know where I stand on the issue..I still got a job, the wife finally got back to work...we seem to have a few dollars left over every month..AND were getting all our debts paid down....but soo many folks I know have been ran over this year...lost jobs, lost homes, terminal illnesses...oh my..not good....and don't forget we have a swine epidemic too!!
Yes friends, we have some problems, and we have our issues. A lot of things have happened to me over the last year..but I can say it appears to be ending much better then it started..with the expection of 1 minor problem..just a small issue...one that has depressed me by virtue of the admittance of what it represents..after 23 consistent years of spending 11 days in Glamis for T-day...all of my crew has moved on, got no money, getting evicted/losing their homes, have sold their bikes, whatever...its the end of a tradition..turning 40 this last September didn't help...seeing some gray hairs starting to sprout...oh my, how fast life goes... It seems like just 3 years ago my kids were all little, cozy in a brand new toy hauler, with suzuki LT80's..Ocotillo for sure..in the heat, the wind, the rain....ahh..I have a lot of memories in Ocotillo....
I have memories of my kids crashing, falling off their bikes, running into each other..oh yea..they did it all...and I always admired myself for not being cheap with their gear..I'd pick them up, verify they were not injured, marvel at the damaged safety gear..and thank god that it did its job...
as we move out of a depressing 2009, and into a hopeful 2010, be sure you provide your kids with the good times that family time in the desert can bring..be sure you get them geared up, properly dressed, and outfitted....there really is no excuse for a kid to be riding a multi-thousand dollar bike with no safety gear...
I hope you all have a great holiday wherever you go...and I hope you look after your young, and show some respect for your neighbors...I know I will...

Great Post.

2009 goes down in the history books as a bad year. I changed jobs 3- times (THank God I had jobs to change too) downsized the fleet to cut monthly costs, didnt spend a dime on anything but necesities and got in too many fights with the wife over $$$.


2010 cant get here fast enough, I hope for a short winter and a blazing 2010 summer and I pray for no family tragedies.

Im pretty anxious for the new year myself. I am really looking forward to a fresh start. The past 2 years have not been very kind to me. I have watched a few people around me go down in flames, and I am not too far from that myself. Wife still not working, and we are approaching the 2 year mark of her unemployment. I have been off work since June this year on a work related injury, and should be back by December 15th. I was also off last year, on a separate injury, for 4 months. So you can only imagine the beating my bank account has taken. I will probably only be able to make a trip or two this year. Turkey day in Ocotillo for sure, but no Veterans in Glamis, and probably no New Years trip for me either. =(

So yeah, I am ready for 2010. Im trying to stay positive waiting for father time to bring in the baby new year.

We'll be camping at Pole Line Rd. T-Day. See you out there.

definitely on board with the kids being safe! thanks Big Had - you always have good posts at the start of the season...

in a different light, 2009 treated me well.. I got married in Mammoth and went on a great ride to the top of a mouintain 1 1/2 hours before the ceremony (good wife)!... went to hawaii, surfed warm water in San Clemente all summer long, and had a really fun 1st desert weekend on Halloween... let the good times roll>

Everysone stay safe and have fun out there!

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