Listpersons,
I can't crawl back into my hole before I mention this. I was just downstairs a few minutes ago filing on some dropouts as I was pondering this past year and all of the fun gatherings I've attended these previous 12 months. The first thing that came to mind was that one person in particular made living on the left coast not only tolerable, but downright wonderful. This person is a listmember (active, as in we see this persons' name come up on the list often) and a very active participant in the collecting arena. But these are not the reasons why I nominate this person for "Grand Pubah Supreme Classic Bikeperson Select for the year 2001". The reasons have to do with this persons frequent hosting of vintage rides originating from their private home which exact a toll finacially, spousally, neighborly, and property wise. ( We do our best to confine our bike part and history related brawls and arguments to the approved areas; but occassionally the frakus spills into the alley and/or house. We never do more than $10,000 damage to any given property on any given meeting though. The beer bottles and broken furniture and fixtures are mopped up within a few days I'm sure. Within a week the neighborhood is back to normal; awaiting our next gathering, each time with larger implements designed to keep us away. HAH!) But seriously folks, this person has no personal gain or alterior motive of any sort for spending his personal time and money entertaining us left siders. I simply can't say enough about the generosity, friendship, and sincere devotion and interest this person has for both the hobby and more importantly his (your first clue) fellow man/woman (and probably whatever else you throw at him, he's that evolved as a person). Any reader from So. CA by now knows full well to whom I'm referring. Ladies and gentleman, I'm pleased to announce one Matthew Gorski as my vote for Grand Pubah of the year. Along with this is "immunity" from being considered of doing any wrong for the year 2002 (kinda like Survivor). He could be a complete a-hole all year and he would come out even at the end, OK?
Anyway, Matt has been the finest example of human kindness I've had the pleasure to be associated with this year. A person I would likely never have met had it not been for Dales' list. Thanks Matt for everything you did for us this past year. Something tells me there is more where that came from and there's less than a snowballs' chance in hell of Matt burning up the "good guy" year he has in the bank. There are a few others here in the south of california who will need to be recognized for similar deeds and contributions; but for now they shall remain unnamed so as not to distract from the honor of my friend Matthew.
OK, did I dump enough syrup on that baby? Matt should be good to go for a while, eh?
For me it's back to the salt mines; gotta start the year off right by rearranging bits of metal one tiny shaving at a time; removing only those parts that don't look like a custom made bike frame. Oh, for joy!
Please experience a gleeful beginning to another measure of time related to our orbiting the central mass in our solar system, my dear friends.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Who the heck cares what the weather is when you're in the salt mines.