Missing DirtWeek

[Rooster]

For the last three years, September has rolled around and taken me to a level of enthusiasm I havn't felt since I was a kid at Christmas. DirtWeek. Nothing compares. I miss DirtWeek, and it hasn't even started yet.

I have no checklist. There is no pile of gear, no camping supplies, no coolers, no bike parts or anything else that resembles the DirtWeek trip staging. This sucks!

I fell like ... no, I KNOW ... I'm missing out on something huge. Just like every year I was able to attend. It was an awesome time, every time.

Dirtweek changed my entire life, in so many ways. I found my way out of Iowa for the first time since I moved there. I made so many friends, I can barely count them. I've been to Kansas City, St. Louis, Reno, Kentucky, Illinois and a few other places to go riding with the friends I met at DirtWeek. I met my (now) wife, Squeaky at DirtWeek ;) .

I wish all of you the best of weather, a safe week and more fun than you have ever had!! :aj:

 

[a454elk]

Big time bummer my friend, you will be missed.

 

[KiwiBird]

Yeah me too Roo, I paid last year hoping to go and paid this year planning to go but vehicle troubles, cost of fuel and moving to new digs will stop me this year.

Next year......

 

[CaptainObvious]

I know how you feel my friend. :(

We'll kick it up big next year. It's less than 380 days. I'm counting.

 

[YZ165]

I was looking forward to meeting all of you, see ya next year! Matt

 

[Tony Eeds]

You will be missed, each and every one of y'all. We will all do our best to screw with our little miniCHIP, but it will not be the same without you.

Rooster, who is gonna pick my bike up off me if your not there?

Save you pennies and we will all do it again next year.

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Rooster, you and Sam were missed bigtime at Wardys this year and will be missed greatly at Dirtweek. Next time for sure man :cool:

 

[oldguy]

Rooster we will have the keys to DRN for that week so how about we pull a coup and take over. That way we won't have to listen to the great times we missed out in that dirty red clay place

 

[Chili]

I'm going the denial route, I don't want to talk about it :( .

 

[Okiewan]

Okay.
There are a lot of people STILL going that I want to see... and thank God for that, or I'd just blow it off and not go myself, lol. As it is, we are going to enjoy the company, despite the fact that several of the DW regulars can't make it this year. We'll just sit arond the fire, tell stories about previous years (and embellish to our liking) and also think about NEXT YEAR. At the same time, we might just make a few memories of THIS year, lol.

No excuses '06 you guys. None.

Too bad you'll all miss Carlos doing landscaping around my RV. I'll take pictures.

 

[Patman]

Twink is already working on his '07 excuse Okie.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Too bad you'll all miss Carlos doing landscaping around my RV. I'll take pictures.

Are you labeling the grass or just giving him and instruction sheet that reads ...

Green side up

or better yet

lado verde ascendente

:laugh:

 

[a454elk]

assmunches.

 

[Rooster]

Ahhh, the memories ....

Sawing logs off the trails and marking out the scramble course with Mully.

Sitting around the fire and tellin' stories with Eddie. (damn dude, this is two years without you bein' there, we'll have to have a some sort of phone consultation to deal with this!)

Dingo peein' on the Carlo's "truck" tire (and I use that term loosely for a yellow mini-truck) as soon as he rolled in.

Frito Pies (need I say more?)

Campfires ... oh, man, the good stuff right there!

Okie - The beauty of DW is the fact that it is always different. That's the thing I've loved about it every year. I've met new people, heard new stories, and most of all, made new friends, each and every time. Looking forward to making it next year and catching up on what I missed!

Tony - keep the knobs on the ground, and watch out for that rock that got ya!

Kiwi - Dodge, right? Buy a Ford! No problem, eh, mate?

CO - Caravan planning for next year, let's do it!

SRKX - missed the Wardy's thing big time ... we stopped over in IL on our move out to RI and thought about the Wardy's rides. We miss that.

oldguy - we will OWN this joint during DW, LOL

Chili - I don't think we willl ever forget the night time poker run ... "

Matt - New Mexico rocks! We will be there over Thanksgiving, but down in Las Cruses/Old Messilla area ....

Pat - Twinkie has an excuse for everything, including the fact that nobody can confirm his existence! Punk only showed up for a couple hours last year ... or was that a chupachabra? :think:

 

[Rooster]

assmunches.

huh huh huh , he said assmunches

 

[a454elk]

hehehe

Damn the not coming.

 

[Okiewan]

Damn the ungoers.

 

[squeaky]

Damn man, this is depressing. Just reading Rooster's post that started this thread, I swear I almost started crying. Dirtweek means so much to me, friends, family...oh hell, you're all family!

I didn't think I'd really be this sad about missing Dirtweek, but I am. The people, the campfire stories, the Nightime Poker Runs :laugh: ... My (not that I knew it at the time) now husband, rescuing me from under my bike, under a tree, during the daytime Poker Run in '03...

Ahhhhhhhhh the memories...I'm going to stop before I make myself even more depressed.

I'll miss you all greatly, have a great time and I'll see you in '06!!!!!!!!

 

[motometal]

Rooster! I remember meeting up with you at that gas station the first year you went. Well, before that I think we called, hoping not to wake you up, to let you know that we were so excited that we took off early. You were awake too and ready to go.

I'm sure you were excited, yet a little uneasy not really knowing what to expect. We talked back and forth on the way down, using my crappy walkietalkies. Half of the time, we couldn't understand each other but it was fun anyway. The further south we went, the worse the radio stations got! Once we arrived, you quickly realized that you had a whole campground full of friends. And boy, did that first beer in the hot afternoon sun taste great!

The smaller fires we had at our campsite with the music blasting from my F150 were the best! A real party. The campfires are always fun, but I look back on that first year at Cooperland as some of the best times.

Squeaky, I remember helping you with your XR, and thinking, "wow, this bike is heavier than mine and hard to start, and she is out here doing battle with the trail by herself!" but you never gave up.

We look forward to seeing you guys next time. Or, if you get bored with RI and want to come back to Iowa, I'll sign the waver to let you both back in.

 

[Rooster]

Rooster! I remember meeting up with you at that gas station the first year you went. Well, before that I think we called, hoping not to wake you up, to let you know that we were so excited that we took off early. You were awake too and ready to go.

I'm sure you were excited, yet a little uneasy not really knowing what to expect. We talked back and forth on the way down, using my crappy walkietalkies. Half of the time, we couldn't understand each other but it was fun anyway. The further south we went, the worse the radio stations got! Once we arrived, you quickly realized that you had a whole campground full of friends. And boy, did that first beer in the hot afternoon sun taste great!

LOL, yeah, that phone call was something. I was almost literally pacing the floor thinking "damn, should I call those guys and see if they are ready to hit the road early, or what!" I was nervous as hell about he whole thing, but you hit it on the head ... I was surrounded by new found friends ... and I immediately found myself at complete ease in my surroundings!

:aj: They really do need some metal stations down thar in OakleyHomey, don't they?

 

[Patman]

Total drag for those that can't make it... well it's a bummer but it will be motivation to make next year happen because you know what you'll be missing.... at least sort of. It's different every year which I know is why the ungoers are really sad about being ungoers. The up side for me is this year my wife and son get to make a return engagement, 2 long years of missing it has both of them really excited about this year. So next year ww'll just hope everybody that wants to can make it and the ungoers will be a thing of the past.

 

[YZ165]

Matt - New Mexico rocks! We will be there over Thanksgiving, but down in Las Cruses/Old Messilla area....

Well if you're up for a ride when you get here, just let me know, I've got a slew of bikes you can choose from, and wouldn't mind coming south if you know of a good riding spot. Cruses is only three hours from me, but I don't know the area well enough to plan a ride. Matt

 

[MrLuckey]

yeah no doubt BruceMan, two years in a row after making the first four :( Sure would like to see a whole lot of people but my situation is just impossible right now. The first year I went some guy pulled up in my driveway that I'd never met and we tossed all my stuff into his truck and headed to Casey Illinois from OKC...and then the fun began.

 

[BSWIFT]

You will be missed my friend. I missed last year and I live 45 minutes away!!!!!!!!!!!!
This year, I will be there unless a hurricane makes its way to OKLAHOMA! LOL. I'm making the transition from employee to self employed but first I MUST have a vacation. DW05 is happening for me unless the grim reaper finds me first. Seeya next year Roost&squeak!

 

[TwinSpar]

Twinkie has an excuse for everything, including the fact that nobody can confirm his existence! Punk only showed up for a couple hours last year ... or was that a chupachabra? :think:

Do the math... I'm from the Southwest, some wonder about my existance, I influence events at great distances, and I've only been photographed in the wild (usually blurry out of focus shots). I AM Chupacabra (learn to spell you misplaced nuevo mexicano). I am Elk's worst nightmare! A dingo from hell!