ROMEOS

Romeo Riders,

This week’s ride announcement comes with some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that this will be my last ride announcement for you all and one of my last rides as we get ready to move to Texas. The wife has decided she will not put up with another cold winter (we have been talking about moving south for years). The good news is that Roger Shores has agreed to take over the pleasure of finding nice places to take everyone to each week.

Most of you know Roger and his silver Gold Wing. He is a very active rider and an extraordinarily friendly guy. It is Roger’s Google maps that keep us all straight each week. Not only does he post all 4 Romeo group rides in a forum post and Google map, but he also created the overall Google map that has the database of every Romeo location that all the Romeo area groups have EVER gone (over 150)!

So while I will miss the fun of picking a place and seeing everyone show up and chatting with you all every week, Roger is the perfect replacement to continue the effort and grow the gang.

Now on to the ride. Last week we went southeast and the previous week northeast, so this week we will go northwest. Somehow I missed going to this place last time but several have requested that we go back there as they liked it so much. So we are going back to Dearborn, MO to the Cook’s Corner Café. They are located at 214 Main St, Dearborn, MO (816-450-3600). As always, lunch is at 11:00 am but most everyone shows up by 10:30 for coffee and conversation.

So this will be my last ride announcement and you can expect an email and forum post from Roger next week for his choice of a place to go. Please make him feel welcome!

Thanks to everyone for your favorable comments and helpful suggestions over the last year that I have been organizing the Kansas City group rides. I have really enjoyed not only the opportunity of getting out to all these smalls towns and back highways but in meeting all of you and seeing the variety of riding machines that everyone brings. It is an amazing thing to see such a simple thing as a writing a simple email each week that brings so much enjoyment to so many people.

Finally, everyone should thank Richard and Don for starting this endeavor so many years ago (10 years?!). They started with a small group of close friends riding each week and is has grown to hundreds across the entire eastern half of the state of Kansas! It has gotten so big that the small town cafes could no longer handle the 50 and 60 motorcycles that would show up so they split their groups years ago and just last year Bob Lee split off his group down south and I split off the Kansas City group. Don said a few weeks ago he added the counts from the 4 groups and had over 140 motorcycles riding on these Romeo rides! It just grows and grows – and completely by word of mouth. All with absolutely no structure or organization, no dues or officers or newsletters or anything. Just a simple email every single week! Amazing!

Thank you all very much!


Jerry in KC

Don’t forget to join the discussion at http://www.romeoriders.com/forums.

As always you can see all the area Romeo Rides on Roger's Google Map at:
http://tinyurl.com/Romeos-Rides-This-Week

This is Danny D from the NE Kansas group. Last week I made my first Romeo ride this year with the NE group. If everything works out I am going to try to join you guys in Dearborn, MO. Hope to see you all then.
Danny D

Jerry: This is a bummer. I have a consulting gig on Tuesday and won't be able to give you a heartfelt goodby. Certainly enjoyed the few rides we went on and the great conversations we had over lunch. Be sure to let us know where you lite in Texas and how we can get in touch if we end up in your neck of the woods.

Take care my friend and have a great one.

Tom

Thank you very much, Tom, I have certainly enjoyed our rides and conversations! And thanks to many others for your personal emails to me - I am humbled by your comments and gratitude. Sometimes you never know just how many friends you have until you have to leave or a tragedy occurs. For a bunch of lunchtime acquaintances we have sure grown into a close bunch!

You may have noticed over the last several weeks I changed my email address for the rides from kc.rr.com to gmail.com. I have slowly been changing my emails from the local kc.rr.com (Time Warner Road Runner) to the more global Google mail (Gmail). So you will always be able to reach me in the future at that email (jerrym100 [at] gmail.com).

Also, I still own the web site and domain name so I will stay close and monitor the health of the site and forums. I have to do periodic maintenance to keep it backed up and to keep the hackers out. I might try to start a Romeo group down in Texas if there is enough interest.

So I may be leaving town but you will still hear from me ocassionally here in the discussion forums.

And if you are ever near north Houston please let me know so you can stop by or maybe I can meet you somewhere.


Jerry in KC

We had a nice turnout of 25 bikes at Dearborn today. Nice place, looked like a nice chicken fried steak special that most people had. We had several new guys join us today - Jim and Don and I forgot the name of Don's friend.

Thanks again for all of your favorable comments, and thanks to Manfred for buying my lunch! You guys are really making it tough to leave! I mean really. I am really touched.

Next week and from now on it will be Roger's choice of places to go. I know he will coordinate with Don so if one of the groups goes somewhere further away the other group will stay a little closer so everyone should have a ride to suit them on either Tuesday or Wednesday, if not both days.

So anyway, here are some pictures I took of the day. There were some really nice looking bikes there today.

Jerry in KC

Sorry I missed the Dearborn ride; had our usual Tue. breakfast with the "Oatmeal Gang", and had committed to picking up the Grandkids from school for early dismissal. Hope the best for you and yours on the move- you know it may not get cold in Texas, but I'm pretty sure it gets really, really warm! You know you can always throw another log on the fire, you don't have to leave town!
We'll miss you, and appreciate your efforts in getting the rides together. I know everyone enjoys the rides, but wouldn't want to take the responsibility for getting things together (including myself), so I'm sure we're all glad you did, and glad Roger has assumed the job- and I know it is a job.
Anyway,hope to see you again before you leave- and ride safe.
Mike H

Thanks, Jerry, for all you have done putting these rides together. We will miss visiting with you but can't blame you for wanting to move South.

Jerry,
How long will it be before we are reading about romeo riders in Texas?

Bob Kochen
OP KS

Well...once again I find you; and, you up and run away...hehehheee

Enjoyed the 'flying we did together' with the KCFlyers; and, really had a good time riding 'beemers' with you with the ROMEOs.

Your efforts and labors for the ROMEOs; especially, the KC Romeos will be appreciated by many for years to come.

Thanks again for the good times and friendship.

Jim