Dave in Savannah: November 2004

HORRIBLE HUNDRED re-visited. This eleven year old young girl had just finished riding her bicycle with her father 102 miles in the Horrible Hundred bicycle ride. She did the ride in about seven hours. This ride in Clermont Florida was an event promoted by the Florida Freewheelers bicycle club of Orlando.

Thanksgiving

No matter who you are, if you are an American, you have a LOT to be thankful! Even homeless people have things to be thankful, as many cities provide a free excellent meal for them on thanksgiving.

You can certainly be thankful to be free! Free to express yourself, free to vote for whom you choose, free to worship, free to travel, free to improve yourself, and on and on and on.......

You should be very thankful for the determination and commitment of our Armed Services. Since our country began, these men and women who sacrifice a LOT, have fought for our freedom.

Be thankful for prosperity. If you don't think you are ..look a round in other countries, you will be amazed how well off you are!

Regardless of who you voted or who won the election for President, be thankful that the election was peaceful, be thankful it was free, be thankful we HAVE a president and not a dictator.

I could go on ... but I think you may get the drift.

GOD BLESS AMERICA on the Thanksgiving Day 2004!

The Horrible Hundred

Today, I leave for four days in Florida to help my very good friend to implement the Florida Freewheelers' HORRIBLE HUNDRED bicycle event . While the ride doesn't happen until Sunday, I will be helping get things together for the event (stuffing packets, getting rental vehicles, loading supplies and then taking my van loaded to the event and helping run a rest stop for the 1,100 cyclist expected). The Horrible Hundred is called “horrible” because the ride takes cyclist over some very steep hills surrounding Clermont, Florida. (http://www.floridafreewheelers.com/news.html) If you ever ridden a bicycle up a hill, you know how tough it can get! Clermont is a very friendly bicycle city located on a beautiful lake where many triathalons are held. It is also the site when I qualified and went to the National Senior Games where I participated in the 5K and 10K bicycling time trials.

I have informed my friend I will not be available to work Saturday afternoon from 3:30pm to about 6:30pm, BECAUSE Auburn and Alabama will be playing football and Auburn needs to win this game to keep pressure on the voters in the bowl series poll. A very BIG rivalry, this game can be won or lost by the team NOT favored. I remember way back when Auburn was un-ranked and beat Alabama 14-13 to knock Alabama out the Orange Bowl bid. It has happened several times for either team.

I return home Monday, then off to Statesboro, GA on Tuesday for Thanksgiving, Jekyll Island on Saturday after Thanksgiving to manage the Jingle Bell Ride for the Jekyll Island Authority and not back home until Nov. 29th.

A very busy time ahead.

Big Weekend!

The game of the year, as for as Auburn is concerned. Not since I graduated in 1952 has the desire to win and the competitive spirit left me. This year IF Auburn beats Georgia and then Alabama the next weekend, they will be undefeated and have a chance for the National Championship! In my days Auburn vs. Georgia was played at a small stadium in Columbus, GA. Now it's played home and home before close to 90,000 people and thousands more outside the stadium watching on TV. It's really a big day, because I will also be 77 years young on the same day, November 13, 2004. Will try and ride my bike 77 miles this weekend to celebrate! Are you listening, Lance????? LIVE STRONG!!

Veterans Day 2004

Having served in the US Army twice, Veterans Day always brings back many memories! The strongest of those probably was patrolling the 38th parallel in 1946 in Korea and seeing the NKV watching us and occassionally firing a shot over our heads to let us know they were there. Not long after leaving Korea, these same guys invaded South Korea to start the "Korean peace keeping mission". I joined the reserves when I was discharged and was called back to duty and sent back that way. Providence kept me in Japan and assigned to Japan Logistic Command and stationed in Yokohama. I was pulled out of the pipeline of troops going to the front in Korea and my name had been red lined from being assigned to the 1st Calavary Division. The 1st Calavary Division was over ran at Chosen Resevior in North Korea and the casualties were very high. Most survivors had their feet frozen from the harsh winter during that battle. It was providence that I missed that action by the grace of God!
I have a deep feeling of respect for our troops and ask God's blessing on those serving today to fight for freedom for people of the world! SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

Autograph, please!

This picture of me riding at Isle of Hope in Savannah will appear in the 2005 Calendar published by the Chatham and Effingham Counties Public Health Departments to encourage Immunizations of Senior Citizens. A reception will be held November 17th at 3:00pm for the 12 of us whoes picture appear and we will be asked to autograph our picture. Wow! A celebrity!