Motorcycle Diaries 2008.12.30

AKA, 50 Degrees is Too Cold for Regular Riding Gear

Tuesday, 12/30, GSX ODO 7954
Out.
Notable: Safe to say that this is the last good riding day of 2008 in this part of town. At 50 and sunny, it was too tempting to stay in... but without cold-weather gear, it's too chilly to stay out for long. An uneventful wrapup to a good riding season.

Sunday, 12/28, GSX ODO 7947
Fosters for lunch, and Starbucks for coffee.
Notable: Overcast but "warm" (mid to high 60s), with clearing clouds and a beautiful sunset. One more "last day" of the season.

Saturday, 12/27, GSX ODO 7932
Out - gas from Shell and back.
Notable: Late afternoon, but the sun is out and it's still just above 60 degrees (my "minimum" comfortable riding temp). After nearly two months away, I'd forgotten how light the handling of the bike really is... the rumble of the inline-4 pulling down the road really is something to hear; not as loud as a Harley, but much easier for anyone to appreciate (i.e., enjoy)... like the sound of a slowly passing Ferarri... on two wheels. :-) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEe5N12L1Us perhaps? My laptop is nearly dead, so I can't hear the clip....)

Update: [New computer...] Yep! The clip above is just about right.

This clip isn't like any sound I've heard from my bike (really!) but it's pretty awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_t038mHs_M. Maxing out the RPMs in 1st gear will put the bike at 100 MPH, so to hear these sounds while moving, in any other gear than first, you'd have to be traveling between 120 and 180 MPH!

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.11.08

OK. A bit of a backlog, here... September, October, and the last few riding days in November! But this update is even more boring than most... nothing particularly notable in my notes.

November, 11/8, GSX ODO 7921
Out - to the library and work for sunglasses.
Notable: Clearly, any excuse to ride will do.

November, 11/7, GSX ODO 7895
Work and back.
Notable: My notes are a bit thin.

November, 11/1, GSX ODO 7880
Football and back.

October, 10/31, GSX ODO 7855
Work and back... just in time for Halloween!

October, 10/25, GSX ODO 7833
Work and back? Approx date...

October, 10/17, GSX ODO 7818
Work and back.

October, 10/15, GSX ODO 7802
Work and back.

October, 10/14, GSX ODO 7787
Work and back.

October, 10/12, GSX ODO 7774
Out.

October, 10/11, GSX ODO 7747
Gym and back.

October, 10/7, GSX ODO 7698
Work and back. Approx. date.

October, 10/3, GSX ODO 7658
Work and back.

October, 10/2, GSX ODO 7642
Work and back.

September, 9/30, GSX ODO 7616
Work and back.

September, 9/27, GSX ODO 7601
Out - gas and gym.
Notable: Nice to be out after a couple of days of rain... not bad after nearly two months of good riding days.

September, 9/23, GSX ODO 7568
Work and Reston Town Center for lunch!
Notable: A bit chilly - but with bright sun and great company, a great day to be out!

September, 9/22, GSX ODO 7525
Chicken?
Notable: No idea what my notes mean....

September, 9/21, GSX ODO 7521
Loudoun Motorsports and football.
Notable: 7,500 mile checkup complete.

September, 9/19, GSX ODO 7489
Gym and back, work and Loudoun Motorsports for service.

September, 9/18, GSX ODO 7452
Work and back.
Notable: A perfect day for riding!

September, 9/17, GSX ODO 7436
Work, lunch(?) and back.
Notable: Chilly!

September, 9/16, GSX ODO 7398
Work and back.

September, 9/15, GSX ODO 7382
Work and back.

September, 9/13, GSX ODO 7362
Football and back. (The long way? 41 miles!?)

September, 9/12, GSX ODO 7321
Work and back?

September, 9/10, GSX ODO 7308
Work and back.

September, 9/7, GSX ODO 7286
Football and back.
Notable: Rain on Thursday (4th) and Saturday (6th).

September, 9/5, GSX ODO 7253
Work and back.

September, 9/3, GSX ODO 7225
Work and back?

September, 9/2, GSX ODO 7194
Work and back.

September, 9/1, GSX ODO 7178
Rt.28 South to West Ox(?)

Favorite Quotes, Part III

Continuing the collection of a few of my favorite quotes, three from Warren Buffet that are appropriate to our current financial climate:

"According the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a romantic."
"We think the very term 'value investing' is redundant. What is 'investing' if it is not the act of seeking value at least sufficient to justify the amount paid? Consciously paying more for a stock than its calculated value -- in the hope that it can soon be sold for a still-higher price -- should be labeled speculation."

And, the quote that every investor should carefully consider in these times:

"What we do know…is that occasional outbreaks of those two super-contagious diseases, fear and greed, will forever occur in the investment community. The timing of these epidemics will be unpredictable. … We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful."

and many more: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

"The adversarial approach to truth isn't necessarily always the best one." Quoting another source: '"When two opposite points of view are advocated with equal vigor, the truth does not necessarily lie mid-way between them."
- Richard Dawkins

Most Played 2008

About two years ago I began blogging about my iTunes Top 25 Most Played list. Only a bit behind schedule, the annual Top 25 list is here:

Erase-Rewind - The Cardigans - Gran Turismo
Catch the Sun - Doves - Lost Souls
Par Avion - Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics
Claire De Lune (Philadelphia Orchestra) - The Philadelphia Orchestra - Ocean's 11
All We Need Is A Dream - Cheap Trick - Lap Of Luxury
More Than This - The Cure - The X-Files: The Album
Muzik - Knoc-Turn'al - The Transporter Soundtrack
You And Your Friend - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
It Really Doesn't Matter - Electric Light Orchestra - Zoom
Atomic - Blondie - Best Of Blondie
You Look So Fine - Garbage - Version 2.0
More Than Love - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Let Me Be The One - Def Leppard - X
When You Kiss Me - Shania Twain - Up! (Red Disc)
How Soon Is Now? - t.A.T.u. - 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
True Companion - Donald Fagen - Heavy Metal
Slow Ride - Foghat - The Best Of Foghat
Hella Good - No Doubt - Rock Steady
How Soon Is Now? - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Burnin' For You - Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper: The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult
Casualty - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
My Elastic Eye - The Chemical Brothers - Come With Us
Hysteria - Def Leppard - Hysteria
Milk - Garbage - Garbage
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing - Garbage - Version 2.0

Favorite Quotes, Part II

Last month, I began a collection of a few of my favorite quotes. Here's the latest edition:

"My children and I have established a supply and demand economy for our household... they demand and I supply."

A couple of weekends ago, I encountered another fantastic example of William Gibson's quote "The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet."

Slamball!

Anyone who recalls the sports of the future scenes from either Starship Troopers or BSG will have a definite sense of deja vu as they watch the Slamball coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ocu2OguxwQ

Clearly, the future is here.

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.08.31

Sunday, 8/31, GSX ODO 7137
Target
Notable: The indignity of it all.... OK, any ride is a good ride, but carrying goods from Target stuffed into your leather jacket is a less than glorious finish to the day's ride. Still, I did spend a few moments with a Sport Bike crowd on Waxpool when their tail rider was stranded at a light. What a great month of perfect weather. No complaints!

Saturday, 8/30, GSX ODO 7116
Football and back.
Notable: It has been raining for the past two days, so it's good to be riding again -- even if it was super-humid at 8AM! We lost the first game, but the team played well and the coaching is good -- just a matter of practice. Not much notable on the bike these days (that's generally a good thing).

Wednesday, 8/27, GSX ODO 7096
Work and back.

Tuesday, 8/26, GSX ODO 7078
Work early and back.
Notable: Early traffic -- commuting next week is going to suck.

Monday, 8/25, GSX ODO 7056
Work and back.
Notable: No riding yesterday... beautiful day!? What's up with that?? (Too tired after working out on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, for the first time in several weeks.)

Saturday, 8/23, GSX ODO 7040
Gym and back.
Notable: Gotta love it -- exercise and riding!

Friday, 8/22, GSX ODO 7021
Work, and gym in the afternoon.
Notable: Enjoy the summer hours, while they last... this is just about it. Good workout.

Thursday, 8/21, GSX ODO 6990
Work and back.
Notable: Amazing, it just seems like the perfect Spring-like days are endless. Three weeks (or more!?) and counting... in August!

Wednesday, 8/20, GSX ODO 6973
Work and back -- taking the long way home north on 28, and west on 7.

Tuesday, 8/19, GSX ODO 6955
Work and back.

Monday, 8/18, GSX ODO 6939
Work and back.
Notable: Cool in the morning, but warm in the afternoon... a hint of summer. But, only for a day.

Sunday, 8/17, GSX ODO 6924
Sky Line Drive.... and back!
Notable: What a ride! 160+ miles, with great twisties for the last two miles approaching the middle entrance. Posted speed limit was dropped from 50(!) to 35 MPH, with warnings signs stating "High Motorcycle Crash Area" and rumble strips at the turn-in for the tightest of the turns. Fantastic! The reduced limit is perfect, as it hold some of the crazier drivers at bay, and set a good pace for me. 40 to 45 MPH the whole way up was just about perfect. Leaning hard into the turns, it pays to stay calm -- hit sand, and you'll low-side under adjacent traffic, but hit the breaks or ease up on the turn, and you'll ride out of your lane and go straight into the canyon wall. Fortunately the sand was all in the oncoming traffic lane -- watch out on the way down the hill!

Saturday, 8/16, GSX ODO 6758
Morning and evening rides, with crystal clear skies and crisp-low humidity temps in the morning.
Notable: Perfect day!

Friday, 8/15, GSX ODO 6715
Work / shuttle.
Notable: What shuttle?

Thursday, 8/14, GSX ODO 6686
Work and a quick round-trip for Spicy Pickle carry-out lunch.

Wednesday, 8/13, GSX ODO 6667
Work and home for lunch.
Notable: No burning Ferraris.

Tuesday, 8/12, GSX ODO 6628
Long way to work, and home for lunch.
Notable: Holy shit!! Long way to work yielded a crazy sight -- Ferrari stopped on a back road at the stop sign. Driver and passanger hop out. Pop the back hatch. Poof! Flames shoot out two feet high from the front-left side of the engine!! Riding by, not much I could do to help. But, damn! "No, I don't think I'll buy this one after all. How 'bout a test-drive in the lambo?" Seems that this isn't unheard of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAbr44pqzE

Monday, 8/11, GSX ODO 6585
Work and lunch after work.
Notable: 75 and breezy... is this August!?

Sunday, 8/10, GSX ODO 6571
Summit Point (aborted).
Notable: Trying to get back to Summit Point for the WERA motorcycle races, and a few bonus laps in the Audi A5. Thwarted by rain! But, for the ride back, I had the company of two other sportsbikers.

Saturday, 8/9, GSX ODO 6482
Haircut in the morning, and bank in the afternoon.
Notable: Any excuse to ride, right!?

Friday, 8/8, GSX ODO 6454
Work and Sweetwater for lunch.
Notable: Rushed following lunch, to get home to swap for the 550i for the trip to Summit Point for the Audi Driving Experience.

Thursday, 8/7, GSX ODO 6427
Work and back.

Wednesday, 8/6, GSX ODO 6413
Work and back.

Tuesday, 8/5, GSX ODO 6399
Post office / bank on the way to work.

Monday, 8/4, GSX ODO 6377
Work and home for lunch.

Sunday, 8/3, GSX ODO 6349
Morning run out to the Dulles Town Center and around Algonkian Parkway.
Notable: Beautiful morning.

Saturday, 8/2, GSX ODO 6314
Best Buy and back.
Notable: Quick trip -- bikes and games; game with bikes: Civalization Revolutions and MotoGP '07.

Friday, 8/1, GSX ODO 6292
Work and back.

Audi Driving Experience

ROCKS!

The relatively innocuous Audi marketing flyer showed up about a month ago. Opening up the tri-fold brochure, I noted the "Two-Hour Introductory Program (Complimentary)"... interesting.

Registration revealed that Summit Point Motorsports Park in nearby Summit Point, WV was hosting Audi's program from August 7-13. Nice. Times were available in the afternoon on Friday (last Friday, to be exact). Even better!

It turns out that Summit Point Raceway now has three tracks! Although their URL shows "Raceway," their website now confirms that they're a "Motorsports Park." The Audi event was held on the Shenandoah Circuit -- a track I didn't even know existed until a day before the event. Not a huge track, but large enough to be split into two separate loops; one for the A4s and one for competitor testing.

As a BMW loyalist, it was unlikely that Audi was going to sell me a new car. But, I figured I should give them the opportunity -- and, who can pass up free track time, really!?

Arriving just before 3PM, registration went smoothly, leaving time to grab a drink (also complementary) and survey the track and the prior session's sets of drivers finishing their final runs.

One set of A4s was following the instructor in his S5. Another pack, made up of Audi TT, A4, A5, A6, A8 and Q7 following another S5. And, on a separate track in the distance, the 2009 Audi A4 went head-to-head against the 2008 BMW 328xi, 2008 Lexus IS 250 and the Mercedes-Benz C300.

Shortly after 3PM, we joined an Audi instructor for the combination driving instruction / engineering briefing / marketing pitch. Among things, we learned about Audi's new "Drive Select" which enables on-the-fly tuning of speed-sensitive steering ratio, suspension stiffness, throttle response, and transmission shift points. Interesting.

Following the "training", half of us split for the head-to-head testing, the other half (including me) headed for their A4s for the high-speed run on the larger portion of the Shenandoah Circuit.

I selected the car immediately behind the instructor, and ended up as the only driver without a passenger. Bonus! (Twice as much driving time for me!)

The first lap, we took at a relatively slow pace, to learn the track and the proper racing line.

Second and third laps progressively increased the pace. Still nowhere near the limits of the car, but lots of fun. In particular, turn three (counting clockwise from the top-middle turn on the map) was tight enough that it was easy to begin to slide the car, and exiting three and accelerating for turn-four really allowed the quattro (all-wheel drive) to shine, as the front wheels yank the car forward into the next turn.

Elevation changes on this circuit are notable. Not quite up to Laguna Seca standards (i.e., Turn 8 and 8A), but still very impressive.

Possibly most notable is turn 7 (by my count) marked by the bright white concrete curve. This turn is modeled after a famous turn from the Nurburgring in Germany; this one, I think. Banked at 20 to 30 degrees, much higher speeds should be possible for the intrepid. Coming off the bank and onto the flat at 40 to 50 mph is quite a transition.

Up the hill, accelerating to 70 mph and over the crest through turn 8, then breaking hard and heading down the hill through turns 9 and 10 past the pit area. Several more turns brings up the final straight, and a top speed of roughly 90 mph (or, 145 kph, as seen by some drivers).

I, for one, was too busy watching the road (and staying off the instructor's bumper) to bother checking the speedometer. Plus, I found that the feel of the car and the view out the windshield told me all I needed to know about speed for the few laps that I ran.

We were nowhere near the limit of the A4, as I found that I could break far after the instructor (in his S5) and could accelerate far harder than space allowed (holding to one to three car-lengths all speeds from 40 to 90 mph). Impressive!

The "Drive Select" was interesting, but I found that the "performance" setting was the only thing I wanted on the track. It would be a lot of fun to play with in real-life: Great to tune between "comfort" ride for long trips, and "performance" for fun. Or, try the "auto" setting to let the car choose for itself based on driving conditions.

And, the automatic was flawless. I had no need for the paddle-shifters, as the car seemed to know the right gear at every moment, in each part of every curve. Amazing. (Years ago, I had my automatic BMW M3 on the larger track, and was continuously harassed by its late downshifts in Turns 1, 2, and especially 10! In my 1986 RX-7 I had managed a top speed of 115 MPH on the straight. In my more powerful 1995 M3, the automatic destabalized the car so much in turn 10 that I never made it past 110 MPH before getting back on the breaks for turn 1. Sad. With a 5-speed stick-shift, 115 MPH would have been easy, and 120 MPH should have been possible. Top speed for the car, as I recall, was 133 MPH.... funny... my gixer will do that in under 10 seconds.)

Wrapping up our tour in the A4s, we headed back to the pits to transition to Part 2 of the driving experience.

Three laps in each car gave each of us a chance to compare the handling, breaking, and acceleration of each car. While many of the other 16 groups had three drivers, I had only one partner, yielding an extra turn at the wheel for each of us on alternate cars.

Mercedes C300 was first up, with OK steering, soft handling with a lot of body roll, effective but soft brakes, and barely OK acceleration.

Lexus IS 250 was next, and was a lot of fun to push hard. Steering and turn-in were good, suspension was good, brakes were good (and encouraged abuse of the ABS in the brake-test portion of the track) and acceleration was good.

BMW 328xi was third, and suffered from the same automatic shift problem I'd experienced in my 1995 M3. Suspension, brakes, and acceleration were all good, but it struggled for the correct gear on a couple of turns.

Audi A4 was the last of the bunch, and was a blast to drive hard. Of the bunch, it had the best "all wheel" drive feel, had perfect throttle control, and provided excellent feedback about the limits. Suspension, brakes, and acceleration were all excellent.

So, there it is: 4th: Mercedes, 3rd: BMW, 2nd: Lexus, and 1st... Audi.

Thanks to the folks at Audi for a great afternoon!!

Favorite Quotes

There are a few quotes I've run into over the years that I think are particularly notable / insightful. The first candidates for my top 10 are accumulated here:

"The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet."
- William Gibson

"Men want every woman to fulfill their one desire, and women want one man to fulfill their every desire."
- unknown

"Faith is suspending doubt long enough to experience the truth."

"Lots of people have lots of brilliant ideas all the time -- it's the ones that actually realize those ideas (their own and others') that make the difference."

What are your favorites?

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.07.31

Well... that's nearly three months without a post. Blame GTA4... it's over now.

Lots of riding, but not too much notable... here's the raw tally:

Thursday, 7/31, GSX ODO 6261
To work and back.
Notable: Wanted to ride to The Long Way Down, but the BWE was along for the ride, and time was running short, and the return trip would have been in the dark... so decided not to push our luck.

Wednesday, 7/30, GSX ODO 6246
To work and back, then LCBD for building permits. Home Theater, here we come!

Tuesday, 7/29, GSX ODO 6205
To work, home for lunch, and back.

Monday, 7/28, GSX ODO 6169
To work and back.

Saturday, 7/26, GSX ODO 6155
To Target and back for Wolftrap supplies.

Friday, 7/25, GSX ODO 6141
To LCBD for building permits. No joy. Wait till next week....

Tuesday, 7/22, GSX ODO 6055
To work and back.
Notable: Light morning rain canceled plans for the 495/395 commute. Too bad, the afternoon was beautiful.

Monday, 7/21, GSX ODO 6040
To work and back.

Friday, 7/18, GSX ODO 6025
To gym, work, Target and home.

Thursday, 7/17, GSX ODO 5996
To work and back.

Wednesday, 7/16, GSX ODO 5982
To work and back.

Monday, 7/14, GSX ODO 5968
To gym and back.

Saturday, 7/12, GSX ODO 5938
Haircut, Sportsplex for soccer, and home.

Friday, 7/11, GSX ODO 5869
To gym, work, INOVA, Best Buy and home.

Thursday, 7/10, GSX ODO 5852
To Safeway and back.

Wednesday, 7/9, GSX ODO 5849
To work and back.

Tuesday, 7/8, GSX ODO 5834
To work and back.

Wednesday, 6/25, GSX ODO 5820
To work, CostCo, and Best Buy. Aloha!

Monday, 6/23, GSX ODO 5780
To work and back.
Notable: Home in the rain... again.

Sunday, 6/22, GSX ODO 5764
To Best Buy and back.
Notable: Best Buy fix. No particular reason.

Saturday, 6/21, GSX ODO 5737
To Eastern Mountain Sports for grand opening.
Notable: Bought lots of socks. And enjoyed a bit of rock-wall climbing.

Friday, 6/20, GSX ODO 5723
To gym and back. California Tortilla to pick up dinner.

Thursday, 6/19, GSX ODO 5691
To work and back.

Wednesday, 6/18, GSX ODO 5677
To gym and back.

Tuesday, 6/17, GSX ODO 5660
To work and back.

Sunday, 6/15, GSX ODO 5646
To Borders, the long way round.
Notable: An early morning ride to grab the latest Fast Bikes

Friday, 6/13, GSX ODO 5591
To gym, and Loudoun County Motorsports for a new tire, and back in the evening.
Notable: An auspicious day for riding. Uneventful, fortunately!

Wednesday, 6/4, GSX ODO 5547
To work and back.
Notable: Time for a new tire... why risk a blowout?

Tuesday, 6/3, GSX ODO 5533
To work and back.
Notable: Rear tire still holding... but for how long?

Monday, 6/2, GSX ODO 5519
To work and back.
Notable: Riding on a repaired rear tire... hmmm.

Friday, 5/30, GSX ODO 5504
To gym and back.
Notable: Rear tire nailed! 4" screw in my brand new MAXXIS tire.

Thursday, 5/29, GSX ODO 5485
To work and back.

Wednesday, 5/28, GSX ODO 5471
Evening ride to TLC and back.
Notable: Cat tails and slamming doors do not mix!

Monday, 5/26, GSX ODO 5447
Sears and HD in the early morning!

Sunday, 5/25, GSX ODO 5423
Best Buy and HD in the afternoon.

Saturday, 5/24, GSX ODO 5402
Gas and INOVA for times.

Friday, 5/23, GSX ODO 5377
To work, Dave's for GTA4, and home.

Thursday, 5/22, GSX ODO 5322
To work and back.
Notable: Rain: for the 15 minutes it took for me to ride home!

Wednesday, 5/21, GSX ODO 5307
To work and back, twice?

Monday, 5/19, GSX ODO 5279
To work and back.

Friday, 5/16, GSX ODO 5268
To work and back.

Thursday, 5/15, GSX ODO 5254
To work, the long way.

Tuesday, 5/13, GSX ODO 5234
To work and back.

Friday, 5/9, GSX ODO 5220
To work and back.

The Long Way Down

Well that was brilliant, wasn't it!?

Fans of The Long Way Round had to get out tonight... Ewan and Charlie did it again in 2007. This time, from Scotland to South Africa. If you missed tonight's premier in the theaters, you can still catch The Long Way Down on the Fox Reality Channel at 9PM, Saturday 8/2.

Check out the site here: http://www.longwaydown.com/

A great start to my birthday marathon!

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Ken and Dixie

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"In times of sadness such as now, we must believe there's help somehow -- Help to carry on each day and handle what has come our way, Help in love of friends who care and treasured memories that we share, For, in these ways, we come to find an inner peace of heart and mind."

"With the hope that each new day will bring you comfort to carry you through this difficult time."

Dear Sylvia,

So very sorry to hear of Bill's death. He put up a long, hard fought battle with cancer and now his is suffering no longer.

I thought you were so special to send a beautiful card to Ken and me for our wedding. Ken is so dear and we had a beautiful wedding. The weather perfect and we invited only the two families (32). Ken has seven Grandchildren and I have seven, so we decided to keep it just the two families.

Please let me know if I can be of any help in any way.

Hope to see you soon.

Love,
Ken and Dixie

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.07

Wednesday, 5/7, GSX ODO 5208
To work and home for lunch, and after dinner, to Wal-Mart for Quixx Paint Scratch Remover.
Notable: Mostly good riding, with a very sloppy ride home/back for lunch... too warm!? The scratches on the 550i bumper (from the garage door) are horrible, but this Quixx stuff seems to work reasonably well.

Monday, 5/5, GSX ODO 5161
To work and back.
Notable: The weather in May rocks! (for now)

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Bob and Pat

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May the love of God give you peace, May the love of friends give you comfort, May the love of our dear one remain in your heart and give you strength through the difficult days ahead."

Sylvia + Family,

We are very sorry for your loss. Bill was a wonderful person, and is now in a better place without suffering.

We are all better for knowing him and you.

Bob and Pat

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Libby

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May the sympathy and love of others comfort you in your sorrow."

Dear Mrs. Poesch,

You and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers since I saw you at the office last week. I was so very sorry to hear about Bill, and I want you to know that he will be missed by many. Mr. Poesch has always been one of my favorite patients, and I always enjoyed our conversations about gardening. He fought a long, hard battle and he now can let the Lord take care of him.

Please let me know if I can be any help to you as you spend time in California. I'm just around the corner.

Love,
Libby

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.04

Sunday, 5/4, GSX ODO 5148
To Best Buy and back
Notable: Chilly in the morning, but crystal clear blue skies and sun all day. Perfect motorcycle weather all day long. Yard work and projects occupied the morning, followed by soccer after noon. But after seeing a 5-star review for GTA4 on G4, we had to make the run to Best Buy -- with a pillion rider.

Saturday, 5/3, GSX ODO 5125
To Reston Town Center for brunch, Fairfax for soccer, and GWU for football.
Notable: A great day to be out! Sunny and warm.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Stephanie

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

We are deeply saddened to hear about your loss. We will miss Bill and his friendly smile.

Our sympathies are with you and your family at this time. Please don't hesitate to call us any time if there anything we can do for you.

Love,
Stephanie

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Gertrude

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

My dear Sylvia,

We just returned from a trip to Florida for a month and I got the word that Bill had passed on. His was a long ordeal with cancer, but we know that now he is safe in God's eternal care.

How many thoughts and concerns are with you and the myriad of things that need to be taken care of and more importantly the difficult adjustment for you personally.

It was obvious to me that yours and Bill's was a very close and dear relationship. A lovely example to observe.

Ed and I are quite happy and content in our new home situation. It is definitely where we should be at this point in our lives. We really feel this is "home" now.

I send my love and best wishes -- Gertrude

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.03

Friday, 5/2, GSX ODO 5071
To the gym and back, and work and back.
Notable: Perfect weather! Chilly at 8AM, but warming into the low 80s by Noon. Sunny all day!

Thursday, 5/1, GSX ODO 5049
To work and back.
Notable: Chillier than forecasted, with rain in the middle of the day. But the ride into work and back home was on dry roads. Managed to get the rear tire to skid a bit while breaking (not a goal, just the result of breaking more rapidly while the tire was still cold) -- felt "slick" but still very controllable.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Barbara and Ed

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

I wanted to express our sympathy on your loss. Bill was always so enthusiastic and positive about everything that he brought energy and happiness to all of us when we worked with him.

I can only imagine how difficult the last years were for you both, but your faith and attitude is an inspiration to all of us.

You remain in our prayers.

Barbara and Ed

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Linda

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."
- Gary Snyder

Dear Sylvia,

I was saddened to learn of your wonderful husband's passing. Many, like me, who didn't know him well, still will remember him fondly as a man who appreciated the art in life. Now he and my son can get to know each other (and watch over us). With love,

Linda

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.04.30

Wednesday, 4/30, GSX ODO 5024
To work and back, twice.
Notable: Home for lunch. Chilly weather (50s) but some hope that spring really is around the corner. The new tires have been great -- no slippage at all, even when cold. 0-60 still rocks! And, it's great to feel more and more at home on the bike. Soon, I'll be desperate for Summit Point. Not desperate for the repair or medical bills though, so I may have to make due with living vicariously through the MotoGP action. The MotoGP 2007 Official Review was fantastic -- the whole season in about two hours, with a travel-log of countries around the world as a bonus.

New goal: Follow the MotoGP season around the world, visiting every country and watching every race. 2008 is Hawaii, 2009 is South America (Argentina and the Galapagos Islands), and 2010 is Japan.... maybe 2011!?

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Jacki

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

What a surprise to come in on Tuesday and find your very generous gift. That was very kind and totally unexpected.

It was my pleasure to assist you and get to know you a little better. Mike spoke of you and Bill often, and as a staff we had been praying for you all.

Your relationship with Bill was a treasure and a model for many. May his legacy continue on for many generations.

Sylvia, you are a very classy lady. Please stay in touch and let us know if we can be of help.

Fondly,
Jacki

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Betsy and Duncan

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May each memory comfort... and bring you peace."

We were so saddened to hear of Bill's death after such a valiant struggle.

I know you will miss him terribly. The beautiful service and loving tributes must have been of great comfort.

It is hard to believe that such a vibrant, talented man is gone. You are lucky to have great sons and grandchildren to carry his memory on.

Love,
Betsy and Duncan

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Warren

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Sylvia - I returned only recently from an extended trip to find your very sad news. Although we knew each other for only a couple of years at Samohi, Bill was a very special friend whom I admired greatly, and although we didn't see each other for many years I thought of him frequently. How wonderful it was to see him in Portland and to have the opportunity to meet you.

May God shower you with blessings the remainder of life's journey.

Warren

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Rhoda

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Joanne, Mark, and family,

My thoughts are with you at this time of loss.

I so admired Bill's strength during his illness and Sylvia's devotion, always.

My love to you all.
Rhoda

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.04.26

Saturday, 4/26, GSX ODO 4998
To Borders for the May issue of Fast Bikes, and a quick run to Fosters to pick up burgers.
Notable: 8:45AM the sun is out, low humidity and perfect temps. Was thinking about the gym, but opted for the bookstore instead. Had to leave the drink cups behind at Fosters -- pickup on a motorcycle, not such a good plan. Wanted to ride to the game at 4:30PM, but the downpour at 5:30PM would have left me looking like a drowned rat... worse, visibility dropped to 10-20 yards at times, standing water probably would have made me dump the bike, and every turn would have taken ten years off my life. The 550i, on the other hand, loves playing in the water. It has spent a good 1,000 to 2,000 miles of its life in the rain on highways around the world, and I can count the times when I noticed the water (momentary hydroplaning) on one hand... I've never driven a car that is so rock solid in the rain. (A good thing, since she's like an elephant on ice skates when we get over half an inch of snow!)

Friday, 4/25, GSX ODO 4965
To the gym and work.
Notable: Everyone looks at me funny as I work out in boots and jeans -- but I have more fun getting to / from my workout! Saves gas, too!

Thursday, 4/24, GSX ODO 2933
To GW and back.
Notable: Couldn't ride to work, but after getting home, it was a beautiful day for a quick ride.

Wednesday, 4/23, GSX ODO 4915
To Loudoun Motorsports and back.
Notable: New tires at 4,905 miles!

Tuesday, 4/22, GSX ODO 4890
To work and back.
Notable: Cool in the morning, and warm on the way home.

Saturday, 4/19, GSX ODO 4875
To the gym!
Notable: Incentive to work out, or an excuse to ride!? Does it matter?? A perfect cool Spring morning -- back to the gym after far too many weeks off (travel, followed by illness, followed by recovery, followed by laziness).

Friday, 4/18, GSX ODO 4857
To Loudoun Motorsports, Best Buy, and home.
Notable: Time for new tires, and $150 for a front and rear MAXXIS is a deal that's worth a close look! Not a whole lot of coverage on the web, but what is out about the Presa Sport looks good. If nothing else, they're certainly better than the thrashed rubber that's clinging to the wheels, now.

Wednesday, 4/16, GSX ODO 4833
To work and back (twice!)
Notable: A beautiful spring day, with time to zip home for lunch.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Jack and Wilma

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

We were shocked and saddened to get your letter about Bill and yet not surprised. We know where he's at and what a comfort it is to you, and us too, to know we'll see him again.

We have said several times how thankful we are to have met the two of you and spend some time with you, even though it was never long enough. Our sympathy, love and hugs go out to you and your boys and their families. I'm sending you a check in memory of Bill and you may decided where you want it to go. And we would like a copy of his memoirs whenever you have the time to send it.

From the first time we met you we felt like we had known you for years. And every time we look at the picture he painted for us, I will remember what a terrific person he was.

We are doing okay. I'm having a heart catherization[sic] in a couple of weeks.. I had one a little over a year ago, and they seemed to think I need another one. As of now we are tentatively planning on coming to Virginia some time in July.

We just became great grandparents. Our oldest daughter has a step-son and he and his wife had a baby girl April 19th. We haven't seen her yet (just pictures) but will [visiting them] the 14th, and will see her then.

We still haven't sold our house. Have had several lookers. So many people told us from the beginning "oh, you won't have any trouble selling it" and I believed them, but it hasn't happened, and I'm getting impatient. But the Good Lord knows and hopefully one of these days the right people will come along.

May God give you comfort during this sad time. And may your memories of a wonderful husband be a help during the lonely times.

We love you,
Wilma

"We're remember you in prayer and trusting you'll know the special love and comfort that only God can give.

With Deepest Concern And Sympathy"
and Love
Jack and Wilma

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
PSALM 23:6 KJV

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Frank and Marie

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia:

Words alone cannot tell you how sorry we were to receive your letter informing us that Bill went to be with the Lord on April 7, 2006. We want to thank you for the Memorial Service papers. They were just beautiful and while reading we felt like we were there. They brought tears to our eyes. Thanks ever so much.

We tried to get Bill's Memoirs off the internet link, but had no luck. Would you send us a CD which we can print on our computer.

Marine and I want to say our life has been much richer just knowing you and Bill. You both certainly made us feel at home, and made us feel like life-long friends. We certainly appreciate your friendship.

God bless you, and take care of you in the future.

Love,
Frank & Marie

"They Live in Christ

Lord God Almighty,
You raised Jesus Christ from the dead,
Bring all Your servants to new life in Christ.

Through baptism we died and rose with Christ.
Make us worthy to share eternal life with Him.

Christ, Son of the living God,
Bring all our beloved deceased to the glory of new life with You.

Give comfort Lord to all who have placed their hope in You.

Eternal Rest grant to our beloved deceased, O God; and let perpetual light shine upon them."

Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.
Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"ENROLLMENT IN
Saint Francis Perpetual Mass Association
In loving memory

William Lee Poesch

has been enrolled for perpetual remembrance in the prayers, Masses and good works offered for the members by the Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Loretto, PA.

This gift of prayer is from
Francis and Marie"

"Benefits of Enrollments

+ Perpetual remembrance in Daily Community Mass offered by the Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

+ Daily remembrance in the Community celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours.

+ Remembrance in Daily Community Rosary.

+ Remembrance in Daily Prayers to Saint Anthony.

+ Remembrance in Weekly Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

+ Remembrance in the prayers and merits of all the good works of the Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

OUR MISSION
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.

As friars of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis and members of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus we vow ourselves to the challenge of living poverty, chastity and obedience in the presence of the Church. In this way, we further the work of Francis of Assisi who unreservedly followed the crucified and risen Christ and the Gospel of preaching repentance and conversion for the salvation of all.

As Franciscans in service to the Church, we listen to God's Word following Jesus Christ with the assurance of the Holy Spirit; we listen to God's teaching in the Church; and we listen to God's holy people as they speak to us.

As followers of Saint Francis of Assisi, we respond to God and our founder by living simply, unencumbered by possessions or attitudes, by dedicating ourselves to the fraternity, by responding to the mission of the Church, and by seeking to bring God and the message of conversion to all we meet.

As friars we commit ourselves, personally and corporately, to a life transformed by prayer and contemplation, to an ongoing conversion of heart, mind and soul, and to a revelation of the Lord by our words and works, enabling the bruised and broken to hear and receive the message of reconciliation and healing embodied in Christ.

To all we serve we commit ourselves to bring the grace and peace of God: the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit."