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Scotty Croom

yes,it was..cooley was on 18th and ashland...robert ,you will memory lane trivia award for tonight...

Richard Meek '65

Good morning Waltripians. It seems we have some members that are in need of evaluating some burgers. So we'll have a WABEC meeting next Wednesday the 23rd. at JAX Grill on Shepherd just south of I10 at 11:30. Consideration whirld Affairs and business of the committee will take 45 seconds. As I understand it the Duke of DuBarry will not be able to attend, He will be in our nations capital making his opinions known to President Obama. Yikes. Come out and join us you are a member of the committee if you can fog a mirror. See you there!

Keep on dancing,

Rich LH

Dance like no one is watching

Beau Wann, Jr.

Good Morrow Mine waltripines,
         Sunday has waxed and waned...been to the little country church in the city...usual 30 suspects...VOTED EARLY this year as I will be absent the next two weeks...yes, hard to believe I will be gone from the rigors and duties of a house husband...Mr Mom...I will be departing in the morning at 5:30 for Washington DC, riding my motorcycle with ROLLING THUNDER AND RUN FOR THE WALL...this year is the 25th anniversary of the start of Rolling thunder here in the states...any proceeds benefits  POW/MIA families, wounded warriors etc...Last year there were 750,000 bikers that descended  on DC...this year they expect one million...

Dont know how many will start from our "jumping off" point, Flying J Truck stop in Woodbranch on Hwy 59...but other riders will be joining us along the way...So looking forward to doing this...gonna have a hard time sleeping tonight...
Got my bike all packed...not alot of room to bring stuff...mostly just my underroos and socks...couple O shirts and pants...thats about it...oh, a jean jacket and rain coat, that I hope I dont have to use...The route is already mapped out...subject to change with change of weather...

You can get on the ROLLINGTHUNDERTX2 website and click on events and then ROLLING THUNDER, and it will bring up the route, and a couple of pictures...I think there is video of the last couple O rolling thunder events...It is named after an actual op in Vietnam where the B52s bombed North Vietnam back into the stone age...onliest (east texas for only) problem was, they were already in the stoneage, so no harm done...thanks to the heroic efforts of SOB/LBJ and Robert Strange MacNamara and their tuesday afternoon bombing lunches, where they picked the targets...pile of rocks here, stand of trees there...but I digress...

Due to limited space in first class, I am leaving my computer at home...I will be taking a camera to record this momentus occasion, and will give a slide presentation at the next WABEC meeting, and possibly at Fudds...Should be back in time for Fudds...I will miss WABEC this next Wednesday, boo...but yeaaa, getting to "get out on the highway...lookin for adventure...with whatever comes my way...born to be wiiiild..."

Wild hogs on the loose...OLD wild hogs...Dont know anyone on this ride, but hoping to make a few new friends, and maybe run into some old ones...

Time to sign off for now...
Keep the sun at your six, and ride boldly ride...
DOD aka Eric Von Zipper...

Teddie Jordan

Beau, have a good time on your adventure but please be careful.

Look forward to hearing about it.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Beau, WOW what an adventure!  How many miles a day are you riding?  What is your route and what are your overnight stops?  If we know, we can ride along with you in our minds and imaginations.  We'll pray for your traveling safety.

Jimmie & Charlie

Richard Meek '65

Well DOD, take care my friend. Quite and adventure you're embarking on. If there turns out to be a million hogs descending on D. C. we'll probably be able to hear them here in Houston. I hope you'll be able to clear your mind on this trip and finally decide what you want to do for an occupation, fry cook or brain surgeon!

For the rest of you youtes don't forget the WABEC meeting this Wednesday, 11:30 at JAX Grill just south O I-10 between Shepherd and Durham. See you there!

Over and out,

Rich

Wayne Lake

We survived the British Virgin Islands – great trip but did not catch a tarpon.

Don’t get me started on Robert Strange McNamara. After listening to Daniel Ellsberg on PBS year before last,  “Most Dangerous Man in America and the Pentagon Papers (Nominated for an Academy Award 2010 - Best Documentary Feature), I think McNamara must have lied about the war in Viet Nam to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, US Congress and the American public just about every day for about 7 years and then was awarded the honors of the Medal of Freedom and the Distinguished Service Medal upon his departure. All the time 55,000+ of our finest young men were comin’ home with psychological scars that would not heal for years or forever and others with physical wounds or in wooden boxes.   I apologize to all you war hero’s if I offend with my rant on McNamara and that unnecessary war we all endured in our tender years but when I see how our congress feels it’s their obligation to prosecute the likes of Martha Stewart, Barry Bonds, RogerClemons and even ol’ Bill Clinton for lying about whatever, it just pisses me off. Where is the justice?  Why is it against the law to lie to a bunch a liars anyway?

You can always tell when a politician is lying cause that’s anytime his/her mouth is moving.   

Political Paradox: "Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured...but not everyone must prove they are a citizen."

Politics and Water Pollution: “You cannot get the water to clear up, until you get the pigs out of the creek.”

Remember: Vote early and vote often.

I’m off to Lake Wobegone for the summer – maybe I’ll hook a big mouth bass or two in SE Iowa in a couple of weeks. I hope to go canoeing up North MN in the Boundary Waters this summer and maybe fish for small mouth and listen to the loons make their soulful sounds in the early morn and late evening.

Stay out of the ditches Beau. I remember going to see Willie, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan’s tour called Rollin’ Thunder Review at UoH’s Hoffienze pavilion around 1972, I think – I guess it was a little play on words.  

Try to stay cool in Texas this summer.

 wtl

John Burgess Webb

as you enjoy this memorial day;please remember those who fell on the battlefields trying to protect the small say each of excercize by the simple process of a vote.many have become doutful about our system and about our status in the world.it is deep and wide,with war between those who were once friends and allies and political reverses changing the landscape.in my family tree is matoaka who married john rolfe.she was the daughter of powhatan(wahusenasawh),the chief of tseacommacaw,an of alliance of  30 algonquian speaking indian tribes of virginia.matoaka(aka pocahoutas) married john rolfe and in that marriage was the culmination of the algonquian-english war.we broke with the british soon after that and the fact that john randolph was the grandson of a great algonquian chief lent to the true bond in the establishment of the first government of the dominion of virginia.from these alliances along the james river near richmond virginia came the gathering of great minds and sincere men who knew history and were introduced to the independance and love of freedom that native american peoples practiced for centuries through wars and treaties,the algonquin,the democratic and far sighted 'long houses of the soux' and the strength and integregrity of the proud mohawk.ive been to thier lands and understand the frustration with treaties broken by narcissitic individuals who love power and status.through history blood has been shed since cain killed able.what was given to us by the creator has been adulterated by envy and averace;not satisfied with what fills the universe,only to want more.

to those those brave souls who served and died for what they believed was the preservation of thier heritage and thier way of life,against tyrany and terror;we owe everything,rightly or wrongly.i hope we can reach down and find the strength we once had.to fight against the narsistic and heartless who demand that  thier's is the "only way and are willing to bring the world to the edge of destruction.as the wise said"you will know them by thier fruits".we have come into an age where man can produce "life" in a test tube and split matter into its most elemental particals and claim that there is no guiding force to what we percieve.an intelligence far greater than we are capable of understanding created those very elemental particles out of nothing and guide them to a purpose for which we have little understanding.the technocrat is lost in his own vanity and wil be consumed by his own arrogance.by any name ,come lord jesus.bring forgiveness and reconcilliation;humble those who provoke for the sake of violence and disruption,using up the young and vulnerable.honor those warriors this memorial day;they laid down against evil and tyrany......."all knees shall bow". 

Teddie Jordan

Amen Burge, amen!

Beau, if you get to read this on the road I'm worried about your back ache after looking at your schedule.  Less than two weeks ago at Fudd's you could barely stand up from pain and now you're riding your bike over 300 miles a day for over a week? If you get in a bind along the way I'm sure we have a classmate living in the area and can help you out.  I hope for the best and I congratulate you on the cause you honor and on your sense of adventure.

Wayne, sorry about the tarpon but I know you'll enjoy the summer in Minnesota and the great fishing and the cool weather. As you know the town of Port Aransas was originally named Tarpon and celebrities and dignitaries including FDR used to come down here to catch big tarpon by the hundreds. I'll be fishing there with a couple of grandsons this weekend.

Richard Meek '65

Good morning Waltripians, don't forget that there will be a convening of WABEC tomorrow at JAX Grill on Shepherd at 11:30 There will be whirld peas to consider and burgers to evaluate and that should take 60 sec. The rest of our time will be taken up with visiting with good friends. Be there.

I think that it is important to remember and honor our citizens who paid the ultimate price to defend freedom. I think that those who served in Korea or Viet Nam should not think they served in a useless war. The threat from Russia and China was real. Now the wars may have been conducted in a stupid fashion but those are separate issues. If you remember Thomas Jefferson said that the price of freedom is the occasional shedding of the blood of patriots. I know there is a tendency in the country now to take a isolationist stand and just defend our shores. Times have changed and that is no longer a viable strategy. So we have to press forward doing the best we can. For those of you who live in Texas don't forget that we are in the process of having our delayed primaries for the November general election. So be sure to get out and vote for the candidate of your choice. You can vote early through Friday. The actual voting day is Tuesday the 29th.

If you like to go to the movies go see The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold, starring Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. We saw it last weekend. it is just excellent and enjoyable. I think you'll be glad you went.

Everyone have a super Memorial Holiday. Be safe and plan an adventure for the weekend. You don't have to ride a Harley to D.C. Just do something you don't ordinarily do.

Keep on dancing

Rich  LH

Dance like no one is watching

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

beautiful....Burge, well-said! I am extremely glad to know by the meaning of your words, that you have survived with a heart and soul! 

(So hard to actually realize that human beings now imitate the Romans? in the biblical days of greed, opulence, and non-caring of the lower class....what goes around is returning, end of the world coming soon?)

Happy Memorial Day, and thank you and all military for your personal sacrifices for all of us!

Paige Talley (Meek)

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hi Everyone,

This is Diane writing for Beau. I wanted to try and keep you all updated on his travels to D.C. He is currently in Athens, Alabama.  They are traveling about 375 miles a day.  Teddy, Beau is taking Aleve every morning and evening and so far so good.  We packed a soft bag that he could use as a back rest and it seems to be doing the trick.  He has been through rain twice. Monday, they got soaked, but got into Vicksburg, Mississipp safe and then dried out!  Got into rain today, but not as much.  He is enjoying the scenery in Mississippi and Alabama.  Tomorrow they head north and will stay in Kentucky.  Hopefully no more rain-he hates riding in rain. The group has about 15 motorcycles so far and couple of cars, so with passengers included about 20-25 people.   So I will keep you posted and keep Beau in your prayers for a safe journey there and back and we will see you at the next Fudds.

Teddie Jordan

Diane, thanks for the update and we'll continue to pray for his safety.

Geau Beau.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Sorry to hear Beau's group is traveling through rain.  Hope they get out of it soon.  Since people are recommending good movies, I have to say "Bernie" is hilarious. It's a movie about a true murder story in Carthage, TX.   It reminds those of us who went to college in East Texas of the culture shock we experienced when we left the "South" for "The East."

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

like that....Geau Beau....hee, hee.  I understand bikers a bit, we have so many here in Grimes County, every chance they get, they head out across the U.S. until their health gets so bad ....they can't, then they sell their bikes and listen to the adventures of those younger!  I am not a biker, scares me to death.  A friend took me on a night drive 5 yrs ago and I was scared the whole time, fearing my diabetes or events would knock me off!  Noooo, I'll just listen too.  Risk is not my thing!  Two of our acquaintaneous out here were riding (without helmets in their 20's and invincible, or so they thought)  when a lady out of road rage stomped on the gas and got around them, then put on her brakes, forcing them to crash to avoid hitting her.  They are both seriously injured.  How stupid was that, and out of their control,  I will pray for Beau and all his friends that they accomplish their mission and have fun and memories along the way!

My neighbor who is in her 80's went to CS yesterday aroung 1:30 matinee and watched Bernie, and totally loved it, seems like she might enjoy the other as well.

End of the school year and all the teachers are pulling their hair out again......crying, shouting over the kids and I remain in my little 'old office with the door closed!  Think I'll do 1 more year!

Cheers all!

Paige Talley (Meek)

Hang in there, Kay and any other "un-retired" teachers out there...the schools need your stability.

Thanks, Diane, for the update. How come you don't use funny descriptive words? Don't you got no Beau-lish to draw from? Call me if you need anything whilst the "master" is away  like "girls night out" or something!

Paige

Teddie Jordan

I forgot to mention on the movie reviews that we saw Bernie a couple of weeks ago, and for anyone who loves the people, the accents, and the humor of East Texas as we do, the movie is very entertaining and will make you laugh out loud. Jack Black is spot on perfect as Bernie. For some reason the movie doesn't have very wide distribution and isn't in many theaters, but we caught it up at the Woodlands.

And Jackie congratulations on reaching the milestone of 200 pages on this forum. Two hundred pages of nostalgia, memories, news, trivia, BS, and Beauisms. Thank you Jackie for all you have done and continue to do for our class.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Hi All! Just talked to Beau and he is well and in Teays Valley, West Virginia.  They have hooked up with other bikers/vets for the rest of the ride.  They are now 1000!  He says it is coooold in those mountains.  He's wearing 3 shirts, sweatshirt and jacket! Scenery is beautiful, but they are moving too fast for picture taking.  Today they stop in Rainelle, W. Virginia to visit a school and get a big send off from the town.  Tonight Staunton, Virginia.  Tomorrow into Arlington with candlelight vigil at the Wall.

Paige- no one can duplicate Beau-isms.  He's the creative one in this family!  I am doing the dog/cat/mommy routine.  Got great neighbors who cooked me dinner twice and checked in on the dogs when I was going to be late.

 Kay-I know what you are going through.  I am currently working with 16 schools and it is ..... Praying for the end of day on June 1!  

Thanks for your prayers for Beau and all the riders.   Diane

Paige Talley (Meek)

Some of you may remember the Plaza Hotel (formerly Ramada Inn) at the NW corner of the intersection of Texas and University. The implosion of the hotel took place at 6:40ish this morning. Below is some history and pictures captured from video. I wasn't at the event, but live close by. I "saw" it "live" on the radio. There are lots of u-tubes if you want to view it going down in semi-live action. This link is to a nice slide show.

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/The_Plaza_is_Gone_153567845.html

Paige

The Plaza Hotel (formerly University Tower) is an abandoned hotel building in College Station, Texas, USA. The building contains 300 rooms and is 17 stories high. It is located at 410 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas 77840.^[1]

Originally constructed to be a Ramada Inn, it was turned into private dormitory/student housing for Texas A&M University. The building was acquired and turned into The Plaza Hotel in 2004. The building contained a swimming pool in the atrium, a lounge which overlooked the atrium and pool, a ballroom, a restaurant (Maxwell's, then Remington's), and a penthouse containing a fully equipped kitchen and bar area, dining room, exterior patio, three bedrooms and a master suite with bath and jacuzzi

The building and property is owned by Rossco Holdings, Inc. who filed a voluntary petition for reorganization underChapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas on August 2, 2010. Problems for the hotel began as early as 2008, when Brazos County health inspectors shut down the hotel's kitchen and when guests made complaints about mysterious activities. During the final months of the hotel being open, guests complained of a lack of hot water and air conditioning as well as purported hauntings (including that of Civil War General Jack T. Anderson).

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Wow --- 200 pages on the forum!!! Thanks to all of you!! 

Thanks to everyone that has contributed and for those "readers" only - please surprise us sometime and join in!!!  As I've said before - even if it's just a few words, we would love hearing from you.

BroBeau hope you are cruising and enjoying!!  Diane, thanks for the updates - I cannot believe he is traveling that far -- but I know these guys.  Sorry I haven't been on the forum for a while and missed wishing him a safe and joyeous ride before he left.  Please be sure to tell him when you talk to him again.

Paige, great pictures - 

Hugs,

J

Beau Wann, Jr.

Beau says, "WHAT WAS I THINKIN!!!!!"  He took a HARROWING ride today in the mountains that had lot's of switchbacks and on the edge of the cliffs and mountains.   It was like 100 mile long snake.  Beau says "I want the hell out of this valley"  He can not believe he rode on such a road.  It he had known about the 90 degree turns he would have said "Hell no!" He is in Staunton, Va.  They leave at 9:00 am from Arlington and arrive about 1:00.  Today hundreds of people and children waved flags as they rode through towns.   Flags on telephone poles, houses, people in lawn chairs cheering them on and fire trucks with the ladders over the rode with American Flags.  There are over 1000 riders in this group.  There are several other groups already in DC and on the way.  Each group in the thousands.  There will be between 750,000 and 1,000,000 riders in DC for the ride to the pentagon on Sunday!  This a demonstration to remind all about the POWS, MIAs and Wounded! 

The hotel tonight gave him two little rubber ducks.  :)   Got rained on again :(    People have been really nice to the riders.

He had pie at Mrs. Rose for lunch-"It was Goood!"  His  back is good, but shoulder and arms are hurting due to stress riding in rain and on the switchbacks. 

 Beau says "Keep the sun at your six and ride boldly ride.  Your frien and biker brother Beauregard Eric Zipper.

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Hey Beauman, we are all riding on your coattails.....with you in spirit!  Of course, you made my eyes cry, with all that symbolism of flags and all the patriotic Americans supporting your mighty, mighty motor march! 

Good America still exists and this is a wonderful salute to all our military and their families for their uncomparable service for us all!  Thank you Diane for transmitting Beau's march.....albeit, the harrowing, no, horrifying roads and curves....RIDE SAFELY BEAUMAN!!

and.....a big THANKS, Jackie, for this wonderful  daily journal chronicling our adventures, thoughts, events; the good and the bad, and all the wonderful pics you care enough to send in.  I know for myself, when I've gone through my major life events, it was you guys that make the bumps and valleys a little softer, and I am never alone, when I can choose to enter the Waltrip '64 wonderland of words and kindred feelings.

Wishing everyone a very wonderful Memorial Day, whichever way you want to celebrate it! 

Richard Meek '65

Beaucephus, I have traveled that area of Virginia you just left. We were holding employee benefit meetings for a client so we often had to travel from one town to another at night. You are correct. It is amazingly beautiful there but those roads are nerve wracking. Particularly to us flatlanders! Keep on being safe and try not to ride too boldly. Just fake it if you have to.

Everyone have a super Memorial Day holiday! Make a  super safe one too!

Keep on dancing,

Rich LH

Dance like no one is watching

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Kay, Bless your heart - you are so right.  We are all here for each other - we cry together, pray together and laugh together - just doesn't get any better - we are not alone!

God Bless Kay, God Bless BroBeau, God Bless all you wonderful classmates and your families.  We stand strong together - I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful group.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!  Hugs! J