A new year

[ranette]

I think everyone can agree that 2011 was an "interesting" year on this forum, even more so on its predecessor. I'm not a core member so don't know everything that went on, but I read my fill. We all know that people who were the best of friends started attacking each other over what, less than a year later, I think can be called ridiculously trivial matters. I have no idea whose fault it was, who threw the first grenade or who was incapable of letting things roll off their shoulders. It doesn't matter, as in most pissing matches I'm sure that everyone involved bore at least a little responsibility.

As it turned out, even after all that went on, Bike Night continued and with the help of some decent weather and I'm sure hard work from Parker, Adam, Keith, Mark, etc, appeared to have a successful year. Every time I showed up there was a good crowd and everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even though sometimes my wife and I just show up for a slice or two and keep pretty much to ourselves, we really look forward to dry summer Tuesdays: Bike Night is the perfect excuse for a little ride and and a couple of slices-can't quite put it into words but we just enjoy showing up.

However, as much as it was a good year, something, more precisely someone, was missing. I understand how much crap went back and forth, I know things got beyond tense, but I think in 2012 everybody should simply forget about the feud, the coup, whatever you want to call it. Doc, it's time to come back to Bike Night. Everyone else, it's time to shake his hand, buy him a Coke(they're free), thank him for everything he's put into Bike Night over the years and get back to busting his balls like the old days.

[markbvt]

This is an issue that's pretty complex on a number of levels, and clearly the reason it went the way it did was different people's expectations of what Bike Night should be. But at the root of things, I agree with you, Randy.

Doc had his vision of what he wanted Bike Night to be. The rest of us obviously felt there was nothing wrong with it as is. There's no need to rehash this seven-month-old discussion.

That said, keep in mind that the reason Doc wasn't coming to Bike Night all that much anymore, and the reason he decided to stop trying to get his new one going, was because he's got a wife and a kid at home who need their husband/dad, and he's got a new house on top of that. So it's no surprise he couldn't make a weekly commitment, particularly one as time-consuming as running the event.

I never stopped thinking of Doc as a friend, and if he comes back, I'll gladly shake his hand and welcome him back. Maybe if he reads this he'll stop in some Tuesday.

--mark

[yesterdayze]

Mark, That was a very well put response. +1 on pretty much all of that.

Let's just leave this thread at that so we don't resurrect anything else. That was one of the least enjoyable times we had as a group; it's over now.

Auf wiedersehen 2011. Welcome 2012!

Peace

[SRTie4k]

I'm sure everyone here is mature enough to leave any hard feelings at the keyboard.

And heck, maybe this year I'll be able to make it up that way for a bike night and maybe a cruise.

[OreoGaborio]

You damn hippies, you're messin up our drama