T-minus one week...

Ok, I couldn't resist the NASA reference, being the space geek that I am.

Anyway, I got this from Bill Sloan: As of Aug. 6 more than 625 riders and passengers have registered for the American Legion Legacy Run, Aug. 18-21, 2009. We expect that some 250 motorcycles and 55 passengers will travel the entire 1,200-mile route. 300 motorcycles, trikes, and bike-trailer combinations will run the final leg into Louisville, arriving with the largest group since we began the Run in 2006.

Slowdown? What economic slowdown?

I've added one last farkle to the Wing: a lighted mirror in the trunk. I know, I know, you're terribly excited and desperately want to see it. I will have some pics coming soon, I promise.

Two weeks!

I saw on Twitter that the patch sets should have shipped this week, so we'll have them soon.

The latest farkle for the Wing...

It's less than three weeks before we leave for Indy, and the excitement is building. I thought you'd like to see the replacement for the trailer. It's a rack that mounts to the trailer hitch and holds a 12x18 bag. I added a couple of lights and wired them to the trailer light connection. It adds a lot of visibility.


Also, I now know for sure that I'll be a Tailgunner for Flight B, group 2 with Denny. Excited and freaked at the same time.

I also upgraded the exhaust on the Wing. It's now sporting a set of Torq Master King Snake pipes. It sounds like a Porsche now.

I don't know what I am...

After many emails, it appears that I'll either be an Assistant Ride Captain (ARC), Tail Gunner (TG), or just a rider on the Legacy Run. I don't think I'll know for sure until we get there. I'll take any of those roles gladly, though.

Deja tire.

Here we are again, a month out from the Legacy Run, and I need a back tire again. Got the wheel pulled and in the truck, just need Ted to get it mounted. Saw on twitter updates and in emails from others that we'll have 500 participants at some points in the run this year. 350 motorcycles! Yikes!

The visual updates this year will have a new twist: Video. I haven't bought the device yet, but I'm looking. Stay tuned. (Get it?)

To Blog or to Facebook...

No, that isn't the question. Actually I'll try to do both. Facebook updates during the day, and blog updates in the evenings while on the run. Ambitious? Yes. The FB updates might not happen too often, but I will get the blog posts done in the evenings. I promise.

Isn't this ironic...

Today I got an email from Socko that he was assigning me to be the tail gunner (or sweep) for his group in the Run. I guess that confirms that we wont' be taking the trailer this year, and won't be part of the trailer/trike "flight". What's ironic about that? My screen name in Twitter is TrailerTrash180.

In other news, we met up with Dave Schoonover (Post 68) and Dennis McDonough (Post 136) although not under the circumstances we'd like. We attended the funeral for John Street of Stafford who was killed last weekend as a result of injuries sustained in a accident with a deer. We made some tentative plans for heading out to Indy next month.

5 weeks and counting!

We've REALLY got the fever now...

Got an update from Bill Sloan - 235 riders and passengers have now registered for the August 2009 American Legion Legacy Run. Of these, 160 (including us!) have already indicated that they will travel the entire 1,200-mile route in August.

In other news, ALR Post 180 as well as other area ALR Posts rode to Bunker Hill KS to greet the Run For The Wall riders. This is the 21st year for the event, which aims to promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.

Brenda and I really have the fever to get going on a long ride with a couple hundred of our closest friends now. Here's a link to some photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020523&id=1529325895&l=c503e6a6cd

Had a lovely weekend of riding...

Since Brenda was off visiting her niece in Corpus Christi TX, I did a little riding. Went to Wichita Friday night to see Kansas perform at the River Fest, then back that night. Home by 2am Saturday, then up and out at 8am to ride to Oakley KS to help with a Welcome Home for a Sailor returning from 18 months at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan, then to Garden City on Sunday for an ALR Director's meeting.

















Oh, and along the way I broke the 50,000 mile mark on the Wing:


I'm going to do another Iron Butt ride, just as soon as I can find an open weekend. This time it'll be the "Bun-Burner" - 1,500 miles in 36 hours.

Before you know it, it'll be time for the Legacy Run again!

What economic slowdown?

I got an update from Bill Sloan - 189 registrations are in so far, and the official ALLR hotels in a couple of the stops are already full! (Glad I got our KS group's reservations in already!). The ALLR staff is publishing routes to Indy from elsewhere, so as soon as I hear from the other KS riders we'll add ours to the list.

Also - I heard from Bill Sloan that there are 145 registrations and 25 passengers so far and the run is still four months away.

I'm on Twitter now - my username is TrailerTrash180. I'll be using it to send updates prior to and during the run. On a personal note, my father Jerry Krueger (US Navy - Korean War) died last Sunday and the funeral is tomorrow. Our participation in the ALLR this year will be in his honor.

139 Days and counting...

We got more info over the last couple of days: some details on the route, the highways we'll be taking (LOTS of good curvy stuff), and some hotel info. But the real kickers are two special events: A visit to Wright-Patterson AFB and the Air Force museum, and a very special honor - participating in a wreath laying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, PA. No doubt that this will be a trip no one will forget.

146 Days and counting!

I should have posted this sooner, but on February 15 we were asked to come to the Ness City ALR meeting and show our slide show again. Thanks to Loren and Lynette Stenzel and all the members for their hospitality.

Legacy Run Info: In the last few weeks we've gotten some details about the run, the general route and the dates. We also got our registration forms a couple of weeks ago, and sent them back already, of course. I must admit I was proud to mark "No" for the "First time participant" question!

Here's part of the press release from the ALLR Committee:

For the first time, the ALLR will move east from Indianapolis towards the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Final route planning is underway with cage runs conducted over the next several weeks. However, initial plans are to traverse the states of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia on a 1,000-mile loop returning to the start point of Indianapolis, Indiana. After a day of rest and meetings at the home city of The American Legion’s national headquarters, the participants will mount up again on Sunday, August 23 for the final leg from Indianapolis, Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky, to lead off the 91st annual national convention parade. Registration will open by March 15, 2009 at www.legion.org.

Let's go! We're ready!

Thanks, we'll be here all week...

We seem to be rock stars now. After presenting our little slide show for the Post 180 ALR, we got asked to do the same for the Legion meeting. Now it sounds like we're taking our show on the road to a couple of other posts out here in Western Kansas! That's fine with us - the more people we can get excited, the better. More $$$ for the Legacy Fund and more riders on the Run next year!

Yeah, yeah, I know. The clock is ticking on our 15 minutes of fame...