happy new year fireballs friends for fun, safety ... january newsletter.pdf · watch more tv....
TRANSCRIPT
January 2019
Monthly Chapter Gathering
1st Saturday of the month
Eat at 8am & Meeting at 9am
4705 US Hwy 98N
Lakeland, Florida 33809
Come and join us!
National & District Teams
President
Anita Alkire
Ride Education Director
Susan & George Huttman
Director of Training
Clara & Fred Boldt
Member Enhancement
Directors
Larry & Penny Anthony
Deputy Directors, East
Bob & Nan Shrader
Florida District Directors
Bill & Cheryl Smith
Chapter FL2-L
Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge Gold Wing Road Riders Association
Chapter Directors
Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg
(607) 427-8777
Goodness G
racious G
reat B
alls of Fire!
Goodness G
racious G
reat B
alls of Fire!
Goodness G
racious G
reat B
alls of Fire!
Goodness G
racious G
reat B
alls of Fire!
January Events
GATHERING Jan 5th
All Chapter Conference
Jan 12th & 13th
Ride to The Great Catch Jan 19th
Team Meeting Jan 21st
Kumquat Festival Jan 26th
Cypress Lakes Bike Show
& Chili Cook-off Jan 31st
Fireball’s Rally Feb 9th
2017 Florida District
Chapter of the Year
Happy New Year Fireballs
2019 Couple of the Year
Jim & Alice Bontrager
Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Wow, it seems a bit unreal that it is 2019 already. We personally and the
Chapter sure had a busy year. Hopefully 2019 will be as busy and FUN as
2018.
As we start 2019, the Chapter already has a full schedule planned with the
Chapter Conference, the Gathering, Chili Cook-Off and Bike Show all in Jan-
uary along with weekend rides, Meet and Eats and other chances for us to
get together. Continuing with the FireBall tradition, we have at least one
thing planned each week and generally more. In addition, we have our
closed Face Book page. I encourage you to use it to make ride suggestions
and invite people to a ride on “off” days. If you have not signed up, see Alice
Bontrager and she can get you access.
Looking ahead, we probably will be scheduling a Manatee sight seeing trip,
the Lipizzan Horses, Blueberry and Kumquat Festivals, trips to eat Straw-
berry shortcake, the tunnel of trees in Floral City etc. Any and all ideas are
welcome!!!
I have given up making New Year’s Resolutions as while I have good inten-
tions, I have weak willpower LOL! I do have “HOPES” for 2019.
I hope we all have as good a 2019 OR better than 2018. Many of us have had
health issues or family problems that seem overwhelming. I want to remind
you that the Chapter cares. We want you to come and have FUN with us. We
really don’t care if you are on 2, 3 or 4 wheels. FYI, Dottie had back surgery
and cannot ride for about 6 months. While it has limited some of her activi-
ties she still will find a way to get to our events and participate even if it is
limited. Sure, she is bummed about not riding but she would be even more
bummed out sitting at home!!!!
Membership Enhancement
Jim & Alice Bontrager
We recently received a message from Jerry and Carol Wall. They have had some
significant health issues but are on the mend. They hope they will be able to rejoin
us in the near future.
May you all have a Safe Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
Ed Bahrenburg CD for the FireBalls
New Years Resolutions You Have No Chance At Keeping
When I hear a funny joke I will not reply, "LOL, LMAO, or ROTFLMAO!"
Start using Facebook for something other than Farmville and stupid quizzes
I will try to figure out why I "really" need 5 facebook accounts.
I resolve to work with neglected children... my own.
Lose 20 pounds by going to the gym!
I will stop using, "So, what's your URL?" as a pickup line.
I will spend less than five hour a day on the Internet.
I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.
Spend less than $1000 for coffee at Starbucks this year.
Lose weight by inventing an anti-gravity machine.
Stop repeating myself again, and again, and again.
I will stop tagging pictures of myself in pictures even when I'm not in them.
I will think of a password other than "password"
Membership Enhancement
2019 Couple of the Year
Jim & Alice Bontrager
SOME HUMOR TO MAKE YOUR DAY BRIGHTER
Holiday Eating Tips............
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet
table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see car-
rots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum
balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can, and quickly. You can't find it
any other time of the year but now. So, drink it up! Who cares that
it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn
into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have
one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas.
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of
gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out
of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Re-
peat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim
milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother?
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party to control your eat-
ing. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other
people's food for free, lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and
New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing
else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after
circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and
that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like
frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position
Membership Enhancement
Jim & Alice Bontrager
yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can 10. One final tip: If
you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you have-
n't been paying attention.
Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.........
Jim Bontrager
FL2-L MEC
We were so honored to be selected as the GWRRA Florida FL-2L Fireballs Couple of
the year for 2019. We were so surprised and humbled to be chosen. Alice does
not often become unable to speak (lol). We plan to visit other local chapters to
see what they are doing during their Gatherings and maybe learn a few things. We
also get to brag about our chapter, tell about our rides and invite people to join us.
We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jim and Alice Bontrager
2019 Couple of the Year
Jim and Alice Bontrager
Rick & Pam Northrop
Sr. District Ride Educator
Here we are, at the end of yet another year and the beginning of a new one. So
many things have transpired yet so many things to look forward to. I often think of
that saying of a cup half full or is it half empty? I guess it’s how you really want to
look at things, right? Well, as for me, I would rather look at the bright side. I have
a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, food for my table and a Honda Gold Wing to
ride! It really don’t get no better than that, now does it? Of course, it doesn’t.
Health wise well, my doctors have been helping me to stay healthy enough to en-
joy riding my Wing. My TRC and ARC Instructors have been helping me to stay
safety conscious and trained enough to stay safe while riding that Wing so I can
safely have FUN.
So, all in all I think my cup is pretty much on the full side in spite of myself. We
have rediscovered chapter life with our involvement in Chapter FL1-T and have
made many new friends. This past month, we have volunteered to ring the bells at
Walmart for the Salvation Army, enjoyed our chapter Christmas party and been on
several of their scheduled dinner rides and rode in the Inverness Christmas pa-
rade. Well, most of us rode. Ruth Diehl and Pam walked in front of the bikes, hold-
ing up the chapter banner. Not too badly done, for two senior bikers.
As you have the opportunity to become more involved in your chapter and its ac-
tivities, hopefully you will discover how much FUN you will have.
Pam and I trust everyone had a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year is wished
from our house (and Goldwing) to yours.
Shrimps R Us is the first District ride of the new year, on January 1. Even if you
don’t enjoy the seafood menu, they have landlubber fare, plus the chance to see
lots and lots of your Goldwing family. Hope to see you there!!!!!
I want to encourage everyone to make plans to attend the Chapter Conference-
January 11 and 12 at the Hilton Hotel in Altamonte Springs. There will be lots of
information for you and your chapter, as well as turning in your financial report for
2018.
I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all our chapters and their members for their
support in our annual Gold Wing give-away raffle. At the time of this writing I only
Membership Enhancement
Jim & Alice Bontrager
have 3000 tickets left here in my office. This is awesome! Thank you! I will be
bringing what I have left to the chapter conference in case your chapter needs
some. We will also be conducting our raffle with the tickets, to allow you to win a
bucket load of chances for the new Wing.
Ride Safe Ride Aware,
Rick & Pam Northrop
Senior District Educators
New Years Resolutions You Can Actually Keep
Read less.
I want to gain weight. Put on at least 30 pounds.
I will start buying lottery tickets at a luckier store Stop exercising. Waste of time.
Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
Watch less T.V. in standard definition.
Gain enough weight to get on The Biggest Loser.
Watch more movie remakes.
Start washing my hands after I use the restroom.
Procrastinate more.
I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
I will become a vegan for a day and subsequently learn that it was a missed steak.
I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying
about the future.
Drink. Drink some more.
Stop buying worthless junk on Ebay, because QVC has better specials
Start being superstitious.
Spend more time at work.
Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
Take up a new habit: maybe smoking!
Ride Coordinator
Leo Soucy
January 2019 Riding Adventures:
A New Year, new adventures. Greetings Fireballs from your chapter
Ride Coordinator. We have some fun and interesting riding activities
and destinations planned for January.
January 5 — After the monthly chapter Gathering, ride to Goodson
Strawberry Farm in Balm.
January 19— 10:00 AM ride from RaceTrac Gas (US 98 No.) to the Great
Catch Restaurant, Zephyrhills
January 26 — 9:00 AM ride from RaceTrac Gas (US 98 No.) to the Kum-
quat Festival for crafts, food and entertainment in Dade City
Please check the Fireball calendar and watch for the weekly
“Happenings” emails with more information for each destination. And
more to come in February!
Let’s Ride!
Leo Soucy
Jemima was taking an afternoon nap on New Year's Eve before the festivities. After
she woke up, she confided to Max, her husband, 'I just dreamed that you gave me a
diamond ring for a New Year's present. What do you think it all means?'
'Aha, you'll know tonight,' answered Max smiling broadly.
At midnight, as the New Year was chiming, Max approached Jemima and handed
her small package. Delighted and excited she opened it quickly. There in her hand
rested a book entitled: 'The meaning of dreams'.
John, at a New Year's party, turns to his friend, Dave, and asks for a smoke.
“I thought you made a New Year's resolution and that you don’t smoke,” Dave says.
“I'm in the process of quitting,” replies John with a grin. “I am in the middle of
phase one.”
“Phase one?” asks David.
“Yeah,” laughs John, “I've quit buying.”
Every year I make a resolution to change myself....... this year making a resolution
to be myself!
Knock Knock! Who’s there?
Mary and Abby! Mary and Abby who?
Mary Christmas and a Abby New Year.
Auld Lang Syne Lyrics (Short Version)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Membership Enhancement
Jim & Alice Bontrager
It’s all about having FUN FUN FUN!
There are lots more Photos on our website
www.lakelandfireballs.com.
Mike and Sue do a wonderful job as our
photographers, so take a look.
2017 Florida District
Chapter of the Year
.
.
2019 Couple of the Year
Jim & Alice Bontrager
Announcement of
The Couple of the Year
2018 Christmas Party
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Membership Enhancement
Jim & Alice Bontrager
EVENTS FOR 2019 FLORIDA GWRRA
January 12th & 13th Chapter Conference Almonte Springs
Fireballs Activities For 2019
DATE ACTIVITY LOCATION
January 31st Cypress Lakes Bike Show & Chili Cook-off Lakeland, FL
January 16th Chili Cook-off Fort Myers, FL
February 9, 2019 Fireballs Rally Auburndale, FL
February 23rd Gypsy Gold Farm Tour Ocala, FL
DATE ACTIVITY LOCATION
GWRRA Membership Anniversaries
For January 2019
Ron Cawein 1997
Karen Tomlin 1997
Michael & Rosemary Grimes 2007
GWRRA LINGO
In the interest of educating our new members Rosemary, our CD (chapter director) decided that we
should include a list of titles and the acronyms for each in the newsletter. So here goes;
GWRRA – Gold Wing Road Riders Association
RD – Region Director
DD- District Director
ADD – Assistant District Director
CD – Chapter Director
ACD – Assistant Chapter Director
MEC –Membership Enhancement Coordinator
RE – Ride Educator
CRE – Chapter Ride Educator
COY – Couple of the Year
MAC - Motorist Awareness Coordinator
PLP - Parking Lot Practice
ERC – Experienced Rider Class
TRC – Trike Rider Class
ARC – Advanced Rider Class
LTP – Leadership Training Program
OCP – Officer Certification Program
ARL – Area Report List
PP—Per Person
BYOL—Bring your own lunch
TBD—To be determined
TCLOC—Tires, Cables, Lights, Oil & Coolant
AGATT—All the gear and the time (helmet, full fingered gloves, over the ankle boots, long sleeves, long
pants and eye protection such as a shield or sunglasses, etc.)
Newsletter Editor
The prices for advertising in our Monthly Newsletter are as follows:
(Yearly Rates)
$25—business card
$50—1/4 page
$100—1/2 page
$150—full page
Checks are to be made payable to FL2-L
Ed & Dottie Bahrenburg
Chapter Directors
2448 Snowy Plover
Lakeland FL