It seems right to wrap up the Drafter season with a tribute to the late Tom Petty.
“The Drafters Last Dance”
Last dance with the Drafters, one more hill to bring the pain
I feel winter creeping’ in and I’m excited for spin again
Oh, my my, oh, hell yes
Honey put on that party jersey
Buy me a drink, sing me a song
Take me as I come ’cause I can’t stay long
A huge thanks to 36 Drafters who took time out of their routine to eat pizza and drink beer with us on. I am notoriously inept at cooking, baking, and all other kitchen related activities involving heat (I’ve started a kitchen fire with only a toaster). I am, however, incredibly proficient at ordering from Falbos (love speed dial) and have convinced Z that a beer cellar has more utility than a wine cellar. So, thank you for letting me show off a bit in that department. Salads, apples with caramel dip, jams, cake, pie, Monster Cookies, beer (kudos to IronMD for finding one I hadn’t yet tried) and 2 bottles of WHISKEY magically appeared and were much appreciated.
I had every intention of delivering a clever, polished but seemingly natural flowing awards ceremony to express my gratitude for your contribution to our successful 2017 Drafting season. I did not foresee Z introducing me with a generous accolade, and as such, I got flustered and retreated to my comfort zone, which is deeply rooted in redneck lingo and much less articulate and reflective of my college education. If you will allow me a mulligan, this is what I meant to say….
The 2017 season welcomed 41 Drafters, including 11 Newbies. There aren’t too many criteria for being a Drafter- the major one requires being a genuine soul. At the party, I not-so-eloquently described this as “not being a dink”. I’d like to rectify that. I’m not very political or religious, but I do believe that world peace hinges on treating those around us with respect and compassion (I am unsure if helping changing a flat tire is an act of compassion, but I think so), to be humble with your gifts and to share them generously. This is what I mean by being a genuine soul. Given that we are all connected, if we treat those within elbow distance (to put it in draft line perspective) with respect, compassion, humbleness and generosity, and they in turn do the same, my plan for peace should reach the furthest corners of the world, regardless of political or religious views.
41 Drafters, 41 genuine souls. We have shared the highs of surprise 30th and 60th birthday parties, retirement, pregnancies and births (including Too Hip and Steph’s fourth child who attended the party at age 10 days with Mom and Dad), engagements, weddings, surgeries, and divorces. Highlights and low points are certainly events that are best shared, but I would maintain that the mundane is where we really need camaraderie. One of the things I appreciate most about the Draft is that we come as we are- no airs, no attitude, no pretense, or angling for affluence or position. At 5:30 every Monday night, we are simply genuine souls who want to share the freedom provided by two wheels. Some crush the Strava segments, some crush the Stout- we all get what we need from the bike and from each other, while giving what we can- which might be 3 tubes with long stems, a spare cliff bar to ward off a bonk, or just the wrapper to fix a flat, or clover to stop a bloody nose. The gifts aren’t always traditional, but they are always genuine. I truly feel as though the Drafters are a gift. I am quite sure that I gain from you more than I give (and not because what I give is maps frequently containing errors). Thank you. That’s really what I wanted to say Monday night. I love being part of a group that has my back, and know that I have theirs.
There were some awards given. Here is a quick recap:
Winner of the photo contest: ARMS. In fairness, she submitted more photos than anyone else. Runner up: LEGS. Technically, Arms won as she sent the photos, but I know that Legs was part of the creative mind crafting the various scenes. These were the finalists:
FAT TIRE CLUB: We had 246 total events (21 rides with an average of 12 Drafters per ride) and only 7 flat tires. Inductees were rated as gold, silver or bronze member. Gold member B2 Bomber, for longest stem and deepest rim. I am not going to explain that in any further detail. Sometimes less is more. Silver member: Tobacco City Cousin, for being a two time offender. Bronze members: Neubie Schubie for shortest ride (she flatted at Kromery middle school and called it good), Rainbow Maker – it took him longer to change a flat than a total joint, and Arms, who flatted while sitting on her bike in the parking lot. Pfffttt… “was that me?” Like passing gas in church, or so I hear. The Flat Tire Club appointed Cookie Monster Wille as their CEO, for her ingenuity in patchwork in the field. An official Drafter Tire Repair kit was issued to the CEO, complete with super glue, Cliff Bar wrappers, bandaids, and duct tape. Something has to stick.
Greenest Drafter: Loose Screw was sporting Drafter green during the Leadville 100, but that wasn’t the most green thing about him. Loose Screw took home a 6 pack of high altitude sick bags.
Leader of the Pack: the Short Pour is a great opportunity for riders who need to start later, or want to ride a shorter distance. Lady Digs was one of the fearless leaders of this group. She earned a bell for her bike with the word “Eject”, in case she ever encounters a newbie who lacks a genuine soul. She also came away from the party with a series of beer and bicycle stickers, cuz’ all leaders need to have stickers for their lesson plans!
Safe Yoga: Krafty took on the biggest challenge the season; hosting Drafter yoga. Loose Screw had one tip over, and is now required to wear a helmet for all future warrior poses. She earned a mug, which could be used for coffee before 6AM yoga, but theoretically could also be used for whiskey.
Highest attendance: The greatest attendance on any given night was 20 Drafters, and the person with the greatest attendance was CM Wille who made 16 out of 21! She also brought Monster Cookies on several occasions, and therefore her Drafter mug will be used for milk.
Or, possibly for a post-Boston Marathon celebration beverage as she celebrates with her Ma Wille.
Although we have no more rides this season, I should let you know about this one:
I will see many of you at Spin, starting Mon Oct 30 6:30PM at Supreme and/or Tue Oct 31 10AM at CXC. There’s been a request for costumes to be worn in celebration of Halloween. I have no objection. The BatWoman is me is dying to come out.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO
brickosdrafters 
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