Russell Remembrance

It's hard to believe it's been 8 years since we've heard your laughter.  We still talk about you and the fun times we had.

I think I'll post a remembrance each year.  Something funny or impressive that stands out from the rest of the impressive and/or funny stories.

This year, I'll go with one of the best ones.  To me, this story showed how strongly you believed in brotherhood.

A few days before heading out to Olean for the very first Dana run, I'd crashed my bike.  There was no time to get it fixed before our departure, so only one bike (yours) made the ride out there in the back of my truck.

On the day of the run, I had the distinct...let's call it 'privilege', of being your passenger.  All the teasing and laughter at being "the bitch" aside, at least it meant I was still able to participate in the run.

We'd gotten about halfway through the run and were coming back out to the parking lot from one of the stops, when you stuck your hand out to me.  In your palm were the keys to your bike.  I looked at you quizzically...why would I need your keys?  You're the rider, I'm the passenger.  And that's when you said that I should drive the next leg, and you would ride on the back.

You rode as the passenger...on your own bike...so that I could take the handlebars and have a proper part in the run for Dana.

Another part to this story is on that next leg, as I was leaning the bike around a corner, I heard/felt the pipes begin to drag on the pavement.  Horrified that I was causing damage to your bike, I instantly slowed and brought it back up out of the drag.  You leaned forward in to my ear and bellowed "JUST GIVE IT TO 'ER!!!".  That was all I needed to hear, so I ripped the throttle and dropped her back down into the lean, leaving an impressive marking on the pavement as we passed.

I love telling people this story.  Those that ride, understand the true significance of what Russell did.  How many people do you know that would ride bitch on their own bike, just to let their brother have a spell on the bars?

I'm proud to say that I knew someone who would.

Victrola, Russell.