Russell Remembrance

How can it be 9 years ago that we lost you?  9 long years of not hearing your laughter or enjoying telling (and making) road stories with you.  Life has gone on since you've passed, but it seems somewhat emptier now.

Last year I posted what is probably my best memory of Russell, when he let me drive his bike during the first Dana run.

This year, I'll opt for a more lighthearted story.  It happened on the way out to the first Dana run.  Russ and I were in my truck, our bikes were loaded up in the back, and it was late-night, for we had set out after I'd gotten home from work.

So there we were,  I was driving, Russ was navigating.  Navigating is an important task you see.  You hold the fate of everyone else in the vehicle, in your hands.  It's up to you to steer them along the proper route and save them from getting lost.  This was especially important in this case, as I'd never been out to Olean before, and I didn't know the way.

We're driving along, the traffic is getting lighter and lighter - due most likely to the fact that it was getting later and later (it was well after midnight by this time).  But we're making good time and we're in good spirits.

Russ was enjoying being chauffeured and made the most of it by taking tokes off of his pipe now and then.  (Those of you who knew Russ, will know what kind of pipe I'm talking about.)  As we rolled along further into the night, his visits to the pipe got more and more often, until he was pretty far gone, in a wonderful mood, prone to fits of laughter.  Which had me laughing at times, just watching him say nonsense things and start laughing about them.

So the miles are ticking off and we're blasting further and further westward along highway 17.  I see the sign for "Rte 16 - Olean" and I asked Russ if this was our exit.  He says "Hell no, we've got a long ways to go still."  Ok, I keep the accelerator pressed, and we sail past the Olean exit.

On to the next one; Buffalo St - Olean.
    Is this our exit?
    "No, no, no - keep on going, we're not even close yet!"

And then the one after that; 417 - Allegany
    How about this one?
    "Just keep on going, I'll tell you which one."

And so on - each exit comes up, I ask him if this is the one, he says no, and we sail on by.

Finally, we get almost to Jamestown and he says "Keep an eye out for the Olean exit, that's the one we want."
    Wait...what?  What exit?
     "The Olean exit, that's the one we're taking."
     Russ...we passed that one almost an hour ago...
     "Oh!  Well, we better turn around then! HA HA HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!" (He thought this was the most hilarious thing that had ever happened and couldn't stop laughing about it for some time.)
Me?  Not so much.  I'd been a long day, going to work, then home and loading the bikes, and then hitting the highways and winding spending an extra couple of hours which we hadn't needed to.  I soon got over my aggravation, though.  How can you stay mad at someone that just keeps laughing?  It's infectious.

I sure wish I could hear that laughter again.

Victrola Brother.  I sure miss the hell out of you.