Shayne's Run Eve

I still owe you folks a writeup on this year's Labor Day Maine Event. But that's gonna have to wait.

Tonight is the hectic evening before Shayne's run. What's so hectic about it? Well, in addition to last-minute prepping of food plans, food preparation, parking lot planning, and a myriad of other logistics, the town next to us (Foxboro) holds their annual POW/MIA 24-hr vigil tonight, too.

Why is that important? Their vigil runs 4pm from this afternoon until 4pm tomorrow afternoon. This means they need bodies to stand and be present at the memorial for the duration.

The first year they ran it, they had a lot of difficulty getting coverage for the overnight hours. The Riders heard about the event and stepped up to ensure the vigil was manned straight through the night.

Since then, the Riders have volunteered to cover from 10p through 6a each year. We run double shifts, with some guys taking one hour, others taking two.

So tonight...I'm at the Post. Things have been set for tomorrow, We're as ready as we're gonna be. I'm also kicking time around, waiting for the 10p hour to arrive. The two guys who are starting our coverage ate here. I'll ride over with them to make sure things are set and off to a good start. Then it'll be home for a few hours of sleep, then up, shower and head over to meet Greg at the vigil. We traditionally close out the Riders' coverage by taking the last two hours (4a-6a).

I may get there a bit early because McCarthy is splitting the shift before me, and it'd be fun to share the time with him. My fear, though, is that he'll opt to stay with Greg and I to finish out the overnight. And the poor guy needs some sleep. The current plan is for him to shoot to my house when he's relieved to grab a couple hours of sleep, but we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, I'm rambling as I sometimes do. As you can see, it's a busy night. And tomorrow will be so much more so. But it's so worth it. Tomorrow is to honor the memory of a young Marine who gave his life in defense of ours. And a sacrifice such as that is about as big as it gets.

Stand for the Anthem.
Thank a Vet.
Ride Hard, Take Chances