BURR RIDE '99 - Meet up with Team Diehard at Kim & Kevin's house in Perry, IA. Editor's note: I met Kevin while serving with him in Desert Storm. - Get bikes ready for the next days ride. Set up Army cots. Head downtown to the bars for some carboing up. The DieHards do what they do best. They just keep pumping those fizzlers into people. Aaron (Team DieHard): "We get'em on the third one." Nice smelling t-shirt Ali is wearing. It makes me want to eat a banana. - Wake up Saturday @ 10am with some screwdrivers. I finally see others dress like I do in the winter. i.e. long johns & shorts. As Joana said: "You need to be with your people". Aaron is asking all ready about OKing an after hours party for tonight. Only 16 more hours till then! - Bike back down to the bars for some more carboing. I find myself riding with a screwdriver. Easy on the bumps. - See a lot of familiar faces. The main difference between Burr & RAGBRAI. People are actually clothed. - Whitey doesn't like us hanging outside of his establishment. We go back to original bar. Its 2pm & I still haven't been inside of a bar. Thank goodness for saddle bags full of beer. - As we're leaving for Rippey Aaron starts playing some Rage Against the Machine. The self titled album. I should know. I'm a member of their fan club. - Road parties along the route. Snow ball fights. I smell smoke. - Reach Rippey. We hog @ the church on a potato bar. - DieHards continue doing what they do best. MORE FIZZLER'S. My water bottle gets sacrificed in the melee. Mel always looks cold. See an extremely large tongue. (photo) - The boyz start back to Perry in the dark. Aaron & I load up the bikes again with beer from the local convience store. (photo) - Road party. Silence under the night sky. John (Team DieHard) "Isn't this fucking awesome". Woman with six pack of beer hanging from the handlebars. (photo). - While gone on the ride, Kevin has cleaned up the stable & repacked our coolers with ice. I believe that is called, a great hook-up. - Women folk leave for downtown. The boyz try some grub. Wait too long for service @ Mexican restaurant. Chinese it is. Learn more about the DieHards. (name withheld) takes it in the mouth. Walk out of restaurant with a beer in hand. Geez, hitting RAGBRAI mode all ready. Mel combats early mornings forced by fellow RAGBRAI teammates with nakedness. Mel: ~ not as ugly as me on top of that fat niece last night~. - Off to play. Look a RiverRatt passed out on a pool table. Mel puts stuff on him. Kim & I mumify the Ratt with T.P. John mets a new friend, Kim. A very cold waterbed. Aaron aquiates himself with a L.T. I named Neandrothal Jethro. Not to be confused with Cromagnan man sighted @ the Saddle Creek bar in Omaha, NE who still wants to kick Rick's (TeaMartini) ass. Neandrothal Jethro can only recite Sting's only line in Dune, "I will kill him". - After hours party @ the stable. More beer & pool. I call it a night too early 3am. Memo to Ali, blue is not my color. (See DieHard homepage.) Thanks to the host family Kevin & Kim. Sorry Kevin, but Kim wears the pants in the family. That Ozark boat party looks like a lot of fun. To Team DieHard; Aaron/Ali you were great company. Mel, for a man of few words you are extremely funny. I'll take care of ole blue till next time. John, you know some people just don't understand. Thanks Barb for Tron. Rick, without you none of this would have happened.

Peace- Bryan e-mail: fckwhitey@prodigy.com

P.S. Fuck Whitey!