Attendees: Attendees: Gary, Shannon, Todd, Mitchell, Jaffe, Hiroshi, Seon (and PV for the pic!)
The other day, my youngest son (oh I hope he never finds this blog) had a girl crush his heart for the very first time by breaking up with him. Like his father, he was an emotional wreck after and didn't handle it very well. Being a member of the BAM club, I knew I was obligated to teach him about rule #5 and that life will come with all sorts of ups and downs where as men, we're measured by how we deal with the challenges. The irony of it all was that for today's ride, I was an emotional wreck. To know that this would be the end of an era and the last "official" lunch ride with Gary was a little overwhelming being what we've been through over the years. I don't know if the others noticed I was a little quieter than usual (my attempt at rule #5), but inside I just kept thinking how I'm going to appreciate every minute of the ride and be thankful for all the journeys we've shared together. Plus, this would not be a full parting of ways but just a reason to make more of an effort to ride together on the weekends.
The team pic I took before the ride (now the blog banner pic) was really cool where even PV came out on his mountain bike to round out the picture perfectly. Every color was worn and almost every iteration of the Broadcom cycling jersey we've had over the years (except the latest Castelli) was represented. It was perfect given that it helped remind of the many years we've all been riding together. It all started out with this one:
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| The OG Crew |
As for the ride itself, it was what I would call good for the soul. In addition to being able to ride with Gary, the rest of the team honored him and rode as a team throughout. There were moments of separation here and there, but everyone did their part to do rolling regroups and just show those we rode by that we are in fact a "team." Sure there were some BAM moments here and there, but that's just the added flavor our rides are known for. In other words, it wouldn't be a Broadcom lunch ride without it. I really do want to thank everyone who made it out to help make this a special ride for the big guy.
Here are some of the pics I took from the ride:
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| Gary wondering who's miniature bike is behind his |
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| A little blurry but that famous smile still comes through |
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| Chillin' with the crew pre-ride |
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| Bottom of California |
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| SG leading the pack with GTJ |
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| Waiting for the light on Poppy |
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| And waiting |
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| Falling behind taking pic on Ocean Blvd |
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| The legendary S-G |
We're going to have a weekend team ride on 4/11 with Gary and do it like we used to. That one should be badass to say the least, so I'm really looking forward to it. We'll probably be roasting G after throwing some (or several) back, but all in good spirit. I'll save my S-G commentary for the blog following that ride. For now, I'll just say it even in the absence of alcohol...love ya, big guy!
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