The Call I Always Dread

One of our guys de-railed on the Hico ride..

I got the call just after five this afternoon..

There isn't many details, at this point.. Bill Cattell
banged his new (to him) Road King up pretty bad..

He was transported by ambulance to one of the
local (out there) hospitals.. Then, I assumed they
stabilized him and took him to a Waco hospital for
furthur treatment.. Evidently he was hurt pretty badly,
but we are still trying to get information about his
condition..

This is always the kind of reports that I dread.. It's
one thing to read about or hear of a Brother going
down.. that's bad news.. When it happens to the
guy you know and like, it's double bad..

Dammit..

Bill Walker
Irving

 

That's about the same info I got. Rose called me, apparently she and
Kim helped out and have his camera. I'm going to meet up with them
tomorrow to get it on it's way back to him.

From what Rose was saying it sounded like he had a pretty good concussion
and some facial lacerations. Add in age/weight/etc. and it's
understandable that they're keeping an eye on him.

Yep. Definitely saying a few prayers for him...

Pat

 

I've got his keys and will be picking his bike up first thing in the
morning to haul it back to the metroplex. Y'all just let me know when/
where y'all need it and it'll be good. I'll keep it locked up over
here at my place in the meantime.

Definately not a good day when all the riders don't finish the ride.
Everyone's bummed on this ride. Hope Bill isn't seriously hurt. The
bike can be fixed easier than Bill can.

We've got prayers going over here too!

 

Thanks, Brian. I think I speak for all of us here when I say thanks
for helping out.

Bill's over near me in Flower Mound and I've got a little garage space
if needed.

How are you getting down there? I can gas up the Jeep and drive if
needed...

Yep. Metal and plastic don't matter. People are WAY harder to fix
and/or replace.

Good to hear.

Pat

 

I've got my Jeep hooked to the trailer already...

I might take you up on the garage space. I can lock up the bike, but I
can't store it in cover. I have a motorcycle cover that I can throw on
it, but my garage is full of motorcycles already.

Shoot me your number to my email and we'll see about arranging a "hook
up" tomorrow afternoon if you want the bike stored in a
garage....either that, or I can haul the bike to Bill's place.

I wasn't aware you were into Jeeps until I just went to your
website....

 

Come on over. I'll send you info privately. I can always put the
Jeep outside, then I've got a ton of garage space.

It's on it's way. I've got a massage at 3:00 so I'll be around after
about 4:30 or so or before about 2:00 or so.

Yet another obsession and waste of time/money.

Gas prices have kept me from wheeling but I'm thinking about a trip to
Clayton this fall if things calm down...

Pat

 

Prayers going out from this end, that's for sure.. One of
the guys tried to get some information from the first hosp-
ital, after he'd got home.. Since he isn't family, the hospital
wouldn't give out any information on Bill's condition..

If anyone close to the family is on an inside track, I'd app-
reciate being kept up to speed.. Thanks..

Bill Walker

 

I "fully" understand about the gas prices and Jeeps....my wife drives
the Jeep when I'm on the road working and if it's just me to go
somewhere, I ride a motorcycle. I used to ride the bicycle everywhere,
but now my office is in Plano and I live in Mesquite.

The last time I've been off-road was a couple months ago when all the
rain was hitting. The wife and I (more like "me") decided to see just
how deep we could go into the mud. We buried the axles and had a good
time...until it came time to wash the muck off. To beat it all, my
wife climbed out of the Jeep after we got it good and muddy, and slid
down the side of the door. She did *not* appreciate having mud on the
back of her legs and up the seat of her pants!

I'll call you later when I get the info and we'll arrange tomorrow.
I'll be happy to take the bike where ever y'all say, or I can just
keep it here until y'all have a place. It'll probably take until
around 4pm to get back to the metroplex. A Jeep, with trailer, with
Road King....yup, Jeeps aren't known for their high-speeds and
especially with the others...

BTW, did you say you have a "massage" tomorrow? Dude, you're in a
group of bikers!!! I don't talk about my pedicures and hair highlights
in this group....oh wait!!!

 

Yup the worst of news Bill. My thoughts and prayers for a speedy
recovery go out to him.


--

PERFECT ADVICE TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE WORST OF DAYS...

Handle every situation like a dog.

If you can't Eat it or Screw it....

Piss on it and Walk Away.

 

Oops! Funny story. At one of the club runs out at Gilmer we had a
member and his wife out. She was dressed in matching colors with the
Jeep. Yellow shirt, black low rise jeans, yellow shoes, and a black
and yellow thong(!).

After the Gilmer mud did it's magic everything was orange.

Heh. No kidding. Yeah, give me a shout. My garage is open. I just
got off the phone with Bill. He's over at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco
and sounds better. His wife's on the way over to get him...

Lets plan on getting the bike over here and then we'll take it from
there. Either Full Boar or American Eagle are a darned sight closer
from Lewisville than Mesquite.

D'oh!

Between the scoliosis and other spinal problems, it's a big reason
why I'm still riding. Once a month everything gets put back in its
place and I'm a happy camper.

Pat

 

I called him about 15 minutes ago and he's doing OK. He sounds as
well as can be expected. Not sure about the concussion thing but
there's definitely stitches in his future.

He's at Hillcrest Hospital over in Waco right now and his wife's on
the way over to get him.

Looks like the bike's going to end up over at my place for the time
being before the final repair disposition is decided on.

Best I can do right now... More updates as they come in.

Pat

 

Muchos Gracias, Pat.. Phew.. that's sure a relief to hear..

 

By the time I read thru this dialog of a tradegy happending to a
member of the group, and a sure nuff Rider, I read where Bill Cattell
appears to have not broken any thing, and is probably gonna be okay,
that surely is a ''relief'' to hear. A real relief to hear is; of
Bill C's wife is on her way to ''get him''. -bjay-

 

Just talked to Pat St. Jean... OUCH! That hurts more that a broken beak
and som big grass-rash.

I was hoping I was in worse shape than Bike. Oh well, that's why I got
insurance -

Well all, contrary to our worst fears the reports of my demise have been
greatly exagerated. ;-)

Brian - I guess I have you to thank for
restrieving said damaged steed. I'll be glad to reimburse you for gas ad
towing (of course I KNOW I qualify for the "corporate discounty") ;-)

Seriously though folks - Yours truley has been diagnosed with a broken
nose, some facial lacerations (not too many or too bad) and some
grass-rash on my upper left shoulder.

I appreciate everyone's concern but yesterday afternoon I received a
blessing from God, our Heavenly Father through the hands of the Elders
from my church. They reminded me how loved we (all) are and how Heavenly
Father is looking out after me. I'm not sure I should have heard that -
(looking out after part) becuase it means I'm sure to try some bonehead
stuff in the future - like taking a tight curve and too graet a speed. 8-}

I'm going to coordinate with Pat S. to have Am. Eagle HD come and and
pick it up and do the work on it. Tehe's some body damage in
addition to some mechanical.Thanks Bill, Brian, Pat, BJ and Keith for the
well wishes - they're alway appreciated.

 

Well Bill, I am glad you are mostly ok and not worse. Now that we know you
did not take it up the butt too bad, tell us what happened. We want details.

Glad you are ok.

Jerry

 

Hey, just a side note, if you think the bike looks bad now, you
should've seen it before it fell off the trailer 3 times on the way
home!

But seriously (almost) it was stored nicely in the local beer joint in
the Gap (place called "The Horny Toad") and I arrived to pick it up
this morning. I walked into the place and everyone was expecting me
and asking "How's your friend doing? He sure was lucky!". We went to
the back room where the Road King sat waiting patiently. We opened the
door and I climbed on to ride it out and onto the trailer. Thanks
Louie...for leaving the bike parked in 1st gear! Then after I picked
myself up off the floor from being slung by a motorcycle without a
clutch switch and having it kick forward about 30 feet, I tried to
start it again....this time with the clutch pulled in! I started it up
and it started nicely with just a little hiccup. As I pulled out of
the back room, my wife said "watch the language"...obviously referring
to my descriptions of Louie and parking a bike in first gear? Well,
the bike sat really low and taking a cue from someone else who I can't
recall that had a low bike and busted the bottom out of it, I decided
it would be best to get the trailer lower. I pulled the Jeep and
trailer into the ditch and had a perfect angle to load it. As we
loaded it, I noticed one thing....there weren't enough tie down
points. Now this is bullshit! For a motorcycle that was designed and
had a reputation to be trailered, I couldn't find anywhere to tie to.
"Well, I guess I'd just ride it until I figure something out?". Bill -
I don't know if you know this, but that bike pulls to the left....how
do you ride it with it pulling like that?

Well, we went down that cool assed (technical term for "fast
sweepers") road and got into Hico to eat some pie. We gassed up after
eating and away we went back north. I don't know about anyone else,
but those Harleys are some kind of dangerous out on the highway. There
was a time or two I looked back and saw one of those things right up
on my ass of the Jeep and I had to slam my brakes....I thought it was
going to hit me!

After having said Harley chase that Jeep for 130 miles, we arrived at
Pat's place to drop it off. He wasn't there, as he was busy with his
"massage". I figured while we waited we might as well have made good
use of the time and unload. We drove around the neighborhood to find a
place to unload and couldn't find anything. For some reason, Pat's
neighborhood doesn't have any ditches to unload Harleys. Well, we
finally decided it'd be best to just unload from the curb. I figured I
could back the trailer to the curb, drop the tailgate and unload the
bike in the yard. I looked at Pat's yard and didn't want to mess up
his nice grass, so we decided (actually, it was all me!) to use his
neighbors yard. Man, you should've seen the look on his neighbors face
when that Harley came pounding off the trailer and plopped right
square in his Burmuda grass front yard! Well, he kept yelling
something at me...I couldn't hear him because I was trying out that
Stebal horn Bill has on that thing....Jerry, you were right, those
things ARE loud! I had more people out there than you can imagine
trying to tell me what that horn sounded like! Those silly neighbors
even kept calling me by some other name...Whew!!!

After all the visiting from the friendly neighbors Pat has, I rode
that Road King to Pat's driveway and parked it. Ride Over!

I'm not sure, but I believe I had more fun today than yesterday!!!

I'm glad to see you back with us Bill.

 

It's all good, they need to be brought down a peg or three. Some of
them think that this neighborhood is some sort of Little Plano.

As much as I wrench on the Sportster and ride around there, I bet at
least some of them thought that I'd wrecked...

Pat

 

At least you still have your Usenet fingers!

 

Damn fine report Brian. Too funny.

 

Bill, as someone who has never met you and lurks this group religously,
let me say that I am very happy you are ok.

Great news! Well, relatively speaking.... You know what I mean.