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Roadrunner News August 2011

"We regret that the May News Letter has been delayed due to our editor experiencing a series of family crises. We wish Mary Anne and her family the very best and hope that all will soon be resolved"

Travel Thought for Today

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.
--St. Augustine

August Update:
Lorraine and I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying the last days of summer. We also hope your summer travels have been safe and full of new adventures. Speaking of adventures, be sure to check out the information below on the upcoming October Campout. Our goal was to have three outings a year including one in the fall as many of us are returning to the Southwest for the winter so we hope you can join us.

After four years of Sheila and Bill's leadership, the transition to a new board has been less than smooth. Some of this is because many of us are on the road with mail being forwarded. Other causes are more frustrating such as a bank assistant giving us the wrong address which we used to forward checks. In addition, with the illness of our newsletter editor, we did not have a May newsletter. As MaryAnne states in her comments, it would be a good idea to have one or more assistant newsletter editors. We would certainly appreciate volunteers to help in this important position.

Jim Collard, Rick Short and representatives from other Alfa clubs are trying to get a club to sponsor the Annual Rally in 2012. As you know, the South Loafers did it two years ago and we did it this past year. It is someone else's turn. I have stated that the Roadrunners would assist with the Annual Rally. Be assured that if no one steps up, we will have a chapter rally in April.

For all of you who did not attend the Annual Rally in Pahrump, Nevada, we saw Bill and Sheila Heath and Jim and Dorthey Collard out of office with words of gratitude, a standing ovation and gift certificates from Alfateers. The new executive committee will strive to continue the effective and open leadership that our predecessors had. We hope to provide organization and planning for our rallies/campouts to insure that we can get together several times a year for fun and to share our experiences and knowledge about our coaches.

The past executive officers were in office for four years. This really is a long time to ask anyone to serve. With this in mind, the by-laws were changed to provide a rotation where the president serves for one year, the vice-president moves up to the president's position the following year and a new vice-president is elected. Gene Lasater and I agreed to serve under this new format to provide both leadership for the Roadrunners and help establish an orderly transition. We hope that this idea will grow and each year we will have candidates for the executive offices. This should insure the life of the Roadrunner Club for years to come.

At the Annual Rally, we had 22 new members join the Roadrunners Chapter. Many of them have only had their coaches for a very short time. They were very appreciative of the information they gained from fellow Alfa owners, the tech talks and Alfateers' presentation. There are many new owners who do not know about the various Alfa owners' clubs so when you see another Alfa motorhome, say hello and take the opportunity to promote our club.

The April rally was a great success and lots of fun for all! Roadrunners were hosts for this year's rally, with about three dozen Roadrunner rigs and 116 total rigs attending. With our great club energy for work and play, we were able to make this rally truly memorable. The Alfa games were a hit! Thank you to all who attended and a very big thank you to all the worker bees for all your help in creating a grand Nevada style rally! Please take a look further along in the newsletter for some great pictures taken at the rally by Lorraine Lynch.

Click on the following pictures to see a larger picture.

Introducing: Our New Roadrunner President & Treasurer

Lorraine and I have only been members of this club for a year, but we thoroughly enjoy the comraderie that comes with attending the rallies. We hope that we can work with all of you to make the Roadrunner events a key part of our wonderful life on the road. We solicit all of your comments, support and ideas.

Lorraine and I met in California while we were both in the Air Force. She was a nurse from Connecticut and I was a pilot from California. We started camping in a tent, but quickly discovered that a shower and a good bed would be nice. We soon had a small travel trailer and that started it. Over the years, we have had two 5th wheels and our Alfa is our second motorhome. I retired from the Air Force, and Lorraine got out in 1990 shortly after the birth of our son, Michael. We moved to Minnesota where Lorraine worked as an agency nurse and I flew for an international company. We retired again in 2004 and bought a house in Prescott Vallley, Arizona and our Alfa SeeYa. When our son completed high school and went off to Arizona State University, Lorraine and I put the house up for sale, started traveling more and soon joined the Roadrunners. We truly love this life on the road and the great people we have met.

Introducing: Our New Roadrunner Vice-President & Secretary

Well, here we are, a new set of officers all bright and shiny. The first thing I would like to do is thank, Sheila, Bill, Jim and Dorthey for the wonderful job they did in guiding our organization for such a long time. Thanks to all.

To those of you who were unable to attend the ALFA Annual, you missed a good one. Part of the reason it was such a success was the superb planning done by the aforementioned officers. Secondly, the participation of all the Roadrunners in attendance. Excellent job folks! Thank you for all your hard work.

A little background on my wife, Judi (our Secretary) and me. We were living in Salinas, CA, when I retired from the Navy in 1994, and continued living there for the next 8 years during which time I worked as a Financial Advisor and Judi filled positions from Teller to Manager at the Navy Federal Credit Union at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. We purchased our 2003 ALFA See Ya in September 2002, and went on the road full time. We've never looked back. So many places to go and see.

We look forward to the next couple of years and the opportunity to meet and know each of you. Times are always changing and with that our organization will need to continue to evolve. Your ideas and input are essential to the success of the Roadrunners organization. This is your club. Please send us any comments and recommendations." Gene Lasater

Minutes of the April 16 Annual Roadrunner Meeting

Location: Terrible's Casino, Pahrump, NV
Date: April 16, 2011

Meeting was called to order by President Sheila Heath at 7:25 pm.

Sheila asked if there were any errors or omissions in the distributed minutes of the meeting held April 13, 2011 at the Nevada Treasure RV Resort in Pahrump, Nevada. Several corrections were made to the minutes. It was moved the minutes be accepted with corrections. The motion carried.

Bill Heath reported the financial audit is not complete yet. He will have the appropriate documents ready for the audit committee by tomorrow. Sheila thanked Ginger Purdy, Tom Hoffman, and Joe Hughes for volunteering to audit the books.

Sheila thanked Barb Zelke, Marvin Grier, Robin Minder, and Celine Carroll for collecting money from the members for tonight's dinner. The dinner was subsidized by the club.

Old Business:

Elections: Sheila presented the slate of officers for the coming year: Mike Lynch for President, Gene Lasater for Vice-President, Lorraine Lynch for Treasurer and Judi Lasater for Secretary. Sheila asked for any further nominations from the floor. Hearing none, it was moved to close the nominations. The motion carried.

Jim Collard moved we accept the slate as presented by acclimation. The motion carried.

Sheila announced there will be an orderly transfer of duties to the new officers following the Annual Rally.

New Business:

Sheila turned the meeting over to Mike Lynch, President Elect.

Mike thanked the outgoing board for their many contributions to the club, and presented them with a generous gift of appreciation from the incoming board.

Gene Lasater, Vice-President Elect, offered to spearhead a no frills Roadrunner Rally in the fall, possibly mid October, and asked for a volunteer to act as Wagon Master.

It was moved to close the meeting, and the motion carried. Sheila adjourned the meeting at 7:50 pm.

Upcoming Fun!! The No Frills, Just Fun Rally in Parker, Arizona

This year's Roadrunner fall rally is being planned for Emerald Cove RV Park on the beautiful Colorado River in Parker, AZ, halfway between Quartzsite and Lake Havasu from October 26th through the 31st (5 nights.) Swimming beaches and pools, a boat ramp, ATVing and lots of relaxation are just a few of the park's offerings.

The park is located on the California side of the river, 6 ½ miles north of Parker, AZ/Earp (named after Wyatt) CA. Follow the signs to Parker Dam on the California side.

A fun trip into the hills (auto accessible) for lunch at the locally renowned Desert Bar or enjoying the Bluewater Casino in Parker may becken. And certainly Lake Havasu with the London Bridge, 40 miles north is a great day trip.

Now, for one of the better deals in this newsletter. All you have to do is fill out the registration form and include a check made out to ALFA Roadrunners in the amount of $20 times the number of days you plan to attend and $10 per person for Wagonmaster fees, mail both to Tom Hoffman at the address on the form and you're in for what promises to be a great relaxing time. Sorry, the park will not accept discounts for CRA, RPI, AOR, Coast to Coast or any other association memberships because this is a group rally. Only 35 spots will be reserved so don't wait too long to make your reservations.

Please print out the final page of the newsletter for the registration form. See ya there!

Chef On Weels

Summer and barbeque. A fabulous go-together. This is a simple slow cooker version that you can set and forget while you are out having some summer day fun. The recipe is based on enough for six people.

Warm and Spicy Pulled Pork Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds of pork roast, any type works but loin is good here
1 teas salt
¼ teas fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teas cayenne powder
16 ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Mix the spices and rub evenly around the roast. Place the roast, dry, in a slow cooker (don't forget to use one of those nifty liners to save clean-up). Place the dial on high if you are in a rush (3 hours) or on low (up to 6 hours) if you want the day off. When the roast is done and shreds easily, remove it from the cooker. Also remove the accumulated juices into a measuring cup. Cut the roast in segments then thoroughly shred with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the cooker and pour on the BBQ sauce. Skim any fat off the juices in the measuring cup. Add an amount of juices back into the meat to your taste, to thin and give the dish an even deeper flavor. Reheat.

Serve on buns. This is extra special topped with coleslaw. Enjoy!

Tech Tip

Looking for some help and want to put your question out there or maybe not reinvent the wheel? Here is a list of Alfa related web sites that may help:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/alfa5vers (5th wheels)
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/alfaseeya (motorhomes)
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SeeYaDP (motorhomes)
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SeeYaTravels (motorhomes)

Editor's Corner

I apologize for not having fulfilled my Roadrunner newsletter obligation to you all this last quarter. Life has thrown a few curve balls in our family's way. But rough patches do smooth out after a while. We all move on, just differently.

On that note, I would like to ask if there is anyone (or more than one) in our group interested in helping with the newsletter. Right now, we have no back up or assistant(s). If you enjoy people and communication this is a volunteer activity for you! Please let me know via e-mail at:balzerfreespirit@gmail.com. Thanks to all of you and have a great day. MaryAnne Balzer

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