IronOnline Bash 01
Dan Martin's Bash Report

I walked in to the Draper's gym and saw Ken. We've been corresponding for over three decades but this was the first time we've met. It was kind of an emotional thing for me. It was cool. We hung out, BSed and talked with Laree and Dave. Like Ken said, we had dinner with the Draper's. Ken and Dave took a long walk down muscle memory lane. I should have taken notes. As an aside, Ken did eat all his vegetables.

Friday was all business. Ken put a friend/patient (Bruce) through his paces at the gym and I met a bunch of the IronOnline crew at the kitchen. (a special thanks to Susan, a car pushing, personal trainer from Watsonville) 60+ pounds of potato salad, pasta salad, vegetable salad, BBQ sauce, garlic bread and 25 pounds of pinto beans had to be fixed.

Ken came down to the kitchen as all the prep work was coming together. He got busy. Takes off his long sleeve shirt and starts mixing all the potato salad by hand. Well into it, Ken cracks wise that he's "not sure if he took of his wedding bands before he started mixing". All the IOL crew freak. Very funny.

We got done on time, cleaned up the kitchen, stowed the food and got ready for the movies. It was at the movies that everything started coming together. The IronOnline crew came from all over the World. Fantastic.

Saturday was another early start. Oak and almond was used for the BBQ and had to be started. I missed almost all of the seminar. I walked in for a bit though, Dave, Ken and Dr. Mike had it working. It was the classic example of student/teacher interaction. Guests asked questions, Dave would start, Ken would fill it out and Dr. Mike finished it off. Then the responses generated more questions. The order changed, but not the process.

Onward to the food. Think of it like this. Bodybuilders, lifters and food. We were a little behind the curve at first and there was a slight lag between the end of the seminar and serving the food. I knew Kit (Old Dude) had my back but I can't handle a 150 hungry muscleheads.

It worked out, a match made in Heaven. Meat and lifters. Even Dave ate some carbs. Two people saved my ass Saturday, Ryan (the Santa Cruz gym manager) and John Sr. (the Dad of the Draper's Scotts Valley gym partner). I was more than slightly overwhelmed. Since none of the beef was rare, Ken stuck to the ice cream. Everybody got all they wanted and more. There really wasn't a lot of leftover protein. I was a bit tired.

�t was good fellowship. Dave and Ken are both quite gracious. They went through the crowd, answered questions and kept everybody laughing. Ed Corney is still the man. I wish more of the Garage Gym members were there. Kit (Old Dude), Steve (stetch), Dr. Ken and myself were probably more than enough for the IronOnline crew. I said this earlier and I must repeat it. The Draper's are wonderful. Thank you for putting this on.

And Ken, as far as my forearms, there not even as big as Trigg's calves. Ryan, who I mentioned earlier, got all the leftover salads for his house warming the next day. Everybody made out. Nothing was wasted.

Dan

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