Monday, March 5, 2001

Hi all -- Bev and I got back late Sunday night. Although it was in the 60's and sunny in Arizona, we kept hearing reports of the "storm of the century" back East, so we changed our plans and caught a 3:45 PM flight on Sunday, getting home about midnight, to about 35 degrees and light rain. It's snowing some today, but we're expected to get less than 2 inches total.

Anyway, the party happened on Saturday, and was a great success. It started about 3:00 in the Executive Aviation hangar at Falcon Field. They had moved almost all the planes out of the hangar, and set up tables in one corner. There was a bathtub full of beer, soda and ice. The band had set up at one end. And there were also tables with posters containing collages of lots of Mark O. pictures, and large poster cards for everyone to sign. Ben & Michelle of Ben's Cycle Works had cleaned and repaired Mark's Kawasaki 500 racing bike, and it was on display.

There were about 200 people, we think; lots of bike racers and their families, and a number of employees of AWA (America West), and many aviation friends from Falcon Field. It was a beautiful sunny day, but slightly chilly, especially after dark. At about 5:00, a barbecue caterer's truck pulled up, and we all dove in to the BBQ, potato salad and cole slaw. The band played, and was pretty good (although a little loud for some of us older folks who can still hear). There wasn't much dancing; people mostly just hung out and talked.

At one band break, Mark Fisk, another racer, got up and made a very nice speech about what a great guy Mark was. Then a number of people made short speeches. The tone was generally pretty upbeat, but still there were lots of tears.

At this point, Beverly and David went up to the microphone. Mark's high school friend Monica, was there with her SO Jack, and Monica and I looked at each other, like "uh oh, what now". Beverly started in on the story of Mark and the Boa Constrictor's Live Lunch (aka Peeping Baby Chicks). If you don't know the story, ask at the next family gathering! Anyway, she told me later her idea was to give everyone a sense of the fun (if sometimes a little hair-raising!) of being around Mark, and I think she more than succeeded! I think a lot of people were surprised that she told a funny story; it wasn't what we were all expecting. When she got to the "chilling" finale, she turned it over to David to wrap up, and he did a fine job. Then Beverly closed with the message that she felt more fortunate than most everyone for knowing Mark longer, and with thanks to everyone for being Mark's friends.

BTW, Mark Fisk (also known as just Mark F.) wrote up a very fine description of what it was like to be a Whiplash desert racer, and what it was like to ride with Mark O.

Wayne and Carolyn were there, as was Wayne's second wife, Sandy, and her children Kelly (and fiance Kevin) and Lance. Also, Wayne's brother Lee, and his children Jaclyn and Gary. Of course David and Bev and I, and Monica and Jack, and all of Tiffany's relatives and friends from the Phoenix area were there as well.

Bev and I had planned to go out to Parker (site of Mark's last race) on Sunday, but due to change in plans, we've postponed that. Whiplash Desert Racing is holding a "Mark O Memorial Race" on April 22 to raise money for Tiffany, and Bev and I are planning to travel out for that, and to try and do the Parker trip that weekend.

The house has progressed some since we were there: most of the windows are in, and the framing is finished. The desert is even more beautiful than before, carpeted with acres of bright yellow and orange flowers. About two years ago, after another particularly wet winter, Mark had called Bev to tell her about the flowers and how spectacular they were. Bev said that Mark must have arranged for the flowers we saw this weekend as a message that there is incredible beauty, even in the midst of grief.