Thanks JC. I really do appreciate that mate. Wait a moment...................... and and ok, I feel better now thank you....
For those who are finding this thread now, GOOD to have you all here! I know it is common on newly found and longer threads not so read thru it all. (Been there, done that.) But FYI and FWIW, this thread is a list of all the HDF MOM's. I was the 1st. There have since been around 9 others. All saying they are way more deserving than me. <-- I'm 'juss play'n abt that last part mate.
Since our HDF MOM program has been in effect for about 1 year, it is time we did a little proverbial tweaking.
Tweak #1: We reformatted the OP adding a brief explanation of what a MOM is about in the OP found HERE.
Tweak #2: We added a Directory to the OP also found HERE.
Tweak #3: Several MOMs were moved forward 1 month to where they originally were supposed to be. Sorry to those who were moved if it caused you any inconvenience.
A special TY was placed in the OP for @Grandma1956 for it was her nudging us that moved us along with the "Directory" idea.
I am a bit overwhelmed. All I did was submit a little suggestion and my reason for the suggestion. I did it quietly, behind the scenes. I did not want to do it publicly and expected no public recognition. However, what's done is done, so thank you for the recognition. I am glad I was able to contribute.
My best and most gracious reward was when I was recently given the title of "Official HDF Hugger" below my user name and next to my avatar. That means I can hug any person whenever I want and not get into trouble for it. Thank you to all of the moderators and administrators who did that for me. I was surprised and honored.
Our NEWEST Member Of The Month
For The Month Of December
Please Help Us Welcome IdahoHacker .
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IdahoHacker (aka “Clay”) is VERY HAPPILY retired and is “…loving every minute of it.” Most of Clay's professional career was in the food service industry. His most recent endeavor was being a Senior Director for US Information Technology for a Dow-30 corporation. He had a pretty good run and his company car was a (get this) a Jaguar. Excuse me…. a “JAG-YOU-ARE” pronounced in the snootiest of voices and inflection. Imagine that...a freaking Jaguar!?!?! Geesh!
Other than the backstabbing politics that come with top executive jobs, he harbors no complaints.
Clay’s first of two marriages lasted 10 years. He was ever so grateful it ended. No kids. No money. No more her. (I am assuming it was a “…her…” though you don’t really know nowadays.) ‘Juss say’n.
His current marriage (and there is a “…her…”) will be 40 years come this November, 2021. She’s a keeper.
Ok, I will “fess up”. Clay’s first wife was also a “her”. HAPPY DANCE – HAPPY DANCE.
The second marriage produced two amazing daughters. The oldest has a degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a specialization in Japanese. She works at Washington State University. The youngest has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and works on computerized modeling of large vehicle multi-body dynamics for Navistar.
Clay started out as an electronics engineering student before his military gig, so when his kids had math homework, Dad was the “math dude.” Yeah, that eventually ended, and now the youngest does math that makes Clay’s ears bleed. Not bad for a millennial, he says.
Clay is 15 yrs old here and his late brother is on the back.
. One of the coolest things about Clay is that he was a Russian Interpreter/Translator, and worked at NSA during the Cold War. His specialty was “voice communications intercept,” and focused on the Warsaw Pact Soviet ground forces in Eastern Europe. He once was asked by the then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for his viewpoint on a then-current “hot topic”. But that is a conversation for another day.
Before NSA Clay worked at a secret communications site in southern Germany, and got to do the briefings in the War Room, in front of all the top brass and that big board with all the military units shown on it. Got the long pointer for the map on the wall, and was pretty quick on his feet handling questions. When his presentation was over he got some major “attaboys”. Now that is pretty cool by anyone’s measurement!
Clay served in the Regular Army from 1971-1974. He graduated with Honors from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. Assigned to the US Army Security Agency. His primary MOS was; Interpreter/Translator-Russian. Secondary MOS was a Voice Intercept Operator-Russian. His duty MOS was; Intercepted Traffic Analyst-Russian. At his last gig he was stationed at the USASA Field Station Augsburg, Germany, and then at NSA outside Washington DC. No surprise, he had security clearances most people have never heard of. Now THAT is an accomplishment!
I am thinking……….maybe Clay’s HDF name needs to be changed from IdahoHacker to “Lah Dee Dah”.…’juss say’n.
This was the last AMA sanctioned ride, Death Valley Road Tun. On the left is/was Clay's ridding buddy, his Mom is in the middle and Clay is on the right.
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Now here is a pretty cool thing you likely never knew regarding Lah Dee Dah IdahoHacker. When he was working, he was invited to join a computer technology “think tank” working out of Stanford University. The primary focus of the think tank was integrating computer technology with the construction industry. Things like “4-D” cad, which integrates project management of huge projects with timeline planning. Pretty cool stuff.
Clay and a few others were invited to a presentation at Roche Bioscience in the Bay Area. They were interested in exploring and using computer science as the “then new” concepts of Artificial Intelligence. Yeah. AIl before its time. And somehow integrating them into being able to predict medical and pharmaceutical experiments without the enormous amount of time and money involved in getting to the point of human trials. He got to see some of the coolest ever medical devices, such as the ones that test of thousands of different combinations of drugs. And vaccine developments. Who knew?
IdahoHacker has been a computer geek ever since computers were invented. He built his first computer from parts in 1984 with 16K of memory and dual floppies. WOOT! WOOT!
He loves music. And is heavily into vacuum tube electronics like amplifiers, tuners, tape decks, etc. which pack his garage full.
Clay has been listening to shortwave radio since he was 12 years old. He has a huge collection of vintage communication receivers although there is not as much to listen to on the international broadcast bands as there used to be.
Having always been interested in an Amateur Radio operating, he now has his license.
With a background in electronics, the theory portion of the test was easy and pretty much just a “review.” He has since upgraded to the Extra Class License status.
This is Clay in western Washington (the state) on his Super Glide.
. Clay’s uncle is a World War II veteran. In the war, he was a top-turret gunner on a B-24 flying missions over Italy. More recently, his uncle had to go into a nursing home and Clay wound up with his uncle’s ham radio transceiver. He got the transceiver cleaned up and back on the air in honor of his uncle, who sadly passed away a few months ago from COVID-19. RIP Jerry, N9EOV.
Clay is an avid golfer and has enjoyed being a Rules Official for many years. He was the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee of the Chicago District Golf Association. And though he is only an amateur golfer, he was recruited to be on the Rules Committee of the Illinois Section of the PGA of America.
He has since officiated at the local qualifying tournaments for all of the USGA Championships, such as the US Open, US Amateur, the Illinois Open, and was the Lead Rules Official for the Illinois Senior Open, the Illinois Women’s Open, as well as several college tournaments.
More recently, he has been officiating in the Pacific Northwest.
Oh my freaking word. I have been typing so much about our IdahoHacker boy, I think I wore the fingerprints off ‘me fingers.
Now, (y’all grab a cuppa Joe) let’s move onto his motorcycle exploits.
Here is Clay at a HOG Officer Training. I cropped out all of the beer bottles. J/K More and more, I can see why IdahoHacker is loving his retirement.
. The “Hacker” started riding in 1964 at the age of 15. He rode until shortly before he went into the military (Army) in 1971. Then he went through the proverbial gap of several decades of not riding due to his military service, college, marriages, kids, and a working career. He managed to go on social rides on borrowed bikes when he didn’t own one of his own. He moved to Idaho in 2013 and got back into riding with his father-in-law.
In total, the Hacker has owned 11 motorcycles starting with a 90cc scooter and ending up with a Road Glide Special and now a Goldwing. <cough – cough – boooo - hissssss> (Hey, I am writing this up. I can toss in commentaries if I want. We love the Hack either way. <Almost.>
As we have seen with other MOM’s, when asked about his favorite bike, he said “Honestly, I loved every one of them. Every one was the ‘best one I have ever owned’ at the time I got it.”
Each of the bikes had its “…own special charm.”. But admittedly, his new Gold Wing is the most amazing motorcycle he has ever owned. In Sport Mode it will pick up the front end clear off the ground with just the throttle.
His Goldwing is the newest 2018 generation Honda. It has the DCT or Dual Clutch Transmission. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not an “automatic”, it’s a manual 7-speed with an automatic clutch. You can shift it yourself if you want to, and the ECM manages the clutch.
It even slips the clutch for you at low speed. It even blips for you on the downshifts! Or, you can let the ECM do the shifting. He really took a risk when he purchased it, because he didn’t take it out for a test ride. Clay figured, he really couldn’t make a call one way or the other on a ride around the block, and he’d be kicking himself if he didn’t give the DCT a try.
Now that Clay has 12,000+ miles on it, honestly speaking, he will never again be without one.
It has completely changed his view on riding a motorcycle. Wailing down a twisty mountain road is all about the curve and the sight lines, the body position and the weight shifting back and forth. It’s heaven he said.
Like many of us, he has a fantasy of a garage full of different bikes. One of the ones he’s really been thinking about a lot is the ADV/Touring bike, and the BMW 1250GS series is on his “short list.” Well, was on his short list but not anymore. The Honda Africa Twin has the DCT as an option. Oh yeah! That’s the baby.
As far as epic rides are concerned, Clay has quite a few.
In three years on his Road Glide, he logged 55,000 miles traveling all over the States and Canada, as well as a ton of day rides.
This is Clay, day #1 with his '15 Road Glide Special. AWESOME!!
. He knocked off Yosemite and has done all of the Sierra Nevada passes except for one. This year!
He did “Run For The Wall” twice. And the second time, (you cannot do it as an FNG) he did it in a side-by-side platoon. Three thousand miles in 10 days side-by-side. And that includes about one hour of 40 miles an hour in twisties. Which now as he thinks about it was “… effing stupid…” but he was not going to call out the platoon leader for his “idiocy.” They all survived. Phew!!
Clay has about a dozen riding acquaintances from the Spokane, Washington area and they go on a four-day, three-night ride every year. He skipped this year due to COVID. He is planning on late July 2021 to hook back up with these guys. With fingers crossed, he is hoping to be able to make it.
Clay’s bucket list has Alaska and hopefully all 48 states in 10 days in it. Being an IBA member, he has a good chance to be successful at knocking off this item from his bucket list.
As far as motorcycle associations are concerned, he was the Assistant Director and Director and a Road Captain for the local HOG chapter.
He has belonged to the AMA decades ago and he rejoined them back in 2013. Clay is also a member of the Gold Wing Road Riders of America.
Phew. Well, that wraps up another MOM. I think IdahoHacker has to retire from retirement. LOL!
Oh wait………..but there is more………see IdahoHackers picture gallery below. (Some may be a repeat from the above PIXs.)
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. '67 Clay in his hospital whites going to work. (Notice - 28" waist!) HAH! NICE! '67 CL-77 Honda 305 Scrambler. .
. 1968 Last Sanctioned AMA ride - Death Valley Road Run. Left - Riding Buddy. Center - Mom. Right - Clay. .
. Western Washington (state) on his Super Glide. .
. HOG Officer Training .
. HOG Ride. Clay is the "movie star" on the far right. .
. 1st Day With His '15 Road Glide Special. .
. Riding with another HOG Chapter. .
. Regular riding group from Spokane. Clay is the hi-viz chap of course.
The Sawtooth Range in southern Idaho is in the background. .
. On the way to start the Run For The Wall. .
. In Ontario, Canada the day before they leave for Washington, D.C. and the
Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial Wall, arriving on Memorial Day weekend. .
. Blythe, CA. Miss Blythe and Miss Teen Blythe. Tough duty, but somebody's gotta do it! .
. Run For The Wall. .
. MADE IT!! The Lincoln Memorial. Ahhhhh...yeah.....sure.....he's somewhere in there.
Yeah, I seem him, he is over there. 'doh! . . There is no fair-weather riding for Clay. .
. Mt. Rainer & Reflection Bay. .
. ....and if you have not figured it out by now, that is HDF's one and only, IdahoHacker aka Clay. .
. From The HDF Staff,
CONGRATULATION's Clay. .
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~ If anyone has a future MOM recommendation, kindly PM BuzzCap7. Thank you. ~
12-26-2020, 09:14 PM
Congrats 
Gee willikers man.........u r embarassing me. 
Thanks mate!!
Wait a moment......................
and 
and 
ok, I feel better now thank you....
<-- I'm 'juss play'n abt that last part mate.
for it was her nudging us that moved us along with the "Directory" idea. 
