Angie speaks.

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

O.K. guys,
This isn't my style but I feel like I've gotta get some stuff straight. 

There is fiction and there is fact.  When you write fiction...you should
write ALL fiction.  If you're going to write fact...you tell the truth. 
My problem with Howard's writing is that there is no line between the
two.  That might be pretty entertaining to those of you who are safely on
the other end of a computer, but it's no fun to see someone write about
things that you have said...or done...and then add their own touches to
make it "interesting".  That's ME and I don't appreciate somebody
claiming I said or did something just to make them look good.  

For instance, In Howard's most recent post, he described my "entourage"
which follows me around...and pretty much makes me out to be an aloof
jerk who didn't have time to talk to "the little people".  Actually, I
was standing talking to my daughter and a friend who was asking me how I
can stand that perverted stalker who keeps talking about me on ridecamp. 


I don't like to have enemies, or avoid people, so when Howard rode by I
said, "Is that Rebel?".  The next thing I knew, he'd ditched the horse,
grabbed a bottle (at 10 AM), and was standing at my side like a terrier
jumping up and down...literally excited, saying, "So what did you think
of my story?"  As I recall, the person in that story was very downcast
and remorseful about almost running his horse to death, but the person
demanding that I give him my reaction sure looked enthusiastic.  I said,
"What do THINK I thought about it?"  (What I wanted to say was, I had the
same reaction as your horse...EXTREME REFLUX!)  I sat on my hands that
whole week while everyone rubbed his back and comforted him and I'm
thinking...anybody who didn't see that one coming was a complete fool.

Now, I'm sure you all think I'm horrible now.  But I kept quiet for
weeks, and if someone wants to follow me around and ask for a reaction,
and post on ridecamp that I'm too stuck up to give it, well I guess they
really want to know my take on the subject, so there it is.

The person from my "entourage" who interrupted our conversation at
Million Pines, was my daughter, asking if I wanted her to get me a
Coke...actually, she told me later that she did that to have an excuse to
leave because that guy with the beer scared her.  She went to the truck,
got a Coke out and left it sitting on the table for me.

Now, let's get back to the actual conversation in question.  Yes, I did
say, "Howard I like you better in person than on the computer, but that
ain't much" or something to that effect.  HOWEVER, I NEVER said anything
like "NOW SKEDADDLE" or anything like that.  That's where he has totally
made something up out of thin air and it makes me look like an aloof
jerk.  What I DID DO was start talking to him....EARNESTLY, about horses
going down, and trying to explain about a friend almost losing her horse.
 The second I started talking about that and someone rode by and said,
"Hi Angie" and I spoke to them, Howard bolted for the horizon.  I did not
dismiss him.  I tried to talk to him about what had happened...in
person...not on e-mail.  I think that's the best place to carry on this
conversation, but Howard loves big audiences, so I guess this will be a
public trial.

In other posts...such as dream sequences, I'm made out to be the sort of
person who taunts someone and thumbs my nose at them.  Sure, it's a dream
sequence, (in other words fiction and shouldn't have anyone real in it)
but that's just NOT ME.  If anything I'm always making jokes about how
slow I am.  I came in last on LOTS of rides my first few years.  I had
other people come up to me and complain that he'd done the same thing to
them... just made up stuff out of thin air, then put their name on the
character.  That may not be a huge deal when you're talking to people who
know us in person, and know that's not what we're like, but at what point
do people on the other side of the country start do believe Howard's
description of me?

No matter how I answered Howard's posts, people seemed to take the
answers the way they wanted to.  So my husband just laid down the law. 
Don't answer them.  Period.  By the way, what I said to Howard at Million
Pines was, "You're the first person who has ever gotten under Bill's
skin...that's quite an accomplishment"   So, I quit commenting at all. 
Period.  I was amazed how many people chose to explain how I didn't
mind...when they knew I was sitting right here reading it and fully
capable of answering myself. 

I thoroughly enjoy a battle of cut-downs...but I don't enjoy getting
nasty personal e-mails when I "score".  I also don't like to play against
someone who is so manipulative that they are constantly "working the
crowd" to make themselves look good...whether it's sympathy or whatever. 
It's hard to have a rule book, but there's just sometimes it's fun and
sometimes it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth...and sometimes it
just gives you the creeps.

I was not happy when I drove up at Hahira and people were shouting at me
as I drove in little suggestive stuff about Howard.  I  did not like
Howard's posts leading up to that ride.  When he wrote me and said, "I'm
going to tie you up".  Honestly.  Sure, it's stupid...but it's also
really weird!   I made it VERY clear.  Do not touch me.  He did.  I  hit
him.    Ha, ha.  Very funny (when it's not you).  No harm intended.  But
DON'T TOUCH ME.

Now.  I don't hate anybody.  I don't even like to dislike anybody.  There
are some people I don't hang around with but that's no big deal, we just
have different styles.  Howard may be a fine guy.  I want to be able to
say hello and who knows, even may need to pick up his daughter's
sponsorship at some vet check where a sponsor is pulled or something.  No
big deal. We're in the same region.  I do not want friends to have to
choose sides.  This is silly.  I want to be able to sit down at the same
campfire.   What I do not want is to be the subject of fiction. 


Angie

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