Author Archives: Theresia Shearer

Product and Service Review – Big Agnes

I had hoped to write a different kind of review at the end of rally season but three incidents with our camping gear have prompted me to share with the club my experiences.

Last year my nearly new Big Agnes Air Core insulated air mattress kept losing air.  Now, I know when the temperature cools you sometime have to add a bit more air.  However, I would have to air it back up 2-4 times a night.  I contacted Big Agnes, shipped the defective mattress back to them (at my cost) and they quickly sent me a new mattress.

With this rally season I started using my brand new air mattress.  four rallies / weekends later I’m back to blowing up my mattress several times a night.  Many thanks to Ray Kaufman for bringing my backup air mattress o the MOA rally so I wouldn’t have to buy another one to complete the trip.  By the time Ray arrived the mattress I was using was a lost cause.

This week I’ll be contacting Big Agnes about warranting another air mattress.  Lost sleep and more return postage is prompting me to start looking at alternatives.  Let’s see if their customer services is as good as it was with the first air mattress.

Earlier in the month I had made prior arrangements with Big Agnes, located in Steamboat Springs, CO, to complete a minor repair of a fitting on our tent poles of my Wyoming Trail 2 tent.  I could have shipped them the poles but did not have enough turnaround time between rallies.  In route to the Paonia rally I took a 2 day detour north to Steamboat Spring and the BA offices.  They were good to work with and I was back on the road in less than 15 minutes, though I had already made arrangesments to stay overnight in a motel.

On Wednesday afternoon, 7/22, high, gusty winds tore through the Montana State Fairgrounds.  The local news agency reported the wind gusts were over 40 mph.  Outside vendors had canopies blown over resulting in a rally attendee’s bike being damaged.  For the most part the campers in the infield were not affected.  However, my Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 2 tent took the brunt of the winds for our area. The poles, and even some stakes were bent.  The strange wind patterns did not affect an identical tent set up just a foot from mine!

This is our first season with the Big Agnes tent!  I know wind is a fickkle element but two problems with the tent in the first season are a bit much.  I don’t expect a free ride from Big Agnes because of wind damage but hopefully they can work with me on replacing the poles.

For 30+ years we’ve relied on Eureka Timberline tents.  In fact, we’re only on our second Timberline tent.  The first tent, and now the second tent, was retired only because UV rays finally took their toll on the tent material.  I had hoped, going forward I can get the same long life from my Big Agnes tent.

So, in just a few months, I’ve had three problems with Big Agnes products.  The cost per use on the equipment has  exponentially increased:   a cross-country detour to their offices, shipping the defective air mattress back home to deal with after the rally and yet more return postage to Big Agnes for restitution on the poles and air mattress.

The quality of a company is measured by their products and their customer service.  Hopefully Big Agnes will redeem itself with great customer service.  Stay tuned for an update in a few weeks!

Tent 1 Tent 2 Tent 3 Tent Stakes

You can see below the exaggerated bend in the first and third sets of poles.

Tent Poles

Guidelines for New Club Logo

Some members have requested a redesign of the club logo to better reflect the club. A committee was formed to coordinate the submission and selection process. Committee members are Bob Conley, Wayne Garrison and Theresia Shearer. They are looking to you, the club members, to submit new logos for consideration.

The current club logo is the checkered flag and a top hat surrounded by an oval. The web site banner reflects the requirements of the BMW Corporation when displaying the roundel or using the trademarked “BMW”.  The club’s logo can be used independent of the roundel and the name “BMW.”

In redesigning the logo please consider the following guidelines:

  • Should show something to represent the city of Indianapolis (we are the Indianapolis BMW Club)
  • Should show something that could represent motorcycling or motorcyclists
  • Cannot use the BMW Roundel (BMW corporate rules)
  • Cannot include the club name (BMW corporate rules)
  • Black and white to keep production costs down and for better reproduction
  • Should be simple and not cluttered

Prize for the winning submission – to be determined

Submissions due by September 1st.

Judging Process
The committee will select 3 designs they believe best represent the club and meet the guidelines. They will submit the designs to the Board of Directors who will determine the method to select the final design.

Following is another example of a logo (the moto man riding a guitar) that is used by the Nashville, TN club. It’s shown in the format required to also show a roundel and the trademarked name “BMW’.

Nashville Club Logo

Recipes from the 3/22/2015 Club Meeting

Several folks brought pitch-in items to our March 22nd meeting that were a hit with attendees. I overheard a lot of conversation about “how did you make…” I didn’t get recipes for everything that was homemade but following are the recipes for some of the pitch-in items. For those of you not in attendance – you missed some great food and even better camaraderie.

Margie Ledgerwood, known for her spicy cooking, did not disappoint with a Creamy Hot Sausage Dip. Though Margie used the hottest flavor available of her ingredients it would be easy to tone down for a wimp like me.
1 pound sausage, cooked, crumbled and well drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 packages crème cheese
Combine ingredients. Heat and serve in a crockpot.
The leftover dip really has potential. The next morning I fixed omelets stuffed with spinach and a couple of spoons of dip!

Hot Ham and Turkey Sliders
Here are a lot of variations on the web for Ham Sliders. One pan will serve 6-12 people so it’s easy to scale this recipe up for a crowd. Here is what I did:

  1. Assemble sandwiches:
    12 pack Hawaiian-style Dinner Rolls
    1 pound ham, thinly sliced or shaved
    1 pound Baby Swiss cheese, very thinly sliced
    Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the rolls horizontally keeping the 12 pack intact.
    Place bun bottoms in a 9×13 pan, layer on the meat and cheese, top with the top layer of the buns.
  2. Blend well together and pour over sandwiches:
    1 ½ sticks butter, melted
    1½ tbl Dijon mustard
    1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce  (I was a little more generous)
    1 tsp onion powder
  3. Top sandwiches with garnish like poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
  4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next time I’ll spray the foil with a vegetable oil spray to keep it from sticking to the bun tops.
  5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
  6. Cut sandwiches apart before serving from the pan.
    Variation:
    For those folks that prefer turkey over ham – I added a couple of squirts of fresh herbs in a tube (in the refrigerated cases of the produce department) to the butter mixture and spread just a bit on the bottom buns. Then I used deli turkey and provolone cheese. I didn’t make enough of this variation because I didn’t get to try it.

Guest Cathy Payne brought German Potato Salad which really complemented the sandwiches. Don’t tell my German mother – it was really, really good. Cathy got her recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Authentic-German-Potato-Salad/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=german%20potato%20salad&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1
Since the link is almost as long as the recipe, here is the recipe!
3 cups diced peeled potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  1. Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.
  2. Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, and then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

Following is the recipe for Tricolor Pasta Salad from new member Kay Greene:
I don’t think I have ever made this recipe the exact same way twice! I never measure the ingredients – it’s just how you like it.
For the dressing, I use Good Season’s Italian dry mix made with ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 tbsp. water and ¼ cup tarragon or white wine vinegar.

  1. Cook tricolor rotini pasta – drain but do not rinse with cool water
  2. While pasta is still hot, pour on half of the oil and vinegar dressing. The pasta will soak it up. Sometimes I sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese on top.
  3. Put the pasta in the refrigerator to cool.
  4. Before serving: Add whatever vegetables you like, I often choose the following:
    Red and green onions
    Black olives
    Green, red or yellow peppers
    Celery
    Cucumber
    Green beans, sugar snap peas and asparagus – I blanch these first
    Cherry tomatoes
    Slivers of fresh basil
    You may wish to add more of the dressing too!

Mamie Williams sent with Mike a rich and super easy dessert, Black Forest Brownies. She even sent the recipe taped to the container. Great idea! I saw multiple folks making a mental note of it so here is the recipe.
1 brownie mix, 21.5 oz size
1 cup cherry pie filling
¼ cp vegetable oil
2 eggs
Combine and pour into a greased 9×13 pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
When you pull it from the oven immediately top it with 1 ¼ cp chocolate chips. Spread them on the top as they melt.

So there you have it…the menu and recipes for your next party!