Nathan Clevenger “Adventures in Autobiography”

By request, here is Tad’s H&T autobiography (which Tony read yesterday):

I am honored to have been chosen as a possible profile for the Backroads web page. Devin and I finished a 3 night / 4 day Death Valley trip and rewarded ourselves with a night out in Vegas. Needless to say, I write to you slightly hungover (what do they put in those hurricane drinks?), the wallet a bit thinner, and laying in my deluxe mini-fullsize bed in Las Vegas's finest America's Best hotel room (41.99/night). But I digress.

Hopefully this is what you are looking for - I haven't taken the time to look at the webpage but am just going with my gut instinct and writing from the heart. Laugh, cry, ponder, but most of all, if you feel so inclined, share this profile with Nathan as I do miss him and think of him at least every other odd month.

"Living, Loving, and Learning - Backroads Style" - Not sure if you need a title for the profile but thought this would work nicely; just let me know.

"Who would of thought in two years a straight-laced, clean-cut, small-town Kansas farm boy could have assailed to such heights. As I tipsily stroll down "The Strip" filling my wallet with free night club / escort cards at 2ish AM looking for the guiding light of the neon "Hooters" sign indicating the general vicinity of my hotel I reflect on my tenure at Backroads and how grateful I am that I took a left instead of a right on the "Highway of Life".

What does Backroads mean to me? Simply put: M&M's. It feels good to wake up in the morning with that low-blood glucose shaking feeling and know that all I have to do to stop it is to stumble to any Backroads trailer to get my fix. That's reassurance no 401 K can provide.

Besides a lifetime supply of M&Ms, Backroads has allowed me a platform to showcase my true talent - talking. Each trip provides for me another captivated, or possibly the right word is "captive", audience in which I can do what comes naturally to me; talk. "I know this trip is about Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, but let me tell you a little about growing up on a farm in Kansas and what geothermal features and harvesting wheat have in common." - just one example how I segue into a mind-blowing/numbing self-interactive conversation with guests on trips. I know they love it!!!!

To conclude this personal, intimate, cut-beneath the skin "Backroads Profile," I hope this leaves you pondering, "Who hired this guy?"

Tad

Arash Bayatmakou “A Great Gathering”

A group of us met in Berkeley yesterday to talk, grieve, laugh, eat, share stories, and celebrate Tad's life. It was wonderful to learn about all the different ways in which Tad had touched each of us and the memories that he leaves with us, as he now rests in peace. I had always known how funny and charming he was in person but it wasn't until yesterday that I realized how brilliantly hilarious he could be in writing (see the Snakecharmer entry for an example).

Tad, it pains me to think of your suffering in the last year and how difficult it must have been for you, but you have left a smile lingering on my face that I will always have when thinking of you. Here's to 2 PB&J sandwiches my friend...

Michelle Sisson “Tad: The Musical”

Here's an updated version of the video we showed at Tad's gathering in Berkeley last Sunday.

http://vimeo.com/10903672

If you never had the chance to work, live, hike, do lunges and blast songs in the van -- well, here's your chance.

Backroads brought out the best in Tad. Thanks to everyone who shared photos and videos.