Holly

I did see R30 and the Time Machine Tour, but when R40 happened, I'd moved to Idaho from Los Angeles, and so the closest to me I think would have been Salt Lake City, and I just didn't make it. I will kick myself for ever over that decision.

Me too. I’m still crying for him. Then I feel guilty about it because I’m not his family and never met him. But I’m truly so sad he’s gone. This is really a hard one to cope with.

I wish Neil stayed on his bike! Not his motorcycle. Neil was in such great shape!! He use to bike from Arco Arena Sacramento to Oakland Arena on a few tours. Amazing man. I live very close to Mt. Diablo out here in the East Bay, I remember Neil mentioning it in once of his books. Biking up Mt. Diablo. It's one hell of a challenge. I was a cyclist back then too. I biked up Mt. Diablo once. It was so awesome. But on my first turn down the mountain my front tire hit a rock and my tire was toast. I had to get in the back of a pick up truck and the ranger drove me down to the bottom of the mountain where I met my dad to drive me home. I was pissed. But it's life.................. No regrets. I LOVE YOU NEIL!!! I've done a lot of long distance cycling too! Once I rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles (over 7 days). I've done Mt. Baldy, but didn't make it all the way to the top. Climbing is hard! Haha. I love Neil on the road bike. He looks so handsome and fit in this pic too! I love Neil. OMG! Holly!! That is so cool!!! We have a connection!! My cycling passion way back then had nothing to do with Neil despite my true passion and love for the man back then in the very early 80's. But I too did a 7 day trek!! My parents forced me to go to these camps when I was in junior high and even as a Freshman. But I fell in love with drumming and cycling. So I chose to do a cycling camp as a sophomore in high school. 1984!! "Grace Under Pressure" time. Pun intended! Lol! So I biked from Santa Cruz all the way to Yosemite. It was soooooo much fun!! Neil is a handsome gent! I've had so many parallels with him in my own personal life as a drummer, writer and cyclist. I was never trying to clone myself to be Neil it just happened naturally that way. I still trip out my friends who have known me for 35 years. I seriously looked just like Neil in the "Time Stand Still" video in his black tank top. Crazy!! I know. So I have a very rare picture of Neil driving his BMW automobile. It's 3 of 25. Signed by Andrew in pencil. It's a close up profile pic of Neil behind the wheel. My oldest daughter and my friends think I look like Neil in that picture. Wild!! I hope you don't think I'm insane and I have no filter Holly, but Neil is my mentor. My Musical and Poetic Hero. That being said, I am sooooooooooo lucky. My dad is 82 going on 28. My other hero. My mom is 79 and doing just fine. I'm just saying, Neil has molded my mortal life since the 7th grade. I'm rambling. Hope you get me. Life is short. I LOVE NEIL! Wow, what a great story. I've always been a bike rider (had a paper route) but didn't really pick up road cycling until I was 40. I went full on into it. Did lots of 100 mile rides. Spent money on gear. I want to get back into it. I'm in good condition right now but haven't been riding. Maybe this summer I'll do a long ride.

I wish Neil stayed on his bike! Not his motorcycle. Neil was in such great shape!! He use to bike from Arco Arena Sacramento to Oakland Arena on a few tours. Amazing man. I live very close to Mt. Diablo out here in the East Bay, I remember Neil mentioning it in once of his books. Biking up Mt. Diablo. It's one hell of a challenge. I was a cyclist back then too. I biked up Mt. Diablo once. It was so awesome. But on my first turn down the mountain my front tire hit a rock and my tire was toast. I had to get in the back of a pick up truck and the ranger drove me down to the bottom of the mountain where I met my dad to drive me home. I was pissed. But it's life.................. No regrets. I LOVE YOU NEIL!!! I've done a lot of long distance cycling too! Once I rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles (over 7 days). I've done Mt. Baldy, but didn't make it all the way to the top. Climbing is hard! Haha. I love Neil on the road bike. He looks so handsome and fit in this pic too! I love Neil.

Amazing how much he already looks like the adult Neil there. When your parents live long enough to see you get old and look like you did when you were a baby! Wow. He sure does look like 60+ Neil. What a cutie pie.

Not sure how to post pics on here, but I've always liked this pic of Neil: https://imgur.com/gallery/C4zd5Kx

In the last year or two I had been going to Neil's website fairly often and wondering why it wasn't being updated. I'd still tool around it anyway. Like most of you, I thought, well, he's spending time with his family. But in the back of my mind I did actually wonder what's *really* going on? I had a slight unease since we hadn't heard from him in so long, but I didn't have a clue that he was so ill.

I'm still having a hard time with this. I was in 9th grade (1983) when someone handed me a cassette tape of Neil's drum solo at that time. I was a drummer in the marching band at school and was a Steve Smith fan. This guy in the drum line says, "here, listen to this." It was Neil. I was blown away. I have been a fan ever since. Only saw them twice - in the 2000's. I really feel this loss like a lot of you do because even though I didn't know him personally, he's part of my growing up and adult years. He was a big influence on me in many ways. What a loss. I departed from atheism a few years ago and became an Eastern Orthodox Christian. We believe in praying for the dead, especially within the first 40 days after passing, and so this is really all I can do right now. The world was a better place for having had Neil in it and I will miss him. I pray for his family and friends.