CHAT/TRIVIA April 2nd-1PMAT,2PT,3MT,4CT,5ET,10UK,11NO

[fladogfan]

Because I was late getting to chat, I missed most of chitchat. I was under the impression the 'Martin comment to Gwen' is something written in Ken's journal and happened during the race. BUT--I could be really off base here.

[MelanieGouldFanBrian]

The Martin comment to Gwen was brought up during our 7-26 chat. All I've ever heard (and all everyone in the chat has heard)is that sometime during the race Martin made a "comment" to Gwen Holdmann that upset her. Then I've heard that Ken has referred to that "comment" in his journal, and allegedly mentioned that this comment showed another side of Martin.
If it is in the 2008 Journal then perhaps someone who has it will clue us in.
That's all I know!
MGF Brian

[Holly Golightly]

Well, that's an interesting kettle of fish there.

And (I realise I'm gonna come off looking like a huge apologist here) with all due respects to Mr Anderson and his wife, the only "another side" of MB that such a comment would show is this: the human side. Who among us has *not*, in the heat of a stressful situation, said something, maybe even more than one something, that was less than pleasant? I know I'm guilty of snappishness on occasion; however, nobody ever journaled any of my moments of barkin' at people (coworkers usually).

Like I said earlier..."there probably was a perfectly logical explanation for it". Quite possibly, it's 'overtired, highly competitive and not-always-speaking-perfect-English musher loses temper toward the wife of the man who eventually crosses the finish line ahead of him.' Nobody's perfect.

[Di*]

Hi Holly,

Here is Ken's quote that got us all wondering....

Martin Buser is a real joker but there's other sides to him as well. You'll have to read my journal to find out.....

[Holly Golightly]

Hiya, Di--

I see that. But, in and of itself, what KA wrote there proves little except that he and GH encountered a usually good-natured person in a much-less-than-good-natured mood. After almost 1000 miles, anyone can get what my grandmother refers to as "bees in their bonnets"....

[Moose]

I don't want to stir up any bees in any bonnet, and I don't know what Martin's comment was to Gwen, but the reference here is to interactions with Martin on the trail.

[Holly Golightly]

That's just it, Moose: nobody is saying *what* it was that was said, and that's what people would like to know....Without having to buy an entire book in the process, at least in my situation.

BUT: If it happened on the trail, well, heck, there's the explanation right there: in the heat of competition, sometimes people get testy and say things that normally wouldn't get said. I might sound like a skipping CD now, but (but but but) I'm sure there's a logical explanation for the (unknown) comment, and it just might have been a case of trail-crabbiness.

I'm going to take an extended-weekend no-message-board vacay. If anyone ever finds out what it was, they can PM it. I need to go do something else for a few days....

[flowerpower]

I don't think those of us who were chatting that night meant to stir anything up or cast aspersions at anyone, sorry! It was just more of a gossip fest (oh what did they say huh huh?) which certainly in print or out of context can come across the wrong way. We were competing for Ken's journal and it was an off hand comment that just had us wondering what the story in Ken's journal was. I don't think we meant to start any kind of negativity or hard feelings!
In my book anyone who can compete in the Iditarod and take good care of their dogs and is a decent human being most of the time is worthy of respect! Even I have been known to be a bit crabby at time, just ask my kids !

[MelanieGouldFanBrian]

Amen Flower, and well said! What a thorny issue this has become all of a sudden.
It was just a point of curiousity on our part during the forum chat. Nobody cast any aspersions, nobody mentioned it in a negative way. And I think most importantly Holly, nobody is looking for an explanation for this comment. As race afficianados, we surely realize that the basic competition of the race itself, not to mention fatigue, crabbiness, and the plain possibility that one person just doesn't like another, are all part of the race and may evoke between its participants comments, outbursts, tirades, tantrums and possibly even chicanery (I love the word chicanery and am glad for this chance to use it).
Martin has every right to make a comment of any type he desires to anyone he desires. We aren't concerned with apologies, blame, or for that matter even the reason. We aren't even looking for that logical explanation that you mention. We just wanted to know what the comment may have been!
MGF Brian

[dilli]

Resurfacing briefly .. still engaged in storm cleanup and repairing PC after troubleshooting fiasco with Hewlett Packard tech support.
Getting quite the brutal cardio-vascular/aerobic workout this summer .. have lost 22 pounds without even trying or needing to so far. Whoohoo! Will enjoy a splendid, guilt-free festival of food and fun when sled dog racing season begins .. after all, one should have a proper layer of winter fat to stay warmer during winter.

First .. (((((Heidi)))) .. you ROCKED as contest mod queen .. and the contest was hilarious! Couldn't out speed-type BBB for the life of me, even blindfolded with one arm duct-taped behind her back I'll try not to cheat next contest so I don't have a 3 way tie with 'Brain' and Motor for the Red Lantern.

Holly

Let me get this straight: it was discussed in the chat, but nobody actually detailed what was said? That's just odd.

I guess, Di, we can only hope that someone will take pity on us and tell us. (And whatever it actually was, there's probably a perfectly logical explanation for it, too.)

Holly ... FYI .. our Ken/Gwen/ Martin chat comments were quick wondering/ mild speculations while we were waiting for Heidi to post the next contest questions. None of us knew .. as the others present in the contest chat verified above .. what Martin's actual comment to Gwen was. She didn't specify what he said to her, ok? None of us who participated in the contest chat knows what Ken wrote about Martin in his journal either because to date none of us bought it or read it ... yet.

So ... we don't know the answers to your questions. None of us dissed Martin, ok? Inhale, Exhale .. Calm down.

During the contest chat, I think I briefly mentioned I had read something written by Gwen somewhere about Martin's abnormal moodiness and rude remark he made to Gwen at White Mtn. checkpoint. The contest chat is a bit of a blur... I was laughing too hard thru its entirety.
I did not bother at the time to search for or post a link to the source because we were otherwise engaged in chatting or typing answers to contest questions as fast as we could.

This is the first chance i've had to read this thread, search, find and post the link to Gwen's original source blog post I referred to during the contest chat where I had read about:
1) Ken's observations to his wife about un-jolly Martin moments he had observed while racing along the trail with the mighty Mr B
2) a vague, unspecific comment she blogged about a rude remark Martin made to her at White Mtn.

http://windycreekkennelcom.h993011.serv ... 1815d25958

Continue to apeculate/ defend if so inclined, but that's all she wrote, folks.

Slainte' ((((Iditabuddies))))) ... incoming chocolate fudge sundaes with a cherry on top