Rick Rodriguez worked for the Harris County Sheriffs Dept. in the jail with Brat. A bunch of us were riding to San Antonio for a gig they was putting on in 2001, I believe, we were to meet at the old Pecks Bar. Houdini and I got there early, and in walked Rick. He said that Brat had invited him to tag along and see what the club was all about. He started off asking a few questions and we explained the probation period and I'll never forget when Rick asked "I don't have to take an ass whoop'in do I?”
I thought Houdini was going to fall off the stool. We explained we was not that kind of "Motorcycle Club" and that GREAT BIG SMILE came over his face. Anybody that had ever met Rick knows of the smile. Rick advised his sled was in the shop so he was taking his cage and offered to take any extra gear we might have. Rick hung with us all weekend in San Antonio and the next weekend a bunch of us were having a party at Pecks again.
Pescado was there and we was talking about Rick and we was already kicking some suggestions for a riding name, low and behold we look up and Rick walks through the door, like so many of us, Pescado looks at Rick and says "Hell he looks like a big ol Chalupa" and the Chalupa saga began. Chalupa was off on Fridays , Saturdays, and Sundays so when he left the house on Fridays he tried to carry everything he would need with him, as he very seldom would go home. Somebody would just say “Chalupa you stay at our house this weekend.” Chalupa would pull his toothbrush and tooth paste out of his vest pocket and take off.
As for his favorite spirits, Hello tells the story when Chalupa went home with him and asked if Hello had a beer. Hello said “Yea it's in the ice box, help yourself.” Chalupa goes to the box and grabs a beer from the bottom shelf, drinks it and asks for another, Hello said drink all you want, after about 10 beers Chalupa looks at Hello and says "Man, there something wrong with this beer, I've had about 10 and I don't feel nothing, in which Hello replies "That's cause your drinking non-alcoholic beer", the good stuff is on the top shelf. That was Chalupa.
Chalupa was a big man about 320 lbs. and rode a Sporster, but I will say this he would ride, was nothing to see him on his way to San Antonio going down I-10 for the weekend. The day he died, he and I had been to the Bay Area meeting and they had a crawfish boil, we hung there and decided to go to the Nomad Tavern and about 2000 hrs. Caboose and I headed home, a couple of hours later we got the call he had gone down. Caboose and I went to the hospital and met Crazy Horse and Dogman among others, it was decided that we needed to get his colors so the nurses wouldn't cut them up. Horse, Dogman and myself got permission to go back, this is the first time we found out that Chalupa didn't make it, next to him was his colors already cut and on the inside, his toothbrush and toothpaste.
I had a real nice lady that sewed the colors back together and after getting permission from the family they would be put in his casket.... along with cigarettes, a bottle of Jack, and his toothbrush and toothpaste!
Things happen as you go through life. Some good, some bad. The only tragedy is when you let life pass you by.
HERMANOS HASTA EL FIN
Boxcar ‘07
