The lost days

Well I managed to do it again.i wrote a long post(2hrs of typing)on our visit to Big Bend National Park. I want on forever about the last few days, and now I can't even remember what today is . We are in Sanderson TX on the first day of our 4th week, hump week. The days are flying by and on some of them I seem to be flying as well. Today I averaged 15mph with mostly downgrade and a tailwind . I rode with Joyce and Ed a great couple from Michigan who ride a recumbent tandem and let me draft them the whole day. We are staying in a High School gym. It is better than outside by a long shot. Last night and the night before I was in Marathon TX in a sweet little cabin with Polly. That was really living--pvt bath soft beds, climate control and no blowing dirt. The ride into marathon was wild. After a glorious ride to Alpine TX from drafting Toni and Tom we stopped at the local bike store and I got a new rear view mirror, gloves, and blinker . These were replacements and in each instance they were an improvement over the lost item. I was drafting Clutch to the sag where it started to rain. I hopped into Wayne s truck and kwaited out the storm or so I thought. It actually was quite a spectacular weather event . Clutch had gone ink ahead in his thoughtfully packed rain gear. I thought the rain behind me so I set off alone in my long sleeve t shirt. As soon as I left the rains resumed and a wild headwind/sidewind almost blew me off the road. Somehow I hung on but 100 uss down the road ki saw sue get blown over. But then the wind shifted and a tailwind blew me into marathon in no time at all. I will send this now and see if I am successful before I repeat yesterday's disaster of losing my hard won thoughts.

Starting and Ending the day

I am finally getting a reasonable system for getting off on the am and retiring. I have finally managed to get my life in one good size gym bag that we were given as part of the trip. Originally it contained a big fleece and a hooded sweatshirt that took up most of the room. Now that we are past the really cold nights ( last night in he 40s) I can get my dip kit and tomorrow's clothes and a few other items including bathing suit, shoes and jeans that cover most situations. I keep my electic cords in there as well and everything I need to get all orifices ready to go in tie am. I have a zip lock Baggie that is my ports potty. I empty it outside. Saves me from walking in the dark and cold to the group bathroom which could be as far away as a city block. I move my clothes for riding from wherever they are hanging to dry into the bottom of my sleeping bag so they are not freezing g when I put them on. Then I move to the bath for dosing myself with but butter and sunscreen and of course lipstick . Then I get my bike ready, checking tires, filling water bottles, putting my phone and wallet in the bike. I also have to make sure I have enough but butter and sunscreen for the road as well as GU energy packets and snack foods. Usually I am on the road by 7 or 7:30. It depends on who I am riding with. George left the trip today for an indefinite time, so who knows who will be the lucky one tomorrow. When we return to camp the rewind starts. Big afternoon challenge is to find, my tent, mine is EE, showers and towels. Then I have find the energy to get out of my filthy clothes, shower, and wash out my clothes. Washing out my own riding clothes means I don't have to carry as much which means everything is simpler, mainly because I have eliminated two of the many suitcases I brought. I feel like I am fully immersed in a completely different world and it is quite an experience, part slumber party with very tired seniors, part camp, part group party part very hard work. It is really a lot of fun.

Fort Hancock to Van Horn TX

It is great hearing from everyone. I love all the chatty news. Pretty early ride with wild horses and unusual white flowers. The trip was 75 miles, I made it to 60 miles and felt totally exhausted as most of the early trip was up hill. It felt safer to sag. Actually laid down in my tent and crashed before dinner. We had 7 or 8 flat tires in the group today, fortunately not me. Beautiful night, cool in the shade. Trees and grass in the camp. Dinner was okay, brisket that was somewhat dry but with a good sauce. Longing for a really good meal that is not Texmex and not ground beef. I suspect that will be when we have our next feed yourself evening. Time change today as we march East, in central time now. Thinking of all of u a lot and missing u. Amlmag

El Paso to Fort Hancock

Here I am tucked into my little tent after a wonderful ride thru west Texas. It was very early in the am when we left El Paso, winding thru downtown with a bit of traffic and beautiful views overlooking the town and the sun coming up over the mountains. After riding the first 13 miles of our planned 58, George got a flat tire. Fortunately we were in the McDonalds parking lot and there were several people with us who each had a selection of tools and knowledge of how to change the tire and remove the thorn that caused the flat and then get the tire reinflated and back on the bike. Let me tell u I hope I never have a flat because I would be out of luck in a big way. If it had been me this am, I probably would have lain down in McDonalds and cried. No, seriously, I could have called Chandler and he would have come, but it is pretty amazing the technical knowledge and skill these riders have along with all their equipment, making the pretty self sufficient.
Tonight we are tenting it or staying inside a church . I am in the tent which gives me the great outdoors to empty my bladder vs crawling over bodies to use the one bathroom inside the church It is 77 degrees at 8 pm and no humidity. Tonight we had meatloaf at a local cafe. Tasted pretty good, but not hot enough for me, ate it all anyway. Took some pics of camp and me to share with all of u. Tomorrow we head to Vanhorn TX, 78 miles.

America's Best Value Inn & Crossing the Rio Grande 3 xs in one afternoon

Well where should I start. Up early and on the road at 6:30am. Set out to do 75 miles going from Columbus, NM to El Paso, TX. All was going very well. Stopped at the Dairy Queen for a chocolate shake, rumored to be the best restorative drink. Wanted to stop at the dollar store for flip flops and nail file,George not interested in either stop. Derica was going to go with me but John, her husband had a flat tire. So I got separated from all and was riding the last 6 miles alone. I was a little Leary of the directions but forged on. When I got to the Rio Grande The cue sheet said cross the Rio Grande so I did. Unfortunately I was a tad premature. I kept riding , looking for the next turn which never came. By now I am in the full force of ElPaso traffic heading for the Inter state, passing the intersection of the fair grounds where 6 policeman and 4 police cars with their red light blurring were directing traffic. There were so many police car I first thought there had been a bad accident, but was soon relieved to see the police were just directing traffic. By now I am beginning to realize I have done something wrong, so I pull off the road at another hotel and call WEB, leaving a message to call me , when I get no answer. Then I call Chandler, who picks up immediately and says he will drop off the riders he has taken to the bike store and then come for me. Because neither he nor I really knew where I was it took a while and a helpful policeman to hook us up. In the mean time I was able to reach Lou and Jane, and leave messages for Marnie and JJG. Anyway in order to get to our hotel Chandler and I had to re-cross the Rio Grande to get back to where I had made the wrong turn and then cross it again further down river, which incidentally has no water in it. When I got back , Polly, my roommate for the night had my key and helped me get my bike and several of the guys, including , Matt, Joe, and Ed helped me with my bags. I was very touched by all the thoughtfulness . Took a cold bath because I could not figure out how To get the hot water on and then went to dinner at the Golden Coral. I didn't expect to like it because it was a buffet, all u can eat cavernous restaurant. It was surprisingly very tasting and half of el paso was there, really a perfect place for dinner with 40 people after a long bike ride. Tomorrow we ride 55 miles. Not sure whee we are headed because do to my bonus miles (how we refer to getting lost) I missed the ride meeting.

Downhill with a Tailwind

This is what everyone has been talking about since I joined the trip. Well they were right--78 miles in 6 1/2 hours and a lot of fun, no traffic smooth roads, from Bisbee Az to Rodeo NM. Couldn't have been nicer. Tomorrow we do 97 miles into Columbus, NM, and I am praying for a tailwind as I know thee is no downhill. One of the guys who did this ride last year said they had a 25 mph tailwind and did 95 miles in 4 hours. I hope we have the same conditions. It seems that the traditions include riding 100 if u get as far as 94. Then u can say u did a century. We are sleeping indoors tonight in a a metal corrugated bldg that supposedly has heat. I am hopeful. I will take a snap and post it tomorrow as we have no service here .

Day off in Columbus, NM

It was wild yesterday riding 100 miles (actually 97.8 ) but whose counting. This was after an 80 mile day on Thursday. Thursday was some downhill and a tailwind. Friday was some uphill and no tailwind. What I learned on Thursday was the incredible value of drafting on the rider ahead of u. I don't know if I mentioned that Flash declared a trial separation after I slipped ranks and went to the Copper Queen in Bisbee. I left Bisbee with the other Copper Queen overnighters. Unfortunately they were all the fastest riders, at least 10 years my junior maybe more. I rode out of town whir them but once we started the long downhill run I was by myself. Then in the distance I spotted another rider who seemed to be going about my speed. I rushed forward and caught up with him just before Douglas, about 20 mile into our 80 mile day. When I first reached George I was winded from struggling to catch up so I just tucked in behind him and drafted. It was during this time that I came to realize that if I drafted someone I might be able to do the long hauls. George is a very steady rider and he doesn't take many breaks so he has sort of acted as my metronome
Today the team went to Mexico sine we are only 2 miles from the border. I demurred due to extreme exhaustion and ended up moving my air mattress outside into the shade and taking a nap. It interrupted by the receding shade. I was telling Lynn on the phone today that the temperature range was 37 in the early am and 94 at midday, but dry so you don't sweat and breezy so u r comfortable. The trip is 1/4 over and it has gone by pretty fast. I miss home and all my loves but do feel I am getting stronger and more acclimated. 37 days left.

The Copper Queen, bus bee, Arizona

This post is coming to u from atop my queen size bed in a warm clean hotel with a bit of history but most importantly a bath tub with lots of hot water. Amazing I feel human again. I am going to have trouble going back to my tent unless it gets a lot warmer. Tonight we go to a wine and cheese party at the Bisbee Bike Brothel, apparently famous for their bike collection. Then to dinner on our own and then back to our HOTEL for an early retirement. Today road was a very beautiful ride thru the mountings almost all down hill. The upholds were reasonable I sagged the last 6-7 miles because we had to go thru a mountain tunnel with no lights and no shoulder. That sounded like a very bad idea. After riding thru in a car I more than confirmed my suspicions. So glad I saved myself that anxiety and possible accident. Good riders were saying how dangerous they thought it was. But rs most riders on this trip would rather die than sag. It is considered the ultimate shame. Fortunately my standards are written so that failure is impossible.
Bisbee is very sweet. An artsy community with a ton of charm.

Tucson to Tombstone

Cold night , colder morning, beautiful ride. 360 degree Vistas of blue sky and snow topped mountains. Left early to get a head start on a 70 mile day, 37 degrees at take-off, forgot my glove liners and wool socks, lost my chain going across the highway. Amazed myself by getting it back on. Warmed up quickly and eventually started taking clothes off. Sagged after 8 mile climb. Great lunch at Cunningham's. Rode the last 10 hilly miles into Tombstone. Last night slept in very chilly bunkhouse, musthaveslept soundly most of night, didnt even get up to use the water closet. WentintotoTombsone to see th ok coral andhavepizza at big nose Kate' s. my space key is sticking so excuse the run together words. On to Bisbee this morning. Booked a room at the copper queen for a bath and a warm night sleep.

The last 3 days

Well it seems like I have lost all the posts I have written since 3/16. We were in the mountains with no Internet access or very little so the post were back logging in the system. Then the program froze and when I rebooted all the unpublished posts were lost. So sad. Anyway I will try to recap the last 3 days. Sat 3/17 we ride 40 of the planned sixty with strong headwinds, bicycling for 8 hours. Long days with tired muscles. We got to camp and I took a shower and colored my hair and put on a skirt and felt human for the first times in days. The evening was nice but starting to get a little chilly. Rain forecast for tomorrow, Sunday , our first non ride day. Woke to downpour, many had rain in tent or worse fine dirt over all their things. I was spared. Got the first sag into a breakfast stop as we had no indoor space at this camp and it was cold as well as raining. After a bad breakfast Hans (from Berlin)and I decided to sag to the 24 hur Walmart as nothing else was open and we didn't want to go back and sit in our tent . Walmart provided an opportunity for a little retail therapy and I got some white pants to wear in the heat to protect my lower legs against the sun. Then we went to the bike store where I got regular pedals to replace my fancy schmancy click ons . I made the decision to ride with out the clips which meant riding on top of the pedal stubs. Not smoothe or easy. Flash said to invest in new basic pedals and I took his advice. Also got gel tape for my hand,e bars and a new rear view mirror. Lost mine somehow. Then we walked around the Oro Valley mall thru intermittent rain and hail/sleet. a Ate a good Chinese lunch at Harvest Moon and went to the movies Nd saw a Seperation , which win an Oscar fr best foreign film. By the time we got back to camp many of our rider mates had jumped ship for local hotels. It was really cold, but I couldn't get my act together enough to depart. Tuffed it out but it was really cold. Got up to more rain, sleet etc and was given the option not to ride which I took fearing basic safety. The this In came out and Flash said he was going so I set off as well. Turned into a spectacular ride if gentle hills and wind at rue back. I felt stronger after my rest day. We had off and on sleet or hail during the ride but since it was Tucson there were plenty of places to duck in and wait it out. What a crazy day, beautiful flowers with snow nd rainbows. Lots of wind. Rode all 40 miles. Cold last night slept in the rec room of the RV park. Up early to redo my blogs. Did see a good movie last night, The Way, about a man whose son died on the sacred trail in Spain, SantaDiego I think. He decided to walk the trail himself and spread his sons ashes. People asked me if it made me sad. My overall reaction was that I am definitely not ready to let go of Andrew's ashes. Right now I am sipping coffee watching dawn break. Oh I forgot , last night I used the hot tub which was very hot, on a very cold and blowy evening. I was so cold and tired that rather than hunt around for my bathing I went in in my bike shorts and top. It was marvelous. Stayed in for 45 minutes! Also had my 1st starbucks since I left home, boy was it good.

Well it seems like I have lost all the posts I have written since 3/16. We were in the mountains with no Internet access or very little so the post were back logging in the system. Then the program froze and when I rebooted all the unpublished posts were lost. So sad. Anyway I will try to recap the last 3 days. Sat 3/17 we ride 40 of the planned sixty with strong headwinds, bicycling for 8 hours. Long days with tired muscles. We got to camp and I took a shower and colored my hair and put on a skirt and felt human for the first times in days. The evening was nie but starting to get a little chilly. Rain forecast for tomorrow, Sunday , our first non ride day.

Lost posts from 3/17 -3/19

Well it seems like I have lost all the posts I have written since 3/16. We were in the mountains with no Internet access or very little so the post were back logging in the system. Then the program froze and when I rebooted all the unpublished posts were lost. So sad. Anyway I will try to recap the last 3 days. Sat 3/17 we ride 40 of the planned sixty with strong headwinds, bicycling for 8 hours. Long days with tired muscles. We got to camp and I took a shower and colored my hair and put on a skirt and felt human for the first times in days. The evening was nie but starting to get a little chilly. Rain forecast for tomorrow, Sunday , our first non ride day.

Well it seems like I have lost all the posts I have written since 3/16. We were in the mountains with no Internet access or very little so the post were back logging in the system. Then the program froze and when I rebooted all the unpublished posts were lost. So sad. Anyway I will try to recap the last 3 days. Sat 3/17 we ride 40 of the planned sixty with strong headwinds, bicycling for 8 hours. Long days with tired muscles. We got to camp and I took a shower and colored my hair and put on a skirt and felt human for the first times in days. The evening was nie but starting to get a little chilly. Rain forecast for tomorrow, Sunday , our first non ride day.

Crack of Dawn Take-Off

Well it is not yet 6 am and I am packed and waiting for daybreak. The stars and moon are still shining bright in a beautiful sky. Flash Gordon and I are taking off early as we have an 78 mile day ahead of us. Hope this early start helps us get many miles in before the su n gets too bad. I will be interested to see if riding early also makes it easier for me to ride longer. No breakfast until 7 so we will start out with crackers and water. I will let u know how it goes.

Thank You Arkema

Just wanted to express my gratitude for the wonderful Arkema back pack that Lou loaned me. It is my best buddy, I take it every where with me. It holds so much and is easy to carry. Even full it feel light. All the compartments. Help me to stay organized while living in a tent. I never really imagined how tricky living out of suitcases can be. On our day off I plan to reduce my suitcases from 5 to 3 including my back pack. This will require a lot of thinking and right now I have so little mental space for anything , so I will plugged along with the modern equivalent of a wagon load until I can figure out what I really need, and when I need it, morning and night or just night etc. again Ty to Lou and Arkema .

Gila Bend

Today started with a 16 mile ride over very old pavement , not maintained in any way. That was the bad news. The good news was that Chandler,our bike mechanic lowered my seat and raised my handle bars. This took a lot of the pressure off my hands and allowed me to ride and use the brakes without loss of feeling in my fingers. Much better day. In a few words, hot and flat. We paralleled the Union Pacific train tracks, feedlots, and I-8.we rode from 8-3:30 with stops every 5 miles. This pacing seemed to work for Flash and I, my riding partner. The highlight of the ride was our break for McDonalds in Gila Bend aro und 2:30 and 4 miles from our camp site. The las t few miles were up hill and over more rough road. Tonight we are in bed early so we can start our 78 mile ride at 6 rather than our normal 8.we are hoping to get more of our ride done before it gets too hot. High today, according to my bike thermostat was 100. It is very dry so my nose didn't run and I didn't sweat which is nice. Sue helped me make a sun shade for my helmet to block the soup therm exposure of my face. I am also wearing my baseball hat under Moy helmet to add a wider brim. I cut out all the fabric and the button on top of the hat. So it is just the brim. This way it does not add heat and m y face is being saved from the brutal sun burn of the first few days . I must figure out a way to protect my left thigh from the southern sun as well. The Arizona night sky is spectacular. U can see all the planets clearly. It really is an amazing trip. My body and mind our changing to meet the demands of this experience. I feel quite different and open to possibilities. Thank again for all ur support.

Thank You Arkema

Just wanted to express my gratitude for the wonderful Arkema back pack that Lou loaned me. It is my best buddy, I take it every where with me. It holds so much and is easy to carry. Even full it feel light. All the compartments. Help me to stay organized while living in a tent. I never really imagined how tricky living out of suitcases can be. On our day off I plan to reduce my suitcases from 5 to 3 including my back pack. This will require a lot of thinking and right now I have so little mental space for anything , so I will plugged along with the modern equivalent of a wagon load until I can figure out what I really need, and when I need it, morning and night or just night etc. again Ty to Lou and Arkema .

Yuma to Dateland

Dateland, Arizona--today we rode here thru the America's salad bowl, 90% of all leafy vegetables are grown between Yuma and Dateland. I only made it to Welton due to hand paralysis secondary to either bad posture, death grip and or seat too hi or handle bars too low. Second SAG was better emotionally. I didn't mind or feel like I would be penalized for my less than peak performance. I was with my riding buddy Flash Gordon. He had more stamina than me but gentlemanly stayed with me at the circle K where we waited in the shade for Web to pick us up. We had 5 people with lower GI disease who had To be sagged back to camp. It actually turned out to be a great stop. Janey called and Lou called and I got caught up with them.i bought a paper and a pint of ice cream and flash had a beer in a paper bag. We looked like a couple of homeless people sitting on the cement pad behind the circle K, but we were in the shade and sitting still and that was different than most of the last 5 days.Actually, it was my first time reading a paper in more than a week.i understand from my fellow riders that there are pictures of me posted on Facebook, have not seen them myself yet.if u check them out let me know how they are. I understand u cannot comment unless u open a gmail account which Marnie says is quick and easy--hope so. Last night we slept in the Yuma Armory, slumber party style. I slept like a rock even tho my slumber mate told me he snored I didn't hear a thingFood has been good and plentiful, and u do get hungry riding 60 + miles per day. I miss u all so much and love hearing from u. It is 65 degrees and breezy, supposed to go down to 52 tonight. Chandler the bike mechanic is going to try to get my bike working better for me. Amlmag

6%_downhill grade-10 miles long

I miss u too. I will cal u soon. Today was a blistering 62 miles from Alpine to Calexico--with a terrorizing 10 mile 6% grade down hill and 40 miles thru the dessert. I am too pooped to pop. Literally barely able to walk I am so exhausted. But the scenery is beautiful and the people are great. Hope to Skype soon. Luv mag
Thought this was published yesterday. Sorry it is out of order.

Day one

Just finished skyping JJG. I was able to introduce him to some of my tour mates and show him the motel etc. today we ride 43 miles mostly uphill to Alpine CA. I'm nervous about the hill but very impressed with the group support. We are all enchanted with each other at this point,which is quite nice. Weather is sunny and warm . I may take off my long pants before we leave as I don't think I will need them. Trying to figure out what to eat in the morning. Not so hungry. Did eat a small yogurt.
All uphill very hard. I sag go a mile because I ran out of water. I am very slow last one in each night. I am totally invigorated by the whole experience not the least is that I have climbed 5500 feet an am sleeping outside an it is 33 degrees. Folks couldn't be nicer or more supportive. I have been given good tips about nutrition and hydration--eat before u r hungry and drink before ur thirsty. That did help as today I climbed more and felt stronger. Of course it could have been the long talk I had with Daddy , Kathy, Mike,& Andrew. They got me thru and it was a nice visit. I cannot tell u how much ur support means to. It is so nice to hear from u. Keep sending me ur heart wires

First bike briefing

I took it easy, talked on the phone with Marna & Eileen. Didn't reach JJG. Got a call from my sisters they were with each other because it is Kathy's birthday and I really loved talking to them today. I've also gotten wonderful text from folks like Joan and Rich. It is just great to have all the support coming from you guys. Tomorrow we ride 43 miles mostly uphill to alpine California we have to be there showered and ready for dinner by five o'clock as they're taking Us to casino like buffet with a lot of different variety and choices so it should be fun. one surprise I did have, there's 35 of us rather than the 15 we were originally told. It seems like a great group, and I'm looking forward to getting to know people better. Out of the 15 of us I would say there are four married couples and there are many people from the East Coast probably four people from California and smattering from the middle of the country one from Scotland, one from Germany, two from Canada, it looks like a great group,there're two sets of people riding recumbent tandem bikes. Off to dinner . Might try to color my hair tonight as I won't be inside for a while.

Packing for the trip

This blog is a little out of order in that I already wrote about being at the airport and now I am back in packing mode0 I think I needed a little distance from the actual packing experience. In some ways I have been packing for months. I had a box in the basement that I threw everything into as I bought it. What I bought fell into a couple of different categories. If one of my fellow c2c riders, leaders, or support staff mentioned it as essential I bought it. If the guys at cycle fit recommended it I bought it. If I'd read about it being a good idea , you get the drift. PWhen the box in the basemen got full I started putting things in my little sitting room upstairs which doubles as Gillis's nursery when he and Angus are in town. When this room got crowded I moved into the spare bedroom and put things behind the love seat so it didn't look too junky when I had overnight guests. I kept a list on my laptop to act as a check when I actually started packing. So far so good. I felt pretty organized. I ask my super organized and clear thinking Lou to come over on Monday to help me get all three areas organized into suitcases. I figured it would be good to start on Monday in case I had forgotten anything. She and Meredith were very helpful in first getting things sorted into quart size zip lock bags. There is now a cream bag with various and sundry forms of lubrication and medication . There's the haircare bag with dye ,shampoo, cream rinse etc, the electronics bag with chargers, USB cords, extra batteries incase I cannot recharge my phone or iPad, extra AA and AAA batteries for my standing flashlight and my favorite, an Off bug protection fan that I can hook onto my belt and have a constant flow of insect repelling air circulating around me. Hope it works.
Just remembered that I never ordered my cue sheet holder, oops. Maybe I can get one at the bike shop when I pick up my bike.
Back to packing. On Monday we got as far as bagging up all or almost all of the small items into their designated Baggie. Lou and I agreed to meet Tuesday to continue. The truth is I told Lou I could not proceed with confidence without her. She realized my dire straits due to my lack of skill and quickly agreed to see me thru to the bitter end. Tuesday brought us to all the clothes! Wow there was a ton of stuff.
Before I go on I should mention that Lou loaned me a really good Arkema backpack for one of my carry-ons. My sister Mary gave me a wonderful large but carry-on-able suitcase, and I have Kathy's very light weight carry-on. Additionally I found JJG's army duffel for a total of four packing vessels. At this time I did not know about the $150 charge for a third bag.
So we had two jobs--deciding what would go where and then stuffing and jamming to make sure we got it all in.
Lou was great in deciding that we would have a supply bag , a bedding bag and a clothing bag. I wanted the backpack to contain a biking outfit , a street outfit, a bathing suit and basic toiletries as well as my iPad and stuff I would normally put into my purse.
With that decided we(read that Lou ) proceeded to load the biggest suitcase and the duffle, which did us in for the night. We would start again the next and last evening.
Early Wednesday Lou called to suggest that we use the zip lock system for clothes as well. I went out for my last manicure/pedi and lunch with KT, stopping between to stock up on more baggies of the quart variety. After returning all my library holdings & canceling my holds I went home to find JJG'S home & offering to help me finish packing. Great, maybe we can finish and have a little evening.
So here is how it went, I put together outfits for example,socks, bike shorts, tops, long and short sleeve, then JJG'S packed them up. All through this process JJG'S said u r going to need another suitcase and he even went looking for a suitable addition . I finally convinced him that a) I wasn't sure I could handle the four suitcases I already had out and b) if we continued to compress all their out of all suitcases we can get a Lot more in. After some pushing and pressing we were completely successful. I even squeezed in a few more unplanned items just before leaving this AM. I must admit I totally underestimated the packing effort. Thanx to my great fan I was able to finish with time to go over to Lynn & Bills for pizza with Vince, Judy,Meredith and Lou and JJG'S. It was such a nice send off. We go home early and I left the front door open. I was going downstairs to pull my fleece out of the dryer when Karen pulled up to say good bye and to give me a copy of People for my reading pleasure. (just finished it by the way).
Finally got on bed around 9:45 so I could be bright at 5. It was a short night with many wake ups as I anticipated the alarm clock,but finally it was morning and the take off was smooth, as was the first leg of my flight,a little late taking off in DFW due to thunderstorms. All in all a nice start to the trip. Oh! I almost forgot. I am walking down the aisle of the plane and a man steps into my path and says "Marge?" it was Ed, he was headed for Anaheim. We planned to get a coffee between our flights but time did not allow,but when we met at the gate, I said to him that the flight attendant asked me if I was the lady's taking the bike trip, and asked how did she know? Ed said that he tried to get her to announce that I was celebrating my 60th bday by riding across country, mystery solved. More later, still have to pick up my bike and hope to go to Trader Joes for a few food items, hey maybe I can even get some wine?

Testing my carrying capacity

Lou found out last night that checking a 3rd bag would be an additional $ 150, on to of the 60 for the first 2, so I decided to carry one plus my backpack . Trying to figure outhouse to post the video of the test run in our driveway

At the airport

Up at 5 to get a tub and finish last minute packing. Thru a little color on the roots to look butiful for my journey. New charger didn't charge my phone, could be operator error , anyway now sitting on the floor next to the only outlet. In terminal A charging. It's a little cold on the hinnie but otherwise not too bad. I need to empty my bladder but dont want to leave my outlet. Decisions decisions! Does anyone know anything about flight tracker app?

JJG thinks this pic is more flattering

Picture 3/6/12

This is my benchmark pic

Days before departing

Well here it's Monday before my trip starts, March 5 and I'm trying to get my arms around what I'm feeling right now which is a lot, my pulse is kind of racy, actually and I'm not sure exactly what I am feeling. It is excitement and kind of let’s get this show on the road. I have a few things that I want to do today like it over to cycle fit and talk with Greg about what it cost to put my bike in the mail and to pick up the last couple of things like wipes for my face and Aleve. I just discovered about my Dragon naturally speaking that there's a maximum number of words you can put in any entry and I exceeded them and did not realize it. This meant that the last few sentences I spoke did not get recorded. This is a little frustrating but still I think this is a very good tool, I just have to learn how to use it.

Well it's Tuesday morning and I'm getting ready to go over and have coffee with my friend Judy. She's off this week on spring break. 

Eileen came over last night to help me get organized as a preamble to packing up all my gear. Meredith and Eileen were amazing; they had so many good ideas about how to organize all the different items I'll be taking. Eileen has promised to come back over tonight to continue. I feel a lot calmer when she's around because she has such a good eye for organizing and detail.

Yesterday I had a chance to stop by and say my goodbyes to Greg and the guys at cycle fit and to thank them for all their help--they've been wonderful. I have to remember to put the punctuation in when I'm dictating on Dragon speak. Greg said that everyone he has known who has ridden across country has come back physically transformed. I know I'm looking forward to this aspect of the trip. I remember reading a long time ago, what may have been the first inkling of my desire to take a trip like this, that a man was riding across the country and was stopping to eat pie and cake at every corner crossroad and couldn't seem to keep the weight on. This is enticing. I'm actually looking forward to a change in my body that will make me healthier in the long run and I'm hoping that this bike ride will be the beginning of that. I've already seen great changes in my physicality as result of riding the 1700 miles as I prep for this trip. Bill, next door,  was asking me what I was going to do when I got home to continue this. I thought that was a great question. I think what I would like to do is continue to ride every day and taking the opportunity to go on some long trips when they present themselves, maybe even ride across country, again.

I'm back to my coffee at Judy's and we had a great chat about all the different things that are going on in our lives. I think we both agree that anything you can do in your 60s and 70s that requires you to stimulate your brain or your body in a new way is probably beneficial. Now I'm off to get a few of the last-minute supplies that I still need. Hope I've got the complete list and also hope that the GU drinks come in time. I ordered them on Amazon and they said they'd be here by
the seventh. 

Peggy gave me an interesting idea. She's taking a picture of her new granddaughter every day, and writing a little something about what they do. I think it would be fun to take a picture of myself everyday just to see how I physically changed over the course of the trip I think it'll be interesting, maybe not as dramatic as baby Lucy,  but probably worth the effort.

Voice recognition software

This is a blog entry regarding my new voice recognition software I just got this downloaded free app from Dragon naturally speaking for my iPad and I wanted to test it out to see if it was faster than typing looks like it's going to be pretty good on first pass one thing I'm noticing is that I'm going to have to insert dictation as I excuse me not dictation I'm going to have to introduce punctuation as I dictate.

Hi to all. I have heard from so many and cannot tell u how good all the positive energy feels as I finish my last preparations for the trip. I just ordered GU energy gel(24 packets) from Amazon. They guarantee delivery by March 7. Hope they mean it. I understand from speaking with veterans of c2c rides that this energy boost may be essential to get me over the hills. I do want to be prepared.
This weekend has been a blast. Friday night my dear friends, the Hoffmans, Gockes, Gonzalezes and Clines. What a treat. We started with hand crafted lemon drop drinks with fresh lemon juice and glass edges dipped in sugar supported by a selections of cheeses that ran the gamut from spicy with horse radish to an ultra sharp cheddar served with a mix of crackers, some of rice and others thin and flaky-something new I had never tried before. Great start to an excellent meal of roasted lamb with mixed jellies, cheesy grits with spicy shrimp, heavenly roasted carrots and spinach with orzo that complimented the others so well. Karen our hostess make a beautiful coconut cake that everyone raved about. I took only the fresh fruit, trying to be good on my low intake of high glycemic index food which are supposed to be bad for borderline diabetics, like me. After this lovely dinner I was presented with great gifts, oh but I forgot to tell u about the table. The center piece was a bicycle, actually a tricycle, filled with mini daisies flanked by candle sticks and the piece de resistance, a pair of Michelangelo Davids in black bike shorts. These were sitting on a table set with antique china and embroidered linen.
We shared many a toast to my safe journey with red and white wine gifts and picture taking. Joan shot a great video of all of us that she will be posting here. Hennie made me bike shorts with pockets for ice packs to soothe my derriere and a lovely ditty to go along with it. I got biking earrings that I will wear as part of my going away outfit, chamois butter, m&ms smoked almonds, a universal bike tool--Alien II, yummy dark chocolate bars(Bill & Lynn) with sea salt,.All in all I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world. Waiting at home were Marnie, Corbin Angus and Gillis. They along with Eileen, Rich, Jane, Doug, the Gonzos and JJG gave me a wonderful family dinner send-off with over the top cosmopolitans (Doug), champagne (Corbin and Doug), Lasagna(Lou), Shrimp, salad and Great bread(JJG), a magnificent bike cake(Lou) and a resolution to my week long effort to get my google contacts onto my ipad(Rich). Marnie, Jane and Doug all gave incredibly touching speeches,I was so moved, I think a couple of time my heart nearly stopped .I hope I can live up to all the nice things that were said.
As you can imagine, I have been getting ready for the trip in many different ways. My daily biking since I got my bike in August, my first since I was 10, ended last week when I shipped the bike to San Diego to Bernie's Bike Bistro with almost 1700 miles ridden. Also I have been collecting all of the items recommended by folks, especially the c2c folks. I just received my tripod flash light to add to my intent comfort from the  head lamp and down sleeping bag from Mike and Whitney.
I am putting all my gear in the guest room where Lou will help me pack in the most efficient manner.
Also as part of my preparation for the trip I have been reading the memoir of John Fairfax , the first person to row across the Atlantic. I figured it  might be helpful to. He reaffirmed my certainty that the answer to all issues and problems on my own trip will mirror his "just keep rowing".  You are too tired to go on, just keep pedaling, you feel out of sorts, just keep pedaling, you want to go home, just keep pedaling, you question your sanity, just keep pedaling,etc.

I am noticing that I am craving comfort food, especially animal crackers and sweet drinks, ergo the cosmos. Anxiety management at its most sophisticated. Thanks for listening. GG

I want to take a minute to relate a biking incident that happened to me this past Wednesdy night. I was heading downtown on my way to meet the bridge ladies for dinner at Knock on 12th between walnut and spruce streets. I was riding east on pine and I was in the bike lane for some portion of time. I then turned onto 11th streest and stopped at a traffic light. No sooner had I stopped, than i heard a banging on my passenger side window and looked over to see a male cyclist dressed in black banging and yelling at me. He said, "Do you know that you cut me off?". I shook my head "no". I had not seen him until he arrived at my car, and did not see any lights on his bike. It was about 6:30 and completely dark out.Before I could roll down my window to apologize for any harm I had caused him, he put both hands together and began banging with all his might on my sideview mirror until he had completely destroyed it. I was unable to move, as there was a car in front of me.I think I was also in a state of shock at the ferocity of his enragement. I did not experince fear, it was more like shock. He didn't say anything else and after he had punished the mirror beyond repair he rode off. I watched him leave. I wish he would have given me the chance to apologize and to ensure that he and his bike were ok. As it is I will be paying for the mirror and I would rather have seen the money go to him. I hope he reads this and learns I am truly sorry for any harm I caused, and for his safety comes to realize that he was not visible at night without lights and or refelctive clothing. I have been thinking about this incident since it happened and realize in a very Jungian way it is a story about the dark side of biking, both on the part of bikers and the part of motorists. You often see signs up about sharing the road. I would like to add to that, caring. I know I will be more vigilant as a driver and as a rider, to know who I am riding with and to care more about that relationship. Hope some good will come of the incident for both me and the rider.ReplyDelete

It's just a few days before I leave on my cross counry bike trip--San Diego to St. Augustine. I am excited, anxious, scared of coming home in a box, and looking foreward to meeting my new group of riders. This weekend, my last at home before the trip, looks to be full and fun. Marna, Corb, Angus, and Gillis are coming tomorrow for a family weekend. So are my sister Jane and Doug from Allentown. Saturday, Rich and Lou will join the out-of-towners for our family dinner. Lou made her famous lasagna and JJG is handling the salad , apppetizers and desserts. BTW, JJG and MAG have been together for 43 years, and never apart this long before. What will that be like?
 Friday, my good friends, the Gonzos, Hoffmans and the Gockes are throwing me a bonvoyage dinner. I am so touched by all the thoughtfulness. Kathleen and Bill, my California niece and nephew want to see me off in San Diego. Peggy has offered to help me with postings and with making sure all of you who have asked to be included get an invitation.
As I ride across the country, it is my hope that my friends and family will share their pictures (worth a thousand words), thoughts, feelings, questions and ideas with me as I will try to do with them. I hope to open myself up to any possiblity as I fight off my tendency to know-it-all--what a job. Giving up my leading edge. What can I learn about myself and the biggger world out there?