We're half way. HALF WAY!!! In some ways I feel as though we've been on this adventure for a long time, especially for as many things we've seen and the amount of places we've been. But then, sometimes I feel as though I just started this adventure yesterday. We're in Minnesota now - MINNESOTA! I've never even been to Minnesota in a car, or flown over the state in an airplane, or heck before this trip I didn't even know whether Minnesota was Wisconsin, or vice versa. And we've bicycled here!
My last blog entry was so long ago. Tonight we're staying in a Jewish Temple, and they have an actual computer lab, so I've really been spoiled tonight. To be honest, I've given up on my blog - but perhaps to the 2 or 3 of you still reading it, I'm punchin' in a little effort :)
My tan lines are really awesome right now - at bare level, I look ridiculous. Or rather, we all look ridiculous. Arms tan from bicep to wrist, legs tan from mid-thigh to ankle, and most even rock the helmet strap lines on their faces. Whenever someone questions our honesty about our trek, we flash the tan lines... who else but crazy 69-day cyclists sport those types of lines?
I'm lucky that I went through my year in AmeriCorps NCCC. My rather conservative nature coming out of college was loosened up through the many experiences NCCC provided. For instance, Bike & Build is no place for a 'shy' person. More times than I can count I have been in community showers, changed in room corners, worn the same outfits day after day, shoved my hands down my bike shorts to apply chamois butter, and tinkled in every odd corner of this country...
And, I'll be brief and leave out the details, but tinkling has really been an interesting experience. It happens every day; you pass a small town with McDonald's, coffee shops, etc. and about 5 miles down the road you get 'The Urge.' Greeeaaat. But anymore, it's no big deal. You find a nice corn field, or perhaps a deep ditch alongside the road, a great tree, or you ask for the cover of a fellow teammate...or you just go. You go wherever you can go.
Last week I had to go. Jess Halloran and Kyle Gamsby made sure to wait for me at the end of a crossroad while I went down a back-country road about 100 feet and took cover of some high weeds and a relatively deep ditch. Seemed safe. Mid-squat, an old pick-up truck slowly pulled past Jess and Kyle, regained speed as they approached my hiding place, and just as I thought all was clear, hit the brakes in the thought that perhaps that plastic piece in the grass was not an unrecycled jug, but rather a cyclists helmet! AHHH! I stopped mid-stream, yanked up my thigh-grasping spandex shorts, and waved my hands as in an "please please PLEASE stay inside the car-i'm fine i'm fine!"
Since then, I've selected my 'hiding spots' more carefully. I can't even begin to tell you all the good stories that arise from such a topic though!
Well, I'm stopping abruptly - I'm starving and dinner is served. Always starving!
Longest ride of the trip is 7/31 - this Saturday into Devils Lake, ND.
Thanks for your support I will say again ..and again...and again - couldn't do this without you!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
O-H-I-O!
Avon Lake, OH
My penn-state friends will kill me for writing my title like that...but I can't help it! I've never been so excited to be in Ohio!!! We're here already!?
We broke our record today - fastest ride yet - rode 80 miles in 90 minutes... and without a sweat! Ya, ok, I'm not that good... it was due to an intense day of storms that were heading toward Cleveland. It was disappointing to not get to ride today, but safety first, and riding in lighting on a metal bike just seems like not the best of ideas.
So i'll back up to the past week of riding. Today is friday... (or is it?) I never seem to know what day it is anymore... but since Monday it has been HOT HOT HOT! The relatively flat terrain has been GREAT! I don't know what would happen if we were climbing the Adirondacks in 90 degree heat - my camelbak has been a huge lifesaver, as well as Jillian's 50 SPF sunblock. 3 days of impressive heat rash on my legs has convinced me to change from the 2 applications of SPF 30 per day, to now 3 applications of the SPF 50. Fingers crossed this works!
I haven't really talked much about our build-sites yet. We've had 4 scheduled, but only 3 came to fruition- and all 3 have been amazing. With lack of time, I'll talk about our 2nd build site in Lebanon, NH. 7 of my fellow cyclists and I headed on a one-hour car ride to our site with COVER, a non-profit organization devoted to repairing low-income family's homes. The home we worked on had rotten wooden siding on their small trailer, a squirrel living in the siding (and munching on electrical wires), and thousands of ants in the woodwork. COVER used our volunteering assistance to help repair some of the boards, wrap the home in Tyvek, and put up vinyl siding. The family was very grateful, and we were all happy to help. We've been in the presence of 2 families who were brought to tears while we were working with another affordable housing organization, habitat for humanity... it's hard to even comprehend the difference we are making in some of these people's lives.
I'm so thankful to have had such a wonderful experience so far. These 3 weeks have FLOWN by - to think we're nearly 1/3 of the way done is hard to believe! And my legs are sore, but its not major PAIN anymore! YAY~!
My penn-state friends will kill me for writing my title like that...but I can't help it! I've never been so excited to be in Ohio!!! We're here already!?
We broke our record today - fastest ride yet - rode 80 miles in 90 minutes... and without a sweat! Ya, ok, I'm not that good... it was due to an intense day of storms that were heading toward Cleveland. It was disappointing to not get to ride today, but safety first, and riding in lighting on a metal bike just seems like not the best of ideas.
So i'll back up to the past week of riding. Today is friday... (or is it?) I never seem to know what day it is anymore... but since Monday it has been HOT HOT HOT! The relatively flat terrain has been GREAT! I don't know what would happen if we were climbing the Adirondacks in 90 degree heat - my camelbak has been a huge lifesaver, as well as Jillian's 50 SPF sunblock. 3 days of impressive heat rash on my legs has convinced me to change from the 2 applications of SPF 30 per day, to now 3 applications of the SPF 50. Fingers crossed this works!
I haven't really talked much about our build-sites yet. We've had 4 scheduled, but only 3 came to fruition- and all 3 have been amazing. With lack of time, I'll talk about our 2nd build site in Lebanon, NH. 7 of my fellow cyclists and I headed on a one-hour car ride to our site with COVER, a non-profit organization devoted to repairing low-income family's homes. The home we worked on had rotten wooden siding on their small trailer, a squirrel living in the siding (and munching on electrical wires), and thousands of ants in the woodwork. COVER used our volunteering assistance to help repair some of the boards, wrap the home in Tyvek, and put up vinyl siding. The family was very grateful, and we were all happy to help. We've been in the presence of 2 families who were brought to tears while we were working with another affordable housing organization, habitat for humanity... it's hard to even comprehend the difference we are making in some of these people's lives.
I'm so thankful to have had such a wonderful experience so far. These 3 weeks have FLOWN by - to think we're nearly 1/3 of the way done is hard to believe! And my legs are sore, but its not major PAIN anymore! YAY~!
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