Hello hello. I haven't blogged in a while because I forgot my password. I have also lost all track of time, days, and locations. I think that I am probably one of the worse people on the team with that kind of stuff because I am always asking where we are and where we are going. Since my last post, a lot has happened.Riding through the mountains was both mentally and physically challenging. I hit 49.9 MPH going down a mountain and it was such an adrenaline rush. Nothing feels better after spending hours climbing a mountain and then just flying down it in a few minutes. Tracey and Kevin are really good at climbing mountains/hills. I officially associate Tracey with the words "On your left" during any climb. I am envious of their mad climbing skills. But you just have to take each climb at your own pace and you can make it.Our stayovers on the east coast have been so wonderful. It really hit me the other day that our ride and organization can not run without the kindness of random strangers, family members, friends, and alumni. I really have no idea where we would be without the generosity of all of the people we have encountered. For example, one day me and a few other riders got lost--about 12 miles out of our way. We pulled over and asked a few construction workers for directions and they were so helpful. They even gave us a map which we relied on very much. Later that day we stopped at a convenience store and the two women working there did everything they could to give us great directions. They even used their connections in the next town over so that we could cross an interstate bridge with a police escort. Yes, a police escort. Myself, Ana, Jill, Bridget, Tracey, Diana, Kevin, and Jeff rode on a bridge and the interstate for a few miles with a police officer following behind us so that we could safely cross the Ohio border. It was one of the best experiences of the trip so far. Kevin and I felt like superheroes and never will I ever be able to ride my bike on the interstate again legally, but still illegally. Jillian recorded the entire thing and I can't wait to watch it. After the escort, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant for lunch and Diana got us the hook up so that we could keep our bikes inside the restaurant. I also found $5 on the ground that day!Yesterday was also a great day. We rode from Indy to Rockville. We started the morning off right at Dan's (a rider from last year) home with tons of food--McDonald's, coffee, fruit, and chocolate milk. Then we ended up in a small all-American town in Indiana called Greencastle for our 40 mile rest stop. All of the Lady Pack needed to use the restroom so I went into a floral shop and asked the lady working if she had a restroom we could all use. Before she said yes she asked me what we were riding for. I was about to tell her and then all of a sudden she just looked at me and said the following: "You are riding for me. I had breast cancer." This left me speechless and it felt surreal. Her name is Karen and we talked to her for a while. She even ended up calling her friend in town that owns a restaurant to see if he could give us something to drink. So we went to his restaurant and decided to order some food. The owner/chef, named Steve, used to cook for the Barnum and Bailey circus! The food was great and Steve's kindness and our waitress' kindness were unbelievable--they gave us a free meal and inspired us all to continue on with our ride. After lunch, we completed a portrait of Karen and her story touched all of our hearts--there were lots of tears, but also a lot of laughter. I think it was such a special portrait for us because it was completely random and allowed us to truly understand the purpose of our ride and the portraits project. This day made me realize that every mile, hill, mountain, and gust of wind is worth it because our ride has a much greater purpose than just being able to say "I rode my bike across the country."As each day passes, we are all becoming better cyclists which means we get to our stayovers earlier. This is great because we get to spend more time with people we don't ride with. I have really enjoyed getting know more people on the team because everyone is awesome and we are always laughing.Jordan introduced us to a game called Farkle. It's a dice game and is pretty awesome/addicting. Kevin is really good at farkling, which is actually a really bad thing. I was on a roll and even sparkled a few times but eventually I lost my good luck and ended up losing.Things that have made me laugh a lot in the past few days:-Michell's alternative personality is Lil' Jon-Pi has the best Batman impression-Kevin has a great British accent and a super cool Spanish-speaking monkey friend on his bike, he's also a good dancer-Bridget likes to spit Gatorade out of her mouth while she laughs and she can also bike super fast when she realizes there is a dog chasing her after I yell "BRIDGET MOVE!"-Eamon is really good at yelling at Indiana-Ana has good music video choices and the burritos we had in Columbus were amazing-Jillian is Dr. Doolittle-The Lady Pack literally saw a lion in the middle of Nowheresville, Indiana. For real.We are in Chambana tonight and that means one thing only: DOS REALES.Up next: CHICAGO!!!!
Kitten, Tailwind, Alumni, and REAL BEDS
Typing from the library of the Alumni Center in Urbana.We saved a kitten! Some riders found it on the side of the road and brought it to the Humane Society of Hillsdale, IN. Score!We had a lovely tailwind today to push us along as we trekked into Chambana. We stopped at Homer Lake for lunch, where the team had previously been on a training ride. We are better cyclists now! Also, no hail. Win-win!We were greeted at the Alumni Center as we all rode in together. The Alumni were eager to hear our tales, as were the families and friends in attendance. We're all very excited to be here, and to sleep in beds. Yay beds!
Chapter the First: Day 14
So it has been a very, very long time since my last blog, but it is finally time to put a new team perspective out on the interwebs, so here we go. I promise to try to keep this up....We are officially 2 weeks into the trip, and it is a unanimous consensus from the team that it feels like AT LEAST 2 months. But not the kind of 2 months that you dread; more like the kind of drawn out time spent idly in the summer where I can picture myself in a movie with the voice of Morgan Freeman narrating a montage of our summer spent cycling across the USA. "They were a young group of 28, young and exuberant, heading straight across the country and creating memories that would define their lives..." I can hear his voice now.Our trial by fire is over, and the team has settled in. We survived the Appalachians and our bodies are now stronger for it. Personally, I have been pushing myself every other day to ride harder for longer. I have definitely come a long way as a cyclist, both physically and mentally. Everytime the wind picks up or the the hills get a bit steeper, and the burning sensation in my legs get to the point where I want to quit, I tell myself, "The burning sensation will always go away, just keep pedaling and it'll go away." And eventually it does. OR I just follow Shea's lead and chomp the hills out of my saddle while screaming "OM NOM NOM NOM."As far as the team synergy goes, I'd say we have a unique dynamic going for us. We are one part crazy-madhouse family of 28 and one part disciplined army of strict, regimented and disciplined personnel with responsibilities and orders to complete. And we can go from one to another in a moments notice. Its quite an amazing feat. I'd say Nate has mastered the art of transition more so than any other rider; he is capable of napping on any horizontal surface in less time than it takes to say "You've been mosher-ed."The part of the journey so far that has affected me the most has been the hospitality and graciousness of our hosts. Everywhere we stay, people just want to give us help and aid us in our journey. It seems that the only thing they want in return is to be part of our amazing experience; to me, that is the most wonderful part of this whole trip. We, as an organization, have decided to do something that has such momentum and gravitas, it draws everyone in our path toward our cause. Everyone just wants to help, and its a beautiful thing. This journey brings the best out of everyone, and though we have lost some friends and family or have someone who is currently battling cancer, our trip breeds hope, and that is the most powerful weapon we have.I'll never forget the words that the pastor from Everett told us."Suffering builds endurance, endurance builds character, character breeds hope. And hope NEVER fails"
Greenwood and Rockville 06/06-06/07
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR. That is how I feel right now... and here is why.Well the 83 mile ride into Greenwood was chaotic to say the least. I clocked out around 33 miles.. and then jumped back in the game around 41 to finish the day. Michell took a trip to the hospital after a little accident on the road so I decided to take the bike out of it's 8 mile retirement to insure there was room for her in the van. I rode with Steve and Tracey and it was going fantastic until we had about 4 miles left and decided to stop at Arby's knowing that we wouldn't be eating for a while upon arrival. The last 4 miles sucked to say the least. Check out Steve's blog for details. The Bartholemew house was absolutely gorgeous. Not only was the landscaping fantastic, the interior design was impeccable and Dan got the hook up with some yummy ice cream... and McDon's sausage mcmuffins for breakfastAfter what some have been calling "over-doing it" yesterday, my knee was on throb setting today and I drove with Michell. The day was filled with some eventful moments. We met an NCIS fanatic and he gave us a shout out on his blog, the lady pack were hooked up with a sweet lunch, leftover mcmuffins were devoured, and some of us waded in a river under a bridge to escape the heat. We arrived in Rockville and set up a nice lunch spread, naps were taken, and the church provided us with an unbelievable dinner.Hanging out in the church, it's very apparent that the team is having a blast on the trip. While the first few days were rough, I can tell that being out of the mountains, the stress has minimized and people are really enjoying each other's company. I've become team hair stylist: I've cut Max's, Shea's, and half of Eamon's (the clippers died, they're charging). Gabrielle just decided she wants to become a gypsy. Karaokee is waiting upstairs for us and Eamon is hovering over my shoulder waiting for his haircut to be finished. On that note, byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Love this church.
Fever Pitch Before Homecoming!
We woke this morning to McDonalds. Never before in our lives have we eaten so very many McMuffins. What a feat! Some people ate five! Six, even!Dan Bartholomew rode with us for about 34 miles out of Greenwood. The weather was perfect--no 15mph headwinds today. A lovely group of seven lady riders interviewed a florist about her experience with cancer and enjoyed lunch at Chief's in Greencastle, IN.We stopped for ice cream near the end of the ride, and the Rockville United Methodist Church has been nothing but generous to our entire group. Soon there will be I4Karaoke.Off to Champaign tomorrow!
I love Greencastle, IN!
Today was the best day ever!I rode with some lovely ladies today (Jill, Gabrielle, Bridget, Ana, Diana, and Tracey). After spending quite a while fixing Ana's flat tire around mile 35 and playing with an adorable dog named Angel, we headed on to the rest stop at mile 40. We stopped by a flower shop to use the restroom and met an amazing woman named Caren who shared her story with us about her experience with cancer. She also directed us to a restaurant called Chief's where we enjoyed an absolutely fabulous lunch! We headed back to the flower shop afterward and Caren sat with us for an interview for the portraits project. We finished our last 28 miles (with a stop for some delicious ice cream) and then arrived at the church for more deliciousness. Fabulous day =)
Champaign or Bust!
Champaign or bust!See you tomorrow, Champaign-Urbana!
Rain or shine. Geenwood, IN 6/6/2010
Sleeping on floors is tough. I am not getting enough rest, but for some reason it is easy to push on with 27 other people focused on the same goal you are. Today was a 83 miler to a alumni rider from last year's house.The first part of the ride was spent with the front group in rainy, windy conditions. This was a very rough first half of the ride. We stopped at mile 44 for lunch. Our whole group took a nap in front of a random house until the van met up with us with our food. It was absolutely freezing. I had a raincoat and arm warmers, shivering. Eventually I fell in a deep sleep and only woke when the people who were driving the van parked the van next to me and shook me awake. We began lunch. PB&J!Halfway through lunch, another group showed up and Conor's phone rang with news of an injured rider. Michell fell! she was sent to the hospital to look into a minor concussion. She is fine, don't worry. To make room in the van for going back and forth from the hospital, Lauren pulled her bike out and finished the ride after clocking out at 37 miles for her knee.The ride was enjoyable through a windy Indiana countryside. Near the end, Lauren's knee bagan to bother her again. She popped another vikaden. We rode until mile 79 and then took a break four miles out at an Arby's. We spent an hour there. Good talk and good food, but the medicine wore off. Lauren had to tough out the last four.Tracy and I were Lauren's cheerleaders. She struggled. We were a half mile out and Lauren was hurting. We were stopped at a stoplight and she asked, "How long?" I said, "Long enough." This answer was not acceptable for her. The light turned green and she took off. I was out of the saddle just to catch up with her. She hit twenty out of the blocks against the wind. Ridiculous. we took a wrong turn and you could see the pain. Ouch! I hope it gets better. Thankfully, she finished. Then iced.The house we are staying at is very nice. Our meal was once again supplied by the alumni in Indiana. Laundry! Ice cream (again). I am currently bidding on a couch spot to sleep on. I don't have much to offer!
Century. Richmond, IN 6/5/2010
107 miles! Get ready.My breakfast was 2 cupcakes, coffee sweetened with cupcake frosting, a mountain dew and a Dr. Pepper. My God.People were surprised to see me drop to the group in back. I hope it encourages other teammates to try different riding groups.Keeping a slower pace was hard and frustrating at times. It was a war within myself. It was fun to sing whatever song that came to your head and having the others sing along with you. It rained twice. Vary hard. Not fun and cold!Our lunch was taken at mile 66 with family friends who very generously and selflessly brought us a wonderful lunch. Thank you bvery much the Cartright family.Tonight I could be classified as introvertive, pensive and homesick. I hate feeling wishy washy. I attmpt to turn this mood around by listening to country music, eating a pint of ice cream and drinking a half gallon of sweet tea. This might work.I have no idea where we are going or how long our ride is tomorrow. But hey, I like surprises.
Almost perfect. Columbus, OH 6/4/2010
Today's 54 mile ride was tempting to me. I knew I could own it. I suggested to the group that we could ride without rest stops. Here goes.The morning began with a modest breakfast of oatmeal, coffee, and cupcakes. Because of the excess of food leftover from the night before that could not fit in the van, last night's dinner was offered as breakfast, even desert. Who would throw away ice cream? I wouldn't! I sweetened my coffe with vanilla. I spiced my oatmeal up with chocolate. If that wasn't enough, I finished the rest of the Neapolitan and chocolate ice cream buckets. I was sick and pumped up with sugar. Eager to ride...This was our very first flat ride. It was very easy. We flew by the rest stops, enjoyed the scenery and saw some alpaka run (too funny). We hit the last 5 mile stretch. A roofing nail attacks my back wheel. I goes through my tire, both sides of my tube, and through the wheel well of my rim. I spent more time prying the nail out of my rim han actually replacing the tube. Thus, I ruined the continuous 54 nile ride. I hope the guys didn't mind too much.As I arrived in Columbus, I scavenged for bike shops to fix my front derailleur. After paying ten dollars to make the problem worse, I continued down High street with Lauren to hit up some more bike shops. Three more miles of bike shops brought us to Baer Wheels, the best bike shops I had ever set foot in. The mechanics were very knowledgeable and understanding. They fixed my bike so well that it rode as if I had just bought it. I bought a new chain lube called Chain-L no. 5. Works like a dream.The alumni of Columbus gave us a meal. I met Dan, a second in command in the Navy. I never knew too much about the Navy before I talked to him. It must be tough to leave your wife and kids for years at a time. My time spent talking to him was very fun and he was very immersed into what we were biking for.Later that night, I found myself rather bored. I began talking with Mary about how I should never be bored on this trip. The problem is we travel from town to town, hiding in churches and not exposing ourselves and giving back to the community that gave us a home for that night. Our day shouldn't end when I finish X amount of miles. It is done when the community that we stay in is moved by the I4K. We had our first portrait done yesterday. We have yet to visit a hospital or give a portraits presentation. When I entered the I4K, as a rider, the journey across the country was second to the community outreach of the I4K. My assumption was wrong.Mary and I wrote down a list of amendments that we would like to see in the Illini 4000. Hopefully our stayovers from now on will be a little less selfish.To widen my perspective on this ride, I am riding back tomorrow during our 107 miler to RIchmond, IN. I am hoping to feel more like a team and meet my teammates in a riding group. 5:30am wake up. Time for bed.
Playing the Numbers game. Zanesville, OH 6/2/2010
Short day! We ate a very nutritious breakfast of pizza and soda. The mood in the morning was very relaxed and not rushed. We ended up leaving at about 7:45am- a little later than we planned. 67 miles! What took us so long was making biking groups. Five random groups of five people. I was paired with Kyle, Michell, Jordan and Pricilla.We headed off on out journey down US 40W to Zanesville. About a mile in, Kyle's chain twisted and made his bike not rideable. We called the van as we struggled to fix his chain. Instead of two groups waiting on Kyle's bike, we traded members from our group to swap with the group that had someone who was more knowledgeable about chains. Through a very fair game of rock paper, scissors- I reigned supreme and jumped n the group to continue riding with Nate, Greg, Jill and Kevin.Along the way we stopped a few times. Once was at a very scenic hill and the next was at a dam. We met the maintenance man of the dam and he showed us the meachanisms by which the dam was run by. Pretty cool. I was amazed by Nate's man talk to convince the maintenance to show us the machines.During the route we hit rain. This was my first rain experience ont he ride. Lucky! My jersey will never be as clean as it once was.Jill's knee began to hurt about four miles away from the stayover. I was very happy with how she really pushed it all the way to Zanesville.The church we stayed at was very accommodating. the room we are sleeping in is more of a living room. Here we are watching Little Women, ate lasagna, and played ukur. What age are we?We weren't allowed to go outside after nine because of the neighborhood we were in. Not like I had anything planned.Right before bed, I got a haircut. From Conor. Maybe he should rethink his career path. I'm keeping the beard until Chicago. Maybe. There are some on the team who aren't very happy with it.The rain made this room smell like wet, musky bikers. It is rancid. Hopefully I can sleep through the smells.
Greenwood, IN (plus beard update)
Recap!Writing from the lovely family room of the Bartholomews while watching the Blackhawks, we reminisce:The day started with a 5:45 wake-up in the Central United Methodist Church's carpeted gym in Richmond, IN. Quick breakfast of bagels and random leftovers. Foreboding weather! It was gray outside and raining! Mary made us dance a circular pony dance and we all enjoyed it. Our 83-mile ride was filled with shenanigans, but we all made it out somewhat OK. Wind out of the northwest made the ride difficult at times, but we were greeted at the end of the day by alumni rider Dan Bartholomew who rode along for a bit. Delicious food awaited us upon arrival--both from the Bartholomews and from the Alumni Association. Free ice cream! And laundry and showers! We are all very happy right now. And Chicago is up 4-2!PS: Steve's beard is officially visible from about 20 ft away. We're all quite proud and impressed. Way to go, Steve!
Team's 1st Century
After an early wake up in preparation for a long day, the team took on a 106 mile ride into Richmond, IN. Wind and rain increased the difficulty of the day. Lunch was donated by Odon family friends, a nice change from the monotonous PB&J's. It was a long day of riding, ending with many riders heading to McDonald's... and an early bedtime.
Rolling into a town near you
Looking to see the Illini 4000 as they roll into a town near you? Here is when you can expect to see them arriving:Urbana: Tuesday June 8th, 3pm at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Lincoln AveChicago: Friday June 11th, noon at the Cloud Gate (a.k.a. "The Bean") in Millennium ParkFollowing the Chicago arrival, there will be a potluck in the evening for riders, family, friends, and one of our sister organizations, the 4K for Cancer, based out of Johns Hopkins University. More details about the potluck to follow.
Ride along with the Illini 4000
Interested in spending a day with the Illini 4000 on the road? There are a couple opportunities in the next week where the Illini 4000 is inviting you to ride along with them as they make their way across the country.The first opportunity is this Wednesday (June 9th) when they depart the University of Illinois campus at 9am. Meet them at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Lincoln Ave at 8:45am and ride out to Rantoul, IL.The second opportunity is the official Illini 4000 Ride Along on Sunday, June 13th, departing from the Cloud Gate (a.k.a. "The Bean") in Millennium Park in Chicago. The ride along departs at 10am and has two distance options, either 15 miles to Evanston, or the full 36 miles to Highland Park. Food and beverages will be provided to all participants and there is a suggested donation of $10 to participate in the ride along.A helmet is required for both events.If you cannot make it to either of these events but still wish to ride along with us on another day, please get in contact with us at contactus@illini4000.org.
Twent-Eight Strangers. Or: The Bliss of a Growing Team
I wasn't sure exactly what point I thought this would happen, but it is definitely now. Maybe it was the collective consciousness of biking 100+ miles and crossing the Indiana border that was the straw that broke the camels back (in a good way), but tonight has proved a significant night in the growing bond of what it means to be "teammates". These 27 other people--some friends before the trip, some total strangers--have proven all to be my best friends. We've learned to help each other, to yell at each other, to cry with each other, and to live with each other. I couldn't be more thankful or feel more blessed to share this summer with these amazing people.I'm excited to get to know everyone more and to fine-tune my relationships with everyone.Also, Ohio is really into alpacha's...like really really into alpacha's.
Zanesville, Columbus, Richmond 06/03-06/05
Ohh how the days are blending. But let me try to recap the past three.The ride into Zanesville... I don't recall much. Oh wait , yes I do, cake and ice cream breakfast or was it pizza, ugh I don't know. Anyways, back in Pittsburgh I came up with an idea to randomly draw numbers for groups to ride in. You see, everyday is very similar, people typically ride in the same groups every day, racing to the next stayover. Begining to feel like I was losing sight of the reason I was on the trip, I came up with this idea to take the race out of the day and get to know more of my teammates, and pretty much everyone thought it could be fun as well. My randomly selected group was Erik, Shea, Eamon, and Ana. The day started off well and I was more excited to be back riding than anything else. The knee acted up around mile 40 and learning from past mistakes, I sat out the last 20 miles realizing that it's better to take it slow today than miss out on the next 4.The ride into Columbus was hands down one of my favorite days thus far. Shao, Disha and I had an absolute blast on the 54 mile ride in. Being in a slower group, we do occasionally just try to rush ourselves to finish and not actually enjoy the world around us. This day was different... we sang, danced, and conversed with each other, still arriving in around 1:30 with plenty of time to enjoy Columbus. Also, before we left that morning, Steve and I decided to try out a social experiment and not talk for 24 hours. We began at 7:30am, left for the ride in seperate groups around 7:45 and then once I arrived at 1:30, it took about 3 minutes before we realized what a dumb idea it was. We are a hilarious combination. There was no reason to put ourselves through this misary. The rest of our day was spent checking out bike shops in Columbus and riding through the Ohio State campus... Steve and I unneccesarily put an extra 10 miles on our bikes... but we had a lovely time. I spent my evening washing clothes, giving Max a haircut, and fishing information out of teammates for other teammates. I mean, you have to expect some gossip when we're together for this long.Hm and as for today, I woke up pumped for my first century ride (100+ miles). While the terrain was flat, the wind and rain added some difficulty to the day. I've been riding on pain killers until I can get the knee fixed in Chicago... around mile 67 I realized I should probably just take it easy and stop for the day, the fluid in my knee is pretty gross... It kills at night but I think it's making progress. It sucked that I couldn't get 100 miles in, but when I look at the big picture, I realize that each day I am riding further than the next. On a more hilarious note, I had to stop the van at mile 85 for a rest stop. Coincidentally, the local bar was open and I went in to use the restroom. Crazy how many people were drinking at noon, and drunk at that... I got a free t-shirt and hug from the owner, typical.As for what's to come... Well first off, a full recovery. This knee stuff is irritating and I can't wait until it's better. Second, a number of riders agree that we should be making more of an effort to get out into communities during our free time. While sleeping upon arrival into a town is appealing, that's not the point of this trip, and we're glad we realized it less than 2 weeks in.Finally... Mom, you know how I love cake and ice cream? Weirdly enough we some how have had an unlimited supply of both for the majority of this trip. I'll be expecting some upon arrival into Chicago as well. Thanks.
Many Thanks
After starting several blogs, but leaving them unfinished I've decided to post shorter updates that are less daunting to complete. By now we've passed through the mountains after a rough last week. This year's route brought us through the Appalachians much quicker than last year so there was even less time to acclimate to the I4k lifestyle before getting drained physically and mentally. I'm really proud of how the team handled these last few days, they will certainly be among the hardest of the whole trip. I can feel the beginning of the daily rhythm that occurs when we begin to act as a well oiled machine. There are still kinks in how we operate from day to day, but soon enough things will run smoothly.I cannot thank enough all of the donors who contributed to such a great cause. I truly believe we make an impact each and everyday and it wouldn't be possible without you. Also, a great big thank you to all of the individuals who provided food, shelter, or assistance of any kind to the team. You gesture, big or small, has not gone unnoticed. It is sometimes hard to show how appreciative we are after riding for hours in the heat, but we really do appreciate everything.I hope to update again soon and to see as many of you in Illinois as possible!
One-hundred & Six Miles. Or: Ain't No Thing But a Chicken Wing
Come one, come all to the spec-tacular event of the Illini 4000!So for those of you that don't know. I'll catch you up to speed.I'm Eamon Patrick O'Hara. I was born on August 30. I have two feet and 20 toes. Two eyes and a head of hair. Fast forward. College. Fast forward. Illini 4000. Fast forward. Columbus, Ohio.K. Now that we're up to speed: Tomorrow will mark our longest ride yet. Over a century in miles tomorrow. I don't see that as being a problem. Tough? Absolutely. Impossible? Far from it. This team continues to inspire me in every aspect possible. The chemistry, the support, the selflessness. Columbus is a nice city with CVS-es that close at 8pm, so don't plan on arriving at 8:07pm or the manager will promptly stand in the doorway preventing your entrance.Keeping track of time is becoming progressively more difficult. Time seems to freeze as I ride my bike. Of course, time doesn't really freeze, but time is completely irrelevant. Wake up at 6, be at the stayover by sundown. Simple. Easy. The way it should be.I'm currently on wake-up duty, which is a blast. I'm a big fan of waking people up (my sister, Margo can vouch for that). Today, I woke up the team by singing that first song in The Lion King.You know "ahhhhh subeennnyaaaa bidddiiichhhiiibuuuddaaahhh" I think it was well received. Tomorrow I might make animal noises. What fun!Thank you so much for all the support, family and friends, and a special thank-you to Bonita, Caroline, & Meredith Lantz for the stamps! They've been getting their fair share of use!Champaign or bust! 4 days!
Just a little 106-mile summer ride
Sorry friends for not being the best at updating. I don't understand how other people update everyday. They probably have their own computers. phst.Anyway, the riding has been awesome, beautiful, and full of wonderful surprises. Police escorts across bridges, Chinese lunch, rolling hills of eastern Ohio and just spending time biking and biking with great friends. We're in Columbus, OH right now and just so happened that they were having a art fair. It was really sweet staying across the street from displays of paintings, photography, sculptures, etc. The art museum here was even free today and located across the street from our stayover, but unfortunately, no one found the time to check it out.In other news, I may have a job/volunteer position lined up for this coming fall!! I could be in Arkansas working for Heifer International or possibly in Honduras working for Pure Water for the World!! Exciting!! I still plan on doing a little bumming around California before my life becomes real again.Well, tomorrow morning at about 6:30am, we'll be departing for some 106 miles across Ohio into Richmond, IN. No big deal.love and peace.