So I know I have been absolutely terrible about keeping up this blog the past couple of weeks, due in large part to the scarcity of wireless internet but also to the fact that these past couple of weeks have been the most exciting and action-packed of the entire trip thus far!
Because there is just too much greatness to give a detailed play-by-play, we'll have to settle for highlights (and photos of course):
1. Our 100 mile ride from Mosquero to Las Vegas, NM featured my first 40mph+ experience on an 8% grade down the mountain we had climbed the previous day. It also featured me at my slowest, as we climbed yet another mountain of switchbacks (3 miles this time). In short, I spent this day pedaling at a range of speeds from 4.5mph to 40.5mph. While we all struggle on the climbs, we can't help but feel so incredibly accomplished and hardcore when we reach the summit. and of couse, the killer downhills make the grind all worth while.
2. Santa Fe!! Our first real city since New Orleans. Absolutely gorgeous, tons of art galleries (we visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum which had an exhibit on Ansel Adams), and GREAT food. i ate more breakfast burritos during our week in NM than I have ever eaten in my entire life, and I loved evey bite!
3. Abiquiu. Pictures to follow because this ride with absolutely GORGEOUS.
4. Farmington: The ride into Farmington was my fastest century thus far: 100 miles in 6h11min. The day following our arrival we spent working on a deck for a woman in a wheel chair. Her heart-breaking, decaying, unsafe wrap-around deck was falling apart at every seam, and I am so glad that we were able to turn dream into reality - something that she had been wanting for over five years. That night we went to a rodeo (OMG) and watched high school boys and girls from all over the country lasso ropes around cows and hang tight onto raging bulls. What a culture shock!
5. From Farmington, we pedaled to Teec Nos Pos, AZ and made a pit-stop at the four corners! 4 states at the same time. cliche but cool. From Teec Nos Pos (affectionately renamed by riders as Techno Pees) we rode to Kayenta, AZ, to Page, AZ, and then to Jacob Lake, which had been built up as the hardest day of the entire ride. The ride into Jacob Lake was 85 miles, the last 15 of which we climbed from 4000ft to 8000ft! Getting to the top? Pure, unadulterated FREEDOM. Camping at the top and sleeping under the stars? Absolutely priceless.
6. GRAND CANYON! A religious experience if there ever was one. This stop was completely out of our way, but could not have been more worth it. On our day off, we hiked 15 miles around the North Rim, grilled hot dog / hard-boiled egg / cheese sandwiches and slept peacefully again under a blanket of natural bright lights.
7. From the Grand Canyon, we rode to Kanab, Utah, then to Long Valley Junction, and Cedar City. The state sign in Utah still says: welcome to utah - home of the 2002 winter olympics. eight years later.
8. Two days ago, we crossed yet another state line into the Silver State of Nevada, sleeping on pews in a church in Pioche. Yesterday was our longest day yet (108 miles) into Ely. Upon enterring Pioche, we passed a sign that said "last service station in 113 miles". The only sign of civilization during our entire 108 mile ride was a bar at mile 80. Picture to come.
That's all for now.
Happy August!
xo erica
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Mosquero, NM
If you blink, you might miss it.
Today we biked 50 miles from Logan, NM to Mosquero, a town with a population of 120. That means that when 32 cyclists came riding down Main Street, we increased the population by 25 percent!
Today we biked 50 miles from Logan, NM to Mosquero, a town with a population of 120. That means that when 32 cyclists came riding down Main Street, we increased the population by 25 percent!
Exciting news: we hit our first mountain today. It may have been small, but we climbed 2 miles of switchbacks! Invigorating.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
it's my birthday and i'll bike if i want to
Today, we crossed several "things," if you will. First, I crossed over into the world of the nineteen year olds (that sounds thrilling). Shortly after, we crossed a time zone taking us out of central time and into mountain time. And a few yards after that, we crossed the state line bordering Texas and New Mexico to enter the Land of Enchantment.
Even before hopping on Alfalfa (my bike, affectionately named for the tufts of hair that stick up out of my helmet), the day was off to a very interesting start. We had just spent the night at a beautifully renovated church in Dalhart, TX, and because my friend Sara and I were assigned sweep (last two riders) for the day, we stuck around for an hour to give the group a head start. Over by a set of bookshelves, Sara and I got into a discussion about religious fundamentalists, inspired by a book that denounced gay marriage. Not long after, pastor John came over and asked if he could join the conversation. I admit, I was slightly nervous for a moment that he had been eavesdropping and was about to teach us a lesson or two. But to our astonishment, the first words out of PASTOR John's mouth were, "I hate religion. I am probably the most anti-religious person you will ever meet." Stunned, I urged him to continue, and listened as he talked about hating tradition, corruption, and irrational religious dogma and practices; his belief that there should be no middle man between us and God; and how his sole purpose in being a pastor is to help his congregation establish a relationship with God, and to teach his congregants to be ministers to each other. What an intersting guy.
Around 8:30, Sarah and I left the small town of Dalhart and headed north (?) along US54 for 71 windy miles, approximately 8 of which were lined with stinky cows. We estimate that there were close to one million moo-ers. One of the things we do on the trip is to chalk turns on the road so that people don't miss them, or chalk messages as to what mile lunch is at, or words of encouragement in the middle of a hill. Some days, when the cue sheet is particularly lengthy or confusing, there's a lot of chalk on the road. And other days, when we're on the same road for, uh, ever, there's almost none. Today was an exception, because there must have been a birthday message for me every 3 miles. One rider went so far as to draw my face (mohawk and all) in the center of the road. To say the least, the chalk made my day.
I would just like to give a shout out to my mom for being amazing. Best cake (and everything else) ever. You rock.
Hopefully I will post some pictures, soon.
Hasta luego,
e.
Even before hopping on Alfalfa (my bike, affectionately named for the tufts of hair that stick up out of my helmet), the day was off to a very interesting start. We had just spent the night at a beautifully renovated church in Dalhart, TX, and because my friend Sara and I were assigned sweep (last two riders) for the day, we stuck around for an hour to give the group a head start. Over by a set of bookshelves, Sara and I got into a discussion about religious fundamentalists, inspired by a book that denounced gay marriage. Not long after, pastor John came over and asked if he could join the conversation. I admit, I was slightly nervous for a moment that he had been eavesdropping and was about to teach us a lesson or two. But to our astonishment, the first words out of PASTOR John's mouth were, "I hate religion. I am probably the most anti-religious person you will ever meet." Stunned, I urged him to continue, and listened as he talked about hating tradition, corruption, and irrational religious dogma and practices; his belief that there should be no middle man between us and God; and how his sole purpose in being a pastor is to help his congregation establish a relationship with God, and to teach his congregants to be ministers to each other. What an intersting guy.
Around 8:30, Sarah and I left the small town of Dalhart and headed north (?) along US54 for 71 windy miles, approximately 8 of which were lined with stinky cows. We estimate that there were close to one million moo-ers. One of the things we do on the trip is to chalk turns on the road so that people don't miss them, or chalk messages as to what mile lunch is at, or words of encouragement in the middle of a hill. Some days, when the cue sheet is particularly lengthy or confusing, there's a lot of chalk on the road. And other days, when we're on the same road for, uh, ever, there's almost none. Today was an exception, because there must have been a birthday message for me every 3 miles. One rider went so far as to draw my face (mohawk and all) in the center of the road. To say the least, the chalk made my day.
I would just like to give a shout out to my mom for being amazing. Best cake (and everything else) ever. You rock.
Hopefully I will post some pictures, soon.
Hasta luego,
e.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
oooooooooklahoma...
...where the wind comes sweeping down the plane.
literally.
ok so basically we went to altus, oklahoma for all you can eat mcdonalds (for dinner, and then for breakfast the next morning). just imagine the response when you tell 32 starving cyclists that they can eat anything and everything they want. no limits. the result? i think our biggest order was four crispy chicken sandwiches, a big mac, two large fries and two mcflurry's. over 3000 calories for dinner. yum (vomit) yum.
riding out of oklahoma and back into texas, it rained. so, to use a commonly said phrase here on bike and build, we booked it all the way through africa. visual aids below:
literally.
ok so basically we went to altus, oklahoma for all you can eat mcdonalds (for dinner, and then for breakfast the next morning). just imagine the response when you tell 32 starving cyclists that they can eat anything and everything they want. no limits. the result? i think our biggest order was four crispy chicken sandwiches, a big mac, two large fries and two mcflurry's. over 3000 calories for dinner. yum (vomit) yum.
riding out of oklahoma and back into texas, it rained. so, to use a commonly said phrase here on bike and build, we booked it all the way through africa. visual aids below:
Small Town, TX
So from Dallas we continued westward to Decatur, the epitome of a small town. Upon our arrival at the town square, a small group of us was greeted by the sheriff, and offered a personal tour of the courthouse, located smack dab in the center of the town. Check out the pic to give you a feeling of the courthouse.
And to give you a feeling of how small this town was, one of the people working in the courthouse just so happened to be the son of the only bike shop owner in the town, and upon learning of our journey, called his pop and told him we'd be swinging by. Well, there was no sign outside Mel's bike shop, so after passing it and doubling back, we entered to find a small room with approximately 12 bicycles, and an old man who appeared as though the shop had never seen so many customers in its entire existence. Check out the pic of Mel and his bikes.
As if the town couldn't get any smaller, it happened that Thursday night was movie night, and so 32 cyclists carried their thermarests to the town square, and joined 20 or so families out on the lawn in front of the courthouse to watch The Little Rascals projected onto a big, white truck, and to be entertained by seven year olds singing karaoke to country favorites Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. New favorite song: "Our Song" by Taylor Swift. I love country music.
hammer and a nail
From Athens we journeyed to Dallas, and for the first time on this trip I saw a sky-line and felt like I was coming home! After a resftful night's sleep, we awoke bright and early and pedaled over to the Dallas Habitat for Humanity Warehouse, where we worked under Chuck's authority to construct the frame of one of the largest home's Dallas Habitat has ever built! GO TEAM! A bunch of little worker bees, we built enough doors, window frames, interior and exterior walls to complete three-fourths of the house in a single day. Ohhh yeeahhhh.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Don't Mess With Texas
This past week we crossed the Louisiana state line into Texas... Naked.
I know, totally crazy and ridiculous and absurd and just ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN AWESOME.
It is a Bike & Build tradition to do a naked mile (or two or seven) and on the peaceful, traffic-free, back road that led us into Texas about eight of us stripped down and pedaled into Texas wearing nothing but our helmets, camelbacks, gloves, and shoes. How badass... until we arrived five miles later at a sign that read "Welcome to Louisiana" (again) and we knew we had taken a right instead of a left.
But all was okay, because that afternoon we arrived at the lovely home of a Bike & Build alum where ice cold beers, sandwiches, and fresh fruit awaited us. Oh to sleep in a house and be fed BBQ and watch television!
The next morning, the gang set out on a 99.1 mile trek to Athens, TX: an all inclusive package with highs and lows (around 97 and 96 degrees, respectively) and ups and downs (the first half of the ride was particularly hilly). No but seriously now, this ride could not have been more chock-full of every blessing and every misfortune you could ever imagine. The roads were bumpy, the rolling hills did not stop rolling, the invisible enemy (wind) demoralized us with every pedal stroke, and at mile 60 I got chased up a hill by an big angry black dog that appeared out of nowhere at my ankle and before I knew it I had accelerated from 8mph to 20mph and my heart was beating out of my chest and screaming and hyperventalating. BUT! at mile 70, a rest stop at the home of a bike&builder on another route came at the perfect time, revitalizing the group with every scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, every handful of trail mix, every fresh strawberry, and every strip of HOMEMADE DEER JERKY (first time eating deer, first time eating jerky. a-mazing). and did i mention the pool!? yyyeeeeppp, there was a pool at the house... and a hot tub!! ohhhh baby. Shortly after leaving heaven (the rest stop) things started to go downhill again and I got my second flat tire of the trip, and then ran out of liquid around mile 80! As if that wasn't enough, when we (myself and the two girls I was riding with) pulled over to check the cue sheet around mile 93, the salt and sunscreen started to accumulate in my eyes and in a desperate attempt to rinse them out, I grabbed Kelly's water bottle and squirted the liquid into my eyes only to realize that it was GATORADE. omg feel the burn. The last six miles seemed like hell on earth and I couldn't stop wondering whyyyy I signed up for this, but alas, we arrived at the church to the most wonderful surprise and all of a sudden, all was worthwhile. Two words: Max and Minna-Jane. Instead of staying on a gym floor, members of the church congregation took small groups of us into their homes, and spoiled us silly! Max and Minna-Jane, my hosts drove Eleni (another rider) and I to their home on Lake Athens, took us out on a boat ride and swim in the lake, and fed us eggs and bacon and biscuits and canteloupe for breakfast in the morning. To say the least, it was the most wonderful night, and our hosts could not have been more gracious, welcoming, and friendly.
Ok I must not hog the computer but more to come soon.
I'll upload some pictures, also.
Till then!
Erica
I know, totally crazy and ridiculous and absurd and just ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN AWESOME.
It is a Bike & Build tradition to do a naked mile (or two or seven) and on the peaceful, traffic-free, back road that led us into Texas about eight of us stripped down and pedaled into Texas wearing nothing but our helmets, camelbacks, gloves, and shoes. How badass... until we arrived five miles later at a sign that read "Welcome to Louisiana" (again) and we knew we had taken a right instead of a left.
But all was okay, because that afternoon we arrived at the lovely home of a Bike & Build alum where ice cold beers, sandwiches, and fresh fruit awaited us. Oh to sleep in a house and be fed BBQ and watch television!
The next morning, the gang set out on a 99.1 mile trek to Athens, TX: an all inclusive package with highs and lows (around 97 and 96 degrees, respectively) and ups and downs (the first half of the ride was particularly hilly). No but seriously now, this ride could not have been more chock-full of every blessing and every misfortune you could ever imagine. The roads were bumpy, the rolling hills did not stop rolling, the invisible enemy (wind) demoralized us with every pedal stroke, and at mile 60 I got chased up a hill by an big angry black dog that appeared out of nowhere at my ankle and before I knew it I had accelerated from 8mph to 20mph and my heart was beating out of my chest and screaming and hyperventalating. BUT! at mile 70, a rest stop at the home of a bike&builder on another route came at the perfect time, revitalizing the group with every scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, every handful of trail mix, every fresh strawberry, and every strip of HOMEMADE DEER JERKY (first time eating deer, first time eating jerky. a-mazing). and did i mention the pool!? yyyeeeeppp, there was a pool at the house... and a hot tub!! ohhhh baby. Shortly after leaving heaven (the rest stop) things started to go downhill again and I got my second flat tire of the trip, and then ran out of liquid around mile 80! As if that wasn't enough, when we (myself and the two girls I was riding with) pulled over to check the cue sheet around mile 93, the salt and sunscreen started to accumulate in my eyes and in a desperate attempt to rinse them out, I grabbed Kelly's water bottle and squirted the liquid into my eyes only to realize that it was GATORADE. omg feel the burn. The last six miles seemed like hell on earth and I couldn't stop wondering whyyyy I signed up for this, but alas, we arrived at the church to the most wonderful surprise and all of a sudden, all was worthwhile. Two words: Max and Minna-Jane. Instead of staying on a gym floor, members of the church congregation took small groups of us into their homes, and spoiled us silly! Max and Minna-Jane, my hosts drove Eleni (another rider) and I to their home on Lake Athens, took us out on a boat ride and swim in the lake, and fed us eggs and bacon and biscuits and canteloupe for breakfast in the morning. To say the least, it was the most wonderful night, and our hosts could not have been more gracious, welcoming, and friendly.
Ok I must not hog the computer but more to come soon.
I'll upload some pictures, also.
Till then!
Erica
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Question of the Day
Every morning before we ride, we circle up for a brief overview of the route, the town we're visiting, and the host location. It is our tradition to do an increasing number of push-ups each day after the circle, and to ask a question of the day that riders will come up with. We have had several interesting ones thus far, and I thought I would share them with you:
If you could have 10 different liquids pour from your fingers whenever you wish, what would they be?
What do you like most about America? Least?
Would you prefer to always be happy, or always be around happy people?
Would you rather be born with no arms or no legs?
If you could have any super power, what would be it be?
Food for thought,
xoEr
If you could have 10 different liquids pour from your fingers whenever you wish, what would they be?
What do you like most about America? Least?
Would you prefer to always be happy, or always be around happy people?
Would you rather be born with no arms or no legs?
If you could have any super power, what would be it be?
Food for thought,
xoEr
Photo Album
leaving jacksonville!
at the spring!
first flat tire!
R.U.B.A.R.B.
building (mudding) in NOLA
Back in Action
Hello from Pelican, Lousiana! Even Google doesn't know a thing about it!
But, don't be fooled, because while we are literally in the middle of nowhere, it is the most beautiful middle of nowhere I have ever been. We are staying a Clara Springs Encampment (church related, obviously) ... and upon our arrival, we hiked around a small pond on the grounds, and paddle-boated in circles, careful not to dip our legs in too far for fear of alligators.
Speaking of alligators, I ate fried alligator last night for the first time. I wasn't too impressed - sorta tasted like chicken. I tried frog legs too. Why not? Oh, and then today (since our trek from Natchitoches - pronounced nakitush - was only 33 miles) we stopped at an alligator park on mile 9 and watched the big guys jump for food. It was totally bizarre, especially because they served alligator on the snack shop menu. Basically, go to the park to see the alligator, feed the alligator, and eat the alligator.
Today was awesome. It was great to have such a short day of riding, as we were able to wake up late (8am) and play a 32-person game of knock-out in the gym we stayed at before we all took off. In addition to the alligator park, a couple other riders and I stopped at Jason Anderson's produce farm and were given free watermelon! It was wonderful... and even more wonderful when we arrived at the host site to find that Jason had personally delivered an entire box each of fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and 5 watermelons.
We are anticipating that tonight will be just as good: fireworks (round 2), and s'mores around the campfire. And, if we're lucky, the Bike&Build choir will be performing the National Anthem. (The B&B choir is composed of our very own riders with a wide range of musical abilities. They practice several times a week).
Okay... backtracking. This week was highly eventful, beginning with our first day back on the bike after our week-long stay in NOLA. On Tuesday, the group rode 80 miles from N'Orleans to Baton Rouge, and on mile 3, I was going straight, had the right of way, and got hit by a pick-up truck making a right-hand turn. I went flying off my bike, onto the hood of the truck, and landed on the ground, and somehow walked away from the accident with nothing more than a sore neck and back, and a few scrapes and scratches. As lucky as I am to have suffered only very minor injuries from that accident, the potential for disaster was major, and was enough to teach me a lesson: to be constantly aware of my surroundings, and a more defensive rider, because the reality is that sometimes drivers just don't see us. So, after filling out a police report (the 12 or so riders at the site of the accident could not have handled the situation better), I begrudgingly hopped into the van and drove the 80 miles to Red Stick (Baton Rouge) with my group leader. I say begrudgingly only because I wanted to do the entire trip across America on my bike, and never have to ride in the van. But, all does not always turn out the way we plan, and I now have a bad-ass story to tell.
Wednesday. 90 miles from Baton Rouge to Lafayette. Great morning, shitty afternoon. Painkillers wore off, my back hurt, my neck hurt, I was sore and grumpy and emotional and rode 30 miles by myself. Instead of trying keep up with the people I was riding with, I just said screw it, I'll ride at 11mph until I regain my strength. Ain't no shame in that, right???? Anyway, we got to Lafayette and because one of our riders is from there, we had access to a kick-ass health club, so we all went swimming in the pool, and relaxed in the whirlpool/hot-tub... but I could hardly enjoy it because I was in such a cranky mood. I knew that biking across the country would be physically straining, but I had no idea it would be so mentally and emotionally straining as well.
Thursday. 100 miles from Lafayette to Alexandria. I honestly don't remember this day.
Friday. JULY 4TH!! 55 miles from Alexandria to Natchitotches. What a cute town! Fourth of July festival and fireworks were awesome: dancing on stage with the Diva in Red (singer in the band that was performing).
I think that's all for now.
I'm going to try and post some pix. Hope that works.
keep it real.
erica.
But, don't be fooled, because while we are literally in the middle of nowhere, it is the most beautiful middle of nowhere I have ever been. We are staying a Clara Springs Encampment (church related, obviously) ... and upon our arrival, we hiked around a small pond on the grounds, and paddle-boated in circles, careful not to dip our legs in too far for fear of alligators.
Speaking of alligators, I ate fried alligator last night for the first time. I wasn't too impressed - sorta tasted like chicken. I tried frog legs too. Why not? Oh, and then today (since our trek from Natchitoches - pronounced nakitush - was only 33 miles) we stopped at an alligator park on mile 9 and watched the big guys jump for food. It was totally bizarre, especially because they served alligator on the snack shop menu. Basically, go to the park to see the alligator, feed the alligator, and eat the alligator.
Today was awesome. It was great to have such a short day of riding, as we were able to wake up late (8am) and play a 32-person game of knock-out in the gym we stayed at before we all took off. In addition to the alligator park, a couple other riders and I stopped at Jason Anderson's produce farm and were given free watermelon! It was wonderful... and even more wonderful when we arrived at the host site to find that Jason had personally delivered an entire box each of fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and 5 watermelons.
We are anticipating that tonight will be just as good: fireworks (round 2), and s'mores around the campfire. And, if we're lucky, the Bike&Build choir will be performing the National Anthem. (The B&B choir is composed of our very own riders with a wide range of musical abilities. They practice several times a week).
Okay... backtracking. This week was highly eventful, beginning with our first day back on the bike after our week-long stay in NOLA. On Tuesday, the group rode 80 miles from N'Orleans to Baton Rouge, and on mile 3, I was going straight, had the right of way, and got hit by a pick-up truck making a right-hand turn. I went flying off my bike, onto the hood of the truck, and landed on the ground, and somehow walked away from the accident with nothing more than a sore neck and back, and a few scrapes and scratches. As lucky as I am to have suffered only very minor injuries from that accident, the potential for disaster was major, and was enough to teach me a lesson: to be constantly aware of my surroundings, and a more defensive rider, because the reality is that sometimes drivers just don't see us. So, after filling out a police report (the 12 or so riders at the site of the accident could not have handled the situation better), I begrudgingly hopped into the van and drove the 80 miles to Red Stick (Baton Rouge) with my group leader. I say begrudgingly only because I wanted to do the entire trip across America on my bike, and never have to ride in the van. But, all does not always turn out the way we plan, and I now have a bad-ass story to tell.
Wednesday. 90 miles from Baton Rouge to Lafayette. Great morning, shitty afternoon. Painkillers wore off, my back hurt, my neck hurt, I was sore and grumpy and emotional and rode 30 miles by myself. Instead of trying keep up with the people I was riding with, I just said screw it, I'll ride at 11mph until I regain my strength. Ain't no shame in that, right???? Anyway, we got to Lafayette and because one of our riders is from there, we had access to a kick-ass health club, so we all went swimming in the pool, and relaxed in the whirlpool/hot-tub... but I could hardly enjoy it because I was in such a cranky mood. I knew that biking across the country would be physically straining, but I had no idea it would be so mentally and emotionally straining as well.
Thursday. 100 miles from Lafayette to Alexandria. I honestly don't remember this day.
Friday. JULY 4TH!! 55 miles from Alexandria to Natchitotches. What a cute town! Fourth of July festival and fireworks were awesome: dancing on stage with the Diva in Red (singer in the band that was performing).
I think that's all for now.
I'm going to try and post some pix. Hope that works.
keep it real.
erica.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Laissez Le Bon Temps Roullez
Translation: Let the Good Times Roll ... in New Orleans, Louisiana!
Wow I don't even know where to start. This week has been such an adventure in and of itself: the 5 long work days we spent working on Ms. Vera's house with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (the organization that has been fixing up houses that were destroyed during Katrina; the excursions to Bourbon street (an absolute madhouse, and a million times more overwhelming than Times Square); the media coverage we received from abc TV and a mainstream radio station here in New Orleans; the Soul Rebels concert; and the countless beignets we've all consumed at the famous Cafe DuMonde have made this week one of the most rewarding and exciting I've experienced.
The Build: So this week, all 32 of us arrived at Ms. Vera's house on the corner of N Miro and Mazant. For the first couple days, we sheetrocked that house like nobody's business, and then "mudded" and sanded the walls. It was awesome to see such a transformation, to see the evolution of a home-to-be, and to know that we were a part of improving the quality of life of Ms. Vera and her family.
Visit to the Lower 9th Ward: One of the places that was it the hardest from the hurricaine. The entire neighborhood is be characterized by abandoned houses, and concrete slabs where houses used to exist, athough there seemed to be several families that had moved back into their homes. To say the least, the neighborhood is depressing, mainly because the government has done little-to-nothing to fix it up for the families who used to call it home.
R.U.B.A.R.B. (Rusted Up Beyond All Recognition Bicycles): A community bike shop right around the corner from Ms. Vera's house. The founders have gathered bikes and bike parts that turned up after the flood, and teach the neighborhood kids how to build a bike and fix a flat tire, among other things. In return for their efforts, the kids get to keep the bike they worked on. Totally awewsome project.
All in all, this week was an incredible bonding experience for the group... a chance for us to get to know each other in our normal clothes (not spandex), although at this point everyone has memorized everyone else's (limited) wardrobe .... and wonderful way to lend a hand to a family in need.
Love from NOLA,
Erica.
Wow I don't even know where to start. This week has been such an adventure in and of itself: the 5 long work days we spent working on Ms. Vera's house with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (the organization that has been fixing up houses that were destroyed during Katrina; the excursions to Bourbon street (an absolute madhouse, and a million times more overwhelming than Times Square); the media coverage we received from abc TV and a mainstream radio station here in New Orleans; the Soul Rebels concert; and the countless beignets we've all consumed at the famous Cafe DuMonde have made this week one of the most rewarding and exciting I've experienced.
The Build: So this week, all 32 of us arrived at Ms. Vera's house on the corner of N Miro and Mazant. For the first couple days, we sheetrocked that house like nobody's business, and then "mudded" and sanded the walls. It was awesome to see such a transformation, to see the evolution of a home-to-be, and to know that we were a part of improving the quality of life of Ms. Vera and her family.
Visit to the Lower 9th Ward: One of the places that was it the hardest from the hurricaine. The entire neighborhood is be characterized by abandoned houses, and concrete slabs where houses used to exist, athough there seemed to be several families that had moved back into their homes. To say the least, the neighborhood is depressing, mainly because the government has done little-to-nothing to fix it up for the families who used to call it home.
R.U.B.A.R.B. (Rusted Up Beyond All Recognition Bicycles): A community bike shop right around the corner from Ms. Vera's house. The founders have gathered bikes and bike parts that turned up after the flood, and teach the neighborhood kids how to build a bike and fix a flat tire, among other things. In return for their efforts, the kids get to keep the bike they worked on. Totally awewsome project.
All in all, this week was an incredible bonding experience for the group... a chance for us to get to know each other in our normal clothes (not spandex), although at this point everyone has memorized everyone else's (limited) wardrobe .... and wonderful way to lend a hand to a family in need.
Love from NOLA,
Erica.
Biloxi
Alright, I'm back!
Our ride to, stay in, and departure from Biloxi, Mississippi was shortlived, but quite special due to our wonderful dip in the ... GULF OF MEXICO upon our arrival. Group bonding sessions in any body of water = amazing.
Our ride to, stay in, and departure from Biloxi, Mississippi was shortlived, but quite special due to our wonderful dip in the ... GULF OF MEXICO upon our arrival. Group bonding sessions in any body of water = amazing.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
4states4days
Hey y'all.
I know it has been forever and a day since my last post, but perhaps this one will be all the more juicy, as we have made it out of Florida, have successfully traveled through four states in four consecutive days, and have spent the past week in New Orleans.
Some observations about the South thus far: Churches are more abundant here than Starbucks is in the North. Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, you name it. There is no shortage of prayer and preaching, and I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have been told, "Bless your heart" - not just out of the blue, but when I was in desperate need of medication for the poison ivy that had taken over the lower half of my body. There is also no shortage of money, it seems, for some of these church communities. Since when do places of worship have movie-theatre-sized TVs, soda fountains, and guitar hero?! My second observation: Southern hospitality exists, and it is alive and kickin' in a very big way. In fact, some southerners will go so far as to ask about my experience with the folks down here upon finding out that I'm from New York. "We teach our children yes sir, yes ma'am down here". That is for sure.
As I mentioned earlier, we made it safely out of Florida along US90 (in general, the riders have developed a love-hate relationship with this road, as it gets us from A to B, but often surprises us with hills that look like verticals at times when you feel like you just can't pedal any further). Interestingly, I have found that regardless of how many miles we ride each day, whether it's 60 or 100, I always feel refreshed and energized in the morning, but then start to wonder what on Earth I was thinking when I signed myself up for this about ten miles before we reach the host location. But, it is this feeling - the pressure from the saddle (seat) on my butt, the 95 degree heat, the lack of energy or will to keep going - that makes getting to the host site every day that much more rewarding. I never thought I would say this, but church=home.
Some of the most memorable things about our rides in Florida include taking detours from our specified route and swimming in some state park we happen to come across. One day, a large group of us stopped in the morning at Falling Waters State Park on our way to Defuniak Springs, and swam in our shammys (bike shorts) and sports bras. At this particular state park, there was supposed to be a water fall, but sadly it was dry, and so our disappointed (but happy to have taken a dip) group more accurately renamed the park "Sometimes Falling Waters, But Not Today". That afternoon, my friend Anne and I pulled over a second time to swim in a Spring (my first time). It was refreshing and beautiful, and we spotted a little boy with a mohawk who I should have taken a picture with, but didn't. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that I now have a mohawk. Yeeeppp.
And just like that, we crossed the state line into Sweet Home Alabama, which was really not so sweet due to a series of unfortunate events which I will now relate. Our ride from Pensacola, Fl to Mobile, Al was our first century ride (100 miles), and on that morning we awoke to some pretty substantial T-storms that postponed our departure time two hours. At mile 60, we were supposed to take a ferry at 1:15 to get from some place to another (I don't remember where exactly) and leaving 2 hours later than we expected made some nervous that we wouldn't miss the ferry. I personally wasn't worried about missing the ferry, because I generally ride at a pace that would get me there in time. BUTTTT things happen, and my friend Graham who I was riding with got a flat, and then another flat, and then shreaded tire in the middle of a bridge to accumulate a grand total of three flat tires in one day, and so we were starting to get a little behind schedule. But all was still okay until we reached Alabama and all of a sudden pedaling at 14mph was a struggle (for a reference, I usually ride at 17, 18mph) due to raging headwinds, and time was beginning to run out. But it was still okay, and we were still on track to make the ferry, when at mile 50 my ride group suffered a not-so-minor collision (no injuries, no worries), and just like that myself and about 4 other riders had missed the ferry!! So at 2:00 we hopped on the next ferry, and at mile 65, we see lightening. Bad news, because we're stranded on a thin stip of land surrounded by water on both sides with no shelter in sight, and we're pedaling as fast as we can INTO the storm, and then a few minutes later the sky opens up and the rain gods do their magic and we're drenched and thirty miles from the host site when all of a sudden we spot a sea of bikes and blue jerseys hovered under a little shack on the side of the road where our entire team had been waiting out the storm. Several snickers bars later, the skies had cleared up a bit and we set out once again toward the church in Mobile, and ten miles later, it starts to thunder and lightening AGAIN. Fortunately, we all pull over to a produce/fruit market and indulge in fresh plums and peaches and a very very interesting and tasty creation... BOILED PEANUTS. they taste like beans. Okay, so long story short (well not really), but twenty miles later we made it to Mobile and celebrated our first century ride at the Golden Caral (spelling?) - an all you can eat Buffet (our third one that week) and gorged ourselves into oblivioun. Pure bliss.
Okay I must go even though I have so much more to say but I will be back soon to finish my tale!
To be continued, and
Bless your heart,
Erica
I know it has been forever and a day since my last post, but perhaps this one will be all the more juicy, as we have made it out of Florida, have successfully traveled through four states in four consecutive days, and have spent the past week in New Orleans.
Some observations about the South thus far: Churches are more abundant here than Starbucks is in the North. Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, you name it. There is no shortage of prayer and preaching, and I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have been told, "Bless your heart" - not just out of the blue, but when I was in desperate need of medication for the poison ivy that had taken over the lower half of my body. There is also no shortage of money, it seems, for some of these church communities. Since when do places of worship have movie-theatre-sized TVs, soda fountains, and guitar hero?! My second observation: Southern hospitality exists, and it is alive and kickin' in a very big way. In fact, some southerners will go so far as to ask about my experience with the folks down here upon finding out that I'm from New York. "We teach our children yes sir, yes ma'am down here". That is for sure.
As I mentioned earlier, we made it safely out of Florida along US90 (in general, the riders have developed a love-hate relationship with this road, as it gets us from A to B, but often surprises us with hills that look like verticals at times when you feel like you just can't pedal any further). Interestingly, I have found that regardless of how many miles we ride each day, whether it's 60 or 100, I always feel refreshed and energized in the morning, but then start to wonder what on Earth I was thinking when I signed myself up for this about ten miles before we reach the host location. But, it is this feeling - the pressure from the saddle (seat) on my butt, the 95 degree heat, the lack of energy or will to keep going - that makes getting to the host site every day that much more rewarding. I never thought I would say this, but church=home.
Some of the most memorable things about our rides in Florida include taking detours from our specified route and swimming in some state park we happen to come across. One day, a large group of us stopped in the morning at Falling Waters State Park on our way to Defuniak Springs, and swam in our shammys (bike shorts) and sports bras. At this particular state park, there was supposed to be a water fall, but sadly it was dry, and so our disappointed (but happy to have taken a dip) group more accurately renamed the park "Sometimes Falling Waters, But Not Today". That afternoon, my friend Anne and I pulled over a second time to swim in a Spring (my first time). It was refreshing and beautiful, and we spotted a little boy with a mohawk who I should have taken a picture with, but didn't. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that I now have a mohawk. Yeeeppp.
And just like that, we crossed the state line into Sweet Home Alabama, which was really not so sweet due to a series of unfortunate events which I will now relate. Our ride from Pensacola, Fl to Mobile, Al was our first century ride (100 miles), and on that morning we awoke to some pretty substantial T-storms that postponed our departure time two hours. At mile 60, we were supposed to take a ferry at 1:15 to get from some place to another (I don't remember where exactly) and leaving 2 hours later than we expected made some nervous that we wouldn't miss the ferry. I personally wasn't worried about missing the ferry, because I generally ride at a pace that would get me there in time. BUTTTT things happen, and my friend Graham who I was riding with got a flat, and then another flat, and then shreaded tire in the middle of a bridge to accumulate a grand total of three flat tires in one day, and so we were starting to get a little behind schedule. But all was still okay until we reached Alabama and all of a sudden pedaling at 14mph was a struggle (for a reference, I usually ride at 17, 18mph) due to raging headwinds, and time was beginning to run out. But it was still okay, and we were still on track to make the ferry, when at mile 50 my ride group suffered a not-so-minor collision (no injuries, no worries), and just like that myself and about 4 other riders had missed the ferry!! So at 2:00 we hopped on the next ferry, and at mile 65, we see lightening. Bad news, because we're stranded on a thin stip of land surrounded by water on both sides with no shelter in sight, and we're pedaling as fast as we can INTO the storm, and then a few minutes later the sky opens up and the rain gods do their magic and we're drenched and thirty miles from the host site when all of a sudden we spot a sea of bikes and blue jerseys hovered under a little shack on the side of the road where our entire team had been waiting out the storm. Several snickers bars later, the skies had cleared up a bit and we set out once again toward the church in Mobile, and ten miles later, it starts to thunder and lightening AGAIN. Fortunately, we all pull over to a produce/fruit market and indulge in fresh plums and peaches and a very very interesting and tasty creation... BOILED PEANUTS. they taste like beans. Okay, so long story short (well not really), but twenty miles later we made it to Mobile and celebrated our first century ride at the Golden Caral (spelling?) - an all you can eat Buffet (our third one that week) and gorged ourselves into oblivioun. Pure bliss.
Okay I must go even though I have so much more to say but I will be back soon to finish my tale!
To be continued, and
Bless your heart,
Erica
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
From Jacksonville to Tallahassee on US90
Hello from Tallahassee, Florida!
We have only just begun, but already I can tell that my 31 fellow riders are some of the most driven, down to earth, hilarious, interesting people I will ever meet. I had a feeling it would be this way, as it takes a certain kind of person to sign up to pedal your way across the country, building homes and trying to make a difference in people's lives.... but I did not anticipate the magnitude of the enthusiasm of my new friends. It's awesome.
So far, we have pedaled approximately 200 miles, and have slept in three churches in the small towns of Glen St. Mary (population under 500, but voted Florida's Most Outstanding Rural Community in 2004... we wondered how many towns were awarded this prestigious title), Live Oak (where a woman told me that my journey across country would be more worthwhile if I were serving God and spreading His word) and most recently in Monticello (where a small group of riders and I feasted on a 7 dollar buffet of fried chicken and other southern uh.. delicacies, then baked cookies and gorged ourselves into oblivion).
We've spent quite a bit of time on highway US90, where tree farms and roadkill are all you see for 50 miles at a time. We've peed on the side of the road, stopped by flea markets selling suppositories and a dozen eggs, played the "cow game," and eaten more peanut butter than I have ever eaten in such a short period of time (and that's saying something, coming from a PB lover such as myself). Actually, in all honesty, we don't really stop eating. It's amazing.
Ok, I must sign off. If you're interested, feel free to post on the blog... questions, comments, queries, and I will be happy to respond!
LATER,
Er.
We have only just begun, but already I can tell that my 31 fellow riders are some of the most driven, down to earth, hilarious, interesting people I will ever meet. I had a feeling it would be this way, as it takes a certain kind of person to sign up to pedal your way across the country, building homes and trying to make a difference in people's lives.... but I did not anticipate the magnitude of the enthusiasm of my new friends. It's awesome.
So far, we have pedaled approximately 200 miles, and have slept in three churches in the small towns of Glen St. Mary (population under 500, but voted Florida's Most Outstanding Rural Community in 2004... we wondered how many towns were awarded this prestigious title), Live Oak (where a woman told me that my journey across country would be more worthwhile if I were serving God and spreading His word) and most recently in Monticello (where a small group of riders and I feasted on a 7 dollar buffet of fried chicken and other southern uh.. delicacies, then baked cookies and gorged ourselves into oblivion).
We've spent quite a bit of time on highway US90, where tree farms and roadkill are all you see for 50 miles at a time. We've peed on the side of the road, stopped by flea markets selling suppositories and a dozen eggs, played the "cow game," and eaten more peanut butter than I have ever eaten in such a short period of time (and that's saying something, coming from a PB lover such as myself). Actually, in all honesty, we don't really stop eating. It's amazing.
Ok, I must sign off. If you're interested, feel free to post on the blog... questions, comments, queries, and I will be happy to respond!
LATER,
Er.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Prepare for Take-Off
let me state for the record that this is my first blog. surprisingly, or actually not so much, i'm nervous and i've written and deleted and rewritten this first sentence like eight times. so i thought i would let y'all know that. (okay, i get it, i can't say y'all yet, because i'm still in new york... but i'm just practicing!)
for those of you who don't know, i'm taking this summer to ride my bike across america. "what!??!," you say? let me explain. beginning on june 11th, 30 college students from all over the country and myself will be riding 3.529 miles from jacksonville, FL to san francisco, CA through an organization called Bike&Build to spread awareness about the affordable housing crisis in america, to raise money for organizations such as habitat for humanity, and to build a few homes along the way. (our primary build spot will be in new orleans).
anyway, my bike is my new best friend. she (nameless as of now - it's a shame, really) is a blue Specialized dolce, and quite the looker.... i'll post some pictures soon. for the past three weeks, we've stayed pretty local, doing loops around central park. each loop is 6.2 miles, and i try to do 4 loops every day. it's exciting to track my progress, to time myself and see how many minutes i've dropped from the first time i completed that ride, and to be able to keep up with the big guys all decked out in their team gear, perched elegantly on their beautiful multi-thousand dollar bicycles, with monster calf muscles. you judge the book by its cover? i judge the biker by his (or her) calves... suffice it to say, my calves aren't quite at that level YET, so either my method of judgment is off, or i've got some serious work cut out for me. regardless, i've been pedaling hard.
so, this is really just a quick note to get things (the blog) started. my goal is to post a funny anecdote, hardcore cycling moment, or other worthy news every few days (once a week at the very least), and to upload some photos of my journey just to keep you in the mix, give you a virtual tour of the country, and an up close and personal view of my glorious farmers tan.
till then, happy wednesday!
xo er
for those of you who don't know, i'm taking this summer to ride my bike across america. "what!??!," you say? let me explain. beginning on june 11th, 30 college students from all over the country and myself will be riding 3.529 miles from jacksonville, FL to san francisco, CA through an organization called Bike&Build to spread awareness about the affordable housing crisis in america, to raise money for organizations such as habitat for humanity, and to build a few homes along the way. (our primary build spot will be in new orleans).
anyway, my bike is my new best friend. she (nameless as of now - it's a shame, really) is a blue Specialized dolce, and quite the looker.... i'll post some pictures soon. for the past three weeks, we've stayed pretty local, doing loops around central park. each loop is 6.2 miles, and i try to do 4 loops every day. it's exciting to track my progress, to time myself and see how many minutes i've dropped from the first time i completed that ride, and to be able to keep up with the big guys all decked out in their team gear, perched elegantly on their beautiful multi-thousand dollar bicycles, with monster calf muscles. you judge the book by its cover? i judge the biker by his (or her) calves... suffice it to say, my calves aren't quite at that level YET, so either my method of judgment is off, or i've got some serious work cut out for me. regardless, i've been pedaling hard.
so, this is really just a quick note to get things (the blog) started. my goal is to post a funny anecdote, hardcore cycling moment, or other worthy news every few days (once a week at the very least), and to upload some photos of my journey just to keep you in the mix, give you a virtual tour of the country, and an up close and personal view of my glorious farmers tan.
till then, happy wednesday!
xo er
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