Honeymoon - Depoe Bay, OR - Day 3

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Everything is starting to sink in and dissipate at the same time. We are both relaxed and well-recovered. We started the day with the usual breakfast in the BandB… hard-boiled eggs, granola, fruit, yogurt Afterwards I went back to bed for a little while and Bozo went out and called her parents. Around 1:00pm we went out. It was a good thing but really we only went so they would clean our room. lol

We were going to do a drive but where we wanted to go was a little further than we'd wanted to travel and it was raining so we started in Depoe Bay. They have quite a few shops for such a small town but most of them are cheapie souvenir shops. There was one that sold local artists' work so that's where we spent the most money. We also made a stop at the Whale Watching Center where we found out that 0 whales have been spotted in the past 2 weeks. Phew! I was glad we hadn't missed seeing any during our stay so far.

Then we decided to have a seafood lunch. The original plan was to go out for a nice seafood dinner. But once we went back, it was unlikely we'd be willing to go out again! lol So this was a very good compromise. We went to Tidal Raves and had a great ocean view table. Bozo had Red Curry BBQd Shrimp and I had Pacific Snapper. Both were delicious!

From our view in the restaurant we could see a little beach cove and four people were down there. We went to explore and found a rope that you're supposed to follow and use to keep you from falling. I assumed there was probably a safer way but off Bozo went and, of course, I followed. The rope ended a little before we got to the bottom and with the drizzle, it was a little slippery. But we made it… and it was beautiful. A ton of slick black rocks and some shells along with some garbage, of course. I think I've been pretty clear in previous entries that I am not a huge fan of water and even less a fan of being in place where I could easily be trapped by water. So I explored in unease. The other four people down there were all over 70-years-old and were studying bugs. Apparently one of the men was a well-regarded entomologist who studies the chromosomes of bugs to learn more about evolution. One of the women had been his college student about 50 years ago. They teased us about coming down the rope, "I can't believe you came down that rope!" and Bozo laughed and asked if there is another way. The former student said, "No! But I can't believe WE came down that rope either!" and then showed us her dirty butt. lol We headed back up before they did.

Back in the room again. We puttered around, took another jacuzzi, looked at all the wedding photos we have so far, and then watched our annual scary Halloween movie. But Bozo was being a big baby about how scary the fog rolling in was and that we are basically alone in this Inn. I took pity and chose one I didn't think would be quite as scary. But then it just turned out to be cheesy. Darn! One time a year I get a chance to scare the bejeezus out of her and I blew it for the second time in a row. We saw "The Amityville Haunting." I do not recommend it!

Not a bad way to spend Halloween at all! Next year she's getting "Saw" though!

The fog, the swirling ocean below, and some rocks just to complete the Halloween effect!

Casini Ranch - DD-l - Day 3

Bozo got up early to take Satoko kayaking with Rachel and Natacha. There were out for awhile along the Russian River and it sounded like they had a good time and that Satoko did well paddling for the first time. I got to have some alone time to read and tend the fire. I made eggs over the fire, which were awesome. I'm getting better and better at making those! Then others started getting up and bringing their breakfast foods to our campsite. The peach cobbler from last night seemed to be the favorite breakfast item. lol

After breakfast, Bozo took me kayaking on the river. We thought the current was going the "wrong" way. Turns out there was a strong enough head wind to make the current nearly moot. We went in a couple circles trying to figure it out. ha! But we're new to kayaking and neither of us have been in an inflatable kayak so we get some slack. After we got the kayak back on shore, I went for a little swim. The water was like a bathtub where I was already wet. Then took my breath away as I dipped in deeper. Eventually it was all just warm and refreshing.

We spent a little more time at the campsite then Bozo took the bike to ask for our late check out. Turns out we needed to leave the campsite but we could stay in the park on the beach. Pressure packing is not the best way to end a camping trip. But we all got everything packed up. Bozo and Natacha went to get the kayaks to paddle them to the beach. I ran along the shore to find them in case they beached and needed a pull. Once they got the kayaks back to the beach, Natacha took Margaret-Rose for a paddle while Bozo and I packed up the other kayak. Heather went for a swim, a real swim like with laps. I went for a swim, a fake swim like playing around in the water just to cool off. Then we folded up the second kayak and off we went toward home.

A quick stop at Bubba's BBQ for a quick chicken BBQ sandwich and then home through just a little traffic and no median fires.

Thanksgiving Weekend at Petaluma KOA

November 21-24, 2012

We decided to spend Thanksgiving at Petaluma KOA this year in a cabin. They host a Thanksgiving dinner in which they provide the turkey and mashed potatoes while everyone else brings something to pass. It seemed like a nice opportunity to spend the holiday with people since we couldn't be with our families.

The RV area was quite crowded during the weekend. There didn't seem to be as many people in cabins though, which we liked. We walked into the cabin and immediately realized that there wasn't a heater in the cabin. That wouldn't usually be an issue except this time we brought our summer sleeping bags and less coverage for Blue. Eventually we found what we thought was the heater. Though it looked SO strange and was higher up on the ceiling. After a few seconds, we looked at each other and laughed because we realized there was a small flat screen television hanging above the door. Whoa! We have never stayed in a camping cabin with a television before! lol But that meant there really was no heater. Bozo called the office and asked that they bring us some kind of heater and they did end up bringing up a radiant heater with instructions not to have it plugged in while the television is on. AH! So that's why no heaters.

We spent a lot of the weekend lounging in the cabin. Thursday evening we took our bean salad to the main shelter and shared a meal with many families. In particular, we sat with a couple who is temporarily living at the KOA. Levonne has her own blog on that lifestyle as well. Her husband John works in or near Petaluma and they have a dog with them as well.

Petaluma is a city we have driven through a few times on our way to other places and have said that we wanted to check it out. On Friday we went downtown, got some food, put Blue in Cacciatore's stroller then walked around. I think we were both drained because as we were walking around, we certainly weren't as adventurous as we usually are. I haven't had much of a vacation since I started my new job so having 4 days to veg was a big deal. We stopped for BBQ at  Lombardi's BBQ on our way back to the cabin. Then went back to vegging.

Blue enjoyed sitting outside on the porch. The KOA is quite dog friendly so that made things much more enjoyable. Each cabin has a fire pit, picnic table, and grill. The cabins are a little close together so if they were all full, it might have been a somewhat different experience. The parking in front of the cabins was also too small. The back end of our vehicle stuck out. However, overall it was a very good experience.

Casini Ranch Camping - Day 3

We went to sleep without finding the keys. And, of course, Blue had a bit more difficult night. If we'd been able to get in the car, we could have gotten more food or possibly just let her sleep in there. This morning we were up early... anxious about the keys. We both went looking again. Nothing. Bozo headed up to the office when they opened at 8am. I began pulling everything we'd gone through about 4 times by then out of the tent. I went to put Bozo's sleeping pad out and there were the keys... under her pillow! lol What a relief.

So I opened up D'Azul's gate so Bozo would see it when she came around the corner. I asked one of the golf cart attendants to radio to the office to let them know I found them and that Bozo could return. She eventually did return and anyone could tell by how she was walking that she was dejected. And then she stopped and I could see her processing the open gate. Then... a big smile. She felt relief too! So she showed up with 2 grocery store coffees and an emergency box of Milk Bones for Blue. Aww! Those would have turned that dog's insides out I'm sure!

With out relief, we began visiting with the rest of the Trailerettes, some of whom were packing up and getting ready to head out. Eventually we started getting things ready to go. I'm not sure if it took us longer with our tent or them longer with all their decorations to pack up! lol

The drive home was very easy! We overrode Paddam and took our own way, which ended up being better than hers by a long shot. So much for electronics being smarter than us! We stopped at an Italian restaurant along the way that Bozo has wanted to stop at each time we've passed. Yummy fisn 'n' Chips!! (I'll find the name of the place later. I can't remember right now.)

A nice weekend of camping with an awesome bunch of women in the coolest camping trailers you will ever see!

Salt Point State Park with DD-l - Day 3

As usual, the final day of car camping is mainly about taking things down and getting everything back in the vehicle. We did spend some morning time having breakfast together. Then Natacha and Morgan took off to hike up to the Pygmy Forest. I was content to sit and read for awhile as I had not gotten much chance to do that on this trip.

The noisy people were again noisy. But it was funny because I made the comment at about 1am that they were being quiet and how nice that was. And then they got noisy. Geez! Shoulda kept my mouth shut! I think we all slept pretty well though.

We all set off on our own trips home. Rachel and Natacha made it out first. Morgan followed not long after with plans to take a different long scenic way home. Bozo and I finished up and got the campsite cleaned up better than it was when we got there.

We had lunch in Jenner at Cafe Aquatica. The food was good. Huge sandwiches. But sadly I could not taste the difference between the albacore tuna and the chicken salad sandwich. I think that's a problem! But whichever one I ended up eating was good. Bozo liked hers too. lol

Then it was a beeline home. Blue seemed to be back to not feeling well after having an okay evening. So we got home early in the evening. Got everything put away, had some dinner, and relaxed.

I think it was a pretty successful first time planning in Cali trip for us!!

AIDS/LifeCycle 11 - Day Three

King City to Paso Robles

Distance - 63.74
Time - 4.24.08
Avg Speed - 14.5mph
Max Speed - 38.0mph

Ahh Quadbuster! Gotta love it! The first part of the ride was pretty uneventful. And then the first rest stop, which means that Quadbuster is not far ahead. This climb is pretty steep at 1500 feet but the kicker is the last bit that inclines even more. This makes is a struggle to keep one's rhythm all the way to the top. But it's really just a matter of just that... rhythm. Doesn't matter how fast or how slow as long as you keep moving. I generally focus about 5 feet in front of me and just count either 1-2 or 1-2-3-4 unless I'm standing and then I count to 8. Some people sing when they are under duress. I heard a lot of singing on this climb. (= Good or bad voices, it helps to take my mind off what I'm doing for a moment. To be honest, the summit was a bit disappointing. There are usually speakers and many people encouraging the riders on. Teammates can stop and cheer on their slower members. But there were some military exercises going on so we could not use the whole lane as in the past. So everyone had to keep moving. Bummer! One tradition did continue. Team Mary FLEW back down the hill to encourage the rest of us up. I like that they do that!

The rest of the ride is pretty much downhill and then flat with some rollers. There were some head and side winds to contend with that were not fun at all. It was a relief to stop at the last Rest Stop, which was the Best Little 4 House in Texas. They did some dancing and passed around a bucket to raise more money for ALC. We got there just as they finished the performance but there are videos and we heard all about it as well. For more about the Rest Stop 4 crew, you can check out their Facebook page.

When we got into camp, Bozo and Blue weren't there. Bummer! This camp is a "Mid-State Fair Fairgrounds" so a lot of the services are actually indoors instead of in tents. I picked up my gear and was setting up my tent when another (male) rider came up and asked if I understand the whole grid concept. I couldn't tell if he was being helpful or a tool. He asked if I'd like some help with the tent and I said, "If you'd like to help, I'd take it." He said, "I don't want to" and walked away. lol Guess I know now that he was being a tool! This is unusual on ALC!

Then Bozo showed up. Yay! She was going to help me put up my tent but I started asking how long of a drive to the KOA where she is staying. I decided it was worth it to go stay with her and be a semi-princess (it's a camping cabin afterall). The time it would take to drive back to camp in the morning would be similar to the time it would take me to break my tent down. So I was IN!

With that choice made, we headed directly to the massage building. I ended up getting Scott, the massage therapist I had met at one of our Team Sacramento meetings so that was cool. Got his card so I could go see him for a proper (longer than 15 minutes) massage. But he worked the kinks out of my shoulders and upper back as well as my calves. Then he suggested I go to chiropractic since I was all loose and let them work on my lower back. Great suggestion!! I did that and also got right in. Daniel did a great job stretching me out and giving me an adjustment. Tomorrow is 97 miles so this was VERY good timing for these services.

By the time I was done there, dinner was open. So off we went to get some food that I would take with me. I ate in the car as we drove to the KOA in Santa Margarita where I was able to get a dismal shower and do some laundry with iron-filled water! lol But... I slept SO hard and well, it was definitely a good choice. Bozo apparently took Blue out twice during the night and both the inside and screen doors are very squeaky. I heard nothing! Very nice!!

Thankscamping in Sonoma - Day 3

Day 3 - time to go home. Everything was wet when we got up. So we took our time hoping that things would dry out. But they didn't really so we'd have to hang it all up at home to let it dry thoroughly.

Not too exciting... but just another day to relax. This is my first time having more than a 3-day weekend so I needed to recover from the quarter. And then I still worked! lol But it as worth it! I think we all needed the fresh air.

We got home while it was still light out. AND... another day off tomorrow. THAT is awesome!!

Yellow River State Forest - Day 3

We woke to frost on the ground. Whoa! I told you it was cold! Lorrie got up and got the fire started again. That certainly helped. Emma Blue had drunk most of the rest of our water through the night so we decided to just pack it up and head out to the car where I could make breakfast with the water we had there. Of course we had to sit and enjoy the fire for a little while first. And we had some dried fruit and nuts to keep hunger at bay. We were able to pack up pretty quickly though the tent was still pretty wet from the frost. Then I shook the rainfly and accidentally got the sleeping pads wet. While Lorrie was in the tent. Oops!

We were out of there around 10:30am. We walked back toward Ash Trail but then took a left toward "Headquaters." lol I love signs with misspelling! Must have been made by someone in New Yawk! Not a statement on New Yorkers' spelling abilities... just say "Headquaters" out loud and you'll understand.

So the uphill singletrack we did yesterday became downhill singletrack today. Yay! That was much easier. Though I know eventually downhill can become very difficult and painful, it did not this time. We made it out to the car in about 45 minutes. Not bad! When we got there some people from the other campsite that we'd waved to as we left were sitting at their car. Apparently they had taken the Fire Tower Road and it was much quicker. But we weren't looking for quick as we wanted to draw this out as much as possible. As we were changing clothes and getting things put away, the group of girls with their leaders also came out. They were very excited about being back at the car and were very cute about it!

Back on the road toward home, we stopped at a cafe along the river in Lansing, Iowa for some lunch. There were still many signs of the flooding from last week apparent. On the road and home. An awesome first backpacking trip for Lorrie and a great Birthday Backpacking Trip for myself!!

Devil's Track Lake Campground - Day 3

Got up at 5:30am. But we didn’t know at the time that it was so early. But we were all wide awake. So we went outside and started working on breakfast. We thought it was overcast. But really the sun hadn’t risen! lol As Lorrie was doing breakfast, I checked the time in my car. We had a good laugh about that!

When we were first stepping out of our tent, there were 4 poodles standing at the opening to our site looking at us. They started barking so Emma and Tori barked back. That loud group was already up and apparently they didn’t think their dogs needed leashes. When we walked to the bathroom, they barked some more. I’m sure the other campers appreciated that noise so early!

After sunrise and breakfast, we went back to bed. I feel like my metabolism is still on Red Ribbon Ride speeds so I’m hungry often. I think that’s part of why I have been waking up so early. I’m HUNGRY! But I don’t eat a lot because I’m not riding 70 miles a day so then I get hungry again soon. Anyway… we slept a few more hours before really getting up. Lorrie needed to check her for phone messages so while she and Tori did that, Emma and I moved the chairs down by the lake and played some fetch in the water with some driftwood. She didn’t really get into it until Tori came back. Aww! (= We played down there until lunchtime... heated organic frozen burrito. Very nice to have the lake in our backyard!

At that point, we needed to decide if we were going to stay another day. At first I didn’t want to because of that loud large group. Then we realized that they had “disappeared.” Obviously while we were playing. Anyway, we decided to head toward home thinking we could camp another place along the way if we chose to. A very dark cloud started coming our way, with thunder, just as Lorrie took off the rainfly. It sprinkled a little but we got everything down and in the car very quickly. I’m getting pretty good at packing that car! (= Emma and Tori were already sitting in the backseat watching us the whole time. They always seem to know when to jump in. We drove into Grand Marais and stopped at the outdoor store, the coffeehouse, and a jewelry maker. It was a little chilly there next to the water but it felt good.

We took our time heading back. Stopped for lunch at the restaurant outside Two Harbors with the double decker bus out front. Half pound burger for me, BLT for Lorrie and we were good! From Two Harbors, we took the scenic drive to Duluth. The first half was totally trees and tiny glimpses of Lake Superior. We had to laugh at that “scenery!” Then it go beautiful with the road right up again the water. We saw a few signs along the way for the MS TRAM, a bike ride that Lorrie and I did last year and a couple of her friends did this year. That was kinda cool. They had ridden there early this morning. The drive from Duluth to home was pretty basic. No fun stops. Just potty and food stops for the dogs…. and avoiding I-35 as soon as possible!

I don’t think either of us could be any more well rested or relaxed after this weekend!

Red Ribbon Ride - Day 3

Route - Rochester to Northfield

Distance = 71.82 miles
Time = 5.07.53
Average speed = 14.0 mph
Maximum speed = 35.5 mph
Odometer = 3346.8 miles

Another bad night of sleep. Arrgh! This time is was my own fault though. I thought I was being smart just taking out my sleeping bag liner to sleep in so I wouldn’t get hot. I couldn’t shut down my brain for awhile after I got in and I had a quick conversation with Lorrie. She was at her friend Marv’s going away party. I fell asleep for about 30 minutes and then Lorrie texted me and woke me up. Ha! So then it took me awhile again and I was in and out of sleep. At about 2am I realized I was awake so much because I was cold. I know that should be an easy conclusion to come to but think about all I’ve done the last couple days on very little sleep. I was a little out of it. Then I had to pee but didn’t want to get up. So much thought. In my daze I was also thinking I didn’t want to pull my sleeping bag out. Though it takes about 30 seconds to pull out and a minute to put away in the morning. Eventually I went into the middle school where we were camping so I could pee (I know, TMI!). Then had a clear enough head to pull out my sleeping bag. And I slept awesome for those 2 hours from 3am to 5am! Got up and did the routine. Cycling clothes on, threw all my stuff in my bag, packed sleeping bag, and rolled up sleeping pad. Then inside for breakfast. Eggs and oatmeal, potatoes, a banana, and soy milk. Typical. Back outside to take my wet tent down. It wasn’t raining but it was very dewy and foggy.

I got over to the bike corral near 6:30am. Good job! Thomas, Kelli, and John were still standing there so we took off together. We stayed together for a little while then I had to stop for water with one of the support cars. I had forgotten that last night when we pulled in I had added Gatorade to my water. Disgusting! There was a ½ pit stop at one of the Rochester Chipotle restaurants. They had mini donuts, which killed me not to have. But with 70+ miles to go, donuts aren’t going to cut it. Didn’t stay there long. Kelli, Thomas, and John had taken off but John was stopped at a light so I caught up to him. He took off to catch up with them and I went my usual speed. I had a moment thinking how glad I was that I don’t have the mentality of having to “keep up” all the time, that I’m okay riding alone. A few moments later, I saw John flip on his bike and fall into the road. By the time I got up there, he was up and had checked his bike. He said he and the bike were both okay and that he just wanted to take a moment to compose himself. So I took off figuring he would pass me up soon. Got to the next pit stop and told Kelli and Thomas about John. They laughed and asked if he was okay. Such is the nature of our team. We all took off from there (Douglas) and headed to the next pit stop. I have to mention that this first pit stop was a “tribute” to Northfield and the Jesse James Gang. Cowboys, sheriff, a bank, etc. It was cute. (= John ended up missing the 2^nd Pit Stop and went directly to the 3^rd Pit Stop. Said he felt out of it.

At lunch, Eric’s Bike Shop showed up so I had to wait and see if this mechanic could fix what the one from last night messed up. Arrgh! Why did I let them touch my bike? I’ve never had a good experience at Eric’s so I thought I would give them another chance. Dumb! I don’t have access to several of my gears after I asked the mechanic last night to help me get access to the one I was having trouble with. The mechanic today didn’t make it better but made it different so I could at least do some creative shifting to get the access I needed on the few larger hills. Guess I’m going back to Milltown Cycles! And now I get why most of my team supported The Alt instead of Eric’s in the pre-ride preparation!

After that, I rode most of the route on my own. Between Pit Stop 4 and Pit Stop 5, I literally did not see another rider the entire time. Weird! I think I wrote this before but I often feel alone in this ride. I think because I was near the front today, I got less attention from the road crew as well. Didn’t see them on that particular stretch either. Thank God for the yellow arrows or I would feel like I was going the wrong direction! (=

Lorrie and Darshi were waiting for me at the 5^th (Nerstrand) Pit Stop. That was awesome! Tori and Emma Blue were with them too. (= Didn’t spend much time there since I was almost done for the day. But I got them and me some snacks before taking off. “The Last Big Hill” (for real) was coming up. Out of Nerstrand, the route took me down a road I had not ridden before, I think it was something Valley View Road. It felt strange to be “lost” in my own neighborhood. There were a bunch of big rolling hills before the last big one. It was pretty intimidating to look up at so I just had to keep telling myself I’ve done bigger. Another rider rode up with me, which I know was supposed to be encouraging. But it was actually more annoying. It’s great that some of the stronger riders stay back and help those who need the encouragement. I just wasn’t one of those people today. (= The people along the side of the road and the homemade rap were awesome. The cheering is a great part! It was also cool because Thomas, Kelli, and John were waiting for me at the top. That made me feel good! So, except for Jean, we all rode in together.

This day was also full of potholes. That was very hard on my arms, hands, butt, and lower back. For some of them, I was thinking it was good to be alone so I could see the holes clearly. I kept worrying about the groups of riders where the 3^rd or 4^th person wouldn’t hear the first person while the 2^nd person is trying to avoid and not pointing well. I’m sure a few people went over their handlebars on those. )=

Once at the Northfield Middle School, I just had to wait for my personal shuttle (Lorrie) to pick me up and take me home. To my own shower! Yay! Darshi and Bhanti were at the house and they all watched Kung Fu while I took a nap. After they left, I took a shower and got ready. Lorrie and I drove back out to The Last Big Hill and cheered for the last few people coming in. It’s amazing to see such determination.

Back to the school for dinner – pasta – and “Friends and Family Night.” Good pasta! Then Jeanie White was introduced by our pastor Paul and Jeanie spoke about her son Ryan White. That was pretty powerful! She was very “down home” except when talking about Elton John or Michael Jackson as close friends of the family. Toward the end, I was getting pretty fidgety and ready to sleep.

Afterwards, I asked Cheryl, the physical therapist who had worked on my Achilles, to take a look at Lorrie's ankle. She said it look like a packed sausage! lol She said we had been wrapping it wrong and making the swelling worse. Oops! So she put a funky tape job on it and then the Ace ("tenser" as Lorrie calls it) bandage on and explained how it should be done. It was VERY nice of her to do that! After we grabbed our Tiramisu and some fruit, we headed home. I am REALLY hoping for a good night sleep!

BWCA II - Day 3

Travel - None. Stayed at the Campsite on Slim Lake

The ultimate in relaxation! Lorrie and I lounged around the camp most of the day. Sue and Terry went out fishing and exploring for most of the morning. We all got up and had breakfast together then they left and we commenced our lounging. Lorrie made a nude beach of our rock and I laid in the hammock most of the day. I read, slept, and tried to stay in the breeze and out of the sun. Lorrie meditated, read, and sunned herself. At some point we noticed Terry and Sue's canoe was parked across the lake (Slim Lake) where there is an unused and somewhat hidden portage. We figured they were exploring the portage. We ate lunch on our "food rock." Summer sausage on tortillas, pringles, cheese and some trail mix. Pretty good! Terry and Sue made it back around 2pm or so. They said the unused portage was beautiful... though long. They suggested we go check it out. But we felt lazy. We all took naps after their return. lol All that lounging made us tired! We started with a cool tent and a nice breeze. Then it rained a little so we had to put the fly down, which made it a tad warm. Eventually we were all up and ready for dinner. Sweet and sour chicken stir fry. We are definitely eating well! It tasted good but my stomach was starting to react to some of the food. Just because it was all mixed up. Sometimes I do better with meat here and the rest there. Nothing major. Just don't like going back to the privy! (= I am SO bit up already! It's not even funny! My recovery from all those bits and a little sunburn was partially the reason we stayed at camp today. Yeah, it's all my fault! (=

After dinner we all loaded into canoes to explore the other campsite on the lake. From our site, it looked so much nicer because it was high on a rock and we assumed had nice breezes. But really it was not nearly as nice and the tent sites were out of the breeze area. So we were happy with ours. Sue and Terry did more fishing and we cruised around the lake while I practiced my steering, which seems to be getting better by the way. Back at camp I started an awesome fire! Lorrie organized the test. We all just did our own thing until we ended up by the fire. At some point we all joked that we weren't as tired and could make it past 9pm tonight! Sue said it was already 9:30pm! Wow! We eventually petered out and got sick of the bugs. So to our tents we went. We chatted and joked some back and forth and were waiting for A STAR! (= I finally saw the first star of the week. Once everyone saw it, we could go to sleep. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to since I had slept and relaxed so much. That ended up not being a problem! We started again with the rain fly open to get the breeze. That lasted all night this time!

Boundary Waters (Day 3 - August 9, 2007

I woke up before sunrise and laid there hoping that I would be able to sleep some more. But I couldn't. I probably got 7 hours of sleep and that was just fine. I couldn't get comfortable anymore and my arms kept falling asleep. My fingers were also extremely swollen! I knew I would be sore this morning because of the new muscle movement. But it still sucked! And no ibuprofin for me. ::sigh:: So I just waited. Lorrie woke up about the same time the sky started to lighten. She gave me a little hug, then crawled over me to get up and out of the tent. She went off to have some alone time. I got up a few moments later and went a different direction to read by the water. The temperature was great for shorts and a sweatshirt, which is perfect! We met up a little later and spent some time together before Amy got up. She slept 'til about 7am! lol We came back up to camp and started getting some of the things together and bringing down the food bags. Amy got up about that time. She made Trail McMuffins this morning. They were awesome.... yes, even with salami. Is salami the same as summer sausage? The Italian would know this but I don't! So I use them interchangeably! I apologize if this offends anyone! lol Basically she mixed bisquick in a bag and then used the bag like a baker's frosting tool. No, I'm sorry, I don't know what that is called either. So you figured out I don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen! lol Anyway, that's how she made the muffin part. Then she used powdered eggs and we sliced the salami. Simple as that! And it was awesome! Could be that I was really really hungry! But whatever, it tasted great! We worked together to get the rest of camp taken down and cleaned up and were back on the water by about 9:30am.

Lorrie started out in stern (rear) position steering and Amy was in bow (front). This worked for me since my arms were killing me. Lorrie took us in 2 or 3 circles before we got going forward! heheh We basically had to head straight across the lake to a beach area where there was a little inlet into our next lake, Little Gunflint. We weaved and circled our way over there. Lorrie was trying to decide if she should keep trying to steer. But when we got to the entrance to the inlet, she said, "No way!" lol It was really narrow and windy. I guess she figured we'd be bouncing back and forth from shore to shore like a pinball. I probably would have peed my pants laughing so it was a good choice! lol So Amy went to stern and Lorrie to bow. I stayed at Duffer. Great for sightseeing, I gotta tell ya. Although being in bow is great too because stern does all the steering. So you can just paddle and not worry much about where you're going... unless there's a rock or something in the way. Maybe that's only the case when you have a guide! lol If we were out here alone, we'd both have to be paying close attention! (= Anyway, lots of swampy beauty here. Gazillions of lilypads. Amy and Lorrie had a discussion about which lilypad was edible on top. One they agreed was edible at the root but neither were sure about the top. I just thought they were pretty. I'm pretty unlikely to dive down to the bottom to dig up a root to eat at this point. Maybe that information will come in handy in the future! Little Gunflint was definitely a little lake. Within what seemed like a short time we were heading into our next inlet. This one is extremely narrow and often has too little water to paddle, which would mean our first portage. There seemed to be enough water so they were going for it. One interesting thing was that it was "flowing" like a river against us. Amy gave us the disclaimer that "campers" are not supposed to go on white water at all. This was far from white water but she was covering her ass. She told Lorrie to speed up her strokes so they could paddle against the current. Immediately upon entering the inlet we hit ground. lol It bears mentioning that feeling the rocks on my ass was pretty funny! Perhaps I was just giddy this morning! A definitely possibility! ANYWAY, Amy told Lorrie to get out so they could pull it. I started to get out and she told me I could stay in there! HA! So Princess Jennifer was pulled through this gorgeous inlet by two women in life jackets! The photo shows my view. I did a few "float waves" and then settled down. Like I said... giddy! We made it out of the inlet without issue and were into Little North Lake. We circled around the entrance a little. Apparently there was a train station there at one point. We saw the platform under water but couldn't make out the tracks. That was pretty interesting. Something about our logger history and everything ending up under water once the ice melted. Apparently in the winter, they would build tracks on the ice to transport logs and such. We crossed Little North Lake and it seemed like we were getting more into the wilderness like we wanted. Before we would see people periodically and now it felt like we were totally alone. From Little North Lake to North Lake there was an 80 Rod portage. 1 Rod = 1 canoe. Lorrie decided there was no time like the present to learn how this whole thing works. So we heaved the canoe onto her shoulders and off she went! AWESOME! Amy carried the lighter Duluth Pack and the day pack. I carried the heavier Duluth Pack, a paddle and the Nalgene bottles. I was directly behind Lorrie and I have to say that it was amazing to see her carrying the canoe like that. We had practiced taking steps with it at Camp Menogyn. But that is completely different than carrying it on a trail, with rocks and such. Just amazing! And she just did it. No comment, no question, no whining. Done! lol She did the whole thing then bridged at the water so Amy could put it in. It was extremely rocky there so I would say an excellent choice to let the guide do that part. If it was just us, we would likely have set it down then carried it upright with each of us on one end into the water. Amazing!

After that, we were going to have lunch but decided to cross North Lake first and eat on the other side. I took over the bow position with Amy still at stern. We, by Amy's report, crossed the lake at about 3 mph, which she basically said was unexpected for a couple of old ladies! lol She was more diplomatic than that of course! I felt stiff for just a few moments and then seemed to loosen up pretty quickly. It almost felt better to be moving my arms again than it did for them to be still. We crossed over the lake and went for a little beach in the calmest clearest water I have ever seen in my life. We could see what I think were walleye swimming around near the bottom among huge boulders created by glaciers. Just amazing! We pulled onto the beach then. I should mention that one of the Menogyn rules is that the canoe bottom does not touch the ground. So the person in bow position has to jump out into the water before the canoe gets close enough to touch rocks. Basically our feet are always wet. That's not such a big deal. But it's difficult getting used to jumping onto uneven slippery rocks. The general tendency is to set one foot out and try to stop like that. But there are lots of potential "splitting" injuries that can occur that way. So the best way is to jump out, both feet first, and just grab the canoe. I have NOT perfected this move by this stop! lol So it feels very uncoordinated. But I do get out and I do keep the canoe from hitting anything. I have done my job! (= This beach and campsite and beautiful! I almost wished we were at the end of the day so we could just stay here! We were getting a little loopy by this time. We were all hungry and definitely thirsty. I, for one, should have been drinking more water. Then Amy said we all should have already drank 1 Nalgene bottle. Oops! I don't think any of us had drunk even half. Not good. Dizzy giggly women trying to park a canoe on slippery rocks. Hmm! For lunch we had a conglomeration: Matt food, chunk of chocolate, hummus, pemmican, cheese chunks, tortillas, dried (rock hard) fruit, salami cut on the paddle, and trail bread. The trail bread was given to us, and everyone else going on trail, yesterday. It's a bon voyage tradition. The hummus was fun for me! It was dried so we just had to add water into the plastic bag. Easy right? Ha! Remember... I don't spend much time in the kitchen! lol I dumped what I thought was a little bit of water in the bag. I look up and both Lorrie and Amy are laughing at me. I don't get it! lol Amy said that I had put the exact right amount of water in there but that dumping it in all at once was not recommended. HA! Well if it's right, it's right! (= It actually did need more water. But it was pretty good. That might have been my favorite part of lunch. Lorrie's was the chocolate! lol The bread and cheese were good too. I have to mention that we brought 3 big chunks of cheddar cheese out here. Whoever said that cheese has to be refrigerated!?? lol Not so! It gets a little slimey after a couple days. But still tastes good. Apparently they eat it out on their very long trips as well. I would really like to see that! Amy said if we do that not to touch the cheese because it feels gross and maybe that it does something to the cheese. I can't remember. I'm sure it's extremely slimey! lol ANYWAY, we finished eating and were feeling a little less loopy. Amy was going down to the canoe to get something and she slipped on one of the rocks. She hit her lower back on the point of a rock. Ouch! I know that bruised! I, of course, laughed! What is wrong with me!!?? So then we had to explain to her my "laughing when others fall" disorder. It's from watching too much "Jackass" and "America's Funniest Home Videos!" As we got ready to leave I couldn't find the "biff." In that case, we take a little shovel and dig ourselves a little hole to bury everything in. (= Nice eh?!

The portage from lunch was about 1/2 mile so I paddled over there. Then I carried the canoe on the 60 Rod portage. It was up and down, rocky, and the worst, roots! I hate roots on mountain bike and now I hate them on portages. They get so slippery and there's no rhyme or reason to them. It was pretty difficult. I rarely use my shoulders in that way so I was dying by the end. Even when I work out I am weak on shoulder lifts. But now I know the importance of working harder on them! (= I also need more experience in getting it well balanced. I know it would have hurt less had it been in the "sweet spot." But it wasn't and I still made it. I did the same thing at the end and let Amy portage it into the water. I don't feel sure-footed enough to take that on in the rocks and such.

Lorrie took over paddling duties in the bow position. Poor Amy, she was still in stern. That's why she gets paid the big bucks I guess! (= Just as we were pulling out into the water, Amy or Lorrie saw a moose standing right by the entrance. It was amazing! He was younger and had no antlers. But I could still see his power. He just watched us... seemingly to make sure we kept going away from him. But continued eating and never really flinched. Wow! I believe he was on the Canada side. My first moose!! We also saw a huge number of loons. This is sad since I grew up in Minnesota and they are the state bird... but I did not know that they could dive and swim under water. Amy said they also have some difficulty flying compared to other birds. Hmm! We also came very close to a Blue Heron, who flew away quickly. Lorrie was extremely happy about that one! (= As we paddled along, we ran into another guide from Menogyn who was on a personal trip with friends. We let them pass and they stayed ahead... further and further ahead! lol After crossing North Lake, we had a 4 rod portage into Rose Lake. We tried to just pick up the canoe with everything in it. Futile! LOL It must of have looked funny! So we unloaded most of the stuff and then just hauled the canoe, upright, over to the other side where we re-loaded it and were off. Seems like it would be easy... and I guess it was but it was a pain to take everything out for such a short portage. About that time, clouds started rolling in a little. Nothing too scary but definitely noticeable. Not far off shore and a light sprinkle started. That turned into rain. Then Amy told us to turn around and look back at the black line on the water coming our direction. That was a downpour making it's way toward us! lol They paddled over toward the shore so we weren't out in the open for lightening. Thunder was incredible. It was crazy watching that line come at us and then it hit! Holy crap it hit! It was beautiful! But as duffer, I froze my ass off! It was basically Jennifer soup in the bottom of the canoe. Eventually my body temperature warmed up the water in the bottom on the canoe! lol But my exposed skin was cold and I was started to chatter. We came across a "not so great" site that we decided to pass up. But that was not before Amy ran up to grab more camp booty... 2 towels and a water container. We put the towels, wet, over my legs and I felt 10x better! Back to paddling toward the "best" site. We finally got there and the other Menogyn guide had taken it! Doh! So off we go again. At this point we were on the opposite side of "Bottlecap Mtn," which incidentally looks a lot like a bottle cap! We finally got to the second campsite, which was unoccupied. Thank God!! The rain had stopped some so we got unloaded. I was soaked! Once everything was up at the campsite, we were able to get into our warm clothes. Immediate warmth! What a relief! We got the tent up and started getting things organized for dinner. Amy put up and extra rainfly to cook under in case it started raining again. We didn't end up needing it but it was useful for the clothesline it provided as well. All our wet things were hanging up there... unlikely to dry completely of course. Amy made shepherd's pie for dinner, which was incredible! I am loving trail food on this trip! We were pretty hungry so she made popcorn first as an appetizer. For the shepherd's pie, she used the same bisquick trick, hydrated some dehydrated potatoes, mixed vegetables, and peas. Layered it all and voila! I'm sure Emily (English friend) would not have been very impressed. But for a camping American, it was great! We had hot chocolate afterwards instead of the apple pie, which was on the menu. We were all too full! lol Lorrie and I took care of the dishes and Amy did some organizing and hung the food bag. We watched sunset and spent some time together exploring a little. The view from this campsite is INCREDIBLE! It's elevated above the water and the view is framed perfectly by trees. We didn't see any, but there was evidence of beaver activity. That would have been an interesting animal to see in the wild! We'd seen numerous dams but no beavers. /= We're in bed at 9pm as we plan to get up very early to hike over to Rose Waterfall and watch sunrise from there. Before going to sleep, we talk about our high point and low point! heheh My high point was my successful portage. I was pretty proud of myself!

I'm also supposed to note Lorrie's fall when we were unloading the canoe here. )= I laughed like an idiot. My stupid disorder! It's like Tourette's or something. She was bruised a little but not injured. Phew! Can you imagine if I laughed and she got injured. What a jerk!

TRAM (Day 3 - July 25, 2007)

Park Rapids, MN to Wadena, MN

Distance = 53.28
Time = 3.54.47

Max speed = 30.5
Average speed = 13.0 mph

Well our time of not taking down the tent was over! Got up around 5am and started packing things up. We're starting to get our system down pretty well. We went back to The Great Northern Cafe again for breakfast. It was fast, close, and the food was good. Jan ordered French toast that ended up being an entire, long-cut, half of a French bread. Holy crap that looked good... and huge! Wish I had seen that before. But I stuck with my eggs... minus the weird looking ham steaks from yesterday! (= Lorrie and I took off with Tim and Heidi. We rode through a residential area for awhile trying to avoid crossing a very busy street with gravel that was under construction. We asked a construction worker at some point if we were going the right direction and he pointed us onward. It finally paid off and we were back on track. Those two took off and we rode on. Daryl had decided to go balls to the walls with Bill so they were off and running I'm sure. I didn't know where Jan, Brian, or Jeanie were but Jan and Brian had left earlier than anyone. Brian had to go to a memorial service and was also trying to do multiple 100-mile rides so he was often off doing his own thing. So we rode. And it was HOT... again. That's becoming a theme eh? I find that I don't mind the heat so much. But it was also windy. That, as I wrote along time ago, I have made friends with. Wind is there, I am there, we can co-exist. But it's hard! Somewhere along the way, we were climbing and these 3 guys came along and passed us. But then they seemed to slow down. Do I hooked onto their back and tried to communicate Lorrie to jump on my wheel. She did and we got a nice little ride into the first rest stop! It's amazing how much easier it is to peddle while drafting! And I did need a bit of a rest by that time. We pulled into the first stop just as Daryl was coming out. It looked very small and he said it was a madhouse. We agreed that we should just push onto the second rest stop and avoid this crowd. So off into the wind we went! The photo is of us not long after leaving that first rest stop. We rode awhile not talking or anything but just hanging out in the wind. Eventually we got onto the wheels of a man and his son. It's interesting how that happens. They too were passing on a hill and then slowed down so I caught them. And then they were going the same speed we had been going. My theory is that their egos made them pass us and then they were stuck in front. HA! Sometimes it's good to be a woman. Well, most of the time! Anyway, that's just a theory. We hung with them for quite awhile. Then we got to a hill and they slowed way down. So I went on and Lorrie stayed back with them. I found out later that she started talking to them and they had done this ride a long time ago when the son was really young. So now that he is older, in his 20s or so, they decided to do it again. I thought that was really cool! I rode with an older gentleman for a little while and then he got behind a long line of about 10 people riding together. They all kept braking and being weird so I pulled out ahead of them. They all passed me again and did the same weird stuff so I got in front again. Strange! I passed a very small woman who jumped on my wheel and said the wind was killing her. So I dragged her most of the way to the rest stop. But there was a hill right before the rest stop so I had to speed up to climb that. (= But she got in okay. I figured it was the least I could do after having my butt hauled all over the Minnesota countryside. Lorrie showed up a few minutes later and we ran into Daryl who had cracked from Bill's pace. He hung out with us for a little while giving Lorrie a massage. That ended up being a pretty long rest stop. There was a long line for the toilet and it was a hike to get there. The rest stop was on someone's farm. They had set up a big tent and were selling food... including rhubharb slushies or something like that. Daryl said he wanted to ride with us for awhile so we started to take off. I forgot my water bottle by the toilets so I went back to grab it. Then off we went. A bit down the road, I told them to go ahead while I stopped to photograph some scenery.... and my finger! It really is gorgeous farmland. I think you can still see that! lol In my defense, this camera is one of those disposables. But really, I should be smart enough to avoid my own finger! lol ANYWAY! Back on the bike and riding into the wind to catch up to those two. Daryl dragged us for a few moments and then took off on his own. So we just did our thing. Lorrie took the lead for a little bit to give me a break in the wind. She hadn't done that before so it was nice of her and good lesson for her. She laughed because she had no idea how much work I'd been doing on all those windy training rides. Well now she knows and now she gets to take her turn! (= What's funny is that when she gets in front of me, I have a difficult time keeping up with her. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that. But her legs are WAY strong! We worked our way through the route and got to Wadena without issue. However, we did ride on a trail that seemed like it took forever. It felt at first like we were almost there. And then it just kept going and going and going. Then we turned a corner and BAM... there it was! lol Relief! The park was big but we found our group pretty quickly. Bill had been there awhile and said he'd picked up a ton of goose shit in our area but there was probably more. So I started picking it up too. GROSS! lol We went and got our stuff from the trucks, which seemed to just be arriving for some reason. So we had to drag it all across the field. Not a biggie. Same routine with the tent, showering, etc. All I can say was that it was sweltering out. We were so desperate to get somewhere cool, it was crazy. Everyone was in but Jeanie so we waited for her while getting organized. She finally showed up and said she'd had a flat right after the first rest stop and then had ridden on the rim back to the stop. Daryl told me to slap her! lol Wadena was a little further from the park so we had to take a bus into town. Bill had showered but was already getting soaked in sweat because of the heat. And of course the school bus had no air. Can I emphasize the heat any more?? Got into town and b-lined it for a local watering hole. We at what I thought was dinner but it was only about 2pm so it turned out to be lunch I guess. I told you, time was difficult to keep track of! I should wear a watch I guess. At some point we realized the Tour de France was on the tv in the bar area and it was a major climb. So a few of us grabbed our salads and stood in there to watch. Lots of drama going on in that race this year with the leader being kicked out for doping. Seems like there were a few people kicked out. That done, we sat down to eat. It was still so hot no one wanted to go outside. So we moved from the dining area to the bar area and a few of them resumed their drinking. Lorrie and I went down the street to a coffee house with numerous computers which was geared toward teenagers. We waited for a free computer for a little while then I asked how we could sign up for one. The barista asked a couple of kids to give theirs up while they were playing a game. They were very cool about it. We checked our email and messed around some. We checked the weather and it was in the 100 degree range. See? I was not exaggerating! And we shared an coffee smoothie. Yummmm! They closed at 5pm but the barista said we could stay while he was cleaning, which I was thought was exceptionally nice! We went back over to the bar eventually and they were still drinking away. There was a movie theatre across the street so we went and saw a movie around 7pm. Ahh 2 hours of coolness! We saw Chuck and Dave. Tim and Heidi went to see Harry Potter and while we were sitting there, Brian and Jan came into our theatre too. Ha! We're so smart! The movie was not very good... but that didn't really matter! (= Afterwards, we got a ride back to the park with Brian and Jan since Brian still had his van. The first photo below is me and Lorrie outside the theater. The other is Brian, Jan, and my damn finger outside the theatre! lol By this time it had only slightly cooled off. I figured we'd head back to the park, see what the others were up to and then head off to bed. When we got there, we were walking past the entertainment stage and there everyone but Heidi and Tim were. Dancing and jumping around to the music. So we stopped and watched. Looked like they were having a pretty good time. They must have found an liquor store in town too. Although I think they were selling beer at the concession stand as well. We did finally get up and dance some too. Okay... a lot. We were more sweaty after that than after riding all day! lol And the mosquitos were just loving me! I still don't know what it is about me this year or in this location that they love so much. Whatever it is, I hate it! It's crazy-making to itch so much! I had benadryl with me all the time and was constantly applying it. Around 10pm the band was done playing, it was dark, and we headed for bed. Lorrie still had to pump up the air mattress and we were totally disorganized. That was hard in the dark... especially knowing there was goose shit still around. But we finally got to bed. And were miserable! lol It was almost funny. We just laid there sweating and moaning. I think I know why some people are drinking so much! It helps them sleep in the heat! lol No, this night was just particularly bad because we'd been dancing around and it was hotter than most nights. But we slept. Or so it seems! Turns out it was 105 degrees this day!! I'm *not* a whiner! lol

ALC/LifeCycle 5 - Day Three (June 6, 2006)

Today was a, excuse my language, mind fuck for me! From the day I signed up for this ride, people have been threatening with, talking, teasing, and warning about QUADBUSTER! I've climbed so many hills in training... including that 13-mile mother toward the end of the Mulholland Century. Quadbuster is a measley 1.3 miles! We did our usual relatively slow spin for the first 10 miles or so then picked up some speed into the first rest stop at 18.9 miles. My legs were tired and stiff. And my brain was making me afraid of the hill. Damn it! So I hung out at the rest area for about 20 minutes... everyone else had gone on after about 10. I went and got the miracle drug ibuprofin, did some stretches, and then basically pounded on my thighs to loosen them up. I checked the air in my tires and I ate some food. I was really ready... but I was scared. There are no pictures! I'm sure you can understand why. However, next time maybe I should take some and that would loosen me up a little! Anyway, at some point I had to tell myself that it's just another hill and I would just do the best I could with the energy that I have. So I got on my bike and went. The climb started almost immediately. Fine. There were people peppering the side to cheer the riders on. That helped. There was a group yelling and waving signs a ways up so I just made them my goal. I stood up and climbed like I've done a gazillion times before. And wouldn't you know it, my legs loosened up. Miracle? ha! I get to the little group and find out that's halfway. What? Already? So off I go. It wasn't easy and I actually dripped a drop of sweat from my brow (I don't sweat like that very easily)... but I was doing it. Then I saw "Mom and Dad" (who I wish I had pictures of but they were always in the most difficult riding places, thankfully, and I could/would never stop to take the photo)... and they said, "Almost there!" I asked, "Is *that* the top??" At "yes" I was amazed so I stood up again and finished strong. What a dork to be so afraid... but it was my reality at the time... and it was good to face something like that and know that I could overcome it! The photo is me at the top... ever so happy to have that over with! Kenny and Khoa were at the top waiting for me. We stayed another 5 or so minutes to cheer the others up and then we took off. Lunch was in a little town called Bradley. It was barren from what I could tell. There were 2 trees and LOTS of sun! It was funny how many of us crowded under the small amounts of shade regardless of the fact that we smelled, were dirty, and had been in crowds for 3 days now. Personal space? No such thing in "ALC-R!" I kinda like that... helped me to loosen my boundaries just a little. (= I went and got my shoulder blade (might be my trapezius but I'm really not sure what muscle that one is) rubbed some more. Cute little dykey thing went to town on my back and neck. It was great! I think it was here that I was also introduced to zinc oxide. I was trying to be good about sunscreen... but besides my Blistex hadn't put anything on my lips. So they got burned and I developed a blister! Relatively minor considering some of the other things that could have happened. But it was annoying... so I asked... and they gave me zinc oxide. It's white and it doesn't rub in!! LOL VERY attractive for the modern cyclist out there! Cyclists are also relatively creative when it comes to trying to stay cool! I don't know this guy but he went from lining the back of his head with ice... to this pose. Seemed to work pretty well for him. I tried soaking my ponytail thinking it would keep my back cool for a little while. Ha! Even with all that hair, it still dried within a matter of minutes. Geez! So much for that idea! There was plenty of water on hand so we did okay staying hydrated. And being hot is just part of the experience. (= Besides, we can still have some fun! Suzann, Kar, and Khoa stay cool and have some laughs. I have to write about this rest stop real quick. The theme was "After Prom." One of the morning rest stops was "Prom" so this was the after party. Anyway, apparently it was supposed to be a 666 theme because of the date. So the devils and witches and whomever showed up to start decorating. But the rest stop is a Mission! lol The people at the Mission had some issues with the Devil taking over their space! Ha! So they switched it with one of the themes for Day 4! Too funny! But shows the flexibility and creativity of the roadies! I don't really remember much of the ride after that rest stop. lol Maybe I was in my own little world, maybe I was delirious, I'm just not sure. We were camped at Paso Robles Fairground for the night. We got to sit INSIDE to eat and be entertained! It was nice and a simple pleasure! The showers and food were pretty damn far from the tents. But I guess it doesn't hurt to do some walking. After dinner it was convenient because I had taken my toothbrush and just got ready for bed right there. Cup half full again! (= A couple funny things about camp this night. First, it was the first chance I had to charge my cell phone. There were a couple main places with plugs and there were cell phones all over the place. I got there late so I put mine in a plastic bag and left it out overnight. Second, there was a women's (maybe girl's) roller derby scrimmage. They had invited us to come watch. So we stood outside and watched through this big window. One of the women behind me knew the rules so she was giving us clues what to yell. We cheered for the team that had told us their name... the other team gave us the finger! LOL I guess that's fitting for roller derby! We yelled at/for them for a little while and then I took off. This is the best picture I could get under the conditions. I tried numerous times. ::sigh:: It was a good distraction for a few minutes. But it was late in "ALC-R" and I needed to get some sleep. My tent mate had a hotel for the night so the tent was all mine! It was nice to be able to spread out a little! But it also means I have to put the tent up in the morning! lol Damn that cup and it's half full half empty!!