diddlee

The surprise today was a 26 mile ride that turned into a 50 mile ride. The Sara's told us about a by-pass to Trader's Helper Hill that added some miles to the route. It added 14 miles! That pushed up the the overall mileage. Add to that the detour down past Jimmy and Chris's home and we got in a nice long ride today. I was very tired and needed a nap before work. Getting up early every morning will do that. Instead I got to eat a quick bite and head on in. The benefit is the gain of strength and calorie burn. What doesn't kill you..... Storms gathered around and about. There was a big one to the west just as I was arriving at work. I guess I cut it close to get to work without getting wet. It is good to ride the scooter. I enjoy the open air and sense of freedom. Melanie was feeling somewhat ill at ease with some of the changes coming. I hope I was able to allay her concerns. I think we all can use a little reassurance.

I really don't know what to write about. This seems to have become a pointless activity. This was my diary of the preparation for the first Florida Safari. I used it to put down some random thoughts. Now I just don't have much to say. Mike and Mitzi got married lately. I really hope this one is the ONE for Mike. Bev and I ride a lot now. By the time we hit the anniversary of the 1st Tandem, we will have racked up over 3800 miles for the year. It helped her lose weight and add muscle. Our riding and weight loss has inspired a few folks to become riders. I once thought that my 50 lbs of weight loss was significant but Chris H. lost 100 lbs and Darrel B. lost 150! If you get into cycling, the weight loss will come. Sara will be moving into her apartment by this weekend. There will be lots of growing for her to experience by being out on her own. I have lately forgotten to focus on the positives. I've been down in the dumps part of the time but I'll try to get out of them s

....there just aren't words.

Paul and I had another mountain bike Wednesday. In the course of the day, he fell about 5 time. One of them hurt his leg pretty bad. I gave him advice to put ice on it and take ibuprofen. He may not be up to the big loop I had proposed for Saturday. In fact I don't have word from many folks so I don't know if it will be a go or not.

Today Paul and I rode another piece of the big loop I have been planning for some time. We covered the loop from Trammell Motorway back around Big John Road and down to the base of 6 mile hill. Then we traveled over and back Wiregrass to mile 3 of Highway 148. In all that totaled about 16 miles. I am looking ahead to Saturday after next to propose the big circle ride on mountain bikes that I had an idea for back in the wintertime.

...is that hardly any of us get out alive. I don't need as many reminders of my ultimate fate as I did when I was a younger man. I rest in that spot where my life hangs like the roller-coaster that has just crested the rise and hangs there while forces gather to accelerate it down the slope. That moment when it all slows down and quiets when you hardly know whether you've begun moving but feel the lightness that preceeds the plunge.

Alaska is beautiful beyond anything I've ever seen. Every angle of view reveals National Park beauty. The backdrop of mountains, snow, glaciers, waterfalls... gives one a sense of what the gold rushers must have seen. Beautiful but it is obvious it would be hard to survive here. The cold alone is enough to stop any reasonable man. So much of it looks like it should be teeming with life but it is barren. It isn't easy to survive here for men or animals.