Friday, August 29, 2008
Bike Taxi biz....SLOW
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WHERE HAVE ALL THE TOUR-ONS GONE?
This is a picture of the bell stand at the Charleston Place Hotel and in 4 years I never seen it with so few people. I made $15 bucks today and spent $20 bucks on lunch. Talk about backing up.
On the way home I ran into my neighbor who was downtown and decided to make a point about how it didn't take much more time to ride a bicycle home from town. He came home by car and I darn near beat him home on my bike. And...I only caused one wreak and ran 3 stop lights to do it. You should have seen the look on one ladies face when I was going the wrong way on Folly Road. It's hard to beat the rush and it's good to still be alive.
Labels: i gotta grow up
It just makes me sick...
Heard on the news that tomatoes weren't the cause of the recent salmonella out break. Now they think it's link to peppers...there goes the salsa.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is the government spent millions on this problem that got about 1,000 people sick. Mean time million of other Americans are sick over the lack of choice in the next Presidential Election. I want to know what the hell they plan to do about this new epidemic?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
If there is ever a poop war..we win.
I had to change Jack's dirty diaper yesterday. It was so bad there was poop between his toes. There were four whole washing machines full of messed up clothes and blankets. The smell was so bad the neighbor's dog ran away from home. The city is going to quarantine this house. The grass has stopped growing. A National Guard helicopter is hoovering over-head. The president has declared us a disaster area. Paint is falling off the walls.
On the bright side all the squirrels and mice have left the neighborhood and there are no more bugs in the house or yard.
Got to go, Dustin Hoffman is at the front door in a bio-hazard suit.
On the bright side all the squirrels and mice have left the neighborhood and there are no more bugs in the house or yard.
Got to go, Dustin Hoffman is at the front door in a bio-hazard suit.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
R&R...yea right!
I've been hanging out with Jack and Caroline and they will wear your ass OUT. After a day pushing the baby buggy, riding bikes with Caroline and having cocktails I'm ready for bed at 9:00 PM. Looks like I'm going to have get back to 30-40 miles a day on the Bike Taxi to get some rest.After all this rain we've had a mosquito invasion...this is the real Holy War and the little jerks are wining--according to Wikipedia mosquitoes kill millions each year by spreading disease. A big one landed up at the Air Force Base in North Charleston. They pumped 1,500 gallons of fuel in him before they realised their mistake. Now we can't cook-out because this big sucker might land in the back yard, catches fire and blows up the joint.
Labels: dog days
Monday, August 25, 2008
Great quotes......
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.
Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake.
You played it for her and you can play it for me. If she can stand it, I can! Play it!
Here's looking at you, kid.
Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects.
Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
You played it for her and you can play it for me. If she can stand it, I can! Play it!
Here's looking at you, kid.
Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects.
Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Labels: another night on the town......
On the beach...
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Caroline is in town and one Jennifer's friends arranged a beach house on Folly Beach for a week. We had a great time laying around, eating seafood, reading books and having cocktails. It was Jack's first week long beach trip...he just loved the bitch. All the beach running wore him out, he took a 2 hour nap and was in bed early every night. Best of all when we got ready to go home it was only a 20 minute drive.
For those of you who don't know Folly Beach is a step back in time. Reminds me of Gulf Shores in the 1960's. The island is about 10 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. There is a four story Holiday Inn which is the only hotel on the beach. There are a couple mom and pop cottage motels and all the rest is private beach houses, a few three story condos and homes. Most of the people on the beach are there for a day trip and hang out near the city fishing pier shown in attached night picture...we were in a house about 400 yards from the pier. Added in a 3 block commercial strip with souvenir shops, biker bars, restaurants and one gas station and that's about it. Basic beach.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Back in Dodge........
Everyone said they missed me. Then Jennifer had me make a $150 dollar Cosco run so I would not get the big head. The rent maybe cheap around here but the miscellaneous expenses require a printing press or bank robbery-- come to think of it banks may not have enough cash these days to finance this deal. Need to get back hustling on the streets.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Throwing in the towel...
Well I made it to Tupelo, Mississippi and have rented a car to take me to Charleston. I figure 3,900 miles and 9 weeks on the road is about enough. Since I've crossed Alabama and the Florida Panhandle many time in a car and several times on a bike it had no appeal. Just more small dry towns and fast food joints, not to mention pine trees. After my other cross country trips I always wanted to keep riding and always wondered how many days and how many miles would be before I was ready to come home. Now I know. Plus, Carolina Belle is coming to visit Charleston and I don't want to miss her visit. AND.. I miss little Jack, his mom and Scooter.
My only regret is leaving a bunch of fine folks behind who have made this a great trip. Special thanks to Rich my roommate and tour leader and all the guys who rode with me this last month including Ron, Cal and Frank.
I plan to spend a couple days seeing friends in Alabama, go home for some R&R and start back on the Bike Taxi in early September.
P.S. Jack said, "Papa" when he saw a Charleston Tour Guide with a gray beard the other day. Time to go home before he forgets me.
My only regret is leaving a bunch of fine folks behind who have made this a great trip. Special thanks to Rich my roommate and tour leader and all the guys who rode with me this last month including Ron, Cal and Frank.
I plan to spend a couple days seeing friends in Alabama, go home for some R&R and start back on the Bike Taxi in early September.
P.S. Jack said, "Papa" when he saw a Charleston Tour Guide with a gray beard the other day. Time to go home before he forgets me.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Check out the hill behind our motel in Waverly, Tennessee.
Riding buddies, Ron and Cal. Can these guys eat! Dover to Waverly, TN...46 miles
No picture....you've all seen woods, right? We're in the Tennessee hill country and boy do they have hills. On a straight stretch of road you can see about 200 feet down the road. Of course, these Adventure Cycling Routes work hard at keeping you off busy roads so we didn't have much traffic--just the odd logging truck to keep us awake.
About a week ago, at a rest stop, Ron and I had some Red Bull sports drink. I can see the Red Bull Marketing Plan now...1. people are idiots so 2. we'll give them half as much product and 3. to make them thing it's a good product we'll charge twice the price and 4. so that they'll think it's good for them we'll make it taste like shit. These people are marketing geniuses. Ron says he actually like the stuff but he's Canadian which proves my point about the taste.
About a week ago, at a rest stop, Ron and I had some Red Bull sports drink. I can see the Red Bull Marketing Plan now...1. people are idiots so 2. we'll give them half as much product and 3. to make them thing it's a good product we'll charge twice the price and 4. so that they'll think it's good for them we'll make it taste like shit. These people are marketing geniuses. Ron says he actually like the stuff but he's Canadian which proves my point about the taste.
Three Rivers, KY to Dover, TN...54 miles
I had to ride 3,600 miles from Oregon all the way to Tennessee to get this picture of Buffaloes.
Nice ride in the Land Between the Lakes; a National Park 5 miles wide and 50 miles long with Kentucky Lake on one side and Cumberland Lake on the
others. These lakes were man made by damming up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. This stretch of road has more boat launches than some states. There was so little traffic it was almost like riding on a bike path. About 40 miles into the ride we crossed into Tennessee our 11th or 12th state. At about 3,000 miles we started having many more bike problems and on future trip this long probably need to have new chains, cassettes and chain rings available. After riding this many hills things start to fall apart. Did I mention Kentucky and Tennessee are hilly--2,600 feet of climbing today?
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Elizabeth Town, IL to Grand Rivers, KY...67 miles
No picture today; the internet doesn't work well enought to get them up-loaded. I had a great day of riding today, never got stressed even on some of the steep climbs--really in the groove. I was worried about the Kentucky Hills but with 3,500 miles to get in shape they seemed kind of easy.
Ron, Cal, Frank and I rode together. We were riding in the dark by 5:30AM and with all our lights flashing we looked like a 911 emergency. Our arrival at Cave In The Rock was just in time for the ferry to cross the Ohio River--just two days ago we crossed the Mississippi at Chester. Kentucky greeted us with gound vapors, green trees and hills. We stopped at about 8:00 AM in Carrsville, KY for a break and it was so still we joked about it being the Twlight Zone--do do do do do do.
We stopped again in Smithville for brunch. Cal ate about a million calories worth of cake before tackling his french toast, eggs and bacon. It's hard to believe we're all eating like pigs and still loosing weight. One thing about rooming with the tour leader is the hotels some time upgrade his room since he is bring them so much business. In Three Rivers we have our own 2 bedroom house with kitchen etc. I'm going to cook for the group tonight.
Ron, Cal, Frank and I rode together. We were riding in the dark by 5:30AM and with all our lights flashing we looked like a 911 emergency. Our arrival at Cave In The Rock was just in time for the ferry to cross the Ohio River--just two days ago we crossed the Mississippi at Chester. Kentucky greeted us with gound vapors, green trees and hills. We stopped at about 8:00 AM in Carrsville, KY for a break and it was so still we joked about it being the Twlight Zone--do do do do do do.
We stopped again in Smithville for brunch. Cal ate about a million calories worth of cake before tackling his french toast, eggs and bacon. It's hard to believe we're all eating like pigs and still loosing weight. One thing about rooming with the tour leader is the hotels some time upgrade his room since he is bring them so much business. In Three Rivers we have our own 2 bedroom house with kitchen etc. I'm going to cook for the group tonight.
Carbondale to Elizabeth Town, IL...71 miles.
We started before daylight to beat the heat. My new light worked fine. It turned out to be more like June weather than August heat. This is not the really Cave-in-the-Rock, it's just a back road cave on someones property--a darn good excuse to take a break.
We stayed at the Rose Hotel in Elizabeth Town, built in 1812. Nice old place on a Ohio River bluff. Rich and I got the bridal suite. The weather was so mild we had our group cook out by the river. The only down-side there is no Dairy Queen in town.
Chester to Carbondale, Illinois...55 miles
Mostly flat ride today. Almost seems like a day off. Carbondale, home of Illinois Southern University, has 3 bicycle shops, 2 across the street from each other and one down the block. Naturally, we had to buy some stuff that we hope we won’t need like spare tires and tubes. Since we are getting up early to beat the heat I bought a new front light. Speaking of beating the heat, there is plenty of it around here to beat. Tomorrow we plan to get up at 5:00 AM or as they say dark thirty. It’ll be a 70 miles plus day so keep your fingers crossed.
When Uncle Bill, Jannie and I rode to Missoula we crossed the bridge in Chester. Uncle Bill was so freaked out about the two lane bridge that he would NOT stop to see the Popeye statue pictured here on the right. I finally got to see the biggest Popeye statue in the world.....ho hum.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Farmington, MO to Chester, Illinois...55 miles
Well, on our last day in Missouri she was kind to us. Just a few steep hills and some rollers today. The weather was cool this morning but from now on we'll have to get an earlier start to beat the heat. It's August. We crossed the Mississippi River at Chester and entered Illinois our 10th state.
I took this picture of a Bird Farm about 10 miles out of Farmington.
One of my friends on the trip is Calvin Pletcher; I asked him today if his name really was Pletcher or did his Grandfather have a lisp.
We passed a church call the United Baptist Church; did the guy who named it have some Methodist cousins? And...they say I don't get anything done on the road..
