My head is spinning with things I still need to do for this trip. I have decided that I had better start writing things down, or I am going to forget something major that needs to be done. I need about 4 more hours in each day. I would have loved to have gotten in a century this past weekend as the weather here was stellar, but I had yard work to do, a memorial service to attend, a grandson's ball game, a daughter's kickball game, a bike to pick up. Yes...the Rodriguez is back, and looks so beautiful, I don't know that I can take it out in today's rain. There were some issues...a frozen bearing in the rear Phil Wood hub for one. "How could you not feel that?" the mechanic asked. "Well...sometimes I just feel incredibly slow on the bike.". New TA chain rings, cables, bar tape, bottom bracket, several new spokes on the rear wheel where I had taken a nasty spill and the chain had nicked up the spokes, and headset serviced. The fenders and rack are off and the bike is light and responsive. I think having the bikes serviced so thoroughly might save me about an hour of riding each day.
The Bonelocker Rack should be here today or tomorrow. I'll put it on the truck to make sure of the fit and set the spacing of the trays to accommodate 3 bikes.
I had a few valet keys (the keys that will unlock your door, but not start your car) made so that all of us will have keys to the truck.
I tried a recipe of chicken Alfredo using sauce from a jar. I had looked online to see if there was a premade sauce that people seemed to like and Classico got the nod, so the penne was boiled, chicken and roasted red peppers were added, and a palatable meal was the result. I am looking for about 5 more "easy, tasty, full of protein" recipes, so if you have one you'd like to share, please do. Emphasis on easy, as we will have one skillet and one saucepan. I needed a 9" revere ware skillet for the trip, and had a few people watching for one at garage sales and such. As it turns out, a friend of my mom's had one that "she never used anyway" and she simply gave it to me. Every time I have scrambled eggs for breakfast, I will think of her.
Getting the detailed routes, along with cues sheets and directions to our overnight stop on paper maps continues, but it is slow going. I try to do a couple of states each night.
My goal for this week is to take care of all of the campground reservations and send out an email to all of the Warm Shower hosts to get contact information. I still need to find a place to stay in Gordon, Nebraska and Anchorage, Alaska, so it would be nice to get those two things nailed down as well.
I am trying to take care of the details as they come to mind, because I know that this time next month I will be packing and then repacking. Someone in an online blog figured that something "was bound to go wrong during my trip". Seriously? Isn't that what life is? Things planned, and then things mucking up those plans? The happiest people are those who can take those things that go wrong and mitigate them...reduce them to shrugs, a scratch of the head, and an idea to move forward. Color me happy.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
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