Day 7 The Gee Brief: Weird Guys, Cool Smells, Western Towns and the Pizza Dance

WEIRD GUYS IN THE GARAGE
The day started inauspiciously when I ran into this strange guy in Leah and Tom's garage.  He told me he was out of work and wanted to know if he could bum a ride to Oregon sitting on my handle bars. Talk about bush league!

We took one last look at the Fulton Hilton and headed off to the Lafayette McDonalds. As soon as I got on the bike, I realized something was VERY different. It just felt right. More than right...it felt perfect. The day off had definitely helped, but that didn't explain how awesome it felt riding Jenard. It was something else. Then I remembered the seat. Tracey Doyle (see Day 6) had helped me adjust the angle of the seat and lock it in so that it would STAY there instead of riding back down.

The angle may look a bit severe, but it works. As a matter of fact it is the best seat height and angle I have ever used. No knee pains, no foot pains, just sheer cycling heaven. As a matter of fact, if you want to really know how wonderful this new position was, this video capture sit PERFECTLY.
Only rather than Aladdin and Princess Jasmine imagine it's my body having a conversation with the seat.

New topic: THE STRAIGHT POOP ON SMELLS

I know this is going to sound weird, but I LOVE the smell of horses and cows! Before you get judgmental let me explain. I DO have my standards and it's not just ANY horse and cow smell that I like. It has to be a combination of horses, cows, a farm, some hay, a field and wood fences. The kind that you would find in a setting like the one pictured above. The day was filled with views and smells like this. It was simply awesome. When I wasn't riding through the country, I was riding through towns like this pictured below to the right.

Upstate New York towns remind me of old west towns. We settled for the night in Canandaigua which looks very much like the picture, which I think is Geneva or Seneca Falls. We had a wonderful dinner at Simply Crepes and then discovered a grocery store called Wegmans. Describing and fully expressing the joy that is Wegmans would take a lot more time than I have at the moment.  Check out J's entry tomorrow for the full Wegman story.

Before I end for the night here's the Pizza Dance I mentioned in the title of this post. There's actually two guys in the video. Personally, I think the second one has real talent.  Cool Pizza Dance.

Almost forgot to give the days stats. Here they are:

Miles today: 67

Total so far: 431

Miles to go: 2841

Weather: PERFECT. Sunny w/intermittent clouds.

Road: Amazing! One hill in the beginning and then mostly flat or downhill

Wind: Light headwind

Physical: Absolutely great! A whole new world! Could have done 30 more miles. No aches or pains!

Day 6 Evening: Day 7 Early Morning: (J's Version)

Morning stretch

Good morning!!! Yup, roadie support crew was back up at 5 today! I'm BACK at the Lafayette Mcd's with another killer view of the truck. I dropped G off here since this is where I picked him up two days ago. He's aiming for Avon, NY, which is about 90 miles away. I figure we probably have 2 or possibly 3 days left in NY before we get to either PA or OH. New York is a pretty large state. I like to think of myself as worldly, but whenever I think of NY, I tend to only think of NYC. Quick side note: I booked a birthday weekend (mine) for us in NYC for the middle of August, so we better be back by then! lol

**He wanted me to let you all know that the GPS tracker is currently on.**

All by myself...

This time, I did take a picture of the lone plug!

Yesterday was just lovely relaxing with family. We had a delicious dinner (Ahi Tuna) and met some of L and T's nice friends. They talked about grown up things like life insurance, wills, and social security. It got me thinking that I really need to get on the stick. I don't know much but any of those things.

It was kind of hard to get back into the swing of things this morning, but we made pretty good time considering we had a 50 min drive from Fulton to Lafayette.

New bag

G ordered a head cam (not sure if that's the proper term) online several days ago and had to shipped to Fulton. Hopefully, tonight he'll get it up and running and will be able to use it on the road tomorrow. He needed a spot to stretch out this morning, so the bed of the truck was where it was going to happen. Also, his new bag came. This bag makes more sense for a quick, easy access to his phone.

Ah. All right. I have to go think now. I'm taking courses for my administrative degree, and I missed the last class for School Law yesterday, so I have to take the make up quiz now. School Law is a lot harder than I thought. Law in general is mind blowing. SO many details and rules and, man, it's all about the due process. Don't get me wrong, I find it completely fascinating because this is the first class in the program that was completely out of my element, so it's all new and interesting. Like if you go on a school sanctioned field trip that deals directly with what's taught in the curriculum and students have to pay to go, teachers CAN NOT have them do an assignment based on the trip that will be graded. Our quizzes are all open books and notes, but don't let that fool you. It's so embarrassing that despite open books and notes, I still failed the first quiz. All the quizzes are true or false. I got so caught up in the wording of each statement.

Last thought. I could really go for a chicken mcnugget right now (I don't care if it's not real chicken), but lunch isn't served until 11 and hopefully I'll be on my way by then.

Make sure to read G's entry on Day 6 because he updated it:
G's updated day 6

Day 5: Richfield Springs, NY to LaFayette, NY and Day 6: Day of Rest (J's Version)

Gorgeous view of the river from L's patio.
 

Good afternoon! Whoa, game changer. Yes, afternoon. Today, on the sixth day God said let cyclists and roadie crews rest. I woke up at, 9:30 am! Yesterday evening, we didn't make it to Auburn as planned but instead stopped in Lafayette which is about 20 miles east of Auburn and drove about 50 min north to Fulton, NY to stay with G's cousins. It worked out great because we got to have some
family bonding time, and we decided that day 6 (today) would be a rest day. Earlier this afternoon, we found a local fantastic bike shop that fixed Rootbeer, AND the bike rack. (I'm sure G will elaborate on those two events in his entry). PLUS, G got his first interview! Our cousin L is kind of a big deal in town, so she hooked him up with the local paper.

In the time between my last entry yesterday and going to Fulton, was treacherous because of the heavy rainfall. After I finished Day 4's blog, it started pouring buckets, and I ventured out to track G down. That's what roadie crews do, despite not following orders from their bosses. Although, like wives, roadie crew support teams are usually always right. He told me earlier that even if it started raining, he would still ride. I found him about 15 miles down the road, where the rain let had let up, at a gas station pit stop. We caught up inside for 10 minutes, and I gave him the spare helmet. I drove off, and 5 min later it started coming down REALLY bad. I turned back and went to find him. I'm not just roadie support crew.  I'm personally invested.  I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but every single day I'm worried about G on the road. I know he's a big boy, but drivers can be whack. Plus, the rain and sliding. I was nervous beyond means during the rain storm. Here is the video link:
J nervous for G video

I pull up next to him, and he's laughing. I know if he stops at every point it rains it'll take way longer to get across the country but still. Here are two more videos about his reaction to the rain:
Pulling over to G in the rain
G's rainy day response

After those videos, I kept driving and driving and what did I see in the distance? The golden arches of Mecca. Yes! I ordered my sweet chili chicken wrap (only 320 calories--grilled of course) and a bottle of water. Unfortunately, none of these Mcd's that we've come across are Mc Cafe's. When the Mc Cafe's first started coming out, I was kind of a hater with the mentality of, "Mcd's is no Starbucks nor will it ever be." I guess it's karma. Those Mc Cafe's have.......PLUGS! Electrical plugs are a necessity for electronics to juice up. aka laptop, phone, etc. I must have looked like a looney looking under the booths and poking my head about in weird places. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted one random light fixture that wasn't even lit. The whole set up was awkward and out of place, BUT it didn't matter because there must have been an outlet to support it. Low and behold I captured the only outlet. (Forgot to capture this moment on camera) Use your imagination.

It's now 3:12. I think I'm going to take a nap. Why? Because I can!

PS. Thanks to cousin L, we have clean laundry!! Yay!!

Day 6: The Gee Brief - Nice Digs! Awesome People!

A day of R&R at the Fulton Hilton!
Took today off to recoup and re-energize the more "annoyed" parts of my body specifically my sit-bones. More on that in a moment. But first a word about WHERE we are. My cousin Leah, and her husband Tom have hosted J and I for the past two nights.  So before we get into the full Gee Brief, let's have a word from our sponsor:

If you're ever in the Fulton area and looking for a house, please buy it from Leah's Signature Century 21. J and I are big fans of this establishment. This of course has nothing to do with the fact that Leah (the other woman I"m posing with in front of the sign) is my first cousin on my mother'side. I mean, come on, business is business. If I send you to a bum establishment, it makes ME look bad. Trust me on this one, Leah is the real deal. Her husband, Tom and her run a top rate establishment and they will treat you right!

Speaking of quality businesses, I can't help but mention a place called Doyle's bike shop. Tracey Doyle, the owner, was recommended to me by Leah to help me fix a few problems I was having with the bikes and the bike rack. Specifically, I backed the very expensive Thule T2000 bike rack on our truck into a parked box truck on the morning of Day 5. The box truck had absolutely not a scratch on it, but one of the Thule tray brackets was bent badly. Also, Jenard's seat was not staying up, and Rootbeer was having brake and shifting issues.  I needed skilled professional help.

So I paid Tracey Doyle a visit at Doyle's bicycle and encountered one of the most skilled, down to earth and genuinely nice bike shop owners I have ever met. He worked for almost an hour on Rootbeer, Jenard and the Thule and didn't want to charge me a thing. This was of course unacceptable, so I left him the only cash I had on hand on his counter. Thanks, Doyle!

One of the items Doyle helped me fix was two chips in Rootbeer's paint job. He sent me next door to get some nail polish.  They didn't have it, but I found another hair salon close by and they did have it.

Very Friendly Lady

The lady there was sweet and very friendly and simply GAVE me a bottle of green polish. Although green isn't exactly MY color, it fits Rootbeer just fine, and will ensure that no further flaking or peeling occurs.  Doyle also sent me to Burke's Hardware to get a replacement bolt for the Thule. Once again, I encountered a very nice lady whose picture I did not take, but Leah says her name was Paula. Again, the Fulton charm was glowing bright!

Paula helped me get the exact right bolt, thus topping off my overall experience with the people in Fulton and forcing me to write the passage below.
I have to take a moment here to mention hat Fulton is not a wealthy town. But there is something absolutely inviting about this place.  In case you have't guessed, it's the people.  Paula, the nice lady above and Doyle are not unique in this place, they are the norm. But there are nice people everywhere, what is it that makes Fulton different? It took me a while to figure it out, but here’s how it goes:

You know that moment in a store when you arrive at an item on the shelf in at the same time as someone else? You both want it, but there’s only one.  Or perhaps there’s enough for both of you, but it’s a question of who gets to go first. Some people would just bulldoze through, pretending not to notice you, take the item and move on.  Others would play the, “No YOU go first” game, turning it into a contest of who can be nicer. Both people are a pain in the butt as far as I’m concerned.

But that’s not the Fulton way. Fulton people want the item, and will take it if you don’t. However, it’s the way they MOVE that I love. Their movement takes YOU into account. They will go through the door first if you don’t move, but they will give YOU the chance to go first if you wish. They are both decisive and polite at the same time.  And like my Aunt Armande and her children, they have a sense of humor and a

Leah, Armande and Teri

perkiness about life that is downright infectious.  They are just NICE people. My Aunt Armande who passed on recently gave her a children the greatest gift: an outstanding attitude on life. This family has been through more trials and challenges than any other I've known, but yet they smile, and they LAUGH, and when they do, they make YOU smile and laugh. I miss Armande a lot and am so blessed to have Leah, Teri and Scott and their awesome children and grandchildren in my life.

Most of Armande's offspring live in CT but Leah’s path took her to Fulton. I now see why she loves it so much here. It's not that people here are FUNNY, it's that they have the ability to see the humor in life, and they never miss a chance to laugh or smile. 

One last thing. One of my favorite parts about hanging out with Leah and her husband Tom is that they share the same quality that J and me do: They LIKE each other...plain and simple.  Makes a huge difference.

 

We leave tomorrow morning for Avon, NY. We will miss Leah, Tom and their offspring. And we will remember our time here fondly. After this, we head west. I truly think this was our last chance to get a healthy helping of pizza, wings and family loving until we reach the Pacific Ocean. Goodbye Fulton you have filled our hearts. We promise to pay it forward.

Day 5 The Gee Brief

Miles today: 62

Total so far: 364

Miles to go: 2890

Weather: Rain,

Road: NY Hills! Love it!

Wind: Moderate Headwind

Phsyical complaints: Both sit-bones not very happy.

The day was dominated by rain and J worrying about me in the rain. I don't have a problem with rain. Wet  is OK as long as it's not cold wet. Here's a video of me AFTER making it through the rain:

The Singing Cyclist

Here's a video of me riding through absolutely beautiful country. It's upside down.  Other than that, hope it works.

I made ONE connection today. To the left you have The Hamlet of Pompey Hill. Below you have the Hamlet of Denmark.. Lame I know, but after mile 50 it seemed pretty funny.

Day 4: Albany, NY to Richfield Springs, NY (J Version)

Great view of the truck

Read this if you haven't already

Good morning!! It's the beginning of day 5, and I'm finally in a local café! The Pewter Spoon.(I just overheard the ladies at the counter mention Atticus from "that book" no lie!) Thank goodness for Yelp. If you have a Smart Phone and don't have the Yelp app yet I highly recommend it. I believe in another entry I mentioned how there's usually nothing on these routes for long stretches of time (and no service) but every so often you see those Golden Arches of Mecca and your face lights up. Your face lights up not because you have a longing for fries but because you have to pee and get to use Wi-Fi!!! With the Mcd's Wi-Fi I was able to get on Yelp and did a search for cafes in the area and just a few miles down the road I was brought here. Score.

Yesterday morning, after I posted from Starbucks, I stayed around Albany for another hour or so and got my city fix and went into several stores in the shopping plaza that the SBs was in. I'm thankful I remained in Albany for a few hours because after that, there was literally nothing except farms which don't get me wrong are cool but no place to chill. Side note: Some of you may think this is creepy (which it is I'm not denying it), but when I was in the Albany SBs there was this movie star looking guy sitting in the corner on his laptop, and SO many people that walked by him stopped to say hi or shake his hand. He MAY or MAY not have been famous, so I was a sketch ball and discreetly took a picture of him. I photo shopped over his eyes because G told me I better. The guy reminded me of a mix of the actors Michael Vartan (and kudos to you if you even know who MV is) and Paul Rudd.

After Albany I passed G on the road which was awesome! (If you haven't already liked our FB page please do because it's easier to post little videos on there) This link should work even if you haven't liked the page: Passing G on the road   I noticed that as the truck went by him, he flagged me down to pull over. ROADIE SUPPORT CREW at your service!

Apparently one of his phone batteries was low, so he wanted a switch just to be safe. **BREAKING NEWS** G just called me to tell me that he did a pit stop at a gas station and didn't realize until a few miles down the road that he left his helmet there. Luckily, there is a spare in the truck.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog. Also, during yesterday's trip we encountered the first of

Bring it, Mother Nature!

mother nature's wrath. Rain. It was light rain but still rain none the less. According to G, being rained on with a bicycle is way better than on a motorcycle. Back home, we recently bought a rain type of light jacket (remember "light" is the key word because any extra weight adds time to your ride) at Eastern Mountain Sports. Initially, we were like, "$60 for a glorified, fitted poncho." But, you get what you pay for because G said it worked wonderfully. Not only was it warm, but it protected him and was so light that he could either tie it around his waist or stuff it into one of the small bags with ease. 

After my roadie support crew job yesterday, there were the MOST hills we've seen yet on the trip. I was thinking, "Oh, no!" G told me that night that he loves NY hills. He talks about them more in length in his entry. One

Baby got hill!

of the hardest parts of my job is finding a place to stay for the night. It's hard for a few reasons:

1. It depends on where G wants to stop for the day. If he plans on say 90 miles then I have to map out where about that is on the route and what hotels are near there, BUT if he says 90 and makes it to 80 then there's a problem. I can always drive him in the morning to that spot he left off but it takes more time. The ideal hotel is exactly on the route where he can ride to.

2. On these scenic roads, there are very few hotels to even chose from. The hotels that are around typically look grimy. Ultimately, we want a clean, safe place to sleep.

3. The people that run these hotels/motels are not that friendly and get pissy with me when I ask what their rates are for the night OR they don't even answer the phone.

4. I finally thought I found a place to stay yesterday and go into the office all ready to pay and what do I see? I see a "NO BIKES ALLOWED SIGN." Are you kidding me? The lady said in the past people who have bikes in the room mess up the carpet. I left. I went BACK in the other direction miles down the road and found a decent place that did not have a computer, so I had to fill out a card with all my information; however, the motel did have Wi-Fi.

Tonight we're going to stay with G's cousin a little past Auburn, NY. Yay!! Good family time and I don't have to find a place for the night. I think tomorrow (day 6) is going to be a rest day or a minimal riding day. We both are in dire need of sleeping in. Plus, it's good for G to rest those legs. We need to find a bike shop that specializes in Trek bikes because Rootbeer needs some adjusting according to G, and we need to find an auto body shop to fix the bike wrack.


All of our bags. 1. CPAP bag plus distilled water bottle and vinegar to clean cpap machine 2. G's Computer/Electronics bag 3. G's Cycling Clothes Bag.4. G's Non-cycling clothes bag, 5. Our joint dirty clothes bag 6. Shower stuff bag 7. Make up stuff bag 8. My clothes bag. 9. Bike food bag 10. Socks and Shoes bag 11. My Computer bag

Lastly, our nephew sent us a picture of Smokey! Looks like she came out of hiding and is currently in a territory war with the baby's pack and play!

PS. I'm so proud of G. I really am. xoxo My girl J texted me last night with this, and I'm going to share it because it's so true about G.




Here's a more in depth look at the bike necessities that G has on each bike:

Aero bars allow for different arm/hand positions. When you're cycling for long distances, you need to vary your hand/arm positions to avoid cramps. He can lean forward and rest his elbows on the pads and grab onto the aero bars. The pack in front hold his GPS and Battery charger/adaptors. It's one those bad ass chargers that you need to charge ahead of time, so it can charge other items anywhere.

This bag on the back of the seat allows for spare tubes incase of a flat, and there's a spot for his driver's license, a credit card, and $20. Notice how there's two water bottles attached for easy access. There's 2 other bottles in the "normal" water bottle spots on the bike. So far, 4 bottles last him daily.


This bag in the middle of the bike is for sun screen reapplication throughout the ride. ; lips, face, arms. He lathers up good with a big bottle before each ride. Also, his phone is in this bag, too.

Early lunch chicken salad sandwich and half a pound of cheese curd

Real time GPS tracker is on!

Day 4 The Gee Brief: I HEART NY!!!!

Miles today: 61

Total so far: 302

Miles to go: 2950

Weather: rained twice
Road: Low rolling upstate NY hills. Love it!
Wind: Very strong headwind.
Physical complaints: Not many. A few days ago, the lower back was complaining quite a bit, but then I found this video. It helped a lot!

As you may have noticed, I found out how to post pics from my phone. The only problem with doing that is that it slows down the riding. The thing is, some things just HAVE to be explained in pictures. For example, the series of pictures below.

Connections

My entire life has consisted of a constant series of connections where a person, place or theme that's on my mind or a part of my life seems to constantly recur in differing forms.

The best way to describe this phenomenon is to share it with you pictorially. Today I made three connections, but I'm sure there are many more to come. Each set of pics contains something I saw today along with the connection I made.. Enjoy!

Connection 1: Buff O Matic

Above you have Buff O Matic Transmissions, on the right you have a Buff O Matic Bicycle Engine. Weird huh??!!

Connection 2: Picturesque

Above you see the word "Picturesque" on a sign. To the right you see the true definition of that word. (She makes that truck look gggoooooooddd!!!

Connection #3 Unleavened Bread

Below left, you see unleavened bread. Below right, you see

an unleavened barn. Just an example of why trickle down economics doesn't work. You start at the top, things tend to STAY at the top.

"Hey! Who was supposed to schedule the barn raising?"

That's if for now. Just posting these pics took FOREVER. I love New York, but this part of the state has a seriously slow internet connection.

Ps. Yes, I really have consumed over a pound of bologna in the past two days....and a whole lot of other food. Since I have no self control when it comes to food, this bike trip is the only means I have of controlling my weight and satisfying my need for bologna!

Pss. Special thanks to my English teacher wife for providing the correct spelling of "baloney". I just eat the stuff. Forgive me Oscar Meyer!

Lunch!

Half a pound of Bologna a tomato mayonnaise and vitamin water.... I am in hog heaven!

I'm feeling right at home!

Still on route 20

Day 3: Wilmington, Vermont to Albany, New York (J Version)

Tweaking bottle hook up

Good morning! I'm at a Starbucks in Albany, NY updating. I wanted to go to a different, new café but nothing else was open when we left the hotel. Just for clarification, today is technically day 4; however, I'm mostly writing about yesterday which was day 3. Today, he's aiming for some place in between here and Auburn, NY. Oh, and his start time was 7:40 today! I think we found the secret. He gets breakfast by himself while I pack up. That saved us a lot of time.

Cleaning the prescription
goggles

The biggest thing from yesterday that stood out to me were the horrible roads. I was on the same route as G but ahead of him. It amazed me how terrible they were aka. NO shoulder at points, grooved pavement, and construction. I really could NOT fathom how G was going to get through some of the roads. Whenever I doubt his ability to not ride, I always get proven wrong, and I'm glad I was wrong. He is an animal!!! If you read his entry, you'll know that he attributes it all to his bullet proof (literally) tires. He tells the story of how the lady at the store told him to pay it forward when she hooked him up with a drink because he didn't have cash. What my humble hubby didn't say is that he is the KING of paying it forward (one of the reasons he captured my heart). Last week at the pet store in our town a cat lady couldn't find her money in her purse, so I think G felt more sorry for the potentially hungry cats than her and foot the bill for her cat food and told her to pay it forward. That's not to be confused with watching the movie Pay It Forward, which by the way is a great premise but that ending??? Come on.


Three things I learned from yesterday's journey:
1. Music from my IPhone is a necessity. I had a mini meltdown for 2 min when I couldn't find the adaptor for the phone to the truck stereo. I don't mind all the driving, but I didn't realize how much I depend on my tunes blasting. To get a bit more specific the upbeat sounds of Usher really put me in a good mood, too.

Not my actual phone

2. As much as the IPhone is amazing, the darn thing overheated on me (sitting on the dashboard) and had to "cool" off. When you're relying on the phone as a GPS this can be problematic! Way to go Apple! Always be
familiar with your route incase that happens.

3. Use a regular GPS, so you don't have the IPhone over heating problem, and if someone calls you, you can actually talk to them without losing your directions.

Another item I forgot to bring on the trip is my blue boogie/kick board for pools/water. I don't know how to swim and kind of have a slight fear of water, so I rely on that blue board for comfort. We have two at home because I've forgotten mine before and had to buy another one when we were on vacation. Yesterday, at Walmart the only kind they had was an Avengers board, so I got it! haha



Soft kitty, warm kitty...

Our nephew and niece who are staying at our house sent us a picture of Tiger! I miss that furry guy, but he looks so happy, so I'm happy. Our nephew said Smokey is in hiding mode because she's a bit scared of their dog. She'll come around with time. I know it.

Since last year and all the way up to the present, we've told hundreds of people about our cross country cycling trip. This includes people that we encounter even on the trip as well. There are about three immediate reactions we get:

1. "OH MY GOD! ARE YOU CRAZY?" in a negative tone. These people usually always immediately turn the conversation to themselves with, "I would never do that," or " Why would you ever want to do that???" never thinking that just because maybe it's not your cup of tea, it could be someone else's. Or another common immediate response that falls in this category is, "40 days? You really think you're going to make it?" Wow. Thank you, Debbie Downer.

2. "Wow" in disbelief. "Good for you. That's awesome! Good luck!," in a calm tone. These people are supportive and genuinely excited for you. It's not their thang (yes, thang) that they would want to do, but they are totally cool with you pursuing your passion and wish you well. People like this rock.

3. "I WANT TO GO THERE!" These people  are your all star cheerleaders. They are in complete

awe of the journey and wish they could do it themselves with you. It's really quite flattering and awesome when you meet people whose immediate reaction is so uplifting because I would say all three of these category reactions are pretty even from people. Our cousin R made a funny comment saying how cool it would be if G started a Forrest Gump following and turns around one day and there's people following on the bike. hehe

Have a wonderful morning!!!

Having fun with Photo Shop!!
 

First pit stop so far route 20 is beautiful!

Selfie

Hot dog!