O-H-I-O; The Closest You Can Get to Michigan!

Al, Irene, and Katie Driver at dinner
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Today we made Dayton O-H-I-O, one of the greatest cities on the planet. Well, OK, it's quite a backwater, but we have some good friends there that we wanted to catch up with, the Driver's.
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Al and I worked together back at SAIC. He's a bear of a man, 6'4", 300 lbs, big bushy beard, deep voice...think Andre the Giant without the flexibility.
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Irene was just recovering from cancer, so we were looking forward to checking on her progress, and catching up on old times. Joining us for dinner was their granddaughter Katie, a really great young gal. She's only in high school, but is studying to be a pilot, and all the coolness that comes with that.
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Al raises dogs (rottweillers and french bulldogs and some other breeds) and exhibits them on a national basis...shows all the way up to Westminster Kennel Club stuff. He has a barn full of "doggie treadmills" (I swear this is true!) where we goes out every night, cracks his bottle of scotch, and watches the dogs do their daily exercise run. It's quite a sight to behold...made worse by the fact that the dogs are way more athletic than I am....Al probably is too nowadays...
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We had an outstanding dinner at the downtown fish restaurant, and caught up on lives, loves, and aerofoils. The whole flying thing has always intrigued me, and I even took some lessons when I was younger...but then ran out of cash and gave it up. Maybe SOMEDAY I'll get the opportunity to go back and get my pilot's license and fly again...ah, we all have a dream.
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Orville and Wilbur Lumpy out

On The Road Again!

TOP: Jamie, Gill, Jerry, Lisa, Lumpy meet for the ride start to Alfred U. Heather and Tom will join us in progress. It was designated "Yellow Day" in honor of the hatching of the yellow-bellied sapsucker this week.

2nd: Aunt Kathy with Niece Britany at her senior art show

3rd: The art is bigger than her back!

4th: Some of Brit's print art.

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This morning we started our Spring Road Trip '08 with a long ride from Rochester down to Alfred U, about 70-80 miles. A bunch of my cycling buddies met me at the start and along the way to escort me out of town. The idea was that I could get a few "wheel sucks" from them along the way to ease the trip, and get me there intact.

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That concept went to hell about 2 minutes into the ride when Lisa sprinted ahead with a shout of "Catch me if you can fat boy!". We chased her for about 5 miles, until she finally stopped to color her hair at the beautician. Then, Gill, overdosing on her daily dose of testosterone, HGH, steriods, and chocolate malted milk balls took off like a cannon shot. We probably would never have caught her, except for the fact that she saw a farmer roadside and tried to mate. We've really got to teach her some protocol one of these days. We rode to Lakeville together (~ 25 miles) and had stories to tell and lives to catch up on. Thereafter, Tom, Heather, and Jerry rode another 10 miles or so with me, and then I was off on my own...just in time for the wind to shift to a headwind, and two very large climbs to impede my progress.

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Hours later I showed up looking like a wet dog on my niece Brittany's doorstep, but ready to checkout her senior art show, have dinner, and meet some of her friends. After a quick shower, we went over to the art show. Now, if Lumpy knows anything, it's art...NOT! But, I have to say, some of the stuff was quite interesting to look at. There was paintings, ceramics, statues, and all manner of artworks. Probably something like several hundred artists in all. We spent a few hours there then headed over to the bustline metropolis of Hornell for an excellent outstanding dinner at Marianos...try it if you're every in the neighborhood. Why you'd be in the neighborhood, I don't know...

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Kathy and I drove a few hours after dinner, then bedded down for the night. Tomorrow....Dayton, O-H-I-O to see our old friends the Drivers.

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"Artwork'd Out" Lumpy out

Next Up...Flyover Country

Kathy and I leave this week for a few weeks on a Midwest US road trip to see old friends, see new sights, and knock off a few more of the remaining states that we have left in our quest for all 50. This trip will focus on the Upper Midwest...the Dakotas, Corn country, and the Lake Superior area. We'll be cycling in Colorado, kayaking in the UP of Michigan, and most important of all, shopping at the Mall of America.
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When we finish this trip (if all goes well), we'll be at 47 states completed, with just Montana & Idaho (later this summer) and Alaska (summer, 2009) left to go. Then the next goal is 100 countries!
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The posts might be a bit sporatic over the next few weeks, but I'll try to keep the stories coming. Enjoy!
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"I'm a Travelin' Man" Lumpy out

Oh, And There Was Cards Also...

We had our last euchre tourney yesterday before we head out on our next adventure...a road trip to the midwest US.
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It was the usual eatfest...cardfest...gossipfest....and this time we had some of the parents and some of the kids there so we had stories all the way from "Back in the big war, WWII" to "Xavier SHOULD have won the NCAA's this year". Three generations of fun!
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I counted over a case of empty beer bottles, numerous wine bottles, and my patron tequila bottle was drained. Last time I break out the good stuff on THOSE people...
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We had a tie for big winner of the night, Jane "I cause you pain" Weidrick and Tim "Old as Dirt" O'Sullivan. They had to arm wrestle, and, of course, Jane won. She's a tough old bird. Last place, BY A MILE, was Koz. He averaged about 4 pts a game, which is basically the same as a dead person would have done. Even I was embarrased for him...OK, not...
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Yours truly was in the money, but not by much...but, it's the closest to income that I have nowadays.
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"Hitting the Bingo tables next" Lumpy out

A Dog's Tale

TOP: SuzyQ, the Coble's dog

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So, we get back to John's house, and decide to get a night's sleep before driving back to Rochester. I get the basement, but the futon there was tough on my mountain-bike beaten up back, so I go upstairs to sleep on the sofa. SuzyQ, their little beagle jumps up on the sofa, snuggles in, and puts its head on my hip. I drift off to sleep, the closest I've come to a bed in 5 days.

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I awake at 5am (early start for our drive to beat the DC beltway traffic) and feel SuzyQ behind me asleep. I roll over to pet it's head, and, HEL-LO, it has flipped over and it's butt is now right in my face.

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Ain't that a fine "Good Morning Vietnam!" Lumpy out

TOP: Who's got the bigger banana now?

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Well, it was an outstanding spring bike trip, 330 miles in 4 days of riding, on mountain bike, with no cars anywhere except in the little town we stopped to eat or sleep in; uphill for 1 1/2 days, downhill for 1/2 day; crossing the Eastern Divide; lunch at Weavers; abundant wildlife; and hours of the same stories being repeated over and over and over.

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Can't ask for anything more than that!

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Oh, and I put ON 4 lbs....such is the "life of lumpy"

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"Helluva way to start the spring season" Lumpy out

"Weaver-ing" a Tale

TOP: John and Mark relaxing at a typical canal house. Lumpy is only 34 miles behind at this point

2nd: Dam on the Potomac River

3rd: Typical canal lock (not ehow narrow the width, a far cry from the current Erie Canal locks

4th: C&O Canal start in Cumberland, MD. Very nicely done

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We overnighted in Cumberland, with about 80-85 miles to go. Our original plan was to make Harpers Ferry yesterday, but we already had 90+ miles in, and our backs, necks, wrists, and manly parts had taken a beating on the stone trail, so we elected to bed down for the night. Besides, there was beer and ice cream nearby.

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The morning broke to a light coolness and fog coming off the river, but it was a great morning for cycling. John broke with his usual "sprint from the start" mentality; at about mile 30 we reeled him in and then pelotoned for another 20 or so miles. As we approached the little town of Hancock, we had to stop to clear a tree that was down on the trail. In talking with folks coming the other way, they told us about a minor detour to a parallelling rail trail that was paved...as we were starving, it seemed like a good option.

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Little did we realize that between the now tailwind, mark's thin tires and aero bars (yes, on his mountain bike...geekasaurous), pavement, and john's need for 2 MORE milkshakes that we would fly there. I think we never got under 23mph for the whole stretch, and walkers were bailing into the brush to get out of our way. It turned out to be a great move, both mentally and logistically, as when we got to Hancock we discovered "Weavers" (genuflect please), the best food stop of the trip. Weavers was awesome....fresh cooked turkey sandwiches on homemade bread, homemade pumpkin muffins, and 6 packs of chocolate chip cookies...which EACH of us bought and devoured (and you wonder why I put weight on during these rides...). Hands down the best restaurant of the trip. We spent a couple of hours there, eating and gaspiping, and then headed on in towards the finish in DC.

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The trail became more crowded as we got towards DC, and we met john's wife at a major tourist site just before the actual finish (easier logistically). There was some weird religious sect there running around with about 20 kids each, and crawling out on the rocks on the Potomac rapids (a SERIOUS set of rapids). The park police were at their wits end yelling at them (and their young kids) to get off of the rocks astride the rapids, and have a brain. Since nobody died, I guess god was on their side this time. Weird group of people...what the heck were they thinking

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"Weaver's is my heaven" Lumpy out