June 7 Crosssing America

Blacksburg, VA a Non-ride Service day.

Never read something into a statement that’s not specifically stated within it.  I learned that from Ortrie an attorney friend.  Slept in until 6:30, than sharing the kitchen with a group of 20 it took until about 9:15 to make and eat breakfast.  At last night’s riders
meeting Pepper announced we would divide into two groups today to do two yards for folks with MS.  The work will only take from 10-2, he said.  The rest of the day we can lay back take it easy, do blogs, drink beer or whatever we want.  OK, I’m good with that I thought to myself, it is a good deed for someone in need.  Back to the point I’m about to make.  Four hours of service work is good, “rest” of day to lay back and do whatever is “REST” day to me.

At about 9:40 my assigned group rode our bikes 5 ½ miles across town to the home we would be doing our service work.  Blacksburg is hilly, my nemesis recall are hills.  By
the time we got to the folks home, I was already huffing, puffing and sweaty.  The clean clothes I had put on were drenched and we hadn’t yet did any service work.  “Yard Make Over” is what we are doing, this should have been on one of them TV reality shows.  The yard was a wilderness and I’m not exaggerating.  Even though I’ve been accused of doing so in my writings on occasion, it’s not true.  Envision 8 very hard working individuals
working as a team for 5 hours non-stop, Tara our mowing Queen was like a machine going thru any open area she could push through including coming back to areas we cleared of thick brush and mowing it including the poison ivy and oak.  I am highly susceptible to the
stuff, swear I can look at it and get the itchy stuff on me body.  Generally means a trip to the doc’s for a shot or a prescription and I spent most of the 5 hours hauling brush and tree limbs covered with the stuff.  Kept telling myself it’s a good deed and that is what matters most.  Other members of our work group who were outstanding non-stop machines for clearing this jungle were Dan N. and Chet.  I could barely keep up with them
hauling what they cut to the brush pile.  Then there was Chris our climber and rain gutter clearer.  I actually was proud to be working with this crew.  They displayed the determination and perseverance which will be needed to complete this cross country
adventure.  I going to need the support of good folks like these to help me endure.

After completing our “Yard Make Over” job, someone had gone to a sporting goods store
and purchased some kind of skin oil remover which is supposed to keep you from
contracting the poison ivy/oak residue.  I poured the stuffed liberally over my body and again while taking a shower after riding back to the house.  In my haste to get back to our overnight house, I didn’t stay to get a picture of the fantastic job we had done to the folks yard, it really did look like a lawn.  I’ll try to get a picture from someone to post later.  It was a job to be proud of for sure.

Almost forgot, I had to take my mini-van to pick up my bike at the bike shop where
they were servicing it for a shifting problem I’ve been having.  By the time I returned from the bike shop, it was time for a grilling burgers for dinner.  I had not had any “REST” of free time to work on my blog and it was already after 7:30.

After dinner, Chet suggested we go to Starbucks where there was internet connection and work on our blogs, great idea.  That’s when I was able to make my first four posts.  The manager at the Starbucks was most gracious as he allowed us to stay an hour after the shop closed while he and an assistantcleaned up.  Otherwise, my posts still would not be on.  Thank you Mr. Starbucks manager in Blacksburg.

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