So those of you keeping up with me on instagram will have seen all these pics before, and a picture speaks 1,000 words... blah blah blah... here's my vacation, picture book style.
So I left AZ to return to the city where I was born. it was hot and humid (for AZ) here, and I'd only gotten 2 hours of sleep if that much.
The flight was nice and I was sitting with a 20-something lesbian couple who were just adorable. I slept as much as I could on the 3 hour flight..
when I landed it was night time in Iowa, and a little chill with the humidity. went to a Mexican restaurant with my sister, 3 nieces and there friend, stopped by a bar my brother-in-law's DJ company was doing karaoke at to pick up there pay...and then made it back to my sister's house for some much needed rest.
Ahhhhh, sleep....i missed you so.
Next day we went to meet my 4th niece who was working at a summer camp...and this is what 80% of Iowa looks like...
the drive to the camp (it's been so long since I've been surrounded by trees or green)
spent time with all my nieces and one's boyfriend talking over pizza hut pizza. All of this was just leading up to the big day/ event... RAGBRAI!!
So my brother in law had biked the rout in reverse, so he was already at the starting city. My sister and I left Eastern Iowa with 2 others, picked up 3 more in the middle of Iowa, and made it to Sioux Center IA with out any problems.
a park in Sioux Center was filled with campers ready to start the long bike ride the next day...me and 3 others went to get more beer for the RV we were staying in.
...and grabbed some food and beer on our way...
So, The Big Day!! first day of RAGBRAI my sister and brother's cycling team this year...The Baboon Butts!!
we had 3 or 4 other riders, but they were still asleep, so 1/2 the team's there.
RAGBRAI had an estimated 15-20,000 riders this year, and from the look of it that first day... I wouldn't doubt it. for as far as the eye could see on the highway...
our first little town we stopped in...did I mention that alot of Iowa was settled by Duch, Dainish, and German/Austrian's??
One of the traveling venders in the little towns... I wanted every shirt.. so funny. the shirt you may not be able to read says "Don't ask me to ride my bike, and I won't ask to fuck your wife" BWAH HA HA HA HA HA.....
Day 2 I put my SG cycling jersey on... Represent!! SG and SGChatHouse!!!
longest distance between little towns was maybe 17miles. we'd stop, get water/gatorade eat something (on a stick) and move on to the next little town...
The bike ride is filled with interesting ppl, interesting bikes, lots of stories to be told if you just ask. Oh and not everyone was on a "normal" bike. we also saw 2 ppl on skate boards, one person rollerblading and EVERY kind of bike you can think of... no lie.
red Solo Cup helmet...
Marshall town is one of the places where they make Solo cups....just saying...
I had a great time on the bike ride, alot of the larger towns had fun fair like things to do...
Last day of RAGBRAI left early in the morning so we'd get to the finish early some teammates had ppl and things to do that night.
So this whole 7 days I'd been pushing my body to make it to the end. every day at the half way mark I wanted to just give up and I posted this on FB. Someone would always reply with encouragement and knowing I had no choice but to carry on... I did, knowing I had so many ppl rooting me on from afar. The last 2 days I was tearing up at how kind everyone in every town was.. I was at my mental and physical end. I got to a point where I was able to let go and cry for my lost mother, and lost marriage. The wind whipped away my tears along with the sweat that was dripping from my head. The last 3 miles I was so FUCKING happy it was over... 471 miles and it was all for this moment right here... in the Mississippi river.
And one more thing to mark off my bucket list.
So, after the ride I was talking with my brother and sister and found out that the boxes I left at my parents house 15 years ago aren't missing, but in my sister's storage unit!! so I was able to get them and go through them to save what I wanted. it was a flash back to High School, elementary school...and my freshman year of college...
And then today... my vacation let me grow a beard that my work won't let me
and if finding long lost treasures wasn't enough, my brother gave me his bike that I was riding RAGBRAI on! it should be in AZ by next week, at which point I'm going to stop driving to work and start biking instead. Hello hard body here I come!!
So even though it was great to be in Iowa I missed my roommates and my dogs...SG and a few other things... like my own bed.... the sunset on my flight back home.
So I left AZ to return to the city where I was born. it was hot and humid (for AZ) here, and I'd only gotten 2 hours of sleep if that much.
The flight was nice and I was sitting with a 20-something lesbian couple who were just adorable. I slept as much as I could on the 3 hour flight..
when I landed it was night time in Iowa, and a little chill with the humidity. went to a Mexican restaurant with my sister, 3 nieces and there friend, stopped by a bar my brother-in-law's DJ company was doing karaoke at to pick up there pay...and then made it back to my sister's house for some much needed rest.
Ahhhhh, sleep....i missed you so.
Next day we went to meet my 4th niece who was working at a summer camp...and this is what 80% of Iowa looks like...
the drive to the camp (it's been so long since I've been surrounded by trees or green)
spent time with all my nieces and one's boyfriend talking over pizza hut pizza. All of this was just leading up to the big day/ event... RAGBRAI!!
So my brother in law had biked the rout in reverse, so he was already at the starting city. My sister and I left Eastern Iowa with 2 others, picked up 3 more in the middle of Iowa, and made it to Sioux Center IA with out any problems.
a park in Sioux Center was filled with campers ready to start the long bike ride the next day...me and 3 others went to get more beer for the RV we were staying in.
...and grabbed some food and beer on our way...
So, The Big Day!! first day of RAGBRAI my sister and brother's cycling team this year...The Baboon Butts!!
we had 3 or 4 other riders, but they were still asleep, so 1/2 the team's there.
RAGBRAI had an estimated 15-20,000 riders this year, and from the look of it that first day... I wouldn't doubt it. for as far as the eye could see on the highway...
our first little town we stopped in...did I mention that alot of Iowa was settled by Duch, Dainish, and German/Austrian's??
One of the traveling venders in the little towns... I wanted every shirt.. so funny. the shirt you may not be able to read says "Don't ask me to ride my bike, and I won't ask to fuck your wife" BWAH HA HA HA HA HA.....
Day 2 I put my SG cycling jersey on... Represent!! SG and SGChatHouse!!!
longest distance between little towns was maybe 17miles. we'd stop, get water/gatorade eat something (on a stick) and move on to the next little town...
The bike ride is filled with interesting ppl, interesting bikes, lots of stories to be told if you just ask. Oh and not everyone was on a "normal" bike. we also saw 2 ppl on skate boards, one person rollerblading and EVERY kind of bike you can think of... no lie.
red Solo Cup helmet...
Marshall town is one of the places where they make Solo cups....just saying...
I had a great time on the bike ride, alot of the larger towns had fun fair like things to do...
Last day of RAGBRAI left early in the morning so we'd get to the finish early some teammates had ppl and things to do that night.
So this whole 7 days I'd been pushing my body to make it to the end. every day at the half way mark I wanted to just give up and I posted this on FB. Someone would always reply with encouragement and knowing I had no choice but to carry on... I did, knowing I had so many ppl rooting me on from afar. The last 2 days I was tearing up at how kind everyone in every town was.. I was at my mental and physical end. I got to a point where I was able to let go and cry for my lost mother, and lost marriage. The wind whipped away my tears along with the sweat that was dripping from my head. The last 3 miles I was so FUCKING happy it was over... 471 miles and it was all for this moment right here... in the Mississippi river.
And one more thing to mark off my bucket list.
So, after the ride I was talking with my brother and sister and found out that the boxes I left at my parents house 15 years ago aren't missing, but in my sister's storage unit!! so I was able to get them and go through them to save what I wanted. it was a flash back to High School, elementary school...and my freshman year of college...
And then today... my vacation let me grow a beard that my work won't let me
and if finding long lost treasures wasn't enough, my brother gave me his bike that I was riding RAGBRAI on! it should be in AZ by next week, at which point I'm going to stop driving to work and start biking instead. Hello hard body here I come!!
So even though it was great to be in Iowa I missed my roommates and my dogs...SG and a few other things... like my own bed.... the sunset on my flight back home.
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Hopefully this will resolve so I can come see ya.
K