Tulalip

Most people know how I feel about Indian gaming. Yuk!

So guess where we are staying... The Tulalip Resort and Casino. Why? Not sure except it is a new high rise and for once we are not traveling with Bub so that opened up new lodging options.

The hotel is beautiful, the service almost too attentive with valet parking , bell persons to schlep all our crap and the most beautiful room I have seen in a long time. The bathroom looks like the hotels in Spain with those fancy Porcelanosa shower heads at three separate heights. Flat screen tv, fancy coffee maker like the one Jan gave Mom and on and on.

We ate at one of the seafood restaurants last night and it was great. Fresh halibut from Alaska and steelhead from the Columbia River.

Then we had a drink at the bar and watched UCLA barely beat Virginia Commenwealth. Didn't gamble at all because I'm really not into that. Also they can't seem to fix the most offensive thing about casinos: the smoke.

I did not get any great pictures of the room because as soon as we arrived with all our stuff and my bike, it looked like it was trashed by rock stars. But on the second night, we had guests who are pictured here:

Love this shower. In fact i love it so much I've got it pictured twice!

While we were in Lake Stevens we met our new grand dog Pixie. No dog bed for this pup. she prefers to sleep here :

And here are her proud parents:

The Finish Line

Becky Prater says blogging might be my new calling because where ever I go, shit happens, and I will never run out of material.  Direct quote.

Yesterday's example.  We were at our final lunch

 at the Outback in Tukwilla which was 3 miles from the finish line.  I had the idea I would ride my bike in and so headed to the truck to get my shoes and helmet.  As I approached, a guy slammed the passenger door and walked away.  I greeted him with "Hi, how's it going?" because I momentarily thought he was one of our group of 70 people.  The black leather jacket should have tipped me off, but remember I am taking Vicodin.  He responded back in a friendly manner and then sprinted to a waiting car. 

Dumbfounded, I just stood there waiting for Bob and panicking when a man from a nearby building approached and said he got the license number and that his office building  has video cameras that will have the guy on tape.    Police arrived, we determined nothing

 was taken except the door lock had been damaged when he broke in.  Turns out the license number does not match the black honda civic he got into, indicating this is a professional operation.  The cops deduced we were from Red Neckville and gave us a friendly warning  about not leaving anything visible in the truck cab because this happens all the time.  Everyone said I was the hero cause I arrived just in time to prevent a crime.  Actually I think he decided going through our jumbled bags was too much work.

  Little did he know Becky's laptop was under the seat.  Ha Ha sucker!

Back to the ride.  After this excitement I tried a practice ride in the parking lot.  Not working. I could only get onthe bike by laying it almost to the ground and stepping over it rathr than swinging my leg over the seat.  Then I tried to pedal and I was so tenetive I thought it wasn't worth it.  I was really bummed but realized even if I could get moving, if I crashed i might cause a chain reaction with other riders.  Enough people have fallen on this trip - we did not need any more.  Plus there was a killer hill over to the destination and I knew that wouldn't work for me at all.  So sadly, I gave my bike back to Cole and he took it on in.

The finish was great with smiles, cheers and tears.   Families and FARA staff members greated the riders.  We had champagne on arrival and speeches thank yous and hugs. Kyle gave each of the riders an Olympic style medal and thanked us for our participation.  It was so much more than a bike ride for all of us.   Awesome experience and I will definitely do it again.  Make that we, because I think Bob will ride next time.  

The Ataxians are all staying for the conference where Kyle will speak on Saturday night.  We left the Praters in Seattle before heading  north to Marysville for our final two nights before the 12 hour drive home on Saturday.

Day 3 Chehalis to Puyallup

At the start of Day 3:

Yesterday was an easy day only 47 miles but with some hills.  At least that's what they told me since I could not get on a bike.  We had a great dinner catered by Outback Steakhouse served in the old renovated railroad station in Centralia.  Outback has catered one lunch, two dinners and we are going to the actual restaurant tonight in Puyallup.  In addition, there is a whole team of Outback employees on the ride.  Outback Steakhouse  has a connection with the Freidrich's Ataxia Research Alliance because one of the top executives has family that is afflicted. However, Outback is a company that prides itself in community involvement and I have a new respect for their organization.  Plus, the food has been fabulous, especially when you realized they brought it from another location and prepared it in a civic building along the way.

Today the ride (which I missed as well) was 60 miles with a killer hill.  Chris Prater and his son-in-law John Lockwood were in the first group in.  John is an avid biker so I am not surprised there, but Chris just started cycling in preparation for this event.  And he had a partial knee replacement last summer.  So congratulations Chris. You amaze me.

Leslie, Kaiden and Kelsie arrived yesterday afternoon to join all the fun. Kaiden has been following Bob everywhere helping with the luggage transport and bike washing and storage.  

Finishing Day 3:

Finally, since it is my own blog, I can post whatever I want, so here is a truly awful picture of me.  Just wanted to show you what I did to myself. I am starting to think maybe I should have not bought the entry level helmet on sale.  Maybe price means quality in his case. Not to worry, I feel pretty good this afternoon and I am hoping to ride the last mile or so tomorrow to the finish line.  

Great start - crappy finish

We left the Oregon Health Sciences University Monday about 9am and headed through downtown Portland for an eternity.  I saw some great Victorian and Craftsman homes but I could not even think of taking a picture.  There were a million intersections to cross.  The only strategy was to stay with a group and cross these together with the bravest person taking
 command and waiving us through or stopping the traffic with a raised hand cop-style.  

Finally we made it to Highway 30 which turned out to be a 4 laner with a bike lane.  Trouble was, it is also a truck route and those guys drive fast and I don't think they care a

bout bikes.  Not relaxing at all.  After many gentle hills (which I managed easily through my gears) we had lunch at mile 30.  Typical of me, I was in the back of the pack. Actually I started out in the back due to nervousness with the traffic and my Shoe clips.

Lunch was at the 30 mile mark.  Sandwiches, chips and cookies.  It's permissible to eat like a teenager on these rides cause you burn it all up or off, they say.

Unfortunately I had a mishap at mile 35 as evidenced by the picture

 below.   Railroad tracks are dangerous for cyclists, which everyone knows.  I saw them coming and did the required crossing at 90 degrees.  Not sure what went wrong on the second track but I went down hard.

Must have been a slow day in St. Helens, Oregon because everyone on duty from the cops, fire department, ambulance and even animal control stopped.  (Maybe he thought I was road kill).  When Bob arrived there were lights, traffic stopped and chaos everywhere.  But I am fine.  Well not looking or walking great, but fine.  I am now on a first name basis with Dr. Gibson, Becky and Sarah at St. Joseph's in Longview Washington.  I have a few stitches, a black eye and road rash on my face.  Yes, I was wearing a helmet.  (Jeff Davis, we will be discussing helmets when I get back to work.)  I do have a small wrist fracture and a bad  groin pull (like a ball player) that is keeping me off the bike today but maybe tomorrow or the next day I can ride again.  

My brand new bike is fine and actually it is still going cause another guy was having issues with his so he is riding mine today.  That makes me slightly less disappointed.

More Info

I am a day behind in posting for reasons that will become clear later. However this link is a gps thing that tracks the riders' progress. Also, please check out rideataxia.org if you havn't already for more info on the ride, the back story and photos.

http://www.untamedadventure.com/AdvZone/Adventure.aspx?a=16.

Portland Monday night

We met up with the Bryants, the Niebuhrs, Mark Grassi and others Monday night and went out for a beer near our hotel.  Stephanie and John Lockwood found us an authentic Italian restaurant so we could eat the required pasta to sustain us on the Monday ride. Turned out to be a tiny place in the Pearl district where the waiters spoke Italian and we were seranaded by an accoridan player.  Great food and good conversation.

There was a lot of excitement building for Monday morning.

 

Portland

First off, I want to thank my coach/bike mechanic DJ Lauf for all the help he has give me in these last few weeks. Not only did he take me on the Sacramento River Trail in Redding twice, but he installed all my new accessories on my bike, aired up my tires, cleaned the road grime and adjusted everything, I fell so much safer. Thanks again DJ!

We left Red Bluff in the rain, drove in the rain and arrived in more rain Monday night. Seven hours to Portland where we met up with old friends and new riders. There are riders from as far away as Connecticut, Alaska and South Carolina. Most have kids or close friends with Freidrichs Ataxia. There are at least four or five young adults with FA who will be riding trikes. If they can do this, then I certainly can. The group is at the $150,000 mark for fundraising which far surpasses the goal of $100.000. This money will fund research for this genetic debilitating disease.