My final post - St. Louis wrap up

Can you believe it's been more than a month? And that these crazy guys have two and a half weeks left? It's hard to believe that we're getting into the home stretch. Sadly I won't be able to make it into New York so this made me sad to leave the boys and let them fend for themselves the rest of the ride (they will be just fine without me but I like to think I'm needed). The final day riding into St. Louis, Mike decided to get out and ride which was quite impressive because his two wheeled ride tends to have fatter tires and more substantial shocks, with a higher probability of crashing on your face - just sayin.

Anyway Randy was now my driver and I am still trying to get these guys safely into St. Louis and all the sudden Marv is giving me the thumbs down. What? The hills? I can't hear you! You're sad? What? A turtle? We did what?! We just ran over a turtle? Yes. Randy and I are turtle killers and we didn't even realize. The good news? I saved a turtle from almost certain death earlier that morning so I figure I'm even on my turtle karma. Aside from turtle smashing, Randy and I had a blessedly smooth day. Minus Derek and Matt sending us down a narrow, practically dead end street in a fifty foot motorhome and trailer. Gee thanks guys.

So what am I taking away from this experience? Wow. Where to start? From my limited riding experience I can safely say what these 6 guys are doing is truly a physical feat beyond anything any of us mere mortals can imagine. Sometimes, I just wonder, why? Why punish your body? Why spend all that time away from your loved ones? Why wake up at 0-dark-30 every day to ride hundreds of miles just to do it all again in some sort of weird physically punishing Ground Hog day? I can only surmise to answer for them.

My guess is that on the most basic level, as my mom would say, "they're just good eggs". Second, these men are firefighters who are used to springing into action, who never feel helpless. On September 11, they sat and felt totally and completely helpless. This ride is their answer to those feelings. This is their way to fight that helpless feeling. Let me be the first to tell you, this Ride has been a labor of love (begrudgingly at times). To become a fully qualified charity, to wrangle multiple and often disparate personalities, to actually raise money? I thought at times Jim's head might explode. But they did it, and they will continue to do it all the way into New York City. And I couldn't be prouder to say I've been a part of it.