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.
Driving "THE RIDE" for 911 - Written solely by the drivers and passengers of the motorhome. 3300 miles at 12 mph over six weeks in a 34 foot motorhome.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Rolla to St. Louis
I crossed over to the dark side today. Given the opportunity to ride a bike after 4 days of driving THE RIDE was an easy choice. Felt a little guilty, but who would pass up the opportunity to ride with these guys for such a great cause.
The view from a bicycle seat always brings a new perspective of the world around me. The bugs were much louder, the speed felt faster and the cars felt closer. In fact, a two car traffic accident happened right in front of us in the first mile of the bicycle trip(no injuries), and Matt, the driver of the camera truck, pulled off an evasive manuever that Mario Andretti would be proud of and avoided a secondary collision. Reinforced my liking for mountain biking (No Cars).
So many great things happened during this week, but riding with these guys was one of the highlights of this trip. The Joplin visit, in my Mom's old stomping grounds, and the generosity of the Joplin Fire Department after the tornado, ranked right up there also.
I took footage of the riders going thru the devasatation in Joplin and hesitated putting it up here. To me it is important to see because the people of Joplin are still going through hell, but for all intents and purposes, we and the media have forgotten about them. It is your choice, here is the footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMfJQsEfM4g
Driving THE RIDE this week was one of my all time best "working/vacations". Lots of camaraderie. My belief in the fire service and the brotherhood was reinforced all week long. Thanks to all who helped us out thru the states of Oklahoma and Missouri. Rob Scott takes over on Sunday and I know that the guys are in good hands. I get to join him in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks and finish out the trip to NYC!
The view from a bicycle seat always brings a new perspective of the world around me. The bugs were much louder, the speed felt faster and the cars felt closer. In fact, a two car traffic accident happened right in front of us in the first mile of the bicycle trip(no injuries), and Matt, the driver of the camera truck, pulled off an evasive manuever that Mario Andretti would be proud of and avoided a secondary collision. Reinforced my liking for mountain biking (No Cars).
So many great things happened during this week, but riding with these guys was one of the highlights of this trip. The Joplin visit, in my Mom's old stomping grounds, and the generosity of the Joplin Fire Department after the tornado, ranked right up there also.
I took footage of the riders going thru the devasatation in Joplin and hesitated putting it up here. To me it is important to see because the people of Joplin are still going through hell, but for all intents and purposes, we and the media have forgotten about them. It is your choice, here is the footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMfJQsEfM4g
Driving THE RIDE this week was one of my all time best "working/vacations". Lots of camaraderie. My belief in the fire service and the brotherhood was reinforced all week long. Thanks to all who helped us out thru the states of Oklahoma and Missouri. Rob Scott takes over on Sunday and I know that the guys are in good hands. I get to join him in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks and finish out the trip to NYC!
August 19, Friday: DAY 27 - Rolla MO to St. Louis MO
It was a good day in the motorhome. Natasha and I had our first experience "poo dumping" and let me tell you it's something every girl should know how to do. That and drive a stick shift, but I digress. We had been warned about "big hills" on the way to Rolla, but the guys voted to push through the 118 miles and get into Rolla so they could have an extra rest day in St. Louis.
"Kinda" Map My Ride failed us again, when Co Road 3378 turned to be more like a dirt driveway - not so much. Now, these roads we're driving on aren't like California roads (which present their own challenges); these are narrow 2 lane roads with drainage ditches on either side instead of a shoulder. Not great for turning around a 50 ish foot long motorhome/trailer combo. Why am I telling you this? Because I have to update Mike's status from amateur to BAMF. He executed a 3 point turn in someone's driveway that I didn't think was possible. Ron, you may have just met your motorhome match.
As is the theme these days, it was hot and muggy the second half of the day. Randy was riding like an animal with Scottx2, and then promptly blew up 5 miles out of Rolla. To his credit, I thought he looked like sh*t. But, not to worry, nothing a Coke and a Rice Krispy won't fix. To his credit he rode in the last mile, and we were guided in by Rolla FD. They even had a huge (and amazing) fried chicken dinner delivered to the station. Oh man, was that good! There was fried chicken, roast chicken, chicken fingers... And sweet tea. I think we polished off three gallons.
And then the thunder. And lightning. And train that sounded like it was rolling through the station. I thought that the finger of God came down and blasted the motorhome. The lightning lit up the room Nd then thunder was practically instantaneous. This happened pretty much all night. I was literally waiting for the tornado sirens to go off. I don't even know if they have tornadoes in Missouri. But if they do, I would imagine they are preceeded by storms like that one.
"Kinda" Map My Ride failed us again, when Co Road 3378 turned to be more like a dirt driveway - not so much. Now, these roads we're driving on aren't like California roads (which present their own challenges); these are narrow 2 lane roads with drainage ditches on either side instead of a shoulder. Not great for turning around a 50 ish foot long motorhome/trailer combo. Why am I telling you this? Because I have to update Mike's status from amateur to BAMF. He executed a 3 point turn in someone's driveway that I didn't think was possible. Ron, you may have just met your motorhome match.
As is the theme these days, it was hot and muggy the second half of the day. Randy was riding like an animal with Scottx2, and then promptly blew up 5 miles out of Rolla. To his credit, I thought he looked like sh*t. But, not to worry, nothing a Coke and a Rice Krispy won't fix. To his credit he rode in the last mile, and we were guided in by Rolla FD. They even had a huge (and amazing) fried chicken dinner delivered to the station. Oh man, was that good! There was fried chicken, roast chicken, chicken fingers... And sweet tea. I think we polished off three gallons.
And then the thunder. And lightning. And train that sounded like it was rolling through the station. I thought that the finger of God came down and blasted the motorhome. The lightning lit up the room Nd then thunder was practically instantaneous. This happened pretty much all night. I was literally waiting for the tornado sirens to go off. I don't even know if they have tornadoes in Missouri. But if they do, I would imagine they are preceeded by storms like that one.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Springfield to Rolla Missouri
Good teamwork makes driving "THE RIDE" successful. Two members of the team really contributed this week to this success and need to be recognized. "Alex" is an excellent map reader and navigator and keeps me going in the right direction. "Natasha" calls ahead and gets things set up for the guys. This week has been a success largely because of the two of them. They have also learned several specific tasks concerning THE RIDE.
Today was maintenance day on THE RIDE. We had to fill the water tank, fill the propane tank, empty the gray water and the black water. If you ever have had an RV, you know that dumping the black water(contents of the toilet) can be a less than exciting endeavor. The girls affectionately dubbed it "poo dumping". We had talked about it for two days and they were obviously excited and motivated as we entered the "Happy Trails" RV Park in Lebannon Missouri. They jumped right in and made it happen with smiles on their face.
Eating on the road can get expensive and we are always on the lookout for a good eats at a cheap price. Today we stopped at the Waffle House where they had both. If you are ever in Lebannon Missouri, you might want to stop here. Not only was the food good, but our waitress, Amanda was excellent!
One of the riders is an interesting character named Randy. He has not only provided comedy the entire week, but has also made some pretty profound statements. He has a gnarly mustache and I have posed the following question to many waitresses this week: "is he better with or without the mustache?" Today the waitress at the Sunshine Cafe said, "I don't know but he sure looks like that guy from Brokeback Mountain! First time this week that I heard Randy speechless. You can see him here:
On to the riders. They have put in over 400 miles this week in searing heat and humidity. They don't complain much and are really focused on the goal of making it to NYC. They are sacrificing their own personal time, family time, vacation time and sometimes their own personal safety on the road.
All of us want to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and the Dennis Leary Firefighter Foundation and if you have the urge to donate, you can do it at the same website you used to view Randy.
Here is some footage of today'S ride somewhere south of Rolla. This is Jim, ageless Marv and Jorge rolling down the highway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnH72sIyZlA
I need to say a special thanks to my wife Brandi, who has been so supportive of this trip. Thanks B, I couldn't have done it without you.
Tomorrow, on to St. Louis!
Today was maintenance day on THE RIDE. We had to fill the water tank, fill the propane tank, empty the gray water and the black water. If you ever have had an RV, you know that dumping the black water(contents of the toilet) can be a less than exciting endeavor. The girls affectionately dubbed it "poo dumping". We had talked about it for two days and they were obviously excited and motivated as we entered the "Happy Trails" RV Park in Lebannon Missouri. They jumped right in and made it happen with smiles on their face.
Eating on the road can get expensive and we are always on the lookout for a good eats at a cheap price. Today we stopped at the Waffle House where they had both. If you are ever in Lebannon Missouri, you might want to stop here. Not only was the food good, but our waitress, Amanda was excellent!
One of the riders is an interesting character named Randy. He has not only provided comedy the entire week, but has also made some pretty profound statements. He has a gnarly mustache and I have posed the following question to many waitresses this week: "is he better with or without the mustache?" Today the waitress at the Sunshine Cafe said, "I don't know but he sure looks like that guy from Brokeback Mountain! First time this week that I heard Randy speechless. You can see him here:
On to the riders. They have put in over 400 miles this week in searing heat and humidity. They don't complain much and are really focused on the goal of making it to NYC. They are sacrificing their own personal time, family time, vacation time and sometimes their own personal safety on the road.
All of us want to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and the Dennis Leary Firefighter Foundation and if you have the urge to donate, you can do it at the same website you used to view Randy.
Here is some footage of today'S ride somewhere south of Rolla. This is Jim, ageless Marv and Jorge rolling down the highway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnH72sIyZlA
I need to say a special thanks to my wife Brandi, who has been so supportive of this trip. Thanks B, I couldn't have done it without you.
Tomorrow, on to St. Louis!
August 18, Thursday: DAY 26 - Joplin MO to Springfield MO
We left Joplin late so Marv could have his 15 minutes of fame with KABC (on the Ride page), and then we were off. It was warm and a bit muggy but the guys were ready to rock and they did. We found Mike's grandma's house, not 5 blocks from the station - how crazy is that? One thing I think I heard pretty much everyone was say was, I can't believe how inviting and welcoming Joplin FD was to us. Here they are, not even 3 months after a major natural disaster, and all they want to know is how they can help us. It's amazing.
One thing I've seen here in Missouri that I haven't seen anywhere else? Armadillos. Word on the street is they migrated here from Texas about 10 years ago and never looked back. Some interesting 'dillo facts? Yes please.
- they like bugs, small reptiles and the occasional berry. They like to tear up yards.
- our 'dillo friends carry leprosy. Of biblical fame.
- when armadillos get run over they don't really squish. More like they pop.
Derek, our stalwart cameraman, decided to join the riders and traded four wheels for two, horsepower for pedal power. This guy didnt even have clip-in shoes, and he did great. It was hot and very muggy by the middle of the day but we were warmly welcoming (I'm sensing a theme here...) into Springfield FD station 12. They even made us zucchini bread with zucchini from their own garden! Oh my god it was good. Dinner was at a very swanky place called the Metroplitan Cafe, where we definitely looked like what the cat drug in, compared to the rest of the patrons. Jorge got into a fight with our waiter, the portobello mushrooms were very tasty, and Marv got a little saucy on Long Island Iced Teas. It was a good night. More from Rolla MO tomorrow.
One thing I've seen here in Missouri that I haven't seen anywhere else? Armadillos. Word on the street is they migrated here from Texas about 10 years ago and never looked back. Some interesting 'dillo facts? Yes please.
- they like bugs, small reptiles and the occasional berry. They like to tear up yards.
- our 'dillo friends carry leprosy. Of biblical fame.
- when armadillos get run over they don't really squish. More like they pop.
Derek, our stalwart cameraman, decided to join the riders and traded four wheels for two, horsepower for pedal power. This guy didnt even have clip-in shoes, and he did great. It was hot and very muggy by the middle of the day but we were warmly welcoming (I'm sensing a theme here...) into Springfield FD station 12. They even made us zucchini bread with zucchini from their own garden! Oh my god it was good. Dinner was at a very swanky place called the Metroplitan Cafe, where we definitely looked like what the cat drug in, compared to the rest of the patrons. Jorge got into a fight with our waiter, the portobello mushrooms were very tasty, and Marv got a little saucy on Long Island Iced Teas. It was a good night. More from Rolla MO tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
August 17, Wednesday: DAY 24 - Tulsa OK to Joplin MO
Surprise! I'm back. Jim was seeming a bit homesick, I had an unexpected break from work (sort of), and I heard they had some amateur driving the motorhome . So I shelled out some serious cash, hopped on a tiny plane and headed to Tulsa OK to catch up with the Ride. I got a resounding "what the f*#$" from Jimmy when I got in the room; not the reaction I was expecting but he came around.
We got up about 2 hours later, 0430 Tulsa time, and miraculously were on the road by about 0530. We had plans to meet up with the fire dept in Joplin around 1200, which actually ended up being about 1300, but as we came over that ridge and I saw the gash the tornado had ripped into this town, and it was really hard to choke back tears. And then you come over another ridge and you see the hospital, with one side completely blown out and all the windows gone, and you think, my god, how did they get all those people out. And you're sharing a fire station with the guys who did it. Amazing.
Not ever having had to survive in a place where tornadoes are common (I'll take earthquakes, thanks. They're much less frequent) I can only try to imagine what it's like. As we sat and talked with Joplin FD at Station 1 where we bedded down for the night, they told us about losing two of their stations when the F5 monster ripped through town, as well as not even recognizing the streets in their own town because all the buildings were gone. One of the guys, Shannon, said you didn't know what you were gonna find on the next corner. A house in the middle of the street? A woman holding her unattached arm? To call it a tragedy and a disaster doesn't evn begin to scratch the surface of what this community experienced and is still going through.
And yet they opened their doors to us. They met us outside of town and wanted their picture taken with us. They wanted to feed us (more on that in a minute). Their city is still more than just partially leveled and they want to know what they can do for us. Unbelievable.
As far as dinner, let me tell you we had a feast. Bonnie, Adam Loeser's amazing mom made us a spread like you wouldn't believe, with plenty of vegetarian options for Hambly. The effort she went through to make all that food for us, and then to drive it out to Joplin from Tulsa, it was fantastic! And we shared with our hosts as well (the cheesecake was a big hit).
I'll try and post the video I took from my bike with Mike's GoPro on the blog.
see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMfJQsEfM4g
We got up about 2 hours later, 0430 Tulsa time, and miraculously were on the road by about 0530. We had plans to meet up with the fire dept in Joplin around 1200, which actually ended up being about 1300, but as we came over that ridge and I saw the gash the tornado had ripped into this town, and it was really hard to choke back tears. And then you come over another ridge and you see the hospital, with one side completely blown out and all the windows gone, and you think, my god, how did they get all those people out. And you're sharing a fire station with the guys who did it. Amazing.
Not ever having had to survive in a place where tornadoes are common (I'll take earthquakes, thanks. They're much less frequent) I can only try to imagine what it's like. As we sat and talked with Joplin FD at Station 1 where we bedded down for the night, they told us about losing two of their stations when the F5 monster ripped through town, as well as not even recognizing the streets in their own town because all the buildings were gone. One of the guys, Shannon, said you didn't know what you were gonna find on the next corner. A house in the middle of the street? A woman holding her unattached arm? To call it a tragedy and a disaster doesn't evn begin to scratch the surface of what this community experienced and is still going through.
And yet they opened their doors to us. They met us outside of town and wanted their picture taken with us. They wanted to feed us (more on that in a minute). Their city is still more than just partially leveled and they want to know what they can do for us. Unbelievable.
As far as dinner, let me tell you we had a feast. Bonnie, Adam Loeser's amazing mom made us a spread like you wouldn't believe, with plenty of vegetarian options for Hambly. The effort she went through to make all that food for us, and then to drive it out to Joplin from Tulsa, it was fantastic! And we shared with our hosts as well (the cheesecake was a big hit).
I'll try and post the video I took from my bike with Mike's GoPro on the blog.
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