Miscellaneous Missives

People pulling off the road for breakfast at Slipstream Organics Over the next couple of days I'll try to share my RAGBRAI experience although it'll be difficult to put into words.  Instead of going grocery shopping tonight, I set up a breakfast meeting for tomorrow morning.  I'll gradually have to get back into reality. Basically, my food and drinks from the last week have come from vendors on RAGBRAI.  Three of the vendors were my staples! Act I:   Slipstream Organics Each morning I stopped for coffee at a fair trade coffee stand next to Slipstream Organics.  They were always within the first ten miles of town.  Before I left camp I would have a Morning Round with peanut butter to get me started, then I would stop with some of the fellow " Wimps " for coffee.  It was the perfect way to start the day. Act II:   Mr. Pork Chop Mr. Pork Chop is a RAGBRAI legend.  It seems everyone must have at least one pork chop from Mr. Por...

This year's RAGBRAI was full of trying to pet a puppy.  It started about three days into the ride when I saw a sign that said pet a puppy.  I pulled off to find there were ponies not puppies. Disappointment set in as I got back on the road.  Later another opportunity to pet a puppy presented itself in the next town.  As I walked to pet the puppy, I was once again disappointed to find out they were dogs and not puppies.  One afternoon at the Iowa Beer Bus and Mr. Pork Chop , I set out to find the kybo (RAGBRAI's term for porta-potty).  On route to the kybo, I passed baby goats.  They were soooo cute and amazing.  I talked to them (and they talked back) going to and returning from the kybo.  Since I refuse to take my phone into the kybo, I wasn't able to take pictures of the babies, but I was able to pet them. In another town, I took my picture next to a hale bale pig and pet baby pigs.  The people with the baby pigs said we ...

I am in the process of finishing my laundry and putting the camping gear back in storage.  Another year of RAGBRAI is finished.  Before I started to post, I looked at last  year's posts.  Unless one rides RAGBRAI, I don't think it can be explained.  This year's ride was BRUTAL.  Although the last two days were less hilly, the hills were relentless. I actually sagged (quit riding and received a ride into the last town) on the second day with 25 miles of the 75 miles remaining.  As I was standing in line to fill up my water bottles at the meet-up town, I was having difficulties breathing.  When I mentioned aloud that it would be stupid for me to keep riding when I couldn't breathe, a stranger behind me agreed.  Of course, I got back on the bike, but before we left town, I decided to sag.  The friends riding with me agreed.  We went over the steps of catching the sag although I didn't need them because we were close to a offici...