Apr 7 - somewhat beat up

I'm feeling really beat up this morning; not exactly sure why.  My ride yesterday was uneventful although I did take the more difficult road of riding south with a slight tailwind / high crosswind and then north into that wind.  The northerly component was growing as I rode north ... where was the WSW wind that I was promised ?

Between Oak Hill and Edgewater I passed two heavily laden cyclists.  I said hello as I passed them, thinking briefly that it might be funny if they were headed to Harris & Debbie's but figuring not likely.  As it turned out, they were !

Once I was home, I took Cassie for a walk and then went out to watch the 5k race / run / walk go by.  Talking to H&D, yes, they did have two cyclists from the Netherlands due in.  They were at Riverside Park in NSB awaiting the time when H&D were supposed to be home, which was 6pm.   Riverside and Magnolia were closed to car traffic, crowded with runners and walkers.

I talked to Sandy, who was on her way back with Marda, told her that if she arrived too early she wouldn't be able to get here.  I guess that the traffic was pretty bad on I4 because by the time she got here, they had just opened the road.  The cyclists had also arrived so I went over and said hello. 

We had dinner at the SYC and then went back to H&D's for desert and a chat with the cyclists.  They are taking 6 months to travel, see some of the U.S., no particular destination in mind other than starting in Miami and New York.  They figure maybe three months to New York and then ... what ? ... I talked to them about possibly heading to Montreal and west from there.  Who knows.

Before my ride, I spent a bunch of time researching one of the Miglia legs, trying to find a good place to stop and settled on San Gimignano, an amazing little tourist town.  Catherine and I had hit SG around 6am in 2010 and I was determined to go back with Sandy, which we did in 2011.  It's worth another visit :).

I've got the 600k Sunday/Monday this coming weekend and it looks like it will be hot; 80 on Sunday and 85 on Monday with no rain.  I'll take those fenders off.

Today I have Jessica at 7:15 and some errands to do.  Tomorrow, Saturday, we'll go boating if all goes well, Mass at the end of the day (for Sunday) and then I'll leave here around 2am Sunday to get to Tavares for the 600k start.  Paul is booking a room for the intervening night for himself, Judith and me.

Marda's visit will fly by, especially for me since I'll be gone for most of two days  She heads back home on Wednesday but not before Angelika arrives on Monday.

Onward !