Apr 7 - change of plan

Nothing major, I just didn't go biking. I had planned to head west into a 25mph headwind but decided instead to work at the Brazilian Pepper. It was cool, in the 50's, so perfect weather for long pants and a sweatshirt to protect myself from looking like I'd been playing with a cat.

It's really tiring work because it's such a tangle. If only I could just cut it up, pile it up, and burn it ... ah yes, that would be better. How long do you think I could have a fire burning before there'd be officials on my property putting me in chains ?

So ... I have another three piles of stuff out at the road. I exchanged emails with Stephanie Wolfe, from the Marine Discovery Center, and she is going to try and get 1-2 volunteers here next Monday and we'll see how much we can do. I told her that I only had a few more days here and sooner with a few helpers was going to be better than later with more.

Sandy did some errands -- Home Depot, taking my watch in for a new battery, Bed Bath & Beyond for something-or-other, and a luggage repair place to replace a broken handle on her suitcase.

I finally cleaned up my bike from the weekend ride, spending a lot of time cleaning the chain just before I then checked it for wear and found that it was overdue for replacement. Duh. While I was at it I cleaned the chain on the new bike, readying it for today's ride. Yes, I am going to ride today.

Tomorrow I'm going to pickup my neice Olivia and her boyfriend, who are at Disney World, bring them back here for a boat ride etc. and then take them back. So tomorrow I'll spend as much time riding as today, but the seat will be softer.

Friday I intend to ride the Deland Permanent again. That's the 138 mile ride starting 40 miles from here that I did a few weeks ago.

We're getting down to the wire. Two weeks this afternoon we'll be arriving in Reading PA at Jeffrey's. We'll probably break up the trip ... not sure if we'll do the coastal route via Accomac and drop in to see Bill and Collette or up I81 and see Linda and Alec. Obviously either depends on their availability and another option is simply to get a motel. We'll be loaded down, pulling the boat. Packing is going to be an issue since I may have (assuming that they order this) a water filter for Stef and Aaron; I will have two bikes; and we have a collection of stuff that we have to bring north. Not as much as other years but somehow once we start piling stuff up it adds up !

I should really place another order for bike stuff as well. I'm down to two spare chains and have been going through them fairly quickly. There's no way that they'll last until the end of the summer. I'm still toying with the idea of the compact crankset as well ... and it makes sense to have stuff delivered here vs picking it up in Philadelphia, now that I think of it, since the delivery charges amount to less than the sales tax that I pay at the store. I should get another couple of pairs of shorts, two more chains, perhaps the crankset ... hmmm.

I did order the headlamp -- something similar to the one that David got me two years ago that has an LED and takes three AAA batteries. The elastic strap holds it to the helmet through the vents and it will run 60 hours on three batteries. That's enough to do the entire 1200 km ride, or at least the in-the-dark parts.

Sandy talked to Patti Himes yesterday and we're going to get together next week. Then I'm off to Gainesville for another painfest -- no, call that lack-of-sleep fest -- then a day of rest and we're outta here !

That's it !