It's all about gear and goodies...

Here it is 3:42 in the morning, a mere three hours before Denis picks me up to take me to the bus with my duffle and bicycle.  The bus takes six hours to go to John Day, Oregon, that lies along the Columbia River and marks the northern end of the main highway down the middle of state, Hwy 395.   Our hardy group of 2200 cyclists will travel on and around this highway over the next seven days from John Day to Diamond to Crane and to Seneca, Oregon, small towns with one-room school houses and few people, one as small as 12 people.

Yes, I cannot sleep.  I stuffed all my gear into jumbo Ziploc bags and used my knees to push the air out. Each bag above contains a jersey (the cyclist's name for a bike shirt), bike shorts and socks.  I have collected glorious red poppies to lady bugs and Google maps (Thank you, Molly) jerseys and a few others over the last six months as I have readied for this trip.

Never having liked being a walking billboard, I collect jerseys that have few, if any, words. Of course, Portland Century is allowed! The middle one in the lower row above is the Google maps one and it has the words, "Google maps" on the side.

How do I feel? The fact that I could barely sleep tells me I am excited.  This is an adventure for a soon-to-be 70-year-old January 18.  I give myself permission to not push or race but just ride.  I usually ride alone because I don't want to burden others with my slow pace.  That is just fine...  But, with 2199 others, there may be one....