Can't keep a blog

I am really crappy at this blogging stuff. I can't remember to do it. I knew that was a risk when I started, and I have lived down to my expectations. A lot of things have happened since my last post - my first MS ride of the summer, family vacation, school starting again, but gas prices are still between $3.50 and $4.00.

The MS-150 ride in North Dakota (July 26-27) was great. I drove all the way to Fargo on Friday, July 25. It is 750 miles from Urbana and took me about 12.5 hours. I had gotten some “books on tape” (CDs really) from the library and listened to a Dirk Pitt novel most of the way there and part of the way back. It certainly helped pass the time. I arrived in Fargo a bit before 7:00 PM and went to the United Methodist Church were the MS Society was having an early check-in and pasta dinner for all riders. As I checked in, got my plate of spaghetti and sat down to eat, a young woman, Gwen Mars, came up and asked if I wanted to join a team. She said I looked like I might be alone. She promised a new jersey, a couple of water bottles and a fun time. How could I refuse that? I was glad I joined. I think for the first time in all of my rides (this was #17), I spent the entire weekend riding with a team. Team Road Rash is the largest team participating in this ride. As a result, I was able to find a sub-group of the team that matched my pace and was able to ride with them the entire time. It offered an opportunity to meet some great people like Son and Yvette Nguyen, Chris and Brenda Potter, Sheri Paulson, Jayson Brunette, Chris Johnson, Wes Froehlich, and many others.

Sheri is the inspiration for the team. She was diagnosed with MS in 2001, but continues to fight back. She has run marathons and rode the full 180 miles this weekend to complete her first MS-150. She will be riding again in TN and we were both thrilled to know we will know someone else at that ride.

Check out the new Google map I made to help me keep track of where I have been. https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/tjw/www/MSMap.htm