A Terrifying Message from Al Gore
You have to appreciate the self-deprication Al Gore can put himself through.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Bike to the Bay Year 2... Some people never learn ;)
Last weekend, June 24-25, 2006, I participated in my second MS Reeves Northup Memorial Bike to the Bay ride. This year I was joined by some of my coworkers at The University of Toledo. Five of us formed the "UT Rocket Riders" team and together collected over $1000 in pledges to benefit the fight to cure MS.
Three of our team members decided to get a later start, but Tom and I showed up early and started off at about 7:45. It was a gorgeous day... sunny, no clouds, 75 degrees for the high temp. The only drawback was that the wind was coming from the NE, an unusual pattern for this area. This meant that for the first day we were riding into the wind.
←Here I am in Tontogany sporting a UT Rockets Flag.
By the time Tom and I hit the 1st rest stop south of Waterville, the rest of the UT Rocket Riders - Sarah & Guy (a married couple from my UT Department) and Matt (Sarah's father) were getting ready to start off. We continued on, and on the way to Tontogany I head a metallic 'pop' sound come from my bike. At the Tontogany rest stop, I ran into to Ginny, our church's secretary. She was volunteering and cutting up apples. Tontogany's stop is known for their brownies, so I went ahead and had one... very delicious. At Tom's insistence, I also took my bike over to Reggie's truck for them to inspect my bike. Turns out that I busted a spoke. They didn't have a spare one, but the fellow from Wersells had a spare one, so they were able to cooperate and get my bike back into shape and ready for the rest of the ride.
←Tom celebrates our progress in Tontogany.
We went at a good pace, skipping the Devil's Hole Road rest stop and pedalling on to lunch in Pemberville. By then I noticed that I had forgotten to apply sunscreen and was sporting a lot of red skin. I applied sunscreen, then as we sat down for lunch I met up with Julie, the woman I rode bike to the bay with last year during the return trip. She was there with her friend Joyce.
Just as we were leaving from lunch to get back on the rode, the rest of our UT rocket riders team, Sarah, Guy, and Matt arrived. We had our group photo taken and then went our separate ways, continuing on after lunch...
←Here's the UT rocket riders Team (left to right) Tim, Tom, Sarah, Matt, and Guy
Water levels were high from the recent heavy rain and flooding in the area. Our next stop was Gibsonburg. A parade was taking place, Gibsonburg's annual homecoming parade, so we saw a few pontoon boats turned floats going down the street. Tom remembered that his aunt and cousins live in Gibsonburg, so after a short rest (and popsicles...ummm) we took a 3 block side trip so he could pop in and say hello. His cousin's son was cutting the grass, and I waited outside while he went in to say hello. About ten minutes later we set back off for Port Clinton. We rode across route 20 through Lindsey, then across the turnpike and stopped at the Oak Harbor 1 rest stop behind a small church. There we met Dave, an older man who has done bike to the bay for 13 years. Apparently his son was also doing the ride but was well ahead of him. As we went to finish the last 2 legs of the 1st day, Tom found his second wind and went flying on his 10 speed (an orange Pugenout he picked up during his army days in Germany in 1975). He was well ahead of me. At the last stop before Port Clinton, I caught up with him, only for him to pull far ahead of me by the time we crossed route 53. Only a few miles left, and I crossed the route 2 overpass, flew down the hill and turned into the finish line at Port Clinton HS. The time was 3:45.
←Didn't anyone read the sign?!
I signed in and picked up my Jet Express pass... last year I didn't use them, but this year I was definitely going to go to Put-in-Bay... I wanted a beer. Tom & I put our bikes in the bike corral l-a baseball field with an ironic warning that no bikes were allowed, ate supper, set up our tents, cleaned up, and set off for Put-In-bay.
←Home sweet home for the evening.
←Getting on the Jet Express to DrunkLand...er... Put-In-Bay.
The view of Lake Erie was spectacular. I had never seen clearer conditions. I could see the Monroe Power station's smokestacks, Fermi's cooling towers in Detroit, Kelley's Island, South Bass and Middle Bass Island, and West Sister Island off in the distance.
←The famous Boat-House made from the hull of a ship.
The Jet Express definitely is fast for a boat. As we neared Put-In-Bay, we passed by the boat house, that is, a house made from the hull of a ship, rattlesnake island, and I could also see Pelee Island off in the distance, which technically is Canada.
As we departed the Jet Express, a place that is most for upper middle class b we noticed boaters to go and get hammered, we were greeted with a sign reading...
←"We're glad you road the Jet Express."
...it's rode, drunkass (dumbass might apply, but I'm certain this was an alcohol-induced misspelling from my experience on the island).
Our first stop was the Roundhouse Bar, a dirty old building filled with obnoxious, predominantly-white drunks yelling and smoking up a storm, but the place had a good selection of beer on draft. I ordered a blacksmith (half Guinness, half Smithwicks), the bartender had no idea what it was. I clued him in and was rewarded with the beer I had looked forward to all day. Tom and I hung around for a few minutes as we watched one rich arrogant bastard yelling at a bartender (it was too loud to hear what he was saying, but I think he spoke in 4-letter words) and he was throwing dollar bills, one at a time, in the poor fellow's face. Classy!
←The Perry Monument on Put-in-Bay... closed for repairs from the recent storm.
We both had enough of this spot, so we ventured down Delaware Ave to the Beer Barrel Saloon. Pat Dailey was playing right then... Tom had been talking about going to see Pat Dailey perform 20some years ago when he was younger, so he was excited to have such fortunate timing. The place seemed a bit crowded and I wasn't sure about going in, but Tom was nice enough to pay my way in despite my reservations. We sat down in the crowded room to hear him perform, and I must admit, he is pretty good; his songs are a bit vulgar and just what the drunk crowd of regulars wanted.
←Pat Dailey performs at Put-In-bay.
Tom went to get a beer, and I was surprised that he brought me one too! We listened and laughed at his song and antics for about an hour then decided to go walk around some. On the way out I ran into S and her daughter from my church. They had sailed in and we were both surprised to see each other there. I got a congrats for completing day one and then Tom and I went off to walk around the town. We walked over by St. Paul's Episcopal and Mother of Sorrows church when Sarah and Guy called saying they were catching the next ferry to Put-in-Bay, so we walked back to the main part of town to wait for them. As part of our Jet Express passes, we were also given coupons for a place called Del Sol to receive a free color-changing tote bag with a $5 purchase. I expected the place to be just another gift shop, and I needed to buy batteries for my camera and some ibuprofen for my sore muscles, but instead it ended up being a sparse shop selling nothing but color-changing trinkets. I looked around, but there was nothing I really wanted. So I bought 3 $2 keychains and got a free totebag. The clerk didn't seem too happy, but then again, if he had more to sell...
We waited and waited for Sarah and Guy. Tom and I were tired and wanted to leave the island at about 10pm since we were getting up at 6am for day 2. BTW: Sarah and Guy have a cottage nearby. Sarah's dad had ridden with them, and her mom was waiting in Port Clinton with their 2 children to pick them up and take them there, so they left just after they hit the finish line and were going to spend some family time instead of doing the return trip. The closest ferry leaving around 10pm back was the 9:45 one, and as we were picking up our boarding passes to head back, Sarah and Guy arrived long enough for us to say hi and then get on the ferry home.
←Sunset at Put-In-Bay.
I sat next to a drunk on the way back who had scarfed down some pizza and, IMHO, was close to sending the eaten pizza flying as we hit some choppy water. The night was near a new moon, and the stars were brilliant in the clear dark sky over Lake Erie. If only I had brought my binoculars... We made it back to the tent city around the school.. now filled with dew, and went to bed.
Day 2:
We got up at 6am, packed up our gear, and retrieved our bikes. Inside the High School we were treated to breakfast including flying pancakes. Basically they cook the pancakes and then fling them at you for you to catch. Tom and I sat down for pancakes, sausage, coffee, and cereal, then got our bikes to take off for day 2. Tom went to the bike techs to check his tire's air pressure, when they noticed a crack running around the axle (inner cone) of his front rim. Apparently the spokes were too tight and it looked like the bearings inside the axle had seized, making the bike unsafe and definitely not ridable until it got a new rim. His front rim is a Wolber, which the old mechanic said was made when he first started in the business in the 70s and the kid working on Tom's bike wasn't even born when they stopped making them. It was an original rim, collector's item, but busted. The mechanic called around to all the bike techs on the route searching for a replacement rim, but there was none to be found. So Tom went ahead and called his wife to come pick him up. I was off on my own, and what's a real shame is that Tom was in much better shape than me to ride the return trip to Toledo.
I started off at around 8am after hanging out hoping they could fix Tom's bike. I slowly made progress, having been one of the last ones out, I passed by several people along the first 2 stops. Then the Toledo Bike Police team went cruising by me. They had started even later and flew by me in a group, drafting off each other. At each rest stop I would leave just before them only to be passed up a bit later. At the Woodville rest stop, I left at the same time as the Bike Police Team. Another rider and I decided to see if we could keep up with them and drafted along with them behind their last person. I kept up for about 3 miles before it became too much to endure. But in that time we must've passed about 60 riders. At lunch I met up with the other fellow trying to keep up with them. He only lasted about a mile more after I gave up. I have to give the Toledo Bike Police their due, they are a tough bunch, and if you're a fleeing criminal with one of them on your tail, just give up because you can't outrun them.
←Just finished lunch in Pemberville-75% done!
At lunch I called my family to say hello just before my mom took off for Reno, Nevada. I also ran into Dave, the 13 year bike to the bay vet, and his friend Stephen, who was doing his 16th year. We ate lunch together. After a good meal, I was back on the road. This time another group drafting off each other passed me. I recognized them from last year. They were some people that had finished the last 2 legs of the return trip with Julie and me last year. I was able to keep up with their pace, so I continued on with them. As I got to know them along the route, I found out that they call themselves the "Beer Nuts", since they like to drink beer.
Drafting, for those who don't know, is where you ride close together to minimize wind resistance. It takes a lot of communication and control of the bicycle to do. The return trip was my first experience truly drafting in a group, but I learned fast what to do, and the beer nuts group was nice enough to correct any mistakes I made without getting mad. Good bunch of people...
The last half of the ride was all country roads, and bumpy, uneven country roads at that. The constant jarring of the bike lead to numb hands. In addition, some of the legs were northern, right into the wind, making the riding tougher. After our last rest stop in Waterville, we all took a detour from the approved MS B2B path and jumped on the Wabash Cannonball bike Trail. It was not a short cut, it probably added another 200 yards to the trip, but the trail has no automobile traffic to worry about and is paved much better than the shoulder of the approved road. Finally, we crossed the Anthony Wayne trail, rode through downtown Maumee, and ended Day 2 at the finish line at the Rec center. We all sat down for a BBQ chicken dinner and picked up our gear and completion certificates. I said goodbye to the beer nuts and headed home for a long, hot bath.
Today, Monday, my legs are a bit sore, but I found out that we had a total of 1,041 riders for the event, and that just over $263,000 was pledged for the ride, with the amount raised for the ride (which will be known by the end of July) to be much higher than that. My ride was sponsored by several friends and family members for a total of $270. Thanks Guys!
This is definitely going to be an annual event for me as long as I live in the area. It's for a good cause, filled with great people, and a wonderful way to make new friends!
-Tim
Three of our team members decided to get a later start, but Tom and I showed up early and started off at about 7:45. It was a gorgeous day... sunny, no clouds, 75 degrees for the high temp. The only drawback was that the wind was coming from the NE, an unusual pattern for this area. This meant that for the first day we were riding into the wind.
←Here I am in Tontogany sporting a UT Rockets Flag.By the time Tom and I hit the 1st rest stop south of Waterville, the rest of the UT Rocket Riders - Sarah & Guy (a married couple from my UT Department) and Matt (Sarah's father) were getting ready to start off. We continued on, and on the way to Tontogany I head a metallic 'pop' sound come from my bike. At the Tontogany rest stop, I ran into to Ginny, our church's secretary. She was volunteering and cutting up apples. Tontogany's stop is known for their brownies, so I went ahead and had one... very delicious. At Tom's insistence, I also took my bike over to Reggie's truck for them to inspect my bike. Turns out that I busted a spoke. They didn't have a spare one, but the fellow from Wersells had a spare one, so they were able to cooperate and get my bike back into shape and ready for the rest of the ride.
←Tom celebrates our progress in Tontogany.We went at a good pace, skipping the Devil's Hole Road rest stop and pedalling on to lunch in Pemberville. By then I noticed that I had forgotten to apply sunscreen and was sporting a lot of red skin. I applied sunscreen, then as we sat down for lunch I met up with Julie, the woman I rode bike to the bay with last year during the return trip. She was there with her friend Joyce.
Just as we were leaving from lunch to get back on the rode, the rest of our UT rocket riders team, Sarah, Guy, and Matt arrived. We had our group photo taken and then went our separate ways, continuing on after lunch...
←Here's the UT rocket riders Team (left to right) Tim, Tom, Sarah, Matt, and Guy
Water levels were high from the recent heavy rain and flooding in the area. Our next stop was Gibsonburg. A parade was taking place, Gibsonburg's annual homecoming parade, so we saw a few pontoon boats turned floats going down the street. Tom remembered that his aunt and cousins live in Gibsonburg, so after a short rest (and popsicles...ummm) we took a 3 block side trip so he could pop in and say hello. His cousin's son was cutting the grass, and I waited outside while he went in to say hello. About ten minutes later we set back off for Port Clinton. We rode across route 20 through Lindsey, then across the turnpike and stopped at the Oak Harbor 1 rest stop behind a small church. There we met Dave, an older man who has done bike to the bay for 13 years. Apparently his son was also doing the ride but was well ahead of him. As we went to finish the last 2 legs of the 1st day, Tom found his second wind and went flying on his 10 speed (an orange Pugenout he picked up during his army days in Germany in 1975). He was well ahead of me. At the last stop before Port Clinton, I caught up with him, only for him to pull far ahead of me by the time we crossed route 53. Only a few miles left, and I crossed the route 2 overpass, flew down the hill and turned into the finish line at Port Clinton HS. The time was 3:45.
←Didn't anyone read the sign?!
I signed in and picked up my Jet Express pass... last year I didn't use them, but this year I was definitely going to go to Put-in-Bay... I wanted a beer. Tom & I put our bikes in the bike corral l-a baseball field with an ironic warning that no bikes were allowed, ate supper, set up our tents, cleaned up, and set off for Put-In-bay.
←Home sweet home for the evening.←Getting on the Jet Express to DrunkLand...er... Put-In-Bay.The view of Lake Erie was spectacular. I had never seen clearer conditions. I could see the Monroe Power station's smokestacks, Fermi's cooling towers in Detroit, Kelley's Island, South Bass and Middle Bass Island, and West Sister Island off in the distance.
←The famous Boat-House made from the hull of a ship.The Jet Express definitely is fast for a boat. As we neared Put-In-Bay, we passed by the boat house, that is, a house made from the hull of a ship, rattlesnake island, and I could also see Pelee Island off in the distance, which technically is Canada.
As we departed the Jet Express, a place that is most for upper middle class b we noticed boaters to go and get hammered, we were greeted with a sign reading...
←"We're glad you road the Jet Express."...it's rode, drunkass (dumbass might apply, but I'm certain this was an alcohol-induced misspelling from my experience on the island).
Our first stop was the Roundhouse Bar, a dirty old building filled with obnoxious, predominantly-white drunks yelling and smoking up a storm, but the place had a good selection of beer on draft. I ordered a blacksmith (half Guinness, half Smithwicks), the bartender had no idea what it was. I clued him in and was rewarded with the beer I had looked forward to all day. Tom and I hung around for a few minutes as we watched one rich arrogant bastard yelling at a bartender (it was too loud to hear what he was saying, but I think he spoke in 4-letter words) and he was throwing dollar bills, one at a time, in the poor fellow's face. Classy!
←The Perry Monument on Put-in-Bay... closed for repairs from the recent storm. We both had enough of this spot, so we ventured down Delaware Ave to the Beer Barrel Saloon. Pat Dailey was playing right then... Tom had been talking about going to see Pat Dailey perform 20some years ago when he was younger, so he was excited to have such fortunate timing. The place seemed a bit crowded and I wasn't sure about going in, but Tom was nice enough to pay my way in despite my reservations. We sat down in the crowded room to hear him perform, and I must admit, he is pretty good; his songs are a bit vulgar and just what the drunk crowd of regulars wanted.
←Pat Dailey performs at Put-In-bay.Tom went to get a beer, and I was surprised that he brought me one too! We listened and laughed at his song and antics for about an hour then decided to go walk around some. On the way out I ran into S and her daughter from my church. They had sailed in and we were both surprised to see each other there. I got a congrats for completing day one and then Tom and I went off to walk around the town. We walked over by St. Paul's Episcopal and Mother of Sorrows church when Sarah and Guy called saying they were catching the next ferry to Put-in-Bay, so we walked back to the main part of town to wait for them. As part of our Jet Express passes, we were also given coupons for a place called Del Sol to receive a free color-changing tote bag with a $5 purchase. I expected the place to be just another gift shop, and I needed to buy batteries for my camera and some ibuprofen for my sore muscles, but instead it ended up being a sparse shop selling nothing but color-changing trinkets. I looked around, but there was nothing I really wanted. So I bought 3 $2 keychains and got a free totebag. The clerk didn't seem too happy, but then again, if he had more to sell...
We waited and waited for Sarah and Guy. Tom and I were tired and wanted to leave the island at about 10pm since we were getting up at 6am for day 2. BTW: Sarah and Guy have a cottage nearby. Sarah's dad had ridden with them, and her mom was waiting in Port Clinton with their 2 children to pick them up and take them there, so they left just after they hit the finish line and were going to spend some family time instead of doing the return trip. The closest ferry leaving around 10pm back was the 9:45 one, and as we were picking up our boarding passes to head back, Sarah and Guy arrived long enough for us to say hi and then get on the ferry home.
←Sunset at Put-In-Bay.I sat next to a drunk on the way back who had scarfed down some pizza and, IMHO, was close to sending the eaten pizza flying as we hit some choppy water. The night was near a new moon, and the stars were brilliant in the clear dark sky over Lake Erie. If only I had brought my binoculars... We made it back to the tent city around the school.. now filled with dew, and went to bed.
Day 2:
We got up at 6am, packed up our gear, and retrieved our bikes. Inside the High School we were treated to breakfast including flying pancakes. Basically they cook the pancakes and then fling them at you for you to catch. Tom and I sat down for pancakes, sausage, coffee, and cereal, then got our bikes to take off for day 2. Tom went to the bike techs to check his tire's air pressure, when they noticed a crack running around the axle (inner cone) of his front rim. Apparently the spokes were too tight and it looked like the bearings inside the axle had seized, making the bike unsafe and definitely not ridable until it got a new rim. His front rim is a Wolber, which the old mechanic said was made when he first started in the business in the 70s and the kid working on Tom's bike wasn't even born when they stopped making them. It was an original rim, collector's item, but busted. The mechanic called around to all the bike techs on the route searching for a replacement rim, but there was none to be found. So Tom went ahead and called his wife to come pick him up. I was off on my own, and what's a real shame is that Tom was in much better shape than me to ride the return trip to Toledo.
I started off at around 8am after hanging out hoping they could fix Tom's bike. I slowly made progress, having been one of the last ones out, I passed by several people along the first 2 stops. Then the Toledo Bike Police team went cruising by me. They had started even later and flew by me in a group, drafting off each other. At each rest stop I would leave just before them only to be passed up a bit later. At the Woodville rest stop, I left at the same time as the Bike Police Team. Another rider and I decided to see if we could keep up with them and drafted along with them behind their last person. I kept up for about 3 miles before it became too much to endure. But in that time we must've passed about 60 riders. At lunch I met up with the other fellow trying to keep up with them. He only lasted about a mile more after I gave up. I have to give the Toledo Bike Police their due, they are a tough bunch, and if you're a fleeing criminal with one of them on your tail, just give up because you can't outrun them.
←Just finished lunch in Pemberville-75% done! At lunch I called my family to say hello just before my mom took off for Reno, Nevada. I also ran into Dave, the 13 year bike to the bay vet, and his friend Stephen, who was doing his 16th year. We ate lunch together. After a good meal, I was back on the road. This time another group drafting off each other passed me. I recognized them from last year. They were some people that had finished the last 2 legs of the return trip with Julie and me last year. I was able to keep up with their pace, so I continued on with them. As I got to know them along the route, I found out that they call themselves the "Beer Nuts", since they like to drink beer.
Drafting, for those who don't know, is where you ride close together to minimize wind resistance. It takes a lot of communication and control of the bicycle to do. The return trip was my first experience truly drafting in a group, but I learned fast what to do, and the beer nuts group was nice enough to correct any mistakes I made without getting mad. Good bunch of people...
The last half of the ride was all country roads, and bumpy, uneven country roads at that. The constant jarring of the bike lead to numb hands. In addition, some of the legs were northern, right into the wind, making the riding tougher. After our last rest stop in Waterville, we all took a detour from the approved MS B2B path and jumped on the Wabash Cannonball bike Trail. It was not a short cut, it probably added another 200 yards to the trip, but the trail has no automobile traffic to worry about and is paved much better than the shoulder of the approved road. Finally, we crossed the Anthony Wayne trail, rode through downtown Maumee, and ended Day 2 at the finish line at the Rec center. We all sat down for a BBQ chicken dinner and picked up our gear and completion certificates. I said goodbye to the beer nuts and headed home for a long, hot bath.
Today, Monday, my legs are a bit sore, but I found out that we had a total of 1,041 riders for the event, and that just over $263,000 was pledged for the ride, with the amount raised for the ride (which will be known by the end of July) to be much higher than that. My ride was sponsored by several friends and family members for a total of $270. Thanks Guys!
This is definitely going to be an annual event for me as long as I live in the area. It's for a good cause, filled with great people, and a wonderful way to make new friends!
-Tim
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Now I live in lakefront property!
I just got back into Toledo last night... and we've had one of the worst thunderstorm in the past 25 years... 4inches fell in one hour! Laast evening I got a chance to visit my friend Steve in Cleveland, and as I left we were starting to get hit with a massive storm. I drove down the turnpike from Cleveland to Toledo right through severe thunder, some hail, and heavy rain with about 30 yard visibility... which meant I wasn't going much faster than 40mph.
today Steve sent me an image he saved from weather underground of the total rainfall from last night... what a storm!
When I turned down my street to pull into my driveway, I found it flooded! I had to drive up and across the lawn to avoid the water... and overnight thw water kept rising. By the is morning it looks like there's a lake in my front yard.
Also, at the end of the road Glenway there is a small brick house. This one is not built up on top of the hill like the others... its lawn has disappeared and it looks like their 1st floor is under 2 feet of water... worst yet, I saw the house up for sale a few weeks ago. Talk about bad luck...
In all my 8 years of living here, I've never seen anything like this. I'm sure Ditzy hasn't either in all of his 3 years of life... but cats are curious. I'm sure he's wondering if there's any fish to be found in there.
This is all spill over from a ditch adjacent to the street. It has overflowed its banks, washing some beer bottles, litter, and plant debris up onto the lawn.
The concrete tunnel the drains the nearby ditch into the Ottawa River has vanished. The only signs of it are these massive gurgling sounds coming from the water where its submerged.
The city was by this morning to inspect the flooding, as were a few neighbors. I checked the Toledo Blade today, but somehow they missed this street in their article... well that's somewhat to be expected. This area is pretty secluded, which is why I like it so.
And now that its lakefront property, I hope the rent won't get raised!
-Tim
today Steve sent me an image he saved from weather underground of the total rainfall from last night... what a storm!
When I turned down my street to pull into my driveway, I found it flooded! I had to drive up and across the lawn to avoid the water... and overnight thw water kept rising. By the is morning it looks like there's a lake in my front yard.
Also, at the end of the road Glenway there is a small brick house. This one is not built up on top of the hill like the others... its lawn has disappeared and it looks like their 1st floor is under 2 feet of water... worst yet, I saw the house up for sale a few weeks ago. Talk about bad luck...
In all my 8 years of living here, I've never seen anything like this. I'm sure Ditzy hasn't either in all of his 3 years of life... but cats are curious. I'm sure he's wondering if there's any fish to be found in there.
This is all spill over from a ditch adjacent to the street. It has overflowed its banks, washing some beer bottles, litter, and plant debris up onto the lawn.
The concrete tunnel the drains the nearby ditch into the Ottawa River has vanished. The only signs of it are these massive gurgling sounds coming from the water where its submerged.
The city was by this morning to inspect the flooding, as were a few neighbors. I checked the Toledo Blade today, but somehow they missed this street in their article... well that's somewhat to be expected. This area is pretty secluded, which is why I like it so.
And now that its lakefront property, I hope the rent won't get raised!
-Tim
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