Out in the Country

Today we rode out for the 2009 Baptist Children's Home Ride. It's a good ride that we've done for several years. For a $25.00 entry fee you get a T shirt and some other assorted goodies (this year a really cool little flashlight that I am going to put in my bike bag), an entry in several drawings (I won a set of pedals once worth about $60.00), road support including Portapotties, drinks and fruit, and lunch afterwards. It's a full half day of fun at a bargain price. The scenery is beautiful; the company is good, and it's early enough in the season that it's usually not 950 degrees in the shade. Today was windy, but that's life in Oklahoma at all times of the year.

For some reason we always have a terrible time getting there on time. This year was no exception. Shana and I were talking and blew past our exit. This would only be a minor inconvenience except that our exit was the last one before the turnpike - next stop Chickasha 23 miles down the road. Shana had the brilliant idea to get off at the Yukon exit, then turn around and get back on going back towards our exit. The trouble was that you can't get there from here. There is no way to get off there and get right back on. She ended up turning around and noticed that we were now driving into the oncoming lane. Lucky for us at 7:00 Saturday morning there is not any traffic. We finally got going back the right way in the right lane and arrived in time to get registered and take off with our group.

There was an interesting guy riding along on the 27 mile ride at about the same pace as I was. He had a really cool bike that looked a lot like an Electra Townie but lower and longer. After visiting with him off and on for a few miles I asked him where he got his bike. Turns out he built it himself. He's 52 years old and uses this bike for regular commuting in addition to the odd cycling event. Quite a bike, and quite an interesting character. On most of these organized rides the prettiest bikes and jerseys are on the people riding the longest distances, but the unique characters are often doing the shorter rides.

Another rider turned out to be a chef getting ready to open a gourmet taco restaurant AND roaming taco truck. Shana was excited to have a chance to visit with her about it because it's long been one of her dreams to have a taco wagon. She's hoping to be able to come work in the kitchen/wagon a bit to see what it's really like.