Organization and An Old Photo

It's now just a little over a week until we leave on the bicycle trip across America. We're doing this to stand up for our law enforcement, firefighters, and military. Looking back at the first time across, we know it is not going to be a vacation but we are willing to brave prairie heat and waiting by the side of the road to show our appreciation for the men and women who protect us, rescue us, and defend us. Bill continues to ride each day he can and I continue to find small ways to organize things in the little beach house on wheels and make it more home-like. There was a mysterious opening next to the radio that you couldn't really put anything in, so I measured it carefully and found a couple of plastic baskets in the office supply section of Walmart that fit perfectly.

Now there's a place for DVD's and they won't fly around the camper every time I hit a bump. There was a similar space in the bathroom so now there is a basket in there too....perfect spot for our Young Living Essential Oils.

On our shakedown trip, we got a little tired of things shooting out of the medicine cabinet every time we opened the door, so that got a couple of tiny spring rods....who needs to be hit in the head with your deodorant every morning?!

I was out there this morning with the vacuum cleaning up sawdust from putting shelves in the linen closet and put towels and sheets away too.

Bill and I enjoy reading, but there didn't seem to be anywhere to put books and magazines. There was a space next to the vanity and with the help of a plastic magazine holder, we now have a "library". LOL!

So each day something else gets put away and I hope I remember where I put everything when I need it! And also, a blast from the past...this is Bill and Ben 27 years ago celebrating Ben's birthday just a day or two before we left on the first trip.

Time sure does go by. Please pray for us as the time grows short and thank-you for following my blog. 

Hallelujah!

The rice worked! The bicycle computer is now in full working order! I know some of you were praying about that and your prayers were answered! Everything did go back to zero again, but at least we don't have to buy another one. Bill went out for a 31 mile ride early this morning and it worked perfectly. The rest of the day was spent working on the pictures from the first trip, writing more letters and doing a few things around the little beach house on wheels. One problem we encountered on our week long shakedown trip was that if you didn't find a camping spot until after dark, it was hard to find the keyhole in the door to unlock it. In a good old Harriet Carter catalog, I found an outside motion light that I hoped would work.

When it came in the mail, I wasn't sure if it would do the trick; but when I turned it on, it was blindingly bright! So Bill put that up today too. We're going to go outside after dark to see how it looks. Bill had built some supports for the jacks before the shakedown trip but hadn't had a chance to paint them, so that was done today too.

The biggest thing I wanted to accomplish was the lettering on the back of the camper. Together we measured to make sure it was all straight and it was taped up and I started rubbing on the letters.

The first row of letters look good so far.

Well, as Bill said, we've gone from involved to committed now! (I'm the support crew:)....)

Please continue to pray for us, only two weeks to go!

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Uh oh!

Things are starting to intensify around here for sure! The old journal is all typed, projects done on the little beach house on wheels, letters sent out, and training, training, training!  My part of the training is keeping all the bike shorts, socks, and shirts squeaky clean so my dear hubby can just pop them on when he gets home from work and take off. One of the things he uses every time is a little cateye computer for the bicycle. It keeps track of his mileage, maximum speed and average miles per hour. It's usually next to his laptop so he can record everything before the next training ride. I threw a load of white shirts in the washer and then realized the soap cup was still in there under the clothes. I dug around while the washer was filling but couldn't locate it. I used one of my measuring cups instead and went about my business. When the wash was done, I pulled out a T-shirt to put in the dryer and heard a little clunk. "There you are soap cup," I thought. Much to my surprise, when I looked down into the washer, this is what I saw.

With a sharp intake of breath, I removed it and called Bill to tell him what I had done. He was understanding and told me to put it in a container of rice right away. So here it sits, hope this works.

Please be in prayer for us as we overcome some last minute challenges and get ready to go!

There's a table in the house!

We continue to work on the little beach house on wheels organizing and improving things. Each day, I would go out to the shop and put another coat of finish on the cherry table. After those were dry, I put a coat on the underside. Bill put a final coat on the top and it was ready for hardware! He carried the old table in from the camper and started measuring how far in from each side the supports went and where the table leg was on the table. I tried to get a shot of the table to show you the bow, not a very good picture, but I think you can see it.

After that, the hardware was removed and the measurements were transferred to the underside of the new table.

Bill drilled pilot holes carefully and added the hardware.

I was getting excited to have a new table in our little camper! He carried it out to the little beach house on wheels

and put it in place. Here's the before and after:

A little bit roomier and blends well with the cabinets. So, what do you do when you have a man with a screw gun in the house? Provide him with another project! LOL! Not really, we did have other planned things to do, but since he had the screw gun out.....he put the shelves in the linen closet that he made.

Another thing that was a little funny was that the electrical outlet in the kitchen was on the underside of the upper cabinet. The cords on both the toaster and the coffee maker were too short to reach it, so he installed a power strip in the kitchen for me too.

It looks like all the projects have been completed and we will be ready to hit the road in just three weeks time. We ask that you give some thought to supporting us in this venture with a donation at Generosity.com. Thank-you and please be in prayer for us.

Early Morning Ride

We've had an amazing stretch of good weather and Bill has been able to train every day after work this week. This morning, he decided to do a 30 mile ride. I'll let him tell you about it....

“I got out for a ride early this morning, I thought I would beat the wind and get my 30 miles in early so I could focus on all the items I need to address this weekend. I am down to less than a month before my departure to head to Seattle, WA.

I went outside to check the temperature, it was cool, almost to the point of being a little cold, so I put on a “T” shirt under my long sleeve white shirt, which makes me as visible as I can be.

I got a slow warm-up done on the first 5 miles and as I went past the ball field it was still empty, too early just yet. It was quiet and the sweet smell of freshly mowed lawn still lingered in the air. As I climbed the first hill I down shifted and pushed, it was quiet, just the sounds of me inhaling and exhaling, as I climbed the hill. Once at the top I heard the sounds of a dog barking as I peddled by, and a car whooshed by, one of only a few this early in the morning, a few pick-up trucks pulling horse trailers off to some event. As the road leveled off I saw a Sheriff's vehicle parked on the same side of the road as I was, so I pulled over to say hello. I have been doing this more frequently since I have been training for this trip and have noticed a trend. The first thing they say to me is “Can I help you?” I have been giving it a lot of thought lately, Can…I...Help...You…? When I am asked that question, they have no idea why I am stopping but they are ready to render me help, a total stranger, they do not know my background, financial status, anything about me yet they are ready to help me if I just ask them. What a great question, Thank You for asking me!

But, since I have been doing this more frequently, I have an answer that surprises them. My answer to them is “No, I am here to help you” which I say with a smile; now they are a little confused, how is he going to help me. Then I say, “Thank You, Thank you for all that you do”. At this point he is beginning to think this guy might need some help; who stops by a police office just to say Thank You, (well they don't know me vewy well do they), I do.

We have forgotten how to say “Thank You”, really say it and mean it. Not some cursory, as you run by, thank you, but a real, sincere, honest, “Thank You”. Look them in and eye, and in all honesty say it like you mean it “Thank You”. Trust me, they will know if you mean it or not. It will come across in your eyes, expression, the tone in your voice, and your smile. Over the next few minutes we talked about what I was doing like we were friends, and I asked him if he would spread the word of what I was doing and I asked him to let others know that I would be looking for tokens, patches, coins or whatever they would like to give to me that I could share with other law enforcement offices across the country; knowing that other officers across the country are thinking of them, that they are united together in a job, and that they understand what he or she is enduring every day.

He said, “Wait a second, I have something right here, I don't have a coin but do you want this”, I said sure and he handed me a key fob which had the logo of the Sheriff's department on it.

I thanked him and wanted him to know that I would share it with another office that I will meet somewhere in Wyoming, Idaho, or who knows where and will pass it on to someone just like him. A guy or gal that when I stop by will ask me “Can I help you” and I will respond “No, I am here to help you”! I thanked him again and peddled away. I do not know if I will meet him again but I can tell you he was just the type of man we need, who do a job that many of us would not want to do, but bravely puts on his uniform, gets into his cruiser, and may ask you “Can I help you”. I finished out my final leg of the ride and heard the cheers coming from the ball field, the teams were out on the field with their parents cheering them along, the day was now in full swing. Time to put the bicycle away, 30 miles down and so much more to get done. Thank You for taking the time to read this blog, and Have a great weekend!”

A new table...

Ever have one of those projects where you wonder how it all started? Well, this is one of those projects. The table in the little beach house on wheels had a pretty bad bow in it, so we started talking about how to straighten it out and reinforce it so it would stay flat. One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were talking about the scrap pile of cherry in the shop

and building a whole new table....So before you could say "beach cottage", Bill was attacking the project with a vengeance! LOL! He cut the scrap boards to length, ran them through the jointer,

and drilled and doweled them together. 

He built it in sections so he could run the sections through the planer,

then started shaping and routing the edge.

Before the weekend was over, what started as scrapwood standing in the corner had become a table with the first coat of stain.

And Bill has the sawdust prints to prove it! LOL!

So my job this week will be applying the finish coats of poly and then we can transfer the hardware from the old table to the new. So with just scrap wood and things we already had on hand, our little camper will have a solid cherry table! Nothing like fine furniture for the camper! :) The coughing that we've had has finally begun to subside and the weather is supposed to be nice this week so Bill will be out on the road on the bicycle every evening after work. If you see him, give him a friendly toot! 
                      To donate to this venture, visit Generosity.com

13 Mile Ride

Bill wanted to share his riding experience on the 13 mile ride he did after work today.....

13 Miles

"Since we have changed our clocks ahead for spring it is now lighter 1 hour longer which allows me to get outside and do my training. It's always nicer to be on the road training than in the shed; you face all the elements outside that you do not experience with inside training. So I thought I would share what goes on during my training ride.

Out to the shed, check the bicycle over. How do the tires look, is the pressure OK, not tonight, add a little air, water bottles full and in the baskets, computer locked in place, cell phone in the small saddle bag under the seat all zipped in. Sunglasses on, helmet strapped on, gloves and ready to go.
Out the driveway, turn right, warm up the legs a little up the first small hill, on to the main road, no one coming, pump hard to cross the road, settle in and get the cadence up and settle in for the ride. 
First three miles are not too bad, do you see the flag over on the right, looks like we have a pretty strong quartering tail wind, you know what that means, head winds on the longest leg of the ride. Well, enjoy the wind while you can. First three miles done. Tail wind, pretty flat with just a few inclines, time not too bad, feeling good. Heart rate “OK” and breathing fine.
Shoulder narrows too much to continue to train so cross over and stay on the wide shoulder, Bam, the wind hits you, down shift to continue your cadence, wind gusts again, down shift again, look down and you're doing just 10-12 mph, not so good any more. You're working harder, heart pumping a little harder, you feel it in your legs a little more, that’s “OK” you need the work out.
Back to where you turned on the main, Ahhh, your first hill, remember this hill, this was the first hill you saw when you were just doing the 6 miles, it intimidated you, you turned back home, you knew it wanted to conquer you. Not this time, you like this hill, it does not intimidate you any longer. You're not going home, not this time, you still have 7 miles to go.
Drop down a few gears, settle back in the saddle, push a little harder, no problem, feel it in your legs, its burning a little, heart pumping, panting a little harder, no problem you got this. Bam, there it is again, the wind hits you just as you crest the hill, its not going to be your friend tonight, don't back off.
Shift up a few gears and push a little harder, this wind it just will not give me a break, you can now see the clouds being blown in, keep going. There it is a road that will take me to the last leg, not the right one just the one to take you back. No don't do it you still have a few more miles to go, push through the wind up that slight incline and you have your first hill to go down. A little relief, the wind seems to stay out of the valley, yes a little relief. Now up the hill this one is a lot like the first one, no problem, you got this, down shift, settle into the saddle and push, work those legs, you got it, now its time to turn down the last leg of the ride.
Make the turn, the wind is with you for the first 100 yards then the trees break it up, well its not a headwind so be happy. First incline, down shift, work the peddles, push through, there it is again, you feel it in your legs, almost to the top, you know what is waiting around the corner. The road turns and opens up, the wind blows through, you feel it, its now coming from your left, no problem and a down hill push, you drop into the lower bars, make yourself as small as you can and push as hard as you can, look in the mirror is anyone coming, clear, take the lane and push, at the bottom is a stop sign, slow down make the right turn, you are now on the last leg.
Past the farm with the newborn goats, and young calves, you whisper by, they look at you as you go, no noise, just the whisper of the chain. It does not scare them, they just look up and watch you peddle by.
Just a few more hills and there it is the last hill up, it's one that is steep, short and not forgiving, you remember it, it was the one that kicked your #@%* the first time. You hit the top and were panting so hard that you could not hear anything but your heart pounding and your lungs emptying themselves. Not this time, first push as hard as you can, get every foot of that hill as you can, then be ready to start down shifting, quickly, one after the other, don't stop. Then and only then find that gear you like and stand up, you are going to push this one standing up. You got this, your reward is just ahead. A quick down hill around a few curves up and down a few inclines and there it is, the red barn with the calves in field by the corner of the fence. This is what you have been waiting for.
Just as you crest that little hill, there they are waiting for you, you pull the chain up on the large sprocket, it happens fast, start shifting, one after the other, down in the lower bars, dropping gear after gear; one more, one more, none left, this is it.
Your now back in the saddle, leaning way down, pumping, pumping, this is your reward, this hill, this moment. You push your legs until you feel the burn, 18, 20, 25, around the curve, you feel it as you lean over, pushing harder, tucked in tight, 27, 29, 30, you bring the bicycle up right, still pushing, harder, 32, 35, 37, you feel the burn in your legs just a little more 38mph, you are out of the hill, still pushing, there it is, home. 
You made it, slow down, into the driveway, drop down some gears, un-clip, off the bicycle, into the shed, up into the stand, slide the computer off, turn off your flashing tail light. Off come the helmet, gloves and sunglasses, time to go into the house, lock the door to the shed, done for the day.
Tomorrow we do it again."

Cleanings and Organization....

Saw this robin early this morning, spring is truly here and the time is getting closer to our departure date of May 7.

One of the things that needed doing was a teeth cleaning. Due to health issues, it had been quite a while since I shadowed a dentist's' door. But today they had a cancellation at Carroll Creek Dental so I went in for a long overdue cleaning. It's a wonder they didn't need a jackhammer it had been so long! LOL! But the ladies there are gentle and friendly and my visit went very well. Thank-you ladies! Shared with them about the upcoming trip and left our card. Got snagged by the laundry this afternoon, but in between doing that I thought I would share the progress on some of the organization going on in the little beach house on wheels. I addressed the problem of not a single drawer first. After some careful measuring, I found plastic drawers that would fit under the closets on each side of the bed.

Now I know what some of you are thinking, "I just don't get along very well with a tape measure!" I did my share of measuring like 21 inches and 3 little lines...well, my Dear Hubby got me a measuring tape that finally solves that problem.

It even has a built in light and level. So now I can at least sound like I know how to measure! LOL! The next thing was a set of drawers for the bathroom.

I had a dishpan there, but digging through everything to find what you were looking for was not working for me during our week long trip. These should hold quite a bit and be a bit more convenient. There will be a bungee cord across the front to hold the drawers in place as we travel. The other issue was over the sofa. I only had a few baskets, so they slid all over the place. So picked up a couple more and some non-slip shelf liner.

Will let you know how this works this summer. Also found a cool shampoo holder for the shower so we don't have bottles flying all over in there as we go down the highway.

I realized too that as I was typing, I haven't shown you our letterhead. I think it came out great and here is the informational letter we've been giving to people.

Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for this journey and feel free to leave a comment.

Please consider donating at Generosity.com