Cake and Video

Yesterday my friend Laurel baked me this cake! She’s also my manager and I ask you how many of your managers would bake you a cake like this! It was so yummy! Thank you Laurel! I will take the bike with me. When Hisako saw a picture she said, “This cake shows you that you are loved. You need to look at it if you get lonely.” I hope I don’t get lonely, but I’ll still look at the picture and the little bike.
I am also remiss in not posting this video earlier that more friends at work made for me on tornado safety. Thanks to Tey, Kate, and Jasmine! I will endeavor to keep my wheels on the ground. I had to click the video twice to get it to run.
I am heading out Sunday at 8:30 am from Alice Ball Park across from my home. It will be an appropriately drizzly day to leave. I will head to Fauntleroy, take a ferry to Vashon Island, go south then take another ferry to Tacoma. I’ll either camp at the Riverbend RV Park or do a Warmshowers stay in Olympia. From there it is on to Vader and PDX.

Comments

  1. Reid WolcottMay 11, 2022 at 2:19 PM

    That's awesome! Be safe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TJ McDonaldMay 11, 2022 at 4:08 PM

      Yes indeed and thanks for the official 'Go South' advice from the National Weather Service.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMay 12, 2022 at 6:50 AM

    You're very welcome, TJ!! I had so much fun designing and making that special bike theme cake for you. This is an amazing trip you are taking and I wanted to send you off in my little way of much appreciation of who you are, TJ, and well wishes to have a safe, uneventful and incredibly adventurous and fun bike trip! You have been a hard working emergency management professional over the last 27 years. Keep it 'sunny side up!' ;-)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cross Country Bike Ride Reboot

Image
I am waiting for United 2499 to board and restarting the blog I started here a year and a half ago. Why? Because I am heading back out on the road! I'll be picking up where I left off in Crawford, Nebraska and heading east. I'll only be out for two and a half weeks. I am testing the waters. Do I still have the heart for touring? Given my excitement I believe I do. The blog was a joy last time so I'm rebooting it for this trip. I don't know if anyone will read it, but I like throwing my words into the wind.   (I saved this box from 2022 just for this) Today I fly to Rapid City. From there I will catch a shuttle to Lead, SD where I will take my bike out of the travel box and enjoy the historic hotel I found. The next day I’ll ride south on the Mickelson Trail. It’s a popular ride and I expect to see fellow cyclists. I’ll enjoy the companionship. The Mickelson is a rail trail passing through the Black Hills. The area is a popular tourist destination
Read more

Seattle to Lead

Image
Seattle to Lead, SD I made it to the start. Whew! I got a deal on a nice old hotel in Lead, South Dakota. The Mickelson Trail starts here. Well, it starts in Deadwood, but I am not going to backtrack three miles.  Despite my vague forebodings of doom that I get whenever I fly, enhanced by my first time flying with my bike to the start of a tour, disaster held off. I landed in Rapid City at 2:45. I wasn’t so interested in cycling to Lead which would have taken a day so I got shuttled up. I was extra glad because the air is smoky in Rapid City. Thanks Canada.  (Smoke as we approach Rapid City) (Reassembly) (My brake rotor got bent during transit) (Back in one piece) I reassembled my bike in front of the Town Hall Inn. I have one minor booboo that I need to get fixed at the bike shop in Hill City along my route. The bike rotor that I thought was too close to the edge of the box and might get bent, got bent. It was rubbing fiercely on the bra
Read more

D13 Omaha to Iowa

Image
Ride Video Map RJ called me over. He asked if I wanted to run the flattener. I did woodworking. It's just a big router. He explained how to work the joystick that moved the cutter head and how to lower it by moving the crank a half turn. Slowly the high spots in the 8 foot hardwood slab got smoothed out. Megan, the yard owner, came over occasionally to check the thickness.  I didn't start out seeking to operate heavy machinery. The day began at Chris's place. I had a simple breakfast with him. He had to work so I thought it best to get out of his hair. I left shortly before 8:00 am to officially get to Iowa and the UPS store where I hoped to get a more reasonable quote for shipping my bike than through their website.  After I left it took all of 10 minutes to reach Iowa on the Bob Kerry pedestrian bridge. On the other side was a statue that seemed like a giant Giacometti made of tinfoil. I don't ponder because I was on a mission. I was going to U
Read more