I am antsy. I’ve always been like this on race day mornings. Except this isn’t so much a race as week long adventure. But still, I’m antsy.
Everything is packed. I’ve checked the bags at least three times. But we’re on hold for leaving because Brian has an 11 a.m. assignment so we can’t head out to the starting town until this afternoon. I can’t wait to get out there – I think that is when this whole experience will start to feel “real.” I suppose seeing 15,000+ cyclists in one place can do that to you.
I almost wrote a quick post last night called: Twas the night before RAGBRAI, because, well, yesterday was a bit of a snafu. We learned early in the day that our bus driver wasn’t going to be able to make it due to work. That was resolved relatively quickly; a few riders who are comfortable driving a bus (NOT me) were willing to pitch in a few days.
Then the bigger issue surfaced: the bus was dead.
Yep, about 24 hours before we were supposed to load up, the bus blew a head gasket. I don’t know much about busses and head gaskets, but I’m guessing it was something that could not be fixed in our timeframe. A scramble ensued, with several dozen emails, calls, texts, Facebook posts – anything to find someone with either a van/bus/trailer we could borrow or a team that had a few openings on their bus.
We weren’t as worried about getting to the start since we have to drive anyway, but the bus was what would be carrying our tent, sleeping bags/pads, and our gear bag during the day while we ride. We could have bought day wristbands that give us access to the official gear hauling truck, but at $30/day for two people, it would add up quickly for the three days we need it (Brian starts working Wednesday, so we’ll have access to a car and hotel rooms from Wednesday-Saturday).
Thankfully, one of our team members has an RV in his family that his parent’s were kind enough to let us borrow for the week. It was a whirlwind, but I think we are set to go. That is, once Brian is done working and we can hit the road. In the meantime, I’ll be mowing the lawn (yay, home ownership) and pacing, anxious to get out and ride.
