Category: P.E.A.C.E 08

Ok, I think the recovery period has passed. I’m still incredibly sore, but those wounds should probably be licked in private. I will warn those thinking about riding 11,000 miles in 3 months-you will hurt. But, I have now slept 8 hours a night for three nights, and I feel kinda shiny again.

I’ve come home to lotsa mail, how kind. Thanks to those who sent in the postcards. Turns out that I have some left and if you would like a bunch, let me know. Scott, who helped run Birmingham Community Kitchens, wrote me a wonderful letter and included a check. Did you join the ride late in the game? Scott is in this video.

So, Maine. There was a balloon festival here this weekend. It apparently is the pinnacle of summer and now there is nothing left but a looming winter. Wow. I’m frightened and excited. Snow will be neat.

But, In the South, we still have months of mint juleps, BBQ’s and porch stooping. Last night the temperature dropped to 55 degrees. I hope the scooter gets here soon, so I can show it off in a mainly Harley Davidson town, before everyone begins hibernation.

How I wish I had just driven it home. Now that I’ve rested, this seems possible. 10 days ago,  I couldn’t have imagined another 800 miles.

I just wanted to get off the road before anything happened to me. Covering 22,000 miles without incident on a little scooter is miraculous.

Well, I’m up and at ’em. Now that I’ve spent a substantial amount of time eating, sleeping, and watching movies. My favorite thing about being home, aside from the lady and the dog, is making food whenever I want, without waiting in line for someone to sloooooowly construct my sandwich.

I’ve started research for my series of articles on the Peace movement, which will be featured at theartofthepossible.net starting Saturday. Seems like there is a enough opinion that there is NO movement to help bolster my own claims.

In between blogging, the library (got my new card), the YMCA (just joined) and dog walking-I’ve got things to keep me busy until Audre arrives back home.

For photos of the Scoot Richmond Finale, click on the photo below:

(c)PJ Sykes

Today I am headed out of Cleveland, towards Pittsburgh. But not without paying a visit to Kent State.

Friday, May 1At Kent State, a massive demonstration was held on May 1 on the Commons (a grassy knoll in the center of campus traditionally used as a gathering place for rallies or protests), and another had been planned for May 4. There was widespread anger, and many protesters issued a call to “bring the war home.” As a symbolic protest to Nixon’s decision to send troops, a group of about five hundred students watched a graduate student at Kent State burying a copy of the U.S. Constitution.

Trouble erupted in town at around midnight when intoxicated bikers[citation needed] left a bar and began throwing beer bottles at cars and breaking downtown store fronts. In the process they broke a bank window which set off an alarm. The news spread quickly and it resulted in several bars closing early to avoid trouble. Before long more people had joined the vandalism and looting, while others remained bystanders.

By the time police arrived, a crowd of about 100 had already gathered. Some people from the crowd had already lit a small bonfire in the street. The crowd appeared to be a mix of bikers, students, and out-of town youths who regularly came to Kent’s bars. A few members of the crowd began to throw beer bottles at the police, and then started yelling obscenities at them. The disturbance lasted for about an hour before the police restored order. By that time most of the bars were closed in the downtown area of Kent.
TO READ MORE, PLEASE FOLLOW LINK

I haven’t really been maintaining the blog recently. There is so much to tell, that sometimes, at the end of the day, if I don’t offer precise detail, I feel that I can’t do the day justice. Details can be difficult. I say-buy the book. I can promise LOTS of detail in that!

So where to start tonight?

Peace.

Peace is a strange thing in our country. I would love to offer you a global perspective, but I can only best relay to you what I have experience inour country.

This trip is amazing. First, I’ve talked about something relatively new to me. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone. I haven’t gone around preaching. I’ve just started the conversation with thousands of Americans,by asking. “What does Peace MEAN to you?”

You know, Peace was something I’ve always proclaimed to want, but not something I had defined. Once I defined it, I had more of an awareness of how to work towards it. How to make deliberate actions.

I’ve experienced really warm moments with both believers and resistors. For the most part, I’ve noticed that those who earn a living and spend a lifetime working in the Peace or anti-war groups, have been relatively absent in this mission.

I think this trip rocks the boat. In fact, I know it does. I can’t begin to name off the long list of groups who have ignored my letters. And my requests have been simple.

Can we cross promote? Can you put a link to this project on your website? Can you tell your members so that they can leave their definiton fo Peace on the website? Can we do Peace demonstrations around the country?

Why the absence? I guess there is an equation, and it’s followed by corporations, non profits, social structures, and activists alike.

Said equation:

There is a chain of command. You have to follow it. People have worked hard to get where they are, and don’t want to be challenged. It’s threatening.

Often, people are more comfortable defining themselves by what they are NOT. Like anti war groups. They are working against the war. I prefer to say I am working for Peace.

There is a rampant US and THEM mentality that cripples people. However, many people are entrenched by the operating rules of the very system that they fight against.

If you combine those very basic treatises, the results yield groups whose internal rule structures prevent true progressive action.

This trip is maverick. It’s not really like anything else that’s ever been done. Sadly, most groups that I would have loved to coordinate with just don’t get it. What’s she on?

A scooter. Oh that’s easy.

What’s she doing?

Complaining about the war? Or the President?

NO. Oh, well, where is the controversy??

A group puts on a demonstration and people attend. The group often protests against something. A protest is recognized as successful by how many people attend and how much attention it generates. The most successful demonstrations are those that

A) Have a famous keynote speaker

B) Have a massive attendance

C) Get attention because there was a destructive element

D) Involve some sort of long, epic, Frodo type quest. LIke walking across the country. The March for Peace last year received A TON of support from liberals and the press.

When I set out to complete my dream, I believed in it so much that I thought we could escape these shallow, binary forms of thinking. Believed enough to sacrifice safety and comfort.

I’ve discovered the most important truth-at least I don’t have to remain beholden to that type of thinking. My own philosophies have been put to the test. I now know, with strong reassurances that I haven’t asked anyone to do anything more than I can do.

I have learned so much in my time on the road, from others. From people who will not wind up at a protest, who do not usually eat vegetarian or vegan, who do willingly shop at Wal-Mart, who think homosexuality is a sin, or who classically avoid conversation involving Peace. But they all in their hearts know and admit, that something JUST ain’t right in our country.

The responses are varied.

Some people think it’s a fine system, but people themselves are slovenly.

Some people think it’s a flawed system, but you just have to look out for yourself, enjoy the fruits of your labor and life goes on. Survival of the fittest. Totally detached.

Some people think it’s a corrupt system and judge others who don’t feel the same way as inferior.

I’ve had SO many conversations with people. But almost 95% of the time, the conversation GETS TO HAPPEN. I’ve come along way from holding a sign at a protest, loosing my voice-just desperately hoping to convince someone of the cause. Hmm. By yelling?

WHAT HAS IT COME DOWN TO?
Allowing the conversations to happen. NO JUDGEMENT. NO PREACHING. Authenticity. Showing, by example.

I guess to the people of America, they see one girl riding hard, really hard, hoping to raise awareness.

Those Peace groups that haven’t supported me-SHAME ON YOU.

I’ve reached the people- and that’s who you need. The ones scattered all over the country.

Because they are the ones who enable the real critical mass we need to move our country forward.

I’m not sure what’s after the P.E.A.C.E ride. Because I’m still on it. I wish I had more time to write-but I’m sleepy.

I want to leave you with a thanks. Thanks for those who are supporting this. To those who say you never thought of yourself as a Peace maker-but who took the time to define Peace. To those who said-how can I help you complete this trip. To those who have challenged me. To those who joined me on the road.

It’s our Peace sign on the map. Let’s keep it there.

Oberlin to Cleveland to Detroit.

Pete contacted me last year to offer compliment on the “Hell A to Joshua Tree” blog. He also agreed that my host in Pasadena, Mike Frankovich of NOHO scooters, is a great guy. They scooted Route 66 together awhile ago and called it Scoot 66. A writing compliment from Pete is an honor, he’s a retired journalist, publisher, editor. Check out his article on PEACE SCOOTER, here. After meeting him, I want to resume my long ago abandoned dream of professional journalist.

I heard from him again in January, as people began sending me random pictures of Peace signs. This one was especially moving, as it involved a group uniting to form a Peace sign in Racine, to address violence sweeping the city.

He then told me about his solo Vespa tour from London to Athens and back. We went back and forth sporadically over the months. His emails were always perfunctory and witty. He had the feel of a newsman. I expected him to be a wise cracking chain smoker. I got half of it right.

It just so happened that this year’s final round included Racine, and Pete agreed to host me. The trip over to Racine took a leisurely hour. A warm welcome was extended by him, the wife, and the puppy. The house smelled tantalizing. Lasagna was in the oven. People were coming over.

Some of the Matadors scooter club members showed up and we talked for a couple of hours. I enjoyed the company and the cozy bed that took me prisoner for 10 hours.

Hmmm. I woke up with hesitation about packing and leaving immediately for Chicago. These two were interesting folk and my schedule is holding up. The morning danish and delicious food that Louise kept providing also made it hard to go.

Pete and I saddled up for a tour of town. As I mentioned, Frank Lloyd Wright is from Wisconsin. Racine hosts some of his experiments. Really, he is an aesthetic visionary, although some of the engineering is flawed.  The door to the SC Johnson building was open, so we tentatively peeked in. Definitely a masterpiece.

There was a mini vintage car show in the town square. I walked around and ogled these cool, strange contraptions. Pete is a local celebrity, so I met some folks. I had to assure people I’m ok in the head. Most people think it’s crazy to make this kind of trip.

It’s hard, but not crazy. Why in America is such commitment to anything but the dollar seen as weird?

I met Paulette Garin, a Democrat running for the congressional district. We shook hands. It was neat to feel caught in a photo-op with a politician. Literally caught. I suppose the savvy politicians hold a long handshake for a number of reasons, one being photo ops. We chatted awhile and she generously donated some gas money.

After we arrived back home and enjoyed a long, chatty lunch, I had no choice but to stay. Once I power napped off my food coma, I set out to do some work at a coffee shop. I accomplished a little, but spent a good while talking to George, a Harley biker.

When the shop closed at 9, I headed back to the house. We sat around together casually, all immersed in our own projects, making occasional banter.

Their guest bed is the best yet on this tour. Thanks Pete and Louise.

*Note, I just took a moment to read the post from last year, the one mentioned at the top. Wow, I used to blog A LOT. It was a little easier to add detail last year, as I stayed in more hotels. Thankfully, many kind people have hosted me this year. So, my time is spent experiencing, and I’ll capture it in more detail at the end. When, you know, I write the book.*

I have Milwaukee on the mind because I just watched the Brewers suffer a major loss to the Cubs. Just five days before the game, I was riding around the Miller stadium with my host Dave. Who I kept wanting to call Mike, although never did out loud. For some reason I was under the impression the Brewer’s weren’t a good team. But they’re almost evenly matched with the Cubs.

Thursday was decreed a play day, all day. I showed up at the house and spotted it immediately; with a black Stella out front and a nice man drinking coffee and waving at me. Cool.

Dave was remarkably laid back for a man whose wife was expecting a baby at any minute. We had a full house. His Mom was also visiting. Dave contacted me back in April. I’ve been really excited about exploring all of Wisconsin. After chit chatting for awhile, we zoomed off to see the town. Before leaving, he showed me his Corazzo jacket-only a little hole after a 100ft slide! Amazing!

He’s good to ride with, at stops he lays out the immediate route ahead, turn by turn, punctuated with snippets about the area. He knew when and where I might want to pull over for some photos, which is nice. We wound up at the Ale House for lunch. Wisconsin is known for beer, brats, and cheese. I indulged with all three.

Conversation was thoughtful, playful, political, philosophical and rapid. I’ve been really lucky to meet great people all around the country and lucky that they open up to me right away. When Dave was a kid, he met John Lennon. He actually went to lunch with John and Yoko. I was so excited to hear that, because that one quote by John Lennon inspired my whole trip. “If a billion people were thinking about Peace, there would be Peace in our world.”

We scooted around the city some more. I enjoyed the cream colored buildings; they made nice contrast to the heavy industrial feel of the city. I know that industry is a hot topic there, but I wasn’t too fond of it. I get really freaked out when I think about the by products of industry and how the ground and rivers soak it up, and its impact lingers for decades.

Dave took me to Milwaukee Art Museum; really amazing building both inside and out.

We stopped for coffee at the independent spot in town, Alterras. I tipped the barista a post card and she came outside to find me. Rather shyly, she explained that she is working on a book of collective definitions for Love. Really cool!

I’ll leave her my definition when she leaves me hers….just kidding….maybe.

The rest of the night went rather fast. We cooked up some quesadillas, ate in a rush and headed over to the local Vespa shop. We hung out with the Reina family for awhile. They are from Sicily and signed my scooter in Italian. Chris decided to join us for a twilight ride to meet the family for custard. I’ve never seen a state have such gusto for custard. The line was out the door. Websites update flavors that each shop is serving, through the state of Wisconsin. You don’t get 10 choices of flavors. You get three. 2 standard, one daily special. I had a small cup of turtle-I don’t usually do dairy.

We scooted back home to sit on the porch and talk for a couple of hours. Chris asked me a lot of questions. He’s a legend in his own right, having gone the distance. He said, “I don’t disagree with anything you’ve just said,” when I told him why I’m riding for Peace. Apparently, he came by to check me out and thought I was just a hippy and wound up approving, but more importantly, understanding the trip. He rode off to meet his ladyfriend and I crashed for 9 hours.

The next day was laid back around the house and Dave made the long anticipated stuffed peppers. We went to the Post Office so I could mail home a BUNCH of stuff. Bags are SO much lighter now, what a blessing!
It was a brief, but well done visit. Three hours after I left, Jen began contracting. I think she had a championship labor of 15 hours and then birthed Levi into the world- where the coolest big brother ever waiting to meet him on the other side!

Here’s the family photo, minus two cats.

Dontcha worry, there are real blogs on the way. After a great birthday spent with the Genuine Scooter Company, I’m packing up for Ohio. Today’s photos are Chicago-Ohio, Day 89 on the road with just 9 more travel days.

Today’s photo content will be live from Scooterworks and Genuine Scooter Company. And of course, there is always the unexpected.
If you want to see the actual galleries on fragmob then you might have to get an account. Warning, it’s addictive. That out of the way, COME ON. What’s one more FREE account. Besides, I’m doing this for two more weeks.

What do I want for my birthday? For you to leave your definition of Peace.

****If you scroll down, you will find 5 entries about Minneapolis. Right now I am in Milwaukee. My focus isn’t going to be the blog. I have just two weeks left on the road. I’ll check in, but I won’t have time to write the longer pieces. I hope you can help spread the word about the trip. I will arrive D.C. 8/8/08.****

Sunny skies were with us again on Sunday, fortunately, because we had more riding planned.

Kate typed up a press release for me and I sent it out to a few people. After boring admin stuff we left the house.

There was a meet up at Pizza Luce and then a rehearsal ride for the Twin Cities upcoming rally. Nathaniel needed to be there early since he is a blocker. If you don’t know, a blocker is a designated scooterist who helps control traffic so that the formation of scooterists can all clear a light, or turn.  They literally block the intersection, with hands out, until the scooterist pass. They are crucial in a group ride. Nathaniel hasn’t been into scooters all that long, but it’s impressive to see how he has delved deep into the pursuit.

He’s very knowledgeable and he’s just so smart that his passion for scooters is like everything else he does, he does it well. I’m going to miss riding around with him and Kate, for sure. A respectable number of people were at Pizza Luce,  I had a chance to meet some new people and pass out postcards and stickers. I even sold some keychains. They are almost all gone at this point. It was nice to hear the favorable response. People understand why I’m riding. They are thankful it is happening. I’m honored.

Joe said, “Hey, I’m a government official and I couldn’t be happier about what you are doing.”

We rode about two hours and then I had my awkward collision into Nathaniel. Not his fault, the guy in front of him slammed on the brakes. Ironic that before the ride I had been asked if I’ve ever crashed. Also ironic was that during the ride Kent had given me a nice, quality sticker that says, “Start Seeing Scooters.” I don’t suspect it’s meant for scooterists, but the joke was on me later.

But once I battle rammed Nathaniel, we were there, right in front of our destination- the Bryant Lanes Bowling Alley, Theater and Bar.

The little establishment sure had some noble aspirations, but seemed to be pulling it all off quite nicely. Kent took over seating us and we settled in for some food, gags and conversation. In honor of my wreck they bought me a Surly beer. Lots of breweries in the Mid-West.
Really laid back crowd. Kevin and the guys seem to have been friends for awhile. There really is never an awkward silence with them around.

Rochelle, Joe’s wife met us at the bar, arriving in a Smart Car.

Or as the guys dubbed it, “a 600cc scooter with windows.”

I asked if there was a Bob’s Java Hut. Jak from San Fran wrote it on my scooter, but I couldn’t remember if it was in Minneapolis or Milwaukee. Everyone enthusiastically decided we should go and off the flock went. Bob’s is a cool place, with a motorcycle theme and strong coffee. Strong like crude oil. Delicious stuff, although my ice coffee was $3.75 and that’s just too much. That’s the price of a gallon of gas in Minnesota. But it was tasty.

We sat around and joked some more and two bicyclists had an accident in front of us. Much like the one I had an hour before. Eerie. Gravity wasn’t working right that day. Kent joked on me a little bit more. Then I got to drive the Smart car! I have some video of that to upload, at some point, as well as group ride footage.

It’s a tough call, between the Smart Car or the Prius. For my family needs, a Prius offers more space. For couples or solo driver, the Smart car is perfect. Brilliant, even.
Cool feature-You have the option to change it from automatic to manual.
It’s pretty cool to see how consumer trends are now demanding the kind of technology we’ve had for awhile. And to see the bar being raised. We are quite capable of some amazing technology.

Stephen pointed out a guy who drove a moped to the Black Hills. That’s about 1,200 miles! On a moped! Going 45 mph, with none of the sweet suspension that I have! I went to day a quick HI before leaving. The old timer monopolized me for a bit and I didn’t have the chance  to say a proper good buy to Lora. Kind of a bummer. She was another Scooterville employee that made the visit exceptional.

We didn’t get back home until 9:30. We watched a movie and I had a sense of disappointment that the visit was wrapping up. Kind of awkward sometimes to instantly click with people and then have to quickly click off and move on. Nathaniel made a large donation and I didn’t want to accept it, because they had refused to let me pay for anything when I was there. He compared it to tithing. You know, I’ve heard that idea discussed before in some of my college classes. The idea that even if you don’t belong to your church, saving 10% of your income and donating it to charity helps out your community.

My two hosts signed the scooter and offered to ship home the fender, so I can have the souvenir. It has a lot of signatures on it….

Never enough time, I was up very late trying to contact people on the remaining route. It looks like I’ll be able to ship home my tent soon, I have places to stay almost every stop ahead. That will surely make a difference in the scoots handling and clear up some needed space.

Thanks to everyone in the Twin Cities who showed me how great your cities are, and your character. More peace per capita!

It was a late night. Nathaniel and Kate were enjoying sleeping late on a Saturday morning.
How weird. A day off. A weekend off. Holy Crow. A normal schedule. I’m not sure I will be able to handle a 40 hour work week when the ride is over….
It’s gonna have to be a good job after all the things I’ve proven to myself that I can do.

Beans. We needed coffee! What better way to wake up than smelling strong, delicious java. Have I told you yet how cool Nathaniel and Kate are? I’m so thankful that Nathaniel contacted me in April.

We had plans to meet some Lora and her husband at Scooterville, to ride around town when she was done with work. I get to see a lot of things tourists don’t. I’ve got access to all parts of the city, not just the major tourist spots. Although, Minneapolis seems pretty accessible, by light rail.

In fact, they also encourage biking with The Green Trail, which is a converted train thorough fare that runs the main artery of town. There are a lot of cool spaces in the city. Like two major lakes, city center. On any given day people are rollerblading, biking, running, walking, swimming or wind surfing. I suspect having an outdoor recreational space smack dab in the city promotes a direct appreciation of green spaces and the awareness to conserve them.

The Grand Rounds are parkways that circle the Lakes. The speed is set just right for gazing at all the fancy homes. None of them were overtly pretentious. Just beautiful, old stone work. Our plan was to ride the rounds. As soon as we got to the shop the clouds let out some heavy rains. We all hung out until it cleared and decided to first visit the Guthrie.

It is located in the Mill City historic area which reminds me a lot of downtown historic Richmond, VA, where I grew up. We too are a port city and had a lot of industry moving in and out. The Guthrie however, is a majestic modern theater that somehow, doesn’t seem out of place next to its dilapidated mill neighbors.

It is the antithesis of commercial Broadway. You can go in wearing jeans of tuxedos. You can roll in with a pack of your scooterists friends and goof off on the different levels or you can take a date to dinner and a performance. But that will cost you. Looking about and goofing off is free.

There is a wonderful observation deck to view the city skyline, the bridge being repaired and the Mississippi River. Interesting that just two months ago, I sat by the Mississippi while in New Orleans. Completely different atmosphere, one river.

The museum design makes great use of angles and lighting. The third floor is yellow and made me feel pleasantly lightheaded.
                     There are some really great pictures on my flickr, check em out.

From the observation deck we spotted a Segway tourist group. This is now all the rage, touring cities on Segway. Ya know, one guy rode cross country on a Segway and made a movie about it, 10mph, which won an award. I’ve seen it, it’s good. As we left the building they rode past and we followed them for a bit. They asked if we were Hells Angels.

It’s fun riding in a pack. People always look so happy to see a pack of scooters. I feel like we are a parade. A Genuine parade that is, with almost every model in their line up present. After frolicking around dinner was to be had. Conversation flowed well. These Minnesotans are really giving Southern Hospitality a run for the reputation. Nathaniel and Stephen geeked out a little, but I enjoyed it.

They were talking inventions and I’m encouraging Stephen to build one in particular. I don’t want to spoil the prototype, but I will tell you that this particular video came up. Check it out below.

We split out after dinner and went back to the house to lounge around.  Good day!

July 17th, the day Americans anxiously await the release of the Dark Knight.

My Minneapolis recreation activities director  had returned to work after a brief vacation with me.  I had many things planned though and was happy to have my own transpo. I even felt pretty comfortable getting through the big city. Eden Prairie, where my hosts live, is a 40 minute drive into the city. I forgot this and was running late.

I was heading to Scooterville to meet Bob and attend a Green Fair being hosted by the biggest law firm in Minneapolis. Bob was invited to showcase scooters, especially his electric pride and joy, the Vectrix.

Read this thorough review of the Vectrix to find out about a really cool machine that has ZERO emissions and takes pennies to operate after the initial purchase.

It was an interesting two hours. I actually took the scooter up to the 29th floor, on the freight elevator.
I was asked if it was going to leak everywhere. I said, “No, she’s housebroken.”

I was impressed that the firm offers an event like this to their employees. There were about 15 booths, with information ranging from alternative transpo, to efficient lighting, recycling, composting, organic food. I talked to just a few people who knew more than I did. Not to sound smug, I’ve just been pursuing a sustainable lifestyle for a really long time.

I found out about potato spoons though. That makes the potato even more exciting than ever. You can eat a baked potato with a potato. That’s cool. And then you can compost it and fertilize the ground to grow more potatoes. Brilliant.

Each exhibit was given a liaison, someone who worked with the firm helped promote our booth. Ours was a fellow two wheeler and she really helped educate people about P.E.A.C.E Scooter. People signed the scooter and were really cute and awkward about it. Somebody asked, “what’s some cool scooter lingo? What do you say to one another?”

“Rubber side down. Shiny side up.”
So he wrote R.S.S.S.S.U

I ran around and collected info to send home to my mom, thinking she might learn a couple of things. I applaud the steps the firm has taken to be sustainable. They have made a firm commitment and  they have the money to do so and if other firms and corporations follow their example the price of these new technologies will drop. One cheerful, talkative lady made a good point. She said, “in most cases, to get people to listen, you have to separate conservation from environmentalism.”

Meaning that most people are willing to conserve resources when they realize it’s beneficial to them-that they will save money.  Just like the scooter frenzy taking place. People are willing to choose a fuel efficient, low emissions vehicle now that they are getting hit in the pocketbook.

But I know what will happen. They’ll wind up having fun on one. They might even drive 22,000 miles. I mean, I only had my 50cc for 350 miles before I decided to do this trip.

I’ve found lately that heavy duty conversation wears me out and I loose my voice quickly. I still love what I’m doing. I’ve given a lot of energy to thousands of people; listening, helping, learning, teaching, writing, riding. It’s made my life better and brighter. The work itself regenerates me, but it’s my body that is starting to hurt.

When we arrived back at the shop, David Harrington was there, of www.justgottascoot.com. And wow, talk about energy. That man is solar powered. I told him I had to eat before I could manage an interview.

It was easy, he’s an informed conversationalist and smoothes over any rough moments.  As we were taping (you can hear the two strokes in the background) people started arriving for the BBQ. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we raised $180. Many thanks for the donations and great conversation.

I don’t think of myself as the celebrity that people make me out to be. I feel awkward when people call me that.  I don’t want to be ogled, I’m a little shy like that. I think everyone should know that following your dream is a relatively simple undertaking. The biggest thing that prohibits someone is that they focus on all the things stopping them and not the things there to help their dream along.

Also, I guess I don’t want someone who travels to talk about Peace to be a hero, because I would rather that our world never got to this point.

Nothing means as much to me as new Peace definitions on the website. And actually, the fine people in the Twin Cities have been leaving a lot of them.

There were the usual round of questions. About my butt. About housing.
And then, the most interesting question yet.
“Do you ever cry?”
“Yes. I did. Recently.” I told him all about it. “Do you cry?”
“No. Men don’t cry.
“I think of it as exfoliation.”
“Exfoliation?”
“Like a face mask. Rubbing the dead skin cells away. When and if I can cry (doesn’t happen that easy) I am getting out what is weighing me down and making room for what can bring me up. ”

There was an abundance of food and conversation. Herbert was stealing the show with his funny one liners. He gave me the Lake Wobegone Mints. Kent stole the best in show with his mod Stella beauty, C-Foam. I met a lot of great people that night, thank you all for coming out and making the long road a lot more bearable. I wish every city could offer the same amount of support!!!!
Then, it was time for the Dark Knight. I’m not a movie reviewer. It’s a brilliant movie, if you can get past Batman’s silly voice. Go see it.

Minneapolis July 17. Day 2

I didn’t want to get out of bed. I did. I had some coffee. I wanted to go back to bed. The sky dumped torrential rain. Thankfully, no driving. I can’t think of a day in the past year when I’ve pulled back the blinds to see rain and promptly snuggled back into the covers to hibernate.

Dave called right on time. Man, he is surely a recreational activities director!  We discussed the afternoon BBQ. I was told that Minnesota weather is as fickle as a presidential candidate;  it will change every 15 minutes. A conference with Bob confirmed that we should do a raindate and Friday might be better anyhow.

Ok. I should have gone back to bed.
By the time Dave picked me up, it was gorgeous and sunny.

We went in search of People serving People, the only family-focused shelter in Minnesota. I wasn’t sure if Dave was dropping me off, watching me work, or working with me. I was so incredibly happy that he decided to put on a hairnet, apron, gloves and serve food next to me! This is what I’m going for- action!
It’s one thing to tell me you think the ride is cool, but I want you to jump in and define Peace, to help volunteer, and to do it even when I leave your town!

If you are Minneapolis, People serving People needs you, and for a variety of services. They serve approximately 300 people a day, three meals a day. Dave portioned out carrots and became a health Natzi when the kids came back from 2nds-of cookies. “Did you eat your carrots?”
No one really did, he should have been the cookie man-more popular.

The cookie man was actually from the company that provides a lot of financial support to the shelter. So was the chicken and baked potato man, Tom. Pretty cool, donating money and labor. A lot of places have told me that it is actual people that they need as much as money. The food looked good and they provide really valuable services.

It was hard to see so many children, but I know that the shelter is providing many, many services for them. Lynette was the conductor of the whole thing and I liked watching her in action. She was very good with the kids and took aside many mothers to encourage them. Dave and I kept the jokes rolling and he seemed to enjoy the whole event.
Hmmm. Where were all the Dads? Maybe trying to work? I hope. I saw maybe 6 men the whole time.

After I swept up, we went to grab the scooter! Apparently, I was beaming. Dave even texted Daphne to let her know how happy I was to have it back.
I have gone back to completely stock engine. The performance pipe is gone. We felt that this was best since my elevation keeps changing. It’s a great pipe, though, and now my engine is ninja. So quiet in comparison, but probably better on the eardrums and long term hearing. Hearing is only something that can be lost, not gained back!

What better way to celebrate than a drive out to Lake Wobegon, err, Lake Minnetonka. Nathaniel seemed impressed that all I want to do on my days off is ride, but they happily got on their scooters to show me around. We took a nice cruise and everything was so green, smelled so good-after the rain earlier.

I really like riding with Nathaniel and Kate. They know their bikes, know how to ride and like to play at stoplights. We rode very harmoniously over to the India Palace, their favorite. Everything on the menu looked so good! I went with a paneer and somehow finished it. Kate drew a P.E.A.C.E Scooter sketch and received compliments on her art and her pink scooter, from the employees.

Volunteering, riding, Indian food! Makes you sleep good at night! Seriously, if people could just turn off the TV for 2 hours a week and visit their local shelter-they would find it is a rewarding feeling and that their help is greatly appreciated!

 David Harrington might just have eight brains. He’s seems to know everything, but doesn’t come across as anything but entertaining and helpful.  He is one of many who made Minneapolis such a great visit!

Click on the podcast and it will take you over to his site.

www.justgottascoot.com

Rock On!

Ok, so I’ve slipped from this blogging gig as of late. And quite frankly, the previous week and a half was chock full of some bad events. So why bother?

It feels really good to be back in the saddle. Although I was up at 8am, my departure from Minneapolis, or Mini Apples, wasn’t until 1:30. There were two cute pups to walk, bags to pack/load, and mail to send out. Mail home that included my alternate pair of pants. With just 3 weeks left on the road, the bags could be lighter.

My decision was poorly timed. No more than an hour after I sent the extra pants home, my riding pants ripped. Ripped in ways that brought a blush to my face when interacting with strangers at the gas station. The fancy pants have failed the road test. I’m thankful they were won in a raffle, because they didn’t live up to the $100+ price tag. Anyone know a good thrift store in Madison, WI? The pants ripped JUST as I mounted up to leave Scooterville. What an exit!

I was there for an oil change and front tire “fender” replacement. Not sure why everything is falling apart these days, but I am personally responsible for the crash which ruined my front “fender.”

The locals were doing a rehearsal ride for their upcoming “Rattle my Bones” rally. All went well until the LAST turn, when we made a left. I was looking in my mirror to see if people cleared it. I looked back up, just 2 seconds really, and there was Nathaniel-at a complete stop in front of me.  Why everyone had to stop so suddenly in the road is beyond me. Bad move.
I slammed on the brakes, full force. The back tire lifted, I was standing completely upright on the floorboard. Blammo, perfect tire to tire collision. Somehow I landed on my feet, taking down the scoot as gently as one might when not even cognizant of the motions.

My favorite quote from that awkward situation was, “That’s not what we meant by blocking Nathaniel.” His scoot was fine, thankfully, except for the P.E.A.C.E sticker he put on the back, which I managed to rip.

Fortunately, Scooterville had a parts bike laying around and they fixed me up. I owe them big time for all their work on Audre! After goodbyes, Bob suited up and rode me out of town.

The best course of action was to put a lot of miles between me and Minneapolis. Were the Dali Lama not teaching here in Madison, I would have stayed longer. It’s a great city and will get it’s own proper blog.

Today, day 80 on the road, I covered 300 miles. Highway 55 began picking up speed and traffic after Bob and I parted. There was a fork in the road and either way would get me to Highway 61. I took Highway 52S after watching traffic from the side for a few minutes. It seemed to be the road less traveled.

Two lane divided highways are nice when you are in a hurry but don’t want to compromise scenery by taking an Interstate. The Minnesota side was rather fast and slowed down in Wisconsin. I made very respectable time today.

Unexpectedly, I came across some curvy roads and steep climbs. The terrain reminded me of Virginia, except for the hundreds of acres of farmland. It smelled like Nebraska or Kansas, but there were more pine trees and little mountains than either of those states. The sun was shining brightly and reflecting off of the Mississippi River. Gorgeous, mechanical trouble free riding today!

Wisconsin is another state that I think I’ve been through, but probably just stopped for gas and rations. I crossed into the state on Highway 14/61. Basically, just three roads today. The Mid West is really easy to navigate without taking the Interstate. The first sights were a massive beer brewery and signs for cheese and brats. Gas prices went up, but stayed below $4 a gallon.

I noticed a Scandinavian influence and spotted some lawn vikings.

There were many noteable things worth exploring, but daylight was short. Frank Lloyd Wright built his home in Spring Green in 1911. I imagine it would be cool to see the evolution of his design work on the 600 acre property. Near Spring Green I saw signs for “House on the Rock.” Which is strange, because my favorite sci-fi/fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, talks about House on the Rock in his novel, American Gods.

I was busy thinking about that book when Madison snuck up on me. Just in time. The GPS had gone into nightime mode and I couldn’t see the roads very well. They really are in bad shape around here, with long but wide pieces of asphalt missing. Those kind of grooves are dangerous to 10inch wheels.

I can’t help but think those mechanical failures were proof that fiascos can lead to opportunity. If I wasn’t behind by five days, I wouldn’t be around Madison to hear the Dali Lama. Tomorrow, I have school; 4 hours of teaching from the Dali Lama, His Holiness, Peacemaker!
So lights out!