This is a Test

A few months ago I got a super cool new phone so that I could stay connected and update my blog while I'm on the trip his summer. This is a test to see if I can, in fact, post new blogs from my phone.

Test successful!

I will give you a warning: there are far fewer spleling and grammar checks on a phone than there are on a computer. You'll have to forgive my mistakes; I teach math, not English.

Half a Century

I biked 53 miles on Saturday.  That’s a long way.

The trip was broken up into four major parts.  First, I rode the 10 miles of trails from my parents’ house to my sister house.  These were the same trails that were snow-covered last time I was home and caused me to fall.  Fortunately, there was a major heat wave on Saturday (it got all the way up to 49 degrees), so the snow had melted and left in its place large puddles of icy cold water.  I felt like I was playing Oregon Trail (that was such a great computer game) and I had to decide if I was going to look for an alternate route, ford the river with my oxen team and covered wagon, or pay to ride the ferry across the river.  I opted to ford the first few puddles that I encountered, but just like the game the last puddle was HUGE.  Since there was no ferry to ride across, and I didn’t have any money to pay even if there was, I decided to look for an alternate route.  The other route was easy to find.  I just jumped on the road for a while and got back on the trail on the other side of the lake…oh, I meant puddle.

The second 10 miles were fun because I had the company of Dave and my nephew Eli.  Dave was towing Eli in the trailer and it made me very glad that we will have a support van this summer because it looked like a lot of work towing that extra weight.  Eli was excited to go on the ‘icycle’ ride and I think his favorite part was the tunnel.

The third part of the trip was another 10 mile leg out to Colmen.  This part of the trip was not super fun because there was a head wind and my toes were starting to get really cold.  Dave, Christel, Eli, and Luke were meeting me for lunch at A&W in Colmen so at least I had something good to look forward too.  They were able to beat me there in their fancy gasoline-powered automobile.  They offered me some chilly-cheese fries, but somehow those just didn’t sound good knowing I still had a lot of riding ahead of me.

The last part of the trip was 20 miles back to the spot where my Dad was going to pick me up.  There was a nice tail wind and I was able to average 17 miles per hour in the last 20 miles.  By the end I was getting pretty tired, but I was able to make it all the way.  The timing worked out great because my Dad and I got to the meeting location within 10 seconds of each other. 

I spent the rest of the day doing a whole lot of non-physical activities like grading papers, playing board games, and eating cookies.

Entering the Throne Room

On my 53 mile ride I had a lot of time to think.  While I wasn’t thinking, “Wow, my toes are cold!” or “fifty miles is a really long way,” these are the thoughts that filled my mind. 

Before I get started here is a little background:  my niece, Addison, is 6 months old and she is the cutest little girl ever.  She has all sorts of health issues and Friday’s surgery that was supposed to straighten everything out only revealed more issues that need to be addressed. 

Hebrews 4:16

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

I've approach the throne of grace before.

I’ve approached the throne of grace with my heart bursting from joy because my sister got a pool (that’s a whole other story) or my basketball team was going to the national tournament.  In my excitement I forgot that I was addressing the Almighty King and I didn’t show the reverence or respect He deserves.  But He accepts me as I am.   

I've approached the throne of grace broken and confused by the lies that surround and deceive me every day.  In my anger I forgot that I was addressing my Heavenly Father and I was selfish and arrogant in His presence.  But He accepts me as I am.

I’ve approached the throne of grace in triumph after finishing a school day in which I was able to show my students the love of Christ rather than the grumpy and tired attitude I started the day with.  In my hast to thank Him for His help I forgot that I was addressing the Giver of Life and I neglected to thank Him for every breath that I breath.  But He accepts me as I am.

Now I am discouraged and I find it hard to approach the throne of grace.  I am discouraged because I wanted the surgery to work.  I want Addison to be all better.  But she’s not.  I’m sad, and, to be honest, I’m also a little mad.  This Easter weekend, when I should have been reveling in the presence of God and His work of salvation, I found myself standing in the doorway to the throne of grace, and I was afraid to go in.  But He accepts me as I am.

After standing outside the throne room for a while I discovered something about myself.  At first I was afraid to go in, but it turns out that I am even more afraid to stay outside.  It is in the throne room that we receive mercy, grace and help in our time of need.

Sometimes I suppose I just need to be reminded of the truths that I know.  Like the truth of Hebrews 4:16 that tell us that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, no matter what emotions we may have.  Or the truth that Tristan, Addison’s 4 year old brother, reminded me of over spring break.  He crawled up into the chair with me and we were having a typical conversation about monster trucks, superheroes, and the boss of the world.  I asked him if God was the boss of the world and he said, “No, God is the Savior of the world.” 

And here is the truth that I know about Addison…

God created Addison’s innermost being; He knit her together in her mother’s womb.  I will praise God because Addison is fearfully and wonderfully made; God’s works are wonderful, I know that full well.  (Psalm 139:13-14)

Follow the Arrows

On Saturday morning I went on a group ride with the local bike shop.  There were a few great things about the ride; like riding with other people, getting a map, and being able to follow the green route arrows that were marked on the roads.  By far the best part of the morning was eating with the group at Flap Jacks after the ride.  I love French Toast!

There were actually two routes marked on the map they gave us; a shorter ride, about 14 miles, which we did on Saturday, and a longer 26 mile path.  On Sunday afternoon I decided to conquer the second route.  I was pretty excited to have new roads to ride and I was completely confident that I would not get lost because not only did I have a map, but the roads were also marked with those great green arrows that would show me which way to go.

The first half of the ride went great, I was following those green arrows like a champ.  Then I started to get a little distracted and stopped paying such close attention to the arrows.  Bad idea.  As I went zooming past an intersection down a hill next to a field of cows I thought, “hum, I wonder if I was supposed to turn there?”  The handy-dandy map was in my back pocket so I pulled it out while I was riding.  There was no one around on that back country road to see my impressive feat of reading a map while riding a bike, but I will admit, the cows I was passing looked impressed.  In actuality the cows shouldn't have been impressed because it turns out it’s kind-of hard to read a map while riding a bike, and on top of that I didn’t know what road I was on.  So in truth, the map did me no good. 

I turned around and rode back to the intersection to find that little green arrow that would tell me which way to go.  The cows looked at me like I was a little strange as I rode back up the hill past them.  Fortunately by the time I found my green arrow, and learned that I had been going the correct direction the whole time, the cows had gone back to eating and they didn’t even notice me go past them for the third time.

After that I was more diligent about watching the green arrows.  Every time I saw a green arrow I was relieved and excited to know I was on the right path, but around mile marker 19 my feelings toward those green arrows started to change.  Instead of being happy about those arrows I was just becoming angry.  It seemed like every turn was leading me farther and farther away from everything I knew or recognized.  For a brief moment I thought that perhaps the green arrows were taking me off into some deserted field to kill me.   Yet, I continued to follow those arrows, and it’s a good thing I did because about one minute later I reached a crossroad that I recognized and all my faith in those green arrows was restored.  They led me home without any more conundrums.

Flip for Fun and Funds

Come on out to the Indy on Wheels car show at Westlake Church of God on Saturday, April 30th.  The car show is from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  At noon there will be a flip contest and all the proceeds will go to the Blood:Water Mission.  There is a $5 registration fee and a $50 prize for the person who can do the most consecutive flips.  Now, if you are more like me and can't do a flip (I'll admit, I struggle with a somersault) you can still participate by sponsoring and cheering on our flippers.  I hope to see you there!

Mechanic Me: Part II

On Thursday there was a seminar that I attended at Gear Up, my local bike shop, about roadside repairs.  They talked about basic bike maintenance, removing wheels, fixing spokes, and changing tires.  People have explained the process of changing a bike tire to me before, but I’ll be real honest, I never really understood.  So it was great to be able to watch it actually happen and ask questions along the way.

My project on Saturday afternoon was to change my bike tire.  (Well not actually change because it was not flat, but at least practice the process so that if I ever have to do it on the road it won’t be my first attempt.)  The first half of the procedures went great; marvelous in fact.  Well, actually the first half went a little too well because the second half was not so great.  Letting all the air out of the tire was easy and using the tire wench to pull the bead of the tire over the rim wasn’t too bad.  (Did you notice those bike vocabulary words in there?  I hope I used them correctly.)  Then I pulled the inner tube out - half way done now - then I put the inner tube back in.  It was putting the tire back on the rim that was difficult.  I was able to get most of it on, but the last 5 inches proved to be very, very challenging.  At one point I thought I was going to have to take my tire to the bike shop on Monday and ask for some help.  But perseverance paid off and eventually I got everything put back together. 

Before I left for my ride today I checked my tire pressure and found that I needed to add a little more air to my front tire.  I thought this would be a breeze now that I have all that experience from changing a tire ONE time, and I really think that adding more air to a tire should be easy.  Yet, somehow I managed to let ALL of the air out of my tire before I successfully got any air to go in.  In the end, I was able to get the air and a good ride in today. 

Bugs and Geese

In the last post I mentioned that I hope they don’t have big bugs on the Pacific Coast because they sting a bit when I get hit by them.  However, in the last few days I have learned that big bugs are much better than the small bugs.  Riding through a swarm of those tiny gnats is not fun for a variety of reasons.  For starters, they are impossible for me to see while I am riding so they always catch me off guard.  Also, they get smashed onto my glasses and leave nasty streaks behind that are difficult to get off while riding.  But the worst thing about the gnats is the mouth.  You see, I’m working hard while I’m riding so I am often breathing through my mouth and those little gnats fly right in.  Gross. 

On Thursday I took a ride with my co-worker and he showed me a new route around town.  At one point he was relaying a story about how once when he rode this section of trail he was attached by a goose.  As we were speculating on the location of the bird’s nest I happened to look behind us and there was that goose.  She looked mad!  She flew behind us with her neck extended and beak snapping for a while, but then she retreated back to her nest, where ever it may be.  

Mechanic Me

I played bike mechanic today.  (Before I go any further with this story let me explain that I have never done anything remotely like this before.  My idea of bike maintenance is wiping off the frame after I’ve ridden through a puddle.)  On my ride yesterday my gears were sounding squeaky and few months ago someone had mentioned oiling their chains, so I thought I would give it a try.  After school today I stopped by my local bike shop.  I didn't really know what I was looking for so I ask the sales lady and after picking up one product she decided to check with the bike mechanic by asking, “Is this the stuff for greasing the chains?”  He looked at us like we were aliens who had no right to be in a bike shop and said, “it’s called oil.”  Fortunately, he took pity on my ignorance and showed me how to put the OIL on my chain.  He even told me all his tricks like using a twisty tie to mark my starting place, putting the chain on the outermost chainreel so that it is easier to reach, and wiping down the chain when you’re done again and again and again.  Apparently oil catches dirt and mud so the less oil that is exposed, the cleaner the chain stays.

I think my first attempt at bike maintenance was a success.  After oiling the chain I went for a ride and my gears did not seem so squeaky.  Yesterday I rode a 16 mile loop at an average speed of 15 mph, and today I rode the same loop and was able to average 16.5 mph.  That’s still not great, but at least it’s getting better.  I could attribute the added speed to my newly oiled chain or the fact that it was less windy today.  However, I think the real reason I went faster today is because I also picked up some biking socks at the bike shop today.  Clearly it was those black, ankle high, cool-max socks of wonder that added to my speed:)

While I was riding today I was passed by a group of bikers and that made me feel really slow.  Getting past by cars is no problem; they run on gas and motors so when they pass me it doesn’t make me feel like I’m dawdling.  But when these bikers went zooming by I felt a little sluggish.  I was able to keep up with them for about a mile until they turned right and I turned left at the next intersection.  So I guess I could say that I could have stayed with them longer, but the truth is they were starting to pull away from me.  While they were passing me all I could think was, “Wow, their calves are HUGE.”  They looked like footballs attached to their shin bones.  I can look forward to having monstrous calves when I get back next summer.

I also got hit by a big bug today while I was riding; it kind-of hurt.  I hope they don’t have big bugs on the West Coast.

Good Quote

This is a quote from Bicycling Magazine that I thought was just too good...or disturbing...to pass up.

"I discovered early on that my initial fear of spandex was unfounded in light of the horrific alternative: running shorts on a bike at 24 mph."

Overwhelmingly Blessed

I’m completely overwhelmed by the support and generosity shown by my school and my church in the past week.

Thursday night was the Staff vs. 8^th grade basketball game at my school and all the proceeds of the game are being donated to the Blood:Water Mission.  The night was a huge success.  The game was supposed to start at 7:00 but since the line to get into the gym was still out the door and wrapped around the school we waited a few more minutes before we got started.  The gym was packed with students sporting their t-shirts promoting the Blood:Water Mission, parents, and teachers.  Everyone had a great time, and don’t worry, the teachers totally dominated.  As an added incentive, the Junior Optimist Club donated $10 for every three point basket that was made.  By the end of the game everyone was just launching threes and we made a total of 18, but I won’t tell you how many we missed:)

This week was also the end of the coin wars at school so on Friday afternoon my friends and I took 4 recycling bins filled with change to the bank.  Those bins were very heavy and I think everyone at the bank was flabbergasted by the amount of coinage.  The coins were already rolled but we had to count all the rolls once we got there.  So the three of us, plus two of the ladies from the bank, sat on the floor of the bank lobby filling boxes with rolls of coins.  Thank you for all your help ladies, and you should now feel free to use a credit card for every purchase in your life just so that you don’t have to ever deal with coins again!

On Sunday I was able to share about my upcoming summer adventure with my church.  We had water bottles with some information about the trip and prayer requests on them that I was able to give to people who donated.  So many people donated that I actually ran out of water bottles!  How cool is that?  Another exciting thing was that there were a lot of people who had suggestions for other fundraisers.  So keep your ears open for backflip contests and Saturday morning bike rides.  I cannot thank all of you enough; you have truly been a blessing to me today.

To God alone be the glory.  Thank you Father for putting all these wonderful people in my life.

A List

I had another bout of stomach flu last week and as a result it has been over two weeks since I have been able to ride my bike consistently.  And yes, for those of you who have been counting, that is the second time I have had the flu in the last two weeks. (Note to self: In the future, try to avoid getting sick in the trashcan at school.  It’s not fun.) 

I’m on the mend now and was able to get out and ride today.  I was concerned that I was going to be out of shape, but I was able to go 15 miles without much trouble.  The only part of my body that was tired at the end of the ride was my tooshie.  I’m going to have to get used to that bike seat again before I start riding an average of 70 miles a day!

I feel a little bit like an 87-year-old Sunday school teacher when I use the word tooshie.  So here's a list of other options.  Please feel free to vote for your favorite and/or add to the list.

Tush, butt, buns, bottom, rear, caboose, taillights, derriere, fanny, behind, keister, booty, hinney, (CAUTION: I’m going to say it now so if you get squeamish around these words this is your chance to look away) ass, hind-end, hind-quarters, rump, bum, cheeks, seat warmer, south end of a north bound house (I like this one), buttocks, gluteus maximums, posterior, rear end, backside, tail end, can, bodonk-a-donk, wazoo, haunches … and I’m sure the list can go on and on.

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/zorro_fl_fs/buttwords.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080520093901AAdgEPO

Lessons Learned...Again

I think it was over Christmas break when I was in high school that I first learned this lesson.  There was snow on the ground but the roads were clear so I figured I could ride my bike over to the school to play some basketball.  While the roads were clear of snow, the parking lot was not.  I didn’t really think anything of it and proceeded to ride my bike onto the snow.  That worked out for about 30 seconds until I hit a patch of ice which sent me in one direction and my bike sliding off in another direction.  That was the last time I fell off my bike…until last Thursday.

As a 25 year-old it is a little embarrassing to admit that I fell off my bike, I feel like once a person passes the age of seven they should not be falling off anymore.  But I took a tumble and again it was the snow and ice that caused my downfall.  I was riding on a trail that was mostly clear but still had a few patches of snow and ice.  I rode through the first snow spot without much thought and made it safely across with only minimal sliding.  The next stretch of snow was quite a bit larger so I figured I would slow down a bit and take one foot out of my pedal just in case.  That was a great idea, but unfortunately I took my left foot out of the pedal and I definitely fell to the right.  So even though I was ready for it, I still bit the dust (actually, it was snow in this case).  As far as falls go, it was pretty undramatic; I have a nice bruise, but that is it.

Twice now I have learned the lesson: snow and ice cause slipping and sliding.  I think it is finally starting to sink in.  On Sunday as I was leaving Michigan after spring break there was a crazy snow storm.  At first the weather couldn’t decide if it wanted to storm or snow so for a while it was thundering while snowing.  Thunder-snow.  Then Mr. Weatherman decided to put all his effort into the snow and in the 40 minutes just before I left it snowed over and inch.  It continued to snow while I was driving, but I had learned my lesson from my bike and knew that it was slippery.  I was content to go slow for the first 2 hours of my drive as I passed many cars that had spun off the side of the road.  Apparently those people had not fallen off their bikes into the snow recently.

Not What I Expected

March 25^th to April 3^rd.   Spring Break.  These words hold so much promise and hope for teachers in those dark winter days of February and March.

 On my spring break I expected to travel with my family to North Carolina to spend time with my brother and his family.  I expected to wear flip-flops, play with my nephews, watch my niece get baptized and do all sorts of other spring breaky things.  I was also planning on taking my bike to North Carolina so that I could find some real hills to practice on before I head to the west coast.  But that's not exactly what happened.

 On Thursday I drove to Michigan to meet my sister and her family.  As I drove further and further north I ran into layers of ice and 8 inches of snow.  Not exactly what I was expecting on spring break, but it didn't worry me because the next morning we were all going to pile into my sister's van and head south.  On Friday morning before we left we checked the weather for NC and found that the warmest day was going to be 43 degrees...and raining.  That's when we decided to take the bikes off of the car and admit biking defeat.  I would not be practicing hills on this trip.  Not taking the bikes turned out to be a good decision because not only was it cold, but it also SNOWED - in North Carolina - at the end of March - on Spring Break!  Not what I expected.  The flip-flops that I packed are still in the bottom of my suitcase and I'm wearing the same long sleeve shirt that I've worn for the majority of the break.  I should have packed some warmer clothes. 

 Another thing I expected to do on spring break was eat a lot of delicious food.  That sounded like a great idea until I got the flu.  Instead of seeing my niece get baptized on Sunday morning I was laying on the couch with a trashcan next to me.  For the next two days, while everyone else was eating those delicious spring break foods, I was excited to keep down two bottles of Gatorade.  The good news is that I was the only one who got sick, but it’s not what I expected to do on Spring Break.

Although my Grandmother's funeral was nice, and it was good to have all the family together, it was not what I was expecting to do for spring break.  Grandma was an adventurous women who would take us for hikes in the woods, break zoo rules to get me a peacock feather, cook delicious Mac-N-Cheese and let me blow bubbles in the sink when I was supposed to be washing my hands.  Grandma was also a woman who loved God and helping others.  I think she would be proud of me and my efforts to help the Blood:Water Mission by riding my bike across the Pacific Coast. 

 I expected to ride in the car some this break, but I didn't expect to spend over 46 hours in the car.  Here’s the breakdown of the driving: Plainfield, IN to Midland, MI to Greensboro, NC to Midland, MI to Huntington, IN to Midland MI and the final leg of the trip brings me back to Plainfield, IN.  That’s a lot of car travel, but fortunately I was able to ride with my family for most of the trips.  I got to do activities is the car with my nephews, chauffer the van while everyone else watched a movie in the back, give my niece a bottle, eat snacks, sit by a frog potty, talk to my sister, solve all the world’s problems with my Dad, listen to the radio and sleep in the back seat.  I covered a lot of distance over spring break, about 2,600 miles.  All those miles have given me a new perspective for this summer when I will ride over 2,000 miles…on a BICYCLE!

Between the snow, the flu and the funeral I have not been on my bike in over a week.  Since getting this new bike that is the longest I have gone without riding.  Not exactly what I expected for spring break.

Animals

Last week I was able to go riding after school with one of my coworkers.  It was great to ride with someone else and learn from his experience.  He showed me some new routes and was even kind enough to point out the houses with the mean dogs.  Bikes are able to outrun most of the dogs, but there is one road he told me to avoid altogether because the giant Saint Bernard that lives there not only doesn’t like bikes, but he is also surprisingly fast.  Not a good combination.  I think I'll give that dog his space.

 The second day we rode was another one of those very windy days...well over 20 mph winds.  I was able to handle the cross wind much better this time, but going uphill directly into the wind proved to be a bit difficult.  To say the least, I wasn’t going fast and that fact was reiterated when a mob of deer went sprinting past me up the hill.  Looks like even though I have all sorts of gears on my bike the deer still have an advantage. 

When the deer blasted past me I was feeling rather slow, but our next wildlife encounter made me feel much better about myself.  The turtle was slowly but surely making his way north and I am proud to say that I was able to pass him with great ease. 

I also went past a road-killed squirrel on the ride, but that was far less exciting than the dogs, deer and turtle.