#435 I Have Officially Lost My Mind

My memory is horrible.  I used to “never forget a face” but now I meet someone and a few weeks later I forgot that I met them.  Names of people I know suddenly fly out of my head.  A few weekends ago I walked out of Ace Hardware, smiled at a young woman and then saw my nephew walking 20 feet behind her.  “Hi Aaron!” I said happily.  Then I turned and looked back at the woman, who looked at me like, “Who am I, chopped liver?”  It was Aaron’s girlfriend.  Ooops.  I managed to quickly say, “I’m not used to seeing you by yourself.”  To my defense, I had only been around her twice since last October and one of those times she was wearing a shark costume for Halloween. 

Recently, I drove home from work and as I turned into my driveway, I spotted a box on my front porch. The box had L.L. Bean on the side.  I didn’t remember ordering anything from L.L. Bean.  Earlier that week I had perused a Land’s End catalog.  Or was it L.L. Bean?  (You start questioning yourself.)  Did I order something by mistake?  I had looked up things on my phone.  These thoughts went through my head as I pulled into my garage. 

I have had the rare instance where I’ve seen a charge on my credit card statement and not remembered it, only to look for the receipt and then say, “Ohhhhh.”  I wondered if this would happen.  And if it did, I needed to see a doctor. 

After I retrieved the box, I saw the shipping label.  It was from my friend Tammy who lives in Florida.  She told me a couple weeks prior that she would send me some clothes she was getting rid of (she’s 6’3”).  I laughed out loud.  I really thought I had lost my mind.  I’m glad to see that, for now, it’s still in my head.  

#434 Always Go To The Funeral

My parents have subscribed to Reader’s Digest for approximately 20 years.  I have always enjoyed reading the small magazine.  It may be “uncool”, like I’ve heard people say about “CBS Sunday Morning”, but I love the stories and have garnered useful information. 

I’ve lived on my own for over 17 years, but my mom still gives me her “used” Reader’s Digests.  I have a stack of them on the bottom shelf of my bedside table.  I throw that and a copy of Guideposts in my gym bag and read them while I ride the stationary bike.  As a side-note, I also keep a couple copies of the Guideposts in my car to read while stuck in traffic to keep me calm. 

One Reader’s Digest story I read stuck with me.  I found the same article on the National Public Radio Website.  It’s titled “Always Go To The Funeral” by Deirdre Sullivan.  Deirdre talks about how her father always made her siblings go to viewings and funerals when they were kids.  He told them people would remember they had made the effort to go pay their respects.  And it’s just the right thing to do. 

The week before this past Christmas, I learned that the brother of one of my childhood classmates had died.  He was 46.  My parents are still friends with his father and his father’s second wife.  I had not seen Eric, my classmate, since his mother died around 10 years ago, and I attended that viewing. 

My parents mentioned that the viewing and funeral were scheduled for Dec. 27.  I had the week off but was “busy” running errands and getting ready for a quick trip to Nashville, Tennessee with my niece.  I thought about going, but decided I wouldn’t since I hadn’t seen him in forever, and I sent a sympathy card with my parents to give to him. 

When the day came, all I could think about was that article.  The phrase, “Always Go To The Funeral” kept running through my head.  I wasn’t that busy, was I?  But I had already sent the card, and he would think it was weird that I showed up after he already had my card.  I drove off to run another errand, but eventually turned the car around, changed into more presentable clothes, and set out to the viewing. 

It didn’t take that long to get there.  And it was a nice, sunny day for a drive.  My parents were surprised to see me.  I’m sure Eric was as well.  I didn’t stay long but we talked for a bit and I also saw his wife and one of his daughters, his father and stepmother. 

Was my being there a huge deal for Eric and his family?  Probably not.  I wasn’t trying to make a big statement.  I just wanted to be there, even for a short time, and let him know that I still value his friendship and I care about him.  Simple gestures are still important gestures.  I’m glad I went.  I hope you choose to go when the time comes.

#433 Change

The past few years I have frequented Aldi grocery stores.  They have good quality food and even better prices.  One of the reasons they have such low prices is their cart-rental system.  Their carts lock together and you “rent” one for your shopping time by putting in a quarter.  When you return the cart to the corral, you get your quarter back.  Simple.  And their parking lot is not littered with random carts. 

Occasionally when I am returning a cart, I’ll see another patron approach.  I’ll offer my cart and they offer a quarter.  Or the other way around.  It's a nice gesture.  

One Saturday morning as I returned my cart an older gentleman approached me to do the cart swap.  I waited for a moment as he fished around in his pants pocket for a quarter.  The sound of change rattling in his pocket brought back memories of my grandfathers, who always seemed to have change in their pockets.  I smiled as I took the quarter and then walked back to my car with tears in my eyes.  I suddenly missed my grandfathers. 

My mom’s father Ed died when I was ten.  I lost my other grandfather, Russell, when I was 20.  I have lovely memories of them both.  One, an artist/gas station owner and the other, a barber/farmer/school bus driver. 

Edmund Riedweg

Russell Godby

 Funny how the sound of change made me very aware of how life changes.  Hardly anyone keeps coins in their pockets anymore.  Or a comb in their front pocket.  Or carries a handkerchief.  The way of life that my grandfathers knew has passed.  Thankfully my memories of them are very much alive.  

#432 The Day I "Snubbed" A Nordstrom

In researching my previous post, I read through my journal to get correct stats and came across something that happened around this same time that included similar people.  Let me tell you about it. 

It was late September 1997.  The Seattle Reign was nearing the end of pre-season and our strength and conditioning coach, Peter Shmock, wanted to celebrate.  He put together a dinner with our team and invited some of his friends.  I’m all about food, so I was in.  Peter mentioned it to me ahead of time and said a friend was coming who was one of the presidents of Nordstrom and that he was single.  I jokingly asked him, “Is this the dating game?” He said it wasn’t.  I also learned that my weight-gaining contest partner, Bryan (Post No. 415), was coming and bringing a friend. 

I arrived at the restaurant and Peter told me to sit next to him.  I did and there happened to be an empty chair next to me that stayed empty for a while.  Others came in and took their places.  I don’t know if there was a plan for someone in particular to sit next to me.  When Bryan arrived with his three friends there was no room for them at our table, so they sat elsewhere. 

Eventually a tall, nice looking, mid-30s-looking man came in and Peter told him to sit next to me.  I was 28 and anyone in their 30s was close to 40 and seemed ancient. 

This man’s name was also Peter.  He was very nice and we chatted a bit about shoes (Nordstrom is the best place for shoes!), sports (he was 6’7” and told me he had played basketball at the University of Washington).  He told me he’d been to Indianapolis for the Final Four.  He also told me that he was one of the presidents of Nordstrom, along with his brothers.  That should have been a clue for me.  (Duh.)

As I talked to him, my mind was on Bryan, who I had crush on, and I was also trying to eat the ribs I ordered.  The following are direct quotes from my journal: “I ended up talking to him most of the time and didn’t get to eat much of my ribs.” “He’s nice, but I wanted to eat my food.”  I cringe every time I read that. 

Dinner was nice. Nordstrom Peter was nice.  Bryan was not really around me.  After dinner, Peter Shmock wanted me to stay and eat dessert but I declined (when have I ever not eaten dessert?!)  Nordstrom Peter left and then I left with one of my teammates. 

As we walked away from the restaurant, my teammate and I talked about Bryan and Nordstrom Peter, and then she commented that he was a Nordstrom.   OMG!  Nordstrom Peter was Peter Nordstrom, son of the founder of Nordstrom department store. 

I’m not one to like someone because of their name or how much money or power they have.  However, I did learn a lesson.  If a nice, tall guy wants to talk to you, forget about your food.  If the guy you have a crush on is not really acting like he’s interested in you, he is probably not interested in you. 

Maybe Peter Nordstrom sat by me because that was the only available chair.  Maybe he was talkative because he was just a nice person.  Maybe he had no interest in me whatsoever.  I will never know, because I basically blew him off. 

You can read my previous post to see how things with Bryan turned out.  What might have happened if I had acted more friendly/flirty toward Mr. Nordstrom?  Learn from me.  Don’t count someone out who is paying attention to you, even if it’s at the expense of your dinner.  He was very nice and good looking, but at the time I thought he was a tiny bit “old” for me.  (I looked him up - he’s 54 now so he’s only six years older than me.)  Give a guy a break when he’s paying attention to you instead of his three friends in another part of the restaurant. 

Sincerely,

NOT Mrs. Nordstrom

#431 The Life Athlete (Yes, that means YOU)

 When most people look at me, they immediately think I’m an athlete.  And usually, they ask me if I play basketball/volleyball/softball/ or have rowed (yes, that happened once).  I’m tall and I suppose, fairly athletic-looking. 

In all my years of playing on teams, my coaches pushed my teammates and me to go harder, faster and give 110 percent.  No pain, no gain, right?  You have to break yourself down to build yourself up. 

After almost 20 years of Go! Go! Go! I was introduced to someone who had a completely different outlook on training.  His name is Peter Shmock. 

Peter was the strength and conditioning coach for the Seattle Reign, a team in the short-lived American Basketball League.  I was drafted in the inaugural 1996-97 year of the ABL and played with the Reign for two seasons. 

At the time, I had never heard of Peter.  Later, I learned he was a two-time Olympian in the shot put and an NCAA track and field All-American at the University of Oregon.  He had also worked with the Seattle Mariners and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.  Not too shabby!

My teammates and I came from high-caliber college teams and were used to high-intensity training.  We were surprised when Peter took a different approach.  Oh we still worked hard.  We just worked differently.  And he took a more individualized approach. 

The best example I have is when we ran outside on a track.  We started together and were told to run one lap.  After one lap, we were to wait until our heart rate reached a certain level, then we were to run another lap (and another, and so on).  We didn’t all stay together.  We wore heart-rate monitors and ran when we were really ready. 

He led us in yoga and meditation.  Others rolled their eyes or complained after practice.  Me, being somewhat lazy in nature, appreciated the “less is more” approach.  I was up for that! 

One of the funniest (and actually “funnest”) days was when we met Peter in a park.  He told us to follow him and do what he did.  Picture a group of 20-something women in sports bras and shorts chasing a man around a public park.  He ran for a while, then stopped and did pushups.  Ran again, then did dips on a bench.  We did side jumps up a hill.  We did all kinds of crazy things.  I loved it! 

Peter was also the only person in my life who succeeded in getting me to gain weight.  My college coaches tried for four years – weights, Ensure, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before I went to bed.  No luck.  How did Peter do it?  He tapped into my competitive nature and threw in a tall, good-looking guy. (See Post No. 415)  I went from 165 to 174 in a few months.  

For the next year or so I fought to hold on to that weight and continued doing the same weight-lifting workouts.  I slowly returned to my fighting weight of 165.  I didn’t return to the Reign for the next season and mid-way through the league went bankrupt.  I eventually got a real job and didn’t have time for daily two-hour workouts. 

My philosophy now is that any amount of time spent “working out” is better than nothing.  My gym is next to my office, so that is very helpful.  I work out in the mornings during the week and do strength training at least two days a week and cardio the other days, which consists of either a stationary bike, walking (I gave up running for good last year), swimming or tennis.  In the warmer months, I also bike 30-40 miles on the weekends.  I stretch and do core exercises.  Sometimes I get up when the alarm goes off, sometimes I don’t.  When I don’t and I get to the gym with 20 or 30 minutes to do something, I do 20 or 30 minutes. 

So back to Peter.  Last year I started following him on his website and got regular motivational emails.  Right before Christmas I heard he had written a book, The Way of the Life Athlete, so I bought it.  I just finished it this week and highly recommend it.  He also has a website: http://lifeathlete.com/.  

You may think, “I’m not an athlete, so this doesn’t pertain to me.”  One of the quotes in Peter’s book sums it up.  Bill Bowerman, Peter’s track coach at Oregon, and one of the co-founders of Nike, said, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.”  We are meant to move and be active.  We want to feel good and be healthy. You can reap benefits at any level.  Go for a walk.  Cut the grass.  Blow the dust off that bicycle sitting in your garage.  You’ll be amazed by how much better you feel.

And speaking of how you feel, pay attention to how your mind and body feels.  A recent email I received from Peter had another awesome quote from a friend of his.  “Exhaustion is not a status symbol.”  Our energy levels vary from day-to-day.  Pay attention!  You don’t have to power through to impress anyone.  Take it easy when you’re having a low energy day or not feeling your best.  And then ramp it up when you’re more energized.  Now, if you have low energy for a long period, maybe see a doctor.  But you’ll have those days now and then. 

Many thanks to Peter for his insight and wisdom in helping me, and many others, keep our minds and bodies moving in a positive direction. 

Ok, now get out there and live your best life as a life athlete.  And buy Peter’s book!  

#430 A Gift

I recently shared this video on Facebook.  It’s such a simple message and really resonated with me.  I try to be grateful every day but sometimes I diverge into thoughts of wishing I had this or that.  Soon after I saw the video I had the stomach flu for four days.  Ugh.  Lucky for me it was only four (and a few residual) days. 

Today is Christmas.  Most of us give and receive gifts.  It’s supposed to be a jolly time, but it’s not so jolly for everyone.  We miss those who are no longer with us.  We may be isolated or estranged from family or friends.  Maybe money is tight and we can’t give what we’d really like to others.  We stress ourselves out trying to do everything for everyone.  We or a loved one is dealing with illness or pain. 

Let’s take one minute today to catch our breath and really think about the gifts we have all around us.  I’m thankful I woke up today and feel good.  I don’t have to go outside to use the toilet (I’m thankful for this every time I come home from a camping trip).  When I turn on the faucet, water comes out.  My house may be small, but it keeps me warm and dry.  Simple. 

As a child, I loved getting Christmas gifts.  As an adult, I appreciate what others give to me, but I find more joy seeing my friends and family open Christmas gifts I picked out just for them.  And I’m thankful to spend time with them. 

Today marks the birth of Jesus, yet another gift.  And He in turn gave to us the greatest gift of all – the gift of eternal life.  One day I will be celebrating Christmas in heaven with everyone I miss today. 

Regardless of your beliefs or faith, I hope you enjoy the everyday gifts around you, and any gifts you may receive today.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Festivus!  

#429 BikeMaine (Still Wicked Awesome!)

Last year I branched out and drove to Maine for my yearly bike trip (see Post No. 413).  I expected it to be a one-time thing due to the distance and cost of the trip.  The last day’s ride through Kennebunkport and the other coastal towns was so beautiful that I started thinking I would like to return.  And when the 2016 route was announced (The Bold Coast) I became more serious about it. 

Something about the water draws me in.  I love everything – the sound, the smell, the sand.  I emailed my friends and told them Maine was calling my name.  As the available spots shrunk, I made up my mind to go for it.  I understood why my friends didn’t want to return.  However, the pull was too great for me to resist. 

After the thrill wore off and spring turned into summer, I began to realize I had to get myself from Indy to Maine.  I love driving, so that was not the problem.  The problem was a low number of vacation days and that this time of year is busy at work.  My plan of staying a few days to explore Acadia National Park vanished.  My new plan was how to get there and back as quickly as possible.  I admit that I got a bit stressed, but it all worked out splendidly.  Here’s the story. 

Day 1 (Sept. 8) – Drove ~570 miles from Indianapolis to Rochester, New York.  One of my co-workers (Ty) saved the day on my drive to Maine.  His sister lives in Rochester and without ever meeting her or her husband, they said I could stay at their house Thursday night.  I left at noon after working a half day and arrived just after 10 p.m. 

Day 2 (Sept. 9) – Drove ~650 miles from Rochester to Stonington, Maine.  Ty’s parents happen to have a house in Maine (I knew this after last year’s trip).  I left Rochester at 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Stonington at 5:30 p.m. 

I had a fun time Friday evening with Ty’s parents and their friends down the hill (Jeanette and Mike, and another neighbor, Karen).  Despite knowing no one in the town, I still enjoyed listening to the gossip while enjoying some wine, snacks and the amazing view. 

Day 3 (Sept. 10) – Drove ~100 miles from Stonington to Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park (Winter Harbor).  Awoke to a glorious view from my room with floor to ceiling windows.  We ate breakfast at the HarborCafe, walked around town and then drove to Nervous Nellie’s Jams and Jellies.  It’s hard to describe this place.  Sculptures, jams and jellies (obviously), an Old West-type village.  Check out the website and see for yourself.  It’s worth a visit. 

My bedroom view at the Halpin's house  

After leaving Stonington, I detoured to Acadia National Park to see the top of Cadillac Mountain.  My visit wasn’t as quick as the Griswold’s at the Grand Canyon (I did walk around a bit) but it was close. 

On top of Cadillac Mountain

The main part of Acadia is separate from the Schoodic Institute.  The drive within this section of Acadia is incredible.  I arrived around 3 p.m. and after parking, realized I had followed Woody into the park.  He is a native of Maine and I met him last year on the ride.  The ride is fairly small (limited to 400 riders) and many are repeat riders. 

After checking in, setting up camp and eating, I was beat.  Two 10-hour days of driving did me in.  I wasn’t feeling too social and was in my tent by 8 p.m. listening to the entertainment in the nearby food tent. 

Day 4 (Sept. 11) – Biked 64 miles from Schoodic Institute (Winter Harbor) to Jonesport.  The first 40 miles were fairly easy.  (I had not trained much for this ride so was initially pleased it felt “easy.”)  The rest stop lunch was at Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro.  Around mile 50 it rained HARD and was super windy.  I kept going until I heard thunder and then ducked into a grocery store with some other riders.  Luckily the sun came out after only 15 minutes.  Our last rest stop was at a local church and when I asked for a hot dog the woman asked, “Brown or red?”  Wha???  Apparently red hot dogs are a thing in Maine.  Pretty tasty!

Our camp was at Kelley Point.  Pretty isolated and right on the water.  Our baggage was wet from the downpour so lots of folks spent the rest of day drying out their stuff.  Thank goodness I packed all my belongings in two-gallon Ziploc baggies! The sun came out later so that helped.  Dinner was a lobster boil (lobster, mussels, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans and cole slaw, blueberry crisp with whipped cream for dessert). 

Kelley Point campsite

Let's eat!

Day 5 (Sept. 12) – Biked 54 miles from Jonesport to Machias.  The temperature dropped during the night so I put on my sweatpants, hoody and socks.  I heard the lobster boats heading out at 4 a.m.  Today was sunny and in the 70s.  Highlights were Beals Island, Great Wass Island, Roque Bluffs State Park and Jasper Beach.  Lunch was at the Machiasport Fire Station.  Sandwiches, salad, haddock stew, squash soup, kale soup and chicken soup.  I tried all but the kale.  Have to leave some for the others.  Tonight we camped at Middle River Park along the Machias River. 

Roque Bluffs State Park

Day 6 (Sept. 13) – Biked 59 miles from Machias to Eastport.  Today was the hilliest day yet.  Lots of rollers and some longer hills wore me out.  After lunch (tuna and egg salad, pasta salad, lettuce salad with amazing cherry tomatoes, lemonade and a multitude of desserts), I stopped at the Charlotte Town Hall.  A cute older man gave a tour.  All the items reminded me of my grandparent’s barn/garage. 

Eastport, the easternmost city in the United States, was our layover town.  You know you’re on the coast when most towns are named “port”.  I enjoyed the town, which was a short walk from our campsite behind a grocery store. 

After setting up my tent I walked across the street to Raye’s Mustard to catch a tour.  Raye’s is the country’s last remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill.  The tour was very interesting and the mustard samples were delicious.  It was hard to decide, but I did buy a jar.  If I didn’t have to load my bags on a truck I would have bought more. I was a little leery of multiple glass jars in my already stuffed bag. 

Being on our own for dinner tonight, I joined some other riders for a short walk to the Eastport Chowder House.  We sat outside and had a beautiful view of the water and sunset.  The seafood pasta was great. 

Eastport fisherman and pier

Day 7 (Sept. 14) – Layover day!  We stayed two nights in Eastport so could do whatever we wanted today.  I had a quick breakfast and browsed some shops in town, I then took the Eastport ferry to Lubec and rode the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge to Campobello Island.  Our little group was Carolyn, her sister Peggy and Ellen.  We “picked up” Joe on the way.  The forecast called for rain but we timed it perfectly.  The day started out sunny, turned cloudy and we made it back to our tents before the rain.  We toured the Roosevelt’s summer home and took a short ride to Herring Cove after lunch at Jocie’s Porch.  There is much to explore on Campobello; I just wasn’t interested in riding that much since I wasn’t in top biking shape.  I topped out at 11 miles. 

Playing croquet at Campobello

Carolyn, Ellen, Peggy and Joe at Herring Cove

Dinner in town with the bike group again was salmon, potatoes, salad, blueberries and cream. 

Eastport sunset

Day 8 (Sept. 15) – Biked 54 miles from Eastport to Lubec.  We joked that instead of biking to Lubec, we could have put our bags on the truck and taken the ferry again.  But then we would have missed the reversing falls in Pembroke Falls State Park.  To get to the reversing falls, we had to bike 1 1/2 miles on a crushed gravel road.  The gravel was small and not dangerous, but dusty and annoying.  Well worth it!  Had a wonderful lunch at the Tide Mill Organic Farm (chicken salad sandwich, salad, vegetable soup and zucchini bread). 

Reversing Falls

This puppy was napping in town.  I felt exactly the same way.  

Lubec is a cute town with a few shops.  They also had live music downtown for us.  Dinner was steak, cole slaw, potatoes, corn and rhubarb crisp for dessert.  The nights got progressively colder.  During this night, I put on my bike leg warmers under my sweats.  I later heard the temperature dipped to 38 degrees. 

Day 9 (Sept. 16) – Biked 74 miles from Lubec to Milbridge.  We had camped on the grounds of a school in Lubec.  We were unable to use any showers in the school (we had the shower truck), but this morning I changed in one of the school’s single-person bathrooms.  So nice!  I’m glad I was up early because after I ate breakfast I saw a sign that bikers were not to use it anymore. 

Today’s highlight was Quoddy Head State Park and the lighthouse.  Quoddy Head State Park is the easternmost point in the United States. Today was a hard day.  Lots of rolling hills and very windy.  Despite the beautiful rolling blueberry fields along most of the route, I did not enjoy today very much.  

At the Quoddy Head State Park lighthouse.  Very cool! 

Blueberry fields

Lunch was in Whitneyville.  Haddock stew, sandwiches, pasta salad, blueberry pie with ice cream.  I also stopped at Wreaths Across America, an organization that provides holiday wreaths at Arlington Cemetery. 

Dinner was at a downtown public building and catered by Vasquez Mexican Restaurant.  Chicken tamales, chicken and peppers, corn tortillas, rice, beans, chips and pico de gallo. 

Last freezing night!  This time I put on my bike jersey and arm warmers; with a hoody and another jacket on top of that.  On the bottom I wore my leg warmers with my sweats.  And socks and ear warmers.  I know I looked ridiculous! 

Milbridge campsite

Day 10 (Sept. 17) – Biked 38 miles from Milbridge to Schoodic Institute (Winter Harbor).  Drove ~570 miles from Winter Harbor to Dunmore, Pennsylvania.  The best parts of this day were the low mileage and the view inside the Acadia park.  We rode through Cherryfield, which, ironically, is the blueberry capital of the world.  I made it to my car by 11 a.m. and, after finding my luggage in a huge pile, I showered and ate lunch.  I was homeward bound by noon. 

My goal going home was to find a place in Scranton.  I saw a chain hotel on my phone with a decent rate but when I pulled in at 11 p.m. it was full.  I ended up at the Dunmore Inn down the street.  I was hesitant since it was a motel and the doors opened to the outside.  It was cheap and clean, and it was late.  It was also nice to roll my bike right into the room.  I was in bed by 11:30 p.m., said a prayer, and fell asleep in my warm room. 

Day 11 (Sept. 18) – Drove ~644 miles from Dunmore to Indianapolis.  I was on the road by 8 a.m.  My father trained me well with all our family road trips.  Don’t dawdle.  I stopped for gas and food and was home by 6 p.m. 

I can’t believe that I drove all the way to Maine by myself.  It’s not for the faint of heart.  I guess I’m so used to doing things like that and I don’t think twice.  (Well, I think twice after I’ve already committee to going.)  I wanted to go, so I did.  I hadn’t done a bike trip by myself since 2009.  I was a little nervous, but there were many repeat riders and it’s so easy to talk to people on these rides.  We’re all one bike family. 

For those of you contemplating doing anything on your own, DO IT.  It’s nice to have a friend (or friends) to keep you company, but when your friends are unavailable, GO.  You will meet other people with the same interested and have more friends. 

I’m thankful I made the effort to see the Down East part of Maine.  Many native Mainers on the ride said they have lived their whole life in the state and had never been to that part before.  It’s truly incredible. 

Maine is no longer calling my name.  At least not very loudly.  Next year’s ride will be in the western part of the state in the mountains – pathway to the peaks.  I’m sure it will be pretty, but I want to stay a bit closer to home.  I’m sure I will return one day.  As I said last year, Maine is wicked awesome!