"I saw the sign."

These are all classic pictures on the trip that could have significant or no value, depends who you are. Enjoy!

 

USA - Epilogue

It's time for another posting. Since many of you have been with me after these 3 short months, there are some that are wondering if i'll shut down the stupid blog or continue posting. The answer: continue posting. I'll prolly lose half my crowd because the trip ended but that's when true colors shine (similar to when everyone's true colors shined at the company party in '05) and the first people to jump the ship are the rats and the women. Now it has been more than a week since I've laid the bike down to rest and it has been out of commision. Thoughts are going through my head, feelings, memories, dreams..... It's over. I wish it wasn't. I would like to "see myself in green fields with the sun of my face." But all good things must come to an end, no? I appreciated everyone's support, cheers, hoorays, tears, cries, for it is they who have fueled my fire in times of need. I don't appreciate the critism and dissappointments, but you know what they say, "lucky in love unlucky with fruit." Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I've almost been killed, more than once. I remember when Lindsay came with me to do her leg, she made a simple observation that I had been on the road and camping for the past two months. And I thunked like a monk for a bit and realized that I have and I loved it, and it hadn't seemed like it at all. My really good, cool friend Jerry Mya Compton (no, not Jeremiah Davis Jeremy) had asked me if I got sick at all on the trip and I told him I hadn't, and it hit me that I haven't. What a blessing it's been. Especially after all the weather and cicumstances I have been in. No it's not coincidence it's a reason. Just a few thoughts I had. Now as you all know by now, I hate the name blog, I think it's dumb. I don't know how many people have looked at this web page, I didn't think it would grow to be so popular/famous. But I like it. Now people who know me don't get my jokes or sayings or johnny lingo, or phrases, or dinghies. It's hard to understand in person, and it's even harder to understand in writing without hearing my voice or seeing a physical expression. The only ones that would prolly understand the majority of them are Josh/Jeremy, or Sir Isaac Geekings, or Incubator. I know a lot of you are/were stumped while reading my stupid blog cuz "that doesn't make sense." There were prolly some of you who got offended too. I'm not apologizing for that for nothing, cuz you chose to get offended and it's not my fault you didn't want to take your own responsibilty. I have my agency and you have yours. I had a companion in the mission named Elder Poteats, he had fired Bob because he didn't get the job done. Well turns out later that Bob killed himself. I told my companion that it was his fault. He said no it wasn't. He said he didn't tell Bob to jump off a bridge, all he told him was that he doesn't have a job anymore. Bob did the rest. So let that be a lesson to the learners. If you didn't get offended, that's good. You chose wisely. You have my number and know where to reach me and we can get some cold drinks. This trip has been the second greatest thing to happen to me. The first being the Mission that I served for 2 years for the Lord, while living in the dense jungles of Paraguay. Had I not served that mission I would have not been able to accomplish this bicycle adventure. This dream. Period. I miss the Mission, I loved it. The best thing ever. I think about it everyday. If I could and if I had the permiso I would go back and serve another 2 years, right now and drop everything. It changed my life. This bicycle adventure was a mini-mission in and of itself. It was great, I loved it. It has helped me collect my thoughts. Now people want to know what I'm going to do now after having accomplished so great a task/dream. Yes I am going to continue riding a bicycle, if I didn't then I didn't learn nothing. How many of you after learning how to fly, just walk home? "Forget about it." I have other trips planned possibly bigger and better. 4 to be exact. One includes Australia, the other Europe, the other a circle around the US. and the other a line connecting Alaska to Argentina. These are other dreams. And what have we learned about dreams? 90% of the human race doesn't accomplish their dreams or make decisions. A Goal is nothing more than a dream with a due date. And like I said at the beginning, Ideas bring in nothing unless carried out. I like what Bear Grylls said after getting some honeycomb from a bee hive. "You risk nothing, you gain nothing." What have I risked? Life itself. What have I gained? Life itself. Makes you think huh? "Take your passion and make it happen." Master Chief 117 hasn't died yet and neither have I. I will be performing my first triatholon on the 1st of November. Later on the 22nd I have the El Tour de Tucson to compete. Another first. Then the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Then I have to beat the train at Durango Colorado next May. I willl have my vengeance on the Rockies and Nevada, whether in this life or the next. these are things that I enjoy this is what I do. I hope that what I have done and said has helped you in some way or another. I also hope that I haven't cast my pearls before the swine.

One ride ends, another ride begins.

I enjoyed a delicious lunch in Oregon of a bread bowel-movement.

We traveled in style- the Micheal Scott way. A 2008 Chrysler Sebring.

I decided to hang out at the Cool Zone, I felt very comfortable there almost as if it was home.

We had the rare privilege of visiting the Full House house in San Fransisco. They painted the door black to mix things up and keep people on their toes. And to keep Kimmy Gibbler out.

We spent a wild day in six flags. It was all fun and since it was a friday and winter and the economy is horrible the park was empty and we rode on 100% more rides than on a normal, packed day. We enjoyed the time traveling from the end and "coming home to Arizona," as Dave Mustaine famously put it in his hit classic, "Motopsycho." So now the trip has physically ended and the last post I forgot to include Lindsay's two-cents. So now she can tell what she thought of her 8-day adventure and wrapping up this chapter of my adventures. Ready? "Is everybody in? Is everybody in? Is everybody in????"(Guess which six flags ride that was said at.)

"Well, that was quite an adventure! Not that I have ever given birth before, but I think the ride can be compared to child birth. I know there was a lot of pain and pushing the whole time, but now that it is over, all of the bad memories seem to fade and I just remember the joy and memories I now have of the ride. Every night, though, there was some different "adventure" the scared me to near tears.

For instance, camping by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere amongst howling coyotes.

A few nights later: Riding on the back roads in the woods at 5000 feet as night fell and the temperature began dropping, the rain getting heavier. I had to ignore the freezing pain and ride as fast as I could to make it to the next destination - that we weren't really sure where it was (or else sleep in the dark, wet woods with the bears).

And then another night: trying to decide if we should trust our gut feeling to stop riding to a stranger's house deep in the woods - he had come up to us at a gas station after overhearing that we couldn't find any camping spots in town and invited us over for "pasta" and a place to sleep. He drew a map for us to his house and gave us candy, and we said we'd be there later. By the time we had ridden all the way out to the area he lived in, it was dark and we were getting further and further away from town and other houses, deeper and deeper into the woods. I just kept picturing us on Unsolved Mysteries and started getting really scared. Finally, I just told Kimball we had to get out of there, and despite the soreness and tiredness from the 10-hr day of riding, my legs pumped that bike away from there like they were in perfect condition for the next hour. I couldn't have gotten away from that place faster.

...And then to hear Kimball describe these races away from death as "neat" on the phone the next day to a friend.

Kimball is my little brother that I used to take care of, but he really took care of me on this trip. He is so strong - physically, mentally, spiritually. And he is so patient and funny! I really got to know him better, and I honestly thought I already knew him really well. The bike ride was really fun, yet really painful. Very scary, yet so beautiful. Extremely hard, but so worth it! I felt like I was a world away from my regular life! It was so challenging (physically and mentally). But I did it (I almost rented a car half-way through because I was so discouraged and my knees, hands and seat hurt so bad!). And I have to thank Kimball for inviting me and helping me through it all. He makes it all sound so easy on his blog. He is really tough. Or maybe I am just a wimp. :)"

Alright, well that was a classic ending to a classic story. I think it's time for lights out and time to leep cuz I haven't gotten much shut-eye in the past week, you know with riding and all and accually doing something with my life. It takes a toll on one. "For whom the bell tolls." Tune in next time for bonus never before seen footage of the trip and my final beech.

CASUALTIES

As we bike across the country, we misplace and lose lots of things cuz we're careless and sidetracked. So I've made a list of things lost and/or broken and/or repairs done:

8/11 Airport confiscated 2 butane cans.

8/12 Taylor lost toothbrush.

8/14 Left first helmet at fruit stand.

8/15 Taylor got flat tire.

8/18 I replaced back wheel.

8/23 1 spoke broke on Taylor's bike.

8/24 Other helmet gets lost at Niagara Falls.

8/28 Lost 2 rain jackets.

8/28 Lost big rambo knife, or was stolen.

8/30 Replaced back breakpads on Josh's bike.

8/30 1 broken spoke and chain on Josh's bike.

9/1 Replaced back panniers.

9/1 Jeremy lost toothbrush

9/1 Speed-o-metre breaks on Jeremy's bike for doing speeds too high to register.

9/1 Lost little visor to the helemt.

9/2 I got a flat.

9/2 Left Ohio map(still riding in Ohio) at Ice cream parlor.

9/4 Lost 1 water bottle on Jeremy's bike.

9/8 Mom got a flat tire.

9/11 Replaced front bearings in both junky ol' bikes.

9/14 Mom's back pannier rack broke.

9/16 Mom had 5 broken spokes on the back wheel.

9/18 Mom had another broken spoke on back wheel.

9/18 I had 3 broken spokes on back wheel.

9/18 Mom replaced front and rear brakes.

9/18 Mom replaced back tire.

9/18 Mom replaced both pedals.

9/21 Destroyed and over-flowed toilet at East Hill Motel.

9/24 Replaced back cogs, 2 spokes, chain and back brake pads on my bike.

9/24 Erin had 1 broken spoke.

9/25 I had a flat in rear tire.

9/26 I had another flat in rear tire.

9/27 I had 1 broken spoke.

9/28 Replaced 3 spokes.

10/1 I had 2 flats on rear wheel.

10/7 I had one broken spoke.

10/11 Back light broke.

10/13 I had 3 broken spokes.

10/14 I had one flat.

10/15 Replaced Kip bike with Wal-mart Special.

10/16 Lindsay had a flat on front tire.

10/16 I had 1 broken spoke.

10/18 I had 3 broken spokes.

10/18 I had a flat on back tire.

10/22 I had a flat and one broken spoke to end the trip.

Total number of Pantera's Cemetary Gates seen: 151

"Foreclosure of a Dream"

I love west Oregon. I also love Maine. The first and the last states were prolly the neatest scenery ever.

We made our delicious dinner in a laundromat this night. It was all good.

We're just walking all cool down highway 242. This highway was all fun to ride down. 20 miles of downhill descending more than 4000 feet. At the summit are lava rocks as seen in photo below.


I was on top of a lava castle and shot this picture. A long time ago Dante's Peak was here but it erupted.

Here we are at a rich ol' hot springs resort in the middle of nowhere and they had a secret garden. It was so neat, I could hardly eat strawberries. It was like Beep of the Rings.

"I beat it." We made it to the west coast. Dang it it's over. Now I'm all sad that the trip ended. The bike got all dirty from the sand and the chain and gears are a Rusty Johnson now. When I took this picture the camera was on top of Mitch's cool helmet and "the tide rushes in," and almost knocks it over and getting my camera ruined but good thing that I'm fast and picked up the camera like a fumble in the football game. The same fumble that Spencer recovered in '95 and scored a touchdown that beat Coolidge for the Conference Title. Josh's prophecy is now fulfilled when he said back in Ohio, that one of the Kip Bikes wouldn't live to see the West Coast. Poor Kip Bike, may he "Rust in Peace." But mine did and that's all that matters. Now as you read this post and look at the last picture, just sit back and listen to the song that's playing and note that R Kelly is talking about me. "I'm that star up in the sky, I'm that mountain peak up high, hey I made it. I'm the World's Greatest." You might need to grab a tissue cuz the room will all of a sudden get all dusty and your eyes will start to water for no particular reason.

"Do you take it off any sweet jumps?"

Hello Children this is for you to enjoy. I shouldn't be rewarding you but I'm a nice guy like Micheal Scott and I like to help people that's what I do. I wanted to take my ride off a sweet jump but I failed miserably and I got scared and crapped my drawers. I ended up breaking my elbow but it's ok. Tell me what you think. And don't say anything dumb either. Act your age not your IQ.

Thanks for the hot dog Mom!!!!

Lindsay's all surprised that they have phone booths still. It doesn't work without quarters though.

After we crossed the biggest 5 mile mountain Lindsay was excited for the rewarding 2 mile downhill. How does a hill go up 5 miles and down 2? I guess they can't all be like C Mountain in Coolidge which has a section corner on the very top.

This is Lindsay's idea of a joke. She thinks I love candy and sugar that much that I'd get a picture in front of the building that makes it.

It was cold in the night time and we failed our goal so we called it a day at a rest stop and cooked our din dins and breafast in the toilet.

It was foggy this morning when we woke up and here in Oregon the fog makes a rainbow. Use your bright eyes near my huge right shoulder and you can see the end with the white leprechan.

We had a day where we were passing through about 4 towns prolly. It showed something on the dang map but when we got there we didn't see jack rabbits crap (like shown in the foto.), except closed down gas stations and/or 1 or 2 houses and 2 cats that were trying to eat our smoked salmon, I hit them with boards to make them go away. we shouted out spanish swear words after the "towns"and continued down the road. east Oregon was nothing that I thought it would be. a deserted desert, but now west Oregon is pretty neat with the trees and the green and mountains. FYI I'll prolly do one more post for the end of the trip then I'll do my final speech at the end for all to indulge and share my thoughts and feelings of it all. Then we'll do the road trip home complete with interviews by Jay Leno. So get your comments/ questions in quick while supplies last for the grand final.

First and Last state. Rated R.

This was the state of mind Lindsay was in when I met here in Wam-mart.

After much debate and thinking, we settled on this clown bicycle for Lindsay to ride. I think it will hold up well.

Just getting the bike ready for this week's trek across Oregon. We'll see how long this Wal-Mart Special will last. Any Wagers/bets? Post them in the comment forum. Run!

I'm playing in the pumpkin patch. It reminds me of Halloween. I haven't had one for 3-4 years now so I miss it.

This was a neat bridge that was made out of real metal.

We've never been to Oregon before. There's always a first for everything right? And right before this picture a stupid dog chased me down and tried to bite me then when Lindsay went passed it didn't do jack. It's prolly cuz I'm all huge and look like a super hero with my new red dinghy. I'd say I look like Tony Stark. Yeah that fits perfect. "I'm the Iron Man." I'm Huge. Well Now that I finally have company with me, my other campanion (Diablo) finally went home. The story behind that is: In the MTC, o sea Missionary Training Center for the slow ones, they teach us never to be alone as missionaries. We should always be with our companion except for when in an interview or division or in the toilet. They ingrained that into our heads so that we were robots and couldn't think for ourselves. They said if we ever leave our companion that Satan IMMEADIATLY becomes your new companion. So after I left Bountiful when all my companions jumped ship, guess who came along for the ride? The Devil himself. And it is tradition to let the traveling companion to post something on here so here's what he said.

"Not even death can save you from me."

That's it. Ok we'll end it with that. I'll post again another time, "if I still have a job."

Blizzard of Oz

This is Max Adams, a nice old man that treated me like I was the grandson he never had. Kinda like how Josh D is the nephew uncle Eric never had. He let me sleep in his yard and he cooked me treats, breakfast, and took me to McDonalds before I left on I-84.

Here's Idaho for you all. I was really cold this day.

Yeah well I woke up one morning and it was snowing real bad. I think it was a blizzard. (see below)

This is a famous bridge on the Snake River at Twin Falls. I guess it's world famous but I had never heard nothing about it till then.

Here we are at a neat waterfall in Twin Falls.




My camera beeps at taking pictures sometimes. While on my travels I met up with the Altom family(old friends from Globe) and they let me stay with then for the weekend and it was all fun. I got to beat wild Ryan with the pillows a lot. Now for the story: So I was camping one night like I noted above and I woke up and it had beeen snowing throughout the night pues. I was about 5-6 inches. but I thought "who cares we're off the hook, I'll ride anyways I only have about 60 miles to make it to the Altoms house, I can do it." But nope no good. I underestimated it. I think that the only person that could have gotten out of there alive is Bear Grylls and his "sheeping bag." I started off and it was freezing cold with a 30 mile an hour head wind blowing snow stinging my face. I tried to cover it up with a hand-ker-chief but it got soaked from the moisture cuz I was just breathing in it, so I was freezing and there was no other town/shelter for the next 30 miles. After traveling a distance of about a mile, I decided to throw in the bowell movement and topo my pride and I called Brother Altom to come pick me up. I hid under a few trees and tried to do the robot for a hour to stay warm, waiting for them to come. While traveling back to their home, many cars/shag diesels had skidding off the road into the snow. So all of you pessimists out there: no I cannot say I biked coast to coast now, I missed it by 60 miles are you happy? It was worth it cuz I would have been dead had I not called and told him that I was cold.

I'm all alone now.

This looks like the US capitol.....maybe it is.

Well what do you know Jones' Goons are back. Maybe it's Hollerbacks Goons or Hackerthorns. Whoever they are they make work twice as hard for HES.

This was that good ol' dinner that i had 3 plates of. It consisted of Roast Beast, taters with gravy, peas and corn, rolls, and a pitcher of milk.

This is the cool Wright family that cooked the most delicious meal for me(see picture above). They treated me like royalty and it was pretty dang nice. Wright is an old friend from the mission and he invited me to stay for a night. I watched the new 007 movie and I'm still confused by it.

"Buffalo soldier in the heart of America." Kinda gets you ready for the elections this year. FYI I'm already registered to vote.

Here's a classic view of the scenery. I bet I could throw a football over them mountains.