THE PRELUDE TO THE ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION

Have you ever started reading something--specifically, a bike touring journal--and then after a dozen pages or so you think to yourself, "Hey, wait a minute, I think I've read this thing before!"  That very scenario actually happened to me just last week.

I don't want YOU to fall into such a time-wasting trap.  Therefore, I'm writing this prelude in order to warn you that the following journal has been published elsewhere and it's possible, though not likely, you may have seen it before.  If a story about a 55-year old dude on his first multi-week bike tour that began in Seattle and ended at his Minnesota home, the first few days of which he rode with his son and a bunch of his son's bicycle messenger buddies, and the last 35 days of which he bumbled along through the mountains and plains by himself, sounds a little too familiar, well, you might want to stop reading right now.

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to post my journal, a few days at a time, here on Cycleblaze.  Even though it's likely to appear among the recent entries, I definitely want to make it clear to everybody that I am not currently on a bike trip.  I repeat:  This is NOT a real-time journal, though it was originally written in real-time five years ago.  It was my very first online writing experience.   It's not a great journal.  It's a little bit weird.  It might not even be worth reading.  But I had fun writing it.  I guess you could say my idea of re-publishing it here is nothing more than an exercise in vanity.  You'd probably be right.

The only other excuse I can come up with is that the cold, snowy months are moving in and I'm feeling the urge to re-live some of my past bike tours.  About a year ago I discovered, after entering a different journal on Cycleblaze, that there is no better way to re-live a cycle tour than to sit at the computer and re-type the entire thing word-for-word.  Trust me, it's way more fulfilling than simply rereading it.  (Okay, it might not be "word-for-word."  I might add a couple of things.  I might subtract a couple of things.  I might come to realize that the writing is very amateurish.  I might end up regretting this.  Here it is anyway, warts and all.)

THE ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION  (June 8, 2013)

HEY!  IT'S MY FIRST BLOG!  Now that I've got that outburst of rookie enthusiasm out of my system, let's get down to business.

As some of you know, I am retiring after 33 years with the largest paint company in America, effective July 6th.  Since I will have a bit of free time on my hands, I thought it might be fun--not to mention challenging--to undertake an extended bicycle trip.  (Some day I'd like to upgrade that to an EPIC bicycle trip, but for now I will settle for an extended bicycle trip.)  In mid-July I will be visiting my son in Seattle for a couple of days and then begin my completely self-supported trip back to my driveway in Hastings, Minnesota.  This adventure seemed like the next logical step after six RAGBRAIs and last year's solo six day ride from Hastings to Duluth and back.  If all goes well on this trip, I hope to continue on to the east coast next summer.

It's quite surprising to me how many people, when informed of my plans, have questioned my decision making ability.  That includes my wife who was an early critic and formidable obstacle to my journey.  After weeks of "negotiating," I can now count her as one of my most ardent supporters.  Anyway, those folks who questioned my judgement helped to provide a title to this journal you are now reading.

And the supporters who have expressed interest in my trip are the reason for this blog.  I hope I can live up to your expectations.  Personally, I think my story will eventually attain the same literary importance as, say Finnegans Wake.  More likely, however, it will be just as hard to fathom and not nearly as profound.  Profound?  Not me!