Honk, Honk, Honk!!! More Than a FULL HOUSE...

The lead "Grey Goose" has MIGRATED back home!

If there was one individual who has guided my cycling path, like the lead goose of a migrating "V" of geese, it would be none other than Wayne Ostrander.  Here is a "honk, honk" for showing me the way...good buddy!

Checking back in my biking log spreadsheet:

• I met Wayne in Lake Findley, NY on Thursday July 28, 2010
• That date was only nine days after getting "reluctant medical permission" to start riding again on 7/20/2010
• July 20, 2010 was forty-three days after my June 7, 2010 bus accident
• The "bus accident" was approximately 13 months after my "triple by pass" surgery in early May 2009
• Since starting biking riding in March of 2010, my career mileage, as of today is, 7,251 miles

While riding with Wayne today, I told him that running into the back of that school bus in Hudson, OH... was the best thing that ever could have happened to me.

Wayne said, "Say WHAT?"

I then went on to explain, “I am now living my life positively forward, while understanding it better backwards!"

Wayne's response back, "You really are a LUNATIC Kenneth!"

I pleaded my case....

If I had stopped in time to avoid the bus, and not broken my left shoulder in four spots, punctured a lung with a fractured rib, and incurred slow healing nerve damage to my left arm...I never would have met my best riding buddy Wayne!

Wayne knows that is the TRUTH!

Below are some more truths....
...

Wearing the "snazzy jerseys"!    

Wayne's wife Mary is totally responsible for dressing these boys.

She shops for less than $10 jerseys on Ebay for Wayne.

She taught the COW HOW TO DO the same!

Wayne migrates to Florida each year with his wife "Ebay Mary" for five months. They just returned home last week.

Today we rode together for the first time in 2011.

It was great being back in Wayne's flock formation again!

In 2010, we rode together 14 times.  I anticipate our riding pleasures will more than double itself in 2011. 

Though we are "brothers", we are not twins...like in "Wrigley Doublemint Gum" Twins. (To hear/see the refreshing jingle... click the link!  Just for the record…COW does have a twin sister…Hi there twinnie Karen!)


Ebay Mary and Wayne have a granddaughter

who loves spaghetti Os!

Granddaughter likes this jersey!

So does COW!

Today I followed him...because I love to "draft" when he is wearing one of his favorite cycling Jersey!

We rode one of my favorite routes from his house to the "Burger Hut" in Alliance, OH.  (Wayne cranks a bunch of miles in Portage County.  He knows all the pot holes on a first name basis!)

Our total distance was less than the 50 miles Wayne averages for most of his daily rides.  We only posted 42.1 miles in 2 hours and 50 minutes at an average speed of 14.8 mph.

Since Wayne is just getting back to the "hill country", I took it easy on him.

He is only twenty-years older than me so I did not want to run him into the ground just yet.

But, I will ride harder next time since I discovered he was sand bagging his mid-migration reported 2011 YTD miles to me...with Florida beach sand!

Is it okay to open my eyes yet?

No...she is still a radiant shade of PINK!

Through April, Wayne booked 2,400 YTD Miles.  I posted only 2,000 miles.

After our ride wife Mary said, "Wayne is a bit competitive!"

I responded innocently, "Really?"

"Yes!  When Wayne found out you were averaging 500 miles a month in the frigged NEO winter season, he announced that he was not going back home with anything less than 600 miles a month!"

She went on to say, "He also thought calling you a 'lunatic' would cause you to slow down Ken, but that seemed to only inspire you more".

I responded innocently, "Really?"

That "flat lander" will be pedaling alone on the next set of rollers we climb!  I hope the "Portage County" dust tastes fine!

You know Wayne, the reason I was keeping my eyes close, in the above Burger Hut picture, was that I did not want to get "dust in my eyes".  For getting dust in one's eyes...could give anyone pink eye.

Of course, seeing PINK, as a result of making a "positive" connection on the trail, is a different matter altogether.

Guess who took our "pink border picture" in front of the Burger Hut sign above?

None other than "Pinky" herself!

When Pinky rolled in...I rushed out to greet her!

I left Wayne inside the Burger Hut...ordering at the counter.
He said, "Holy COW! Where did he go?"
Then, he looked out and saw what I saw.

She was not surprised when I asked if would be OK to take a few pictures for the blog.  I guess others have asked the same question before...go figure!

And you will never guess what color hair "Pinky" has?

Okay, so you did guess!  It didn't surprise us either.

Like we weren't surprised to learn she drives a black pick up truck trimmed out in pink trim! 

Like we weren't surprised when she told us her Ohio State vanity plate reads:

I doubt that it has pink lettering...but then again!

One thing is for sure, Pinky made us smile all the way home.  She certainly was a pleasant surprise on the cycling trail!

What also made me smile, on the return from lunch bike route to Wayne's house, was our side-by-side riding conversations.

We talked about our plans to ride 2011 GOBA (Great Ohio Bike Adventure June 19-25 with 2,500 riders) together with Stan Purdman and a collection of Wayne's buddies.

In the past, his GOBA subgroup was called the "Righteous Riders".  This year they may have to change their subgroup name to maybe "Four Pastors and a Holy COW!"

I shared with Wayne my plans/dreams to ride under "Blue Skies" and pick/sing a little "Bluegrass" through  Up-State New York this summer.  He called me a "Blue Moon Lunatic!" 

But, he knows and senses my desire of making more positive connections on cycling trail.

I'll be sure to seek his further guidance...before heading off on a "blue herring" adventure!

Full Flock Formation Moment…

Visions of "V"s flying under cloud laden skies were not the only flocks on the radar.

When I pulled into Brimfield’s Circle K, for 63 cents of Big Gulp of Diet Doctor Pepper refreshment, I encountered another flock at the fountain dispenser counter.

I could not completely grasp it at first, but there we were, stacked at least three rows deep, in front of the two sections of the soda machine's two focal points..."crushed ice" or "cubed ice".

Impatiently, I "ducked" between the formations and grab a big gulp cup thinking, “If I at least hold the Styrofoam...maybe the wait in line won't seem as long!” 

I was really thirsty to a DDP! And poplar pops are the best deal going!

All of a sudden, there was no one in front me.  Had I been day dreaming?  Where did everyone go?

My Doctor Moment....

The crushed ice cascaded into the cup.  The foaming DDP pounded its fizzies over the crackling ice.

I took my customary initial big gulp of foam and ice while the torrents in the cup settled down.  I then squeezed the lever for enough of a dose to top off the cup.

DDP is especially foamy on crushed ice.  Usually this process, of effectively "topping off", takes several rounds.  I have some times stayed in line for over a half hour perfecting the "top off".

And, I never take a lid.  I always leave with the "top off".  It truly bugs the counter checkers.

“Do you need a "top" for that?”

“Nope.  Can't chew the crushed ice with the top on!”


Full House Moment…

When I left the store, I looked up and spotted a huge white multi passenger van.  It was loaded with multiple people!

I walked to my car.  Then I heard the voice, "Go back and find out what is going on!"

With a set of questions in mind, I headed to the driver's side of the white van.

• Are you the lead goose?
• Excuse me, I meant to ask are you Mother Goose?
• Is this a Mother Goose School Bus?
• Does this van have front wheel drive?

Fortunately, in true "home alone fashion" she did not tell me to "beat it buddy!"

What I discovered was that this flock was all one family...plus two close friends.  And I don't know how it happened, but upon my request, Mother Goose agreed to unload the entire flock from the van so I could get a "blog pic" of everyone sipping a BIG Gulp!

Meet the FLOCK!

Left to Right: Megan (mom), Rocko (1), Mike (friend), Luke (6), Jonathan (14),

 Drew (12), Devin (friend), Leah (3), Grace (11), Gwyn (?) (9)

Sorry if I got your name wrong Gwyn. You were sipping the straw of your Big Gulp and I could not decode your name from my phone recording of our introduction.  I hope the bump on your right shin is feeling better soon.  I have one in that exact same spot!

The "flock" of Mom, and her seven kids, and two friends were head to Megan's niece HS softball game.

I went back to the flock's van a couple of times, while everyone was re-settling back in, to share that I came from a family of eight kids.

The ten of us would cramp into a station wagon...not a 16 passenger van. (slipping here...how did I miss getting a picture of the van!).

I was stunned to think of the task of managing such a big flock.

How does Megan do it? How did my mom do it?  I'm thinking the both must be angels!

Better be getting home.

DOWN THE HOME STRETCH

I sometimes ride my bike to Wayne's house to get an extra 28 miles (14 each way).  I missed that opportunity at the beginning of the day.  So I was carrying "RED" on the back of the Honda.

I pulled off Chestnut with a left turn onto 18th Street for the final stretch home. Just before I completed the turn, I looked right and saw a young man sitting on a curb looking at his bike parked in front of him.

I heard the voice, "Go back and check out what is going on".

The fellow explained that he was out for test ride on his Honda 550 and it just died on him.

I asked,”How can I help you?”  He asked if I had jumper cables.

“Yes.  They were in the back of the trunk.”  I excused my self to drive home, take off the bike and the bike rack and drove back to his "break down" intersection.

Here is a picture of my cables attached to his battery.   The first crank of the engine generated no results.

The neighbor on the corner, John, drove up and parked his blue truck just in front of us.

On the second try, the engine fired, but it could not sustain its combustion.

So, the three of us loaded the bike into the back of the blue pickup.

I followed at a safe distance with my flashers on...in case the bike dropped!  

We traveled 16 blocks east on Chestnut to make the return delivery

Neighbor John (green shirt) and Stranded Devin (hat/beard)
prepare for final "lift off" the truck's tail gate.

After we lifted the bike over the tail gate, I asked if I could take a quick unloading picture of our successful road rescue.  Notice the "tight grip" on the rear brake lever to hold the bike in place on the trail gate.

It is nice to provide unplanned SAG support.

Go figure...another adventure full day!

More to follow....

Remember: RIDE SAFE!