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Day 0
Orientation...are we ready?

DAILY REPORT:  Well, after a long drive from summer like weather in Alabama to the winter in New Hampshire we arrived in "sunny" California just in time to experience "unusual" weather here too.  WOW, what a spring.  I feel like I've seen an entire year of weather in just a short week.  Hopefully, this weather pattern (rainy and cool) will blow itself out of our way as we cross the nation on our bicycles...but whatever, we'll press on.

We arrived in Newport Beach late Thursday evening and have spent the last two days sorting supplies, running errands, servicing vehicles, route study, etc., preparing for the guests to arrive today.  Their arrival marks the beginning of another long cycling season and the start of another edition of Fast America...one of our toughest challenges across the nation.  We did have a couple prior ABB alums dropped by on Saturday...the J'Birds (Jill and Judy) and Gunnel Cole took time to say hello.  Always good to see friends on the road.

We had to take care of one minor maintenance item when we arrived...one of our trailer light plugs had been damaged and needed replacing.  The great guys at Trailer Hitch Repair in Orange California got us in and out in min time...great service!  Thanks Bill for taking care of our problem.

  We were excited to meet everyone and spent most of the day assembling bikes, fixing last minute problems, registration, and finally orientation before going to dinner to "carb up" for the long ride ahead of us.  Our old friend Gerard, a prior ABB mechanic, came by and helped out with the bike assembly...thanks G-man!  Tomorrow we start our adventure.  No one left after orientation so I guess everyone is going to accept the challenge...I hope I can wake up before they do or I'll probably get left behind.  See you tomorrow...hope you'll check and see how we're doing.

DID I REALLY SAY THAT?:  This section will be filled with things we heard the riders say during the day...we just don't make this stuff up.
bulletIt's a good thing we're not passing any airports for a couple days...might prevent an escape!
bulletAre we going to ride in the rain?
bulletIf any of you find things on the road that will be a problem, please call the staff on your cell phone.
-What if we don't have a cell phone?
-Then you can't do that...
bulletWill you give us a morning weather forecast?
-I'll be watching the same weather channel that you'll have.
bulletTomorrow the fantasy of riding across country will end...and the reality will set in. 
bulletThe handouts said I should be doing centuries for training by now...tomorrow I'm going to start and I'll do another one on Tuesday.
 DID I REALLY DO THAT?: Talk about brain dead already!  I needed to get something from the van this morning while working on bikes...I walked out the door and all across the length of the long motel parking lot to where I parked the van the night before...the spot was empty!  Where is my van!!!  I went racing back to the meeting room where Barb was to ask her if she'd seen the silver van.  Then I saw it was parked right beside the meeting room door...I'd walked right past it...it was the one with all the bike racks on top and the big America by Bicycle sign on the side...geeze. 

DID I REALLY SEE THAT?
   

Me next!  Me next!

It didn't take our astute mechanic Shane long to see that something was amiss...now fixing it was another issue.  My question is, "How'd Geoff get his chain to do that?"
 
   

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