Thank yous

I have been home now for a while now. Many friends have asked when I was posting again. I figured it was time. I have to admit that I needed some time to decompress, unwind, relax, or to let things get back to normal.  All though, I am not sure what normal is now that the ride is complete. My legs are still telling me daily that they should be moving more than I am sitting at my desk at work. I don’t need to hit the gym daily, like I was prior to the ride, but I am trying to going about every other day or so.

I have a large pile of scraps of paper on my desk at home. They are all the little notes I made during my ride with names and places and such on them. I have to organize them; they are my thoughts and memories that would have been lost otherwise.  There are many things I want to be sure and put down in writing, to share with anyone that is interested in the ramblings of this crazy old woman.

There are quite a few people I want to make sure I make a special note of, each of them helped me in their own special way.

First must be my daughter Hanna Fleeman. She helped me start the blog and the go fund me page and she was there every time I asked to change either of them. Not to mention she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders and she did the babysitting of Bailey and Maxwell, my two miniature schnauzers. Thank you and I love you!

There is my friend who would go out and slow down, to ride with me during my training period. It was so nice to have the company. You know who you are.

Gene called me everyday, just to see how my ride was going. I looked forward to your calls more every day. Thank you.

On Day three, I stayed with a dear friend in Myrtle Beach SC, Maria Post and her son, Joey. This is where I lightened my load. Bless Maria’s heart! She brought my heavy saddle bags back home to NC for me they were here waiting for me when I got home.

Day Four, I stayed in Charleston with a family friend, college student. She will remain un-named but her bed was heaven and just what I needed on day/night four.

Night Five was in Beaufort SC with the Eubank Family. Thank you Josh and Andrea. Not only did Josh help me adjust my bike seat and get it to quit sliding. It just took more muscle than I have. They also rescued me the next day and brought me a tire pump when I had my third flat. My replacement tube had a different valve stem that the standard ones my previous tubes had and that my pump worked.

When my crank/bearings acted up in Georgia a nice woman named Carol who just happened to be still working when I saw her truck parked in front of the Jessup Mobile Home Accessories, 4161 Savannah Hwy, Jessup GA 31545. She so kindly drove me to the closest and only bike shop, Wilson's Bike Shop 1546 Hwy 84, Blackshear, GA 31516 912.285.8234.  She only asked that I “Pay it forward” someday. I am sure that will not be a problem.

Now the owner of the Bike Shop in Blackshear stayed at the shop late, waiting for me to arrive with my bike. Then he drove me to my hotel in Waycross with the arrangement that he would check out the bike in the morning and give me a call. William L Wilson called me at 9:00 in the morning and surprised me. My bike was ready and I wasn’t!  He was in the parking lot. So I quickly finished packing, checked out and back to the shop we went. He had not only delivered me but fixed the bike, no charge. I was so happy I forgot my sunscreen that morning. It was the only day I did. This was the first and only day I got sunburned. Now I have to tell you about Mr. Wilson, he isn’t just the owner /operator of the only bike shop in the county, he also is on the volunteer fire department and rescue squad and he is the county coroner.  He is just a man of good will and many hats!

About mid-way through my 10th day I met a nice young man named Chris in Chatahoochee, FL at the local DQ. We had lunch and he listened to the story of AllBecauseWeCan.  He lifted my spirits and helped me move on down the road.

April 12th, Roger Williams and the rest of the guys at the Holmes County (FL) Roads Department,  2740 US-90, Bonifay, FL 32425 fixed my second flat that day, before noon mind you, using his own inner tube. and patched both of the tubes for me, before sending me on my way. If it had not been for them I would have quit that day, right there. Their kindness got me through that day and back on the road.

I met several people while I was held up for the rain in the Garden Inn 8500 Pine Forest Rd. Pensacola 32534, The clerk/receptionist that took me to the Walmart Express for foods, The worker that was also staying there who had breakfast with me each day and the businessman who was from Victoria!

Many Thanks, to Pam and Neal O’Hara who not only put me up for the night but put on a beautiful dinner party, with great food and fine company. It is always nice to catch back up with old friends. I love you both.

I was sad to leave Gulfport and Pam and Neal but excited to know I was going to see my sweet nephew, Philip. Had it not been for all the flat tires and rain I would not have been able to see him at all. You see he is in the USMC Reserves and it was his drill weekend. Being two days behind made it so I could see him.  The weather was perfect on this last Sunday of my ride and the wind was at my back. I made amazing speed and time. It helped that I was lucky enough to ride the Tammany Trace and what a beautiful ride it was, plus it helped me make great time!

In Albany, LA, I stopped for a break and a snack. There I met a very nice couple, Joyce & Chris Neal, who offered to put me up for the night if I needed a place to stay.  Their son was fascinated by my bicycle. They gave me their number and told me they had people in TX if I ran into problems.  I did hook up with Philip later that night  and stayed in Baton Rouge.

I stayed on the front porch of a house in the middle of what felt like nowhere TX.  It turned out to be Winnie, TX. It was during a very heavy down pour of a lighting storm.  I had knocked but no one was home but the dogs. I stayed there for what was close to an hour and a half, just waiting on the porch.  I was thankful for the refuge from the storm.  Jaci Harrington doesn’t know it but she was my savior that day.

Of course Tarra and Justin Buchman, Clay's parents, were my support veihicles for my last day. they made it absolutely the best day, fun and exciting!

To Laura Garcia for writing my story and the Advocate’s Editorial Board who actually “got” the whole feeling and purpose of my ride. Thank you so much.

And mostly to Clay, who shows people every day that the bigest reason to do anything, is simply because you can. I love you.

I don't know where I will go from here or what my next big adventure will be. I am sure that I will be hard pressed to top this one. If you come up with any good ideas, please drop me a note. Until then, I may be that crazy old woman sitting on the front porch in the rocker. But I will be thinking about that next big adventure, not just watching the world pass me by.

May the air stay in your tires, the wind be at your back, the sun in the sky, the rain stay in the clouds and the dogs stay in their yards.