Comments from the peanut gallery AKA Porsche

(Most of the obscure references below are explained in the "bike story" -Me and the Kids Bicycling the World with Uncle Bud. Copies are available WITHOUT request from Dad/Bruce. Great bedtime reading IF you have insomnia! This was an email Porsche sent out in regard to the first days of the Big Ride. ~Beth)

Hi,
The cots should be great, bry and i thought they were comfortable, and bry set them up for them, and kathy immediately loved them.

I think we told you all this already (except mom) but bry said when he saw them last night that all those younger than dad call him "uncle bruce". (I guess the older ones don't know about myrle calling uncle bud uncle bud!)

well being in the back really isn't much different than our bike rides! :) They should load him up with all their tools too! It will be interesting to see how the trip goes--as he will only get stronger and faster! as for dad learning new back roads--that is soooo true, he thinks all of us should go on the ride they took over the pass! --Of course it must have been perfect--i believe he called it a "steep uphill climb"--so what could be a better idea for us to all do than something steep and uphill!

hmmmm maybe we should send dad his bike story, so everyone can make sure they get a good nights sleep each night!--oh, i mean so everyone has a bed time story before they go to sleep.

Dad said the food should be great as long as they never serve that one particular stew! Both bry and i thought it sounded good as well. but they are having a varied menu which is good--they definitely are eating better than we are--i mean have any of you been to moms lately?!?! --the old lady with the bare cupboard rhyme is rather applicable! grin! she just might waste away with dad gone!--hmm or she will just use ginny's meal plan and visit beth! snicker!

anyway, we can always remind dad that even if he isn't the fastest, he obviously is the best dressed!--though i doubt the younger ones would feel to stylin in a faster papa faster shirt!--but then again, those are some very cute kids on it!

so mom are you wishing dad had learned about this ride say 15 years ago or more?!?! --then you could have had a summer off with all of us gone!

well cea was missing her papa today and thought she should call him--but i explained that papa was on his bicycle, and so she thought he should ride here! I told her that he wouldn't be able to come here--and it seemed that she was trying to explain to me that she had a bike helmet--which obviously meant--there should be no reason why he couldn't bike here--she was all prepared!

I still don't see why dad and kathy couldn't have taken the bike trailors!--they could switch off on who pulls the winchester and who pulls the burley--and i'm sure we would all call in periodically to check in with our kids.--oh well, we do have cea in swim lessons, so i guess it is good she didn't go!

Cheers Porsche

A different kind of bike.

Lucky for Kathy and Dad (Bruce), Bryan showed up with their new sleeping cots. He went over the pass a lot faster then they did! *grin

And they're off!

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Porsche called Dad (Bruce) at 7am, Dad answered and Porsche said, "Why are you answering your phone you should be riding right now!"

But no, they(Kathy and Bruce) were busy getting interviewed by some TV Station about The Big Ride and Team Uncle Bud. Then they had some group photos. They weren't "off" until around 7:30ish!

Here they are being interviewed.

Setting their speedometers back to zero! (in memory of Uncle Bud, may their milage never match up!)

Here is the group! They raised a lot of money for a good cause.

AND THEY'RE OFF!

Ginny, Steve, Samantha and Alex met them at Bothell Landing and bicycled along with them to Marymoor park where others were busy waiting!

How in the world can you be BUSY waiting? Just look below!

Joe, Mircea and Carter make posters for Grandpa and Kathy.

Danny just hung out.

They finished the posters just in time cause who should come around the corner but...

The bike riders and the wannebes!

Only 3,280ish miles to go! Good luck!

We are the riding team. Kathy and uncle Bruce.