Day Three-Why are we doing this ride?

I think it's MS, children with too few barbies...Oh right! HIV and AIDS-and that is how we kept going on Day 3.

We began our day without streching, yoga, but with a full-size break and then time to get on the road, after packing up the tents, finding Mandana after her princess night (aka hotel-stay) and getting our tires air, and don't forget the MoJo!

We rolled out and pedaled and pedaled and saw some serious road-kill in the midst of the vineyards. I forgot to mention the snake-kill and the LIVE snake from Day 2 that was in the middle of the bike path, trying to get out and coming right at me!!! But Day 3 was more eclectic road kill with the bird-kill area. And the funny wineries--Grey Wolf, the winery stop that was being built in the shape of a Disney castle.

Where's Mandana? She rode ahead. We waited and waited at the porta potties at Rest Stop 2 and waited! And we were getting ready to roll when Mandana! She was at the SAG stop to be carried on her way in a lovely air-conditioned bus with videos! She was also trying to hide!! But we found her out, wished her well and hit the road to QUADBUSTER.

Quadbuster gets compared to White's Hill, which I've been over a number of times--I see no resemblance. I think Quadbuster is steeper, faster and nevermind that it comes after a couple hundred miles of riding already! And you can SEE the entire thing!!@! The mind is an amazing tool. Chickenlady stopped along the way and dropped sparkly eggs for riders. There were people riding back down, for another ride up the steep, LONG hill-did I mention how long!!, and some were calling out the names of people affected by this AIDS. Some were riding to cheer the slower folks up and over. There were dancers, singers, and people willing to give a push--if you stay to the right and look pathetic, as Kelly said.

We did it! We all did it and celebrated!







After quadbuster it was just HOT and a long way of boring flats. It was pretty, but consistent, and long and flat!!! We were grumpy. When was this going to end??? Then we got to the stop with HUGE sugary blue pops! But those didn't compare to the beauty of standing under the air-conditioner in the store!


We had lunch in the teeny, tiny town of Bradley, pop. 120 . They sell hamburgers and complete their fundraising for their school on this one day. It's pretty windy and we were getting sillier, then we hit the road and had to endure miles of bumpy, scary freeway time on 101.

Rest Stop 4 was the after-prom, complete with pregnant partiers...

at a church

The last ten miles was where my punchiness was at a new level. Punchy Jen is a scary and hilarious thing to endure. We were all so tired and silly. This one time I went on a bike ride... and then this one time at bike camp... we saw a mailbox shaped like a horse. Oops, try to stay on the road. The road where Michael, my neighbor, hit a HUGE hole and fell and needed stitches and gained a bruise to end all bruises (pics to follow later).

Who's the idiot, who's already tired and punchy and at the end of a 90 or so mile day, taking pictures from the bike??? That would be the braintrust-me.