1.29.2010

I dont believe I ever mentioned that my mother came out to San Diego a few weeks ago. That was really nice. It was really cool to have her around. Bring her to some of that spots we've been hanging out, show her where we live, have her meet some friends. I have come to realize I connect really well with my mom. And today we became Facebook friends, thats still a weird concept to me. But yeah, shes great.
Two days ago vanessa and i recued a hurt humming bird from the middle of the street a few blocks from our house. I picked him up and carried him home, they weigh about nothing. vanessa called a wildlife hotline of sorts to see what to do or if they could come get him. he was trying to fly but couldnt at first. We fed him some sugar water through a straw to. which is what we read to do online. Then put him in a shoe box, the low light is supossed to help them relax if they are in shock. Apparently something happened. only 15 minutes later i heard him trying to fly in the box! we brough it outside and opened it. He didnt fly away instantly. just kinda sat in the box for a few minutes then suddenly flew up into the tree and then over the house back in the direction of where we found it. It def would of been ran over had we not picked it up, so im very happy we were there and able to help out.
All else is the usual. we've just been kicking it low key, saving our dollars. riding our bikes. making lots of good dinners and watchin lots of good movies. If things continue on this path we will be able to easily leave on schedual at the end of march.

ps. www.urbanvelo.org very great

1.24.2010

counting the days

Its harder to go to work these days. But more then ever it is important for Vanessa and I to get as many hours on the clock as possible. we are 100% absolutely leaving in 2 months from now to Embark on our cross country excursion.
Depending on how things work out financially and weather wise when the time comes, we plan to leave anytime after my birthday (March 19th) and definitely prior to April 1st. We are planning on traveling for a total of 3 months. Give or take a week. We will not be taking a straight line trip from San Diego - NY. We will be traveling a total of about 5,000 miles. so 3 months means an average of about 55 miles a day.
From San Diego we will be headed directly east.

Following the Adventure cycling Association southern Tier bicycling maps going through Phoenix Arizona, onto New Mexico then down into Texas along the Mexican/American boarder. We will be making our way through to Austin, TX, and from there straight through to Louisiana, passing through a small part of Mississippi and stopping in Mobile Alabama. The maps go on to Florida but We will not continue east here, instead we will be picking up the Underground Railroad route to start heading North.
Here we will ride north following river streams along the Alabama/Mississippi boarder north through Tennessee into Kentucky. Here we will start to head east again. Through the Appalachian mountains to the Atlantic coast in Virginia. Going north again we will pass through a few awesome cities such as Washington DC, Baltimore, And Philadelphia. From Phili we will make a straight line dash through NJ into NY. where we will have to figure out how to get through the city onto Long Island. At wich point we are home Free.

Its a lot to swollow. Looking at it now and knowing all of this will happen. I am extreamly excited. We have been doing some practice packs with our bikes. seeing what works and what does not work. We own now, everything that will be taken on our trip. and are currently working hard to save every dolloar we can so we can eat lots of good food the whole way accross!
But working is hard when this is so close. I'm ready to get going.