Eat, Sleep, Bike & Build

I climbed a mountain today

2007-07-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to type before this little restaurant with WiFi closes; we climbed more than 4,000+ feet in about 5 miles, at a 10% grade, up Teton Pass today. About halfway up the mountain, I started sobbing as I struggled, pedaling between 3.5 and 5 mph. I wasn't sobbing from the pain in my legs or from the pain in my arm (from the fall down the stairs).

I was wailing because I was pedaling up a flippin' mountain, amid the clouds, in Wyoming -- and I'd pedaled from Rhode Island to get there. I finally pulled over to a viewpoint and called Mum. I had to calm down quickly so she wouldn't think I was seriously injured (I was sobbing). We talked for a bit and then I called Dad. It was pretty cool to know that I was almost to the top of Teton Pass and he was almost to the top of Chinook Pass on his way to go fishing.

I got back on the road, and just a bit later saw that favorite sign of mine -- the steep downhill sign. At once, my tears came back. I'm riding up a mountain. I'm almost to the top! Oh my gosh.

As I pedaled closer, still up this 10% grade, I heard screams and shouts coming from the summit. All of the Bike & Builders ahead of me were cheering me on. I was in a state of euphoria, and the tears and wails just kept coming. I reached the top, Patrick and Lauren rushed to hug me and I got off my bike, amazed with myself. I made it to the top.

I called Mum back, told her I'd made it, and then I rushed with renewed energy to catch up with Logan, Courtney, Nathan and Marie on a hike to the very top. From there (around the bend in the trail), we saw Idaho in the distance. Just amazing.

Du-bois, not Du-bwah.

2007-07-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

I left off last night saying that today's ride would be a steady uphill; topo wasn't kidding.

Dave and Darcy were wonderful hosts, and they had great sleeping arrangements for us. Greg, Kyle and Marie slept on full size air mattresses, Sarah slept on a large comfy couch, Anne and Emily slept in twin beds and Chantel, Courtney and I shared a king size bed. I was the last of the three of us to head to bed, and was surprised to find the two on opposite sides of the bed when I got upstairs, leading me to have to climb from the foot of the bed, between the two of them, turn around and shimmy my way under the covers without waking them up. It was definitely a feat.

This morning, I slipped on the stairs and fell most of the way down. I hurt my lower back and my right arm (near my elbow), but Darcy was right on it and got me ice and calmed me down.

After breakfast and our cue sheet meeting at the park, several of us headed over to a local cafe for beverages. There, I ran into Nicole, the publications intern for NOLS I met yesterday. We chatted a bit about dog-sitting, dog personalities, dirty houses, other odd jobs and working for NOLS.

Once we left, Emily and I rode together until first lunch around mile 35. It was pretty much a gradual but noticeable incline until 2 miles to lunch, when we came across my favorite road sign signaling a steep downhill up ahead. My highest speed of the day: 42.8.

After first lunch, my arm became much more in pain, and it was very difficult at times to focus on the ride. I don't have very good balance (or coordination sometimes), so riding no-hands wasn't an option; instead, I rode much of the next 20 miles holding my right arm at my side or bent across my torso.

Katie stuck with me, as she'd hit a rough patch of gravel and took a tumble (or saw a pack of grizzly bears and fought them off, according to Marie's account). We rode in pain to second lunch, where we both iced our wounds. I took off a bit earlier than her, but stopping to take pictures of the GORGEOUS red rocks to either side of the highway and scoring free rice krispy treats from some travelers from Green Bay, Wisconsin (thanks Glen, Anne, Pearl and Berney!) allowed enough time for her to catch up.

We counted down the miles bit by bit, distracting ourselves from our pain by playing a round of Historically Bad Ideas in alphabetical order, until we finally reached Dubois around 4p or so. It was a long day, and we rewarded ourselves with ice cream from the gas station on the far side of the main drag.

Today's been a really long day, but the views were absolutely incredible. I took plenty of pictures, yet I doubt any will serve the Rockies justice. Tomorrow's ride will take us to Jackson, and we hear it's a tough ride: a steep uphill climb and then downhill the rest of the way. There's construction in two sections of the road, about four miles each. Tommy said the WYDOT crew will actually shuttle us through the construction work; Katie and I hope it'll be over the really steep parts. We're told that tomorrow's ride will have even more beautiful scenery, and we'll come up on the Tetons!

We have a build day in Jackson the day after tomorrow, so if my arm is still bothering me by then, I might go to a doctor to make sure it's not broken or anything.

Please keep the comments coming, head over to the Bike & Build route tracker and take a look at the mail drop schedule while you're there (I love mail!). If you're the praying type, please pray for healing!

Lander, Wyoming

2007-07-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Today's ride was just 48 miles or so. Courtney and I rode together, setting out after getting coffee across the street from the firehouse in Shoshone. Along the way, we took plenty of pictures of the changing landscape, as in the middle of the yellows and browns appeared a state park (Boysen, I think) with patches of green scattered among the plains.

We stopped in Riverton, the designated lunch spot at 20 miles, but Courtney and I went to Burger King (Wendy's wasn't open yet) for some breakfast! I thought of the Kilians when I ordered my meal.

The most amazing views were coming into Lander, a place where most, if not all, of us now want to relocate. Several of us had lunch at the Gannet Grill in town and then Amelia and I set off to explore Main Street.

I bought a book at one of several bookstores we went to before going back to Gannet Grill for some ice cream. We went to the NOLS headquarters just before we met up at the City Park for a barbeque with the Lander Community Church members. I really want to do a NOLS trip after Bike & Build!

Marie, Courtney, Chantel, Greg, Kyle, Anne, Sarah, Emily and I are staying with Dave and Darcy, two gracious church members, for the night. Dave and Darcy took us (minus the guys, who went to see Live Free or Die Hard at the local cinema) to Sinks Canyon tonight — absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow's ride will take us to Dubois, a town we've learned is pronounced "DOO-boys." It's about 76 miles, but it's a steady uphill according to the topo maps!

Lusk at Dusk!

2007-07-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling much better and can now eat without horrible stomach pains for hours after, but the Sickness has now hit Patrick and Anne; both are recovering.

We spent the last two days in Chadron, Nebraska. I saw the new Harry Potter movie with Katya the night we arrived in Chadron; we were two of the handful of people that hadn't seen it yet, so we sacrificed seeing Transformers with Sam, Tommy, Anne, Logan and Greg (maybe more, not sure) to catch up.

Yesterday (our day off), after my first round to the library, I printed off some photos to send as postcards when I visited the Chadron Wal-Mart with Marie, and then the two of us hit up the natural foods store and a scrapbooking store before meeting up with some Bike & Builders at The Daily Grind, a local coffee shop and wandering over to Safeway. I went back to the library for a second round of the internet before dining at the delicious Angela's Eatery on Main Street with Marie, Derrick, Whitney, Sam, Bronwyn, Terra, Katya, Katie, Chantel, Evan, Elle and Jackie.

Today's ride, an 81-mile jaunt from Chadron to Lusk, Wyoming, was beautiful! We saw bison, got refreshments in Crawford and I posed with a Burlington Northern caboose (my grandpa worked for them), stopped for our first lunch at Fort Robinson, Katie, Lauren, Jackie, Bridget and I posed for some pictures at the Wyoming state sign, ate our second lunch in Van Tassel (population 18) and arrived in Lusk just as rain started to fall.

Tomorrow's 50-something mile day will take us to Douglas, Wyoming, where we might hit up a water park, we'll have dinner at the ranch of the pastor of tonight's church and we'll receive mail!

Please leave comments! Send mail! I'd love to hear from you!

Sickness

2007-07-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

The last day and a half have not been pleasant for me. Yesterday, I got the Sickness, the plague-like flu that's been taking us out for the count bit by bit over the last couple days. Jackie, Tommy, Derrick, Candace, Nathan, Kyle, me, Whitney and now Katie have all been hit. Some have suffered more than others (I vomited 5 different times and had other unpleasantries along the way), but hopefully we'll all fully recover.

The aftermath of yesterday continued well into the evening; though I resumed my slumber at 5p once the van arrived at the church, I woke up three or four times during the night with night sweats and once with a bloody nose, and though I woke up feeling much better, after eating just a piece of buttered toast and jam, my stomach hurt enough to warrant another ride in the van.

I rode 35 miles today, from the lunch stop at Johnstown (filming site of the Hallmark movie O Pioneers), population 53, to Valentine, Nebraska.

I have almost 2 miles to go until I reach 2,000 miles on my bike computer.

Tomorrow's weather calls for very hot weather, thunderstorms and a chance of tornados (!!!)and our cue sheet states 91.45 miles, so we'll be waking up at our earliest time yet (4.30a) to leave at 6a. I think tomorrow is our next time zone, so I might be able to get a nap in at some point, if I find any shade.

Nebraska is beautiful (what I've seen, considering my time in the van), and I was thinking today that I'd love to drive across this landscape with my mum and dad when/if gas prices drop.

I'm starting to get sleepy, so I'm going to take advantage of it before I get another wind in me and head to sleep.

Keep the mail and comments coming! I love hearing from each of you!

Congratulations, Sarah and Dave, on your engagement! I'm so excited for you!

Misconceptions abound

2007-07-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

First, thank you so much, Sarah R., Kathy and Phil H. and Greg and Joel R. for the lovely letters! At each mail drop, I get at least a letter or a package from my mum and dad (thank you!), and it's so nice to receive mail from others as well!

I'm in Ames, Iowa, at the moment, and am at the library because our morning build was cancelled. While yesterday had record-setting temperatures in the area, today is thunderstorms and rain. We're all disappointed at not being able to build with the local Habitat affiliate today, but we'll make up for it by visiting the local shops! At 9a, Carrie, Courtney, Lauren, Emily ("Momily"), Katya, Katie and I got a ride from Patrick ("Pa") to Target, and the seven of us girls bought necessities and cute outfits! Then Pat dropped a couple of us off at the Ames Public Library.

We're having a picnic this afternoon at 4p, hosted by the Central Iowa Habitat and a local freelance reporter we met yesterday at Cafe Diem, a cute little coffee shop on Main Street, might come by to collect stories from the road.

Speaking of stories from the road, I would like to clear up a few things:

Iowa is NOT flat. Anyone who tells you that it is has never ridden a bike up its hills. I was under the assumption that Iowa would be as flat as Ohio (flat as a 2'x4'), and all 30 of us were shocked to find out otherwise.
Roadkill smells disgusting, regardless of species.
Those of us from Sunnyside know our town smells. We live with it, and oftentimes complain about it. My conclusion? Sunnyside smells like strawberries and wildflowers compared to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids calls itself the "City of Five Seasons," but a few of the locals we talked to say they call it the city of five smells (and all are horrid, except when Quaker Oats, headquartered there, makes berry-flavoured cereals).
Soy beans fermenting (see above) and hog farms next to corn fields are two of the most pungent odors I've ever come across — right up there with roadside decomposing carcasses.

I'm continually impressed and humbled by the generosity of people who offer food, beverages, laundry services and their stories as we travel. Bless your hearts!

On the way to Coudersport

2007-06-22T21:02:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize I looked this bad on a bike! I need to work on my abs!

More pictures on Route 6 here.

Also, thank you to Dudley M. in Las Cruces, NM for a very generous donation!

The Week in Review

2007-06-22T04:30:00.000-07:00

It's been quite difficult to get internet access, let alone bug someone enough to let me use their computer, but this morning I have a chance.

Day 3: Agawam, Massachusetts to Kent, Connecticut was an incredibly miserable ride for me. It lasted forever. There were so many hills, we got lost and by the time I reached Kent, I was so exhausted, dehydrated and frustrated that I took off my shoes and my helmet and collapsed onto the field and sobbed.

The next day, Kent to Poughkeepsie, New York, was an easier ride in terms of mileage (maybe 40?), and Marie and Lauren and I all rode together, with Amelia and Bridget with us for part of the way. I took a picture next to a covered bridge (I'd never seen one before), and we started out taking our time, yet the hills were still horrible; Marie was so awesome that day, as she would stop near the top (or what we thought was the top) and cheer us on.

Day 5: Poughkeepsie to White Lake, New York was yet another incredibly long day. Many of us got lost, one of us was stranded in Poughkeepsie all day waiting for the van to come pick her up from a bike shop and most, if not all, of us struggled up ridiculously steep hills to find an incredible view (and viewpoint) to savor. Once again, Chantel and I were at the back of the pack, and Bronwyn and Whitney were good sports about arriving past 6p. When we arrived in White Lake, we found everyone eating already, and so as not to miss out on food, we ate and then showered, missing the community presentations. It was a bummer. The host was a presbyterian retreat, with cabins and six showers (like Camp Ghormley when I was a kid), but the water was warm and the feeling of cleanliness was worth getting locked in the shower stall.

After dinner and showers, Diane, a member of the church, and other drivers, drove the lot of us over to the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. She told us stories on the drive over, about how in less than a day, the quiet little town of White Lake turned into 500,000 people parking their cars in the middle of the two-lane highway (4 across) near the field. She had just gone to the grocery store the day before to get a bunch of loaves of bread for her kids, and ended up making more than 100 sandwiches to give to the concert-goers. She said she gave the sandwiches away, and was appalled to see her neighbours selling water and other beverages.

She said people from the town were very upset with the farmer that lent the land to the producers of the concert, but then she leaned in and said "but I thought it was pretty cool!"

The night concluded with our second Town Hall Meeting, a chance for all 29 of us to get together in one room and share our ups, our downs and our concerns from the previous week. I think it was really therapeutic for many of us to vent our frustrations.

Day 6: White Lake, New York to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania was much better for me, as I somehow managed to stay well ahead of the sweeps. I arrived well ahead of the 4p end-time, and felt great about myself and my accomplishments of the day until I heard (after talking about Scranton ALL WEEK LONG) that we most likely would not be setting foot or wheel anywhere near the "Welcome to Scranton" sign I see every Must See TV Thursday night when I watch The Office. Yes, I was kind of a brat, but really, I've been excited to see that sign since November. I never ended up getting to go to Scranton, as on Day 7, we helped a Habitat group with their car wash and then my group was assigned laundry duty.

Win, Kyle, Marie, Chantel and I spent about 2.5 hours at a gas station/laundromat on the outskirts of town doing the laundry, but we had a great time. The store had a deli and we all ate and bonded.

Day 8: Clarks Summit to Standing Stone, Pennsylvania was such a fun day! I rode with Bridget, Kyle and Eric, and the four of us got directions at one point from a motorcyclist named George (in a new model VW Beetle), who told us to ride up to George Baker's Garage ("It'll be obvious it's his garage," he said) and we'd take a right. Then we should go take a left at a blinking light, go through two more blinking lights and then take another right.

So, we turned around and headed in the direction he pointed us, came to a fork in the road and there was no garage in sight. We ended up finding our way to lunch, and soon after we left for the second part of our ride, Pat caught up to us. We found a shortcut on his map (one of the only maps on the trip up until two days ago) and arrived in Towanda at about 3.40p. Unfortunately, the church where we were staying was actually not in Towanda, but in Standing Stone, a village not even on the map, so we waited under a tree for awhile (after getting McDonald's at 50 percent off) for the Emily and the van to come pick us up.

Day 9: Standing Stone to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania was a tough, but fun day. After about 10-15 miles of riding on my own, I decided to wait for awhile and ride with Chantel. I'd been thinking about what I wanted my days to be about, whether it be challenging myself to keep up with other people and end up riding by myself, or bond with people and enjoy the ride. Chantel and I had a great time riding with each other on the ride to White Lake.

Along the route, I got ahead of her a little bit, so I stopped in a bit of shade in a tiny town and met a local school teacher named Jay. He's an avid cyclist, and he surprised us down the road a mile or two by catching up to us and riding the uphill battles with us.

Once the three of us arrived at lunch, he chatted with Pat, the driver for the day, about the route and his own desire to bike across the country, and then he took an alternate route home. Jay, thank you for helping Chantel and I up those hills! Listening to you talk about your family and cycling experience definitely distracted me from the pain in my quads!

Day 10: Wellsboro to Coudersport, Pennsylvania was my journal entry day on Bike & Build's website:

Take Me Home, Country Roads

If this trip were some reality show, titled "Bike & Build Extreme Challenge" or something, I'd probably have been voted off by now, if only because I usually end up at the back of the pack, struggling to maintain my 4.6 mph on uphills.

Earlier last week, I think (the days blend together and it's difficult to even remember in which town I woke up), I would have gotten an immunity idol or other such token as a reward for hauling it into town at a faster than normal rate; mostly, though, I'm always in danger of being tailed by the sweeps.

I've seen other riders pairing up and having a great time conversing while they ride and I feel slightly envious of the amount of bonding time I'm missing out on. See, when I ride, it takes me SO LONG to get up hills, but when I get to the top, I want to fly down that sucker! My max speed is now 49.8 mph, but don't worry, Mum and Dad! I'm now using my brakes on a more consistent basis!

Today, though, I had the pleasure of riding with Emily. She and I were supposed to ride with Marie, but we lost her on the way to some coffee shop in Wellsboro. (I usually only have the chance to ride with Marie when she and I are on overnight clean-up or we have a short day. Otherwise, she takes off like a bat in the night once we have our cue sheets.) Emily was really great to ride with, and I didn't feel like I was holding her back on the hills. We stopped at the Call of the North (?) gift shop in Potter County, and while we were there, Marie caught up to us. I got more postcards, Courtney got a rockin' license plate (so did Emily) and belt buckle to outfit her helmet, Emily also picked up a folding comb that flips out like a knife and Marie bought two pairs of amazing sunglasses.

Emily and I also stopped at the Lumber Museum just outside of Galeton (?) on the way to Coudersport. Learning about the Civilian Conservation Corps, in which my grandfather was a baker back in the day, was awesome, and we had a really fun time. We picked up a few postcards and were on our way.
There are two prominent things I've noticed so far about Pennsylvania:
I've seen more roadkill here than in any other state I've been to,
combined.
The hills seem to be endless. So endless, in fact, that Pennsylvanians named
a part of them The Endless Mountains. And that is not very funny to see on a
sign near the end of a long day!
Before I head to bed, I just want to give a shoutout to all of the people that helped make this trip happen for me, from the awesome support of my friends and family, to the hosts that have housed and fed us and for gracious places along the way that donate food (Subway!) and give us very generous discounts!
Dad, Happy Birthday, and Happy Father's Day! I think of you and Mum every day as I struggle up those hills. You keep me going!
Good night, and here's hoping it gets a little cooler around here.
Brianne

Day 2: Woodstock, CT to Agawam, MA

2007-06-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

So Bridget, turns out, was pulling my feet toward her head in an attempt to flip me over in an apparent WWF wrestling move, to get me to stop snoring. I guess I need to get to the store and get some Breathe Right strips!

We packed up and headed out on the road by about 8.50a, after having a great breakfast the church provided us with. I had a bagel with strawberry jam (my favourite!), a bowl of Froot Loops, orange juice and a banana.

I was one of the last to set out, as I needed to top off the air in my tires. Evan, Win and I left just before the sweeps (the two riders pre-selected to stay at the back of the group and make sure everyone gets to the destination), but after 3.1 miles, I took a wrong turn and Evan quickly followed me. We rode on the wrong road for awhile, until we realized that our mileage wasn't on par with the cue sheet. We stopped someone along the road and asked what we were fearing, that we'd taken the wrong route, and turned back. By the time we had reached the fork where we'd incorrectly turned, we'd put on an additional 5.1 miles. Thank goodness Evan didn't seem pissed by it.

Evan was so incredibly encouraging on our ride today. He rode behind me and coached me on shifting up those intense hills and really was just amazing.

We ended up catching up with Whitney and Jackie in Stafford, and Chantel caught up with us. The five of us rode together for awhile, and we stopped at Subway in Stafford and they were gracious to give us foot-long subs for free. And once we went outside to eat said subs, Ashley, one of the employees, came out and offered us free soda as well!

After meeting up with Tommy, the driver for the day, and telling him about our free lunch, we descended upon the the last towns before crossing the Connecticut River and into Massachusetts.

We're staying tonight at Patrick's parents' house, which was built in 1764! It's been raining and there has been thunder, so some of us are braving it outside in the tents while others of us are staying indoors. I haven't decided yet where I want to sleep. All I know is that there are mosquitoes inside and out (speaking of, Katya just killed one that landed on her arm), so I'm out of luck either way.

Today's ride was about 42.3 miles, though my odometer obviously says more. And yesterday's trip was supposed to be 30.2, but turned out about 10 miles more.

Tomorrow's trip is 69 miles and is full of tons of hills, so please keep me in your thoughts! Tommy says that at one point we'll be climbing up an 8-mile hill. Hopefully, we'll all reach Kent, Connecticut in one piece.

Day 1: Providence, RI to Woodstock, CT part 2

2007-06-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sam, for letting me use your computer! I'm so glad the connection works tonight!

So, once we got to the church, I called Mum and Dad and told them about my awesome speed down the hill, then took a shower at neighbouring Woodstock Academy. I learned from Elaine at the Woodstock Historical Society just before reaching the church that Woodstock Academy is the only high school in Woodstock, and it's actually a private school. It's been one since it's founding in 1801, and apparently it's somewhat of a controversy around the town.

The members of First Congregational Church hosted us and provided a generous meal and space for us to sleep. Thank you so much!

I was one of the last to go to sleep, as I was packing my things and folding the group's laundry, but I had a nice sleep, waking up only twice (once because Bridget was, to be explained later, was pulling my feet closer to her head).

Day 1: Providence, RI to Woodstock, CT

2007-06-11T16:04:00.001-07:00

Last night I tried to get online for more than an hour, but to no avail.

Yesterday was our first day on the trip. We woke up around 6.30a (well, I did because I packed the night before), packed the trailer at 7a and had our back tire dipping ceremony down at the Brown University boathouse at 9a before leaving Providence for Woodstock, Connecticut.

After taking a wrong turn (from the directions, I think — by the time this happened, I had already lost my cue sheet) on the way out of Providence, we found our way back to the route and started up our first of many hills. That first one was difficult for me, as I usually just accept my lack of endurance, but I soon heard Anne behind me yell "I LOVE HILLS!" and several of us shouted the mantra over and over to help us reach the top.

We traveled through what looked like a really woody area with plenty of beautiful houses, and then we hit the hills. Many of them! The mantra really worked to help motivate us once again.

After awhile, I fell into a different riding group (we had just kind of split up naturally by pace) and rode for the rest of the trip with Courtney, Derrick, Whitney and Chantel. We ended up stopping at a gas station near the Rhode Island border for about 15 minutes, and shared a 3 Musketeers bar, two different kinds of Cape Cod chips (regular and cheese and sour cream) and something else, which escapes me right now.

Then, we rode a bit further and took about 15 minutes deciding on a pose and taking pictures at the state's highest peak (812 feet) before hopping on our bikes and riding about 4 minutes until we reached the Connecticut sign (which took another 30 minutes or so). Somewhere around there, I went down an awesome hill and reached 41 mph!

More later. I have to let Bridget get online and update her blog.

Thanks for your comments! Keep 'em coming! But please include your name!

Providence

2007-06-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

I got into Providence this morning at 9.15a local time. The first flight last night (from Seattle to Cleveland) was a bit turbulant. A couple times, I imagined I was in the flashbacks from Lost (when the plane is breaking apart and the people not in their seats are flying out the back of the plane) because the cabin was rocking back and forth.

More later! Elle needs the computer to work on some homework.

Over and out.

It's now about 1.35a local time and I just woke up. I slept for a good couple hours and woke up feeling wide awake, though now (after only being up maybe 15 minutes) I'm starting to get the slow, relaxing breathing that comes with sleepiness.

The Flight
So back to the plane: I tried to distract myself by watching Wild Hogs, the movie with John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. I thought it was actually an appropriate movie to be showing right before this trip, as the guys have a conversation about really living and setting out on the open road.

Parts of the movie were pretty darn cheesy (especially scenes at the beginning), yet it was genuinely funny in parts.

Thankfully, I fell asleep about halfway through (thankful because I really needed to sleep) and woke up when the pilot told us we were about to land.

Looking out the window down on Cleveland, I noticed that most houses in the area seem to have pools in their backyards. And not only that, but the pools were already open for the summer.

The second flight, from Cleveland to Providence, was exciting only in the fact that it was one of those planes you get to board from the ground. I've only been on two other planes like that, and both times I was thrilled. This time, I was almost too tired to care. Shortly after take-off, I was asleep, and I didn't awake until we were beginning our descent into Providence.

My bike box and my bag were both on the carousel in the baggage claim area, and I set up shop in a corner by a display case to put the bike together. After realizing I didn't have anything sharp (including keys) "on my person," I asked a kind gentleman walking by if he'd help me open the box. I told him a bit about the trip and he seemed pretty cool about it. I think he was waiting for his grandmother-type figure arriving from Newark.

After all of this, calling my parents at my grandparents' house and talking to three of the four, talking to Hannah (from CouchSurfing) and Elle (from the trip) and getting directions and getting bus info from the girl at the information booth, I ended up catching the bus, fully dehydrated and exhausted, bound for Providence (as the airport is actually in Warwick, Rhode Island).

The Town
Kennedy Plaza, the downtown bus station in Providence, was completely shocking to me, in more ways than one. First, I thought someone said it was under street-level. Not true. I, for some reason, was under the impression that Providence was an upper-class haven, with gorgeous homes, tree-lined streets, spacious yards and a downtown to match. Not so. Well, not the part of Providence I've seen so far.

Providence, in parts, is reminiscent of sections of Yakima, Washington, with graffiti on buildings, broken glass on the sidewalks and that general "dirty" feeling (no offense, Yakimarians). By the second bus transfer (from Kennedy Plaza to Hannah's place), I was dehydrated, exhausted and almost fainty-feeling. While standing for the duration of the ride, I had to keep switching my hands on the bars above for balance, as my arms slowly were draining with liquid. The driver fortunately called the stop I had requested earlier, I got off the bus, retreived my bike* and called Elle.

The Company
Elle met me in front of the house, only three houses down, with a water bottle filled with lovely cold water. We went upstairs, set my bike up next to hers and she talked to me while I slowly fell asleep.

The Cat
Before I nodded off, she introduced me to Dottie, the cat she so graciously calls the "devil cat" (because after being so kind to her, Dottie started treating her fingers "like little sausages").

Dottie and I developed an understanding of one another quite quicky. I think she's aware of my distaste for cats, and I think she knows I've heard her reputation. While sitting on my lap, she started to try getting a taste for my fingers and I swiftly popped her on the head. A couple of those and she hasn't been trying to bite anymore. In fact, she's sprawled out on my stomach (over my wrists, actually) right now.

Rumor has it, Dottie has come back in the house at some point appearing almost every shade of colour besides purple. When I first saw Dottie this morning, I thought she was a white cat with dark gray colouring on her head and back. Turns out the dark gray was motor oil or some other disgusting substance that transferred easily to my hands. When I saw her this afternoon, only her head was dark gray. I guess one time, she even came back bright yellow after rolling in pollen.

The Afternoon
After my couple-hours nap, Elle showed me a bit of Providence, and ended up walking downtown before turning around and grabbing a bite to eat at Chickadee's, a place I'd never heard of and seems like a smaller knock-off of KFC, and getting a half-dozen donuts for our hosts at Dunkin' Donuts.

What's interesting is that Dunkin' Donuts in Providence is the equivalent of Starbucks in Seattle. On the bus ride from the airport to downtown Providence, I saw at least 7 or 8 Dunkin' Donuts. And the trip was only 10 miles!

The Hosts
Isaac and Stephanie, Hannah's roommates, are both pretty swell. Isaac just graduated last weekend from the Rhode Island School of Design with his Master's in graphic design. He was waiting for a package today from UPS; he designed a new book and was awaiting a copy to see the finished product.

The book, The Glory Days: New York Baseball 1947-1957, seemed really impressive to me (my dream job is to edit, so you can imagine my aweness of Isaac's work), but Isaac said he wasn't happy with the way it turned out. The pages have waves, either from too much ink or a reaction to the humidity (which I can't feel yet, thank goodness), and the inner margins are too small. Having observed Louise, Leisha, Kat, Amy and Hillary design The Daily this past quarter, I was able to have a better understanding of what he was unhappy about.

Stephanie and her friend Dominic spent their time today after work (she and Hannah both work at Providence Bikes) out on the sidewalk — get this — playing with hula hoops! She made them from irrigation piping, and the hoops are absolutely huge! I got a couple pictures of the silliness, and just need to get to a camera store to pick up a camera cord to transfer pictures to a computer.

Elle made us some cherry pie, we all ate donuts while we waited and then had the pie with some yummy New England Ice Cream — Elle thinks we'll all be diabetics by morning.

Tomorrow is orientation at 2p on the College Green, the Quad, I'm assuming, of Brown University. I think Elle wants to go for a ride before orientation, but I still have things to track down (e.g., a hairbrush, the previously mentioned camera cord, a bike lock — I left my keys attached to my car keys, which my mum was using last night — and possibly a journal to write down my thoughts when I don't have access to a computer).

Oh, I just checked my Bike & Build account balance once more; thank you, Leo and Alyce H. (Juneau, AK)!

Are you excited yet? I'm getting there. I think after I meet everyone and it truly feels real, I'll be excited. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me.

Please post comments if you feel so inclined, and definitely head over to the Route Tracker at the Bike & Build website. It will have posts from each of us throughout the trip, pictures from the road and a map of our progress.

And, of course, I'd love to hear about your summer via post! Mail drops are scattered along the trip route, so please drop me a note and tell me what you're up to! It's now 3.35a local time, so I should probably try to go back to sleep!

*thanks, Christopher, for showing me how to put my bike on the bus bike racks before I left Seattle!

T minus 12 hours

2007-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Seattle. I'm not packed for home, I'm not packed for the trip and I don't have everything done to turn in for classes. I've been stressed out, but I woke up this morning trying to just enjoy the day, even if everything hasn't been taken care of yet.

I'm tired and just want to go back to sleep. I wonder if the gnomes that keep hiding things in my room would be willing to write a paper or two for me. Seriously.

I still have to call Habitat today, I have to meet with Dave, a former TA and my faculty adviser for an independent study project I'll be working on over the summer, and I still have to finish my powerpoint presentation for Bike & Build.

And that's not including classwork. And I still have to find my iPod.

I'm not sure I'll get a chance to add anything else before I take off tonight, so wish me luck in gettting all of this stuff done send positive energy my way so I stay calm!

Thank you to everyone that helped make this adventure possible for me!

Rushed — forgive the scattered thoughts, please

2007-06-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

First things first:

Thank you:

Ryan and Jamie D., Grandview, WA
Scott and Monica D., Pasco, WA
John and Juanita C., Indianapolis, IN
Judy B., Indianapolis, IN

I have so much left to do before I leave. I have a final today, which is actually just presentations (ours is a video), but I have to get together a makeshift portfolio before 12.30p. That gets done at 2.20p and then I have a vaccine study appointment up on Capitol Hill.

I have to get to Habitat for Humanity in Tukwila or see if we can just fax forms back and forth. I have a final paper to crank out (it's a pass/fail class on Battlestar Galactica — how awesome is that?) tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, I got about half of my remaining thank-you notes finished, which is a relief, and I've already researched a bit about Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Tonight, I'll be researching my other town, Lander, Wyoming, and then researching for my 15 minute presentation on affordable housing.

I leave tomorrow night. I still have to find my iPod. More later.

$4,210

2007-05-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

I've completely surpassed my thought-to-be-unreachable $4,000 goal this week, with generous donations from:

Michael and Susan W., Sammamish, WA
Jeff and Penny R., Sunnyside, WA
Mike and Linda F. (of Bob's Auto Clinic), Sunnyside, WA
Mary S., Sunnyside, WA
Carol P., Sunnyside, WA
Jen C., Seattle, WA
Dr. Kathreen G., Seattle, WA
Cynthia A., Seattle, WA

I am so incredibly thankful for these last donations that put me over the top, and of course, for all the donations that got me in the vicinity!

I'm incredibly behind on thank-you notes, though my goal is to get them done before I leave. Although, I guess that would give me something to do on the plane if I can't sleep.

My mum came up Sunday, and we spent the day scouring for last-minute things I still needed. At REI, we picked up a compressable pillow, North Face shoes (hey, girls can never have too many!) and another pair of Shebeest cycling shorts, but left frustrated after receiving uncharacteristically-shoddy service by every male employee we came across.

We found a great Canari jacket, full-finger gloves, fingerless gloves, base layers and a pair of Smith sunglasses, along with incredibly helpful advice from Amy (and great service from Bridget and Stephanie), at Gregg's Greenlake Cycles.

After buying some new sports bras at Lucy, Mum and I got dinner to-go and headed back to my house to pack up some things I won't need this week and practice-pack my 4300 cubic inches of luggage space for the summer.

I got my order from Quad Bikes today. The student-run shop at Harvard gave us riders a great discount on bike gear, so I ordered 10 tubes, 2 tires, a multi-tool, a Camelbak M.U.L.E., a Camelbak rain cover and handlebar tape.

On another note, Elle, another P2S rider, and I now have a place to stay the night before orientation in Providence, thanks to Hannah and CouchSurfers. Eileen, the girl subletting my room for the summer, met the landlord to turn in her application, and she's going to get approved. I just need to find my missing iPod now!

Generous donations and independent study book ideas

2007-05-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Since last Tuesday, I've received generous donations from:

Pete and Pat T.,Ballwin, MO
Michael and Susan W., Bellevue, WA
Amy P., Seattle, WA
Hector G., Sunnyside, WA
Gary and Cheryl P., Sunnyside, WA
Noble and Cassie F., Sunnyside, WA
Steve and Dianne P., Yakima, WA

I had a bit of a panic last Wednesday in class (I almost fainted) and ended up not making it to my ABSolute Conditioning class, which was a disappointment, but Evelyn and I did get to the gym Wednesday morning and Friday morning. I didn't reach my goal of four times at the IMA last week, but I was close.

I checked out some books on Habitat for Humanity from Suzzallo Library, and Saturday night I bought a couple books at Barnes & Noble to possibly use in my independent study for the summer.

I bought Into the Wild by Jack Krakauer (more because it looked fascinating than to use for my studies), a book about a college graduate who donated his life savings, sold all of his possessions and set out in Denali National Park in Alaska with little food in 1992. Things didn't turn out so well for him.

The two books I might use for the trip are:

Metal Cowboy:Tales from the Road Less Pedaled, written by Joe Kurmaskie, that "offers up an infectious and big-hearted collection of true adventures and misadventures, chronicling his time touring America on his bicycle" (according to the back of the book)
A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins, a memoir the author wrote in the late 1970s, when he was "a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America."

I'm getting close!

2007-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received two contributions from donors, both very generous. Thank you, Eric and Maisy S. (Grandview, WA) and Lawrence and Joyce M. (Sunnyside, WA).

As this is Week 2 of my last month of preparation, my goal to get to the IMA four times for the week is starting off poorly, but I have some extra time today, so I think I'll go and hit the upright bikes for a good hour or so, stretch and get back on the bike for another half hour if I can.

My goal for May is:

Week 1: get to the IMA and exercise 3 times (only went twice, though)
Week 2. get to the IMA 4 times
Week 3: get to the IMA 5 times
Week 4: exercise at the IMA 6 times

and then June 1-5, ride the bike a couple hours each day.

Ich bin euch so dankbar

2007-05-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

"Wow" is all I can seem to muster after looking at my Bike & Build account this morning. The other day, I wrote a note on facebook asking college and high school friends if they'd help out the cause and donate what they could, whether that be $5 or $25.

Posted to my account this morning were two donations from friends, one from grade school, Kelly S. (Seattle, WA) and one I met at a Habitat build back in February, Joon L. (Seattle, WA).

I feel like I'm starting to sound like a broken record with the "thank you"s, so danke to you both. Ich bin sich so dankbar!

Also posted to my account was a donation from Keith and Debbie J. (Valpariso, IN). Danke, Keith and Debbie! Seinen Abgabe wird groß geschätzt!

P.S. There you have it, Mum. I am studying for my German test this morning.

Only 11.5% left!

2007-05-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

I picked up the mail just before I left for work, and I received two letters from sponsors! Thank you, Dan W. (Zepher Cove, NV) and Frances and Gene O., (St. Charles, MO)!

At work tonight, one of my friends came in and graciously donated some of her hard-earned cash. Thank you, Vicky Y. (Seattle, WA)! You're a true friend to support me!

My mum called me also, and told me she collected donations today from Becky C. (Granger, WA) and the collective members of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Sunnyside Presbyterian chapter), many of whom have already contributed to the cause.

Combining my Bike & Build account balance, $3,160, and the money not yet included, my total is now $3,540!

And, once Colleen helped me remember the math equations for percentages (from middle school), we figured out that I'm 88.5% to my goal!

Really coming through!

2007-05-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

I need to rush over to work, but I wanted to check in and say that the postman brought two donations yesterday, and a third was posted online this morning.

Thank you to:

Dr. and Mrs. Gary and Katie M., Sunnyside, WA
Nick and Jeri P., Sunnyside, WA
Larry and Marilyn M., Homedale, ID

I'm getting so close! More on that later!

I'm up to $3160!

2007-05-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

After repeatedly checking my Bike & Build account all morning between dvd episodes of Veronica Mars Season 2, I finally wrote a couple thank-you notes, got dressed and headed to campus.

I wandered over to the site again during a lull at work earlier and had four new donations!

Thank you so much to:

Estella D., Mabton, WA
Sonja M., Sunnyside, WA
Jeff and Kathy H., Kalamazoo, MI
Jim and Tami R., Sunnyside, WA

Turns out exercising really can help me lose weight! Who knew?!

2007-05-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

My parents came up Saturday and took me shopping at REI for gear for the trip. After many hours, we finally emerged from the store with most of the stuff I'll need. I just need to order some things from Quad Bikes, a bike shop in Massachusetts that has graciously given Bike & Build riders a major discount, and I'll be set!

Despite getting sick Sunday and nearly stumbling home after work from dizziness and dehydration, I managed to get to the IMA last night for my twice-weekly ABSolute Conditioning class. I pushed myself as hard as my body would allow and felt pretty good afterward. Hopefully, I just got the 24-hour flu or something.

After class, I weighed myself on the huge cattle scale in the locker room. I haven't known my weight since January, when I was hit with a brick during my personal training session when Brian weighed me. So, feeling sick anyway, I decided to step on the scale last night and see where I was at.

I've lost 15 pounds. I guess lots of exercising really does work!

I've got some updates on the fundraising: I've now reached the $3,000 mark! In just about a month, I've raised about $800 (!) and I have some more sponsors to thank:

Dr. Richard C., Sunnyside, WA
Dr. Fred B., Sunnyside, WA
Howard and Ruth R., Sunnyside, WA
Jim and Laura Y., Waitsburg, WA
Joe and Gigi O., Outlook, WA
Paul and Patti H., Sunnyside, WA
Walt and Dee C., Sammamish, WA
Gordon and Pat K., Sunnyside, WA
Jim and Gail R., Olympia, WA
Amy P., Lincoln, NE
Uncle Bill, Aunt Cindy and Ian M., Seattle, WA
Bambi V.G., Zillah, WA
Roger and Kenna H., Sunnyside, WA
Mara Z., Sunnyside, WA

I'm almost there! Thank you so much!

The tee Maria Bell so graciously designed is finished and ready for printing!

Here's the design and the products:

The front has symbols for "Eat" "Sleep" "Bike" Build" and the back says:

Bike & Build
Providence to Seattle 2007
Pedaling to End Poverty Housing

No profits go to Bike & Build; I just wanted a cool tee!

Buns of Steel has nothing on this IMA class!

2007-04-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I was planning on doing cardio tonight during my break from work (as I like to do on Thursdays), but I am incredibly sore. Monday's "ABSolute Conditioning" class was really tough — I never knew I had pectoral muscles before Monday! — and I didn't recover until the class yesterday. We had a sub last night who had us do wall sits (I haven't done those since high school) and tons of lunges in addition to our ab workouts. I feel like I really do have Buns of Steel. I don't even think I'd be able to walk all the way to the IMA tonight, let alone workout, shower and walk back up the hill to the COM building in time to be back in two hours.

Also, thank goodness the Bike & Build account page is finally up again — it wasn't working last night and today and I was starting to stress. Two major "thank you!"s to Bob and Diana T. (Grandview, WA) and John and Jean K. (Sunnyside, WA). I'm way past the halfway mark now — I really can't thank you enough!

Oh, I found an awesome tee the other day on cafepress.com that fits well with my blog; I contacted the designer today about custom-designing one for me and she's already sent me a sketch. I'll post it when I've decided on the colours!

Amazing! Just Amazing!

2007-04-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

My parents called me this morning with some surprising news. My uncle had called my dad this morning around 7.45a and asked him to come meet him at a restaurant; he said he was eating with someone interested in donating to Bike & Build. After seeing my Slice of Yakima piece in Thursday's paper, Jim and Jinny M. (Outlook, WA) wanted to donate. And believe me, their donation is very generous!

Thank you so much, Jim and Jinny! Honestly, you've really given me hope that this trip will happen for me!

Thank You, Sunnyside-ilites!

2007-04-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

My parents tell me they've been getting a lot of responses about the newspaper article, and they also collected two donations!

Bob G. (Sunnyside, WA) and I talked bikes when I was home for spring break (he teaches with my dad)— he seems really enthusiastic about cycling and it was really great to talk to him about the trip this summer. Bob, thank you so much for such a generous donation! My dad told me about your contribution yesterday — enjoy the t-shirt!

I talked with Barb S. (who teaches with my mum) as well when I was home. She's such a sweet person — I'm so thankful for your contribution, Randy and Barb (Sunnyside, WA)!

My parents sent those donations off today, and I sent off a $500 check yesterday, which included all of the raffle and brownie money, donations people handed me when I was home and a huge chunk of my last paycheck (I believe in this cause! I want to contribute, too!).

I factored my check into the amount listed in the Yakima Herald article, so now I'm probably at around $2,400, once everything has been applied to my Bike & Build account.

I'll have an exact figure by the end of next week, I'm sure, and I'm hoping I can get a graphic up to visually represent how much I have left to reach my goal.

I'm exhausted from my jog, so I'm going to chill out and watch some Veronica Mars: Season 2. If you haven't seen it, watch it! It's great!

Slice of Yakima

2007-04-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

For all of you in Yakima county, check out today's Yakima Herald front page (Friday, 19 April 2007)! I haven't seen it yet on the page, but I looked at the online article and it sounds great!

Summer's the time for biking, building

SUNNYSIDE -- Brianne Downing wants to take you for a ride -- a 3,736-mile ride, to be exact.

The 24-year-old University of Washington student from Sunnyside plans to bike from Providence, R.I., to Seattle this summer. And folks back home can keep up via her blog, www.eatsleepbikeandbuild.blogspot.com.

The trip, set to start June 9, is part of the nonprofit Bike & Build program. Downing and the other 29 riders in her group will make nine stops across the country to help build affordable homes.

Before she can set out on the voyage, though, Downing needs to raise the requisite $4,000 each rider puts toward the homes -- so far she has about $2,300. Those interested in donating can do so at www.bikeandbuild.org, where they can select Downing's name from a list of riders.

Meantime, Downing has some training to do.

"I've never ridden a road bike before this," she said.

She's spent the past couple of months building up endurance and strengthening her legs, core and upper body. Far from worried, though, Downing is relishing the anticipation of adventure.

"I actually was just looking online for summer travel trips to take," she said. "I just happened to find this program. Three weeks later I was filling out the paperwork."

-- Pat Muir

Donations, workouts and Performance Bicycle

2007-04-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I went with my aunt and stood outside a grocery store in Sammamish for more than an hour and raised about $62! It was kind of difficult, but we had a good time. A guy with a cute little dog named Tanzie (sp?) and Yeta, my last contributor of the day, provided me with my top two donations.

I've received donations from:

Dan and Bengie A. (Sunnyside, WA)
Deb D. (Sunnyside, WA)
Ed and Lynn S. (Sunnyside, WA)
my aunt Peggy M. (Sammamish, WA)
my grandparents Bill and Evelyn M. (Sammamish, WA)
Eroll and Dawn M. (Sunnyside, WA)
Jake and Bernice K. (Sunnyside, WA)
Kriste C. (Kailua, HI)
Kristen O (Bellevue, WA)

Thank you all so much for helping make this possible!

In other news, last week was my first week of "ABSolute Conditioning" at the IMA. I'm taking the class with my CHID adviser Cynthia, and we're kicking butt! Well, actually, we're kind of getting our butts kicked! It's a full hour of strength training every Monday and Wednesday, and while we work the legs and arms, we keep coming back to the core. It's tough, but I actually might be able to do a couple push-ups after this!

It's been rainy outside the past week, so I haven't gotten out on the bike, but Lara and I are planning a ride to Green Lake this Friday.

And in even other news, I've joined the Performance Bicycle Affiliate Program, which means that the ads you see on the blog will earn commission for my trip! So start clicking and take a look at the store's awesome inventory!

A Quick Update

2007-04-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

I had two more donations posted to my Bike & Build account today!

Thank you so much to Martha S. and Frank and Laura R., all of Sunnyside, WA!

$1635!

2007-03-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm waiting for more pages to proof at work and just checked my account balance; as of today, I'm up to $1635 (just in the account balance, not including in-person donations)!

Thank you to Chuck and Faith M. (Champaign, IL) and Bruce and Peggy R. (Sunnyside, WA), for your donations!

Thank You, Raffle and Gear

2007-03-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received a donation from Joanne V. (Grandview, WA) while I was trolling the halls of my mum's school. Thank you, Joanne!

Heather H. of Yakima, WA has donated a lovely gift basket of BeautiControl products that I will be raffling off. Tickets are $1 and I'll be drawing the winner around Easter. Let me know if you want to purchase some tickets!

Mum took me to R.E.I. yesterday and we got some more things for the bike: a Topeak Road Morph pump, a Novara expanding wedge saddle pack, some chain lube, a rearview mirror for my helmet and a compact Cat Eye red blinkie.

And thank you, Sarah! You're the best friend ever!

More fundraising tomorrow, but first —

2007-03-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that I recently received two very generous contributions to my Bike & Build account balance!

Walt and Sarah P. (Seattle, WA), thank you so much! It was really great to meet you at the West Seattle Habitat build! When I get back from spring break, I want to check out the progress on that townhouse! By the way, do either of you know how to get house paint out of jeans?

And Greg and Joel R. (Granger, WA), you both are just great! Greg, you calmed me down while we scaled Half Dome, and Joel, I feel like I can talk to you about anything — I'm really thankful you're both supporting me in this crazy adventure!

Spring Break

2007-03-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Being home for spring break hasn't been as relaxing as I assumed it would be, but actively raising funds for Bike & Build doesn't include watching tv on the couch!

On Monday, I rode my bike over to my mum's school, talked to her kindergarteners about my bike and the trip across country (they were so impressed, all they could ask was "what's your favourite colour?" and tell me how pretty I am!).

While at Mum's school, I was able to pass out some brochures, thank a few donors in person and even score a donation! Then I rode to my dad's school and passed out a couple more brochures and thanked Cliff in person — I think personally handing out brochures and talking about the trip will bring in some more money for the cause. After I talked to a couple staff members, I rode back to my mum's school and headed over to the administration office — where I got another donation! — before cycling home.

Thank you, Kim H. (Sunnyside, WA) and Gary and Debbie H. (Grandview, WA)!

Oh, and I almost forgot! One of my housemates donated last week! Thanks, Zied!

Memorial

2007-03-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Chris Webber, Bike & Build program director

NUS '05 trip coordinator
1981-2007

Pictures from the Fall

2007-02-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

I was going to post pictures of my flesh wound this morning, but my post-fall pics were on my camera and I was getting poor service in my room (take that, Cingular!).

I also was hoping I could find a way to make only part of the post on the main page, so those of you grossed out by blood and such wouldn't have to see them. Figuring that out took much longer than I hoped (and seemed much too complicated — sorry!), so I'm posting tonight — with a bit of extra news.

Oh, and you can see my new cycling shoes!

shortly after the accident, at the CHID office. I probably should have gone next door to Hall Health and gotten stitches, but I didn't think it was bad enough.

The wound this morning.

After realizing that after 6 days, the wound was hurting more everyday instead of less, I decided to call the consulting nurse at Hall Health and she told me to come in straight away. I got to campus, checked in and was seen by a nurse and then a doctor just before closing (thank goodness), and was given a prescription for a topical antibiotic.

If the infection gets worse in the next 24 hours, I will fill the oral antibiotic prescription. I've got to run to the store tonight to get some humongous band-aids for the 2.5 inch cut, 'cause the GP said I need to keep it covered and elevated. Fun.

Quick Update

2007-02-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

I got my first major cycling flesh wound on Friday — more to come on that later!

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to Mike and Cathy K. of Sunnyside, WA. I knew living next to you for so long would eventually pay off! Just kidding! You guys are awesome!

And I'm back in the game!

2007-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

After a lag in donations, I'm happy to report two new contributors to the cause:

Thank you so much to Craig and Cheryl M. (Sunnyside, WA) and John and Peggy B. (Sunnyside, WA).

Rides like Buttah

2007-02-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

Lara and I took the new bike out for a spin on Sunday for a couple hours. I might have mentioned this before, but, other than riding my vintage Peoguet sporadically since September, I've really been a mountain bike girl. Lara rode her mountain bike on our excursion and let me tell you, she worked a lot harder to go the same pace as I was going — and I thought I was taking it easy!

I still need to exchange head sets (?) at REI on Thursday — that's tomorrow! — to lift the handlebars up a bit, and now I know I need a more comfortable seat! Mum was so kind as to buy my cycling shoes for me online on Sunday — they'll be at REI by Saturday.

I got this awesome tee shirt last night in the mail from threadless. It's this awesome company that lets consumers design tee shirts, vote on their favourites and the most popular designs get printed.

It's called Infinity MPG (designed by Ross Zietz).

Bike — and Build

2007-02-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

My bike came on Tuesday night! I rushed home from work to find the huge box outside my door. Thank goodness Vincent signed for the package. Otherwise, I would've made it my mission that night to track down the UPS truck containing it. Seriously. I've done it before. Twice. And I'm not afraid to do it again.

Can you tell I hauled it home?!

Fresh out of the box!

All put together!

On Saturday, I participated in another Habitat build over in West Seattle — Highline, to be exact. I would have loved to get action shots, but there was so much work to do once we got started. After lunch, I was up on the third level of scaffolding, painting the outside of the house and I didn't want to get out my camera and risk dropping it three stories down! I spent the better part of three hours laying on the scaffolding in attempts to get the best angle under the roof.

Savannah/Josie was up on the third level with me, while Joon worked a level above us. Such a good day.

The Slowness

2007-02-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

I didn't have much time to post yesterday, so this is a day late, but thank you so much, Rey and Sandy P. of Sunnyside, WA! I was starting to worry that I'd hit a plateau — I haven't had any updates to my account since last Monday.

It turns out that my halfway goal of $2,000 is due on March 1, not April 1. I'm a bit worried about that, but I'll be faxing press releases to the local media tomorrow and I hope that doing so will generate interest in possible articles and features; hopefully, it'll spread the word a bit more.

On Saturday, I traveled to Granite Falls, WA (near Lake Stevens, about an hour northeast of Seattle) with about 14 other UW students to lend a hand at a Habitat-Snohomish build site.

I had such a good time and am excited to participate again! I've posted pictures on flickr as well as in the right sidebar.

In the Midst of Midterms

2007-02-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

I have plenty of reading to do for a paper due tomorrow, having spent the weekend preparing for a midterm today, so this'll be quick:

Thank you Mac and Tana C. (Sunnyside, WA)!

I'm up to $1340 now! I'm just over 1/3 of the way there!

It's official, Mum — I'm only 5'8!

2007-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

I took a long weekend, not exercising since Thursday night, so I woke up early this morning and headed down to the IMA for a 65 minute ride on the upright bike. I rode about 18.5 miles and then used weights for my legs and arms.

Just before I started my workout (at 8a), I checked my balance and saw that another donation had posted!

Thank you, Rev. Gary and Suzie R. (Grandview, WA)!

Jasmine helped me measure my inseam and height when I got up to the CHID office and I just mailed the info to Zane's Cycles in Connecticut!

I wonder how long it'll take for the bike to get here.

LOL!

2007-02-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

Back in November when I was making my donation database, I asked my mum if I could get her and dad to donate $65-75 to Bike & Build. She, being totally serious, said "Why don't you put us down for $50?"

We kinda joked back and forth and then left it at that.

Once donations started to come in from people Mum knew, she made the comment to me (last week, actually) that she and Dad better send in their donation soon so they "don't look like schmucks!" Jokingly, I told her that she should match the highest donation I've received so far, and thank goodness she took that to heart! I just received their donation today!

Thank you, Mum and Dad! I love you!

Yes, three posts in one day!

2007-01-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

I just got home from class (I didn't work out today — I feel reall guilty) and checked my Bike & Build account balance — another THREE donations!

Thank you so much to:

Steve and Linda W., Sunnyside, WA
Jim and Ona K., Outlook, WA
Phil and Kathy H., Sunnyside, WA

This is starting to sound trite, but believe me, I really mean it: you have no idea how much your contribution means to me!

I'm up to $1,225 now! That's $775 away from reaching my two-month-prior goal and $2,775 away from reaching $4,000! (I'm embarrassed to say that I had to use a calculator for those two equations. I guess it's good I'm a CHID major!)

I really AM on my way to the IMA — really!

2007-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished posting my last entry and updating my sidebar and was staring at my account page on the Bike & Build website. I refreshed the page once and the page didn't have any new updates. I heard a noise at the window and went to check it out, then returned to my computer chair and refreshed the page again, thinking that after I saw the page, I'd be off to the IMA. But —

Surprise, surprise, a new donation was posted! Yay!

Thank you John and Mischelle B. (Sunnyside, WA)!

K, I'm really off to the IMA now!

I pulled a muscle lifting 60 pounds on the calf press

2007-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

I worked out Friday after classes for 65 minutes on the upright stationary bike and about an hour strength training. I think I got a little overzealous, as I apparently pulled a muscle in my calf — I think. Since Friday, the outside of my lower right leg has been hurting. I don't know if that technically qualifies as my calf or not, as it's not really the back of my leg.

It took until yesterday morning for my bum to stop aching from the seat of the upright bike, so that was my excuse for not pursuing a night out with the guys in my house. I was pretty much immobile Friday night and most of Saturday.

I've been excited to exercise this morning, and was actually about to leave for the IMA when I decided to check my Bike & Build account one more time (I'd already checked it about an hour before). Another donation posted to my account!

Thank you Mike and Linda H. (Sunnyside, WA)!

I'm all caught up on my thank yous (I just finished Mike and Linda's right now), which makes me feel much better. I don't have class until 3p, so I'm headed to the IMA for some endurance training.

I MADE IT! $2,940 more to go!

2007-01-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

As usual, before I left my house this morning, I checked my Bike & Build account, promptly calling my mum and then my dad and shrieking (as quietly as I could — it was 3 minutes after 8a!) into the phone:

"I have four more donations! Oh my gosh! I'm up to $985! $15 more to go!" Of course, I interrupted them both during work, but I think they're starting to get used to it now, as it's happening much more often!

Thank you so much to:

Jake and Cricket VP., Sunnyside, WA
Steve and Dianna C., Outlook, WA
Bob and Katie H., Sunnyside, WA
Mike and Karen P., Granger, WA

I didn't have time to blog, as I had to be to the IMA at 9a to work out with Cynthia. Once at the IMA, I pulled up my Bike & Build account page to show her my new total and to my crazy joy (yes, it's a new phrase. i just made it up), another donation had been posted that took me past $1,000!

And you know what that means? THAT SOON I'LL BE TRAINING ON A BRAND-NEW, CUSTOM-BUILT BIKE! AHHH!

Clif M. and Alex P. (Prosser, WA), thanks for tipping me over into the thousands! LAK! (that's the only way I can state my crazy joyness!)

After my workout (35 minutes cardio, split into 15 minutes with Cynthia and then 25 later solo, and about 45 minutes strength training again), I hung out on campus until my class, feeling loved by all of you!

Tonight, after getting home from work and watching American Idol, I checked the Bike & Build account once more, just to look, of course! And there was yet another donation!

Oma D., Richland, WA, thank you so much!

Now I'm at $1,060! I have about 12 thank-yous to write and I'm giving myself until Thursday to get them done. Thursday by 11.30a, that is!

It looks like this trip might really happen! Thank you for believing in this cause — and in me!

I better have my measurements taken soon!

2007-01-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

I woke up early Friday morning and went to the IMA to work out. I did 30 minutes of cardio on the upright stationary bike and then 45 minutes of strength training exercises. I don't really feel like going today (I'm feeling lazy), but I think I will. I don't have class until 3p, so I'll have plenty of time to exercise and take a shower before class.

I checked my Bike & Build account a couple times this morning (once at, like, 6a) and I have another donation! I'm so close to reaching $1,000 now! Once I reach that goal, the bike shop in Connecticut will call me for my measurements and will start custom-building a bike for me!

Thank you, Don and Jill S. (Selah, WA)!

Tears of Happiness

2007-01-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

I've just stopped crying. I checked my Bike & Build account balance just a bit ago (I always seem to do it on a whim) and broke into a gut-wrenching sob. With tears streaming down my face, I read some great news — I now have $795 donated! I am so awestruck of how much support I'm receiving for this project. All last week and now spilling into this week, I've been so stressed out with my nanny job and my balancing it with schoolwork that I haven't been able to relax or really feel joy much at all. I've just been go go go. To know that people are supporting my ideas and dreams (corny as it sounds) is just overwhelming. And so I cried.

More thanks than they will ever know to:

Ted and Pam D., of Natural Selection Farms, Sunnyside WA
Curt and Carrie N., Sunnyside, WA
Bill and Christy D., Sunnyside, WA
Ted and Sue C., Sunnyside, WA
Jim and Donna H., Sunnyside, WA
Linda H., Grandview, WA
Uncle Pat and Aunt Ruth M., Overland Park, KS

Hurry Up and Wait

2007-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

After the momentum of being in the paper and the rush to get the letters finished and sent out, I've had to let being excited about fundraising take a backseat to allow for studying and my part-time jobs, but that's basically because, once I sent those letters out, I'm now waiting to see if people will respond or even care about this issue.

On Wednesday, I think, I received a donation from Aunt Dorothy (Soap Lake, WA). She sent it to me, which is perfectly fine! Any donations sent to me will be put in the new checking account I opened. If I'm still short money closer to the deadlines, I'll send the money from that account in to Bike & Build; otherwise, if it's okay, I'll use it to buy the biking gear required for the trip and the plane ticket to Providence.

I've been checking my Bike & Build account every day, it seems, but nothing has come in — that is, until Friday. Thursday night there was nothing new, but on Friday, I was on the phone with my dad and he asked me about my progress, so I went online to check my balance.

In one day, I went from $155 dollars to $445! I received 8 donations! Thank yous go to:

Josh R., Seattle, WA
Joe and Peggy F., St. Louis, MO
Ralph and Lynette R., Sunnyside, WA
Vic and Karen E., Sunnyside, WA
Alan and Marilyn J., Renton, WA
Kent and Chris S., Sunnyside, WA
Pete and Linda J., Sunnyside, WA
Bruce L., Grandview, WA

Today I checked the account again and three more donations have come in! I'm now at $530! Thank you so much to:

Jerry and Linda J., Kennewick, WA
Kristina P., Sunnyside, WA
Jim and Gwyn T., Sunnyside, WA

I'm now feeling much more optimistic that I'm going to reach my fundraising goal and I'm so thankful for such generous contributions! Now, onto thank you notes!

"Not deliverable as addressed. Unable to forward"

2007-01-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, so great news! Today was my parents' (and my) first day back from winter break and they both told me tonight that so many of their colleagues had either seen my article in the paper or had received the letter I had sent them! Many told my parents they'd be donating!

It's good they each got their letters, 'cause I received three of them today! I forgot to stamp one (I don't know how that happened) and on the other two, I wrote the addresses incorrectly. So back in new stamped envelopes they go and tomorrow they'll be on their way!

But get this — when I got home tonight after studying at Cafe on the Ave, I checked my phone (I accidently left it at home — gosh, I'm forgetting a lot of things lately!) and saw I had a missed call. I listened to the voicemail and it was Pam D. from my hometown, calling to tell me she saw my article in the paper and wanted me to send her and Ted a fundraising letter! They want to support me! I want to scream, I'm so excited!

What's great — and I'm hoping everyone remembers this — is that everyone who donates to Bike & Build isn't really donating money to me. Each person donates on my behalf (I think I'm saying that correctly). I benefit, of course, when people donate in support of me, but the money is going to affordable housing organizations to build houses. I have to raise $4,000, to be donated to these organizations, so I can participate.

My goal in participating is to help people become more aware of the horrible conditions so many of us have to live in and to educate others on ways to help allieviate the problem. But the majority of the money comes in reasonable donations from friends, family, strangers, every one of which I can't thank enough. You. I thank you for your help in allowing me to participate in the trip, but the real thanks comes from the people whose lives benefit most from your donations — the families who work hard and put sweat equity into the houses they receive. You help me remember how caring and selfless humanity has the potential to be. You help restore my faith in humanity. Thank you for that!

I'm featured in the Rider Spotlight!

2006-12-30T02:09:00.000-08:00

Bike & Build's homepage has a section on the right sidebar called "Rider Spotlight", displaying a photo of one of the riders and a link to his or her bio within the particular trip's section.

Usually when I visit the Bike & Build website to edit my info, check my fundraising progress or see if my trip has any new riders, the picture is of someone from a different trip than mine. If the photo is of someone on my trip, there's a high probability that it's one of three people.

I decided that I'd check the roster before going to sleep and I saw this on the homepage!

Note to self: I really need to upload a better photo!

Look for me in the Daily Sun News!

2006-12-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

I had an interview yesterday with Corey Russell, a reporter from the local newspaper. During the hour and twenty minutes I was at the office, we chatted about our mutual love for travel in between my explaining this summer's adventure and our preferences for Lonely Planet guidebooks over Fodor's.

My mum went down to get a couple copies of the paper today (since we live just outside the city limits, our paper is mailed to us and we get it the day after) and we were both surprised to see it at the top of page 2!

I attempted to scan the page, but the results were less than desirable. I'm on the newspaper's website, so I copied from there.

Sunnyside High grad to use cross-country trip to help housing efforts
By Corey Russell

Brianne Downing, a 2001 Sunnyside High School graduate and current University of Washington student, likes to travel. Soon she will be traveling 3,736 miles across the Northern United States on a bicycle. On the way she will be raising awareness about the lack of affordable housing and will even help build a few houses herself.
Downing will join 30 other young adults in a group called Bike and Build. This is an organization started by two Brown University students to help raise money and awareness on housing issues and the organizations that provide cheap housing to people who need it.
To participate in this trip she will need to raise $4,000 before she starts her trip on June 7, 2007, in Providence, RI. Part of the money Downing and her teammates raise will go to Habitat for Humanity to help fund a house being built in Providence and the rest will be put in a grant fund for different housing organizations to apply for.
"I'm sending letters to people I know and my family knows asking for donations," she said. "I have 138 letters to send out."
Downing learned of the cross country trip when she was researching a budget travel magazine to find a solo trip she could take. Within three weeks of finding out about Bike and Build, she was sending off her application. "I haven't done a lot of exciting things and I figured this is a cause that's worthy," she said. "I want people to open their eyes. People think we live in a classless society but that's not true."
She said it's the children, senior citizens and the disabled that are affected by the bad housing situation. "Kids need a decent home life to do well in school," she explained. "Affordable housing can help. If parents don't have to use 50 percent, sometimes more, of their income to pay for their homes, they could use more of their money and energy on their children."
Downing and her group will spend a few days in Providence before setting out for Seattle. The trip will end on Aug. 15, 2007. There will be 10 build days on the trip. The group will ride to different cities and approximately once a week will spend a day helping organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, build houses.
The 10-week trip will take Downing through 13 states and three mountain ranges. On the days the group is not building, they will be promoting affordable housing to the citizens of the town they are in.
She said since she considers herself a traveler rather than a tourist she feels she needs to be knowledgeable and appreciative of her own country before she can appreciate other countries and on this trip she will get to see a lot of the United States.
All donations to the cause are tax deductible and those wanting to help Downing raise her $4,000 can call her at 206-***-**** or log onto www.bikeandbuild.org. Once there click on the icon, donate, and then scroll down to Downing's name. Downing's adventure can also be traced by logging onto www.eatsleepbikeandbuild.blogspot.com.
Corey Russell/Daily Sun News

Thank God for Pull & Seal Envelopes!*

2006-12-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

After working on my fundraising letters for Bike & Build for over 7 hours straight (printing, signing, folding and stuffing) mostly by myself, I can finally say I'm finished!

After I finished printing out the letters, I realized that the itinerary that came in the rider manual had us traveling in circles around Iowa and the website had us riding to Missoula, building and riding to Missoula after we'd left Missoula that day. Hmmm. I might need to offer my copy editing skills.

Needing an accurate itinerary to include with my letters, I took an hour and a half detour (hyuck hyuck!) and made a pretty awesome one myself.

So there you go. Two shoeboxes full of envelopes, brochures, letters, itineraries and SASEs to Bike & Build. 139 of each, to be exact.

*originally published on Anne, If You Like on 23 December 2006

Bike & Build P2S

2006-12-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

Let me catch you up to speed --

This summer, I'll be riding my bike from Providence, Rhode Island to Seattle, Washington. I know, it sounds crazy, but as soon as I found out about Bike & Build, I knew I wanted to do it. I'll probably have to rearrange a few finals at the end of Spring quarter to fly to Providence, but my CHID advisor has assured me that my professors will more than likely be supportive.

Bike & Build has six trips during the summer, each traveling through a different area of the country. Each group of about 30 people aged 18-25 ride across the country and stop at predetermined places along the route to help build affordable housing homes. I chose the Providence to Seattle (P2S) trip; the five other "tours" are Central U.S., Northern U.S., Providence to San Francisco (P2SF), Southern U.S. and North Carolina to San Diego.

I seriously suggest checking out the site. While you're there, check out my bio on the P2S 2007 Roster. And if you haven't done so already, please donate on my behalf to the cause!