Thursday, May 26, 2011

So I'm kind of sad...


Highway 50 'Shoe Tree' Cut Down
Posted: Jan 03, 2011 12:00 PM PST
Updated: Jan 11, 2011 10:49 AM PST

The decades old Cottonwood tree is located about 50 miles east of Fallon just beyond the old Pony Express stop at Middlegate Station. "On New Year's Eve, some patrons came in here and they said, 'hey, did you notice the shoe tree got chopped down' or actually cut down with a chainsaw with what one guy said. And everybody is in just disbelief. We went and looked out (the window). It's not there anymore," says Greg Del Pepozzo.

Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter says they are looking into the incident. They say a report was filed, but deputies are determining if a crime was committed. Since it's not on private property, it's likely not a crime, but they are looking into whether it was vandalism. No suspects have been identified.

The Nevada Tourism on Commission says the tradition started following an argument between newlyweds, during which one tossed the other's shoes in the tree. When they reconciled, the other reciprocated, and people threw shoes into the tree ever since.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

It was 2007


So the other day Mercedes and I were on the phone and she could hear a tension in my voice about what it was she was talking to me about... She kindly suggested that I go cross country again. I knew it was out of love... (lol... for those who thought she wanted to get rid of me! You know that flashed across your mind!)

Well I thought about it for a few hours and came up with the right amount of justification to decline her generous offer! So why write today? Well the anniversary just past of the 2007 bike trip and I started to read the Crazyguy bike blogs and got all sentimental. What an amazing experience. I will do it again. I am sure of it!

My hope for those out there now that the voices in their head that may say to quit are thanked and then told that this is an amazing adventure and nothing will get in their way! My hope is for enough... enough weather to keep them thankful for the perfect, sunny days. Enough breakdowns to remind to keep things well oiled and well maintained. Enough homesick to make those reunions that much sweeter... Enough of everything so that the sweet moments are cherished and the rough ones are delt with grace and ease!

For those of you who read and followed our journey a few years ago... I hope you never forget those few months because without all of you I would not have made it... or at least it would have been a little less or different!

I also wanted to remember Jennifer Alexis Taddeo... She was one of the women who I was riding for. She lived with cancer until this January and now she is living with the lord. I still have her pink bracelet and crystal bracelet that she gave me to ride with... She was my first friend that my memory allows me to remember... and she was the first of my close friends to go... There is a stone memorial in the salt flats of Nevada with her initals on it... hopefully in a million years someone will look down and be present to Jennifer and our time!

Wow... how dramatic! lol whew!

keep the tires down and the pedals movin!

much love
T