Back to Normal (almost)

It's been almost 6 months since our crash, so I thought I should post our status.  We have almost completely recovered, although we still have a bit of tenderness and weakness so we're working on that.  We haven't been back on any bikes but I did run a marathon in September.

We've traveled three times to Utah and twice to Oregon attending events and visiting family.  We do lots of volunteer work and now we're preparing for a daughter's wedding.  Life is good.

More Doctors - Tue 5/1

We saw the bone doctor today.  I got a telescoping elbow brace and Ruth got a figure-8 brace and new sling.  I would have thought the pain would have diminished after 18 days, but it's still there for both of us.  Maybe the new appliances will help.  It's going to be months before we're back to normal.  Fortunately, we have lots of time to rest.  It's great to be home.

The X-ray shows the bone fragment broken off of my elbow.

Home At Last! - Fri 4/27/2012

We were surprised, amazed, and deeply touched when we arrived in San Diego last night.  It was 11:30 pm and our daughter was coming to pick us up.  As we left the plane and entered the Commuter Terminal we stretched our bleary eyes looking for our luggage.  Suddenly there was cheering, and we turned to find a group of our friends who had come to the airport in the middle of the night to welcome us home!

They had composed a song for the occasion and proceeded to sing it for us and everyone else in the airport to hear.  The lyrics (to the tune of Book of Mormon Stories):

Ruth and Jeff went on a ride across the USA.

On a tandem bicycle they pedaled all the way.

Seeing lots of groovy stuff and meeting great new friends.

Never bored....jokes and laughs....to the end!

Thru the states they rode and the east coast as their goal.

'Til a dog attacked and CRASH! Ruth broke her collarbone.

Friendly folks in Florida were there to save the day.

Ruth and Jeff, glad you're home....Shout HOORAY!!!!!

They also gave us a huge basket full of yummy fruits and other food.  We could hardly believe the love and generosity of friends willing to do all that on a Thursday night at almost midnight.

The doctor and X-rays confirmed today that I have a broken elbow (olecranon).  So, now we're both wearing slings and will both see an orthopedic doctor Tuesday.

Wednesday (2 days ago) I had the opportunity to join the ward in Florida on a service project at the Bishop's Storehouse, providing food for the needy.  That was fun working with a great group.  Then yesterday the Halberts drove us 30 miles to the Orlando airport. (Thank you Craig and Dreida!)

We're so glad to be home.  I made a list of some of the reasons that spring to mind:

No more travel looming.

No more checking the weather forcast every morning, because: Who cares?

No more pedaling with sore legs.

Comfortable furniture.  (Important when injured.)

A car.

Easy access to medical care.

Food in the pantry.

Real dishes instead of eating cereal out of disposable hotel cups.

A variety of clothes (that aren't spandex.)

A computer with a keyboard.  (I've been blogging on our phone.)

A place to recharge our phone.

A washing machine.

Wonderful friends.

We will always cherish the great memories we have of our trip.  Although it didn't end the way we planned, we were close to the end being more than halfway through Florida.  Maybe someday we'll fly to Tallahassee and finish the route, but probably not.  Our list of future adventures doesn't include any more big tandem rides.

The Truth from Ruth:

Aahh, it's good to be home!  We have many wonderful memories and are grateful for friends, both old and new.  To those we met on our trip - feel free to come visit if you're ever in San Diego!  Life is good.  Now, we'll rest up and then on to the next adventure!

Convalescing in Orlando - Mon 4/23

We caught a ride from Tallahassee to Orlando (actually Clermont, a suburb) with a group going to the Orlando Temple.  (Thank you Sister Delp.)  We were fortunate to need a ride at the precise time of the stake temple day, Friday.  What a great church!  So now we are recuperating in a Value Place motel much closer to the airport, from which we'll fly home on Thursday.  Our last big worry is resolved.

I finally saw an alligator!  I walked to a lake about a half mile away and spotted it there. It's head is visible in the center of the photo.

We are both gradually improving, but still in pain.  Friendly church members gave me rides to and from the Minneola Ward services on Sunday.

We were excited to read that our niece won the 3rd spot on the US Olympic wrestling team in her division.  Go Jennifer!

Healing in Tallahassee - Wed 4/18

The doctor says Ruth should recover completely in 10-12 weeks, at her follow up visit today.  Yay!  The X-ray looks bad to us but not to the doctors.  All she needs is a sling, rest, and pain pills.

The UPS Store managed to get our bike boxed for shipment today.  It took trips to 3 UPS facilities and 1 Fed-Ex place before I found one that could do it.  And it took them 2 days and about $300.  I haven't seen the box, but it sounds like it was much bulkier than necessary.  I rode the bike there yesterday, disassembled it, and waited 2 hours before the guy gave up and said his manager would have to do it today.  Then I walked the 4 miles back to our motel.

Normally a bike ride or 4-mile run would be a pleasure, but I'm in pain and starting to wonder if my arm is broken.  The skin is healing but the swelling and pain isn't improving.  I'll see a doctor after we get home.  Our HMO hasn't been very helpful with Ruth, so I'd rather not deal with it here.

Our hotel manager, Chris, is LDS and noticed my BYU shirt.  He found me a ride to church (Ruth was in too much pain) with the Lehto's, who also gave us a ride to the doctor today.  We really appreciated that, and the kindness of many strangers throughout this trip.

So, in between trying to ship the bike, get treatment for Ruth, and figuring how we'll get to Orlando,  we've been resting, watching TV, reading, sleeping, and eating.  Two months of working out are being followed by a period of atrophy.  It's gonna be tough to keep the weight off now that we're burning 3000 fewer calories each day.

Photos:
Ruth's fractured clavicle.
Disassembled bike frame.

Tragedy Ends Our Ride - Fri 4/13/12

Today, Friday the 13th, we crashed, ending our voyage.

The day started well as we cruised out of Monticello for about 5 miles.  Then a mid-sized dog ran silently from his yard and locked his teeth on our right front pannier, causing the wheel to swerve, and throwing us to the asphalt at 15 mph.  I saw the dog coming and expected him to stop, as hundreds of others had, or at worst attack my leg.  He caught me off guard by going for our luggage.

As we lay on the ground stunned, 2 good Samaritans stopped to help.  One helped me get our bike and gear out of the road while the other helped Ruth to a seat in her car and called 911.  Eventually, a fire truck arrived, then an ambulance and deputy sheriff.  Our new friend, Kathy Reams, offered us a ride to an urgent care facility in Tallahassee so we declined the ambulance.  The firemen kindly took our bike with them, and one offered to bring it to us tomorrow.  As we were leaving, the dog's owner came out and met the deputy.  Then a woman and 2 kids came out.  I don't know what he was doing while the fire truck was there.

X-rays showed that Ruth has a broken collarbone, so she can't ride for about 3 months.  They put her arm in a sling and gave her pain meds.  I have a big hematoma on my elbow and a painful hip joint, so I can't ride either.  We both have major road rash.  I treated myself.

Then we rented a room for a week at an extended-stay hotel, Kathy gave us a ride to it, and we settled in to recuperate.

We regret ending our ride 245 miles short of our goal after traveling about 2800 miles, but we had a great time and a lot of memorable experiences.  We are thankful that our injuries aren't worse and for the kindness of strangers.

Photos:
Ruth recuperating.
Bike after crash moved from road.
The dog that attacked.
Ambulance.
Dog owner meets deputy.
Jeff's elbow.

The truth from Ruth:  I feel very blessed that our accident was not worse.  With the medication I'm on, I'm not in pain.  Jeff is taking care of me, and we have a place to stay until we fly home.  I'm so grateful to the people who stopped to help.   I hope the dog owners will tie their dog up so this doesn't happen to someone else.

Monticello, FL - Thur 4/12

We rode across Florida State University, then stopped to tour the Museum of Florida History.  I was surprised at how tough it was to settle here 500 years ago and to live here before the railroad came through.  Florida wasn't always a tourist and retirement Mecca.

After leaving Tallahassee the route followed a scenic bike path and beautiful country roads through woods and farms.  We saw lots of horses, cows, sheep and pigs, and one raccoon that crossed the street in front of us.  The weather was great and half of the ride was fairly flat.

We met a woman named Lisa riding solo the other way across the country.  She plans to stop in Del Rio, where she lives, for the summer.

In Monticello we stopped to find a place to stay on the road ahead.  We couldn't find any, so we kept our ride short and got a room in Monticello.  I had a po' boy sandwich for supper.

Miles: 53.2  Average: 11.6

Photos:
Museum of Florida History.
Prehistoric giant armadillo (model).
Early Florida explorers.
"Tin can tourist" vehicle (early motorhome).
Air Mail mailbox on a country road.
Monticello courthouse.

The truth from Ruth:  The ride today was easy and flat for about 30 miles.  Then suddenly, there were a lot of hills.  My left leg started aching.  At 5:00 I was ready to quit. 

Tallahassee, FL - Wed 4/11

We entered the Eastern Time Zone today.  Only 300 miles to the ocean!  We expect to get there on Tuesday, April 17th.  Then we'll bike down to Orlando, visit Disney World and fly home on the 26th.  (We just bought our plane tickets.)  The bike will probably go UPS.
The ride today was mostly up and down.  I expected Florida to be flat but northern Florida is not.  We bought a fruit drink in Chattahoochee.  The only reason I mention that is because I like saying Chattahoochee.
We ate lunch at "AJ 's Chicken and Things" in Quincy.  I think the "Things" were fries and side dishes, but I'm not sure. 
I met a man in Gretna who said they grow mushrooms there in big buildings.  The farms in the Florida Panhandle that we've heard about grow: mushrooms, tomatoes, melons, peanuts, cabbage, corn and cotton.  The oranges are all down south.
The scenery was rolling green hills, forests, pastures, swamps, rivers, mansions, shacks, farms, convicts in striped jumpsuits, ornate buildings, and small towns.  Our motel in Tallahassee is right next door to the Florida State University campus.  We strolled through the beautiful campus.  It is huge.
Miles: 74.9  Average: 12.4
Photos:
The river dividing time zones.
Riding into the Eastern time zone.
Courthouse in Quincy.
Small house with huge front lawn.
Florida state university campus.
The truth grom Ruth:  Another enjoyable riding day.  Wonderful weather, nice scenery.  Getting closer to the end every day.

Marianna, FL - Tue 4/10

We rode through beautiful Florida countryside and many small towns (such as Mossy Head and Ponce De Leon.)  I'm always amazed by the huge amounts of acreage surrounding houses.  Many modest homes have multi-acre front yards that are neatly mowed.  We passed a lot of land that appeared uninhabited.

At lunch time we stopped at a Texas barbecue restaurant.  It looked like a dump on the outside but was clean and crowded inside.  We shared a table with another couple and found out they own 300 acres.  I asked why.  He said, "I like to hunt."  Land is so cheap around here that even people who live in trailers or dilapidated shacks have large lots.

They told us that the next town we were going through, Westville, is the moonshine capital of Florida.  We didn't see any signs of that.  But we did see a sign declaring another town the worm fiddling capital of the world.

Miles: 88.7  Average: 13.2

Photos:
Typical Florida road for today.
Lake in the center of the town of DeFuniak Springs.
Home in DeFuniak Springs.
Barbecue restaurant.
Worm fiddling capital sign.
Dilapidated shack.
Courthouse in Chipley.

The truth from Ruth:  I have to admit that I got really homesick yesterday.  All of a sudden, I wanted to go home so bad.  Today I was back to my normal self and loving the ride.  I especially liked the beautiful lake in the middle of the town of DeFuniak Springs.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  I also loved the huge Washington County Courthouse.  It has big columns in the front that can't be seen very well in the photo.
The weather has been great and the riding fun today.  Florida is a beautiful state to ride through.

Crestview, FL - Mon 4/9

Today was an easy ride over rolling hills to Crestview.  There was a nice bike trail for a few miles, then some lightly traveled roads through Blackwater River State Forest.

We checked into the Hilton Motel in Crestview.  The Hilton Hotel it isn't.

Miles: 56.7  Average: 12.8

Photos:
Stopping for a snack in the forest.
Road through the forest.
Hilton Motel.

Easter in Pensacola, FL - Sun 4/8

30 seconds after walking into the LDS church someone invited us to Easter dinner.  This is another of the super friendly wards that we've been finding everywhere.  We had a delightful turkey dinner with Bishop Blaine Lawlor, his wife Janice and a few friends at his home.  It was fun, restful Easter.

We met two missionaries at church.  One of them was from Vacaville and is best friends with my nephew, Devin.  Small world.

Miles: 6.5  Average: 13.2

The truth from Ruth:  We have been so blessed being members of our church.  I was a little down, thinking we'd be spending most of Easter alone in our hotel room, eating tuna fish sandwiches.  Instead, because of kind church members, we had a wonderful afternoon with delicious food and delightful people.  Thanks to them and to all of you who reach out to strangers and make them feel welcome.
Sacrament meeting was wonderful as well.  There were three musical numbers: the Primary children, a great male vocal soloist, and a women's group.  I really enjoyed it, although I missed being at home and a part of the Easter special music there.  Music really brings the spirit, and I felt the Savior's love today as I celebrated His resurrection.  Happy Easter everyone!

Pensacola, FLORIDA - 4/7

Another day, another state.  Todayi we entered Florida.  Yesterday we left Mississippi and entered Alabama.  Now we are in our final state, hooray!  A little more than 500 miles to go.

Our ride was shorter than usual today and the weather was great, except for a 15mph headwind.  We stopped to wade in the Gulf of Mexico.  The water was cool but comfortable.  The beaches were surprisingly empty for a spring break Saturday.  But without good waves for surfing, it makes sense.

We met a guy in Pensacola who collects lost shoe photos.  His website is www.oneshoediaries.com.  We'll keep an eye out for lost shoes for him.

After arriving in Pensacola we went to see a movie, The Hunger Games.  The theater was great, with movable chairs and tables for dining during the movie.  It's been a good day.

Yesterday when we had a flat tire, a couple offered to let us stay at their home if we couldn't find a room.  They gave us their number but we got the last room in the Days Inn.  Folks in the deep South are friendly.

Dinner last night was a Subway sandwich (healthy), eight Krispy Kreme donuts (dessert), and a half gallon of chocolate milk (got to get that calcium.)  I surprised myself by eating all that.  Ruth ate much less.  Good thing I'm burning a lot of calories.

Miles: 46.9  Average: 10.5

Photos:
Entering Florida.
Wading in the Gulf of Mexico.
View from one of the many bridges.

The truth from Ruth:  The temperature outside was perfect today, having dropped even a little lower.  I enjoyed the ride along the beach past all the fancy resort hotels.  It's exciting that we're so close to achieving our goal of riding all the way across the country!

Gulf Shores, ALABAMA - 4/6

Today we left Mississippi and entered Alabama!  The weather was beautiful and the terrain mostly flat.  We had to take a ferry which passed through a large field of oil derricks.

The ferry left from Dauphin Island, designated "America's Birdiest Coastal Town."  Wow!  I had no idea someone was measuring birdiness.

At the Entering Alabama sign we met a biker named Geoff, from Ashland Oregon.  He's following the same route we are but moving a little faster.

Just before the end of our ride today we took a bike trail.  The scenery was beautiful but there were bumps in the asphalt, one of which caused a snake bite flat in our rear tire.  Other than that, we had a really nice ride today.

Miles: 65  Average: 12.9

Photos:
Entering Alabama.
Leaving Pascagoula.
Dauphin Island.
Ferry.
Riding on the ferry.
Another flat tire.

The truth from Ruth:  Today was a great biking day.  It was a little cooler, and the scenery was interesting.  I enjoyed the ferry ride - traveling 9 miles without pedaling!  We rode across a long bridge over the ocean to Dauphin Island, which looks like a vacation paradise.  Maybe I'll come back some day.

Pascagoula, MS - Thur 4/5

Another short day, riding 60 miles from Waveland to Pascagoula Mississippi.  The weather started out beautiful but about a half hour before we arrived a passing storm completely drenched us.  Oh, if only we hadn't stopped to take so many pictures.  We arrived at the hotel soaking wet and had to hang everything up to dry.

The ride was flat with many miles along the beach.  There are some magnificent houses along the Gulf Coast.  We passed through some cute towns and crossed several big bridges.  The beaches were mostly deserted but it was a school day and there was no surf.

It was mostly a fun, easy ride, kind of like being on vacation after all the long hilly rides of previous days. 

I forgot to mention yesterday that at breakfast in New Orleans we met two families from France.  One family didn't speak any English so I got to practice my French.

Miles: 59.3  Average: 13.7

Photos:
View from a bridge in Mississippi
House on the Gulf Coast
Biloxi Beach
Biloxi Hard Rock Casino giant guitar (see bike at bottom)

The truth from Ruth:  The ride today was beautiful.  I'll take the beach over the bayou any day.  It was about 10 degrees cooler too.  But even so, when the rain came down, it felt good to get wet.
I've been really glad I brought a pair of sandals along.  When we get rained on, I can change my footwear.  Jeff has to keep wearing his soggy shoes.

Waveland, MISSISSIPPI - Wed 4/4

We made it to Mississippi!
This morning we awoke to thunder, lightning and rain.  We began making plans to stay another day in New Orleans.  Then at 10:30 the rain suddenly quit.  Check out time was 11 o'clock so we packed quickly and hit the road.

It turned out to be a beautiful day for cycling.  Overcast and not too hot and it never rained again.  We rode through the French Quarter, down the Moonwalk (along the Mississippi River), and through a neighborhood hard hit by Hurricane Katrina.  We saw a paddlewheel riverboat heading down the Mississippi.  I picked up a couple more spare inner tubes at a bike shop.  (I have used 3 of the 4 I started with.)

After leaving New Orleans we traveled through Louisiana swamps.  Then we entered Mississippi and traveled through Mississippi swamps.  Once when we stopped for photos we got attacked by mosquitoes. The houses are all up on tall stilts.  Most have creative signs.

Miles: 59.6  Average: 12.2

Photos:
Entering Mississippi
Bayou house on stilts
Bayou house sign
Bayou houses
Swamp

The truth from Ruth:
There was a Walmart near our hotel, and I bought a pair of capris.  The jeans I've been wearing when off the bike feel so sticky in this humidity.  I'm excited to have something cooler to wear now.