On the night before...

Well, I have to admit I am new to the world of blogging. It seems sort of strange writing things that will float freely in the intangible world of cyber communication. Well, in preparation for the actual story I'll fill this space first with the boring details or with the preface, if you will.

Tomorrow we leave. Finally Cari and Leah have come to my parent's house here in Chicago and we've tested tents, stoves, and various other small things to make sure we have everything. The reality, however, is that in the days before we knew and understood bikes, travel, and touring, we never worried. Well, now that we know about what could happen, we've decided to take a few things along. In the end, it's all just stuff and we can find whatever we need along the way yet it comes down to timing--having the right things at the right time and since much of our journey will take place in the back country we again decided it would be best to take along a few necessary items. So, on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me one BOB trailer full of:

1. marmot never summer sleeping bag
2. dragonfly stove (from my friend Matt who took it twice across the US) and fuel can
3. folding knobby mountain tires
4. six spare tubes
5. ti spork
6. canon rebel xti camera and a small pocket one (i travel light!)
7. first aid kit
8. frisbee
9. chain
10. topeak road morph pump
10a. nightstand*
11. balloons (to make animals for when i meet kids)
12. clown nose (for days when we need laughter)
13. harmonica
14. penny whistle
15. 3 pair bike shorts
16. long underwear
17. skirt
16. two shirts
17. two collared shirts
18. pants
19. shorts
20. two pair socks, underwear, etc.
21. sunglasses (which with no hair i look like a rock star!)
22. my lucky shirt
22a. typewriter*
23. sleeping pad
24. tools--spare chain, SOG multi knife, patch kit, spare bolts, pink zip ties, spoke wrench, super glue, band clamps (to make a cup holder), duct tape, pro link, crank puller, cassette remover (fits in the dropout so i don't need my whip), allen wrenches, tire levers, chain tool, adjustable wrench
25. tent (rei cirque 3 tent)...i'm carrying the poles and foot print, and stakes and the rest is being carried by the rest of the crew
26. water bottle (2)
27. 10L water reservoir
27a. gumball machine*
28. aqua mira
29. a frying pan (we have a pot that someone is carrying)
30. an extra pop can stove
31. compass--suunto ranger
32. orikaso folding bowl
33. crocs
34. shimano shoes
35. toothbrush
36. tikka plus headlamp
37. pack towel
38. novara stratos rain pants
39. OR enigma rain coat
40. tent repair kit, stove repair kit, two extra stakes and some parachute cord
41. glasses
42. contact solution
43. cookies
44. spare bungee cords
45. buff
46. OR rain mitts
47. BD jet stream gloves
47a. easel for drawing like they do on pbs with 47 different colored paints*
48. wool arm warmers
49. peace cranes
50. space pen
51. journal
52. books (2)
53. magnifying glass
54. wool shirt
55. a hat
56. a thermos mug
57. spare BOB skewer (one between the two of us)
58. spare BOB tire (one between the two of us)
59. spare spokes (8)
60. spare batteries
61. plug adapter
62. Patagonia R3pursuit fleece

*the author reserves the right to add things to the list that aren't really in her bag but that make her laugh as she's writing her long list.

total weight including trailer but NOT bike: 50lbs. The trailer itself weighs about 15lbs. Not sure on the weight of the bike but approximately 31lbs.

Don't worry, we'll get food, matches, and fuel when we get there...we haven't forgotten. I also have a handle bar bag and a seat bag that I'll distribute some of these things about...

And, I'm sure you want to know how we met. The short of it is that Leah (the redhead in the photo) and I met in Guatemala working at a small grass roots organization called Maya Pedal. Cari met Leah in Madison Wisconsin and poof! here we are. I bet you want to hear the long story, huh? Maybe on a night when I've run out of things to say I'll reinvent the story for you...


And now, another list. My beloved bike which i am still vacillating on a name...in the running is "el Jefe" ("the boss"), "Tina", "Lolita", "Loca Lola". Suggestions?
This bike is truly my work of art. So, without further adieu, my bike:

frame: trek 930 single track...lugged and fuchsia
brakes: suntour xc pro
brake levers: tektro aero levers
shifters: dura ace bar con shifters
bars: ritchy comp bars
bar tape: pink
stem: quill...though because I found it in the basement of a bike shop and without it's label I can't quite identify it.
headset: shimano stx threaded
fork: Trek cruise control 3
crank: Sugino XD 170mm triple,aluminum with a steel low chain ring. (46x36x24)
bottom bracket: Truvativ square taper 113x68
cassette: Sram 8sp. 11-32
chain: Shimano 105 8sp. hyperglide
derailleur rear: sachs centera 8sp
derailleur front: shimano alivio 8sp (the only piece I kept original on the bike)
brake pads: Kool Stop salmon pads
wheels: of course, handbuilt by me. rims: Suntour cr-18; spokes: DT Swiss Champion double butted; hubs: shimano LX; tires: Schwalbe Marathon Cross
pedals: shimano m340

miscellaneous bike items: Rivendell spring bell, cateye front bike light, blackburn rear light

And here ends the preface and the story can now begin...