At the age of eleven, I'm laying in a hospital bed in traction looking out the window of my hospital room, thinking about how I want to see the country, and see all the places that people told me about while laying on my back. I've been in this situation for months now, no one could possible know how slow time goes in a hospital room while the seasons outside pass by so fast. "I'm going to see all those places people told me about when I get out and grow up"...Six months in traction, another four months in a full body cast..then the placement for the rod, since the leg wont heal on its own..nearly a year and a half later I'm at home.

Doctors said I would walk with a cane for the rest of my life..NOPE! never happened. doctors said the rod needed to be removed before I hit my late teens, that didn't happen either (under my own stubbornness), I didn't feel like learning to walk all over again for a third time..and so life went on. I did a MS bike-a-thon for MS when I was nine. 50 miles one way, but when I hit the end I turned around and started back, didn't quiet get 24 miles before they shut it down, it was more uphill on the way back than it was going forward..Most of the sponsors refused to pay because they didn't believe I could and did do it.. It would have put me third in the community if they paid up, but instead I got a honorable mention around 99th place in the county. out of 150..


My next big ride came from me leaving Gallipolis Ohio, on a Huffy Grand tour 10 speed. with minimal supplies. If it wasn't for a few truckers, I wouldn't have made the trip I do believe..Over a hundred miles in, and then the last 30 miles out of the trip. When I parked the bike, Gods breath must have been in the tubes.. I watch both the front tire and rear go flat at the same time..the cheap tire were bald. Thats was the last of the big bike rides, that was when I was 22.

I daily commuted for years after that, but now I'm 48 just lost my job of almost five years. The night life of Dj'ing and bartering isn't appealing to me much anymore, (for personal reasons). I'm on the edge of being homeless again, (this time not due to those personal reasons) but due to lack of jobs available..So what to do now? I know I can get my GED and get into classes..GREAT!, but wait, thats going to take a few months what of Murph E. Dog and I, we can't expect the landlord to just let us stay here rent free.. thats not going to work! now what?

While I tossed and rolled in my bed one night, I guess you can say I had a subconscious, at the edge of twilight in my sleep dream? if you will. It was me laying in bed as old man starring out a hospital window. I said to my younger self..What ever happen to the plan to see the country?..I..we? couldn't afford it, cost of gas, what if the car broke down then what? where would we have stayed being broke?.. I turned to myself..You could have rode a bike dumbass, and camped. you like doing both do we not?!!

So here I am. The plan was implemented over a year ago, but dropped out of mind after talking myself out of it, (I'm good for that). Now its on..funny thing is NOW I have other people trying to talk me out of it, saying I'm to old, I'm to out of shape, where will I sleep? what will I eat? what, what, what , what if ,what if, what if..Are you going to put me up till the economy changes?..no! I didn't think so.beside I wouldn't want you to anyway..So now I'm selling everything I own to finance the trip, I'm having a moving sale every weekend till its all gone. I have the bike, and its been upgraded but can use more better parts, I bought the LG Slate to help keep the journals and Facebook page, AND this place updated. I sold enough to buy Murph E.Dog the Ibex trailer, and the next sale will go to buying the pannier front rack and bags for the bike. After that it the general supplies to survive. maps from Adventure cycling (Trans American Trail), camping supplies, water filter/purifier, ect ect..

So this is where our new journey begins.....