respect
pamela blalock
has been the respect everyone gives to each other. Brevets aren't races, and
the kids on the PBP route are just as interested in autographs from the
folks at the back of the pack as they are at seeing the 43 hours folks blast
past.
It's sad to see things deteriorate here, and I hope we can get back to our
lovely nice friendly community.
I think it is important to respect the experience of people who ride and the
contributions of people who support. We are part of a very small community.
pamela blalock pgb at blayleys.com
car-free in watertown, ma http://www.blayleys.com
Bill Bryant
never used to delete any messages in the past, but lately, I have been doing
that quite a lot, alas. I hope things improve.
Bill Bryant
Santa Cruz, CA
mbiswell
Sorry, so much. Not trying to have any wars here. It's just hard when the
conversation is so dominated, and one can't get heard without being pushed
down, and need to "re-state." That's what it feels like.
The total of the nasty counter-revolutionary concepts I have spoken up about
are that:
1) It's okay to ride what bike you like (a BB idea!).
2) It's okay for the modern bike to be in the conversation, including using
those new Campy and Shimano parts.
3) Please let's look at the bikes we are riding and let's start the
conversation from there, not what bikes we should be riding.
4) Please make a little room for these ideas, or at least backup what you
say, as apparently people are really against, and need their ideas to
dominate.
Not more than this. I can't control where people go way overboard to
suppress these ideas, including weird attacks on me, which has happened more
than once, and today too.
But also remembering an extemporaneous flame attack against these ideas from
ROY BB.
So I try to respect, and do better. But please, BB you respect too, okay?
Best
Mike
RonDog
This is a good point. I have been tempted to reply to several
threads, but was afraid I might sound negative or I could be adding to
the "conflict", so I have kept quiet. Maybe we need more posts about
riding our bikes in Randon events! Just the pure fun and excitement
in completing a 400K! ( Not that I have completed one this year ) :)
Ronnie
> > car-free in watertown, ma http://www.blayleys.com- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Dave Cramer
about my last brevet, so I'm practicing what I preach).
It's also interesting that there hasn't been more discussion about PBP
lately. Do they have chocolate milk in France? Are the roads better
than in New England? :)
Dave
OldWheels
As someone new to the sport, I must add my $ .02 - you've definitely
hit the essence of what makes it so special. It provides an amazing
lift to my spirits when I'm struggling in a long brevet and I begin to
encounter the top riders as they're on the return leg and I'm still
outbound....without exception, they take the time to praise and
encourage me. Noone but randonneurs(euses) would be this thoughtful
and concerned. And heaven forbid I should need to stop along the
road...one could make a lot of money betting with someone from another
sport, cause it's a completely safe bet that every rider will at least
inquire that you're ok and don't need help - without exception! And
even when the opinions being expressed here are strongly held and
presented, I'd hope that same spirit of comradery and mutual respect
would prevail. My only regret is that I didn't discover it many years
ago, but at 60 and still within my first year I'm definitely bursting
with pride as I start thinking about what I'm packing and taking to
Paris in August. Thanks to all for the great job helping us "newbies"
discover this great sport.
Don
Matthew O'Neill
group. How do you say "chocolate milk" in French? I'm going to keep
my fingers crossed that it is a cognate and that I'll be able to
remember it 1000k into the ride. ;~)
-Matthew O'Neill
San Diego Century Riders
www.sandiegocenturyriders.com
pamela blalock
Matthew O'Neill asked
Jeff Sammons
Rob Johnston
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Sammons
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 11:44 AM
To: li...@blayleys.com; Matthew O'Neill; randon
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
paut...@bidmc.harvard.edu
Well, I’m afraid that if you say “that”, you won’t get your chocolat au lait that you’re craving for, but just a very weird look and people will probably say something like:
“pauvre garcon, il a completement perdu les pedales, il faut absolument qu’il dorme ! »
My 2 cents,
Patrick
From:
ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Rob Johnston
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 3:19
PM
To: Jeff Sammons;
li...@blayleys.com; Matthew O'Neill; randon
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
zhe vU-drA' chok-O-la' frwa, sE vU plA
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Sammons
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 11:44 AM
To: li...@blayleys.com; Matthew O'Neill; randon
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
So how do you pronounce that, can you spell it our phonetically?
----- Original Message ----
From: pamela blalock <li...@blayleys.com>
To: Matthew O'Neill <onei...@gmail.com>; randon <ran...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:34:09 AM
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
Je voudrais chocolat froid, s'il vous plait.
Matthew O'Neill asked
This is exactly the kind of thing that I keep meaning to ask the
group. How do you say "chocolate milk" in French? I'm going to keep
my fingers crossed that it is a cognate and that I'll be able to
remember it 1000k into the ride. ;~)
Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.
Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta.<BR
Adrian Hands
> Well, I'm afraid that if you say "that", you won't get your chocolat au
> lait that you're craving for, but just a very weird look and people will
milk chocolate (solid) = chocolat au lait
chocolate milk (liquid) = chocolat froid ?
Paul Ries
Je (as in jut without the t)
Voudrais (Voo as in voodoo, drai as in drain without the n, but the French r is rolled a bit which I can't really do so I tend to guteralize it)
Chocolat (show Ko (as in cocoa) lot)
Froid (this is a tough one...long fffff the r comes out of my mouth as almost gutural and quite short (possibly because I'm not capable of rolling my r's like the french do, but I don't think this is a big rolly r in any case and finally Waaaa with you mouth opening during the whole exhale)
S'il (pretty close to "see" though you might put a very small touch of "l" a the end...at least I do the l with my tongue without actually emitting the sound, so the end of the ee in see gets a slight Lishness)
Vous (voo as in voo doo).
Plait (close to "play" but much shorter the "ay" at the end)
If you want to say chocolate au lait instead (which does sound right) it would be:
au (O as in the letter O)
lait (Play without the P) Or you could say them together like Olay! like the spanish bull fighter say!
I'm sure if you try they will appreciate it ;-) ... especially out on the ride, 'cause they expect and respect all the foreigners that come to their region.
Yeah, I much rather talk about this than argue about bikes. I think things were taken a little out of context or people were looking for offense in other people's posts when it probably wasn't intended (at least not at first, as offenses seem to add up once they are perceived). I really liked the post about the faster randonneurs (euses) waving to the slower ones (me) on the way back from a turnaround and wish people would take more of the posts here in that spirit. Remember we are randonneurs FIRST and internet users second (or probably much lower on the list ;-) !
Just because someone is enthusiastic about a particular type of bike does not mean they are denigrating another type of bike. I see plenty of Trek 5200s on brevets out here in California, and a moderate number of old bikes with downtube shifters, bar end shifters, indexed or otherwise. I love my campy record 10 speed shifters, but did get an extremely sore wrist during one of my brevets in the first year that I rode brevets, so I can respect that different kind of equipment can work just as well or even better at times (and can definitely respect people that can keep the old stuff in a state of repair appropriate for our rides). I also know, that the motor matters so much more than what it powers! ;-) Anyway, let's try to keep an inclusive and positive spirit on our list and not try to seek offense in things that others are saying.
-Paul
P.S. My fear of speaking the above phrase (without the froid or the au lait) is partly responsible for my being such an avid cyclist. When I was 8 and skiing in the French part of Switzerland (I was living in Germany at the time, going to an English language school, so wasn't skilled in speaking French). My parents tried to get me to go in and have a hot chocolate, giving me some francs and heading off down the hill to do a more interesting run. I chickened out just as I went in and so ran out and put on my skis to chase after my parents. I apparently could see them and went flying down the hill and into a mogul field. A subsequent fall resulted in a stretched ACL which compromised my right knee (3 months in a cast was the treatment in those days), so I eventually (in my adult years after another knee injury to the same knee) had to give up soccer and volleyball, so now cycling is my main sport, though I will have to admit that my body was built more appropriately for a soccer fullback than for a bicyclist.
pamela blalock
Well I will definitely defer to Patrick and the other French speakers here as to what the proper words are to get cold chocolate milk. Phoenetic spelling can be a real challenge
But in my experience is the most important phrase to learn is …
See-vu-play
which means PLEASE. I’ve said this before here. Many Americans have forgotten the basic manners that mom tried to instill and rarely use please. This is why we are not popular European tourists. Please and thankyou go a long way, even if you butcher the rest of the language!
Pointing and hand signals work amazingly well, when accompanied by PLEASE. Of course when there is nothing to point to, it is harder!
A few years ago, John and I were bike touring in Switzerland and Italy. This meant juggling three ways of saying please and thankyou, sometimes in the same day! The first few days of our trip were warm and sunny and we both managed to get sunburned on our chins, likely due to all the climbing. We found some SPF 60 sunblock, and soon discovered how effective SPF 60 could be. It blocked the sun for ALL of Europe for a month! It was often cold and rainy, and one day, we stopped at a café when we were wet and freezing. We ordered soups and coffees and all manner of hot food, and I can’t quite remember where we were or what language we used, but John also asked for a hot chocolate. I wish I could remember the details now, because whatever he said, resulted in a tall mug of cold chocolate milk! We realized at some point that our host was not actually expecting customers and had been drinking the morning away – and he wasn’t drinking milk or chocolate. It may be that we used the right words!
While I’m waiting for my build to finish, I’ll add one other story about hand signals. Last year in Italy I discovered I had forgotten earplugs. I looked through our phrase book and found nothing. Undeterred I headed into the pharmacy. After greetings and a query about English, I folded my hands, and turned my face sideways over my folded hands. Then I put and index finger to each ear, followed by PLEASE. I left with a box full of earplugs!
One final tip, ask the pharmacist for EEE-buprofen-AY. You won’t find big bottles of it on the shelf. You have to ask, and they won’t understand EYE-buprofen.
Stephane Beaudry
Chocolat", of course the French might have a different expression...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Hands" <adr...@ahands.org>
To: "randon" <ran...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 1:20 PM
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
>
Dave Cramer
Adrian Hands
...
> A few years ago, John and I were bike touring in Switzerland and Italy. This
> meant juggling three ways of saying please and thankyou, sometimes in the
> same day!
If you happen to ride the SVS 1200km or any of the other brevets in
Bulgaria (recommended!) you can say "Blagodaria" for "thank you", but
that is such a mouthfull that even the Bulgarians say "Merci"
instead. "Merci" seems to have become a universal way of saying thank
you.
Similarly, "WC" has become a universal symbol for restroom. Though
"WC" is an English abbreviation (Water Closet) it's usage is common in
France, Bulgaria, Shanghai...puzzlingly almost everywhere _except_ the
U.S.!
Narayan Krishnamoorthy
Sorry if this was already covered. (the book I am going to mention,
that is).
I am currently reading a book called "Sixty Million Frenchmen can't be
wrong" by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow. A fabulous read, and it
explains a lot of the cultural expectations of the french. (I am not
connected in anyway to the authors, except being from Canada). I
highly recommend reading this book to anybody heading to PBP this year
or even people wishing to get an insight into France and its culture.
High among the lessons I take from the book, always say "Bon Jour" and
"Au revoir", when you enter and exit a small store (as we undoubtedly
will, several times during PBP), as French store owners consider
stores their private space, where you are entering as a guest.
Apparently using these 2 is the easiest way to get the best service at
most "public" places (such as shops and restaurants).
And on randonneuring camraderie and spirit, don't forget the
volunteers as well; most of the time these are randonneurs who have
done the pre-ride, and are contributing their time to the club. On my
first 300K (2005), I limped into the midpoint control of the ride
after having started too fast, and was basically saved by Ron
Himschoot, who sat me down and had lunch with me, while regaling me
with his experiences of the last PBP. He told me I was certain to
finish, and all I had to do was turn the cranks and keep moving. I was
mentally energized, and completed the ride, the lanterne rouge.
Last years 1000 was pretty special too. The 1000K started Thursday
morning, 400 started Saturday morning, and approximately the last 300
km of both rides was the same. Several riders who were doing the 400
pulled for me at various times, while I enjoyed a break from the wind.
The last night, a group of 4 riders formed a cocoon around me, and
pulled me all the way to the finish, when they could have left me in
the dust and finished hours ahead of me. I am yet to meet a jerk on a
brevet.
Cheers!
Narayan
M-SADLER
I am a member of Audax UK but I follow the postings on the Randon Group with great interest. I would like to put in my 2 cents (?) to endorse the comments below.
The French people are very patriotic and they will make many allowances if you at least make the attempt to speak their language. “Bon Jour” during the day, and “Bon Soir” in the evening and night are the common greetings. Please remember you are in their country and treat it and them with respect, most of the helpers on PBP are volunteers who share your love of cycling . “Merci, Monsieur” goes a long way to show your appreciation to a guy who has been marshalling a junction for a number of hours!
Show them respect by learning and using a few basic phrases and you will have a much more enjoyable and memorable PBP.
Best wishes and good luck to all aspiring PBP riders.
-----Original
Message----From pamela blalock
Well I will definitely defer to Patrick and the other French speakers here as to what the proper words are to get cold chocolate milk. Phoenetic spelling can be a real challenge
But in my experience is the most important phrase to learn is …
See-vu-play
which means PLEASE. I’ve said this before here. Many Americans have forgotten the basic manners that mom tried to instill and rarely use please. This is why we are not popular European tourists. Please and thankyou go a long way, even if you butcher the rest of the language!
No virus found in this incoming message.
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Hamilton DeSaussure, Jr.
I don’t know about cold chocolate milk being available in France. I do know, though, that the French tend not to use the word “froid” in connection with drinks. When you ask for a cold drink, generally one would use the word “frais” [as in FRAY] – which we would translate as “fresh”. To get a cold coca cola, for instance, you would say “un coca frais, s’il vous plaît.”
Hal DeSaussure
From:
ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of pamela blalock
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:19
PM
To: 'randon'
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
Well I will definitely defer to Patrick and the other French speakers here as to what the proper words are to get cold chocolate milk. Phoenetic spelling can be a real challenge
Ingle, Bruce
I never tried to locate any, but yogurt is usually available at the
controles and should be an acceptable substitute...except you can't chug
it.
> Are the roads better than in New England? :)
Yes, both in terms of pavement quality and driver skill.
- Bruce
David Buzzee
Adrian Hands <adr...@ahands.org> wrote:
"Similarly, "WC" has become a universal symbol for restroom. Though
"WC" is an English abbreviation (Water Closet) it's usage is common in
France, Bulgaria, Shanghai...puzzlingly almost everywhere _except_ the
U.S.!"
Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.
Jim Bronson
Bon Jour. I've found in the past when I've been skiing at Chamonix
and Courchevel that pretty much every shop owner will greet you with a
cheery "bonjour" or bonsoir". It's actually really nice.
On 5/24/07, Narayan Krishnamoorthy <otta...@gmail.com> wrote:
> High among the lessons I take from the book, always say "Bon Jour" and
> "Au revoir", when you enter and exit a small store (as we undoubtedly
> will, several times during PBP), as French store owners consider
> stores their private space, where you are entering as a guest.
--
I am riding the MS150 bicycle rally from Houston to Austin on April 21
and 22, 2007. 164 miles by bicycle! Will you join me and make a
pledge to support multiple sclerosis research? Donate online at my
link: http://ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=182433
Stephane Beaudry
----- Original Message -----From: Hamilton DeSaussure, Jr.To: randonSent: Friday, May 25, 2007 5:06 AMSubject: [Randon] Re: respectI don't know about cold chocolate milk being available in France. I do know, though, that the French tend not to use the word "froid" in connection with drinks. When you ask for a cold drink, generally one would use the word "frais" [as in FRAY] - which we would translate as "fresh". To get a cold coca cola, for instance, you would say "un coca frais, s'il vous plaît."
Hal DeSaussure
From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of pamela blalock
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:19 PM
To: 'randon'
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
Well I will definitely defer to Patrick and the other French speakers here as to what the proper words are to get cold chocolate milk. Phoenetic spelling can be a real challenge
But in my experience is the most important phrase to learn is ...
See-vu-play
which means PLEASE. I've said this before here. Many Americans have forgotten the basic manners that mom tried to instill and rarely use please. This is why we are not popular European tourists. Please and thankyou go a long way, even if you butcher the rest of the language!
Pointing and hand signals work amazingly well, when accompanied by PLEASE. Of course when there is nothing to point to, it is harder!
A few years ago, John and I were bike touring in Switzerland and Italy. This meant juggling three ways of saying please and thankyou, sometimes in the same day! The first few days of our trip were warm and sunny and we both managed to get sunburned on our chins, likely due to all the climbing. We found some SPF 60 sunblock, and soon discovered how effective SPF 60 could be. It blocked the sun for ALL of Europe for a month! It was often cold and rainy, and one day, we stopped at a café when we were wet and freezing. We ordered soups and coffees and all manner of hot food, and I can't quite remember where we were or what language we used, but John also asked for a hot chocolate. I wish I could remember the details now, because whatever he said, resulted in a tall mug of cold chocolate milk! We realized at some point that our host was not actually expecting customers and had been drinking the morning away - and he wasn't drinking milk or chocolate. It may be that we used the right words!
Jon Muellner
I never tried to locate any, but yogurt is usually available at thecontroles and should be an acceptable substitute...except you can't chugit.
Adrian Hands
> And Bon Soir (or however you spell that) in the evening rather than
> Bon Jour. I've found in the past when I've been skiing at Chamonix
> and Courchevel that pretty much every shop owner will greet you with a
> cheery "bonjour" or bonsoir". It's actually really nice.
The greeting I recall most vividly from PBP-2003 was "salut".
Riding through some village late at night, the cyclist ahead of me
spotted a woman looking down from a third-story window and called out
"Salut, Madame!".
Pam mentioned the book "Culture Shock: France". I think it was there
that I read about the French handshake: required on meeting and
leaving, a quick, light touch, no pumping, squeezing or iron grips,
and it should be accompanied by looking directly in the eyes. The
author described going to the bank early in the morning and finding
that business would not be conducted until each employee shook hands
and greeted each other. Comment ca va, Monsieur?
> If hands are full, dirty, or wet, the French may offer an elbow or a finger for the other person to grasp.
DrCodfish
community center in preparation for our return to PBP. I don't expect
to be fluent, but hope to have a little better accent as I do my hand
puppet pantomime. In 2003 (my first ever visit to 'the continent') I
discovered how incredibly accommodating the French are and I felt very
guilty for not having made a more sincere effort to learn their
culture and language. The take home lesson for me was that if you
make some attempt, they will go the other 90% of the way to help
assure that you have a positive experience. One of my PBP goals is
to adjust that deficet, maybe get to 25%/75%?
I suspect that if you present the 'ugly American' facade you will
likely be treated in kind. None of that was my experience. I will
say that there is a noticeable difference in the culture of Parisians
and the rural French. I'm from rural any way so I was happiest in the
small Ville's where people treated me as though I was a hero or in
some way deserving of some special treatment. Rather than cause me to
have a big head, this experience had quite the opposite effect; I was
incredibly humbled and felt all the more need to finish the event well
and honorably.
One particular event stands out in my memory: At a control on the
retrun leg, a young girl dressed in her Sunday best carried the food
tray of very weary, and no doubt smelly American rider to the Gymanase
to help him find quite place to eat. I will never forget that small
kindness. I think if we retain our civility that will continue to be
the essence of PBP for the next 100 years. The event will be so much
less than what it is if it devolves into just another long distance
endurance race, just another event on the "extreme racing" calendar.
As I rode through the French countryside it gradually dawned on me
that what I thought was 'PJ's big adventure' just a few months
previously, was really me playing a small part of something much
bigger than me. I am so lucky to have had that experience, and so
hungry to feel it again.
Another book I have come across that is fairly illuminating is "The
Story of French" by Jean Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow. It's
essentially a history of the French language. As you might expect a
chronicle of the evolution of a language is necessarily a very
interesting review of cultural history. There is time, and it is only
about $25. That may seem like a lot of money, but really, you are
planning a trip to France, to ride a bicycle! You've gotten to know
your bike, your sleep needs, your nutrition strategy, now make a
little more effort to get to know the people and place you are going
to invade.
On May 23, 7:48 pm, "pamela blalock" <l...@blayleys.com> wrote:
> Over the years, one of the great things about the randonneuring community
> has been the respect everyone gives to each other.....
Paul Ries
Another tidbit: a French guy I met last night informs me there is a chocolat milk type drink available over there call Kacolat (or cacolat, I forget which). Pretty much pronounced the way you would expect with emphasis on the first syllable and the t at the end pronounced. He said it was popular a few years ago but had gone out of favor so you might not find it so much in Paris, but probably still would out in the provinces ;-)
Also he claims that "chocolat froid" would be a perfectly fine way to ask for it. He was from Paris by the way (though living in SF now).
Bon route! I will not be there to seek these goodies out with y'all...but maybe in 4 ;-)
-Paul
From: "Hamilton DeSaussure, Jr." <h...@oldham-dowling.com>
To: randon <ran...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 5:06:06 AM
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
I don't know about cold chocolate milk being available in France . I do know, though, that the French tend not to use the word "froid" in connection with drinks. When you ask for a cold drink, generally one would use the word "frais" [as in FRAY] - which we would translate as "fresh". To get a cold coca cola, for instance, you would say "un coca frais, s'il vous plaît."
Hal DeSaussure
From:
ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of pamela blalock
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:19
PM
To: 'randon'
Subject: [Randon] Re: respect
Well I will definitely defer to Patrick and the other French speakers here as to what the proper words are to get cold chocolate milk. Phoenetic spelling can be a real challenge
But in my experience is the most important phrase to learn is ...
See-vu-play
which means PLEASE. I've said this before here. Many Americans have forgotten the basic manners that mom tried to instill and rarely use please. This is why we are not popular European tourists. Please and thankyou go a long way, even if you butcher the rest of the language!
Pointing and hand signals work amazingly well, when accompanied by PLEASE. Of course when there is nothing to point to, it is harder!
A few years ago, John and I were bike touring in Switzerland and Italy . This meant juggling three ways of saying please and thankyou, sometimes in the same day! The first few days of our trip were warm and sunny and we both managed to get sunburned on our chins, likely due to all the climbing. We found some SPF 60 sunblock, and soon discovered how effective SPF 60 could be. It blocked the sun for ALL of Europe for a month! It was often cold and rainy, and one day, we stopped at a café when we were wet and freezing. We ordered soups and coffees and all manner of hot food, and I can't quite remember where we were or what language we used, but John also asked for a hot chocolate. I wish I could remember the details now, because whatever he said, resulted in a tall mug of cold chocolate milk! We realized at some point that our host was not actually expecting customers and had been drinking the morning away - and he wasn't drinking milk or chocolate. It may be that we used the right words!
Bill Bryant
next August can learn a lot in the following passage. The author, "Dr.
Codfish", gets it.
(snip):
> ...so I was happiest in the
> small Ville's where people treated me as though I was a hero or in
> some way deserving of some special treatment. Rather than cause me to
> have a big head, this experience had quite the opposite effect; I was
> incredibly humbled and felt all the more need to finish the event well
> and honorably.
>
> One particular event stands out in my memory: At a control on the
> return leg, a young girl dressed in her Sunday best carried the food
> tray of very weary, and no doubt smelly American rider to the Gymanase
> to help him find quite place to eat. I will never forget that small
> kindness. I think if we retain our civility that will continue to be
> the essence of PBP for the next 100 years. The event will be so much
> less than what it is if it devolves into just another long distance
> endurance race, just another event on the "extreme racing" calendar.
>
> As I rode through the French countryside it gradually dawned on me
> that what I thought was 'PJ's big adventure' just a few months
> previously, was really me playing a small part of something much
> bigger than me. I am so lucky to have had that experience, and so
> hungry to feel it again.
Well said, sir!
Bill Bryant
Santa Cruz, CA
>
DrCodfish
Thanks for the compliment Bill. The bit about the little girl at the
control is a snippet from my '03 PBP ride report. I have posted it
on my blog at http://drcodfish.blogspot.com/
I only hope PBP '07 can match my experience from '03.