The Adventure Begins:
The Chinese proverb goes something like “every great journey begins with the first step”. This was probably true in the Ming Dynasty, but today I think that the proverb needs to be re-written to read “ Every great journey begins at the airport.” So here I am in the Calgary airport on having cleared customs and security in record time. Of course there was a mercifully short lineup at check in where I was charged for my bike but golf clubs fly free even though my bike weighs half of a set of clubs, bag and folding cart and of course the case, and almost no one at US Customs. The bike box was of course subjected to additional security inspection. They just had to see what a bike looks like when it is all apart. Flew though security and now I have a couple of hours to kill, and a good thing I have a couple of hours to kill as the only open food kiosk is Harvey’s, where the line up is at least an hour. Everyone who has flown out of Calgary on an international flight is aware of how terrible the service and food is at this particular Harvey’s. The smell of the rancid deep fryer fat permeates the whole wing of the airport.

OK Enough of that disgusting topic. Time to say something up beat. Unfortunately I cannot think of anything that is particularly uplifting, I am just to wired up about the whole affair.

Jim just completed the Tour Du Fire bike ride, which is 125 miles (200 Kms) and 9500 ft of elevation gain, last week when only 40 out of 360 starters finished. Tomorrow Jim is taking me on a 50 mile ride with his bike club. So after I get into Las Vegas at 9:30 pm, then out to Jim’s place, I will slap my bike together. Great! I guess we are going to find out how well prepared I am real fast.

More Later


Terry