Friday, Day Zero of RAGBRAI 08

Sleeping bag…check
Tent…check
Bike…check
Sunscreen…check
A thousand other things…checked a thousand other times.

For those of you who know me, I can be slightly OCD. Ok, I admit it, slightly might be an understatement. I can be VERY OCD. About a month before RAGBRAI, I pulled out last year’s packing list and began scratching things I really didn’t need. After just one RAGBRAI, I learned there are things you MUST have, things you MIGHT need, and things that are better left at home. Last year, my bag was deemed “the body bag” and I had enough stuff to stay in the desert for two months!

2 weeks before this year’s RAGBRAI, I had most of my camping stuff packed. About a week before, I had most of my casual clothing packed, and the day before departure I packed my biking stuff. So, Friday rolls around and I check, and recheck, and check the list again. Did I really pack everything I need in a medium-sized duffle (WITH WHEELS…another lesson learned), a small gear bag, and a backpack? Oh yeah baby, off to a great start already!!!

So, the plan was for me to meet DVP and his crew (Lonnie, Gatty, Langley, Princess Paul, and another Chris) at 6pm to head for Iowa. Yes, I had visions of National Lampoon’s Vacation dancing in my head. Me and 6 guys in an RV smooth rolling to the largest cycling event in the US, and one appropriately called the “Spring Break for 40 year olds”. All day, I worried that plans had changed, that no one called to tell me, and that perhaps I’d miss the boat so to speak. I rushed around and made sure that Husband Chris had me there by 5:30. As we rounded the corner, I made a comment that I hoped I wasn’t late…to which we then saw a HUGE RV parked in the lot and Chris said, “Oh, I think THAT may be your ride”.

Well, I wasn’t late…in fact, we didn’t get on the road until 7pm. I should have known that a bunch of guys leaving for one of their yearly “man trips” wouldn’t be in a rush or be on time for that matter. Nonetheless, here we go…one of the wives sent awesome black bean salsa that literally made it to about Morrilton. IPODS, movies, “magazines”, and beer filled the RV. Despite the fact that I only knew 1 of the 6 guys when I got on the RV (ironically, only DVP knew that a “gurl” would be hitching a ride in the 'man van'), I guess I passed the “cool chick test”. Very quickly, the rest of the guys queried me about (a) my riding ability and (b) my husband’s thought process (why would a man let his wife board a vehicle with 6 strangers?). They threw Pulp Fiction in the DVD player and I knew every word…apparently that pushed Jenn Shaw into the “ok, she can ride with us” category.

I might be known for having margaritas in my water bottle from time to time, so when it was announced that we would be making a liquor store pit stop, I had no objections. We reach Fayetteville, home of the Joe Martin Stage Race, and we turn down Razorback Road. Oh yeah, I’m sure there must be a liquor store right off the interstate in a college town! But, we keep going and I’m thinking….crap, we’re headed to Dickson Street. So, envision if you will…a 27 foot RV with a 4-bike hitch-mounted rack rolling down skinny D-Street at 10:30pm on a Friday night…cars parked on both sides, drunks stumbling out of Jose’s!!! Unbeknownst to me, DVP’s son works at THE liquor store on D-Street. We pull into the parking lot…sorta…the back half of the RV and the racked bikes are sticking out into the street! Holy cow…I’m glad my bike got to ride inside! We stroll in, make our selections (inclusive of Patron of course), and then head over to Chili’s to have dinner.

Now, I knew this would be the next “cool chick” hurdle. I ordered a salad given that I’m vegetarian, but the guys didn’t hound me too hard. We finished our meal and with full bellies we loaded the RV and drove to Joplin, MO where we pulled over for the evening…Wal-Mart parking lot baby…best sleeping spot EVER. I had already been warned that the RV became the “ICE CAVE” at night. OMG, I froze to death. I had on several layers of clothing plus a blanket and I still couldn’t sleep because I was shivering. One of the guys said it looked as if I was sleeping in a small cocoon…balled up and face covered. At any rate, morning came and I went into a Wal-Mart restroom to “freshen up”. I also picked up a smoothie and some fresh fruit….and as Willie would say…we were ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!

As the miles passed, I learned we were going to stop in Council Bluffs (a town about 15 miles for the RAGBRAI start town). Apparently there were a number of reasons for this: (a) there was a casino, (b) we had to pick up their RV driver for the week (Capt’n Dan…more about him later), and (c) we had to hit another Wal-Mart to buy their groceries for the week. So first on the list, Harrah’s Casino…I don’t gamble much so I watched the rest of the crew lose money. The highlight of the stop was the yummy buffet…I knew it would be the last decent meal I would get for a week.

After a crazy Wal-Mart shopping expedition (just imagine watching 6 guys throw calorie-dense treats and lots-o-meat into a buggy), we were on a mission to pick up DAN. The crew had relayed to me somewhere between Kansas City and Council Bluffs just how they found DAN. The story involves Princess Paul, a girl from Iowa, and the need to find a mostly competent person to drive the RV from point A to point B during the RAGBRAI week. Dan is of “Injine” decent from the Potawatomi tribe (I think I got that right…I know it starts with a P!!!). A few text messages indicate where DAN can be found, so we plug the address into the coveted (but not so loved) Tom-Tom and low and behold, Dan appears. I deem DAN to be Capt’n Dan rather than Injine Dan just so I can be PC. All is good and the Feng is Shui now in the RV, so we head to the RAGBRAI start town: Missouri Valley.

The Little Rock crew finds the perfect place to park the RV. I unload my bike, ride to the expo, and locate the LIVESTRONG campsite. The RV is at least 2 miles from the LS campsite…in other words, it’s too far to try to negotiate luggage!!! No problem though…I ride back to the RV and my teammate Lisa volunteers to pick me up on her way back from dinner. And what better way to kick off RAGBRAI than to mix a couple of margarita water bottles to go!!! I got my first RAGBRAI tattoo as we loaded Lisa's vehicle...I think it was a team from Indiana that was passing by…something about the Hoosiers…oh yes….welcome to RAGBRAI ’08 baby!!!!

More RAGBRAI tails to come...
Thanks for reading,
SK