Hello USA

To Milton, Massachusetts -- Wed-Fri, April 26-28

It was a little odd to realize we were actually back in the US.  Our flight landed at 4 a.m. in Miami. Fortunately, the entry process was relatively painless, at least for citizens.  We scanned our passports, got our pictures taken, and received black and white printouts at the automated stands with all our pertinent details.  One more short plane hop and we were in Boston.

Back in the good ol' US of A

Our good friends, the Sutters, graciously offered to let us stay at their house while in the area.  In fact, they insisted on it.  Our dismantled bikes are actually 40 miles away with other good friends waiting to be put back together.  It has been incredibly nice to see Geraldine, Jed and their twin boys, Cole and David again.  Meg met Geraldine and Jed while biking across the country way back in '98 during the “Big Ride.”  The cross-country bike ride, starting in Seattle and ending in Washington D.C., was a fundraising event sponsored by GTE with over 700 riders. It was this event, and, more specifically, a half dozen California riders, that convinced Meg to move out to the Bay Area and leave her life in Texas behind.

The last couple days have flown by.  We’ve been able to catch up on the latest going-ons here. Unfortunately, the Sutters have had their share of bad luck lately.  In the span of just two years, they have suffered two fires at their two-story, New England style home.  The first started in the basement and the second in their recently added first-floor bathroom.  In addition to the actual loss of possessions, the incredibly slow and bureaucratic process of dealing with the insurance companies is something I hope never to have to experience.  In the meantime, however, they have secured a beautiful home to rent nearby until the detailed accounting, fault assessment, payment, and reconstruction process is once again complete.

Geraldine and Jed were anxious to welcome us back to the States and treat us to anything we might have missing during the year.  For dinner on Wednesday, they satisfied our hankering for burritos. Believe it or not, a Chipotle burrito was one of the few things we really missed. Of course, for Meg, doing without cold Diet Coke, was often a struggle, so Geraldine made sure it was free-flowing.  

Yesterday, the Sutter boys played hooky from school (shh) and we all, Jed included, went out for the afternoon showing of Disney’s remake of The Beauty and the Beast.  Having never seen the animated version, I thought it was fantastic -- the acting, scenery, special effects, the songs, and dancing… and, of course, Emma Thompson is not hard to look at either.  This was followed up by an outstanding meal at Legal Seafood.  What could be better -- good food and good friends.

The whole gang: Jed, David, Geraldine, Cole & the Hoornaerts

Investing at REI -- stove, pot, bowls, knives...

Today, Friday, we had to say our goodbyes, but not before a couple games of stick pin bowling. Apparently, this is a version of bowling unique to this area. It's just like traditional bowling except the pins are narrow straight sticks (there's much less pin action), the balls are about half the size, there are no finger holes, and you get three for each frame.  I just wish I could say I upped my game.  

As much as we’d love to hang out longer, we’re feeling some pressure to get underway.  If we can complete the approximately 4300 mile trip in 13 weeks -- 330 mi/wk -- that would be a pretty good accomplishment for us, especially compared to what we did last summer -- 1900 miles in 8 weeks or 240 miles per week. I'm sure this is a good idea; what could go wrong?