My First Blog Entry

Hi, Everyone,

In a couple of days I set off on my 700 mile bicycle journey from my front door in Cincinnati, Ohio to the front door of my cottage on St. Joseph Island in Northern Ontario. Hey! That's the plan, anyway.

I am retiring from the University of Cincinnati and this trip is meant to mark that occasion. I have been told that "I'm nuts!" and other such exclamations. Also, "What a brave move," and other such platitudes. Most people raise their eyebrow askance and look at me kind of obliquely when I tell them what I'm doing...

The journey also is complicated due to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) that attacked me in November, 2005. I'm doing better now, thanks to Prednisone, but still have an assortment of aches and pains that are pretty rough each morning and tend to improve as the day moves on...

"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go" (said Peter, Paul, and Mary...). Two sets of bike panniers adorn my new Cannondale tourning bike. About 50 pounds worth of stuff. I have a route sketched out, about 50 miles a day, up through Western Ohio and Central Michigan, then to its Lake Michigan coast, across the Mackinaw Bridge (no bikes allowed, have to figure that one out), and into the UP headed straight for the S00s, Customs, and the Kings Highway running East about 40 miles. Hang a right, cross the beautiful St. Joseph Island bridge and, in another 12 miles or so I find myself on the last mile, this one of gravel road, leading to my cottage.

The Sault Star newspaper awaits to cover this earth shattering event! Well, we'll see how it all goes.

Highlights to look forward to are visiting rides by my daughter, Suzanne, for a couple of days in Central Ohio; my old friend, Doug, from our Illinois State days will hook up with me in crossing the Michigan line for a day and we will celebrate his 1 year of self-injected Inteferon shots (and their cessation!); my brother-in-law, Chuck, will meet up with me around that time for a couple of days ride into the center of Michigan. Maybe doctoral candidate, Mark, will join me later, around the Lake Michigan portion of the trip. And Lynn, my wife, will check in around this time (around June 23) to see how we all are, and then go to pick up our new (to us) boat in Fenton, Michigan, which she will pull to the cottage. Then, to get ready for the July 15 celebration that is planned, with family, some old friends, and friends from the Island.

Sounds pretty good, eh? Stay tuned.