MS 150 Success

Leaving Boise

It was another successful MS150 this year.  The weather was beautiful and cooperated for the full event.  Even the wind stayed away.  Temperatures were chilly in the morning, 35 to 40 degrees, then heated up to a perfect bike riding temperature.  About 75 degrees or so.  The ride this year started in the town of McCall, went north along Payette Lake, then deep into the mountains.  I was very impressed with the organization of the event.  Rest stops were perfectly spaced out for the riders and were stocked with friendly people and lots of goodies to keep their energy up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second day’s route again started in McCall.  This time they headed east then south.  Riding more through open meadows on this day, they travelled on roads that tested their endurance, up and down rolling hills, wearing on already weary legs.  They travelled past Cascade Lake to Tamarack Resort, located back in the mountains, a beautiful location. 

 

The two routes definitely forced the riders to earn their keep this year.  Lots of long, steep climbs kept the whole pack questioning why they do this each year.  But, they quickly remember.  The reason is MS.  They ride for those who can’t.  They are willing to abuse their bodies, endure leg cramping, skin chaffing miles of rough road to try and raise awareness for this devastating disease.  Some do it for the cause, others do it for loved ones who were stricken with the illness.  Whatever their reason, these riders are the true champions.  Heroes, in my mind.  They aren’t selfish when it comes to doing whatever it takes to raise awareness and funds. 

I was there to support my wife, Sarah, who rode in the event.  She lost her father in 2000 to MS.  Though his fight is done, hers is not.  The disease has not been conquered yet.

 

 

 

 

The Reason

 

 

I drove along as a S.A.G. vehicle.  I had it easy, being able to drive, but I wanted to be there for her.  What most people don’t know about my wife is, in 2002, she suffered a motorcycle accident that permanently damaged her back.  Sitting in the saddle of a road bike in the cramped position that you are forced to endure, is absolute agony for her.  This year she wasn’t even able to train for the ride.  The last time she took her road bike back down off the wall was for last year’s ride.  Talk about tough.  I kept asking her to not ride after the first day, I didn’t want her doing serious damage to herself.  Her just being there was enough, but those who do know my wife, know she is stubborn.  J  She refused to quit and stuck it out.  The last half of the day she had to stop every 4 miles and stretch out her back, but she did it.

The Finish

I was blessed this year to have my kids with me for the event.  They enjoyed cheering on the other riders, whooping and hollering, clapping in encouragement as the riders rode by.  They did a great job and they had a good time.  They were honored to be included in supporting this ride.  I wish more kids would get involved.  There were about a dozen kids total over the weekend, but I think more could be encouraged to partake.  For me, I know it works, because I saw the smiles that lit up the riders faces as they heard my two trying to encourage them.  To me that spells success.

The kids

The ride is over for this year, but the fight continues on.  I’m challenging each and every one of you to help in this fight.  It can be cured, but it will take a tremendous amount of support from many people.  Until the last one is cured, the battle is not done.

The SAG Mobile

For more pictures from the 2008 MS 150 ride, go to my MySpace account.  www.myspace.com/258748595

Bike Ride for MS.

This weekend my wife rides the MS 150.  This ride is to raise awareness and funds to fight the devastating illness of Multiple Sclerosis.  As yet there is no cure for this debilitating disease.

My wife lost her father in 2000 to this disease after battling it for almost 14 years.  Patrick Peterson was a respected aviator, who loved to fly and was an incredible instructor.  He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in November of 2004.  

After the illness took his ability to fly, he entered the tower as an Air Traffic Controller until the disease forced him to retire.  My wife rides every year she can to continue the fight against MS.  Physically this is a grueling race for her due to a motorcycle accident in 2002, yet she continues to push through the pain mile after mile.

Below is an excerpt from my wife’s fundraising efforts.  Due to an unforeseen error, her page was only recently activated and we are now scrambling to raise the necessary funds.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

A message from Sarah Spry

Every hour of every day, someone is diagnosed with MS. My dad, Pat Peterson, was part of that statistic. That’s why I registered for the MS Bike Tour, and why I’m asking you to support my fund raising efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS but they can’t do it without our help. It’s faster and easier than ever to support this cause that’s so important to me. Simply click on the link at the bottom of this message. If you prefer, you can send your contribution to the address listed below.

Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do.

P.S. If you would like more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, how proceeds from the MS Bike Tour are used, or the other ways you can get involved in the fight against MS, please visit nationalmssociety.org.

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/IDIBikeEvents?px=3355094&pg=personal&fr_id=8961&et=1b_AcpfRvLfncRTQwxzfkQ..&s_tafId=67083

Back of the book jacket. What do you think?

After being chased away from their favorite local hangout by the school bully, two friends are forced to seek solace in the nearby uninhabited mountains.  There they make a startling discovery.  A helmet that grants its wearer almost unlimited wishes.  But, there is a potentially deadly secret linked with the use of the helmet.

 

Come along as Tyson and Conner seek to uncover the mystery behind the Magic Helmet.  A journey that tests the bonds of friendship with danger and betrayal.  A coming of age adventure that could cause one of the two boys to lose their very soul.

Book progress-Rough Draft Complete.

As of 1:30am this morning, the rough draft for the new children’s/Young Adult (It has probably graduated to solely Young Adult) novel I am writing, has been completed.  Since Wednesday, the story took on a life of its own and decided that it had to be put to paper now.  Just to support that fact, at the end of writing on Wednesday, my word count was 30571.  At completion of the rough draft, my word count ended up at 49335.  With some quick math that ends up just shy of 19000 words on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.   An average of 6254 words a day.  A more normal day of writing for me is anywhere from 1500-3000 words.  Interesting, is all I can say.  I guess I was just in the writing zone.  You don’t enter it all the time, but when you do, you just go nuts and you have to ride it out.  You can’t stop and say, Ok, I’ve met my quota for today.  It doesn’t work that way.   My target was 50000, so hopefully when going through the first re-write, I’ll find the additional words while strengthening certain plot points.  The first edit is always the most fun.  (Probably not really, but…)  You, for the first time, sit down and read what you’ve put down on paper.  When you’re writing, at least when I’m writing, I’m typing furiously getting the story down.  On the re-read, you find where you just plain forgot to put a word in a sentence or find that you’ve doubled up a word or used the wrong word or find that you’ve used too similar of a word too many times in the preceding paragraph.  How many times did I just use the word, word?  Get the point?

So, the refining process begins.  I’ll sharpen up the first three chapters, then submit it and see if I get any bites.  This is the process that sucks for so many authors.  Finding that one agent/publisher, who is interested in the morsel that you are offering.  Now, I remember why I hate fishing.  J

My daughter is my 12 year old test reader and she finished the rough draft this afternoon and she loved it.  I’m waiting for my adult test readers to complete their read through by this afternoon.  Feedback from them has been extremely positive to this point, which is exciting as this is just the very first draft, errors and all. 

Now, on to the critics.  

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Vegas

Alright, so I’m fresh off a weeks trip to Vegas.  My thoughts??  It’s a nice place, I guess, but in order to enjoy it fully, you need like a gazillion dollars.  (Yes, there is such a thing as a gazillion.  How do I know?  Because I put it in my blog.)

They want to charge you for just about everything.  Push a crosswalk button, $5.  Public restroom, $2.  You get the point.

I really believe it’s more expensive than going to D-Land or World.  Hotel prices are crazy, food prices are out of this world and even drinks, like water, are double the price.

There were just two of us and I cringe to think what a family would run people.  In the Paris there is an elevator to the observation deck.  $10/person for a trip up for two-three minutes of scenery.  $5/person if you happen to stay there.  Don’t think it is worth it. 

In the Mirage is the Secret Garden of Siegfried and Roy.  $15/person to see a couple dolphins, some Alpaca’s and of course the White Tigers.  It’s cool, but 20 minutes is about all you spend there.  It’s not very big.  Another negative, you spend that money to look at them sleeping.  It’s outside and so hot, 109 the day we went, the animals are sleeping in the shade.  It closes at 7, so there are not very many chances to see the animals up and about.   

MGM had a free exhibit for their Lions.  That was cool.  They were in air conditioning so they were more active and the trainers were playing with them, so we spent a lot of time watching.  That was worth it.

I’d love to take a helicopter tour of the city and then of the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.  That would be cool.  I fly airplanes and would love to fly helicopters.  Another life long dream of mine.  I could be happy flying and writing for the rest of my life.  Oh well.  Obviously not in the cards.    All you need is money to make some of those type of dreams come true.

Overall, Vegas was ok.  I enjoy other things more.  I like to be active and doing stuff.  People watching, although very interesting in Vegas, gets old after a while.

Also, I made no time to write so that ended up a bust as well. 

I guess there is always next week.