Saturday
I was in a major panic the night before. It felt like there was no way we were going to be ready on time for the inspections. We hadn't received the light bar yet (big yellow thing on the roof of the vehicle), we'd get it about an hour before inspection. We hadn't received the other van yet, we would have about two hours to get it stickered up and ready for inspection. On top of that, we needed bike supplies, food, and we needed some sort of bed set up in the follow vehicle for Stephen to get some rest.
John was able to keep us focused on getting through inspection and then we dealt with the runs to Performance Bikes for parts, and Walmart for supplies, and Home Depot for equipment. Dan built this amazing neck brace just in case Stephen gets the dreaded Shermer's neck (A condition in which the neck muscles give out and the rider can no longer lift the head to see down the road, named after Micheal Shermer who suffered horribly during his Races Across America).
The team has really come together and I get the feeling that they'll be able to handle anything that comes their way. It feels really good to be a part of this team.
Friday, Stephen missed a mandatory rider meeting and incurred a 1 hour time penalty. John broke the news to Stephen at dinner tonight. It's not the end of the world, even though it may feel like it right now. it represents about a 0.3% of the allowable time. Basically, when he hits time station 52, they'll hold him there for an hour, he'll get a chance to sleep during that time, he doesn't have to sit in a penalty box or anything. I'm guessing tomorrow will be a leisurely breakfast, followed by some short shopping trips for last minute items, then we'll see Stephen off at the pier. Followed by a madcap dash to Annapolis with wacky fun along the way. Stay tuned, I've got a feeling there's going to be some great stories coming soon.
P.S. I got my In-N-Out Burger today.
