18 May 2007: Go with the Flow
Mukwonago to Silver Lake: 32.4 mi; high 60s?
Adaptability - thats' the key. On tours like this, you must take what comes up and fly with it. Especially when you attempt to overextend yourself, with eight hours at school before hitting the road for up to three hours of riding.
First, Jasonn took me to his high school, where I talked to three consecutive groups - my only high school this tour. While peer pressure must have kept many of the kids silent, enough interacted to keep things rolling - and a few seem quite impressed. Afterwards, one teacher snuck up and gave me a Mukonago High Girls Track Team tee shirt.
Between talks, as I snacked on the muffin and banana they provided for refreshments, I chatted with another one of the Quintet, Sue Van Vleet. When I told her I lived near Boulder CO, she remarked that she had good friends in Boulder. The wife was a professor at the University, and the husband was an ENT named Pete Lilledahl. It took a few minutes for the name to register. "Lilledahl? My wife sees Dr. Lilledahl when she gets a sinus infection!"
After my three talks, Jasonn carted me over to Rolling Hills Elementary, where the school had huge posters welcoming this 'famous' author. Earlier, the teachers had taken the fifth graders out to pick up litter, and they presented me with a picture of the classes with the trash, all made into a refrigerator magnet.
Shannon met me out front, and took me to where the kids were excitedly waiting my arrival. She said she had never seen those 72 kids so raptly attentive, not making a peep until I began asking them questions. Following that presentation, I lunched with Shannon and other teachers in the faculty lounge.
I now had a chance to enjoy some of the phenomenal weather, as I rode three miles to Eagleville Charter School down a gorgeous winding country lane. At the old school, Jodi Gebhard (another of the Quintet) ushered all grades into the gym to hear my presentation. Again, they inundated me with questions (including one of two for the day asking how I brush my teeth). I finally had to cut it short, knowing that one more school awaited me.
They'd arranged for a student's parent to take me back to Clarendon Elementary to save time, so we squeezed (a little too hard, I found out later) my bike into her Suburban. At my final stop, third graders Emily and Ian waited at the office to escort me to their waiting classmates, where Anita Nicoson (the last of the Quintet)
had more refreshments available. I repeated my spiel for the last time this tour, and they stayed attentive despite the fact that I'd probably kept them past normal quitting time.
Before I could start my ride, I discovered my squeeze job had broken off a nut holding my bike rack on. Luckily, the janitor had a replacement nut and bolt to save my day. As I finished the fix, another teacher (who apparently hadn't heard about my talk) came in, shaking her head. "I don't know what's gotten into little Charlie," she said. "He's over in the schoolyard, running around picking up litter."
With my rack repaired and my gear reattached, I headed down the road a half-hour later than expected. As I rolled south, I kept hearing a new squeak that I couldn't isolate. After 23 miles I finally stopped to find that I hadn't attached my pannier properly, and was lucky it hadn't fallen off. I fixed that, then found a new way to stack my camping gear on the rack that didn't require as much muscle power to hook the bungees over.
I made good time to mile 32, when I stopped for a power-bar break. Hopping off the bike, I noticed I no longer had a sleeping bag, jacket, or poncho. No wonder it had been easier to hook the bungees - they hadn't had enough tension to hold the load! Not knowing if the gear had fallen out a mile back or nine miles ago, and since I was already behind schedule, I called Tom to pick me up and help me go find my 'litter'.
Though the day ended on a less-than stellar note, I still classified it as a success. It sure feels like I've cut my teeth as a professional speaker!
Adaptability - thats' the key. On tours like this, you must take what comes up and fly with it. Especially when you attempt to overextend yourself, with eight hours at school before hitting the road for up to three hours of riding.
First, Jasonn took me to his high school, where I talked to three consecutive groups - my only high school this tour. While peer pressure must have kept many of the kids silent, enough interacted to keep things rolling - and a few seem quite impressed. Afterwards, one teacher snuck up and gave me a Mukonago High Girls Track Team tee shirt.
Between talks, as I snacked on the muffin and banana they provided for refreshments, I chatted with another one of the Quintet, Sue Van Vleet. When I told her I lived near Boulder CO, she remarked that she had good friends in Boulder. The wife was a professor at the University, and the husband was an ENT named Pete Lilledahl. It took a few minutes for the name to register. "Lilledahl? My wife sees Dr. Lilledahl when she gets a sinus infection!"
After my three talks, Jasonn carted me over to Rolling Hills Elementary, where the school had huge posters welcoming this 'famous' author. Earlier, the teachers had taken the fifth graders out to pick up litter, and they presented me with a picture of the classes with the trash, all made into a refrigerator magnet.
Shannon met me out front, and took me to where the kids were excitedly waiting my arrival. She said she had never seen those 72 kids so raptly attentive, not making a peep until I began asking them questions. Following that presentation, I lunched with Shannon and other teachers in the faculty lounge.
I now had a chance to enjoy some of the phenomenal weather, as I rode three miles to Eagleville Charter School down a gorgeous winding country lane. At the old school, Jodi Gebhard (another of the Quintet) ushered all grades into the gym to hear my presentation. Again, they inundated me with questions (including one of two for the day asking how I brush my teeth). I finally had to cut it short, knowing that one more school awaited me.
They'd arranged for a student's parent to take me back to Clarendon Elementary to save time, so we squeezed (a little too hard, I found out later) my bike into her Suburban. At my final stop, third graders Emily and Ian waited at the office to escort me to their waiting classmates, where Anita Nicoson (the last of the Quintet)
had more refreshments available. I repeated my spiel for the last time this tour, and they stayed attentive despite the fact that I'd probably kept them past normal quitting time.
Before I could start my ride, I discovered my squeeze job had broken off a nut holding my bike rack on. Luckily, the janitor had a replacement nut and bolt to save my day. As I finished the fix, another teacher (who apparently hadn't heard about my talk) came in, shaking her head. "I don't know what's gotten into little Charlie," she said. "He's over in the schoolyard, running around picking up litter."
With my rack repaired and my gear reattached, I headed down the road a half-hour later than expected. As I rolled south, I kept hearing a new squeak that I couldn't isolate. After 23 miles I finally stopped to find that I hadn't attached my pannier properly, and was lucky it hadn't fallen off. I fixed that, then found a new way to stack my camping gear on the rack that didn't require as much muscle power to hook the bungees over.
I made good time to mile 32, when I stopped for a power-bar break. Hopping off the bike, I noticed I no longer had a sleeping bag, jacket, or poncho. No wonder it had been easier to hook the bungees - they hadn't had enough tension to hold the load! Not knowing if the gear had fallen out a mile back or nine miles ago, and since I was already behind schedule, I called Tom to pick me up and help me go find my 'litter'.
Though the day ended on a less-than stellar note, I still classified it as a success. It sure feels like I've cut my teeth as a professional speaker!
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