The Move

Double Fun

2008-08-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to report that August in Georgia doesn't have to be unbearable. Last year we endured day after day of temperatures in the 100's. So far August 2008 has been amazingly tolerable. For the past few weeks we've had temperatures in the 70's and 80's with low humidity, which has provided spectacular cycling weather. Occasional rain has kept the air clear and the temperatures down. Fortunately those storms have occurred during the week, so the weekends are clear for great riding.

We took full advantage of the weather to hook up with the Georgia Peaches, a group of tandem riders from in and around Atlanta. The group gets together for one ride each month and we've enjoyed joining them several times during the past year. They generally ride outside of Atlanta to get away from city traffic. Rural Georgia is truly beautiful, with many tall trees, frequent rivers and lakes, rolling hills and scenic vistas. The only down side is the dogs. Although there is a leash law, it doesn't appear to be enforced in the rural areas, It's not uncommon to get chased by packs of dogs determined to protect their homesteads. Fortunately we learned last summer that a loud whistle seems to confuse them enough to allow for a quick getaway.

Being a control freak, one of the challenges for Nancy has been learning to be a good stoker (the person who rides on the back of the tandem). As the captain, Michael has control of the steering, brakes and choice of gears. In other words -- total control! To appease Nancy, we mounted a bell on the back handle bar which she can ding as a friendly greeting or to alert clueless pedestrians of our presence. Now, she also has control over the dog whistle! So as we're spinning madly to escape the drooling beasts, she is also in charge of madly blowing the whistle.

Our Georgia Peaches ride began in Moreland, Georgia, about an hour south of Atlanta. The terraine south of Atlanta has gently rolling hills, which is ideal for a tandem ride. It is much flatter than the extremely hilly portions of metro Atlanta as you approach the Georgia mountains to the north of us. It was a delightfully cool start for August (low 70's). Nine tandems showed up for the ride and we enjoyed joking that our group was the equivalent of an 18-wheeler on the country roads.

Riding with a group of tandems is very much like being in a parade. We definitely create a sensation everywhere we go. Kids always get excited to see us and adults smile and wave as we go by. Even the drivers of passing cars seem more courteous and friendly. As our group approached one small town, we passed a sheriff who immediately flipped on his flashing lights and gave us an escort through every intersection, allowing us to blow through the stop signs! We waved our appreciation as we headed out of town and continued down the road.

After the ride we enjoyed celebrating the birthday of one of the women who was turning 40. As you know, the secret to feeling young is to hang out with older people, so Michael and I definitely were an asset to the birthday girl in that regard! Looking at the photo of the post-ride feast makes us realize that bike clubs all over the country (and the world) are very much the same. It reminds us of our frequent visits to Taco Pablos with all our wonderful friends from the North County Cycle Club in San Diego.

So we're rolling along and enjoying another Summer in Georgia.

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to realize that we haven't blogged since the tornado. Apologies to any who check this site periodically. I guess it means that we've settled into life in Georgia and need to get out and have more adventures! We'll try to do better in the future.

We recently returned from a wonderful 10 days in Colorado with some of Nancy's family. Michael felt really tall the entire time. After spending a couple of days in Fort Collins with Nancy's parents, we kidnapped her Mom and headed off to Estes Park for a week at a timeshare with Nancy's sister, Kathy, and her daughter, Lee. We were also joined by Nancy's brother, Phil, and his wife, Jeanee. Mom loved every minute of the trip, and Dad joined us for a couple of overnights and/or day trips from Fort Collins. Estes Park is deep in the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, and about an hour's drive West of Fort Collins.

The week couldn't have been better. The weather was spectacular, with blue skies and warm weather only briefly interrupted by an occasional afternoon thunderstorm. We made frequent trips into Rocky Mountain National Park, and saw elk regularly. We were amazed at the large herds in and around the Park, and even at the higher altitudes along the top of Trail Ridge Road. A couple of times we even found elk wandering along the river that ran right in front of our condo. Another evening we were thrilled to come across a large herd of elk that included several small calves. It was a delight to watch their antics and aggressive nursing. Elk mothers have a lot of patience!

We had so much fun together and often split into smaller groups to enjoy different activities. In addition to relaxing and gabbing around the condo, we found time to enjoy the famous tram ride up the side of a mountain outside Estes Park, have fun in the novelty and gift shops around town and take in a miniature horse show competition. Think "Best in Show" with tiny horses instead of dogs and you'll get the idea. There was also a hootenanny at nearby MacGregor Ranch, the most beautiful ranch in the world, complete with hay rides, cowboy singers and a yoedeler and cowboy poet. We also enjoyed hikes in the Park and of course quality sister time.

Nancy's father joined us for a special luncheon to celebrate her parents' 60th wedding anniversary. Bettye and Ed have been blessed to enjoy such a long and truly happy marriage. They have set a wonderful example for each of their children who are all fortunate to be in long-term loving relationships with their own spouses.

During our trip Michael enjoyed spending a day with a few of his college buddies who still live in and around Denver. George and Michael have been best friends since before Nancy came into the picture. Speaking of pictures, they both hate posing for photos, so this shot of the two of them together is a rare treat.

The time with family was so special and we all felt particularly honored that Lee didn't mind hanging out with the old folks! We all missed Kenny and Jeanette, and David, and hope that they can join us for a future adventure.

Now we're back into the heat and humidity of Summer in Atlanta and yearning for that cool, dry mountain air. But it's good to be home -- and especially good to be back with Lucy!

Atlanta Tornado

2008-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the news over the last few days, I'm sure you heard that downtown Atlanta took a direct hit from a tornado last night. It was an EF-2 tornado with 135 mph winds which left a path of destruction 200 yards wide and 6 miles long. Less than 1% of tornados hit major downtown areas. Just our luck.

Our condo is about 7 miles north of the downtown area. We had severe lightening and thunder around the time of the tornado, which hit at approximately 9:40 p.m. The lightening and thunder were nearly simultaneous at our place and the severity of the storm sent Nancy and Lucy (our cat) under the covers, while Michael chided them for being wimps. Today we rethought our disaster plan and realized that the master bath, which has no windows and is located in the most central part of our 4-story condo building, might be a safer alternative than under the covers . . .

We didn't learn about the tornado until we checked the weather this morning to see if we would be able to get in a bike ride. Since it was too wet to ride, and more severe weather was predicted for today, we grabbed the camera and took the train downtown to survey the damage. Although the television coverage was impressive, the full impact of seeing the area of devastation in person was powerful.

Windows from many buildings were blown out. Broken glass and debris covered the sidewalks. Insulation hung from the trees. Many of the streets were blocked to traffic. Police, barriers and crime scene tape were everywhere. Trees were uprooted. Cars were smashed. Large steel billboards were tweaked like toothpicks. Older buildings had completely collapsed. Utility poles and street lamps were broken in half. News helicopters circled the sky, while camera crews, news vans and reporters from all the major networks covered the streets. Several of the huge columns erected in Centennial Olympic Park for the 1996 Olympics were knocked over.

As we were walking down the street, a huge plate glass window fell about 20 stories from one of the big hotels and crashed onto a mini van about a half block away from us. At that point the police began yelling for everyone to get off the street. They didn’t have to tell us twice!

Many tourists were in the downtown area for the SEC basketball championships at the Georgia Dome. Just before the tornado hit one of the games had gone into a double overtime. If not for the fact that all of the fans were still in their seats to watch the exciting conclusion, thousands would have been filing out of the arena and into the streets just before the storm. That had to contribute to the amazing statistic that there were no deaths or serious injuries as a result of the tornado.

We spoke with a Tennessee fan who had been in the Dome. He reported that the fiberglass roof was undulating, and the catwalk and scoreboard which are suspended from the ceiling began to sway dramatically. Some people were screaming, but most made a hasty but organized exit into the concourse area. Officials kept them there for several hours. Today we saw many tourists dragging their luggage from one hotel to another looking for undamaged rooms for the night.

Additional photos can be viewed at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/tandembikers/AtlantaTornado

Toward the end of the Picasa album you'll see some of the beautiful trees and bushes that have begun blooming around town this week. Springtime in Atlanta (despite the devastating weather) is truly incredible.

We're happy to report that we are safe and sound. Thanks to all for the phone calls and e-mails today. It’s been a joy to hear from so many friends and family.

S N O W ! ! !

2008-01-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently snow is a rare occurrence in Atlanta, so we felt fortunate to experience two snow events this week. It started snowing late Wednesday afternoon and the local media immediately began posting "Severe Weather Alerts!!" By early evening about 1/4 inch had accumulated on the ground and the local media started reporting school closings. After growing up in the Midwest and living for several years in Colorado, we were chuckling at the overreaction, especially since all the snow was melted by the next morning. But it was beautiful and fun, and I'm sure the school kids were thrilled.

A more substantial storm came through our area late Friday night and most of the day on Saturday. We woke to a cold steady rain on Saturday, but by late morning it had changed over to snow and was absolutely beautiful as the large flakes blanketed the city. Thanks to the cold weather the snow quickly accumulated and before long there were about 2-3 inches on the ground. How fun that this occurred on a Saturday, so the kids (and adults) had a chance to spend a rare day playing in the snow. In that regard, we both had to smile when we noticed a prominent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution with detailed instructions and illustrations on how to build a snowman! (Step One: work quickly . . .)

Knowing that the snow wouldn't last long, I grabbed a camera, bundled up and went walking in a Winter Wonderland. Quite a contrast to the 100+ temperatures of last August. The soft flakes continued to drift down, blanketing trees, bushes and a few early blooms, as well as the garden gnomes which are so popular in the south. It doesn't take much snow to have fun, and several of the neighborhood kids were building snowmen, having snowball fights and sledding.

Later that afternoon I drove to a John Edwards campaign stop at a Union Hall in downtown Atlanta. Atlanta is famous for its horrible traffic, and the speed limit on the local Interstate Highways seems to be as fast as you're able to drive until you run into a slower vehicle in front of you. The snowy conditions and freezing cold weather, combined with the weekend, kept the traffic very light on the Interstate, and most drivers had slowed to around 55 or 60. That made for an easy drive despite the conditions.

Considering the weather, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large crowd at the event. I'm still deciding who to vote for in the Georgia Primary on Super Tuesday. Obviously Edwards doesn't have the money and momentum of the Obama and Clinton campaigns, but I do like his message. It's exciting to live in Atlanta where we have access to all the major candidates. Obama is making a stop at Ebenezer Baptist Church today as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration. Incidentally, nowhere else do they celebrate the MLK holiday like they do in Atlanta. There have been events all week long and the entire city will be closed down for the parades and celebrations on Monday. Truly a great man and an inspirational leader.

Today's very cold temperatures make it easy to stay inside and watch football. Of course we'll be rooting for the Chargers, although they will surely have their hands full against New England. We would both love to see the Chargers play the Packers in the Super Bowl . . . but I'm probably dreaming!

Happy Brrrrrr Year!

2008-01-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

All cyclists know that the best day of the year to ride is on New Years Day. Traffic is practically nonexistent, and as a result bikes can take to the streets with abandon. Perhaps it has something to do with old age, but we've realized that it's much more fun to celebrate New Year Day than New Years Eve. While living in California our routine was to watch the ball drop in NYC (which was 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time), and then get to bed so we could get up early on New Years Day to meet the group for a ride. Unfortunately, since Atlanta is in the same time zone as New York, that plan didn't work this year. Still, we got to bed by 10:00 so we could hit the road early for our first New Years Day ride in Atlanta.

We had a blast! We joined a group of about 100 other cyclists for a New Year Day ride that has been ongoing in Atlanta for 30 years and has followed the same route every year. In contrast to the downtown areas of most major cities which are built on a grid system, Atlanta's high rises are essentially stretched out in a line along Peachtree Street, which follows the highest natural ridgeline through the city. On any other day of the year, Peachtree is the most congested route through Atlanta, a city famous for its horrible traffic, and it would be suicidal to ride a bike down that street. However, on New Years Day there were more bikes than cars on Peachtree and we reveled in the experience of riding through the concrete canyons from Five Points in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, through Midtown (where Michael works), past the exploding metropolis of Buckhead and beyond. The experience was also memorable for the wind gusts of up to 30 mph that day. We were well protected by the highrises, but were buffeted by crosswinds at the intersections and had to fight to not get blown off the bikes. All in all, a fun and exciting start to the New Year.

Obviously the weather conditions in Atlanta in January are a bit more extreme than in Encinitas. As the temperatures have been dropping lower and lower throughout the winter, we have been adding to our cycling wardrobe. Fingers, toes and faces seem to take the brunt of the icy weather. We had booties and toe covers that we used occasionally in California, but have discovered the added warmth of wool socks. I'm even considering placing plastic baggies over my socks to help block the wind and cold. We both now wear two pairs of gloves at the beginning of the ride when the temperatures are lowest. I'm not talking about a pair of cycling gloves (with no fingers) and a pair of liner gloves with fingers. I'm talking about a pair of winter full-finger gloves with a pair of liner gloves. On a cold day we'll keep both pair on throughout the entire ride.

One of the greatest inventions is the face mask! When the temperatures dip really low, merely inhaling can freeze your teeth and nostrils. It also keeps your head and neck warm. Thanks to the lycra fabric, you can cover every part of your head except for your eyes, pull it below your nose, or even below your chin. Very versatile! They also come in handy if you want to rob a bank. Another favorite piece of new clothing is fleece lined tights. Very cozy on a cold morning.

Despite all the new winter clothing, there are still limits to how cold it gets before we decide to stay in our TWB (toasty warm bed) and blow off the ride. Since women have much more sense than men, Nancy's limit is about 10 degrees higher than Michael's. She will not start a ride if the temperature is 35 or below. If the temperature is between 35 and 40, she'll start the ride only if predictions are for sunshine and warmer temperatures throughout the remaining hours of the morning. Naturally these parameters exclude rain or gale-force winds, in which case the TWB wins. Michael is still testing his limits. Last week he started a ride in 28-degree weather. Out of our usual group of about 20 riders, only one other fool showed up for the ride, and around mile 10 they both began to question their sanity. Immediately following the ride, Michael (after first spending about 20 minutes thawing out in a hot shower) drove to the bike shop and purchased his full face mask and a new pair of booties.

Fortunately Atlanta never stays too hot or too cold for too long. After a week of temperatures ranging from 15 to 35 degrees, this week we're back in the mild 60's. But winter is not over yet, so our new warm clothing will be put to good use again soon. We are both excited about the vibrant cycling community in Atlanta and the fact that with a few exceptions, we will be able to ride year-round in our new home.

Happy New Year to y'all. Hope you're staying cozy and warm!

Fall Colors

2007-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

After spending 25 years in Southern California, we had both forgotten how incredible autumn can be. Despite the current drought situation in Georgia, which many say has dampened the fall colors, we were totally blown away by the brilliance of the season. Atlanta is a beautiful city literally built in the middle of a forest. Soon after we arrived and were awed by all the trees and foliage, we began to look forward to autumn. We were not disappointed.

We used the fall colors as an excuse to make our first visit to the North Georgia mountains. Within an easy hour's drive of Atlanta we were in the Appalacian Mountains which stretch from Canada to central Alabama. We just happened to stumble across the beginning of the famous Appalacian Trail and enjoyed talking with two young backpackers who were setting out to do a small stretch of that trail on a very cold and windy day.

Of course we couldn't visit this area of the state without making the climb to the top of Brasstown Bald. At 4,784 feet, it is the tallest peak in Georgia. From the top of the mountain you can see four states: Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. The view was indeed magnificent, especially with the yellows, oranges and reds of the hillsides.

Brasstown Bald is also a classic climbing stage during the annual Tour of Georgia bicycle race. The year that Lance Armstrong raced, he said that Brasstown Bald was one of the most difficult climbs he'd ever done. We walked the final mile to the top of the mountain and were both confident that it would have been impossible for either of us to pedal up such a steep grade. We tried to capture the pitch on film, but none of our photos do justice to the steepness of the climb. You'll just have to settle for some leftover paint from a previous race.

We were also treated to nature's autumn spectacular during our drive from Atlanta to Champaign, Illinois, for Thanksgiving. It was bright and sunny during our 9-hour drive and the colors were amazing the entire distance. We had a good week in Champaign with Michael's Mom and our cat, Lucy, who has become a seasoned traveler. During our visit we celebrated Mom's 79th birthday, Thanksgiving (vegetarian lasagne) and our 33rd anniversary. While we were in Champaign we had a few days of rain, some very cold weather and high winds. As a result, the trees were nearly bare on our return trip to Atlanta.

Oh yes, on Thanksgiving morning Michael and I braved 30-degree weather to take part in the 40th annual Urbana Park District Turket Trot. Fortunately for us the course was only 1 mile. We're not runners, but the cold temperatures assured that we did, in fact, trot rather than walk. The free hot chocolate at the finish line tasted great!

Street Performers and Enlightenment

2007-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Another fun weekend in Atlanta. We took the train downtown to Woodruff Park to attend the first annual (we hope!) Street Performers Fair. We were entertained by some of the best street performers in the country, including jugglers, clowns, acrobats and break dancers. We've always enjoyed encountering street performers during our visits to other cities, particularly San Francisco, so the opportunity to see the best in one place was irresistable.

The heat and humidity of the summer has given way to beautiful fall weather and the temperatures were perfect under a clear blue sky. Michael had just returned from a business trip to St. Louis and was a little annoyed when he got off the plane and I announced that we were going to attend a street fair. But the day was spectacular, the acts were entertaining, and I treated him to a burrito at Moe's, so he soon perked up and had a great time.

The admission was only $1, but of course tipping was encouraged as each act passed the hat after their performance. The crowd was enthusiastic and responded generously, so hopefully these talented performers (who often sleep in their cars as they travel around the country) were well paid for their efforts.

Monday afternoon the rain and drizzle that we desperately need in our area moved in, but I didn't let it discourage me from attending an amazing event at Centennial Olympic Park. The Dalai Lama, who was recently in Washington DC to accept a Congressional Gold Medal, was in Atlanta. After 15 years of effort on the part of Emory University, His Holiness was formally installed as a visiting professor at that great institution. There were three days of events at Emory, culminating with the free public event on Monday.

Despite the weather, thousands of people streamed into the park for an afternoon of Tibetan music and a talk by the Dalai Lama. Understandably, security was very high. No purses, backpacks or chairs (although they did allow umbrellas), and everyone was patted down before entering. The rain held off during the afternoon and early evening, but low clouds hung over the park and surrounding skyscrapers.

The atmosphere was literally a love in. The amicable crowd included tatooed and pierced kids with green hair, Buddhist monks and nuns in traditional maroon and yellow robes, workers in business attire, tourists, curious onlookers and senior citizens in wheelchairs. When the Dalai Lama walked on stage, following a fascinating chanting performance by a group of monks accompanied by traditional Tibetan longhorns, an electric vibe shot through the crowd. So much has been written about this truly genuine compassionate leader of the Buddhist faith, and seeing him in the home city of Martin Luther King, Jr., was poignant.

His message, delivered in fairly good English with occasional assistance from his interpreter, focused on inner disarmament -- letting go of anger, hatred and jealousy and cultivating compassion and service to others. For a religious "rock star" he was amazingly down to earth, and his joy and sense of humor shone through every sentence. It was a delight to be a part of the event and now that he has an association with Emory University, hopefully there will be other opportunities to hear him speak in the future.

A lot of our attention has been focused on San Diego this week in lieu of the devastating fires. As I write this the situation seems to be stabilizing and hopefully the fires will be contained soon. On the positive side, it has been good to reconnect with many friends in that area through phone calls and e-mails. Our thoughts and good wishes are with you all.

Kathy & Mom's Visit

2007-10-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

We were excited to have our first visitors over the weekend. My sister, Kathy, who is the best middle school math teacher in Colorado, is on her Fall Break and she brought Mom out for a visit. Mom had been a world traveler in the years before her Alzheimer's progressed, and she was very excited about packing, boarding an airplane and heading off on another trip. We're thrilled and honored that their first destination was Atlanta.

Michael and I met them at the airport where we all boarded the MARTA train to get back to our condo. We use MARTA often to get around downtown Atlanta, and it's also the best way to get to the airport. The train lets passengers off inside the airport terminal and it's so much easier than fighting the horrible Atlanta traffic. We had fun riding the train toward downtown Atlanta, going right past the state capitol building with its gold dome and by Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Just south of the downtown area the train goes underground until it eventually emerges in Buckhead which is the area north of downtown where we live.

We have a lovely pond in our condo complex and Mom got a real kick out of feeding our ducks, which are actually just a bunch of freeloading fowl. Many of the local residents frequently stop by to visit (and feed) the ducks. When the ducks notice people walking toward the pond, they immediate rush over to sample the treats! Their delighted quacks draw even more ducks, and before you know it you're engulfed in a feeding frenzy. The ducks' motto seems to be "What have you done for me lately." As soon as other humans approach the pond, they quickly turn their backs on you and scurry over to see what their next course will be.

Mom and Dad were married in 1948 and spent their first summer together working at Grand Lake Lodge in the mountains of Colorado. Mom was a waitress and Dad was a bell hop. That was the summer they met another young waitress, Betty B, and became life-long friends. Betty has lived in Atlanta for many years and has provided great insight and advice as Michael and I navigate and investigate our new city. Mom really enjoyed visiting with Betty and we all had a delightful dinner together.

On Sunday we enjoyed an easy hike along the banks of the nearby Chattachoochee River. Despite Georgia's record drought, the Chattachoochee River is magnificent, especially compared with the "wimpy" rivers of Colorado and California that we are used to. We were hoping for more spectacular fall colors during Mom and Kathy's trip, but we had to settle for a beautiful blue sky day with mild temperatures in the 70's and a smattering of reds and yellows in the foliage. I assume that the fabulous fall colors will erupt in a few weeks in our area, since we're finally having colder overnight temperatures. With the millions of trees in and around Atlanta, it should be incredible.

Monday morning Michael headed off to work, while Mom, Kathy and I took the MARTA train back to the busy Atlanta airport. Fortunately we gave ourselves a good 2 hours before their flight, because when we got off the train the line to go through security was snaking throughout the terminal. We knew the situation was dire when we spotted the TV news crews filming the crowd as many frustrated passengers were having to rebook their flights for a later departure. I waited in line with them until we hit the X-ray machines, where we said our final goodbyes. I walked away wondering if Mom really posed such a threat that the security people felt compelled to put her through the discomfort of removing her shoes . . .

It was a wonderful visit, although we did miss Dad and look forward to showing him around Atlanta next time. For now, I know he enjoyed the much-deserved peace and quiet at home. In addition, this couldn't have been a worse weekend for him to stay with us. We don't have cable TV and as a result he would not have been able to follow the amazing success of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Over the weekend the Rockies swept the Arizona Diamondbacks to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Even more incredible is that the Rockies have won 20 of their last 21 games, including the exciting extra-innings game against the San Diego Padres at the end of the regular season to make it into the playoffs as the Wild Card team. GO ROCKIES!!!

Hindu Temple

2007-10-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened to us on our way to purchase a wireless router on Saturday. After checking the ads, we decided to head out to Fry's Electronics. Living in the middle of the city is accessible to many cultural opportunities, but we discovered that a trip to Fry's means driving way out of the city to a location where they can build their monster stores on much more affordable land. So we consulted our area maps and headed northeast to Duluth, Georgia.

We soon realized that on the way back we could swing through Lilburn, Georgia, to see the new Hindu Temple in this eastern suburb of Atlanta. We'd been reading about the Temple since it opened about a month ago.

The gleaming white temple, reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It's constructed out of Turkish limestone, Italian marble and Indian pink sandstone. No steel or metal was used in the Temple. Even the HVAC ducts are made out of stone. Each piece of stone, which was hand-carved and imported from India, was numbered, divided into sections and eventually set in place. The entire structure was fit together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Thousands of volunteers worked on the project and they were still working on it as we toured the grounds.

Walking through the interior was serene and peaceful. The walls, columns, doors, windows and ceilings are all intricately carved. Unfortunately no cameras were permitted inside. The detail was amazing. All guests must remove their shoes before entering. Since we were in shorts, I was provided with a long skirt and Michael was provided with long pants to wear into the temple. I also had to cover my shoulders with a jacket. They request complete silence from all guests while in the building, which just added to the visual sensory experience. There was no furniture in the rooms we toured. Just ornately carved columns and many alcoves to divide the space.

The outside of the Temple is a work in progress, with a huge reflection pond. The landscaping has not yet been installed. Georgia is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in history. We're currently 16" below normal for the year. Last week they ordered that all outdoor watering and car washing in the northern part of the state is prohibited. It will be interesting to see how the Temple will handle installing new landscaping under these harsh circumstances.

Our visit to the Temple was mesmerizing and we're looking forward to attending one of their many festivals planned in the months ahead. We're especially looking forward to the vegetarian food!

And by the way, our new wireless router works great. Michael didn't even need to bother our computer guru, Al, to get it hooked up. The timing was perfect, because last night we were following the exciting Padres vs. Rockies wild card playoff game on the computer since we don't have cable TV. At 10:00 p.m. Eastern time the game was tied and headed into extra innings. So we took the laptop to bed to keep up with the action. Sorry to say the Padres lost the game (on a questionable call) in the bottom of the 13th inning. But we're excited for the Colorado Rockies who they played their hearts out at the end of the season to clinch the playoff spot. My parents live in Fort Collins and my sister is in Denver and they are wildly excited.

Beautiful Backroads Century

2007-09-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved to Georgia we've heard from local cyclists about the Beautiful Backroads Century ride. Georgia cyclists seem to universally agree that this is one of the best organized bike rides in the state. On Saturday we took our tandem on the 65-mile course and after a day of perfect weather, beautiful scenery, great food and fun times, we now know why this ride has earned its stellar reputation.

The ride begins and ends at a Budweiser brewery about an hour's drive northwest of Atlanta. The minute you roll out of the parking lot, you're in the middle of rural Georgia. The route follows rolling hills through farmland, wooded forests and past many lakes and rivers. There were thousands of bikes and very few automobiles, although we did encounter a few pickup trucks with attitude! Many of the roads were narrow and winding and reminded us of stretches that we've seen on TV while watching the Tour de France. Although there were several 4-way stop signs, there was only one traffic light on the entire course. Loose dogs are always a concern in rural Georgia, so we were baffled to see several mellow mutts simply sitting by the side of the road watching all the bikes go by. We soon realized that they must have been so exhausted from running after all the bikes ahead of us on the course that they had no energy left to give chase!

We rode through several small towns and had to smile at the variety of garden gnomes and other statuary adorning the yards. Always wondered who bought that stuff. The sag stops were loaded with goodies and drinks. Many of them were at beautiful old churches set back in the woods. At the sag stop at the 55-mile point we were treated to the smokin' guitar of a southern rock band covering Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers tunes. Too bad we couldn't load those guys on a truck and have them follow us in for the last 10 miles of our ride.

While I was busy on the back of the tandem fulfilling my role as expedition photographer and official greeter of other cyclists along the route, Michael was focusing on closing the gaps in an attempt to catch the riders in front of us. That effort, combined with his lack of hydration, resulted in some severe leg cramps later in the ride. The least I could do to assuage my guilt was to give him a mini-massage. Fortunately this took place at the rest stop with the rock band, so we didn't mind lingering a little longer than usual.

After the ride the Budweiser folks hosted a big barbeque, which translated to salad and dessert for the vegetarians. BTW, vegetarians are few and far between in the south. The standard reply upon learning that we're vegetarian is "well you'll eat chicken, won't you?" Since free beer was also provided after the ride, Michael decided it was finally time to hydrate. Guess who drove home?

This was a great ride and we'll definitely look forward to next year.

More Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/tandembikers

Beautiful Backroads Century website: http://hugeelvis.tripod.com/

Book Fairs and Rock Bands

2007-09-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

We survived our first Georgia summer and now that the temperatures are down to the low 90's it's time to get back out and enjoy all that Atlanta has to offer. You may laugh, but compared to the 100+ temperatures of the last few weeks of August, upper 80's and low 90's actually feels great!

Over Labor Day Weekend we were delighted to stumble across the Decatur Book Fair, a literary event which drew upwards of 50,000 people. The charming old town square in Decatur played host to the 3-day event which drew authors from across the country, including Charles Frazier (Cold Mountain) and Kinky Friedman (author, singer/songwriter and politician). In addition to author talks and book signings, they had music, food, and a beer garden which seems to be a staple feature at every southern event.

A popular attraction was a community crossword puzzle, where people were encouraged to study the clues, pick up a pen and fill in an answer. We also enjoyed a high school poetry slam, where the cheers and jeers of the audience are encouraged. The poets were terrific, including one very courageous girl who performed her poem knocking organized religion for promoting hatred. Took a lot of guts to deliver that piece in front of a Bible Belt crowd.

The following weekend Piedmont Park, Atlanta's main city park, was the venue for a concert featuring the Dave Matthews Band and the Allman Brothers. 30+ years ago the Allman Brothers got their start in Athens, Georgia. Early in their career they used to set up in Piedmont Park (running extension chords from nearby hippie crash pads) and give free concerts. It was a huge deal that they were returning to this venue after all this time as a fundraiser for a park expansion project.

The concert has been sold out for months, but being old hippies ourselves, we decided it would be appropriate to crash the event. Actually in the old days we would have crashed the event, but now that we've evolved into law-abiding citizens we decided to just show up, take in the scene and hope that we could hear some good music.

The concert was promoted as a green event. They blocked off all the streets around the park, provided no automobile parking and encouraged everyone to take the train, walk or bicycle to the park. Amazingly, in excess of 50,000 people did just that and the event was a huge success. We joined the thousands of people who took the MARTA train to Midtown and then walked several blocks to the park. Along the way lots of guys were scalping tickets to the concert, but we decided that $50 per ticket was too high. Later we met a couple who paid $100 for 2 tickets and they turned out to be counterfeit. Trust no one in the Big City!

At the park we set up on a grassy area just outside the gates and to the side of the stage. When the Allman Brothers began playing, the sound from our "seats" was great. Wish I could say as much for the music. The Allman Brothers have a string of monster hits, but they rattled off the songs with very little passion. I guess rock 'n roll really is a young man's game. One highlight was Derek Trucks on guitar. His solos were incredible. Otherwise, it was a beautiful evening, but after an hour of ho-hum tunes we decided to grab some dinner and head home. If we hadn't been looking forward to an early bike ride on Sunday we would have stuck around for Dave Matthews, but I'm sure we'll catch them another time.

We are trying to get more training miles on our bikes. We signed up for the Beautiful Backroads Century ride on September 22. http://hugeelvis.tripod.com/ The ride begins and ends at a Budweiser brewery and everyone gets free beer after the ride. The scenery in this part of Georgia is supposed to be spectacular and it's a very popular ride in our area. The group that we're riding with has decided to do the 65-mile ride rather than the 100-miler. Last year, after finishing the 100-mile ride, most of the beer was gone, so they've decided to get their priorities straight this year!

HOT-lanta!!

2007-08-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yikes!! It's August . . . it's Georgia . . . and it's HOT!! For the past two weeks the temperatures have soared to the high 90's and low 100's every single day. Combined with the humidity, it feels even hotter. Just our luck, this is the hottest summer for the past 7 years. Maybe Al Gore is right ??

For the first time in our lives, we live in a home with air conditioning. We never needed it in Encinitas, and didn't have it in Colorado or Illinois. I don't know how we would survive a summer in Georgia without it. We're really glad to have it in the evenings. The temperatures are usually in the 80's when we get up at 5:30 a.m., rise steadily throughout the day, usually peak out around 100 between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. and are still in the 90's when we go to bed. Even our cat Lucy, who loves to hang out on the balcony and watch the world go by, rarely spends more than one minute outdoors these days. Maybe we should shave her?

In addition to the hot weather, Atlanta has it's worst air quality of the year in the summer. We regularly have smog alerts and "unhealthy" air quality. It's a no-brainer to stay off the bikes after work when we can barely see the highrises through the thick air. (Being able to see the air you breathe is not a good thing.) We find ourselves longing for rain or even a breeze to blow the crud away from the city.

Fortunately the air quality is better in the early mornings, so on weekends we get out early on the bikes to beat the heat. The Saturday group that we ride with starts at 7:30 a.m. We're learning that even when the temperatures creep up, it's not too bad when you're riding a bike and have a breeze in your face. The problems begin when you stop for a stoplight or regroup. Then you really feel the heat and start sweating like crazy. We learned quickly to drink constantly and try to keep moving.

Despite the current weather situation, there is still a lot to love about the South. Number one on the list is the friendly people. Some of you may recall Dave White's presentation at our NCCC goodbye party. He commented about my ability to talk, and talk, and talk. Well guess what? I fit right in here in Georgia! When you ask someone how they're doing, you'd better have an hour available to hear the answer. I can go through a check-out line at the grocery store and by the time I'm walking out I know the cashier's life story and she knows mine. It's wonderful and amazing how nice everyone is. That is, until they get behind the wheel of a car. Road rage is rampant due to the horrible traffic.

A few other observations. They don't have 7-Elevens in Georgia. But they do have Waffle House. http://www.wafflehouse.com/ The food is great, you can get breakfast all day long, and the prices are cheap. Really hits the spot after a hard bike ride.

We're so thankful we arrived in Atlanta in April, when the dogwoods and azaleas were in bloom and the temperatures were nice and cool. It gave us a chance to fall in love with our new city before the dog days of summer. Now if we can just hold on until October. With all the trees, autumn should be incredible around this area.

Sorry we didn't post the usual exciting photos this time, but it's too hot to do anything. We go from air conditioned condo to air conditioned cars to air conditioned offices. Check our future blogs to hear the rant about our utility bills.

Stay cool!

Skateboard and General Sherman

2007-07-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

We continue to enjoy exploring the Atlanta area. Everything is new to us and the more we dig, the more we discover that there are new venues and discoveries around every corner.

Saturday was the grand opening of Brook Run Skateboard Park, the largest skateboard park in Georgia. http://brookrunskateboardpark.com/resources/the-park/ It's on the north side of town, not too far from our condo, so we decided to check it out. It was a blast watching all the kids and some oldsters of various abilities enjoying the fresh concrete. They had areas for street skating, ramps and deep bowls. When we mentioned to a few of the skaters that we used to live in Encinitas, they were all familiar with the YMCA skate park there which was built under the guidance of Tony Hawk. Apparently Encinitas is legend among skateboarders.

You may recall that we had a big garage sale before we moved and purged quite a few of our wordly possessions. Fortunately Michael's old skateboards from the 1970's were among the items we got rid of. Otherwise I'm afraid he'd be pulling them out and launching his 54-year-old body into the mayhem at the new skateboard park. That would not be a pretty site . . .

On Sunday we drove north to Roswell for a hike through a lovely area near where we have been riding bikes on Saturdays. http://georgiatrails.com/trails/vickery.html The trail began by crossing the Vickery Creek over a covered bridge and continued through lush forests which are part of the Chattahoochee River Recreational Area. The humidity was so thick you could actually see it hanging in the air, but fortunately the bugs weren't too bad.

The trail eventually led to an old dam and the ruins of the Roswell Mill which was destroyed by General Sherman in 1864 on his march to Atlanta during the Civil War. The ruins of the once magnificent mill were overgrown by forest and kudzu, but the old rock foundation, part of a wall and some of the heavy gear machinery are still visible. The old dam is still in place and creates a spectacular waterfall in the creek. We still laugh at the magnificent size of the "creeks" in Georgia which would be considered wide rivers in the western states.

After our hike we were both thrilled to climb into the car and crank up the A/C. We're surviving the Georgia summers and not letting the 90 degree temperatures and 80 percent humidity keep us from cycling or hiking. But we're sure sweating a lot more these days and really appreciate the air conditioning!

4th of July

2007-07-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature blessed Atlanta with some unusually cool and dry weather for the July 4 holiday. We joined a group in Roswell for an early bike ride and enjoyed the spectacular morning with very light traffic.

Later in the day we took the train to downtown Atlanta to watch the 4th of July parade. What a slice of Americana! The festivities were ushered in by the reigning Miss America -- tiara and all.

We enjoyed the huge balloons, floats, and enthusiastic marching bands, many of which have adopted the infectious New Orleans dance style.

No Atlanta parade would be complete without a plethora of colorful Scarlett O'Hara look alikes.

After the parade the crowds walked over to Centennial Olympic Park for a free concert, activities and fireworks. Despite the comfortable weather, many kids (and adults) cooled off by jumping into the fountain in the shape of the 5 olympic rings.

Fiddling Around in Athens

2007-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Athens last weekend for the annual Athfest music and arts festival. Athens, located about 80 miles east of Atlanta, is home to the University of Georgia, about 100,000 residents and an incredibly cool campus town. We enjoyed poking around the town with the many good restaurants, unique shops, and numerous bars and concert venues which give rise to the talented music scene in this area of Georgia. We were excited to come across the Georgia Theatre, where our favorite Derek Trucks Band album was recorded http://www.derektrucks.com/. Another highlight was rummaging through a college campus record store which brought back memories of our youth. I guess turntables haven't disappeared entirely.

Although temperatures in the upper 90's kept people from dancing in the streets, we did enjoy several good bands. Our favorite was Bobby Yang, who plays covers of rock 'n roll hits on the violin. This guy is GOOD and you can check out his band on youtube or at www.bobbyyang.com.

We also enjoyed exploring the large University of Georgia campus. They have a massive quad area with more of the large, beautiful trees we've come to love here. Athens is home to the Georgia Bulldogs, and we're learning that college football rules in Georgia. Even though it's June, the newspapers and sports reports are full of Bulldogs recruiting and training news. Many cars and pickups have front license plates with a big red "G". At first we thought they were all Greenbay Packers fans, but we were quickly set straight!

Oh yes -- we were treated to another nostalgic experience the other night when we went for a walk and were surrounded by lightening bugs! Of course we grew up with those cool insects in Illinois, but haven't seen them during all our years on the West Coast. I guess lightening bugs are an upside to the heat and humidity.

Guess who this reminded us of??

Rural Georgia Bike Ride

2007-06-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

Can't believe it has been so long since our last post to this blog. Sorry. We've been busy enjoying Atlanta, and we like it -- we really like it! Since the last post was about our first tandem ride, it is fitting that this one is about our second tandem ride, on Saturday, June 16.

On a referral from a new riding partner we registered with a group of tandem riders called the Georgia Peaches (Pairs Enthusiastically Astride Cycles Having Experiences Simultaneously). The group does at least one ride every month in different areas of the state. We decided to give it a go and travelled about 68 miles north by north west of Atlanta to near a small town called Adairsville. We were the first tandem to arrive at the start but as others showed up we introduced ourselves. We actually met a couple that NC3 member Dave Crowe had met while he was doing a bike tour in Georgia around the Tour de Georgia. Dave had given us their names so we were glad to finally meet them. Five tandems showed up and we went on a beautiful 40+ mile ride in rural Georgia. Nice roads and no traffic to speak of. Only three cars passed us all day! We rode through beautiful countryside and past a few old towns that grew up along the railroads but are pretty quiet these days. It was great to meet new people and ride in new areas of the state.

That's the good news -- the bad news is that quite often when rolling past a small homestead we'd hear barking, followed by one or more aggressive canines who apparently earn their keep by chasing down anything that dares to use "their" road. Unlike rural San Diego where the dogs are usually behind a fence, these guys mean business and really come after you! Needless to say, the sound of barking immediate triggered a sprint zone in our pack of cyclists. We learned a few (hopefully) successful techniques from the Georgia cyclists on how to deal with dogs. One is to yell "Go Home" or "Sit" loudly, which seems to confuse them long enough to allow an escape. One of the women in our group had a loud whistle around her neck and would immediately start blowing it when the dogs attacked. Amazingly that really worked well in getting them to back off. As a last resort, when the dogs get real close, you blast them with a stream of liquid from your water bottle right in the face.

So we'll look forward to our next rural Georgia ride -- but we did go out today and buy a big whistle!

First Tandem Ride in Georgia

2007-04-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Flat is Fun! Finally, we found a relatively flat bike route. Not that hills don't make you stronger but it is nice every now and then to get some good miles in without dying. Plus, on a tandem it much more enjoyable. We did a 50 mile ride on what is called "The Silver Comet" trail. It is a 60+ mile rails to trails route. What that means (for our non-cycling friends) is a route built where a railroad line used to be. This one is paved. The first five or so miles is a bit dicey due to a lot of people riding all types of bikes, walking, running, roller-blading and dog walking. But after avoiding the obstacles it is a pretty nice ride with very gradual inclines and descents. Nothing more than they built for a railroad. Pretty neat idea. There are a few "stations" along the way where people can park and then access the trail. It was our first time on something like that and for our first tandem ride in Georgia just what we needed. We are so out of bike riding shape.

Our tourist activity this weekend was visiting Grant Park and viewing what is called the Cyclorama. No, nothing to do with cycling. It is a huge painting and diarama done in the round depicting the battle around Atlanta during the civil war. It is the largest painting in the world, 42' high and 358'. Viewers sit on bleacher type benches on a turntable which is turned so different vignettes are watched along with a narrative explaining what one is viewing. Pretty neat. Afterwards we visited Oakland Cemetary where the author Margaret Mitchell (Gone With The Wind) is buried. A pretty old and somewhat famous cemetary. Then we had a great dinner across the street at a fun restaurant called Six Feet Under.

We continue to explore and enjoy.

2007-04-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

WARNING: For our non-cycling fan friends this post might not be of interest. But for the rest of you.......some of these folks might be familiar.

Janez Brajkovic-Winner of general classification. He is so young!

Juan José Haedo-Winner, final stage

Lance Armstrong

Johan Bruyneel-Manager, Discovery team

Levi Leiphammer- Winner Tour of California

Tom Danielson

A bit of the action

Before the start

Tyler Hamilton- Nancy said he was the nicest one.

Dave Zabrieske

Freddy Rodriguez

George Hincapie

Dave, all the way from San Diego-Team NC3!

It was a great day. We are always impressed by how accesible the riders are and just how darn good they are! Can't wait until next year!

First Baseball Game

2007-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our first visit to Turner Field. The Braves played the Cubs and won! The center field jumbotron video screen was the clearest we have ever seen. It was neat seeing all of the Henry Aaron focus. We were treated to a wonderful sunset. Perfect ending to a nice day.

Playing Tourist

2007-04-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the afternoon taking in some more of the city. We took the train downtown rather than drive and try to park.
Although as you can see they know how to park cars.
The train station stop is right at the Georgia Dome, home to the NFL Falcons. Pretty big place.
There was an international robotics competition for high school kids at the Dome.
We also checked out Centennial Park, the World Congress Convention Center, Philips Arena (NBA Hawks, NHL Thrashers) and the new Georgia Aquarium. CNN headquarters building is just to the "left" of Philips Arena.

We continue to enjoy the tall buildings.

Riding Along

2007-04-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Heading out for a Saturday ride.

They have flat tires in Georgia too.

Pedaling along.

Ending the ride up "Little B". Short but quite steep.

Brrrrrrriding & Crime Report

2007-04-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

(excerpt from an email sent to Matt & Heidi Swanson)

We have a cold snap. This morning Nancy looked at me like I was nuts when I started pulling out all the warm clothing I could find. It was 31 degrees out when I started on the ride. It never got warmer than about 37 or so. Only 12 folks came out. After 2 or 3 miles nine guys dropped the rest of us. I don't think there is a flat road longer than a quarter mile out here. Mind you I have only ridden 20 miles in the last six weeks or so. So of course I thought, no problem, I will do the 50 today. Big mistake! At about mile 40 I was toast, stick a fork in me DONE. By then there were only two of us together. After pulling Kim for practically the whole ride she had to take over and nurse me home. With about 2 miles to go she warned me that "Little B" hill was coming up. "Little B? What does that stand for?" I asked. She said that everyone can fill in what the B stands for. LITTLE BASTARD is the name I gave it. Very cruel to put it so close to the end. Did I mention that the wind was blowing hard also? Wind chill in the 20s. Who says people get wiser with age? At least Nancy does. But I have a great story to tell.

When we got to Atlanta there was a big story about some guys getting arrested for sticking women up in the parking lots of very upscale shopping centers and stealing their diamond rings. Police said they were looking for other suspects. A couple of days ago the police came by and were looking for one of our neighbors two doors down in our building. They had moved out the night before. Yesterday they arrested him at a check cashing place. Here we thought we were moving into a "nice" place. One never knows.

Neighborhood Diversity

2007-04-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

I went for a walk around our new neighborhood recently and took some photos. The azaleas are in full bloom now.

First thing was to explore the area behind our building. There is a beautiful bamboo forest and small stream directly behind us.

I walked another eighth of a mile and discovered a beautiful wooded area with trails running through it.

A nice lake with lots of wildlife just around the corner from us.

Then I walked back to the street and about 5 blocks toward the main shopping district with many highrise buildings.

The MARTA train which is our connection to downtown and midtown is about 6 blocks from our home.

Back home again. Amazed at the diversity within about a mile of our new place. Whether we're in the mood for city or country, it's all nearby.

Some settling of contents may have occured during shipping

2007-04-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

We continue to settle in here. Sunday was rainy so we did not ride. Good thing due to all of the work we got done unpacking. We are down to two boxes!
We wanted to watch a tv show on the VS network about a bike race so called a sports bar near where I work and asked if they would show it. They said sure, no problem, since there was not anything else on that people really wanted to see. We ended up in our own room and they even put the sound on. We took the MARTA train from near our house to avoid having to drive and park in a busy area of the city. It was two stops and ended up one block from the sports bar. They have really good food there!

For those of you in the know, bike racing without commentary can be pretty boring. Without commentary from Phil Ligget, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll, either together or by themselves, watching a bike race can be REAL boring. So being able to listen to commentary was fun. It was odd watching a bike race among paraphenalia from "regular" sports as you can see in the picture. We were happy that one of our favorite racers, Jens Voigt, won the race.

Nancy started working today doing some work for her clients back in California. Our lives are seeming more normal every day.

Dig the picture of the cigarette machine located in a sports bar/restaurant. Haven't seen one of them in a long time. The photo of the tall building gives you an idea of where we were thinking of trying to live.

We decided living in a highrise did not fit our lifestyle what with having to take our bikes up and down an elevator. We have more greenery around us just outside our windows giving us a less "city" feel.

Margaret Mitchell house. We decided not to pay the $12 each to go inside.

First Bike Ride

2007-03-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

After perusing the Internet, talking with people at a local bike shop and reading a local bicycle periodical, we decided to check out a local group ride. It took us about 15 minutes to get there (mainly because we got lost several times on the way). When we got to the parking lot it was like OCRR, with lots of colorful, lycra-clad spandex geeks pulling bikes out of their cars or riding into the ride. The group numbered about 30 people and we learned that there were at least two rides. A 55-miler with lots of young hard bodies who averaged 19 mph and a 22-miler with people who looked more like us.

We introduced ourselves to a woman who was parked next to us. She was short, had short dark hair and a wonderful smile. She was real friendly (like most Southerners) and when she told us that her name was Lisa, Michael and I just looked at each other and smiled. We immediately felt right at home.

At Nancy's urging we opted for the 22-mile route since we have been off the bikes for a month and definitely not ready for all the hills around Atlanta. We got our butts kicked! We rode with a smaller group and they were so patient and full of information about cycling in Atlanta, politics and weather. The scenery was magnificent. Lots of blooming trees and flowers. Several times we crossed over wide rivers. At one point Nancy asked what river we were crossing, and someone said "Oh, that's just a creek". To top off a great ride, we all went to lunch afterward, not Taco Pablos, of course, but a good pizza place where we could sit outside.

All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better first ride in Atlanta. We're hoping to join the group again tomorrow, but the forecast is for thundershowers . . .

Hard Work

2007-03-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well I really misjudged things. I thought a day or two after our possesions were delivered we would be completely unpacked and settled in. WRONG. Based on how things have gone we will be unpacking for weeks. Probably will be completely unpacked and settled and then have to move again. We are doing the third or fourth purge of items. We really miss a garage where one can put miscellaneous items. Check out our new bike room, a converted breakfast nook.

Nancy spends her days unpacking and arranging while I sit in an air conditioned office and try to get up to speed with work. So many things are swirling in my head after four days I really need the weekend to relax, maybe even do a bike ride.

One factor making the move-in more challenging is our air conditioning is broken. Normally not a real bad thing with the temperatures being what they have been, just open a window. Well, they have something here called pollen which is not your average everyday pollen. It is everywhere and lasts about 3 weeks. The day we moved in the pollen count tripled causing numerous maladies among a large group of people, Nancy included. Not only does this stuff cause allergy sufferers a lot of grief but it covers everything with a coat of dust. It is so prevalent people do not wash their cars because they are immediately covered again. Funny seeing thousands of cars covered with green/yellow dust.

So we can not open windows to let the air in and with the air conditioning broken it is HOT in the house. We take a shower before going to sleep each night . The good news is that a new AC unit is being installed Friday morning. Once the pollen invasion is over then we can open windows. Just hope that we will have some time to enjoy natural air before it gets hot and humid.

Well that's all folks...........

One Down and ? To Go

2007-03-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

My first day of work at the new job went really well. It is definately a change in work environment. Very nice facilities, equipment and the people were extremely welcoming.

Nancy spent the day opening bank accounts, ordering newspaper delivery, confirming delivery of our household goods for tomorrow and opening a library account.

Things are going well. Now that it is the work week the separation anxiety is not as bad as during the weekend. We found a great bike shop nearby and spent about an hour talking to them about cycling in Atlanta. They had good advice and suggestions. Think our first ride here will be on Sunday.

Weather today was real nice. Much cooler than the weekend. Spring is very beautiful. Kind of forgotten how spectacular the renewal of nature can be.

Our kitty seems to have adjusted. She now spends most of her time asleep on a shelf in a closet, much as she did in Encinitas.

Oh, one thing we have noticed is that Atlanta seems to be behind the times with recycling. I asked someone at work where the recycle bins for paper and aluminum were and she just looked at me as if I had asked the oddest question. Will have to work on that. At least the condo has bins for plastic bottles, aluminum and newspaper. No mixed paper or cardboard. We found that that made up most or our refuse in CA.

Hope everyone reading this is doing well.....

End of Vacation

2007-03-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the end of my vacation from work. I start my new job tomorrow. All of this activity lately has been leading up to this. Somehow I feel like I am going to my first day of school. Sure hope I like it and they like me. Nancy will drop me off and pick me up after. Now that really feels like the first day of school. Since our possesions have not arrived yet we ironed the shirt and pants I had packed and brought along in the car. That too makes tomorrow feel like the first day of school. Should I take an apple?

We went to Target today to buy furniture! Seemed a bit odd since we have so much coming on Tuesday but we could not go any longer just sitting on the floor. We seem to be too old. We picked up a little patio table and two chairs. They will end up on the balcony but for now they are our dining, living, kitchen and office chairs. Should have gotten the ones with wheels on them.

This might be the last daily entry for a bit. Maybe not. We will see. Thanks for following it.

Home Sweet Home

2007-03-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

My turn. Michael has been great at keeping the blog current, but he's exhausted tonight so I volunteered to type for a change. Sorry there's no photos with this entry, but we were so busy we forgot to take any.

We met our property manager at 10:00 this morning and did a walk-through on the condo. Fortunately it still looks inviting and spacious and we're excited about living here. Right now it's more like camping, since our furniture doesn't arrive until Tuesday. We have an inflatable bed, a laptop and (thank goodness!) an Internet connection. The carpet is new, so we're able to sit on the floor. However, at our ages getting up and down is a challenge!

We found a nearby Target store, replenished our cleaning supplies and spent most of the day cleaning the unit top to bottom. Really made me appreciate Lola, our cleaning lady and next-door neighbor in Encinitas! Around 7:00 we decided to walk around the neighborhood. We were surprised to discover a lake, complete with geese and ducks, behind our building. Everyone we passed, in a car or on foot, waved or said hello. People are so friendly here!

Atlanta is beautiful and in the midst of Spring. The dogwoods, redbud and tulip trees are spectacular. The azaleas should bloom in a few weeks. We're looking forward to experiencing the change of seasons again after 25 years in California.

Tomorrow we'll relax and do something fun, since Michael has to start work on Monday. Traffic here is a nightmare, and that just reinforces our decision to live in the center of the city. Still haven't found any decent roads for cycling, but we'll continue the search once things settle down.

A big Happy Birthday to our buddy Richard Burkhart who turns 55 tomorrow. Richard is a treasured friend, and not just because he's married to Carol! Richard is the guy who first got Michael into cycling. It's funny to think that we used to make fun of Richard for wearing brightly colored spandex outfits, and now we have closets full of those same jerseys.

Miss all our friends, particularly on this Saturday. Felt strange to be on the other side of the country instead of at the OCRR parking lot. But it also feels good to be in our new home for the first time tonight.

Final Lap

2007-03-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

We took the checkered flag at 4:30 pm when we drove up to the hotel for our final night before moving into our new place. We woke up leisurely this morning in Bessemer Alabama and took the scenic route into Atlanta. We experienced Friday "rush" hour and are so glad we decided to take a place close to where I will be working. We were going against traffic and it was extremely slow. Just too many cars, and SUVs, for the small roads.

Before leaving Alabama we stopped off at Talladega Raceway where NASCAR has one of its biggest races each year. This was the one side trip we took this week. Probably due to the influence of the movie "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". We thought it was a crack-up. Who knows, we may become NASCAR fans since there is no Formula One around these parts. It was a huge place. We could visualize all of the RVs and campers in the wide open fields around the track.

Tomorrow we get the keys to our new home. Finally we get into the Winner's Circle.

Sweet Home Alabama

2007-03-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Lynyrd Skynyrd may have sung the lyrics and called Alabama home but for us it is home for only one night. We are outside of Birmingham. Can't say we have ever visited these here parts. Tomorrow we invade Georgia and take Atlanta!!!! It has been a long slog but one without any major pitfalls. We did have to deal with a car problem. Somewhere in Texas (or I should say in the last two days) the car was dragging and pulling to the left. It wasn't until we stopped for gas in Marshall Texas that we noticed we were missing a wheel cover from the rear drivers side. Losing that essential piece of equipment no doubt upset the aerodynamics of the automobile. The air rushing around the exposed lug nuts created excessive drag on the wheel surface thus pulling the car to the left. This morning we made an emergency landing at a VW dealer in Boosier Louisiana, near Shreveport, and inquired as to whether they had the part. Expecting it to be a typical dealer we were stunned when the response to our question was not "we can order it" but "sure, we have one in stock"! We were so happy that we didn't really comprehend the price of the piece of plastic. Oh well, we were so happy to get it and once we slapped the orb on we were on our way again and the car ran straight and true.

We are about two hours from Atlanta. We have driven 2005 miles since Monday afternoon. The topography continues to change and amaze us. We are now traveling in very green countryside with tall pines, bayous, rivers, wide open grazing areas and more golf courses than I expected. Crossing the Mississippi River was exciting. The interstate is two lanes each way but often has a median of woods between the traffic directions. Compared to Texas we seemed to fly through Louisiana and Mississippi and into Alabama.

Friday we will not be in a hurry to get on the road. We will time our arrival in Atlanta to avoid the rush hour which on Fridays starts at 2:30 or so. Looking forward to getting the keys to our new place on Saturday and if all of the utilities work we will stay there with our inflatable bed. I am dreaming that Sunday will be somewhat relaxing before starting the new job on Monday. We shall see.

Texas Is A BIG State

2007-03-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

We woke up in Van Horn Texas and 10 hours later stopped in Marshall Texas, a distance of 700 miles. Still in Texas. We are 30 minutes from Shreveport Louisiana. Sure will be nice to enter a new state.

The things we noticed the most today were the amazing changes in topography, the wind, the speed semis travel, how big Texas is and how many plastic bags there are. We started in desert and ended up among pine trees and rolling hills. The area around Odessa & Midland was extremely windy. It looks like they have gotten a head start on Christmas decorating. Many of the bushes and scrub whatever were adorned with plastic bags flapping in the wind like flags. Tons of bags. Sort of a sad comentary on us. The sight was broken up with oil pumps and discarded oil equipment along the road. The speed in west Texas was posted 80 mph and folks were cruising 85-90. In east Texas the speed limit dropped to 70 mph but everyone kept the same speed. The road became a bit more crowded and full of semis. They just get on your tailgate and blast by when you change lanes. Mind you, I was going 80 or so when passing another car. Guess they have places to go.

We kept thinking about people who ride across the country. Sounds romantic and challenging but a day like this, with the wind, would make is frightening and definately not romantic. I might be able to stay upright but Nancy would have been blown to Oklahoma.

The only mishap so far on the trip is we lost a wheel cover somewhere, probably while on a section of road that was being worked on. Quite a few miles of that today.

We are still having loads of fun. But my butt hurts about hour nine each day.

Michael

Great Day

2007-03-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

We left Yuma this morning and drove through Arizona and New Mexico into Texas to Van Horn. We pretty much went 80 mph most of the way. The posted speed limit in Texas so far is 80! So you can imagine what some are doing. The weather has been very pleasant. We had a real good tailwind that I am sure helped us with the gas mileage. Then we sucked wheel behind some ramblin' trucks to make it even easier. Not really but some trucks sucked our wheel. Can't believe how fast some of those beast cruise. We were able to do 600 or so miles today. Not bad.

The scenery is very impressive. At first it sort of looks the same but the subtle differences are very apparent when you really look. It is a lot of fun watching the landscape unfold slowly. Hard to imagine people walked or rode horses across all of this. Makes us feel like wimps.

Definately not a wimp is our kitty Lucy. She is just the best traveller so far. She slept about 550 miles today! She likes to hang out in her little cat carrier. We thought she would roam more but the quickly passing scenery seems to disorient her. She looks out a bit then retreats into her carrier. We have a litter box available to her but she does not use it. When we checked into the hotel she found the box and used it, really used it. Can't believe she kept it in all day. Very glad she did though.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

And They're Off

2007-03-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

While I went for my last dental appointment in California at 8:00 am the movers came and started loading up the house right on time. The car was scheduled to be picked up between 8:00 & 10:00. Watching the movers pack the van was pretty amazing. What professionals. The husband & wife team (Vic & Diana) driving the van gave us a tour of their tractor/cab. They had a bed, shower, satellite TV, washer/dryer, cooktop and microwave. They spend weeks on the road at a time. So the loading was going well.

The car was scheduled to be picked up between 8:00 & 10:00. The loaders were done about 12:00 and after completing some paperwork they rolled out about 12:30. The car was scheduled to be picked up between 8:00 & 10:00. Nancy then took the internet cable modem to our internet provider (BTW our adelphia email address is defunct now). I proceeded to move everything we were going to take with us in the car on our trek into the garage to pack up upon Nancy's return. The car was scheduled to be picked up between 8:oo and 10:00. As you might surmise our car was still sitting out front of the house. At 3:45 pm someone finally came to pick up the car (after repeated phone calls, some of them more forceful than others.)

We hit the road at 4:30 pm and made Yuma AZ our first stop. Feels good to be under way.

Final Goodbyes

2007-03-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunday, was a day to finalize everything in preparation of the moving van coming Monday morning to load up all of the 65 boxes of possesions and furniture. After three weeks of "purging" items we have collected all of our lives we still ended up with 65 boxes! Plus what we are taking in the car for the drive.

Over the past two days we have said goodbye, see you later, so long, to our friends. Today Nancy said goodbye to her dear friend Carol who, along with her husband, were the first people we met in California. For a couple of years we were next door neighbors in Solana Beach. We have shared so many experiences such as "the flying garbage disposal", "stealing the TV", "Sheriff's helicopter buzzing topless sunbathers", "burrito toss", "Thanksgiving with 20 people in a 700 square foot house due to rain" that the memories will last forever. Their son Ben played a very important role in our lives also. Whenever we wanted to borrow a kid to have fun with Ben was always there. Very special people.

I had to bid farewell to my friend of 25 years Duncan. Duncan has always been a role model for me for how to work with and have a positive affect on youth. There is no one with a more pure soul than Duncan. Duncan was the first person I worked with at a Boys & Girls Club and we worked together on and off for 25 years. I think we both had hair when we met. We will miss the dinners at Tony Jacal's in Solana Beach with Duncan and his wife and soul-mate Irene. I bet the Mariachi band still remembers Duncan's inadverdent $20 tip for two songs.

Now the adventure really begins. At dinner tonight we thought we should try to figure out the best way to get to Atlanta.

Great Friends

2007-03-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

We just had a very wonderful going away party thrown for us this evening. Lisa Ruby and Joe Riel opened their home to a gaggle of North County Cycle Club friends so Nancy and I could say goodbye, or, so long. It was great to see fellow cyclists with whom we have shared so many enriching experiences with. We will miss seeing everyone on such a regular basis.

We hope to hit the road on Monday the 19th provided the van gets loaded by early afternoon.

Day after tomorrow eh? Better get some sleep..........

Thank you all.

Our New Digs

2007-03-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

We are moving from a 2,000 sq. ft. home with a 3 car garage to a 2 bedroom condo with no garage. Should be interesting. The apartment looks like it is roomy. We will see early next week.

Peace & Tranquility

2007-03-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

These pictures are of the Chattahoochee River just about 8 miles from our new home. Amazing, the rivers in Georgia actually have water in them! And no concrete banks!

All Packed Up

2007-03-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

The movers came today and packed up the house. They were in at 8:00 am and done by 1:00 pm. Pretty amazing. We put the things we will need for the rest of the weekend and our drive to Atlanta in one room with Lucy, our cat. Three guys came in and went to town. We now have 65 boxes stacked in the house along with the furniture. On Monday morning the van comes with another crew to load our lives and cart it off. If they are done by 1:00 then we will head out on the road at that time. Somehow I hear Willie Nelson in the background.....

As we were flying back to Encinitas on Wednesday Nancy kept saying "we really have a lot to do on Thursday". I suggested we go for a quick bike ride early in the morning and then do the few things that needed to be done. Nancy just looked at me and I knew there would be no riding on Thursday. Oh well, I thought to myself, if it makes Nancy happier then I can give up a ride. So when we awoke on Thursday I was expecting a somewhat leisurely day. After all, we had been going pretty much full tilt for two weeks. We got up about 5:00 am. Somehow the excitement of our adventure is prompting us to wake up early. That is excitement for me but a mixture of same plus anxiety for Nancy. Since in my mind most of the stuff for the move had been completed and it was so early, surely there would be time for a bike ride. But before I even was able to verbalize my thoughts, Nancy, being on a mission and obviously more in tune with reality, started giving directions. Go through the house again and cull more unnecessary items for either donation, give to friends or dumpster. Then on to another task. Before we knew it night had fallen and we were rolling into bed at about 10:00 pm. Good thing Nancy knows how to organize an operation of this magnitude. Left to my own devices I would probably just be getting started on finding a place to live in Atlanta. Nancy calls the things she is organizing "administrivia", I call it a lifesaver.

So now we sit in our boxed up house with our somewhat freaked out cat waiting for Monday. We have plans to get together with many folks on Saturday and Sunday. It will be difficult to say good bye. Better to say "later, ya'll"

Back in Encinitas

2007-03-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

We returned to Encinitas this evening. Sure was great to see Lucy (our cat) again. We will be doing a lot of work tomorrow to get ready for the movers on Friday. Will be shutting down the desk top PC & packing the stereo. Getting very real now. We are beginning to think about the drive across the country. Will try to enjoy the ride. We can get the keys to our Atlanta apartment on Saturday the 23rd.

Explorers

2007-03-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Since we had settled our living situation on Monday we just wanted to tool around and check out our new city. Little did we know we would walk 1.3 miles up Stone Mountain (a huge hunk of granite towering 1.3 miles above the surrounding area, spend time next to a wonderful river full of trout and canadian geese, find the closest grocery store to our new home and then cruise up and down the city on MARTA (the mass transit train). Boy are we exhausted!

The closest grocery store to our apartment is accessed by going into a multi-level parking structure next to highrise buildings. It is how you get into Target also! Definately a first for us.

Nancy is really excited about how to use the MARTA as she thinks it will be how she will get to work either downtown or midtown. The station is four blocks from our apartment. There is a bus stop right in front of our place we can take to the MARTA station. Very convenient. In bad weather we can drive a car four blocks to covered parking and catch the train.

Our trip to the Chattahoochee (yep, that's how you spell it) River Recreation Area was unbelievable. It can not be more than 8 miles from our house. When we were by the river side it was like being in the middle of nowhere. If we listened real carefully we could hear a banjo playing.....There were a few folks doing fly fishing. Who knows, that may be our new recreational activity. As we were driving around we kept looking at each other sadly as we realized that cycling is going to be difficult near our home.

On Wednesday we return to Encinitas. On Thursday we have to do some more purging of our possesions to prepare for the movers on Friday.

The most amazing thing happened as we were walking back to our hotel this evening. Two businessmen stopped us to ask where a certain restaurant was located and.......we knew where it was and could give them directions! Guess that makes us neo-Georgians.

Abode Search - Day 3

2007-03-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Success! We signed a lease today. Both of us will sleep so much better tonight knowing that we now know where we will be living. We had two distinct choices of location and type of dwelling. We chose the first place we actually checked out on Saturday! The one with the picture of Nancy in the living room. Just liked the layout of the place better than the other. It is farther from work for me by five miles and about 10 minutes of driving. This morning we got up early and drove to the condo. We parked across the street and waited until 7:30 am and then did a test drive of the commute. Figured 30 minutes would be enough time. Well, it took only 12 minutes! Less than I was driving in San Diego. We feel quite happy about this because everyone we have spoken with comments on how long they spend driving. Even talked to one person who works at a Starbucks (we just bought a paper) and she spends a little over an hour each way. We did ok.

Now that we know where we will be living we can proceed onto the next phases with a bit more ease. We actually should not whine about any of this move when we compare our "problems" with the realtor who helped us out. She left Russia in 1989 as a political refugee with a 5 year old son and $90 in her pocket! We have things so easy.

Another pretty day in Atlanta. Since we do not have to do any house hunting on Tuesday, we will just spend the day exploring. We have already started to look at streets for cycling potential. Not much really in the city of course. Now we know what cyclists in San Diego city are dealing with. We have been so spoiled by living in North County for so long. But we will do our best and find out where we can get our fixes (weather permitting). Have we mentioned that Atlanta is a big city?

Will try to send some pictures of the place later. For some reason we can't add them with this post.

Abode Search - Day 1

2007-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

As Nancy said to a friend (on the phone) this evening, we have an idea of a price and an image of the dwelling and so far they are not meshing. But it has only been the first day.

The first place we were taken to was a definate no. The neighborhood is in transition. Lot's of rubble and graffitti.

The second we actually liked. Kind of older but seemed very quiet. Compared to some of the other places we looked at it was the most spacious and best floorplan. The picture is of the living room. Hard to see but outside the windows on the left is a stand of really tall bamboo. This unit actually has two balconies. The more we think about it the more we like it. But it was pushing the envelope price wise. Maybe need a bigger envelope.

Day started out grey and drizzly but then the sun came out and it was very pleasant. Oh, and we found an intersection with both streets named Peachtree! Who ever laid out the streets must have been really stoned.

As Scarlett said in "Gone With The Wind", Tomorrow is another day.

Long Day

2007-03-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

After leaving San Diego at 9:00 am we arrived on time in Atlanta at 6:30 pm, EST, (3:30 Encinitas time). We successfully got the rental car and took on the infamous Atlanta traffic in the dark. Nothing like driving in a strange big city, in the dark, for the first time. Of course Nancy freaked at every brake light tapped in front of us. First argument in Atlanta completed. Found the hotel and checked in. We are in the city for sure. Since it wasn't cold out we went for an exploratory walk to get somewhat oriented. We found two of the 50 or so streets named Peachtree. We were not the only folks out. Many tall buildings with dramatic lighting.

Tomorrow morning we begin our hunt for living space. A realtor that we connected with will show us some possibilities. It will be nice to see things in the daylight. Sure would be convenient to find something close to where I will be working. As long as we are doing this major move we might as well try to live like city folk.

Wish us luck.

ps Saw our first cyclists! Two young guys on single speeds, no helmets, no lights, no bike lane. Future organ donors.

What Is Left Behind

2007-03-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

3/8/9

Today we finalized the dates of the movers to pack the house and moving van. Looks like we are on track to leave Encinitas on Tuesday March 20. Said good-byes in person to Dan, Denise, Cella & Anya Root. Nancy turned in her CA Notary items at the county office in San Marcos. Since we were in San Marcos we had lunch at Taco Pablos, the regular lunch place for our after bike rides with the gang. Said goodbye to owners Paul & Betty Vogel who we have known since the late 80's.

The Move - Prologue

2007-03-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Last day of work for M was today. Off to Atlanta on Friday to find a place to live.