A-M-I with an "I"

A year+ later...

2011-07-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

More than a year has passed. Another ALC has come and gone. So much has changed in the past year, I won't even try to explain it.

You know that bad day you're expecting? The one looming right around the corner? The day when everything hits you like the proverbial ton of bricks?

Today was that day.

It's slowly coming back...

2010-06-21T15:20:00.001-07:00

It's funny what you eventually remember.

Even when I wanted to remember, tried to remember, made a point to remind myself to remember, all the amazing and funny and touching and special and downright hilarious moments during AIDS/LifeCycle, I just couldn't. It was complete and total sensory overload.

But it's all coming back in flashes and snippets.

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Day 5, in the med tent... After they brought me in, I asked someone if they could please track down Kristen, my tent mate. I was still wearing my damp, sweaty cycling clothes and I was freezing. I wanted nothing more than to put on warm sweatpants and my wooly boots. Kristen was a roadie working for Information Services, so she should have been pretty easy to find. Plus, because of her assignment, we were allowed to set up camp "off the grid" and pitch our tent behind Info Services instead of out in the main sea of tents. Some time later, I saw Kristen walking past me and said, "Kristen! They found you." She looked a little confused. Come to find out, she had taken ill in camp around noon the same day. The whole time, she'd been recuperating 4 beds down from me. Because we were both so wasted from illness, we didn't see each other. She was being discharged at that time. I still had some medicating and napping to do and wouldn't be released for a few more hours.

Kristen made her way back to Info and retrieved our gear. Our tent had not yet been pitched, and she was in no condition to do it. A few of her very kind, helpful, awesome work-mates pitched out tent for us, laid out our bed rolls and sleeping bags, and helped her rifle through my bag in search of my desperately-desired warm clothes. Bless her sick heart - within 1/2 an hour, Kristen was back at the med tent with everything I'd asked for. I finally changed my clothes, then promptly fell asleep with the IV in my arm. I was so very grateful to her. It's a good thing she had brought my clothes because by the time I got back to our tent, I had ZERO energy left and couldn't even change into my jammies. I ended up sleeping in said sweats. How awful would it have been to a: sleep in nasty riding clothes, or b: try to find my jammies in the dark while still queasy and slightly mad?

Thank you, Kristen. You were the best tent mate a girl could ask for.

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Also on Day 5, in the med tent at camp: So here's something you probably don't say to often. Or maybe you do and you just live that sort of life - in which case, that's way more interesting than mine and where can I join you. Anyway... you may recall from my previous post that Day 5 is Red Dress Day, when everyone - riders, roadies, drivers, medical personnel, EVERYONE - gets decked out in their finest red garb. So I've been taken back to the medical tent at camp, and I'm half delirious with dehydration and general discomfort when "Dr. Eric" introduces himself. Nice doctor, treated me kindly, got me all better, but most importantly, wearing the most fabulous red sequin dress. Lookin' good, Dr. Eric. So, the good doctor hooks up another I.V., and while I take a little nap, he takes a break - and changes into more "standard" med-tent togs. Later when I wake up, and he comes to check on me, he says, "Ami, it's Dr. Eric. How are you feeling?" I rubbed my eyes, scratched my head, and all I could say was, "Oh. Dr. Eric. I didn't recognize you. You took off your dress."

Really - when will I ever get to say that again?

----------------------------------------------------

Stay tuned. I'll continue to update as the memories reveal themselves.

-Ami

Post ALC Blues, and Humor

2010-06-18T13:10:00.001-07:00

Re-entry into the "real world" has been rough. Nothing compares to the lovefest that is AIDS/LifeCycle.

I daydream of vineyards and farmland and sweeping ocean vistas. I miss the wind in my hair and the dirt... everywhere.

I find that I get startled now when people pass me in hallway at work and don't call out, "On your left."

I crave grahamwiches. Sure, I could buy some graham crackers, peanut butter and jelly and make my own, but it's just not the same.

Hands down, the funniest thing I've heard since the ride ended is, "Nobody offered my red vines for getting off the elevator... do people really live like this?"

To everyone who did anything amazing today - have a red vine. Or two.

10 Things I Learned During ALC:

2010-06-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

1. Waking in a tent at 4:30am and spending 10 hours on my bike really is more fun that going to work.

2. I'd rather wear cycling cleats than heels.

3. Work clothes would be more comfortable if they were made of spandex.

4. Chapstick is much more effective than lipstick.

5. After not "doing" my hair for a week, I'm not really inclined to "do" it now.

6. I can totally rock the sunburnt, windburnt, generally deep-fried look.

7. Having the right tent-mate can make for a most incredible experience.

8. I'm not too old to make new friends.

9. If I never drink another PowerAde again, that's fine with me.

10. I miss my bike.

Invitation to view itsamij's Picasa Web Album - AIDS/LifeCycle 9

2010-06-14T20:13:00.001-07:00

You are invited to view itsamij's photo album: AIDS/LifeCycle 9

AIDS/LifeCycle 9

Jun 14, 2010
by itsamij

7 Days, 560 Miles, San Francisco to Los Angeles

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Message from itsamij:

And now, the pictures from the most amazing week ever.

Enjoy!
Ami

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ALC: The Day After

2010-06-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

A hot shower has never felt so goooood. I looked at myself in the mirror last night for the first time since last Sunday, 3:30am... Good lord! I'm sunburnt, windburnt, and generally deep fried. I look like I've spent the past 7 days outside.

Even though I'd been up since 4:30am yesterday, I didn't get to sleep until around midnight. I was just too wired. And I was still up at 6am today... in time for a club ride at 7:30. But I didn't go. The rational part of my brain (yes, I do have one) thought it best to take a day off. In fact, I think I'll take the entire week off. Not to mention I still have to tend to my rear brake.

I feel great. Not tired. Not at all achy. Full of energy. And my only plan for the day (now that cycling clothes, camp clothes and sleeping bag have all been laundered) is to lounge in the sun (trying to even out this funky tan-line) with Jose, music and a cold drink.

Tomorrow - massage and facial. I figured that after seven days on the road, I'd be due for a full rub-down and professional scrubbing. I can't wait.

In the near future, I will be updating the previous daily posts from the ride with more stories and adventures. Pictures will follow soon.

Thanks to all. Have a fabulous day!
Ami

ALC, Day 7: Ventura to Los Angeles

2010-06-12T22:32:00.001-07:00

60 beautiful miles of California coastline.

Oh, my. What a day. A glorious day.

We rode out of Ventura under overcast skies. City streets thru Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme (Why-Knee-Me). From Pt. Mugu Naval Base we picked up Hwy 1 - Pacific Coast Highway. The next 40 miles we coasted down PCH. This was, by far, the most beautiful day ever. There were plenty of picture-moments, but when there's parked cars on the right, high-speed traffic on the left, and not much space between the two, there really is no good place to stop to take a picture. You'll just have to take my word for it. SPECTACULAR!

Our first rest stop was at the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area - on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. Lunch was in Malibu - on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. There has never been a more perfect day.

I made it in to LA around 1pm - much earlier than I anticipated, and about the same time Jose and Agina were leaving Riverside. Needless to say, I had to hang around for a while. I went to the finish and cheered in some riders - what a party! Then I pulled up a piece of grass under a tree and took a nap. Oh, wonderful nap. Jose and Agina arrived just before line-up for closing ceremonies. They headed over to Wadsworth Theater while I went over to bike parking. My bike was an absolute workhorse throughout the entire ride and NOW my rear brake starts locking up. If it was gonna happen, I guess that was the best time. Back to the shop this week.

All the riders rode in together. What a sight. Then the 550 roadies entered. I think the riders cheered louder for the roadies than everyone cheered for the riders. We absolutely could not have done this without these wonderful volunteers. They did everything - set up camp, served food, tore down camp, tended to our medical needs (blessed are the medical personnel!), gave massages and hauled all our crap from one camp to the next. I think they're job is way harder than riding a bike 500+ miles.

There were some speeches, and I couldn't even tell you what was said. All I can say is that is was very emotional and there were lots of tears. I do remember hearing that ALC 9 raised $10 Million! How awesome is that.

But the day wasn't done yet... back to the gear truck to pick up my bag. I was so tired of wearing my cycling cleats that I took them off and walked over in my socks. Big mistake - I burnt the bottoms of my feet on the hot asphalt. Silver lining - that is the only injury I incurred throughout this event.

A quick change into clean clothes in the parking lot (thank you, Jose, for bringing them), then off to dinner. Jose said we could go anywhere and I could have anything I wanted.... What did I want? A cheeseburger and a margarita. And so I had both.

We finally made it home sweet home around 9pm. A little elf named Mom snuck in to the house and hung a welcome home banner. Thanks, Ma.

I have already decided that I will ride AIDS/LifeCycle again. Perhaps not 2011, but 2012 is looking good.

Thank you all for everything.
Ami

Home!

2010-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

560 miles, DONE! I've never been so happy to be anywhere in my life.

Thank you.

18 Miles to Go

2010-06-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

Lunch in Malibu, then the home stretch.

ALC, Day 6: Lompoc to Ventura

2010-06-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

What a bummer to have to miss today's ride. The weather was perfect for riding along the coast. No wind today. As beautiful as the vineyards and farmland have been, after three days it's nice to have a change of scenery.

I slept in this morning - didn't get up until 6am! Omigosh. Shower, leisurely breakfast, tho I wasn't really hungry and mostly just played with my oatmeal. I hopped on the bus and rode in comfort to San Buenaventura State Beach. Forget what I said about Paso, THIS is definitely my favorite camp. We're on the beach.

I arrived before my gear so I threw myself down in the grass and had a little nap in the sun. I did eat a little lunch, then pitched te tent and took another nap - all afternoon. I was a bit surprised to discover it was 5:15pm when I woke. A little dinner - hey, I'm finally hungry for the first time in over 24 hours.

I have been given the "all clear" from the medical staff to ride tomorrow. And ride I will! It should be a nice, flat 60 miles down the coast thru Malibu into LA. Tomorrow should be an exciting day.

Thank you all for your support during this adventure. And what an adventure it has been.

A final recap when I get home. Oh, how I look forward to seeing my husband and my cats and taking a proper shower and sleeping in my own bed.

ALC, Day 5: Santa Maria to Lompoc

2010-06-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

68 more hilly miles.

Another beautiful day on the Central Coast. It was truly cold in the morning - the first really cold morning on the ride. I had to dig out my full-fingered gloves and long cycling pants. The sun broke, but it never got hot.

Day five is Red Dress Day. Most of the riders wear the most flamboyant get-up they can put together. It's drag queens on wheels.

We rolled out of Santa Maria thru, you guessed it, more vineyards and farmland. Not only were we sharing the road with cars, we were sharing the road with tractors and other various farm equipment.

The first 30 miles were rolling winding hills with a gradual climb. The big climb didn't have a cute nickname like the others. I thought of a few. It was about miles at 12%. It was hard. Very hard.

All of the rest stops were at various wineries. Lunch was in Solvang. It was so delightful to see a long line of riders in red cruising thru the little Danish town in the hills.

After lunch, the ride was mostly downhill. And the winds kicked up
again. Nasty headwinds for the next 30 miles. You really shouldn't have to work so hard to go downhill. It was crazy difficult.

About 15 minutes after lunch I started to feel a little queasy and nauseous. I rode on for about an hour. When I reached the final rest stop of the day I put my bike on the SAG rack and went straight to the med tent. And then I got sick. Very sick. Repeatedly. They kept me there for a couple hours and gave me a saline IV to keep me hydrated. I couldn't even keep water down.

I was taken back to camp in the medical transport van and taken directly to med. This place is amazing. They essentially set up a MASH unit each camp. Anti-nausea medication, another IV and another dose of meds. I was eventually discharged back to my tent at 9pm with orders NOT to ride Day 6. Viral gastro-enteritis. Yuck. I went straight to bed. Thank goodness Kristen had brought my sweats to me at med and I wasn't still in my cycling clothes because I didn't even have the energy to change in to my jammies.

My goal is to ride in to LA with the group on Day 7.

More later from Ventura.
Ami

ALC, Day 4: Paso Robles to Santa Maria

2010-06-09T21:42:00.001-07:00

98 long, hilly miles. No missions today.

So, why did we have a 98 mile ride when the drive from Paso to Santa Maria is only an hour? Because the drive us a straight shot down the 101. Not possible on a bike. We had to take the looooong way around.

Today was a totally exhausting day, both physically and emotionally. For the first time this week, I am tired. Very tired.

I was up at 4:30am and ready to hit the road by 6am. Too bad the route didn't open until 6:30. I lined up with the early birds and waited.

Before I knew it, we had reached the first stop of the day. I was the two-hundredth-some-odd rider to roll in to the stop this morning. That was cool. Not so cool was what came next.

Yesterday was the Quadbuster. Today we conquered the Evil Twins. Oh. My. God. Two climbs, back to back, with a short descent between the two. The first was 1.5 miles with 500 or so feet of climbing. The second was 1.8 miles and about 650 feet. There were lots more sound effects today. I actually roared when I reached the top of the second peak. Oddly enough, these hills weren't as bad as yesterday. Maybe I've finally figured out how to Zen my way up. Or maybe my legs have reached auto-pilot. Either way, it was awesome. After a brief descent, we reached the halfway point on our journey. You should have received a picture earlier today.

Then the big, BIG downhill. 7 miles, 6% grade. Most if the riders went flying down the hill. Not me. Steep descents scare the bejesus out of me. I fluttered my breaks all the way down. It's not the speed that freaks me out - I have no problem pedaling or coasting 25-30 mph on flats or gradual descents. It's the vertical visual that gets to me. It's probably vertigo-related.

We descended into Morro Bay. I got some nice pix of Morro Rock from a distance at stop 2. We rode all the way thru town and I never stopped to take any more pictures. I was too consumed with the view. It was such a beautiful ride.

From Morro Bay we headed to San Luis Obispo for lunch. I've included a picture of the welcoming committee. Lunch was good - some kind of sandwich. I couldn't tell you what.

From SLO we climbed some hills, rounded some bends, and rolled on to Pismo Beach. I love Pismo. Lots of people stopped at Old West Cinammon Rolls. I couldn't eat anything that sweet. But I've been there before, and they are fantastic.

As we neared the last stop of the day in Guadalupe, the winds kicked way up. I was tired, and the wind was so fierce that my rear wheel kept skidding out from behind me. I was terrified that I was going to fall. After 89 miles, I was tired, scared and didn't have it in me to fight the 20mph x-winds anymore. As soon as I realized I was crying while trying to remain upright, I decided I was done for the day. I flagged down a SAG vehicle and got a ride into camp.

While waiting for a shower to free up a gal next to me in line asked how my ride was today. So I told her the truth. And she turned to me gave me a big hug. I don't even know her name.

A hot shower never felt so good. It washed the day off both literally and figuratively. A quick dinner - excellent as always. Bed is calling. Every night, my 1 1/2" thick self-inflating bed roll gets more and more comfortable.

Tomorrow we take the long way to Lompoc. Tomorrow is also Red Dress Day. Stay tuned.

G'night.
Ami

PS: the final picture us what happens when electricity-deprived techno
junkies encounter an open public outlet.

Halfway to L.A.

2010-06-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Almost home!

ALC, Day 3: King City to Paso Robles

2010-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

66 beautiful miles thru the middle of absolutely nowhere.

King City might consider changing its name to Wind City. Last night was windy and cold. And windy.

The skies were a little cloudy, and the temperature cool, as we rode out of King City this morning. Unlike previous days, there was no fog and the sun broke early in the day. After that, it was just plain hot. Very hot. 90+ by the time we reached Paso Robles.

The majority of today's ride (a good 45-50 miles) was along one road thru Nowheresville, CA. In all that time we past exactly 2 country stores and a very few houses. It was all vineyards and farmland. And it was breathtaking.

The big challenge of the day came at mile 10; the infamous "Quadbuster." Edith, you'll like this... 1.3 miles with 750 feet of climbing. Uphill? More like uphell. I shifted into my tiniest gear (really, there's no more? there must be a smaller gear), and pedaled and huffed and puffed and worked as hard as I could, all so I could speed up this beast at... 3.2 miles per hour. Yep. And I even passed quite a few riders on the way. It took me 15 minutes (almost 16), but
I did it. There was a photographer at the top taking pictures of every rider as we reached the summit. Everyone who had already made it had gotten off their bikes to cheer in the group arriving after them. Party at the top! And then there were the monster hill-eating climbers who rode up, came down, and rode up again cheering us on along the route. It was pretty awesome. Oooh, and the downhill on the backside made it all worthwhile. Today's picture of moi is at the top of the hill, right before I saddled up and headed down.

Lots of rolling hills, vineyards and farms followed until we rode into the town of Bradley, population 120. As it turns out, they love ALC. Our little ride, with 2500 people, is their school's main fundraiser for the year. There was a huge hand-painted banner on the side of a schoolbus welcoming us to town. And they were selling (here's the fundraiser) freshly grilled burgers for lunch. Hmm. Boxed sandwich or burger? Tough call. Hands down, the best cheeseburger EVER. Ok, I may have just been really hungry. But it was good. So far, it's the only lunch I actually remember. The next photo is the bike corral in Bradley. Lots of hungry cyclists there.

Well sated, we continued down the road to San Miguel. This town was a big city compared to Bradley. Final rest stop of the day was at Mission San Miguel, founded by (who else?), Father Junipero Serra in 1797. Fr. Serra was working his way down the coast in the late 18th Century.

The final stretch covered more winding country roads thru more vineyards and farms until we reached the California Mid-State Fairgrounds in Paso Robles. This is my favorite camp to date. We have our tent city and all the camp service tents, but we also have full run of the fairgrounds. Lots of places to wander and sit and get
comfy and relax. Dinner was actually served INSIDE tonight in one of the fairground buildings. What a treat to finally sit down inside for the first time since 6am Sunday morning. But the biggest treat of the site is ELECTRICITY! We can plug in and charge our gadgets. This place is littered with outlets everywhere. Our tent is right next to an outlet. Don't think I won't be taking advantage of that tonight.

Dinner was fabulous. Again. Chicken, salmon (yum!), rice pilaf, green beans, and spinach salad. They've had dessert every night, too, but I have no idea what it is. I'm not a big dessert person.

I suspect I'm eat more than usual; I know I'm cleaning my plate a lot faster than I typically do. At the rest stops, I have discovered a new found affection for salty snacks, especially salted peanuts. But hands down, my new favorite snack is the pb&j sandwich on a Graham cracker. It's a little hand-held slice of heaven. I think I could live on those. For this week anyway.

I've meet so many new people, all of them genuinely nice. This is an amazing traveling community (circus?) of folks with a common interest. At one rest stop today there was a woman, Nancy, who desperately wanted something salty, but had gotten in the wrong snack line. So I gave her a packet of my beloved peanuts. My gosh, you might think I'd given her a million dollars. She was that pleased. I passed her many miles down the road and she said, "Hey. It's Ami-with-
the-peanuts."

I feel great, both mentally and physically. I'm actually surprised that I'm not more tired. You'd think that waking at 4:30am and riding all day would wipe a girl out. But I'm going strong and looking forward to another day of fun on two wheels.

This fantastic day is winding down. Tomorrow we take the long way (94 miles) from Paso to Santa Maria. We'll be passing thru Morro Bay and Pismo Beach - home of the best cinammon rolls in the world. Tomorrow we also pass the halfway mark. Then it's all downhill (ha!) into LA.

More tomorrow from Camp 4 in Santa Maria.

G'night.
Ami (with the peanuts)

ALC, Day 2: Santa Cruz to King City

2010-06-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

107 miles.
8 hours on the bike.
11 hours on the road.
All of it very windy.

First, the highlights (pix included): Seals, could've been sea lions, on a dock in Moss Landing. Riding thru vineyards in Central Coast wine country. Soledad Mission, founded in 1791 by Father Junipero Serra.

I didn't get out of camp as early as i'd hoped, and I got back later than anticipated. But who cares? This ride is not about "making" good time. It's about raising awareness, helping those in need and HAVING a good time.

Again with the fog. I don't know how these NoCal folks deal. There's a reason I live in SoCal. Sun! The early part of the day was cold, damp and windy. The rest was just windy. The sun finally came out around lunchtime.

Our first stop of the day was a beach (dunno which one) 14 miles south of Santa Cruz. It was beautiful. On to the second stop, a few hills, then a fabulous long, slow descent into Salinas for lunch. Again, I don't remember what I ate for lunch, nut it was good and hit the spot. So far, all the food has been great!

Then a long, winding and WINDY ride thru the Salinas valley. Tailwinds are a cyclist's best friend. And we had plenty today. There were also some ferocious headwinds we had to fight for several miles. But nothing is as bad as the crosswinds. I almost went down a couple times.

I can't tell you much about rest stops 3 and 4, but between the two we had a water stop Soledad Mission. What a delightful, charming, tiny little Mission. Out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but agricultural fields (lots of strawberries, radishes, lettuce and onions) and blowing dirt. Damned wind!

The whole day was just beautiful. The last 20 miles or so were one rolling hill after another, tailwinds pushing, thru some of the most picturesque country I've seen. Living in the city, it's do easy to forget that these places still exist in California.

Got back to camp ready fir a shower. Any guesses on how many times you have to scrub to get 4 layers of sunscreen and 11 hours of sweat and grime off? More than you think. My cyclist's tan is coming along nicely. It actually looks like I'm wearing tan thigh-high stockings. The line is that pronounced.

Dinner was excellent - grilled chicken and BBQ steak (yes, I had both!), corn on the cob, baked potato, corn bread and salad. Mmm.

It was a long, tiring day and I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight. It was also a fun, exhilarating day. And after 107 miles, I'm tired, but not whooped. That being said, I am looking forward to the short 66 mile day to Paso Robles tomorrow.

More tomorrow from camp 3.

G'night.
Ami

Day 2, Rest stop 1

2010-06-07T08:44:00.001-07:00

Greetings from... 14 miles south of Santa Cruz.

Evergreen Cemetery

2010-06-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

In the park next to our tent city in Santa Cruz. Just like home!

ALC, Day 1: San Francisco to Santa Cruz

2010-06-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today was such a crazy, tiring, exhilarating day. I don't even know where to begin.

Maybe I'll start with the 3am waking, followed by a 4am shuttle bus ride to the Cow Palace. That's early, even for me. On the bus I finally met Robin, the other RBC member on the ride.

Opening Ceremonies were quite moving - especially the riderless bike. I got a little teary-eyed. The energy inside the Cow Palace afte

r the ceremony was enough to power a small village. All the riders, roadies, volunteers, and their friends and family were there.

Ride-out was slow going, but awesome. Lots of people lining the
streets cheering us on. It was so cool.

The first 20 miles were pretty slow going. Imagine 2500 people trying to get out of the same place, heading or the same place, at the same time. Add to that some very wet roads, and you've got a slow ride. It was very foggy and "misty" in SF this morning. Yeah, were I come from, we call that "rain."

The second 20 miles were all uphill. Like, up-uphill. Long and slow going. But I did it. And I didn't stop and I didn't fall. I will admit to swearing my way a few of the hills. Sound effects help. I don't have the route slip handy, but I think a good part of it was CA-35/Skyline Dr. Up. Hill.

The rest of the day was spent on Hwy. 1. Pretty (when you can see thru the fog).

Lunch at San Gregorio State Beach. I wanted to send pictures, but it would have been a giant blur of fog. I hear the views there are spectacular. Guess I'll have to do the ride again to find out. I couldn't tell you what we had for lunch - it was a blur. I didn't feel particularly hungry when I rolled into the lunch stop (so I thought), but I don't remember the last time I ate anything that fast.

Back on the road. The directions were easy: South on Hwy 1. Turn right into the next rest stop 20 miles down the road. It was a beautiful ride along the coast. The fog that had hovered since early morning finally broke some time after 2pm.

Quick pit stop, then another 20 miles south on Hwy 1. Lots of folks on the streets of Santa Cruz cheering us in. One fabulous woman had her garden hose sprayer aimed at the street for us. That was refreshing, especially after 81 miles and coming in to town at about 85 degrees.

All along the route there were people on the side of the road cheering us on. The had signs. They wore costumes. Music was playing. Some folks were even handing out Red Vines to the riders as we went by. Those were my favorites.

Camp is huge - an actual tent-city has been erected. The showers were hot. They're these huge shower trucks - imagine a semi converted into showers. And they're hooked up to big water trucks. Very cool. And the food is both tasty AND free-flowing. I might have more. Nice.

I think I'll be sleeping early tonight. I'm tired. But it's a good
tired.

More tomorrow from King City.

-Ami
Rider #5482

ALC, Day 0: Orientation

2010-06-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Just because something sounds like a good idea doesn't mean it is. The breakfast calzone, for example. Sounds interesting, good even. Not so much.

I headed out for The Cow Palace around 10:45am. Was able to catch the bus a block away. It wasn't the fastest way to get there, but for $2, who's in a hurry? Oh. My. God. What a madhouse. I can't even imagine what it will be like tomorrow morning.

I met my tentmate, Kristen. She's very cool and helped me thru the whole process. This is her 4th ALC, second time as a Roadie. She is chock full of inside information. I think I lucked out.

The lines for check-in were as slow as molasses. There were like a gazillion people in this hall at CP, and no air flow and it was humid. It was most uncomfortably hot. But we survived. I got my bike and helmet numbers - look for rider 5482 in any photos.

I made it to bike parking - see previous pic - and was actually able to find my bike. Ol' Blue seems to have made the trip in fine form. Tires are at 100 psi and ready to roll in the morning.

Tired and hot, I skipped the bus and took a cab back to the hotel. I tell you, it was worth every one of those $20 to get back quickly. Brief nap, read for a bit, then off to dinner. Custom Burger was the place to be. Met, and ate with, some fabulous ALC folks: Riders Jay, Marni and Elizabeth, and Medical Roadie Caprice. Caprice is a nurse who traveled all the way from San Antonio, TX to volunteer her medical skills on this event. That's awesome. And Marni raised over $21,000! How amazing is that?

It's still early, but it's time for bed. The bus is leaving for The Cow Palace at 4:30am.

Next stop, Santa Cruz.
Ami J.

The Cow Palace

2010-06-05T15:05:00.001-07:00

Where it all begins... And check out the bike parking. I'm in C-1.

Humidity

2010-06-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

I must say, when you are most accustomed to humidity levels below 20%, 96% humidity can feel a wee bit muggy.

Route maps

2010-06-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the maps: http://www.dannyraydesign.com/alc9/ALC_Route.pdf

Thanks Danny.

San Francisco 6/4/10

2010-06-04T21:02:00.001-07:00

I love San Francisco. José & I usually come here together - it's "our" city. It feels a little strange to be here without him.

Today has been a great day. José made a wonderful breakfast this morning. I had plenty of time to dawdle and pack and finish The Times crossword puzzle. No rush to get to the airport, and still got there with time to spare. Easy check in.

Here's a new hassle for you... AFTER getting thru security - metal detectors, x-rays, and barefoot - while standing IN LINE to board the
plane, TSA starts randomly choosing people to pat down and frisk. What do they possibly think we could have on our person that we didn't already have when we went thru the scanners? C'mon now.

The flight was nice and short, and the shuttle was waiting for me. Checked in at The Good Hotel (www.thegoodhotel.com) - nice room. Just my luck that there's an REI only 10 minutes walk from here. Out the door I went, and walk back in my comfy new sandals. Score. Quick pit
stop back at the hotel, then off to dinner.

I had no actual plans, so I started walking in the general direction of Union Square. Turns out, that's also a ten minute walk, albeit in the opposite direction of REI. Wander, wander, getting really hungry, wander... Tad's Steakhouse. Yum. Fabulous meal, followed by a walk back to the hotel.

At a fork in the path, I took the long way. There's a beautiful fountain in the United Nations Plaza. And a fantastic sculpture in
front of the Asian Art Museum. And from the distance of about a block away, City Hall looked a lot like the Capitol bldg in Austin. Maybe it's just the dome.

I'm ready to veg out and do absolutely nothing. That's a treat in itself.

Tomorrow, ALC, Day 0: Orientaton.

G'night.
Ami

This is it.

2010-06-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'll be in San Francisco in a few short hours. Food, new friends, and the adventure of a lifetime await!

Thank You

2010-06-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

The adventure knows as AIDS/LifeCycle 9 begins in a few short days. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, donations and encouragement. I couldn't have gotten this far without you. Each and every one of you have made this possible.

You have not only made my journey possible, you have made it possible for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to continue to provide a fully array of services - medical care, mental health services, a full-service pharmacy, and HIV testing and prevention programs - to those who lack the resources to otherwise receive property care and treatment.

This Sunday, June 6, 2010, 2500+ cyclists will ride out of San Francisco and begin pedaling our way toward Los Angeles. And we'll keep riding until AIDS is thing of the past.

Stay tuned for daily updates from the road!

Thank you,

Ami

Why I'm Riding...

2010-06-01T12:26:00.001-07:00

On May 27, 2010, the local paper ran a story about my participation in AIDS/LifeCycle. See it here:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/riverside/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wride27.8b78fe6.html

The next day, my husband received the following email (shared with permission of the sender):

THIS is why I ride...

------------------------------

Allow me to introduce myself, My name is LeAnn and I am an employee here at UCR. I was wondering if you would do me a favor.. and hug & kiss your wife for me.

My 24 year old son was diagnosed as being HIV positive, as the result of an annual medical check-up,4 years ago. As you may imagine, the news was devastating at the time and we are now in a better place. David was a Corpsman, Marine field medic for the United States Navy. As a result of his job, is how David became infected.

It is people like your wife and so many others, that make us feel like we are not alone in this fight for life.

Hug her tight.and please tell her "Thank you" .. your support is appreciated as well.

Kindest regards,

Le'Ann

5/29/10

2010-06-01T12:22:00.001-07:00

Recent picture from our 113 mile ride to Huntington Beach Pier and back.

New page

2010-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone who found this page knows I'm riding in AIDS/LifeCycle 9 this year. I originally signed up to ride with my friend Agina, and we had set up a blog to track our training, etc. Since Agina had to drop out of the ride, I thought I'd start a new blog in my name - one that I might continue after the ride.

So, here it is.

Stay tuned for updates from the road.

The adventure begins in 5 days.

www.tofigthiv.org/togo/amiflori