Well we are a mere 3 clicks away from departing for RAGBRAI 07 (or "The Lance Armstrong Show" as Cedar Falls would like every man woman and child to believe). I'm particularly excited about this outing because this really feels like we are a team. Spokeeasy is about a dozen deep now which is formidable-considering those riding will be in full jersey regalia.
Barring any unforseen circumstances, the plan is to depart Chicago around 2-ish for Cedar Rapids Iowa on Friday. Of course this time is particularly sensitive right now for two reasons. First, we don't actually _have_ a bus here. Second, it's looking more and more like people don't actually _have_ this Friday free, which would push our arrival to Cedar Rapids well past the midnight mark (where we meet up with the Tallywackers). Despite being marked on your calendar since, well, the last RAGBRAI, the ride has an uncanny skill for creeping up on you. This phenomenon is directly responsible for Spokeeasy's lack of tats or stickers this year. It would also seem to be contributing to the fact we never managed to get the bus here to Chicago. It's sitting in Cedar Falls, and a dozen people (of which myself, Travis and Angie actually have cars) with bikes are here. I ain't gonna lie, we're down to the wire on this with people that are supposed to drive the thing here. As you can imagine, finding someone capable/willing on such short notice is trying. Said person has to be someone we can reasonably trust that isn't going to get to Rockford and sell the bus off for some magical beans or crack. Or worse yet, go drive it into a ditch. We've got a short list of three people I know of that may be up to this task and as far as I know, we will know which (if any) will be carting the bus this way. If none work out, welp, that basically is going to mean Ian myself and an unlucky (probably Irish) soul will be driving back to Cedar Falls Thursday night, retrieving the bus and then making an overnight cannonball run style drive to Chicago with it. I've decided if I _HAVE_ to drive this bitch into the city, I'd just as soon do it around 3-4am pre-rush hour. You can imagine my excitement of taking in the wonderous landscape that is the Iowa/illinois countryside not once, but twice in a 10 hour stretch. But needs must when the devil drives I guess so there ya go. I've pretty much resolved it to myself that come tomorrow, that's either going to happen or it isn't. But be that as it may, the less moving parts involved in getting that thing here, the better.