So what happened is that on our first day of riding, my tire got caught in some awkwardly angled railroad tracks and I fell into traffic. To feel your helmet bounce on the pavement when there are cars behind you is really freaky. Other than some bruises and my arm scrape, though, I was totally fine. I got off onto the side of the road and called Jen and Chris but we were still in Canada and phones weren't working well (and we had yet to perfect our "make sure we're all together" skills). Thankfully some nice drivers told them what happened and where I was. When they came back I had Jen take a picture of my arm when it was still really bloody--not until it was properly documented did I get out my first aid kit (priorities!) Sadly, my camera can be complicated to work, and the pic didn't get saved. Here's one though of the awesome job Jen and Chris did of bandaging my wound.

Eww...here's a close up picture of my gross arm taken later that night. It was totally swolen, but it has been healing really well. Hooray for that.

Our last picture together before our little family was torn apart. We worked through this traumatic transition with some blizzards from Dairy Queen.

Lots of rain

Amy says they will get a motel tonight, and hopefully be able to update us about the ride. Here are two more pics. They hope it dries out soon.

Hi everyone, this is Amy's dad, and she asked me to post this pic for her. She is having fun, and gaining battle trophies. Here she is showing off for the camera.

She and Jen will be posting their own stuff as soon as Amy is able to get her cell phone to upload the data.

10 hours to go

Amy's map holder

Chris: I'm a little worried about reading the maps as we are biking
with a handlebar bag you can put it in the plastic cover on top and read the map as you are going
in some sections there are a lot of street changes quickly
me: i just made a cover yesterday
Chris: are you able to mount it to your bike
me: yeah.
its pretty ghetto
but i think it will work ok
Chris: what did you do
so i can copy you :)
me: ok i'm going to be awesome about this
hang on.

Amy "does this jersey make me look hardcore?" Middleton

Name: Amy Middleton
Hometown: Fullerton, CA

Putting to the test the Heber J. Grant quote: "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased"

Excited to be reading Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Fooled by Randomness"

Hoping this trip will help cure an internet addiction and a fear of speed. And that at some point I'll be able define the difference between poser and hard core, and I'll belong to the latter category.

Not sure what I'll miss most, but here are some guesses:

• waking up and knowing where I am


• chocolate soy milk


• not living in fear of 18-wheelers, hills, and highways with no shoulders


• stalking Conan O'Brien