July 2, 2004 -- Hello from New York!

July 4, 2004 -- Played some volleyball in Central Park yesterday. Some guy saw my banner and said that he heard "That book is really funny." He said he read something about it in one of the local weekly papers. Going to buy the Sunday New York Times and head down to Central Park today. Might try to find a place to watch fireworks tonight.

July 6, 2004 -- Have to get on bike and try to find Rugged Land office. Then pick up slide projector and head to Caroline's for first performance.

July 12, 2004 -- Another great performance at Caroline's.

July 20, 2004 -- Hello. I did make it to the hotel about 8 p.m. It's fairly fancy but not too crazy. I didn't have any trouble getting the bike in -- the front desk guy was a cyclist! What a long day. I called and e-mailed a lot of people about my appearance on Good Morning America, but didn't get to everyone. Oh, well, you can only do so much.

Fell asleep briefly. Finally had to quit calling and e-mailing and just relax for awhile. Going to try to sleep now. Up at 5:30 a.m. in the green room by 6:30 a.m. Luckily it really is just right across street.

July 21, 2004 -- Good Morning America appearance.

July 24, 2004 -- Hello from Illinois. Made it to my sister Karen's place last night to visit the nieces and nephew. On to Ottawa this morning. Big class reunion tonight.

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July 26, 2004 -- Talked with some people from Bike Florida and Bike Virginia today. got signs up on every other porta potty. A seventy-mile day tomorrow and it turns out 61-mile day on Wednesday! Hanging in there. Trying to get to sleep early tonight.

Great article in Des Moines Register today about the show and me! Didn't know about it til two different riders mentioned reading it. They are handing out free newspapers to riders, so many people should know about it. Also, after my display today of passing people on the hills they should be talking. Of course, I had to push for 75 miles til I was almost passing out. But they don't need to know that.

On free internet service for riders. Don't know if I will be able to get to pay phone tonight. I already pitched my tent in a decent spot and will go to bed early and get to Marshalltown, IA, as early as possible. I will probably get up at 5 a.m. and pack up and start riding.

July 28, 2004 -- Just did radio phone interview. It went well. Nice guys -- mentioned name of book a lot. Up at 4:30 a.m., ate pancakes, packed up tent, took down some signs, hit the road. Pedaled 21 miles to first town big enough to have pay phone. Should be sitting good on time. Only about 33 miles out of Marshalltown. Cut off about 13 miles by freelancing route so far today. Big hills and strong head wind so not a piece of cake. But goal is to be there by 1:30 p.m. Time to get back on bike.

July 30, 2004 -- Some good back roads today. This is the first town with a pay phone.

Aug. 2, 2004 -- After two straight days of 100-plus mile days I am only 65 miles from Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Aug. 4, 2004 -- Made it to Sturgeon Bay yesterday about 5 p.m. The wind was against me all day and that last 65 miles was tough! I got signs up everywhere. Talked with some people. Motel is about five miles from school. I am going to relax here for a couple more hours then ride back over there and hit it hard promoting the rest of the day as the cyclists start to return.

Aug. 5, 2004 -- I am quite disappointed with attendance at the last two events. Need to take a shower and pack up and start heading south. We may be a little battered and bruised (my body sure is) but we're still in the game.

Aug. 6, 2004 -- I'm finishing up an 80-mile day of riding, and with a little luck and a few less hills I should arrive at my parents' place in about two hours. This will give me a couple days in Ottawa to get things done and see everyone.

Aug. 10, 2004 -- Got to a bike shop today. Found the Kevlar touring tires I needed and some good handlebar padded tape. Might get to keep the feeling in my hands.

Aug. 14, 2004 -- Hello from Mexico, Missouri. The heart of the Ozark Mountains start today, and once again I find myself not being able to get into my lowest gears!

Aug. 15, 2004 -- I thought Wisconsin was bad until today!

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Aug. 16, 2004 -- Hello from a pay phone in the middle of nowhere in the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. Not only are the hills continuing and my legs already shot, but I am fighting a fierce head wind. To stay on schedule for a Tuesday arrival I would have had to do 80 miles today. With just the hills or the wind that is doable, with both it would have required superhuman effort for about 12 hours. I was totally expecting to have to do that today! I will still have to keep cranking to make it to Fayetteville, AR, early in the day on Wednesday. But I may actually be coherent when I arrive. Time to get back on the bike and face the wind some more. Should be in Springfield, MO, within two hours.

Aug. 17, 2004 -- Hello from Aurora, Missouri. I'm pedaling across the Ozark Mountains on my way to shows in Fayetteville, AR -- it's the glamorous world of show business. Earlier this morning I did phone interviews for a radio station in Los Angeles, and with a guy at abcnews.com in New York.

Aug. 19, 2004 -- TV interview in Fayetteville short and sweet but went well. Decided to call the Wichita Falls radio guys. They were nice -- had all the info and rattled off the show times and dates. It's already been a full day and it's only 8:13 a.m. here! I need time to wind down, then really need a few hours of sleep -- really getting run down and it is going to be a tough six days of riding starting tomorrow.

Aug. 22, 2004 -- It's been a rough few days here. I was in a convenience store today and I really thought I was going to pass out. I could feel it starting to happen and I though, "Oh, no! I'm going down."?� And I don't know how I kept from falling. It was very strange. I thought I was having some kind of out-of-body experience. But luckily nobody really noticed.

I'm gonna be so much out in the middle of nowhere, it's actually kind of a scary day tomorrow. There's two or three little towns on the map, but my experience has been on the back roads of Oklahoma that they sometimes don't exist. And even if they do, they are so tiny I'm just hoping I can get something to drink in these stretches tomorrow -- 50 mile stretch. I think phone calls are going to be completely out. I could not be more in the middle of nowhere as I'm gonna be tomorrow. Well, except for maybe in Alaska.

It's been a rough couple days, but I'm hanging in there.

Aug. 24, 2004 -- Hot, strong wind against me -- nothing new. Gotta get back on the bike and face the heat and wind.

Aug. 25, 2004 -- Hello from Wichita Falls, Texas. I just arrived here for performances at a three-day bike festival. Along the way, Oklahoma offered long stretches in between towns -- yesterday's temperature hit 102 degrees! It was not a great day in the history of bicycling.

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Sept. 26, 2004 -- Left Bellingham, Wa., a couple days ago. Now about 110 miles south of Seattle.

Sept. 27, 2004 -- Time to get on the bike and start riding some hills. Good news, the sun is actually out and no volcanic eruption so far!

Sept. 28, 2004 -- Hello from Clatskanie, Oregon. It has always been a dream of mine to stop in here. Crossed from Washington into Oregon earlier today. Climbed two rough and long hills. But, got a sweet downhill stretch that made the first two climbs worth it. Should hook up with the Pacific Coast Highway in Astoria in a couple hours -- looking forward to that, but then the real climbing begins!

Sept. 29, 2004 -- Hello from Newport, Oregon. Got in 70 miles today in these hills -- and I do mean hills! Luckily the tough climbs are interrupted periodically with amazing views from oceanside cliffs.

Sept. 30, 2004 -- Hello from Surf City, Oregon.

Oct. 6, 2004 -- A lot more miles and big climbs ahead of me today -- did 80 miles yesterday in a day that featured two separate 5 mile climbs, and a handful of two mile climbs! The good news, the sun is out and I will be pedaling through one of my favorite places -- The Avenue Of The Giants (giant redwood trees). The bad news is if I don't really get cranking now It is very likely I could end up in the middle of nowhere as it gets dark tonight.

Oct. 10, 2004 -- I  made it to San Francisco tonight -- crossed the Golden Gate Bridge right at sunset. It was cold but awesome. Brutal hill climbing the last three days! My legs are totally shot. Wish I could take a day off here in San Francisco tomorrow but have to keep moving to make sure I make it to Hermosa Beach in time for the shows. Staying at a youth hostel here tonight $23 -- 8 bunk beds in the room. Luckily I am very tired. And I did remember to bring my ear plugs.

Oct. 13, 2004 -- Heading into one of the most rugged stretches of Northern California today. Already some steep climbs out of Monterey. But the real climbing is later this afternoon in the Big Sur area. It is infamous for its never-ending long, steep climbs. Will probably be camping at a state park near Big Sur. Last time through here I slept on a picnic table at Big Sur Pfeifer State Park and in the morning found out someone's dog had been eaten by a mountain lion over night -- less than two miles from where I was camping!!

Oct. 18, 2004 -- Hello from Hermosa beach! I made it --  just checked into hostel. It's been raining a lot the last couple days. That, combined with the hills, made it a tough last push down the coast to get here in time for the Comedy and Magic Club shows. But, I made it and can now give my body a badly needed rest! Because of my schedule, I wasn't able to take a single day off all the way down from Seattle. Man am I glad to be here with a roof over my head. It looks like more strong thunderstorms tonight.