I am out of town… by the time this post is up I should be on my way Biking from Blaine Minnesota to Hinkley Minnesota. (see post about this here).
I wasnt sure if I was going to be able to 1) Have time to post anything and/or 2) Have access to internet, so I have prepped a morning meandering for today and tomorrow and if I do get time to post again that will be bonus!
Recently in my meanderings (which can usually be described as an early morning – pre shower but not pre coffee, slipper clad version of me traveling with oversized steamy coffee cup in hand around the blogesphere) I came across a book that sounded… well…
powerful.
Over at Jo-Jo Loves To Read I found a review for a book called The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne. I found myself rushing through the review trying to see where it was going with almost a sense of anxiety. I had to go back and read it again more slowly.
Stop over at Jo-Jo Loves To Read and see this book, the review, and of course another lovely blog!
For those wondering…. “Did she take a book with her on this bike ride?” The answer is absolutely! I have brought with NORTH! Or be Eaten (which is appropriate as I am biking North…. and I also brought Dreaming Anastasia – both of which are blog tours I am doing next week.
Today I want to share with you my weekend plan. You may have heard me through Twitter or through random posts this week that I have a 150 mile bike ride this weekend. I am kind of nervous, kind of excited – but really want to share with you the what and the why of this ride.
I have done bike tours for about 10 years now. A bike tour is not a race, just a ride at your own speed with many other bikers. There is usually a small entry fee that includes a t shirt, rest stops about every 12 miles that provide water, and snacks. I think the one thing I like most about these rides is the people you meet – the biking community and we as book bloggers can understand the importance and the fun of community! 🙂
So last year my cousin tells me about this ride…. not 50 miles like I usually do…. but 150. I thought I heard him wrong. Nope, 150 miles… a two day ride, 75 miles a day.
Your kidding, I thought.
This is Connie
Connie Statz is a good friend of Jarrod’s wife’s mom. Connie was given a blood transfusion in 1981, that 5 other people also received. Through this transfusion, Connie as well as the other 5 contacted the Aids virus. 28 years later, Connie is the only remaining survivor of the 6 who were infected. Connie has fought long and hard and has started a camp called Camp Benedict, which is a camp for Aids education and support for Minnesota families in which one or more members of the family is infected with HIV.
Connie says,“I contracted the AIDS virus in 1981, which puts me in a small group of folks who have had this 28 years. When I contracted AIDS, AIDS affected my family, and there was nothing to help people deal with a member of their family having AIDS. When I first started the camp 15 years ago in 1994, the funding was from the Benedictine Nuns, so I called it Camp Benedict. What I started because I needed it isn’t about me anymore. We serve thousands of people. Now, it’s about helping others who feel like I did”.
So this is what I know. I know that Connie is someone who I have recently met and I find to be an incredible woman. She is a fighter, and her team that will ride in the Minnesota Aids Trek this Saturday and Sunday are called The Rhino’s. In Connie’s words, Rhino’s slogan “Born With Horns” means being tough and getting up to charge every day. 28 years later, Connie is still fighting and her team Rhino’s money raised goes 100% to help the Camp. After I heard about Connie, I knew I wanted in.
This afternoon I will ride with my cousin Jarrod, Farrah, their 4 month old son Tripp, and friend Brian, to the cities to stay overnight. We ride Saturday 75 miles from Blaine to Hinckley, stay over night, and then Hinckley to Duluth.
I am new to this ride, and I am excited to be supporting a wonderful cause… and nervous as I have never ridden this far before. Laptop will be going with me so if I have a chance to check in Friday night and through the weekend – I will. 🙂
Team Rhinos 2008
If you would like to help make a difference, simply click on the Donate Now! button. I am helping raise money for the camp.
Your donation is tax deductible! Our tax identification number is 41-1933994.
Check to see if your company has a matching gift program.
100% of the money raised by Trek participants is given to the beneficiaries.
Designate the Trek participant’s name when making your donation.
Thanks everyone! I’ll be talking books again soon and I am excited for BBAW week! 🙂
This is the weekly meme where I encourage anyone who wishes to play along to take those crazy word verifications they have had over the past week and create a fake definition for them (much like how you play the board game Balderdash). This is all in fun and makes commenting on blogs a bit more interesting when the verification may just give you the best definition of the week! See original post here.
Not a huge offering this week – I have been busy and found that yesterday I had hardly captured a thing! Here is what I have:
crudt: that residue found at the bottom of the cup (coffee,tea) afte you have finished drinking it.
exend: a false ending to a not so good book. You think well.. its over. Then you turn the page and are shocked to see there is more.
BELT: Not what you think… BELT is the new and improved BLT, but this one is Bacon, EGG, lettuce and tomato!
lefeet: A much politer french version of saying you have two left feet. Rather than, “Dude! You got two left feet! Har Har!” It is much nicer in french as they say, “Oh, Madame…. lefeet?”
Want to play?
I would love to see what you come up with! To do your own, simply grab the picture meme and add it to your own post. Link back to this post and leave a comment here letting my know you have and I will add your blog post to this one so people may see other participants. Let the fun begin!
In July I went to Duluth with a few of my girl friends and while walking in the gardens we found a hole in the shrubs and they asked me to get in there for a picture. Of course… I did.
The picture is actually kind of funny and looks like I am a garden fairy or something… for giggles (as I really like giggles) I put it as my Facebook profile. This afternoon while doing my customary blog hopping I found a book on Brooke Reviews that the cover reminded me of my Facebook profile – minus the pointy ears.
Seriously…. do you see this? I bike 150 miles this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I really hope it clears up! On the bright side… this is good reading weather! 😉
It feels like fall here in Central Minnesota this morning. Last night was so warm I was popping windows open just to sleep but this morning the air has turned crisp and I woke up chilled, running around closing those same windows.
Ahhhh…. Minnesota.
I let the dogs out and the chill came in from the deck. Yesterday started a drastic drop of the acorns. We have a large oak tree built into our deck. We actually built the deck around the tree as I love trees and could not see sacrificing it just because we wanted a bigger deck. All day yesterday I could hear the acorns thumping as they bounced off the wood and this morning the deck is covered. Al tells me that is a sign of a cold winter. Oh man… I hope not.
Fall means things should (I hope) slow down a bit. The evenings will be cooler and while I haven’t had much time for hanging outside this year anyway, I will be drawn to my cozy reading chair more often… visions of the Challenges that I need to work on – Random reading, Jane Austen, Harry Potter…. dance in my head.
I guess I am saying that this morning I meandered…. to my deck.
Later today I am posting my 100th book review. 100! Watch for that because if you know me – moments like this do not go by uncelebrated… oh yeah – there will be a giveaway!
The CSN Bookshelf that was offered to me for review arrived last Thursday. This afternoon I finally had time to put it together and try it out!
I have put together many bookshelves in my life and had interesting results after sometimes hours of figuring out the directions. I was thrilled to see that this shelf was not in too many pieces and I easily put it together in 15 minutes. Love the color and it looks wonderful in the reading room! Check out CSN Office Furniture for your furniture needs! They have free shipping on almost everything.
This is the fun meme from J Kaye’s Book Blog. I am currently finishing up Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich. I am on tour with this book later this week.
I have a busy week with book club tomorrow evening (BONFIRE POTLUCK – OH YEAH!) as we review the wonderful Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. I work all week and this weekend is the 150 mile 2 day bike ride I am doing with my cousin. With all this, I am keeping my reading plans for the week a little low as I am not sure when I am going to fit a lot of reading in.
Here is my tiny TBR for the week.
NORTH! Or Be Eaten is a book I have held off reading as I have waited for the tour to come up and like a book to be fresh in my mind. I have a giveaway coming with this review as well!
Dreaming Anastasia is also a blog tour coming up
The Sister Pact I received from the author and that is my bonus book this week that I hope I get to! I am anxious to read this one as well!
Over the weekend when Al and I traveled NORTH! (Not to be eaten – but to go to our cabin….LOL) we started listening to the book on CD of Green by Ted Decker, his newest which while it is a prequel to The Circle Trilogy, (which I have two of the three of these books and have not read them – Black, red, White) I was told that this one was actually encouraged to be read first if you had not read the others yet as it is the begining and the end. Hmmmm….. interesting.
However riding in the jeep is loud and it was a struggle to follow this deep book on audio and as it switches between worlds by the end of CD two, Al and I had switched it up for James Patterson’s Swimsuit which I have to admit, is much better than I thought it was going to be and I am actually anjoying it!
There it is. The plan for the week. If you would like to be a part of this weekly meme, create your own post of what you are reading and be sure to link it back to J Kaye’s Book Blog.
I arrived back home this afternoon and then had a 50th wedding anniversary for my aunt and uncle, followed by a bonfire with friends. I am exhausted – but excited to share with you the great reads I completed this weekend and what arrived in my mailbox this past week.
All of this will have to wait until Monday as I am so tired out! Lots of info coming your way – this should be a great week! Come back often! 🙂
Coffee cup and I are always up for a good read. Recently I was visiting several of my blogging friends and was stopped short at My Book Buddies when I seen this book that is on my wish list. Rooftops of Tehran appeals to me. I love the cover. the title makes me envision starry nights and people seeking the roof tops for a variety of reasons…
Don’t take my word for it – stop over to My Book Buddies and see this book for yourself. This is one I really can not wait to have a change to read.
I am out of town until late on Sunday… I am “Sheila unplugged” for the weekend at our cabin, however this leaves a great opportunity for reading time! 🙂 I will catch up with responding to comments upon my return!
I am out of town… by the time this post is up I should be on my way Biking from Blaine Minnesota to Hinkley Minnesota. (see post about this here). 
