a lumberyard warning to the inhabitants of the earth
The ego is inflating, to the point where it might soon start orbiting the earth and possibly be mistaken for a second moon, affecting the gravitational pull of other heavenly bodies because of its own, and possibly signaling the cataclysmic end of everything we hold dear.
As many of you know, I did the MS Bike ride last year for the first time. Well, when I started that endeavor, I had questions...lots of them. I must have driven my poor team captain nuts (tho she won't admit that) with everything nobody was telling me, but I wanted to know. How much should I train? Do I really need the fancy bike clothes and all that spandex? Would a comfort bike be a better option? What to I have to bring to this "check-in" thing? Where can I go to get my poodle clipped in Burbank?
As the spring turned to summer, I kept all the responses and remembered other tips I got from asking people who had done it before. I thought, I can't be the only person who doesn't know all this crap. I just can't. Otherwise I'd have to admit I'm really slow, and I didn't want to go there. Instead, I thought, I'll write a Rookie Rider Guide for our team, and fill it with all the stuff I wanted to know but had to go ask or find answers, or just stuff that surprised me about the ride that others might like to know ahead of time....like that nasty 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning traffic jam as 2000 cyclists converged on tiny Saint Augustine Airport to start the ride.
After the ride was over, I spent a few evenings hammering that baby out, and finally had something I thought was useful. I e-mailed the final document to the team captain and said...here. I wrote this based on my rookie experience. I think it might help others who come after me. Use it if you think it's worthwhile. Trash it if you think its trivial. It's yours to do whatever with.
That was the last I heard of it until....
Last night I was surfin' the web, and I looked at the MS Ride page for this year, and noticed a link that said...Rookie Rider information. I thought...cool. I wonder what theirs looks like. I wanted to compare what they had to what I put together for our team, so I clicked on this .pdf file, and behold...I'm freakin' published! Oh no, not in a way that will bring millions of bucks to the Lumberyard in some book deal, but still...if you check it out, it's almost word for word classic Lumberyard. Oh they edited it. All the references to our team have been removed. They pulled anything that was at all critical of their organization, which I understand, but think it takes away from the utility. For example, they tell you you get a free jersey if you raise over $1000, and leave it at that. My expectation was, if I raise $1000, that jersey will be in my mailbox in the next week or so and I'll be able to wear it during the ride, negating the need to buy one. Well, I was mistaken. I'm still waiting for that jersey from last year, tho I've been assured it's coming. So in the guide, I mentioned that any fundraising incentive stuff they promise you will take a while to get to you, and won't until long after the ride is over. Be patient. It wasn't really meant as criticism. It was more just to let people know what to expect, to head off disappointment. That part's conspicuously missing. They also added some stuff about this year's ride that I didn't know, especially in the fundraising section, but it's pretty much me. A little "special thanks to the Lumberyard" would have been nice, but that's OK. I'm just thrilled the MS folks thought it was good enough to put out there for everyone to use. I feel like Sally Field at the Oscars...."You like me. You really like me!"
Stand back folks...the head is expanding at an exponential rate. (I know, it really doesn't take much, does it?)
As many of you know, I did the MS Bike ride last year for the first time. Well, when I started that endeavor, I had questions...lots of them. I must have driven my poor team captain nuts (tho she won't admit that) with everything nobody was telling me, but I wanted to know. How much should I train? Do I really need the fancy bike clothes and all that spandex? Would a comfort bike be a better option? What to I have to bring to this "check-in" thing? Where can I go to get my poodle clipped in Burbank?
As the spring turned to summer, I kept all the responses and remembered other tips I got from asking people who had done it before. I thought, I can't be the only person who doesn't know all this crap. I just can't. Otherwise I'd have to admit I'm really slow, and I didn't want to go there. Instead, I thought, I'll write a Rookie Rider Guide for our team, and fill it with all the stuff I wanted to know but had to go ask or find answers, or just stuff that surprised me about the ride that others might like to know ahead of time....like that nasty 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning traffic jam as 2000 cyclists converged on tiny Saint Augustine Airport to start the ride.
After the ride was over, I spent a few evenings hammering that baby out, and finally had something I thought was useful. I e-mailed the final document to the team captain and said...here. I wrote this based on my rookie experience. I think it might help others who come after me. Use it if you think it's worthwhile. Trash it if you think its trivial. It's yours to do whatever with.
That was the last I heard of it until....
Last night I was surfin' the web, and I looked at the MS Ride page for this year, and noticed a link that said...Rookie Rider information. I thought...cool. I wonder what theirs looks like. I wanted to compare what they had to what I put together for our team, so I clicked on this .pdf file, and behold...I'm freakin' published! Oh no, not in a way that will bring millions of bucks to the Lumberyard in some book deal, but still...if you check it out, it's almost word for word classic Lumberyard. Oh they edited it. All the references to our team have been removed. They pulled anything that was at all critical of their organization, which I understand, but think it takes away from the utility. For example, they tell you you get a free jersey if you raise over $1000, and leave it at that. My expectation was, if I raise $1000, that jersey will be in my mailbox in the next week or so and I'll be able to wear it during the ride, negating the need to buy one. Well, I was mistaken. I'm still waiting for that jersey from last year, tho I've been assured it's coming. So in the guide, I mentioned that any fundraising incentive stuff they promise you will take a while to get to you, and won't until long after the ride is over. Be patient. It wasn't really meant as criticism. It was more just to let people know what to expect, to head off disappointment. That part's conspicuously missing. They also added some stuff about this year's ride that I didn't know, especially in the fundraising section, but it's pretty much me. A little "special thanks to the Lumberyard" would have been nice, but that's OK. I'm just thrilled the MS folks thought it was good enough to put out there for everyone to use. I feel like Sally Field at the Oscars...."You like me. You really like me!"
Stand back folks...the head is expanding at an exponential rate. (I know, it really doesn't take much, does it?)
Labels: It's all about me
John put this out here at 6:50 AM
2 Comments:
You go John! Isn't it great? I've very proud of you. We all know you can write but it's very cool that others think so too.
:)
High Fives all around.
that's awesome! I would've freaked. It's my dream to stamp my name on an article, or even a book, someday...maybe "Nanny Diaries, Part II?" A girl can dream....
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