I was going to post an expanded version, but I think this is just right and the expanded version can live in our photoalbums. ~ Amanda :)
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Ahhhh.....the infamous trip to Wisconsin, America's Dairyland. I keep putting off posting this because it makes me think about that trip, something I'd rather not remember! Regardless, here is the post, with a few pictures... and although some of you have already heard some of this in bits n' pieces, here it is nonetheless. To say the least it was an adventure, however, I think that's putting it awfully nicely....
Number of days of trip: 5
Percentage of time spent in airports: 20%
Cancelled flights: 1 (Chicago to Green Bay due to severe weather in both areas)
Missed flights: 1 (flight home by 15 minutes)
# of times running from one end of Chicago O'Hare airport to the other: 1, distance approximately 3/4 of a mile to 1 mile - remember the beginning of the movie Home Alone? Same airport, same running, further distance than actually shown in movie...trust me.
Delayed baggage: 5 out of 7 bags/bikes/boxes (both UPS and United Airlines on the way to Wisconsin)
# of tornado warnings: 2
# of electrical storms (thunder + lightening): 6+
# of massive meltdowns: 3 (one per traveler - mechanic over 2nd tornado warning, mine over my breakfast being consumed on the last day by someone other than myself and Brian's in O'Hare the 2nd time we got stuck there on our way back)
# of cornfields/cows: too many to count
Pro football players we met: 1 - Cory Rodgers, a rookie wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers
Miles driven: approx. 900
# of times we got lost driving: approx. 20
Places seen aside from race: 2 (1st = Lake Michigan for 5 minutes, until Brian started being eaten alive by biting flies & 2nd = downtown Chicago as I raced to a UPS store to ship our stuff home, aka the reason we missed our flight home)
# of Competitors in Brian's race division (24 Hour Men's Solo National Championship): 26
Place Brian was in at time race was cancelled due to severe weather: 9th
Place Brian would have been in if race had been completed: approx. 4th or 5th
# of 14 mile laps completed: 16.5 - official result count as of 19.5 hour cutoff is 15
# of 14 mile laps he would have completed: approx. 19 or 20
Pro mountain bikers we met: 2 - Nat Ross (super nice guy - really enjoyed talking with him - he took 2nd) and Mark Henderson (really nice guy too - he took 3rd)
# of times Brian ran into a tree in the forest: 2
# of times Brian crashed: 0
# of bananas Brian consumed: approx. 20 in 24 hours
# of gross bagels with mashed potatoes Brian consumed: approx. 8 (byproduct of hotel situation - long story, amazingly disgusting results!)
# of trips to Walmart Supercenters: 3
# of times we saw a nasty meat and/or cheese concoction being prepared and/or consumed: 20+
Interesting related fact: one of the top 10 cardiac centers in the US was 10 miles from the race. Coincidence? Not in my opinion!
# of Cheesehead(s) purchased: 0 :(
Average temperatures: 75 at night, 95 during day with 97% humidity
Items ruined by weather: 1 pair jeans, 1 pair running shoes, 1 corned beef sandwich
# of nice people we met: approx 12 (Cory Rodgers - see above, 1 we gave a ride to on the way up to Green Bay, numerous people at the race, 2 guys on the flight home, one that each of us sat next to - yay for flying stand by!)
Most unusual event: I made a french dip sandwich at a Days Inn using a toaster and coffee maker. Go figure.
Funniest moment: Comment from my brother when we were driving home Monday - there was an accident on Highway 101 South in between the airport and home. We got off the freeway and took side roads, however, Tom described the accident as big rig vs. blue volvo - celery spilled on North and South bound lanes. Tom's comment? "Produce clean up on Aisle 101!" HAHAHA - I paraphrase, but it was a funny end to a very long trip :)
A special thanks to my coworker Anita for being our travel agent and securing a rental car from O'Hare, to my coworker Kaye for her words of support and suggestions on several occasions, to my brother Tom for helping us out of our travel jams on several occasions and to our parents and my sister Katie for all the phone calls/dog sitting/etc this weekend!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh.....the infamous trip to Wisconsin, America's Dairyland. I keep putting off posting this because it makes me think about that trip, something I'd rather not remember! Regardless, here is the post, with a few pictures... and although some of you have already heard some of this in bits n' pieces, here it is nonetheless. To say the least it was an adventure, however, I think that's putting it awfully nicely....
Number of days of trip: 5
Percentage of time spent in airports: 20%
Cancelled flights: 1 (Chicago to Green Bay due to severe weather in both areas)
Missed flights: 1 (flight home by 15 minutes)
# of times running from one end of Chicago O'Hare airport to the other: 1, distance approximately 3/4 of a mile to 1 mile - remember the beginning of the movie Home Alone? Same airport, same running, further distance than actually shown in movie...trust me.
Delayed baggage: 5 out of 7 bags/bikes/boxes (both UPS and United Airlines on the way to Wisconsin)
# of tornado warnings: 2
# of electrical storms (thunder + lightening): 6+
# of massive meltdowns: 3 (one per traveler - mechanic over 2nd tornado warning, mine over my breakfast being consumed on the last day by someone other than myself and Brian's in O'Hare the 2nd time we got stuck there on our way back)
# of cornfields/cows: too many to count
Pro football players we met: 1 - Cory Rodgers, a rookie wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers
Miles driven: approx. 900
# of times we got lost driving: approx. 20
Places seen aside from race: 2 (1st = Lake Michigan for 5 minutes, until Brian started being eaten alive by biting flies & 2nd = downtown Chicago as I raced to a UPS store to ship our stuff home, aka the reason we missed our flight home)
# of Competitors in Brian's race division (24 Hour Men's Solo National Championship): 26
Place Brian was in at time race was cancelled due to severe weather: 9th
Place Brian would have been in if race had been completed: approx. 4th or 5th
# of 14 mile laps completed: 16.5 - official result count as of 19.5 hour cutoff is 15
# of 14 mile laps he would have completed: approx. 19 or 20
Pro mountain bikers we met: 2 - Nat Ross (super nice guy - really enjoyed talking with him - he took 2nd) and Mark Henderson (really nice guy too - he took 3rd)
# of times Brian ran into a tree in the forest: 2
# of times Brian crashed: 0
# of bananas Brian consumed: approx. 20 in 24 hours
# of gross bagels with mashed potatoes Brian consumed: approx. 8 (byproduct of hotel situation - long story, amazingly disgusting results!)
# of trips to Walmart Supercenters: 3
# of times we saw a nasty meat and/or cheese concoction being prepared and/or consumed: 20+
Interesting related fact: one of the top 10 cardiac centers in the US was 10 miles from the race. Coincidence? Not in my opinion!
# of Cheesehead(s) purchased: 0 :(
Average temperatures: 75 at night, 95 during day with 97% humidity
Items ruined by weather: 1 pair jeans, 1 pair running shoes, 1 corned beef sandwich
# of nice people we met: approx 12 (Cory Rodgers - see above, 1 we gave a ride to on the way up to Green Bay, numerous people at the race, 2 guys on the flight home, one that each of us sat next to - yay for flying stand by!)
Most unusual event: I made a french dip sandwich at a Days Inn using a toaster and coffee maker. Go figure.
Funniest moment: Comment from my brother when we were driving home Monday - there was an accident on Highway 101 South in between the airport and home. We got off the freeway and took side roads, however, Tom described the accident as big rig vs. blue volvo - celery spilled on North and South bound lanes. Tom's comment? "Produce clean up on Aisle 101!" HAHAHA - I paraphrase, but it was a funny end to a very long trip :)
A special thanks to my coworker Anita for being our travel agent and securing a rental car from O'Hare, to my coworker Kaye for her words of support and suggestions on several occasions, to my brother Tom for helping us out of our travel jams on several occasions and to our parents and my sister Katie for all the phone calls/dog sitting/etc this weekend!
Mishicot, Wisconsin
The "bike store" in Green Bay...
Lake Michigan
The Start of the race
Our campsite, before the storm:
Our campsite once the storm really started:
One of the few good pictures from our trip...
The "bike store" in Green Bay...
Lake Michigan
The Start of the race
Our campsite, before the storm:
Our campsite once the storm really started:
One of the few good pictures from our trip...
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