marist brothers retreat house
esopus, ny
Saturday 6/27/2015
No Bats, no scorpions, no animal life of any kind last night. Yeah! Today, I pulled the bike out of the vehicle and got it adjusted to start the big ride. We stayed in Beacon, NY last night with Phil & Patti D'Amato's son. After getting things organized we moved out for the last 30 miles up to Esopus, NY where the Marist Brothers have their retreat house. Arriving at Esopus at about 2:00 we met up with Br. Hank with whom we spent the afternoon and evening. Br. Hank showed us around the beautiful Marist property on the Hudson. Very serene. We stopped at the cemetery and visited the graves of the many Marist Brothers that so many of us in the Marist community knew at Marist Chicago. We walked the quiet cemetery grounds recollecting the contributions to Marist Chicago of the now deceased, Br. Anthony Iazzetti, Br. Pat McGee, Br. Vince Colella, Br. Paul Stokes, Br. Richard Sharp, Br. Vito Aresto, Br. Clem, Br. Dennis Dunne, Br. Louie Richard, Br. Oswald, Br. Larry Hanshumaker, and others now in their final resting place at Esopus after years of devoted service as good Marist Brothers.
Br. Hank, Patti and Phil D'Amato, Carlin, and I, along with some of the Marist brothers at Esopus headed out to the 5:30 Mass at Church of the Presentation in Port Ewen, NY. Afterwards Br. Hank, the D'Amatos, and Glennons headed out to dinner in the pouring rain. It wasn't raining in the restaurant. Just outside. We had a nice meal with old friends remembering the many good times we shared at Marist. RAIN! I don't want to ride in the rain. I may have no choice. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Now a bit about the riding equipment that I will be using the next two weeks. My preferred bike is the Trek Madonne 5.5 with 700x23 tires. It's light, it's fast, it's red. My back up bike is the Trek Ion with 700x32 tires. It's more reliable in the rain, on nasty roads, climbs really steep hills better because of the gear ratio. It's heavier and it's blue. I may have to use it tomorrow as the weather report is looking bad.
Tonight Carlin and I are staying at Esopus and have put our gear together for tomorrow's start. We're checking over our maps to see where we're going. It's always good to know where you're going but sometimes you don't go where you're planning to go. Hopefully, tomorrow my map reading skills will flourish and I'll end up in Port Jervis, NY at the end of the ride. I'll let you know how it works out.
Br. Hank, Patti and Phil D'Amato, Carlin, and I, along with some of the Marist brothers at Esopus headed out to the 5:30 Mass at Church of the Presentation in Port Ewen, NY. Afterwards Br. Hank, the D'Amatos, and Glennons headed out to dinner in the pouring rain. It wasn't raining in the restaurant. Just outside. We had a nice meal with old friends remembering the many good times we shared at Marist. RAIN! I don't want to ride in the rain. I may have no choice. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Now a bit about the riding equipment that I will be using the next two weeks. My preferred bike is the Trek Madonne 5.5 with 700x23 tires. It's light, it's fast, it's red. My back up bike is the Trek Ion with 700x32 tires. It's more reliable in the rain, on nasty roads, climbs really steep hills better because of the gear ratio. It's heavier and it's blue. I may have to use it tomorrow as the weather report is looking bad.
Tonight Carlin and I are staying at Esopus and have put our gear together for tomorrow's start. We're checking over our maps to see where we're going. It's always good to know where you're going but sometimes you don't go where you're planning to go. Hopefully, tomorrow my map reading skills will flourish and I'll end up in Port Jervis, NY at the end of the ride. I'll let you know how it works out.
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batman & robin Friday 6/26/2015
A little glitch in the plans today. I had to spend much of the day that would have been prep time to visit the local hospital. You'll not believe this so I'll save the paper work to prove it. The County Health Department thinks that a bat (a little flying animal, not the instrument my wife chases me with) came sufficiently in contact with me at night that I needed to start the rabies vaccine protocol. The medical professionals were quite helpful and accommodating to my goals for the next week. So, I took 5 shots today and I'll take the remaining necessary shots over the next two weeks at hospitals along the way. WHAT? I thought that having taught next to Mr. Nicholson all these years would have rendered me invulnerable to such a virus. So, out of an abundance of caution and following the advice of the medical professionals who know what they're talking about and not following my own gut, I've added an unforeseen medical procedure to my bike riding portfolio. Thank goodness for all of the doctors out there who put in all of the hard work to help us mere humans when we get ourselves tangled up in life.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with Br. Hank at Esopus tomorrow in the final night before the big ride begins on Sunday. Monday, I'll meet up with Mr. Tom Gouterman the famous Marist science teacher who will ride with me for two days. I hope to be able to keep up with his youthful pace.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with Br. Hank at Esopus tomorrow in the final night before the big ride begins on Sunday. Monday, I'll meet up with Mr. Tom Gouterman the famous Marist science teacher who will ride with me for two days. I hope to be able to keep up with his youthful pace.
"on the road, again" Thursday 6/25/2015
Up and at it in Archbold, OH at or near the crack of dawn or at least dawn plus or minus 3 hours. We have to finish the drive out to the Esopus area today. It was a day of traveling in the rain and cold throughout the rest of Ohio and into Pennsylvania. Very scenic areas even in the rain. Whenever we stop for gas the Little Guy is a big hit with the other consumers of carbon based products. We arrived at Nelsonville, south of Esopus, on the Hudson River about 10:00 P.M. We're staying there with our friends, Phil and Patti D'Amato, tonight and tomorrow. Phil taught Spanish at Marist in the early 1980's after having graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Phil's wife Patti taught at Mother McAuley back in those days. It was great to reminisce about those early days in our teaching careers and how all of us gained much from our Marist connection and the guidance and kindness of the Marist brothers.
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leaving town, WEDNESDAY 6/24/2015
So the journey has begun. After much preparation, frantic last minute organization, and many delays, my support team (my wife, Carlin) and I are loaded with equipment and on our way to Esopus. We didn't get quite as far as we hoped today as we are camping the night outside of Archbold, OH. So we'll be up early to finish the trip to Esopus by tomorrow evening. Before I left Marist, Br. Rich gave me some sage advice and encouragement.
My Support team, Mrs. glennon (a/k/a carlin)on the road and mrs. Maloney (amongst others) back at marist
bY THE WAY, THAT LITTLE TRAILER BEHIND THE CAR IS "THE LITTLE GUY." IT DRAWS ATTENTION WHEREVER WE GO. NO, IT DOESN'T POP UP. YES, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE SPACE CAPSULE INSIDE. YES, IT'S OUR RESIDENCE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. IF I DON'T BEHAVE, IT MIGHT BE MY RESIDENCE FOR LONGER THAN THAT. CONSULT WITH CARLIN.
A little encouragement from family. My mom and dad tell me they're supportive of the big cycling adventure but I think that once I'm gone they've got to ask themselves, "where did we go wrong?"
