ORLANDO, FL                            MAY 10, 1998
Sponsors:      Express Youth Foundation, Aikido Tenshinkai of 
                     Florida 
Hosts:           Ms. Lawanna Gilzer and Jose Andrade, MD 
Location:       Express Youth Foundation, 815 Hills Street, 
                     Orlando, FL, Call 407.481.2110 
Activities:     Drug March at 3:00 p.m., starting at 815 Hills Street, and ending at the Central Florida Advocate newspaper on 215 S. Parramore Avenue.  The drug prevention program started at the Express Youth Foundation, 815 Hills Street, after the march.  Jose Andrade, MD, of Aikido Tenshinkai of Florida, presented a martial arts demonstration.

I got off the plane and thought about everything that happened which led to this trip.  A great deal of effort went into planning and preparation.  Long distance calls(and those bills!) letters, email, all that stuff.  I'm here and on the way.  It took 150 minutes to arrive in Orlando.  I'm a few minutes early.  The support crew arrived a few minutes late.  Traffic was heavy for a Sunday.  It's mothers day.  I assembled the bicycle and rode out of the airport and unto the express way.  I had to take the highway for five miles.  Havier and Ricardo followed me in the support vehicle.  The biking is real dangerous.  We split up at Colonial Avenue so they would find a hotel while I traveled to the first speaking engagement.  I was thirsty and the sun was very hot.  The air was humid.  The bike was heavy.  I just left!  I should have considered the change in climate a little better.  Too bad I didn't.  Anyway, not as much as I should have.  On the way I saw a wacky tattoo shop.  I pulled over and took a photo of the place as I stood in the middle of the busy street.  No, not the safest place to take a picture!  I had twenty mph winds in my face.  My typical speed of 15-20 mph was slowed to about ten mph.  I hit a pot hole while riding off a curb and WHAM!  The back wheel was bent out of shape pretty bad.  I haven't left Orlando and I already had a mechanical breakdown.  I disconnected the back brake and continued riding.  I hoped the axle wasn't broken.  What else could go wrong?  I arrived unto Hill Street a little early.  There were police everywhere.  A man was stabbed, blood was running down his leg.  The police gave me directions-the youth center was down the street.  I met Betty and Lawanna Gilzer at the Express Youth foundation.  Wonderful people.  They went all out.  These two ladies are genuinely concerned about the community and especially the children.  The program was supposed to start at 3:00 p.m.  I learned that southern time runs about an hour late.  People down south aren't as anal about the time as northern folk.  I didn't know if that was a complement or an insult.  I laughed.  I guess she's right.  Northerners are real specific about the time.  Maybe we need to relax a little bit.  Anyway, I was a little concerned that no one showed for the program scheduled for three.  Sure enough, people came by 4:00 and the place was filled with children, teens and parents.  Dr. Jose Andrade showed up with his crew.  He performed an excellent martial arts demonstration.  I was amazed by his grace in his Aikido skill and how he handled himself.  He is a very confident, concerned physician and martial artist.  He owns a martial arts school called Aikido Tenshinkai of Florida. We held a drug march after the martial arts demonstration and I spoke about drugs prevention.  We interviewed children, parents, and Jose Andrade for the video we're producing.  As the activities progressed, Ricardo Flores repaired the bicycle at a local bike shop.  He saved tomorrow's ride.  Thanks Ricardo!  The food was delicious.  The people were awesome.  I never worked so hard and had so much fun!  We checked into the hotel and here we are!  The guys went out to have a good time. I'm going to sleep.  I'm tired big time.  Did I say I was tired?  I'm tired.

Dr. Andrade shows his Aikido skills at the Anti-drug rally.

Street-wise Drug Prevention march through Orlando.

 
"Tormented Soul Tattoo Asylum" 
A different looking place in Orlando.  I had to stand in the middle of the highway to take this picture.  I hope you appreciate it.

I left Orlando at 6:30 am. I picked up a couple of egg McMuffins at McD's that morning.  They were good.  I arrived in Daytona Beach by 11:30 a.m.  I got there before the guys in the support vehicle.  They overshot Route 415 and were lost.  Alright!  I beat a car!  Powerhouse Gymnastics put on a great gymnastics demo.  They brought a great deal of gymnastics equipment and young ladies who were phenomenal in skill.  They did flips, twists and other things in the air that I thought wasn't possible.  Maybe Mel is teaching these people how to defy gravity?  Mel Haring is a driven, determined woman who looks out for her gymnastics students.  She's organized professional and generous.  Daytona Beach should be proud of her and what she's done in the area.  All of them were professional and very disciplined.  Mel Haring was gracious and arranged for us to be at the Hampton Inn.  The hotel was comfortable.  I really appreciate the room Mel, thank you!  The hot tub helped me relax my legs after the ride.  We had to buy a couple of video tapes for the camera at Kmart.  On the way to the hotel, we had to cram three people into the support vehicle (Honda Civic)  That's vehicle, not vehicle.  You start to spell funny when your this tired..  We didn't have much time to prepare, eat and shower, so I needed a ride.  That was an experience. I had to sit on the passenger side with a crew member on my lap.  He was heavy.  I'm not going to say who it was because I don't want to embarrass him too much for what he did next.  He farted.  First he complained that he had gas.  I should of known what was going to happen next.  I incorrectly assumed that he was going to hold his grip until we were out of the car.  Wrong!  Not even an apology.  We overate at the Olive Garden.  The food was great! We were stuffed.  After the program, we interviewed Mel Haring and Chuck Beach for the video.  Chuck is one of those guys that every community should have around. He's concerned about the community and gives all he has.  I wish we had a Chuck Beach in my home town.  Pardon for the inconsistency in the sequence of events as I write.  I am tired, it's late and I'm riding over ninety miles tomorrow.  Let me tell you something briefly about the ride.  I was chased by a dog.  No big deal.  He was one persistent dog.  He ran and ran.  I growled at him and showed my teeth.  I don't think I looked very intimidating because he kept chasing me.  The wind was right in my face.  I'm thinking, what's up with this?  When I trained for this trip I averaged fifteen to twenty miles an hour.  Now, I'm averaging ten or eleven mph.  Not good.  Oh well.  I must make this trip regardless.  I wonder if that pothole affected my bike more than I thought it did.  I'll get it checked out later. At least that dog won't be around.

 
I took this photo after being chased by a dog about 10 miles ago.

I left 6:00 am for Jacksonville.  I started riding right before dawn.  Wow.  What a sunrise.  It was great!  I started on route A1A in Daytona surfside.  It was hot & windy.  I started with no breakfast.  I bought three powerbars and ate one every ten miles.  I rode 93 miles today.  It was a painful 93 miles.  I was tired, real tired.  I hit a constant headwind throughout the trip.  You would think that someone like me would have enough common sense to plan this trip to ride with the wind instead of against it.  Wrong!  I can't believe this.  I am going against the wind.  What was I thinking?  Am I stupid?  Maybe.  Now I've got to finish this.  Here goes.  We didn't have time to eat until after the program at the Terry Parker Baptist Church.  I was really hungry and tired.  I was losing weight and not happy.  This ride was much more than I anticipated.  My -ss hurts big time.  Ouch.  It feels real uncomfortable when I sit down.  I don't want to do this anymore.  I want to quit.  I have no choice but to finish.  One more vacation shot.  This is supposed to be my vacation.  Yes, we're doing something positive for people.  But sh-t. This is my vacation.  I took on this project and no I have to finish it no matter what.  People are depending on us.  The black belts showed up in full force from TaeKwonDo Plus.  They were awesome.  They had so much of a good time punching and kicking through bricks and boards.  Amazing people.  Bobby Chavers is such a motivator.  Speaking of motivation, I am tired.  I have no motivation. I feel discouraged.  I can't let anyone see that I feel this way.  But hey, I did everything I could to prepare.  I'm surprised it's so hot, windy, uncomfortable and exhausting.  However, I saw alot during the ride.  St. Augustine must be the most picturesque city I've seen. It's beautiful, WOW.  The history and the architecture is breathtaking.  I was amazed by how much you can see at 10 mph.  I would have missed so much of it while in an auto.  It's like life- If you don't look around, it will be over before you know it.  Life will pass you by.  I've learned the value of slowing down and looking around.  Enjoy life-even if it means living tougher and taking the hard road.  I'm losing more weight. I'm not happy about that.  I passed a dead turtle this afternoon.  It stank.  Uh disgusting.  Yuk.  What a stench.  Time to go to bed.  I hope I'm not chased by any dogs tomorrow.  I'm tired of being chased by dogs.  A dog chase me today.  I wanted to kick it but it would have ate my foot.  Nothing like being chased by a dog while riding your bike dead tired.  I need to go to bed.

 
A beautiful sunrise at Daytona Beach, FL

 
For the next 30 miles, it was real smooth sidewalk riding.

 
More sidewalk, more miles, more sidewalk, more miles... 
Get the idea?

Another very hot day. This is so uncomfortable.  What was I thinking?  My rear end hurts so much.  There has to be a good reason why I'm going so slow.  I hope nothing is wrong with my bicycle. 10 mph! I should be going at least 15 mph.  Something is up.  We had a martial arts demo at the Goodyear Elementary School.  Someone turned off the lights during the martial arts demo.  Not good.  They probably thought that they could turn the lights on and off right away.  Well, they needed to be cooled off before they could be turned on again. The demo was great.  I felt bad for Ren Halverson who had to do it in the dark.  The local TV station and the newspaper showed up.  I was thankful for that.  The mor exposure this drug problem gets, the better.  Unfortunately, the story didn't hit television.  Gary Cook in Brunswick, GA, is a phenomenal individual.  He is someone that youth should look up to.  Our video crew interviewed the local District Attorney, police officers, teachers and parents.  They did a great job.  My rear end still hurts.  Ouch.  They put us up in a nice hotel and gave us a great meal at a Chinese Restaurant.  Nothing beats southern hospitality.  We, the crew, are arguing about money.  There is some damage to my car from all this packing and unpacking.  I'm not happy about the car situation.  Considering my health is good and the weather is pleasant, I shouldn't be complaining.  If all I have is a dented new car, life must be pretty good.  That's the thing.  People usually complain about what went wrong when they have so much to be thankful for.  I do it too.

 
Meet my mean, lean bicycling machine.  Don't mess. 
See the that yellow dot on the bike?  That is my horn.  
Don't mess with horn either.

The ride to Savannah was difficult.  I was hit by a minivan.  Javier was shooting video of the ride.  The driver of the minivan wasn't watching where he was going.  By the time he realized what was happening, he couldn't stop in time.  He tried to squeeze in between myself and the support vehicle.  As a result, he side-swiped me with his side rear view mirror.  I'm grateful it was one of those break away types.  I was lucky.  My arm felt broken at first.  And for some reason it was okay when I tried to straighten it out.  What an experience.  If I was six inches in the other direction, the grill of that van would have had me for lunch.  I'm just glad that I'm still in condition to finish the ride.  Traffic was nuts.  People drive like a bunch of fruitcakes.  The YMCA put us up for the night at a local hotel.  They were so generous and hospitable.  Dan McConnell opened up their facility to us and greeted us with open arms.  They arranged for a magic show, pizza for the kids and the drug talk we put on for the parents and children.  They know how to put on a show.  We put on two programs for the YMCA; one for the parents and one for the kids.  The kids got together and did a skit for us.  Wow.  Later that night, we went out (Javier, Ricardo and myself) to take a look around.  The town's historic district is beautiful.  I am impressed.  Cobble stone driveways, great food, nice people, everything was just awesome.  This trip is so intense.  As for the bicycle, we got the rear wheel fixed again.  The axle was broken after all.  No wonder the ride was so hard!  At the bike shop, I shared my "problem" with the owner. I told him about my chaffing, you know what I mean.  That seat isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world after eighty miles.  They recommended that I use "Butt-Butter".  Excuse me?  Butt-Butter?  What is that?  Well, they couldn't find any.  So you guessed it.  The sales clerk yells across the room to the owner, "Hey! Do we have any more Butt-Butter!".  I don't embarrass easily.  However, that was a little too much for me.  I didn't buy the Butt-Butter out of defiance for putting me on the spot.  The guys thought it was funny, of course.  Don't people in this country have leashes on their dogs?  I was chased four times today.  That rotweiller almost had my rear end for lunch.  And my rear end wasn't buttered.

 
I'm sure this homeowner is nervous.  The flood waters reached twenty feet from his front door.  If you take things a little slower, you realize what you can miss when you're always in a hurry.

The biking was hot and uncomfortable today.  The chaffing continued.  The sun was too warm.  The traffic was difficult.  I did not have a good time on the bike today, for the most part.  However, the last twenty miles were good.  I saw some beautiful scenery and the people were very friendly.  I stopped to talk to a couple police officers.  They gave some directions and appeared geniunely concerned about their job.  Although, they were probably thinking why someone was riding a bicycle this far.  If I was them, I would probably be thinking the same thing.  Will and Wade Marvin delivered an excellent martial arts demonstration in front of the waterfall in downtown Walterboro.  Great show.  We recently held a drug prevention program for what was supposed to be parents.  No parents showed.  About 30 kids came.  They participated and appeared very interested.  It was good program.  Everything just clicked.  Those kids were good kids. We focused our discussion on refusal skills.  They had a great time.  I spoke with Pastor Buckner after the program.  He has made some strides in encouraging diversity in his group.  We stayed overnight at a motel for $26.00.  We were not happy.  The place was filthy and it stank awful.  I asked the owner if he could give us a clean room or return our money.  He offered me a $5.00 discount.  I don't think so buddy boy.  It's not happening.  I insisted on having a clean room or returning our money.  Finally, he conceded to give us another room.  What a goof.  He could at least make sure the room was clean!  I inspected the room and everything checked out okay.  When I took a shower and walked out, the floor was kind of slimy.  Gross.  I was not happy.  What can you expect for $26.00?  We drove to Charleston, SC and went clubing.  I drove.  That town is alive all hours of the night.  The city is beautiful and rich in history.  I can't believe we came back at 2 a.m.  I'm exhausted.  I need to bike tomorrow.  I almost fell asleep at the wheel coming back.  I woke up about 8 am made my way to Charleston the next morning.

 
I took a picture of my shadow while riding.  
No groundhogs around here.

I left Walterboro at about 8 am without breakfast.  I ate a banana and drank some chocolate milk. 45 miles to Charleston, SC.  The last ten miles were treacherous.  Too much traffic and no shoulder on the road.  I knew I was getting close due to the transport planes landing in the distance.  Midway through the trip I stopped riding to see a few turtles coming to the surface for some air.  I was startled to see a crocodile.  I was chased by another dog.  It's no big deal anymore, really.  I'm getting pretty good at this dog avoidance stuff.  The trick is to start pedaling as hard as you can when you hear the barking.  Don't bother to see where it's coming from.  Just go!  When you really think about it, who cares where the dog is, as long as he's behind you-- instead of chewing on your behind.  At the Charleston Air Force Base, Deborah Wheeler arranged for the DEA, Customs Agents, local police department and other agencies to show their support by having a "Law Enforcement Day".  Incredible.  Deborah is one awesome person.

 
I love airplanes.  This one was on display at the Charleston  
Airforce Base.

We had a program scheduled with Gymnastics & More in N. Myrtle Beach. We checked into a hotel on the beach.  We hit the beach, got prepared and the support crew drove out.  We didn't have time to eat, figure that out.  The turnout wasn't as great this time.  After we addressed a small group of parents, we ate and returned to the hotel.  The guys went out and I stayed in.  I got lots of sleep.  Oh yes!  Sleep!  I wasn't chased by digs today.  Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach is nice.  It is very commercial.  Nothing historical that we've seen.  A carnival type atmosphere.

 
I think this was a bar on Route 17 that closed down.  There was road pie down the road that really stank.

 
More flooding.

Police Escort through Wilmington, NC

The road to Wilmington was hot.  We held the program at the martial arts school.  The Wilmington Police Department escorted me into town.  What a reception!  The guys missed the whole event.  Not much coverage of the police escort.  This community really works together.  We received supprt from DARE, local community support groups, parents and children.  The program started with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.  Everyone at the martial arts school was very courteous and polite.    Everyone called each other "Sir" and "Ma'am".  We ate lunch at Blimpie's, and shot coverage with the video crew.  The local television station showed up and gave the event a boost.  After the program, we returned to the hotel to wash up.  Many parents and teens showed up.  They were nice enough to take us out to dinner afterwards.  Elizabeth and Paul Leitzke are great people!  What a great day!

Rode out to New Bern.  What a hot one.  I met Michael and Kimberly Brown.  Michael is originally from Texas.  I took a shower at the gym.  Got ready.  Channel 12, ABC, was there to support us.  We had the program at the 1st Baptist Church in Wilmington, NC.  The martial arts demonstration was remarkable.  They took us out for dinner after that.  Mike and Kim were great!  Good folks.  Their daughter will be a great martial artist when she grows up.  They put us up in the Hampton Inn.  Great accomodations.  The ride was good and the food was better.  That's it for me.  I am tired.  Goodnight.

 
Sometimes I would get off the bicycle and take a look around.  There is something special about beingin the middle of nowhere with nothing except a bottle of water and a bicycle.

 
More water to see, more miles to ride. 
 

 
Curritcuck Ferry in NC.  Virginia is on the other side.

I rode about 90 miles to Edenton, NC.  I got my first flat tire.  Not happy.  Hey, this type of thing is expected, right?  I replaced it without a problem and pushed toward Edenton, NC.  This is by far the most beautiful town I have ever seen.  I met Martha Early at the Sherriff's Office.  Everyone was very friendly.  I washed up at the Lord Proprietor's Inn( bed & breakfast) and went to lunch with Martha.  We met the community at the Swain Auditorium at about 6 p.m.  The program started at 7 p.m.  The newspapers covered the event.  About 50 people showed.  Great participation.  During the drug prevention talk, a nine year old asked me if my shorts were too tight.  Ha-ha!  I went out for dessert, walked around town awhile and hit the sack.  Lord Proprietor's Inn was fabulous.  Great chocolate chip cookies.  How can I forget.  I was chased by the dogs again.  That was close-real close.  They almost got me this time.  On the way here, I saw someone's car painted like a Zebra.  Bizarre, huh?  Very interesting.  Takes guts to be driving in a car looking like a Zebra.  Don't you think?

 
I slept here.

This morning I met a few bicyclists heading toward New Bern, NC.  They had a big support van.  The breakfast at the Lord Proprietor's Inn was excellent.  I ate and hit the road.  I traveled 89 miles to Virginia Beach.  I caught a ferry in Currituck just in time.  There were several park rangers on the ferry that were real friendly.  They were from Naggs Head.  I was chased by dogs again today.  I am beginning to hate dogs.  The ride after getting off the ferry was the best during the entire trip.  I biked and biked until I arrived in VA beach.  I MADE IT! I MADE IT! I MADE IT!  YES! YES! I DIT IT! I DID IT!  I will never, ever do this again.  Never.  This country is too big to be doing this kind of thing.  I'll leave this cross country bicycling to the big boys thank you very much.  I got washed up and headed out to Master Cielo's King Tiger Martial Arts in Virginia Beach.  Now this is a great martial arts school.  What a demonstration!  Okay folks, the ride is over.  Time to go to sleep.

 
I like this picture.

 
Almost there.  About 30 miles to go.

 
Made it Virginia Beach!  Yes!  I made it!

• A man I met in Edenton, NC, who told me that he his nephew rode his bicycle across the country to find himself.  I admire that person's initiative.  However, I don't think you can find yourself that way.  I believe that a person develops from encountering the bumps and flat tires of life. As I've been told, "Making positive decisions despite negative conditions is what life is all about."
• It wasn't arriving at my destination that was the sweetest.  I really enjoyed the people and the sights on my way.  All I had to do was notice that they were there.  First, I had to slow down.
• At first, I was very much concerned about how far I traveled.  I was looking at the odometer and calculating my arrival time.  I neglected the wild fields of flowers and wildlife that were so beautiful.  I just had to look.  How many of us are so concerned about how far we are going, or how fast, that we forget what is around us?
• Focus on the inches when you're too tired to move on.  An inch isn't so bad.
• You know you're having a good time when you forget to check how far you've traveled.
• The unexpected challenges of life are not a part of life's frustrations.  The challenges teach us to be humble.  That's when and we find out what we're made up of.
• The memories of the people you meet and what you saw along the way lasts after the thrill of achieving the goal subsides.
• As time passes, the hardships are easier to forget than the good times.
• When you feel that you've bitten off more than you can chew, smile.  You know that you've taken on something that most people wouldn't do.  Keep going anyway.