Day 3

Day 3 I started later than expected, I wanted Henry to add the black crate I brought (just in case I could load it with Donate Life materials that were FedExed to me in Santa Cruz from Lifesharing in SD. Henry attached the crate just as I imagined, and I was able to load a "crate full" of supplies to hand out to people. It worked!

The best added feature to my equipment, attaching a pink dot to my rear view mirror.

I pedaled off from Santa Cruz with the first stop at the local community college. However, I happened upon a community hospital within the first 5 miles, Dominican Hospital. Though it is a general hospital I felt it couldn't hurt to share the message of Donate Life. These wonderful volunteers listen to Project MOM and listened to me as I explained the ongoing need for Californians to register to be a donor regardless if they have a pink dot on their license. I LOVE volunteers!

Just down the road from Dominican was Sutter Maternity Hospital. I was able to leave materials with the Executive Assistant to the administration, she declined a photo with me. When I rode off thinking, "why would she not want to participate in Project Mom?" Then it occurred to me, here I am dressed in screaming yellow bike gear, wearing a helmet with a pink donor dot attached to my rear-view mirror, with a big smile wanting to share the message of "share your life, share your decision." Geez, now I can only imagine what she was thinking! I took her card and will follow up with a note.

I am anxious to gain ground and took off like a "mom on a mission", destination, Cabrillo Community College. Luckily, the campus is right on my path.

I arrive on the campus of Cabrillo Community College on head to the "Wellness Center", which happens to be a new state-of-the art gym facility for students. It is beautiful and I got there when the doors opened for business so I almost looked like I was going in for a workout, almost. I was well received by the manager and he and an employee obliged me with taking the inflatable pink dots, pens, green wristbands, and most importantly, the bookmarks that give the link for every one to go onto the registry to register to become a hero to someone else. Awesome! Thanks Greg and Fernando!!

As I left the wellness center, I walked by students who were enjoying their lunch and chatting. These students listened to me as I shared Project MOM. Thank you Steve, Lynn and Felicia!

Just before leaving the campus I sat down to eat an apple and noticed a stunning sculpture. I stopped a student that was entering into the building of the Stroke and Disability Center and asked about it. Sharon has Parkinson's and is wheel chair bound. She explained that the sculpture and wall mural were created by students and staff of the center. I was so touched by this work if "heart."

I have to close, but have more to add about this day - later! Need to get on the road to Big Sur!

Project MOM Day 1 and 2

Pre-Day 1
 
Arrived Sunday afternoon, April 28, 2013 in SF.  My mechanic, my support, my brother, Henry picked me up from SF Int'l Airport and we were off to check into San Francisco's HI (Hostelling International) - Fisherman's Wharf.  We settled in to our "coed dorm room", then Henry dove right into adding equipment to my bike, and making final adjustments that were needed after being transported.  All HI hostels have a "bike room" area for travelers to work on and store their bikes, securely.

Henry is a master mechanic/craftsman/engineer, he can fix anything.  I was in awe watching him check all my equipment, installed my bike-ometer, which tracks mileage, time, and other technical stuff, added toe clips to my pedals (which had recently been removed due to corrosion), adjusted brakes, air in tires; basically spent over 3 hours to make sure my bike was "good to go" in the morning.  Thank you, little brother!
 
 Day 1

I didn't sleep well in the hostel, mostly because I was so anxious to "get this party started", and well, in a coed dorm there is snoring.... :/  I forgot that little detail when I decided to book these great places....like life, you never know.


After last minute bike check, and while waiting for my friend, Chris Truxaw to arrive, I had a chance to"meet and greet" two Canadian young travelers who were staying at the Hostel.  We talked about Donate Life, its purpose, and the chance for everyone to be a hero to someone else.  I learned that Quebec, Canada, has a high acceptance for the need for organ & tissue donors....everyone just assumes they will be organ & tissue donors because they have been educated about organ and tissue donation.  I can only hope that someday, the USA will.


Just before 10:00 AM, Chris Truxaw, who was to see me "pedal off", arrived.  Chris, is approaching his 16th year post (after) heart transplant.  Chris and Brittany got to know each other when Brittany was placed on the national organ donor waiting list. Since his heart transplant, Chris went onto graduate from high school, graduated from Stanford University, and is now a successful business man.  It was Chris and his family...mom, Liz, dad, Tim, and sweet sister, Jacquelyn, that not only helped us while we were enduring the time Brittany was on the heart transplant waiting list, but stood with us when Brittany did not receive that new heart and passed away.  I am forever grateful for the sisterhood Liz gave to me during a raw time of loosing Brittany, she listened to my broken heart, too many times to count.  I am glad that our family continues to have the support of Chris, Liz, Tim and Jacquelyn.

I have a photo of Chris and me next to my bike with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background that I wanted to post, however I cannot seem to upload it.  I will try another time.

Pedal off went well! I did not get more than 1.3 miles when I was to meet Henry at the nearby market as he insisted to "check the bike", when a gentleman walked up to me and asked if I was promoting organ donation.  I said yes, and he proceeded to tell me he was a living donor.  This gentleman was 3 years out from giving his brother one of his kidneys.  He had this look on his face of such pride, and I was speechless of his gift to his brother that I forgot to get his name and take a picture!  I believe living donors are a rare breed of people, this is the ultimate act of altruism from one human to another.

Onward with my journey down into the Golden Gate Bridge area where again, Henry wanted to do a bike check.  We kept in touch via cell, I could give Henry updates of where I was, we created "way points" to meet up.  My bike was performing so wonderfully, that I urged Henry to give me a few miles of distance to gain some ground.  I proceeded through the Presidio and downward toward Golden Gate Park.  What I did not realize, my cell was using up the battery searching for wifi along the way....before I knew it, I had a dead battery, did not pack my charger (because I did not think I would need it), and I did not know where Henry was on the route.  I stopped at the nearest gas station to ask where there might be a Apple Store, or Verizon.  Told to go back 25 blocks in a direction that sent me to where I came from, I began to get a little concerned that I did not think this one through.  Luckily, I found a small independent phone carrier that sold me a charger.  Once I got a charge, I contacted Henry to update him with my location.  We were together again, decided to get a sandwich and make a plan for the next phase.

After lunch, Henry and I had a clear idea of the road ahead, after all, it was the Great Highway; Highway 1.  We were heading south to our destination, HI -Point Montara Lighthouse.  A good 23 miles away.  The ride along the Great Highway is "great."  I took a bike path that paralleled Highway 1 along the ocean, I welcomed the breeze, greeted people as I passed, and said a prayer of thanks for this amazing journey that I am on.

I cruised so well along the route, remembered to hydrate along the way and had great energy.  I was made aware to expect hills of Daly City, but did not realize how many.... for my San Diego family and friends, it was two, Torrey Pines-grade-length in a row with a tiny downhill in between.  Whew!  When I got down the other side and looked back, I was amazed that I climbed it.  Yeah for me!

Continuing on into Pacifica, the ride continued to be great.  Rolling along the back streets, by a Little League field with a mom practicing catch with her son, then a golf course hearing the sounds of the links.  So wonderful.  

While passing the golf course, Henry called to check on me.  I said I was doing great, however he was concerned about the road ahead and wanted to know where I was.  Another glitch, he cannot pin point me exactly.  Where Henry was, the shoulder along Highway was gone.  Only the car lane and white line existed; it was brush, high incline and mountainside, not safe for me.  I mentioned that I was in Pacifica, on a bike path.  I wanted to continue as far as I could go, then we could go from there.  I said, "I will call you in 15 minutes and let you know."  As I ascended from the golf course, the bike path ended, and I was now on Highway 1.  I continued to travel along the shoulder which was about 4 feet wide.  I had a good climb that was well groomed, and thought, this is great, wonder what Henry is seeing that I am not seeing - yet.  While I was climbing the hill my cell phone rang and I answered it, BIG mistake.  After the call I put my phone back on the mount while riding, but did not tighten the connection as I should have.  On the other side of the climb I had a great descend....so great I thought to make up time.  Until I took the next turn within the mile of the descend...then, I noticed my phone was gone from its mount.  I suddenly panicked and thought, how was Henry to know where I was?  I immediately turned around to follow my path.  When I got back to the area of my descent, I looked at the hill and knew there was no way I could walk with my bike along the shoulder looking for my phone, it wouldn't be safe.  I turned toward the beach where there was a large parking lot of surfers and families enjoying the beach.  I simply approached a surfer changing into his wetsuit and asked to borrow his phone to call Henry.  Henry made his way to me, we back tracked the hill, found my phone on the white line, shattered, it had been run over.  All my "tracking" on RunKeeper and Find Friends, along with texting or phone use was now disabled; no one other than Henry would know where I am, until we could get to a wifi location where I could log on to my iPad and get the message out.  Henry and I decided to load up my bike for the remainder 5 miles to the Point Montara Lighthouse, and I am glad we did.  The road he described was accurate, and it was scary.  I could not have imagined riding up the hill in commuting traffic, without a shoulder.

We arrived at HI-Point Montara Lighthouse shortly after 6 pm.  I was exhausted from the days events.  We had a light dinner of canned shrimp, canned smoke oysters, cheese and crackers, it was devine.  I welcomed a long, hot bath and went to bed.  Day 1 had ended.

Day 2

Made an uneventful way into Santa Cruz to locate the Verizon store.  Processed my claim for a new phone, was up with a new one and connected by 5:30 pm.  Also, hit two bike stores in town to grab purple handlebar tape, riding gloves (I forgot mine), a bike lock (no combo on the new one I had purchased before I left SD), and a rear-view mirror for my helmet, so I can for-see oncoming traffic.

We picked up the FedEx box that Lifesharing sent me with more Donate Life supplies!

Studied our maps for tomorrow's journey....onto Monterrey Bay.

We are bunking at the HI -Santa Cruz, nice, quiet and quaint.