May 10, 2007 Lincoln and a different bookstore

I get up around nine and head down to breakfast. This Holiday Inn Express in Norfolk has one of the best breakfasts around in this hotel chain. At least that is true in my humble opinion. The people who staff the breakfast (and the person who staffs the nightly snacks) are absolutely awesome.

I finish reading the novel that I have started and pack my bike. It is around eleven before I am ready to leave. I am so ready to have a great ride. I try packing my bike different and I like it a little bit better, but the load still needs to be back farther.

I like to pack the tent, the back duffle, which is full of my camping equipment; (stove, propane, food, sleeping bag, and lantern), then the side bags which right now are full of books and then the front duffle. The front duffle has a lot of what I need in the mornings (clothes, shampoo, my computer) which means that it is heavy and needs to ride square on the back seat.

I think about dropping by Hastings one more time, but decide against it. I really miss J. Rock and want to drop by and see her.

The ride is perfect. Beautiful weather, back roads, etc. I kick back and enjoy it all. When I get to the hotel, I see that it is next to a Barnes and Noble. What a joy. How cool is that? I call J. Rock and find out that she doesn’t have a car.

I ask her if she knows someone that she can borrow a helmet from. She thinks so and starts to call around. After a bit she calls back and tells me that she can borrow a helmet, but it will be tomorrow before she can get it. I tell her that we need to do dinner tomorrow, but that I can handle going to spend some time at Barnes and Noble.

I get a sandwich as it has been hours since I eat, find the book that I was in the middle of reading at Hastings and read some more. Let’s face it, even though I could afford another book money wise, I couldn’t afford it space and weight wise. So I read and devour as much as possible. I am looking at natural healing, pesticide and growth hormone use, and other toxic chemicals and how they might affect our bodies, both mentally and physically. I am in Lincoln for four nights, and I hope to make it back. I don’t, but have a great time doing other things.

I get to bed as early as I can as I have to present to a senator, or two, (or more) in the morning.

Happy Trails, Marty

May 8, 2007 Omaha, Packing Problems due to mornings

May 8 07

Today I am going to present at the Allegant Hospital in Omaha. I get up nervous and uptight. It is hard to get up, pack my stuff on the bike, strap it all down, save out what I need for a presentation and then get to the place thirty minutes ahead of time to set up.

I was supposed to meet people for breakfast, I really, really wanted to go, but wasn’t able to get moving.

It is hard, really hard for me to pack and move before ten in the morning. For most of my life, I have been the person who only wakes up around 10AM. I am fully functioning around 10:20.

Here, the presentation is supposed to start at 10AM.

I find the hospital around 9:30, which makes me uptight. The setup is making me nervous. I find the education wing and walk in. I don’t see anyone or anything familiar. I do see other people seeking the same place I am.

I ask a lady for directions, a house phone, a receptionist. She asks me where I need to go. I told her that I didn’t know. She was a total asshole. She said, if you don’t know where you are to go, then I can’t help you (yep, you know the voice and tone) and ignored me when I asked where a receptionist or a house phone might be.

I walk back outside and think about my surroundings and feel the minutes ticking away. I don’t feel good about the part that they can’t start without me.

I see a sign for valet service and realize that would mean a main entrance. I head over to it and ask the receptionist. She says that she doesn’t know where the meeting is being held. As I am breathing deep and trying to call Ken again, another lady says, “I know where you need to get to” and points out the way when she realizes that the name of the building means nothing to me. It is across the road.

I see a trail of people starting over walking, but I decide to hop back on my bike and take it over. When I do head over with my bike, people realize that I am the speaker and that I have been following their van for quite a while.

I am relieved to find the room and get set up. The people seemed to enjoy my presentation. I have started telling part of my story that often doesn’t get told and use it as examples when I present. The presentation is working its way out. I like it and agree to send handouts to people at the end of the Nebraska presentations.

Some NAMI people and I share lunch together. It is a beautiful day to ride my Vulcan. I kick back, enjoying the ride to Norfolk, which is said Norfork. (Long sad story about a government clerk that thought the people who sent in the application had to be mistaken)

I find the hotel around 6:15. It is a Holiday Inn Express. The desk clerk says “We have free beer and free hors derves until 7PM. It’s amazing. Unpacking my Vulcan suddenly got a whole lot easier. LOL

There’s a washing machine near my room. Good, I can present the next day with no bug guts on my clothes. Grin.

Happy Trails, Marty