Day 0; Orentation Day

Day 0, orientation day; 51 weeks a year I am a Theatrical Supervisor for SeaWorld, 1 week a year, I am a hero.

It is surreal to be at Cow Palace.  I had seen pictures and heard of this place where riders gather to ride the coast of California.  It was just a place.  Today, it was real.  I was in the inside of this beast of a facility being prepped for what was to come of ALC. You can barely see its shadow from our hotel room that morning.

We arrived early (thankfully). And it was such an easy process; the signage sucked, but being with veterans, we breezed through the many steps to orientation.  Safety videos, check in, tenting, merchandise (burned a hole in my wallet).  There is an air of excitement in the air.  I am super excited, but it is foreign. I am not sure what to expect, I am just happy to be in the midst of all that is going on. Five of us went to the safety video.  The first ten minutes were about why we ride.  Here is what was funny.  I wanted to cry, but I didn't because I thought, what the hell, no one is going to want to see me cry at the safety video.  So I held back the tears, and I do regret that.  I may have been the only one not sobbing like a bloody fool.  In the first ten minutes, lots of people talked. Lori Jean, CEO of LA Gay and Lesbian Center talked about why we ride.  She said, we ride to save lives.  Holy shit! Hearing that in that room at that moment, I really thought, I am saving lives.  That is still to this date (four weeks later in my kitchen) such an incredible thought.  The money I raised on this ride is going to save lives.  I will never never never know the reach of what I've done, but it is a unique feeling to me still, that there may be someone within in the year who got medicine from our ride, education from our ride, or support from our ride.  A pill (or pills) can keep you alive and we helped provide the funds for those in need to get access to that medicine.  And to all you, my donors, thank you. Wether it was 5 dollars or 500, each dollar matters.  One rider said the biggest donation he got was from a gentleman on the street who heard of the cause, reached in his pocket and gave the rider a few dollars.  It was all he could afford. That was his biggest donation.  Not for the amount, but for the amount of love that came from that donation.  51 weeks a year I am a Theatrical Supervisor for SeaWorld, 1 week a year, I am a hero.  I have been called a hero a lot during this process and never liked that.  I am not a hero.  Today, I get it.  I am a hero and I feel like a hero!

Logan, Raquel, David, I and Nessa right before the safety video

Inside Cow Palace. One of many rooms with orientation day activities.

Right after tenting assignments.  I have my dog tags!

And Nessa is being silly behind me!

This, is a Tardis.  You will see a few pictures of the Tardis and I. I wore the Tardis every day on the ride.

My buddy David and I! Notice the ALC sweater.  Only $65 dollars!!

This is Darth Vader.  He also went on the ride with me.  He is being shipped back to my nephew with pictures from the ride.  You will see him on the blog as well.

So followers, the emotions are there but quiet.  I am soaking in every moment and being present.  I am not scared of the ride or the challenge.  My fear is that I will fail those that have supported me.  What if I dont ride every mile?  What if my bike breaks down?  (Well both happened so I get to tell you all about it).  I dont want to fail all those who have rallied behind me and supported me through this process, this life changing process.  I dont want to fail Ricardo, whom I do this ride for. I am off to dinner with friends, Sebastian and Byron made it up there to see me off. Chicken Lady dines with us.  Ken, aka, Chicken Lady, has done the ride for ages.  He has adivce for me.  Dont tense up, take my time, enjoy the sights, look forward, look back.  But I am in for a real treat (he is going to be right about that statement).  It was fun to dine with a legend of the ride (Chicken Lady dresses as a Chicken Lady each day on the ride and is almost a mascot for ALC)

Tomorrow, we ride!