Aaaaaaaaaaaaaw, CRAP! The Girl Friday adventures are over! (sniff, sniff-snuffle, snuffle)

Officially, the adventures ended on Thursday with the flight home. Once again, I packed up the bike with no trouble, took the suitcase to the Southwest Airlines ticket counter and off she went, moving down the conveyor and vanishing into the bowels of the Phoenix airport... After landing, I picked her up from the luggage carousel, loaded her into my car and that was that. No fuss, no muss.

Ride thoughts and statistics

The good:

1. The Girl Friday

-- Riding the Bike Friday was like riding a 'normal bike.' It's not squirrely, nor did it resemble any other small animal or rodent because of its wheel size (or is that wheel's sizes? Wheel's size?).

-- No toe overlap; unless you have feet the size of Shaquille O'Neal's feet?

-- It was nice to hop on and off long distance trains with the bike as carry-on luggage, though I did find the bike very awkward to carry in the semi-quick fold configuration. It was definitely not a deal breaker though.

- Getting the bike in and out of car trunks was a breeze, and helped me get a much needed lift to the train station in Palm Springs in gale force winds (see Day 10).

2. The weather! Compared to summer, maybe not, but most of the country is freezing their asses off right now so who can complain?

3. My home made rack worked like a charm. No problems, easy to pack, easy to assemble and disassemble. Thanks to my friend Paul for building it!

4. Being the 'Featured Journal' for a time. That was cool. Thanks again, Neil! :-)

The Bad

1. The Girl Friday

-- There is no top tube to sit on at stop lights! I had to, yes, stand there and wait for the lights to change. (sigh)

-- No top tube means it's harder to use as a clothesline to dry laundry at night. (sigh again)

-- Forget about sweeping the tires with your hand if you run over glass or other debris, unless you have arms as long as Shaquille O'Neal's of course. OK, in all honesty, I could sweep the front tire by using some body English, and I got good at sweeping the tire with my toe, but the rear tire, it ain't gunna happen!

2. Day length this time of year. I always felt pressure to get in before dark, and I rarely got in before dark. Good lights were a must, and I didn't worry about breaking the rules in the name of safety (such as when I rode on sidewalks on busy streets after dark).

3. The winds. I think it's windier this time of year. I have learned to deal with winds mentally for the most part, it's just part of it, but when you're trying to catch a train, or get in before dark, it can be annoying.

The Ugly

1. The finish. Why, oh WHY must all good things come to an end!?

I guess I have to face the fact that it's time to hunker down and start planning my next trip... Hmmmm? So many roads, so little time!

Thanks again to all who I "camped out" with on the road, to all who read the journal, and to all who posted comments. I had a great time, and it was nice to have you along!

Until next time,
Karen (and the Girl Friday)

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