Well, THAT Was Different - Touring DIFFERENTLY - CycleBlaze

Well, THAT Was Different

Sometimes You Have to Write What You Feel

Have you ever experienced the phenomenon known as "writer's block?"  I haven't, because I'm not really a writer.  The condition I am now experiencing is "bike blogger's block."  Actually, this isn't really a blog, it's a journal.  Sure, "blog" sounds cooler and more technologically sophisticated.  "Journal" sounds more like something an aspiring writer was told to keep by his/her English Professor.  "Diary" is another word.  That one sounds like something a teenager hides under his/her bed after writing their innermost thoughts.

I'm neither a techie hipster nor a teenager, so I'll claim the middle ground.  That's right, I'm just a member of the Third Estate.  I write a journal and I report what I see.

There can be no doubt that I don't educate anyone.  I don't seriously think anybody will ever follow one of my routes.  And I sure don't write these journals on-line just to remind myself of how much fun I had.  Heck, I had written travel journals for that purpose for decades.  Almost nobody has ever read them but me.  Now I publish them on-line for no other reason than vanity.  I admit it:  I want others to read them.  

If you are one of the people who reads about my shenanigans, I thank you.  If not, I take no offense.   Either way, I really, really appreciate the comments. 

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So much for my writer's block.  Once I get on a roll, I can't stop.

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Looking back at my seven DIFFERENT mini-tours, I'm having a hard time picking a favorite.  It's like picking a favorite bike.  I just can't do it. Given a "Sophie's Choice," however, I'd probably go with the first mini-tour . . . or maybe the last one.  The second one was pretty sweet too.  Oh, man, how can I forget the inner-city mini-tour or the one in Iowa.  Okay, I loved them all!  Please don't make me choose just one!

One thing I will never forget is how The Feeshko came up with the idea of short, monthly, mini-tours.  At first it seemed like a ridiculous idea.  Then it became a brilliant idea, considering the limitations I had with my dad's medical issues.

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Remember the second page of this journal?  That's the one where I described buying a Bluetooth keyboard and bragged about how I could use my phone to post updates from campgrounds?  Well, forget that crap.  Not once was I able to finish a post from a campsite.  I think I'll retrieve that thing from the basement right now and stomp it into the ground.  (I've never had such violent thoughts toward my pen and notebook.)

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I'm almost done writing now.  The four-day storm of rain, sleet and snow is now moving in.  The forecaster's predictions are so bleak that I'm not sure any human being could possibly go for a bike ride.  I might give it a try though.

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Comment on this entry Comment 17
Keith AdamsIn order for the phone/Bluetooth keyboard to work, you need a connection to the interweb thingy. I don't know about the campgrounds in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but US Forest Service campgrounds out west seldom had what I needed to enable me to post same-day journal updates. I hand-wrote them with my old-fashioned ball point pen in my trusty backup notebook and transcribed them when I could reconnect to the interweb again.
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1 year ago
Keith AdamsOh yeah, this: thanks for this journal. I foresee similar forays in my future.
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Keith AdamsThanks, Keith. Like you, I discovered you need wifi or a strong 5G signal, which, really, remote campgrounds are not designed for. I really like writing in a notebook in the great outdoors.

Also, I saw your reference to me on your own mini-tour. I meant to comment on that, but I forgot. I've been very distracted lately.
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1 year ago
Rich FrasierI totally enjoyed your blog/journal/diary/memoir/epistle - whatever it is. Your commitment to fun on the bike shines through and is something I strive to emulate. Good job!!
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Rich FrasierThank you so much for your comment. It might be the first time anybody has ever stated (in public) that I was emulatable.
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1 year ago
Rachael AndersonI really enjoyed your mini tours! Many thanks to The Feeshko with coming up with the idea, you have a wonderful wife! I was so glad we got meet both of you!
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1 year ago
Paul MulveyYou keep being you, Greg. Those of us who travel to your blog (journal) appreciate the stream-of-conciousness and lighthearted writing. It's something we look forward to in our "What's New" page each day.

Regarding the bluetooth keyboard - to update the journal you need a connection to the internet. But you can connect the bluetooth to the phone wherever you are. So don't perform the bluetooth-stomp dance just yet. I've updated a journal off-line by using the Notes features on my iPad/Phone, and then posting the text from my phone into the blog (journal) when I get connection.
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1 year ago
Nancy GrahamThank you for entertaining us with your JOURNAL. I so enjoyed following along on your Different Touring. I will miss seeing your words and photos every month, but maybe just maybe you will come up with something in the thaw ;’-).
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Rachael AndersonI can't tell you how much we enjoyed meeting you guys, not once, but twice. We both love to keep up on where in the world you are.
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Paul MulveyThank you much for your compliment about stream-of-consciousness writing. I think it's an unconscious form of stream-of-consciousness, but that's how I roll.

And thanks for the advice on the Bluetooth keyboard. I haven't stomped it yet. I did post that second page without wifi, so I guess I got a little too excited by the idea of strong 5G signals being EVERYWHERE. I should have known that was too good to be true.
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Nancy GrahamI WILL come up with something, but for a while it will be on Cycle365.
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1 year ago
Mark BinghamI keep seeing references in Cycle Blaze to Cycle365, but when I google it I just get a bike shop, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Is there something else?
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Mark BinghamHi Mark, Cycle365 is a really weird secret society--kind of like the Freemasons. JUST KIDDING! It's small website dedicated to posting stories about day rides. The hosts are Scott and Rachael Anderson. Sad to say, the participation has been dwindling recently. We'd be glad to have you join in though.
https://cycle365.life/
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1 year ago
Emily SharpI'm happy for you that the mini-tours concept worked and it was a good compromise for getting out on the bike for a bit when life precludes you from a longer tour. I do think pen and paper journaling is a nice way to review the day and wind-down. It does it in a way journaling on the computer just doesn't. I've always enjoyed cozy evenings in the tent so much more than motel nights, so I'm glad you were able to get out in the tent when the weather was suitable. I'll look forward to whatever the tough guy gets up to next year.
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Emily SharpThanks Emily. I absolutely agree with what you said about winding down with pen and paper journaling. I can't get comfortable doing it in my tent though. Thank goodness for our American-style campgrounds with picnic tables.
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1 year ago
Lednar De NallohGreat that you can still get out and tour no matter what life throws at you, even freezing weather. Only complaint is I don't recall seeing a pasty.
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1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Lednar De NallohPasties are few and far between down here away from the mining areas. But I now know where to get one. I'll post a pasty picture sometime in the near future.
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1 year ago