Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Scramble!

Greetings!

I've been busy lately. With the recent launch of the GOFUNDME campaign, my YouTube video, and EMS shifts, I haven't had much time for the blog. I've also been developing a media packet that I will present to local radio, TV, and newspapers along my trip. It turned out to be about 5 pages long!

When I first decided that I wanted to make riding for charity part of my trip, I had no idea it would be this much work! It's all good though. My multi-tasking skills have definitely been put to the test recently. My EMT-I recertification is coming up in January, so I've been rushing around trying to complete all the tasks associated with that.

 If you're interested in working in emergency services, I caution you; it comes at a price. If you think you can just put in minimal effort here and there, and still be a quality responder, you are gravely mistaken. We spend countless hours in training are required to participate in a minimum number of shifts per quarter. Don't let this steer you away, but understand the commitment level before you get involved.

The Go fund me has taken off so far! It made over $400 in 2 days. I'm really excited to try and meet the goal, and spread the word on my trip. I did read an article before I set up the page, stating that most campaigns only make about $1,000 before "capping out". This is due to using up your "close friends and acquaintances." I guess the key is sharing. I really need to work hard to get as much exposure as possible if I want to meet my goal of $2500. I remain confident that the goal is attainable. But if you're reading this blog, PLEASE be my advocate and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

I've been riding a lot lately, when I can. It's been really cold in the mornings (30 degrees), so my feet have turned to ice on many occasions. I've told myself to think of the desert heat I'll be exposed to in the near future, and how much I will appreciate Alaska's cool weather when that time comes. It keeps me going. I've been putting in about 14-40 miles every other day. The panniers I purchased have already been getting quite a bit of use, as I have been biking to the station for my shifts (8 miles away). It's easy to fill up the panniers when you know you will be at the station for 24 hours straight. I've attached a picture of my "office bag" contents. Accompanying is also the "laundry bag," and the "cold weather/rain bag," and the "lunch and snack" bag. Oh, and the "sleeping" bag...

In other news, I've secured my first night in San Diego with a "warm showers host" named "Lu Lack" and his girlfriend. They live somewhere right across from the airport. They answered up to my call, looking for a place to crash on the first night. They seem nice. My contingency plan if that falls through for any reason, is to stay at the Ocean Beach hostel @ $30 a night. Not a bad price for such a good local. Upon arrival to the airport, I'll have to get my bike box and reassemble the bike right there in the airport. Once that is done, Ill head to the local bike shop to get all of the bolts torqued to the right spec.  From there, I'll travel to Dicks Sporting Goods to pick up some fuel for my camp stove, then head for the pacific ocean 5 miles away. I want to touch my tires in the ocean before I leave so that when I arrived in St. Augustine in a few months, I can dip the same(hopefully) tires into the Atlantic; truly crossing the U.S. from sea to sea.

Well, I'd love to write some more, but I still need to finish my HAZMAT refresher for EMS, and who knows how long that is going to take.

Till next time,

Carter
 

Friday, September 16, 2016

Ebb & Flow

Hey folks,

I'm sitting at the Fire station on a 24hr shift. Seems like a good time to get a little practice at this blogging thing!

My last post was all about waiting around. I really want to start on my biking tangent, but I should probably fill in the pieces to the story before I proceed. This blog is titled, "My Life :)," right?

I ended up flying in to Redmond, Oregon, as a detailer on the Gannett Glacier Fire Crew. Once in Redmond, we drove to the Cayuse Mountain Fire in central Washington. This mountain range was approx. 2hrs from the Canadian border. We were on the fire doing mop-up work for about a week. It was a beautiful change of scenery from Alaska. I got to see many parts of the Spokane River, and couldn't help but image myself as a frontiersman on horseback, riding the dusty trails and looking outward for the next ridge top.

Once we closed down that fire, we got an order for the "Rail Fire," in NorthEastern Oregon, Near Prairie City. Another fire on its way out, this assignment seemed to drag on a bit. The crew was ready to either go home, or get some action. Fortunately, for the folks in the area, the rains came and that fire was also put to bed.

We ended up getting an R&R day in Bend, Oregon. It worked out perfectly for me, as I had already given my cousins a heads up that I would possibly be in the area. Kevin, Amy, Jordan, and Kealy picked me up at my hotel and took me out to dinner at the local "Brothers" restaurant. I had the recommended chili mac, and It was supreme! I really had a great time seeing all of them, and look forward to spending more time in their neck of the woods in the future. Thank you guys for all of your hospitality!

So, now for bike news. I've been putting a LOT of prep work into this trip since I returned. I've purchased my ticket, and am scheduled to begin in San Diego on October 2nd. I purchased almost everything I think I'll need, gear wise, and am waiting on most of it to arrive in the mail. I've been working on my Go Fund Me proposal, and should be done with it soon. This morning, I prepped my bike with my camera/computer/ overnight/ work clothes/ radios for work. I also installed my Odometer, which I've already logged over 35 miles on. Woot Woot!.

I knew I would need some footage for my Go Fund Me video, so I made extra time to try out some camera angles with the GoPro. I'll attach some short clips so you can get an idea of what some entries will look like. The only problem I encountered this morning was heat. I took off in my full uniform because it was chilly, and I didn't plan on riding fast. Well, it turns out freshly washed uniforms get really itchy when you ride bikes in them!

Ive really been thinking about my goals for this trip recently. I know I want to document the journey via this blog. I know I want to write some music. I think some serious meditation is going to take place inevitably, so I might as well make it a point to consciously take a little time to focus on just being quiet for a while.

While speaking to a co-worker here at the station, I started thinking, "What do I want to be the focal point of the Blog/Vlog?" She suggested maybe doing a food coverage. I'll be in the South, so why not do something like that?  It seems as though I'm getting quite a few more views than I would have expected to, so I guess I'll take a poll from the folks who will be entertained the most from the blog....YOU! THE READERS/VIEWERS!!!

While I have a lot of my own goals in mind, I still want to "Give the people what they want." Please drop a comment with details on what kind of things you would like to see in the B/Vlog.

Thanks.

And...................GO!