Hello everyone!
We have a new website! Please visit www.alsacrosscanada.com for any and all future updates and blogs.
Thanks for reading.
Aaron.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Can We Go Home Now!?!
Well, it’s just after midnight and I guess we didn’t wish, hope, pray (whatever) hard enough to make the ferry. Not only did we miss it, we are still 2 ½ hours away. Currently we are in a strip mall parking lot where we will mostly spend the night before heading off at 5am in order to make the 9am ferry (we have to be there no later than 8am or else they cancel our reservation).
The driving conditions became far too dangerous for us to be on the road. (you know, late at night and rain pouring down with no functioning wipers) and to top it off we realized we were never going to make the ferry on time anyway. So, we did the only thing we could and that was to stop. Working hard and fast to solve the problems we faced, we made calls and talked with locals all the while holding on to a shred of hope we could get out of here with a fixed Gord-mobile. But alas, that was not meant to be. We cried, we swore, I think I threw something and then we notified our team about our situation. With heavy hearts we dragged our tired bodies into a local pizza place and drowned our sorrows in a slice and a brew.
It’s funny how a little time and some food can really change your mood. With lifted spirits and a new sense of hope we decided to move the Gord-mobile to a better location, preferably one with internet access and a holding tank disposal. We were told there was an RV park a few kilometers away so we packed up and hit the road. Barely into the driveway we heard hissing and before we could do or say anything the entire cabin was filling with radiator steam. We had overheated and blown the cap off the radiator, which of course made for a nice bubbling fountain that would give Old Faithful a run for her money. So it is here that we lay dead in the water, unable to a thing about it until 8am when the repair shop opens, a tip we got from a very nice man named Kevin from Dewolfe Towing here in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. We are truly frustrated and very disappointed.
So the sum of our current situation is this:
1. we need the belt replaced ASAP, it controls the hydraulic park brake, the wipers, the radiator circulation system, and who knows what else
2. we need to make the 9am ferry (let’s be honest here…that ain’t gonna happen!)
3. we need to be in St. John’s by Thursday morning for us to make our first event and to not totally mess up the schedule
4. since it is physically impossible to achieve item #2 above, we need to get this old jalopy in running condition so we can make the next ferry which is at 3pm tomorrow.
It’s currently 3am, we are all still up and have been since 5am this morning. And although we watched the Gord-mobile steam its way to a complete stop, stranding us here, we STILL have hope of getting out of here tomorrow so we can finally join up with our team and “start” this journey. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is a better day!
-jeannie
The driving conditions became far too dangerous for us to be on the road. (you know, late at night and rain pouring down with no functioning wipers) and to top it off we realized we were never going to make the ferry on time anyway. So, we did the only thing we could and that was to stop. Working hard and fast to solve the problems we faced, we made calls and talked with locals all the while holding on to a shred of hope we could get out of here with a fixed Gord-mobile. But alas, that was not meant to be. We cried, we swore, I think I threw something and then we notified our team about our situation. With heavy hearts we dragged our tired bodies into a local pizza place and drowned our sorrows in a slice and a brew.
It’s funny how a little time and some food can really change your mood. With lifted spirits and a new sense of hope we decided to move the Gord-mobile to a better location, preferably one with internet access and a holding tank disposal. We were told there was an RV park a few kilometers away so we packed up and hit the road. Barely into the driveway we heard hissing and before we could do or say anything the entire cabin was filling with radiator steam. We had overheated and blown the cap off the radiator, which of course made for a nice bubbling fountain that would give Old Faithful a run for her money. So it is here that we lay dead in the water, unable to a thing about it until 8am when the repair shop opens, a tip we got from a very nice man named Kevin from Dewolfe Towing here in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. We are truly frustrated and very disappointed.
So the sum of our current situation is this:
1. we need the belt replaced ASAP, it controls the hydraulic park brake, the wipers, the radiator circulation system, and who knows what else
2. we need to make the 9am ferry (let’s be honest here…that ain’t gonna happen!)
3. we need to be in St. John’s by Thursday morning for us to make our first event and to not totally mess up the schedule
4. since it is physically impossible to achieve item #2 above, we need to get this old jalopy in running condition so we can make the next ferry which is at 3pm tomorrow.
It’s currently 3am, we are all still up and have been since 5am this morning. And although we watched the Gord-mobile steam its way to a complete stop, stranding us here, we STILL have hope of getting out of here tomorrow so we can finally join up with our team and “start” this journey. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is a better day!
-jeannie
Oh Canada….
Thank the gods of Kobal, we have finally made it home…well sort of, we are back in Canada, just on the other side!!! You have never seen 3 more happy people than we are right now! Even though we are on a tight schedule (we have to be at the ferry dock no later than 10:30pm and it’s a 7 hour drive…the current time is 3:30pm!) our spirits are high and we are merrily (and singingly) cruising down the highway in New Brunswick. In spite of how our day ended yesterday, we are all feeling positive and looking forward to starting our “real” adventure, which is now dubbed “phase 2”!!
Well, that good feeling was short lived! Day 5 and yet another problem with the Gord-mobile. As we were beating feet to make our way to the ferry on time we noticed bits of black stuff flying out of the heater vents. Along with this strange dust material was the smell of overheating radiator. We decided to remove the engine cover (while driving of course…remember we are on a very tight schedule) to see what the heck was going on. Then we realized that the black dust was actually bits of the air pump belt that had disintegrated and the smell was that of burning rubber. At this point a quiet hush fell upon us as we all contemplated what to do next. We quickly put in a call to our mechanic in Vancouver and he talked us through our problem, which as it turns out, is not considered critical. We are going to make a run for the ferry (now with only minutes to spare) which is 3 hours away. We will deal with the repairs when we get to Newfoundland.
An interesting side note here is that this morning when we took off from Massachusetts Lisa had this great idea that we should take shorter shifts, only driving about 3 hours each since we are all starting to feel fatigued. Glen and I have only had 1 shift each because upon Lisa’s taking over she has had a death grip on the steering wheel and is hell bent for the ferry. She keeps muttering something about her Nan and ditching us in Newfoundland. I think she might be serious!!
So raise a drink, say a prayer, and have some hope that we make this ferry!
-jeannie
Ps. Did I mention that the windshield wipers stopped working again, and it’s currently raining. No time to stop….must make ferry…..thankfully it’s windy enough that it helps push the water off the windshield (and don’t even ask us about what happened with the ice scrapper). Oh yeah…did I also mention that it’s dark….
Well, that good feeling was short lived! Day 5 and yet another problem with the Gord-mobile. As we were beating feet to make our way to the ferry on time we noticed bits of black stuff flying out of the heater vents. Along with this strange dust material was the smell of overheating radiator. We decided to remove the engine cover (while driving of course…remember we are on a very tight schedule) to see what the heck was going on. Then we realized that the black dust was actually bits of the air pump belt that had disintegrated and the smell was that of burning rubber. At this point a quiet hush fell upon us as we all contemplated what to do next. We quickly put in a call to our mechanic in Vancouver and he talked us through our problem, which as it turns out, is not considered critical. We are going to make a run for the ferry (now with only minutes to spare) which is 3 hours away. We will deal with the repairs when we get to Newfoundland.
An interesting side note here is that this morning when we took off from Massachusetts Lisa had this great idea that we should take shorter shifts, only driving about 3 hours each since we are all starting to feel fatigued. Glen and I have only had 1 shift each because upon Lisa’s taking over she has had a death grip on the steering wheel and is hell bent for the ferry. She keeps muttering something about her Nan and ditching us in Newfoundland. I think she might be serious!!
So raise a drink, say a prayer, and have some hope that we make this ferry!
-jeannie
Ps. Did I mention that the windshield wipers stopped working again, and it’s currently raining. No time to stop….must make ferry…..thankfully it’s windy enough that it helps push the water off the windshield (and don’t even ask us about what happened with the ice scrapper). Oh yeah…did I also mention that it’s dark….
New York, New York….New York???
Why the hell is New York so big? It’s day 4 and after 7 hours of driving and we are only in Albany. I wonder why so many people live in New York City, cuz there is plenty of space in upstate NY!!
We have been doing some calculations and have just realized that we are going to miss the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland tomorrow morning. It’s a real disappointment to us all, knowing how hard we pushed ourselves to make it here on time, only to realize we will not only miss the ferry by about 1 hour, but also we will be delayed in Nova Scotia until the next ferry which departs at 11:30pm, only a mere 11 hour wait. The worst part is, that once on the ferry it’s an 8 hour crossing followed by another 10 hours of driving, putting us in the St. John’s area Wed. night…only 2 days later than we had originally planned. We are all tired and feeling a bit frustrated, there is a general feeling of “whatever” in the air. It’s a bit sad also since Lisa really wanted to spend some time with her grandma (Nan) and the rest of her family, who has been looking forward to her arrival for 2 weeks now. The other 4 members of our team will be in St. John’s tonight and will hit the ground tomorrow without us, working on the logistics of our first event. Our hearts are a bit heavy as we feel trapped in the Gord-mobile unable to do anything but drive! Big sigh….
By-the-way….we are still in New York!
Right, so things have just gone from bad to worse. The Gord-mobile can’t take any more abuse for the moment. The temperature gage is reading nearly maxed so to prevent us from overheating we have the heater cranked and have reduced our speed to 70k. While searching for a place to pull off the road and let the Gord-mobile cool down for a couple of hours we ran into numerous problems…first we tried turning around on the highway, which not only did NOT work, but we also managed to jack-knife the trailer all while blocking 2 lanes of traffic. Remember how I said we had the heater on…well that combined with the stress of being jack-knifed caused the tension in this rectangle tomb with wheels to reach about a level 80 on the stress-o-meter. But somehow we pulled it together and managed to free ourselves from the jam we got into.
You would think things would get better, but no. We had to make 3 attempts at getting into the gas station, and while going the wrong way down a little side street (only for ½ a block) we managed to jack-knife the trailer…yet again! Only a mere 10 minutes since the last incident. No one really said much while we pumped gas and quietly loathed New York and our current situation. While trying to return to the highway and find a decent place to let our beast rest, we were nearly taken out by a semi-truck as we drifted into his lane by accident. This was due to us trying to make ourselves feel better (and cooler) we all began eating freezy pops and then decided to film a segment for the movie. Let’s just say that things didn’t work out like we planned. Not to worry to all the parents who might be reading this…I promise you that your children are all fine and taken care of!!
We are finally on our way to Massachusetts and have decided to lighten the mood by singing Newfie songs, my person favorite is “Donkey Riding” which Lisa has challenged me to learn all the lyrics to before getting to Newfoundland! So for now we are going to sit back and relax (with seat backs and tray tables in their full and upright position) sing some songs, have a laugh, and remember why we are doing this!
-jeannie
We have been doing some calculations and have just realized that we are going to miss the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland tomorrow morning. It’s a real disappointment to us all, knowing how hard we pushed ourselves to make it here on time, only to realize we will not only miss the ferry by about 1 hour, but also we will be delayed in Nova Scotia until the next ferry which departs at 11:30pm, only a mere 11 hour wait. The worst part is, that once on the ferry it’s an 8 hour crossing followed by another 10 hours of driving, putting us in the St. John’s area Wed. night…only 2 days later than we had originally planned. We are all tired and feeling a bit frustrated, there is a general feeling of “whatever” in the air. It’s a bit sad also since Lisa really wanted to spend some time with her grandma (Nan) and the rest of her family, who has been looking forward to her arrival for 2 weeks now. The other 4 members of our team will be in St. John’s tonight and will hit the ground tomorrow without us, working on the logistics of our first event. Our hearts are a bit heavy as we feel trapped in the Gord-mobile unable to do anything but drive! Big sigh….
By-the-way….we are still in New York!
Right, so things have just gone from bad to worse. The Gord-mobile can’t take any more abuse for the moment. The temperature gage is reading nearly maxed so to prevent us from overheating we have the heater cranked and have reduced our speed to 70k. While searching for a place to pull off the road and let the Gord-mobile cool down for a couple of hours we ran into numerous problems…first we tried turning around on the highway, which not only did NOT work, but we also managed to jack-knife the trailer all while blocking 2 lanes of traffic. Remember how I said we had the heater on…well that combined with the stress of being jack-knifed caused the tension in this rectangle tomb with wheels to reach about a level 80 on the stress-o-meter. But somehow we pulled it together and managed to free ourselves from the jam we got into.
You would think things would get better, but no. We had to make 3 attempts at getting into the gas station, and while going the wrong way down a little side street (only for ½ a block) we managed to jack-knife the trailer…yet again! Only a mere 10 minutes since the last incident. No one really said much while we pumped gas and quietly loathed New York and our current situation. While trying to return to the highway and find a decent place to let our beast rest, we were nearly taken out by a semi-truck as we drifted into his lane by accident. This was due to us trying to make ourselves feel better (and cooler) we all began eating freezy pops and then decided to film a segment for the movie. Let’s just say that things didn’t work out like we planned. Not to worry to all the parents who might be reading this…I promise you that your children are all fine and taken care of!!
We are finally on our way to Massachusetts and have decided to lighten the mood by singing Newfie songs, my person favorite is “Donkey Riding” which Lisa has challenged me to learn all the lyrics to before getting to Newfoundland! So for now we are going to sit back and relax (with seat backs and tray tables in their full and upright position) sing some songs, have a laugh, and remember why we are doing this!
-jeannie
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Road Rules
My driving shift is over which means I get to enjoy a nice cold beer! We have found a great system of drinking either iced coffees or red bulls (on occasion 1 of each) during your driving shift to keep you awake. Then when you are finished you get to treat yourself to a couple of beers to help make you tired so can go to sleep. Sounds a bit nutty, but it works. We finally made it to Wisconsin and we are hoping to be in Chicago in 3-4 hours. We are already gaining support of the biker community, especially the Harley owners, they often times gives us a wave as they pass us by.
On a completely different subject…you would think that crossing the Mississippi River would be quite exciting (especially after being landlocked for so long) but it paled in comparison the delicious sandwiches that Lisa made us for lunch! They were quite possibly the worlds best…either that or we were just thankful that we didn’t have to eat fast food or anything pre-made! Taking the time to buy some groceries was a brilliant idea!
Later that day…
Day 3 and we FINALLY got to take a shower!! We are incredibly thankful to Robin’s parents, Christa and Al who live in Chicago, for the warm hospitality, the awesome food, and the most incredible shower ever!! You can’t even imagine how grateful we are to them, especially since we didn’t leave there until midnight. Freshly showered and bellies full we hit the road with a certain spring in our step. Things are really starting to look up for us. We are making good time and have been really lucky not to get stuck in any major traffic. We are taking all the city bypass routes in order to save time, and aside from a few construction zones we are traveling along at 100k. It’s time for me to try and get some shut eye before my driving shift…next stop…Ohio!
Michigan….????
Okay, it’s 3:00am and we finally made it to Michigan! Only here’s the catch…we aren’t supposed to BE in Michigan!! Lisa and I went to sleep and left Glen alone at the helm. Now the funny thing is that I left Glen with the driving directions just before heading off to bed. He even repeated them back to me….Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania….so why is it when I woke up at 3am and asked where we were, Glen replies “Michigan” and then proceeded to tell me that Michigan was on the route. Oh, it’s on A route, just not OUR route! Anyway, after pulling out the map again, we were indeed heading in a north-easterly direction which would take us hours out of the way and totally mess us up time wise. In the end, we found a way back to Indiana and to the I-90 east to Ohio. We lost about an hour and a half but gained so much in experience and map reading skills, and let’s not forget that Glen and Lisa got to go to another state they had never been to before!
-jeannie
On a completely different subject…you would think that crossing the Mississippi River would be quite exciting (especially after being landlocked for so long) but it paled in comparison the delicious sandwiches that Lisa made us for lunch! They were quite possibly the worlds best…either that or we were just thankful that we didn’t have to eat fast food or anything pre-made! Taking the time to buy some groceries was a brilliant idea!
Later that day…
Day 3 and we FINALLY got to take a shower!! We are incredibly thankful to Robin’s parents, Christa and Al who live in Chicago, for the warm hospitality, the awesome food, and the most incredible shower ever!! You can’t even imagine how grateful we are to them, especially since we didn’t leave there until midnight. Freshly showered and bellies full we hit the road with a certain spring in our step. Things are really starting to look up for us. We are making good time and have been really lucky not to get stuck in any major traffic. We are taking all the city bypass routes in order to save time, and aside from a few construction zones we are traveling along at 100k. It’s time for me to try and get some shut eye before my driving shift…next stop…Ohio!
Michigan….????
Okay, it’s 3:00am and we finally made it to Michigan! Only here’s the catch…we aren’t supposed to BE in Michigan!! Lisa and I went to sleep and left Glen alone at the helm. Now the funny thing is that I left Glen with the driving directions just before heading off to bed. He even repeated them back to me….Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania….so why is it when I woke up at 3am and asked where we were, Glen replies “Michigan” and then proceeded to tell me that Michigan was on the route. Oh, it’s on A route, just not OUR route! Anyway, after pulling out the map again, we were indeed heading in a north-easterly direction which would take us hours out of the way and totally mess us up time wise. In the end, we found a way back to Indiana and to the I-90 east to Ohio. We lost about an hour and a half but gained so much in experience and map reading skills, and let’s not forget that Glen and Lisa got to go to another state they had never been to before!
-jeannie
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Say Hello to Minnesota!
Day 3 and we are finally in Minnesota, only about 7 hours to Chicago. We finally found a campground that has propane which we were in desperate need of. The fridge needs fuel to keep our newly bought food nice and fresh. We were at a critical low, but now have found an excellent source for replenishing. The best news is that the nice folks here, Frank and Melinda, the owners of a great Koa campsite in Jackson, Minnesota kindly donated the propane to us. THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity, we truly appreciate it!
With that said, i gotta fly...back to the road so we can make it to Chicago (and that shower!)
-jeannie
With that said, i gotta fly...back to the road so we can make it to Chicago (and that shower!)
-jeannie
Day 2...So long Montana!
We finally made it out of Montana and now we are in beautiful Wyoming! Actually, it all looks the same. We are hoping to make it to Chicago tomorrow afternoon for several reasons including: 1. Chicago is about ½ way (which is good news for us!) 2. we are going to Robin’s parents house, where we are hoping to finally take a shower and also eat some “real” food and to pick up additional camera gear and of course 3. at least we are not in Montana any more. So far the trip is going well considering the horrible start we had. We are each taking shifts of about 6 hours of driving. We also have a rule that 3 people can not be awake at the same time, expect for late afternoon, early evening which we have dubbed "cross-over time". On your “off” time you can eat, and sleep and that’s about it. So far we can only manage to sleep for 2 hours at a time before being woken up by noise or bouncy road conditions. Mostly we are living on a series of naps and snacks. We have been stopping for a “major” meal once a day and of course we stop whenever we need gas. Based on what happened in Seattle we start looking for gas when the gage reads ½ a tank so that we never run the gage down lower than between ½ and ¼ tank. Mind you, we were smart this time and have pre-filled both gas cans just in case.
Today has gone smoothly as we have been rolling the whole time and have not had any difficulties with equipment or near break downs, except for the time when the windshield wipers quit working. That was…fun! We pulled over and managed to get them fixed in about 10 minutes. Oh yeah, and the side mirror…that kept falling forward and sideways which was really no help in changing lanes to the right hand side. So that was a quick pit stop as well, just enough time to get out the tools and tighten up the screw holding the mirror in place. Other than a few gas stops and our latest stop at the super Walmart in Sheridan, Wyoming (now we can make food in the Gord-mobile) we have been running non stop. We have also decided to "pre-blog" while on the road to save time when we finally find an internet connection. Boy are we smart or what.....?
Next stop Chicago for that long awaited shower!!!
-jeannie
Today has gone smoothly as we have been rolling the whole time and have not had any difficulties with equipment or near break downs, except for the time when the windshield wipers quit working. That was…fun! We pulled over and managed to get them fixed in about 10 minutes. Oh yeah, and the side mirror…that kept falling forward and sideways which was really no help in changing lanes to the right hand side. So that was a quick pit stop as well, just enough time to get out the tools and tighten up the screw holding the mirror in place. Other than a few gas stops and our latest stop at the super Walmart in Sheridan, Wyoming (now we can make food in the Gord-mobile) we have been running non stop. We have also decided to "pre-blog" while on the road to save time when we finally find an internet connection. Boy are we smart or what.....?
Next stop Chicago for that long awaited shower!!!
-jeannie
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Good Leanne...
Day 1 got off to an incredibly rocky start! Not exactly what we had in mind...truly... not in the least!
To begin with our plan was to leave by 8:00am. After several complications with last minute loading of gear, equipment, and luggage, we were finally able to "attempt" to load the bike on the trailer and leave. Or so we thought! Who knew how difficult it would be - and nearly disasterous -(not to mention incredibly scarry) - to get a motorcycle and sidecar perfectly lined up onto two 10" wide ramps. After several attempts and using various speed humps in the neighbourhood streets to get the angle just right, we finally got it loaded...at around 12:30pm.
The border crossing went pretty smooth which was nice, but our success was short lived. We were delayed in Bellingham while waiting at the DMV for our motorcycle licenses. At 3:15 we finally left only to notice that the tarp we wrapped the bike with was flying all over and not really doing its job. During the stop we noticed some problems with the straps so we fixed that as well. A few miles down the road, one of the straps flew off and wrapped itself around the axle of the trailer. So, we stopped....again. Shortly thereafter we had yet another strap issue! No need for details here, just know that we had another 20 minute delay....in BELLINGHAM!
Back on the road again, things seemed to be looking up for us inspite of being delayed for about 9 hours. We were cruising merrily down the highway near Seattle when the motorhome started acting rather strange. We checked the gas gage but it read 1/4 full but as we started up a small incline the Gord-mobile sputtered and began to slow. We couldn't pull over onto the shoulder since we were in a construction zone and it was lined with barrels. As we approached the lane where the cars merge onto the freeway no one would let us pull over even though we were barely moving and had our hazard lights on! So, there it died, right in the middle of the right hand lane during rush hour traffic! Thankfully, as we stood in the road directing traffic while Glen went and lit the flares a good Samaritan named Leanne came to our rescue. She gave us ride up the highway to a gas station where we bought 2 cans and filled them right to the top. On the way back as we were approaching the Gord-mobile we noticed police lights and then off to the side of the road we notice 2 cars. The closer we got the more clear it became that an accident had occur ed...a young man had rear-ended the van in front of him....all because we were out of gas in the middle of the lane. The officer asked us to hurry up and get the hell out of there and as we pulled away we all felt a little sadness and guilt for the accident that mostly we had caused.
By this time we are only a mere 11 hours behind schedule.
Lisa did a great job driving on her first shift. Then is was Glen's turn. As we slept in the back he drove the Gord-mobile toward our destination while jamming to his ipod tunes and apparently drinking us out of red bull. He drank 4...yes 4 during his shift alone. We are currently sitting in a diner in the middle of Montana eating breakfast and watching Glen twitch.
So that's it for now....we are heading out to hit the open road and try to make up some time!
-jeannie, glen, and lisa
To begin with our plan was to leave by 8:00am. After several complications with last minute loading of gear, equipment, and luggage, we were finally able to "attempt" to load the bike on the trailer and leave. Or so we thought! Who knew how difficult it would be - and nearly disasterous -(not to mention incredibly scarry) - to get a motorcycle and sidecar perfectly lined up onto two 10" wide ramps. After several attempts and using various speed humps in the neighbourhood streets to get the angle just right, we finally got it loaded...at around 12:30pm.
The border crossing went pretty smooth which was nice, but our success was short lived. We were delayed in Bellingham while waiting at the DMV for our motorcycle licenses. At 3:15 we finally left only to notice that the tarp we wrapped the bike with was flying all over and not really doing its job. During the stop we noticed some problems with the straps so we fixed that as well. A few miles down the road, one of the straps flew off and wrapped itself around the axle of the trailer. So, we stopped....again. Shortly thereafter we had yet another strap issue! No need for details here, just know that we had another 20 minute delay....in BELLINGHAM!
Back on the road again, things seemed to be looking up for us inspite of being delayed for about 9 hours. We were cruising merrily down the highway near Seattle when the motorhome started acting rather strange. We checked the gas gage but it read 1/4 full but as we started up a small incline the Gord-mobile sputtered and began to slow. We couldn't pull over onto the shoulder since we were in a construction zone and it was lined with barrels. As we approached the lane where the cars merge onto the freeway no one would let us pull over even though we were barely moving and had our hazard lights on! So, there it died, right in the middle of the right hand lane during rush hour traffic! Thankfully, as we stood in the road directing traffic while Glen went and lit the flares a good Samaritan named Leanne came to our rescue. She gave us ride up the highway to a gas station where we bought 2 cans and filled them right to the top. On the way back as we were approaching the Gord-mobile we noticed police lights and then off to the side of the road we notice 2 cars. The closer we got the more clear it became that an accident had occur ed...a young man had rear-ended the van in front of him....all because we were out of gas in the middle of the lane. The officer asked us to hurry up and get the hell out of there and as we pulled away we all felt a little sadness and guilt for the accident that mostly we had caused.
By this time we are only a mere 11 hours behind schedule.
Lisa did a great job driving on her first shift. Then is was Glen's turn. As we slept in the back he drove the Gord-mobile toward our destination while jamming to his ipod tunes and apparently drinking us out of red bull. He drank 4...yes 4 during his shift alone. We are currently sitting in a diner in the middle of Montana eating breakfast and watching Glen twitch.
So that's it for now....we are heading out to hit the open road and try to make up some time!
-jeannie, glen, and lisa
Friday, September 7, 2007
Packed and Ready....almost! :)
So we did it! We are all packed and ready to go except for a few odd things like loading the bike on the trailer. We thought the neighbours would appreciate us waiting until 7:00am instead of firing up the Harley at 4:00am! We are super tired and need to get 3 hours of sleep before taking off tomorrow. We will write soon and tell you of our on the road adventures as soon as we can! Until then......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
-jeannie, glen and lisa
-jeannie, glen and lisa
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
At Last...A Trailer!!
Yes, you read that correctly...we finally got a trailer tonight! It's pretty cool and best of all it tracks really well behind the motorhome. So, now we can cross that off our list along with getting the decals on both vehicles. Tomorrow is going to be a HUGE day, and we have so much to do I can't can't even begin to imagine how we are going to get it all done. I guess we both just work hard all day long and hope for the best, cuz either way we HAVE to leave early Friday morning or else we won't make it to Newfoundland on time. Holy shit, this is really going to happen cuz it's too late to call it all off! Wish us luck for tomorrow....here's to getting everything done and hoping the brake installation on the motorhome goes well!!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
2 Days left!
Well, here we are with only 2 days before we hit the road! We are not really ready, we have tons to do and very little time to do it in, we both have massive migraines and are totally exhausted. The motorhome is still getting wrapped and it needs new brakes. The bike still needs to get wrapped, but we can't get it to the shop until we get some riding gear. We haven't even started packing, we can't get our camera gear until Thurs. nite, we have to get our house and personal affects in order, including a house/cat sitter, we also need to open a bank account, pay for a ton more things (which is all going on my personal credit card...YIKES!) and finish incorporating a company. That's to name a few....
I really don't know how this is going to come together, I just have a feeling that it will. If I am wrong, then I am going to be f**cked! So lets think positive and wish us the best of luck!
Fingers crossed....
-jeannie
I really don't know how this is going to come together, I just have a feeling that it will. If I am wrong, then I am going to be f**cked! So lets think positive and wish us the best of luck!
Fingers crossed....
-jeannie
Saturday, September 1, 2007
We need a trailer! (And more time!)
Okay... so we were supposed to have the motorcycle and motorhome shipped out to Newfoundland... but that hasn't quite worked out!
As a result we are now leaving 5 days earlier than planned - oh boy - and are now DRIVING the motorhome out to Newfoundland, leaving next Thursday!!! (We're going through "America" - cause it's faster!)
Anyway, as a result of this significant change of plans - we REALLY need an AUTO TRAILER to put the motorcycle on and pull behind the motorhome. The catch is that the motorcycle with the sidecar is 6 feet wide - (as wide as a car) - so the trailer needs to also be wide enough from stem to stern to accomodate the bike and sidecar.
If anybody knows where we can find one (as a loan for the next 7 weeks) please email us at documentingcharity@gmail.com.
:)
-Glen
Friday, August 31, 2007
Another Day, Another.....???
Well, here we are at the end of a long week and i can't really describe how i feel. We've done pretty well for ourselves, given the short notice, the hard deadlines, and let's not forget the enormity of the task we are undertaking. Having said that, I am concerned about not having a few key pieces to the puzzle but I am sure we will sort things out on the road. Today was the day that i had to start shelling out money for things like brakes for the motorhome, t-shirts, business cards....you know things that we need to make this trip happen. I am hoping that in the end everything will work out or else i have to sell my house!! We had a great meeting with a key person (who shall remain nameless for now!) and if this sponsorship comes together we will be smokin'! Fingers crossed we can pull this off. We are leaving in just 6 days...that's right 6 days! Until next time...
-jeannie
-jeannie
Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine...New Sponsor!
Sooooooo....we have a new sponsor!!!!! Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine has come on board with a significant cash donation!!
http://www.canadianscrapbooker.com/
Yes, it's true, I said C-A-S-H...this is really going to help us out A LOT!
Yes, it's true, I said C-A-S-H...this is really going to help us out A LOT!
For those of you who are not familiar with Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine, they are a small but fast growing publishing company based in Calgary. What's truly remarkable here is the value of smaller companies getting involved in a global community. This donation really captures the essence of what we feel is important throughout our journey - people in the community coming together, each giving a small part that together equals the greater whole.
It amazing how support keeps coming from the most unexpected places.
I'm exhausted, so off to bed I go.
-jeannie
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
So tired... so incredibly tired...
Okay... I know that what we are doing is important - and I am (somewhat!?) confident that we will ultimately succeed... but... it all seems incredibly overwhelming at the moment.
Basically we have one week left, with essentially NO sponsors. (Lots of promises, but very little follow through!) Now, granted, we're trying to pull this thing off on what is essentially an IMPOSSIBLE schedule, but... it has been extremely challenging working through corporate red tape to try and convince companies to come on board and support some of our more basic needs.
We're almost out of time and the only option at this point seems to be to put pretty much everything (airfares, fuel, food, accommodations, etc.) on our personal credit cards (which scares the CRAP out of me).
There is simply no way we are going to get the motorhome shipped out to Newfoundland - no companies have agreed to sponsor the transportation of the RV (the quotes we are getting are for approx. $5000 - one way!), and even if they did, we've essentially run out of time.
This means that we are now going to have to leave from Vancouver 5 days earlier than planned - which creates some challenges on its own - and drive the thing out there - almost 5000 miles - with 20 hour driving days (we're going to alternate driving and sleeping shifts between three of us) - and approximately $2500-3000 in fuel costs!
We also have no precise or definite plans of any kind of how the fundraising is actually going to work, and there is no guarantee that we won't: (a) breakdown; (b) run out of money; (c) kill ourselves on the motorcycle; and/or (d) spend $50,000 of our own money on a cross Canada adventure that nobody cares about or supports (financially) in the form of donations!
If it all seems doom and gloom it's because it sort of feels that way right now. Of course - I also haven't had more than 5 hours of sleep per night in the last 3 weeks - but hey - who's counting. I'm only just beginning to imagine what this is going to be like once we are on the road for what is now becoming 7 straight weeks.
Anybody out there want to volunteer to do this for us!? :) No... really!!! :)
(Oh yeah - the RV is currently at the repair shop - and we haven't even left town yet!) God I hope this works....
-Glen
Basically we have one week left, with essentially NO sponsors. (Lots of promises, but very little follow through!) Now, granted, we're trying to pull this thing off on what is essentially an IMPOSSIBLE schedule, but... it has been extremely challenging working through corporate red tape to try and convince companies to come on board and support some of our more basic needs.
We're almost out of time and the only option at this point seems to be to put pretty much everything (airfares, fuel, food, accommodations, etc.) on our personal credit cards (which scares the CRAP out of me).
There is simply no way we are going to get the motorhome shipped out to Newfoundland - no companies have agreed to sponsor the transportation of the RV (the quotes we are getting are for approx. $5000 - one way!), and even if they did, we've essentially run out of time.
This means that we are now going to have to leave from Vancouver 5 days earlier than planned - which creates some challenges on its own - and drive the thing out there - almost 5000 miles - with 20 hour driving days (we're going to alternate driving and sleeping shifts between three of us) - and approximately $2500-3000 in fuel costs!
We also have no precise or definite plans of any kind of how the fundraising is actually going to work, and there is no guarantee that we won't: (a) breakdown; (b) run out of money; (c) kill ourselves on the motorcycle; and/or (d) spend $50,000 of our own money on a cross Canada adventure that nobody cares about or supports (financially) in the form of donations!
If it all seems doom and gloom it's because it sort of feels that way right now. Of course - I also haven't had more than 5 hours of sleep per night in the last 3 weeks - but hey - who's counting. I'm only just beginning to imagine what this is going to be like once we are on the road for what is now becoming 7 straight weeks.
Anybody out there want to volunteer to do this for us!? :) No... really!!! :)
(Oh yeah - the RV is currently at the repair shop - and we haven't even left town yet!) God I hope this works....
-Glen
Monday, August 27, 2007
Motorhome....Home!
Well, it's true...we picked up the motorhome and brought it home last night.
We would like to thank Gord and his wife for generously letting us use their motorhome for the next 8 weeks. They even delayed their trip to Florida just so we could complete our trip as planned. This is a perfect example of people pulling together to help out other people! Now, if only the rest of our plans would pull together as nicely as this one did....only 2 weeks before departure!!
-jeannie
-jeannie
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Motorhome at last!
It looks like we finally have our motorhome! There are a couple of details to be worked out but it looks like we have a green light. With any luck we should be able to pick it up this Sunday! Now if we could just get a fuel sponsor on board then we would be cooking with gas (literally)! We only have 2 weeks left until the big send off...fingers crossed that it all comes together!
-jeannie
-jeannie
Third and Final Day! (Slow, Look, Press, Roll!)
Well it's finally here....day 3 and the our motorcycle skills test!
We got up early and donned our gear and set out for the track. We spent 4 hours practicing before the big test. Then we all lined up and one by one we went out and performed various skills while our instructors watched us, scribbled notes on a page and then finally graded us.
We were scared when we got our grading papers back since our scores weren't very high...but in motorcycle school low numbers are key and both Glen and I passed with flying colours!! That's right, we both passed and are now the proud owners of our motorcycle licenses!
It just like our instructor said - "slow, look, press, & roll!"
Woo Hoo!
-Jeannie & Glen
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Day 2 - quick stop, power walk, and the art of dressing in layers.
We finally got to ride today!!! We started out in the pouring rain learning how to power walk and finding our friction zone. Then in the blazing sun we got to lay rubber and find 3rd gear! One classmate, who shall remain nameless (you know who you are) tried to kill our instructor by mowing him down with his cycle. Later in the afternoon we put in some more class time followed by our "celebration of knowledge". Glen and I have bragging rights for getting 100% on said "celebration of knowledge"! Tomorrow....the skills test!
-jeannie
booyah!
-jeannie
booyah!
Contact & Donation Information
Just thought we should add a little contact and donation information for those who might need it!! You can email us at documentingcharity@gmail.com. For donations, please visit http://www.alsbc.ca/ and click on donate to documenting charity.
-jeannie
-jeannie
Monday, August 20, 2007
Day 1 of Motorcycle School (squeezing balls with men!)
Well, we made it through day 1 of motorcycle school! No riding today, just bookwork and videos and learning all the fun stuff like the difference between the clutch and the front brake! (A very important distinction!) All kidding aside we learned some pretty cool tips, like the sqeeeeeeeeeeze technique for braking -who knew you could have so much fun squeezing balls in a room filled with surly looking men. :)
Our instructor, Rick, is very cool and patient and extremely helpful. We both feel as though we have learned a lot today and look forward to getting out and riding on the course tomorrow!! Fingers crossed for no rain, cuz it was pouring out!!!
-jeannie & glen
Our instructor, Rick, is very cool and patient and extremely helpful. We both feel as though we have learned a lot today and look forward to getting out and riding on the course tomorrow!! Fingers crossed for no rain, cuz it was pouring out!!!
-jeannie & glen
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Desperately Seeking Motorhome!
We are still in desperate need of a motorhome to make this trip happen! Anyone who either has a motorhome, knows someone who does, or has a contact at a rental place please let us know. We would need use of it for about 2 months (6.5 weeks on the road, 1 week of prep, and 1 week for shipping or driving out east). The private owners would also be eligible for a charity tax receipt equal to the cost of a rental, corporate sponsors would receive nationwide recognition and advertising. Please contact us at documentcharity@gmail.com. Thanks for your help!
-jeannie
-jeannie
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Addressing Safety Concerns
We would like to thank everyone who has contacted us regarding our safety and riding this motorcycle across Canada. Although it may look like fun and games, we have all sat and discussed the very real potential for danger including weather, distance, and stamina. For these reasons we have signed up for in-depth rider training with an accredited motorcycle safety school during the coming weeks. Due to the risk involved, we have scheduled our trip with a maximum of 2.5 hour daily rides during daylight hours only (x2 drivers for a total of 5 hours on the road). In addition, we will have a police escort for a good part of our ride, and a support vehicle (Motorhome with trailer) if any part of the ride simply becomes too dangerous. ( i.e. the motorcycle will go on the trailer!). Rest assured we have our safety as a top priority and we truly appreciate your concerns.
-jeannie
-jeannie
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Team is Coming Together
We are proud to announce that our cross Canada team is coming together. In addition to our original members (Glen & Jeannie Tedham, Aaron Beckum, Megan Bodaly) the following people have agreed to make this journey with us: Robin Kupfermann & Lisa Whitten. This is in addition to the many "behind the scenes" individuals who are helping promote and create this amazing journey.
Thanks to everyone for all of their support so far!
-glen
Thanks to everyone for all of their support so far!
-glen
Friday, August 10, 2007
Jeannie, Glen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
We are about to undertake a significant cross-Canada charity fund raising tour – “The ALS Ride Across Canada” This tour is inspired by a short documentary film – ‘Documenting Charity (and the art of street shaving)’ we worked on this past May.
The original 5 minute documentary was about what people can accomplish in one day. (We raised $530.62 for the ALS Society by selling hugs on the street – since people with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, usually lose the use of their arms in the early stages of the disease, and therefore can’t hug for themselves!)
Through this process we have truly discovered what ordinary people can accomplish if they set their minds to it. We have been so inspired by what we accomplished in one day that now we have committed to continue our fund raising efforts for this disease – which kills more Canadians every year than AIDS, and yet has almost no public awareness or funding – by riding a Harley Davidson (with a sidecar!) across Canada.
If you would like to see the original 5 minute "Cannes Film Festival" award winning documentary please go to...
http://www.vfs.com/blog/2007/05/24/doc-team-winnes-cannes-contest/
If you would like to see some of the media coverage please go to...
http://www.vfs.com/blog/2007/05/29/cannes-doc-in-the-news/
For more information on ALS please visit…
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