July 31, 2010 -- Designated Cycle Lanes Won't Help According to Cyclists
Allen Griffin, proprietor of Perpetual Motion Bicycles Inc., Carrollton, Georgia, is recovering from an injured shoulder sustained when he was struck by a motor vehicle while riding his bike in Carrollton at the beginning of July. We wish you a speedy recovery Allen.
The accident, and another involving a cyclist within a few weeks, has prompted the Times-Georgian Reporter Amanda Thomas to write the article "Bike lanes won't help", cyclists say. (Printer Friendly version)
Allen Griffin has a distinct opinion about whether designated cycle lanes would be safer for cyclists, and what Allen Griffin does not know about bicycles and cycling is really not worth knowing. Read the article and see what you think.
Bill Craig - Georgia
July 24, 2010 -- Medical Emergency
July 29th, 6.45am Atlanta Time - Good News from Bill Craig:
Dondra has been discharged from hospital and we are both homeward bound! Thank you to all who have shared our concern and helped Dondra and myself through this awful ordeal.
July 28th, 11am Atlanta Time - Update from Bill Craig:
Dondra's temperature is still higher than normal, so she cannot yet be discharged. I am doing a lot of walking, and the temperature here feels like 105, so I am getting plenty exercise.
July 25th, 1pm Atlanta Time - Update from Bill Craig:
Dondra progressing well and will be moved to Room 872A soon.
July 24th, 10pm Atlanta Time - Better News from Bill Craig:
Dondra feeling much better now and may be released early next week if she continues to recuperate steadily and tests are OK. Still in ICU, but waiting for a regular room to become vacant. We are in the Atlanta Medial Center, 303 Parkway Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30312, Tel: 404-265-4000. Directions (PDF File). Staying in a nearby house that is provided at low cost for patients' relatives (thought to be the Mary Anne Manley House). Dondra's relatives due to arrive soon.
You can have a free "Cheer Card" delivered to Dondra.
July 24th, 11am Atlanta Time - News Update from Bill Craig:
Dondra's temperature is now satisfactory and she will soon be moved from ICU to a regular room. Looks like prayers were answered and she is past the worst of it now.
July 23rd, 2010 - Dondra In Hospital:
Bill's wife Dondra was taken by ambulance to the ER of an Atlanta hospital where she had emergency abdominal surgery. Her temperature has been elevated and has posed some cause for concern, but she is in good hands and should hopefully be on the way to recovery soon. She is currently in ICU but is being made as comfortable as possible.
Those of you who are religious, please pray for her speedy recovery.
Bill Dalziel - Scotland
July 16, 2010 -- Announcing a New Sponsor
I am proud to announce that the wonderfully skilled Photographer Victoria Sutherland has very kindly offered to support the C2CR2C ride by arranging a photo shoot for publicity shots very soon. I was very lucky to have Michelle McKee as the official photographer on the 2008 Dallas, TX to Dallas, GA ride, and I am very fortunate again this time to have Victoria Sutherland offering her services.
You can see some examples of her fantastic work on the Victoria Sutherland Photography website.
Bill Craig - Georgia
July 16, 2010 -- Training on the "Silver Comet Trail"
Training is going well, and I thought I would share with you some details about a place where I have spent a lot of time cycling over the years, and am currently revisiting to train. It is called "The Silver Comet Trail" and you can read about it in the Maps page which has been recently updated.
Bill Craig - Georgia
July 16, 2010 -- 74 Dogs and Puppies Seized In Jackson County, GA
A very disturbing story from WSBTC.com posted July 14, 2010 (printable version from AJC.com) concerning the seizure of 74 dogs and puppies from an unlicensed breeding operation between Jefferson and Commerce, North East Georgia, by the Jackson County Animal Control officers and inspectors from the state Department of Agriculture.
Although the inspectors reportedly did not find any injured or dead animals, rows of kennels in storage buildings, inside a home and outdoors, were filled with nursing and pregnant miniature dogs.
Authorities stated to the reporters that they hope to be in the position of offering the older dogs for adoption by the end of the week.
Contact details, for anybody who may wish to make enquiries about adopting any of the dogs:
Department of Public Development
67 Athens Street
Jefferson, Georgia 30549
Animal Control Division: 706-367-1028
Brad Richards, Animal Control Officer: 706-367-5480 email: brichards@jacksoncountygov.com
Tim Garrett, Animal Control Officer: 706-367-1826 email: tgarrett@jacksoncountygov.com
Bill Craig - Georgia
July 03, 2010 -- Website Additions
I would like to draw attention to the new Guest Book on the site. Click the button above next to the Donate button - in fact, maybe do this after you have clicked the Donate button? Yes, you know you should!
Anybody reading this please feel free to add any notes of encouragement for Bill Craig, because I'm sure that, with two months until the C2CR2C Event, he will be needing every gesture of goodwill to bolster his confidence.
Bill Dalziel - Scotland
July 03, 2010 -- Update On Publicity
Three days ago Amanda Thomas of the Times-Georgian has published a very good article about the C2CR2C event and the reasons I am doing the ride. (Printer Friendly Version).
I would like to extend my thanks to the employees and voluntary helpers at Carroll County Humane Society and West Georgia Spay-Neuter Clinic, in particular Tina Beuchner and Keri Ashworth, for their invaluable help with publicity.
Bill Craig - Georgia
May 22, 2010 -- Flying the enterprise ® Colors With Pride
In May of 2007, I wrote an e-mail to the district manager of my local Enterprise Rent-A-Car® office in Hiram, Georgia, told him of my D2D Ride for Wet Noses planned for April of 2008, and asked Mr. Paul Bridgers if we could have the use of a cargo van for my crew and spare bike at a reduced cost?
He did better than that. Paul arranged for us to have the use of the van gratis !!
I was totally blown away by this, and must say that having
enterprise
® as my first corporate sponsor is what got the wheels rolling.
Until that point, D2D was just some notes on a legal pad.
Now, in 2010, Enterprise Rent-A-Car® in the form of Mr.
Derek V.
Dandrea,
District Manager for the Carroll County area of Georgia, has once again
joined our team. I have to say that had he not agreed to do this for
C2CR2C it would have been a very tough job for us to obtain the use
of a crew van elsewhere!
I want to take this opportunity to explain something to those of you who may
be wondering why I'm so excited about the
enterprise
® sponsorship.
Usually when you see cyclists riding in the Tour De France wearing certain
corporate "colors" and logos, they will be riding for a sponsor, for example
Lance Armstrong riding for the US Postal Service. As I have mentioned
before, I'm no "Lance". I'm just a road bicyclist whose top speed is
15mph, but I am steady and determined.
The fact that
enterprise
® would let me wear their colors as my corporate
sponsor makes me feel like a Lance Armstrong, and let me tell ya' that feels
really nice.
Thanks, Enterprise®,
Paul
Bridgers
, and now Derek
V. Dandrea
for your
kindness and faith in me!
You sure do, Enterprise®, you sure do.
Bill - Georgia.
May 12, 2010 -- News About Publicity, Sponsorship, and Planning
Since my ride will also support Trap, Neuter and Release for feral cats, I thought y'all might find the following page a useful place to start:
Alley Cat Allies Trap, Neuter and Release tools, brochures, books, and posters.
In other news this week, it has been extremely difficult and frustrating to obtain the donated services of a sign company to do our van "logo-wrap", so I am moving on to Plan B: Borrowing our sponsors' magnetic signs. Our last sign company donated $2,000.00 in labor and "wrappage", and with the economy as it is, I cannot expect anyone to do this for us this time.
We now have a com-link established which will allow me to send recorded messages from the road and have them added as voice recordings to this website where you will all be able to listen be able to me giving progress reports. The news media too, can dial in to a special phone number and record me for broadcast. Thanks to my friend Neil O'Hara who was so helpful during the 2008 ride, for getting onboard C2C this year. Our friend Bill from Scotland was also very helpful in testing out Google Voice, but eventually we accepted Neil's kind offer to use his own business telephone service to do the job. So, with my webmaster's help, we'll get this on the site sometime prior to my departure for Texas, and you may even be able to hear some progress reports while I am out training if you are lucky!
For a long time now, I've been kicking around the possibility of putting collection jars in various establishments wherein folks can throw their loose change (or dollars!) to support the Carroll County Humane Society/West Georgia Spay Neuter, using the ride as a conduit. So far we have 3 establishments who have committed, and we have several more to contact before we "go live" sometime late next week.
I am in the process of collecting large pickle jars (like you'd buy at a wholesale place for re-sale to restaurants), so if you have any we could use, it would sure save me a lot of time even if it means encouraging your family to eat pickled products with every meal for a week or two.
A few weeks ago, I asked if we could solicit the help of students at the University of West Georgia as volunteers for this, but never received a response. Perhaps they have been too busy eating pickles to get empty jars for our cause! Would it be possible to provide them a slide for their local access channel on Charter with our logo, and ask them to get in touch with us (me) if they'd like to help? I would have already done this, but I am not sure how to do this.
That's it. Have a great week and think C2CR2C! I need all the good vibes I can get!
Bill - Georgia.
May 07, 2010 -- The C2CR2C Route and Training
In watching the videos Bill posted on my behalf about cyclists and their crashes (This page - entry dated April 11, 2010 - The Dangers of Cycling), I think it may be important for me to let y'all know that my speed won't be anything like theirs (unless I'm going downhill), so please don't expect me to be a "Lance Armstrong", okay? If I do 15 mph, I'll be a happy boy.
On one of the Alabama roads in '08, according to the computer on the handlebars, I reached a speed of 45mph going down a long, steep hill. My heart was pounding, knowing that if I hit a pothole and lost control it might be all over for the "German boy", and of course for D2D. There's a song in there somewhere I think: "Big Hills Alabama, Takin' me down to graze ma skin!" :-)
A few words about the training:
-
I need to spend more time on the bike (at least a couple of hours three times a week). I'm trying to follow a plan that trains a person to ride a "century" (a 100 miles a day although I hope to average 70-75), The website for that is HERE
-
I am maintaining a cadence of 75 (that's the number of revolutions per minute that the pedals make), so that's okay. Remember, you can see my training log by clicking on the link on the "Training Schedule" page here on this site.
In other news, my friend Suzette, who works for the Alzheimer's Association, is working on getting us coverage with CNN, and 11 Alive (a great news site covering the Atlanta and surrounding areas of Georgia) has already indicated an interest once we get closer to the date. Thanks, Suzette!
I'm still searching for a sign company to do the logos on the Enterprise Rent-A-Car® we will be using, so if there are any reputable companies out there reading this message who would like to be involved with such a worthy cause, then we would be very pleased to hear from you.
Bill - Georgia.
April 26, 2010 -- US Postal Service "Adopt a Shelter Pet" Stamps
March 17, 2010 — WASHINGTON
Postmaster General John E. Potter today unveiled the
Animal Rescue: "Adopt a Shelter Pet" commemorative postage stamps and announced the Stamps to the Rescue promotional campaign.
The ten new stamps feature photographs of five cats and five dogs taken by veteran stamp photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce. All ten animals were adopted from a shelter in New Milford, CT.
Bill - Georgia.
April 25, 2010 -- The Devastating Effects of Deforestation
Most of us are all trying our best these days to save our planet, whether it be by switching off lights and electrical appliances when not being used, walking or cycling to places rather than pollute the atmosphere further by driving a vehicle there, only filling the kettle with as much water as you intend to use, making use of recyclable or renewable products, etc.
While the world's population grows incessantly the need to produce more food for those mouths and the desire of unscrupulous companies to make massive profits has led to the destruction of vast swathes of rain forest that have left behind orphaned animals like Orangutans, and threaten the existence of many now endangered species.
The photograph above was sent to me by a friend in Australia, where ecology is very topical, demonstrates (in a light-hearted way) just one more of the less obvious effects of deforestation that should be of interest to us as animal lovers:
Although the image above is comical, deforestation is NOT a trivial issue and the picture in no way represents my views on this topic. That is why I am cycling from Texas to Georgia in September and not driving!
Bill - Georgia.
April 24, 2010 -- My Training Regimen and Saba Products
Since beginning with the entire Saba® regimen: The Saba juice, the A.C.E weight loss/energy system and the Borojo, I can honestly say I have noticed a huge difference in not only my energy level, but also my aches and pains, such as the rheumatoid arthritis in my hands and my neck. So, as well as the intended effects of keeping my weight down, keeping my energy level up, and building up my muscles, I have gained additional and unexpected health benefits.
I am very fortunate to have Saba® as my sponsor, and I thank them and my niece and nephew Pat and Jimmy Warren for the opportunity to use this as part of my training regimen.
I would recommend an initial one month's supply, take as directed, and see if you don't notice a difference in the way you feel.
Below is an excellent video that introduces and discusses the benefits of Saba® products, and has ordinary people talking about how Saba® products have helped them. The people in the video are just a cross-section of the folks who have tried it and made it a daily regimen themselves. There are many more, including physicians, who highly recommend it!
Contact Pat and Jimmy by clicking on the Saba® section on the sponsor page.
Bill - Georgia.
April 21, 2010 -- Caption Competition
Suggested captions:
- "You go down here and turn left at the canyon, then do a sharp right ..."
- "Yeah, that's my wife and my mother-in-law last Thanksgiving"
- "Nah! What you need is these shades here, yours just aren't cool enough"
- "Sure, here's the address of my barber, seeing as it the 50's look you're after"
- "OK, so should I post this application for Club Hypoxia, or will you take it back with you?
Oh yeah, you don't have any pockets. OK, I'll post it" - "Here's my mother's donut recipe, just go easy on the fryin' oil there, fit boy"
- "No Sir, it says here in Section 3 Paragraph 8 that your shirt is too bright"
- "I'm sorry Sir, but your legs are too hairy and your shorts too tight for public decency"
Getting closer ....
Yep, you guessed it. My "Club Hypoxia" friend Curt getting "written up" for speeding down a hill! Aren't there enough real criminals out there to catch?
He doesn't look as fun-loving and carefree as he did in these photos does he?
Click here to see how Curt might have talked himself out of a ticket if had been quick thinking enough.
Sorry, Curt, but we always said you had it coming some day.
Bill - Georgia.
April 11, 2010 -- The Dangers of Cycling
I thought it would be entertaining if I shared a few videos with you.
The first one is very aptly titled. It will have you uttering "Ooooh!" and "Ouch!" repeatedly, but fortunately it only seems to contain clips of non-serious accidents.
Be sure to look for the dog (at the 1 minute 48 sec marker), who walks away without a scratch!
(Note: The video begins with dramatic music, but perhaps not to everyone's taste. Maybe turn the sound down before clicking on the video below?)
Here are some other funny and amazing cycling videos on YouTube:
- I hope it isn't a Club Hypoxia shirt this unfortunate cyclist is wearing!
- Cheaters never prosper!
- Wow! What a descent. Some scary moments
The worst crash I ever had was when I first started riding "clipped" (cleats on shoes locked into the pedals) and forgot I was clipped in. I stopped at a traffic light and over I went! Fortunately I was relatively uninjured but my pride was hurt.
Allen Griffin at Perpetual Motion Bicycles, Inc says:
"There are two kinds of cyclists: The kind who have fallen and the ones who are going to fall while clipped in."
How very true. Hopefully it won't happen to me again.
Bill - Georgia
April 4, 2010 -- More Ride Logistics
Many of you have asked what specific cities are on my route, and in this story I will satisfy your curiosity for this and some other important parts of the Ride. These are also the cities where I plan to stop overnight as well.
Carrollton, TX > Grand Saline, TX > Hallsville, TX > Minden, LA > Monroe, LA > Vicksburg, MS > Forest, MS > York, AL > Tuscaloosa, AL > Calera, AL > Anniston, AL > Carrollton, GA. (editor note: see "Route" page for full details)
Not all of these cities will have overnight lodging available, so we'll leave the route and find the nearest hotel. The next morning we'll return to the spot we left, hopefully fully refreshed and raring to go!
I have to add here that during the Dallas TX to Dallas GA ride in 2008, when we got to the hotel, there wasn't much more to do but wash the vile stench of sweat off my aching body (now there's a lovely image), dress for dinner, and hit the sheets! I was so tired I wouldn't have minded being fed intravenously.
Someone asked me recently what my energy food was going to be on the ride, and as with the last one, it is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. God bless the kid who invented them!
I have yet to choose my liquid (probably Red Bull - no, I'm kidding!). I'm going to have to research that one, because on the last ride, I overdid one of the energy powdered drinks, and it bloated me to the point where I looked like a combination of the Goodyear blimp, Michelin Man, and the Pillsbury Doughboy on my Trek1000 Road Bike!
The Trek1000 brought me all the way from Dallas, TX back to Dallas, GA with nary a breakdown. No flat, no chain break and, thank God, no brake failure. I did have a spare, but it was never needed!
You West Georgia - East Alabama folks can find the Trek and many other good bicycles at Allen and Mikki Griffin's Perpetual Motion Bicycles on Maple Street here in Carrollton. They have 25 years of experience and will offer all the best advice to get you kitted out with a great bike, at a great price, and all the accessories and safety gear you will need to enjoy cycling.
For those in Texas, Bike Mart has 3 shops carrying a massive range of bikes and accessories. Their friendly and experienced staff are always ready to serve your cycling needs.
It's Spring and time to get fit, and there's no better way than on a bicycle!
But please take heed of the safety advice offered by the Carrollton GA "Bike Cops".
I will of course, take my three Saba products: The Saba antioxidant, the ACE Appetite control and Energy capsules, and the Borojo juice, which is a muscle builder and another energy provider. Before you think I'm going to be wired let me add that these are all completely natural products, and may I highly recommend them all and thank my niece and nephew, Pat and Jimmy Warren for donating them to me.
Let me add something about the ACE: They work and I can attest to that, having cleaned house, washed the clothes and then went to the neighbor's house and asked to mow their lawn recently! (Kidding again, but not about the ACE!). It also comes in very handy with the training.
Our support vehicle was the van donated by Enterprise Rent-A-Car® courtesy of district manager Robert P. Bridgers in 2008, and this year by Derek V Dandrea. It was the largest van Enterprise rents and believe me - we needed every inch of the space it provided once we removed the seats! I can't recommend Enterprise enough, having been a satisfied customer for 5 years! As I told their staff in Dallas in 2008: "I wouldn't rent from any other company!"
Our other corporate sponsor is Pet Supplies Plus and store manager Erin Hammel and district manager Mark Martin. Pet Supplies Plus, is the largest pet supply store we have in Carrollton, and there are always special deals to be had there! Click here for stores in other states.
Current list of sponsors here.
We'll be announcing other sponsors in the near future, and we appreciate them all!
That's it for now. Please tell your friends about us, and please remember to spay, neuter and ADOPT. Also don't forget that Operation Kindness , Carroll County Humane Society , and West Georgia Spay-Neuter Clinic can really use your donations and some other pet-related "comfort" things!
[ Editor Note June 1st 2010: See New Sponsor Page ]
Thanks!
Bill - Georgia
April 4, 2010 -- Burlington, Iowa - Dog Has Kittens For Lunch!!
A beautiful CBS News report from the Burlington Iowa Humane Society's Adoption Center about a dog's natural maternal instincts.
This is a touching tale, and reinforces the need for No-Kill animal shelters such as this one and also the centers that I will be undertaking my cycle ride to raise money for.
Lilly, a black Labrador cross-breed, was found pregnant and wandering along on an old farm road. She was taken to the center and had 6 puppies which were adopted. At the same time a litter of motherless kittens was brought to the center ..... well, see for yourself.
Click on the video frame below and watch in amazement, joy, or whatever emotion it makes you feel ......
In case anyone from Iowa is visiting this site, here you will find details of all the animal shelters in Iowa, and details of animals for adoption.
Des Moines County Humane Society
P.O. Box 822
2000 North Roosevelt
Burlington, IA 52601
Phone: 319-753-8389
Email:
Mmcha99@mchsi.com
Website:
Des Moines County Humane Society - Burlington Iowa
Other American animal rescue centers by state.
Remember though, MY cycle ride is to raise money for these animal shelters located where I will start my ride and where I will end.
Bill Craig - Georgia
March 17, 2010 -- Scotland
Site beginning to take shape.
My name is Bill, however my surname is not pronounced the way it is spelled, so I will refer to myself simply as Bill DL. I have offered to assist Bill Craig in compiling this website, but we will have to do so between other commitments including my job (which incidentally is NOT a professional web designer), and Bill's training and preparations.
Work has begun knocking this website into some sort of shape. Together we will make every effort to keep it simple, easily navigable, and fast-loading, but with as much detail relevant to Bill Craig's courageous challenge as we can. The online "Office Live" built-in web editing tools and standard page styles are taking a little getting used to for me after being more accustomed to using more standard offline page editors.
Please feel free to use the "Contact Page" to report any bugs with the site, any grammatical and spelling errors (remembering that British English is a little different from US English), and any suggested content - within reason of course!
BillDL - Scotland
