ONE BIG CO-OP

A cooperative (also co-operative; often referred to as a co-op or coop) is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit.^[1] Cooperatives are defined by the International Co-operative Alliance's Statement on the Co-operative Identity as autonomous associations of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprises.^[2] A cooperative may also be defined as a business owned and controlled equally by the people who use its services or who work at it.

That is what I love about Austin. A lot of great ideas going on and people getting together to make something bigger and better. This is what big business should comprise of, not all that big Corporate crap that is running to ruin this great country founded on freedom. They take away that freedom of being able to own your own business. But here in Austin, the little blue dot in a huge red state, they want to have their own thing. There are a lot of great ideas in this city and people are getting together to make something bigger and better for their community.

On Saturday was the Yellow Bike Project grand reopeing. Brooks and I headed up that way, I had the Trike loaded up with some t-shirts to sell, but no pup. The days here are already getting close to the 90º mark, and that big black dog can't take it. I feel bad not to be able to take my best friend with me everywhere, and it doesn't really show the whole picture of what this journey is about with him not with me. But we have been spending nights running around, although I can't take him on any of the Social Rides because he just freaks out with all the bikes around. We are working on that. When we got to YBP new shop on Weberville Rd. there was a mass of people and bikes. I pulled up and started chating with the folks around. I went inside to check out the stuff. The whole idea behind YBP is great. You have to volunteer about 12 hours at the shop helping others, cleaning up bikes, parts, and the shop. Once you have your hours you can build two bikes. The first is a Yellow Bike. Now these yellow bikes are destined for greatness. All the materials used to make Yellow Bikes are all used parts. They are taking bikes that are destined for the landfill and recycling them into Yellow Bikes slowing waste and giving back to the comunity. A Yellow bike is painted bright yellow and left around the city. The hope is to flood the streets with them and so if you need to run to the store or to a meeting you can grab an always unlocked Yellow Bike and leave it for the next person. And the second bike you build is for you. And they will teach you how to do all of it, then you get to teach others. Co-op.

I have met so many people here so far. I have talked about Brian with Spokiz, he is helping me while I help him. He had made "I ❤ ATX" t-shirts. He sold a lot but still has a couple boxes left and he is in Cali on biz, so I have been loading them up in the trike and pedaling around to all the functions that take place all the time here in this hyper-active city, trying to sell them. We are both making money and we are getting our ideas out there together. I also am also now a rep for his Sunglasses, Spokiz (spoke eyes). These are great sunglasses and I advise all of you to go to his website and order yours today. www.teamspokiz.com

There is another great idea out here called Flash Bak, these are the best personal safety system out there. It's the brightest LED lighting system that I have seen and you can clip it onto anything. It's good for anyone who shares the road with cars not just cyclist. The great thing about them is its hard to look past. I remember a couple times when I have been driving at night and you barely see the small flashing light that is on a seat post. Driving at night you tend to get tunnel vision and look past it. But these lights are so bright and flash at different beats that you can't miss them.

I am enjoying my time here. I hope to be able to stay till Oct. before taking off west. I am going to have to get a jobby job soon to be able to pay for things. It has already started to hit the 100º mark and we are only in mid May! Cooper is sick of staying in all day but he is adjusting. If you live in Austin and know of some work to be done send me a text or email please, I can and will pretty do anything at this time.

Till next time

Love and Licks

Sean and Cooper

I'M SO SORRY MOBILE......

....but Austin has taken the #1 position. I have only been here for a week, but the idea of living that this city has is great. The people are so cool and laid back; everyone has a hello to throw our way and good vibes to put out. This city is full of bikers, dogs, pretty ladies, and cool dudes. The bar and restaurant scene down here is huge. People believe in the whole "Mom and Pop" idea: totally against corporate America for the most part.

On Monday we ran around to get some stuff done. I had to go to Ozone Bike Dept. to pick up the external hard drive that Bob and Lori had picked up for me. I also needed to get the plates that connected my new Keen Commuter sandals to my SPD pedals. We stopped by Home Slice to get some pizza. I am a pizza junkie, and I miss the convenience of getting a slice at George's before hitting the streets of NYC. We sat down at a table and ordered a large pie. They claim to be a NY-style pizzeria, and they came close. But the pizza needed to be just a bit bigger to get that one-of-a-kind slice size. Granted, you could fold it in half like a taco, but it just wasn't the same. Afterward we went out to the mall to go to the Apple store to have some questions answered about my aging PowerBook G4. On our arrival I learned that I needed to make an appointment to see a Genius. So we headed back to the house to chill out.

Brian and Chris had emailed me on Friday before I arrived and let us know we were welcome to stay with them. They have a spare bedroom and bathroom for us. When we arrived on Sunday, Brian told me of his friend Bill who was moving out of Austin to go to the New York / Connecticut area in a month's time. Now, Bill had had his replacement move into his place a month early while he rode out the last month at his place. Well, it seems the replacement had some issues with Bill, and even tried to fight him a couple of times. Bill isn't that kind of guy. He is really laid back and chill. Anyway, he didn't want to spend his last month in this great city in an environment like that, so he asked Brian and Chris if he could stay with them. They, being nice people, said sure, but told him he would have to take the couch until we left. He was fine with that, and happy just to get out of the situation he was in. So on Monday, Bill was coming in with some of his things. I felt bad because we had the room and Bill had given them money for his share of a month's rent, and here we were staying for free. I had planned on staying for only a week, but the more I thought of everything that I needed to get ready for the desert, I realized that I would probably be here for a couple of weeks. I felt bad. I decided that if another offer came around to stay somewhere, then I would take it to be fair to Bill, Brian, and Chris.

So on Monday night, the four of us hit the town. We went downtown to The Jackalope for all-night Happy Hour. Then we went over to Lovejoy's in hopes of getting in on free pool table night, but the chalkboard was filled with names of hustlers and sharks, so we just drank. We had a blast, and met loads of people.

There are a couple of them I want to share with ya:

First we met this couple on the streets going from one bar to the next, selling drawings. Their character is Stitchlip. Its a cat drawn in a very interesting cartoon style. They have T-shirts, hats, stickers, posters, and even dog shirts! Check out their work and story at http://www.zazzle.com/stitchlip

Another dude I sat and talked with was Shannon with 3rd Millennium Chess. It's pretty cool—he has taken a chessboard and made it into a cylinder so you have to play from both sides. It is going to change the game of chess for the better. I wish I knew how to play, because it would have been interesting to sit with him and get down. You can check it out and order yours today at www.3mchess.com

On Tuesday we all woke up a little slow. We got some breakfast burritos and sat around relaxing. Coop gets rested a lot faster than I do. When we stop I don't want to do much of anything that is going to involve my legs. I don't even like walking around. But he was a little keyed up, so I took him over to the field and had him chase some tennis balls. Within ten minutes his tongue was hanging to the ground in a heavy pant. How is this dog going to make it in the desert? How does any dog or animal make it in the desert? It gets hot down here—last summer they had over a hundred days that were over a 100ºF! By my calculations it will take us about two more months to get to southern California. That's two months of no air conditioning. Granted there is shade, but sometimes Coop can't cool down all the way unless we are inside with some AC or if it's night out. I really need to figure this all out. So Tuesday was pretty unproductive other than uploading all the pics that I had from Mobile to Austin.

On Wednesday it was calling for rain which was good for us. The clouds gave us a shade from the sun. I needed to go and check out some stuff around town and just see what this city is made of. We made our way down Congress St. heading towards downtown area over the lake. We hit the ped bridge and spotted a group of cyclist on the bridge. I stopped to see what was going down and talk to these guys about what I was doing. I met Brian from Spokiz Eye Wear. These things are great. 'The 1Uhnighed is the first ever, truly hinge-less sunglass in the WORLD! That is right you are seeing the sunglass REVOLUTION in action. This model is the first ever introduced by TEAM Spokiz and is great for us big headed people. You know us with wide heads that get the pressure headaches and annoying rubbing behind the ears from NORMAL sunglass. Thanks to SpokiZ you are now free to move without worry or headaches or slipping sunglasses ever again!!!' These things are so light and have no pressure points you forget your wearing them. They are great with everything. No more slipping off and dropping to the ground or water. Check out the website and order yours today. Tell them that Sean and Cooper sent ya!!

http://www.teamspokiz.com

After that we rolled over the bridge and cruised around downtown, man there are some gnarly hills here. I stopped by REI and exchanged my tent and pants. I wanted to upgrade on the tent and pick up some more stuff but was unable to do so because I'm broke!! I went outside and met Dave and Yoni, Dave owns a pedicab company here in Austin and Yoni works with him. We chatted about people to get into contact with and Yoni is interested in doing a article and photo shoot on us. After that I went over to Mellow Johnny's. This is Lance Armstrongs bike shop. It has a nice Cafe, workout room, fitting room, showers, lots of gear and bikes. Its a great shop if you have a shitload of money, but for me it wasn't my kinda shop. As I pedaled away from the high end shop I turned the corner and smelled some good food. It was a taco shop and I had a couple bucks so I decided to get a taco. As I pulled up Brian Spokiz came out and said he wanted to buy me lunch. I went in and ordered and sat down with most of the guys I had met earlier on the bridge. I sat across from Brooks Goldsmith he is a web designer here in Austin. www.brooksgoldsmith.com He also has a rental property that he rents out for the non stop festivals that take place in this super active town. He asked me where I was staying and I told him of the situation I was in. He asked if I wanted to stay at the house. It is a fully furnished 3 br house with a fenced in backyard and a garage. I said that I couldn't afford it and he told me we could stay free of charge. "Holy crap that is great" I had been worried about the living situation at Brian and Chris's house with Bill sleeping on the couch and paying his share of rent. I called Brian and ran it by him, I was worried I would offend them. He understood and was cool with it. After lunch Brooks and I cruised by the house to check it out and to get the keys. What a nice place. I left the trike there and Chris came and picked me and Coop up on her way home from work. When we got home I packed up our stuff and I washed the sheets that Cooper had slobbered all over. That night Brian, Chris and I went to the Alamo Ritz movie theater to see Master Pancake Theater showing Bloodsport. Its the same principal as Mystery Science Theater. But they show movies that you know, its live, and there is lots of swearing. My kinda place. I shot beer out my nose a couple times and my face hurt from laughing so much. Afterwards we went to Jackalopes to met up with some friends of theirs.

The next day Brian and I loaded up all of our gear and headed over to the new crib. I got settled in and and unpacked. That night there was a huge group social ride around Austin. I decided to take the pup and trike to it and show these people how we do things. We met up with the 200+ riders around sunset and got to it. I wasn't prepared for the hills. I didn't eat enough that day so my legs got gassed right away we fell behind and I was having a hell of a time keeping Coop calm. Coop and I spend 99% of our time on the road by ourselves. So when we ride with other cyclist he freaks out. He wants to be the pack leader so when he is on the ground he is pulling so hard to get going that he wears himself out right away, but will keep going. He would run himself into the ground if I let him. I put him up in the back and all he does is shift from side to side in the back whimpering and whining to get out and back on the road. Image riding a bike with a 70 child behind you and they are throwing their body weight from side to side. Every movement he makes I feel. We pulled up the the half way spot and rested for less than 5 min before they got back on the road. I decided that that was enough. I was exhausted and Cooper was freaking out. I went home and passed out.

The next day Brooks hooked me up with one of his bikes and we went for a ride. We ran into Randell and he had heard about us being in town. He also commented on the fact that we didn't finish the ride the night before. I guess people where taking shit on me about not understanding my gears. Screw you. I understand my gears and think that the fact that I have pedaled 3,5oo miles is enough to say I have some experience. Anyone that thinks what I am doing is easy or thinks that I am doing something wrong, please come and show me how to do it, and then you will see what I do everyday. ASSHOLES!! OK sorry just needed to get that out there. We cruised around for the day checking out this and that. That night Brian and I went over to the SOAP house. SOAP stands for South Austin People. They make homemade organic soaps and lotions. They have the same philosophy as Dr. Bronners. Keep it natural, keep it organic and keep it clean. They hooked me up with some samples, and a plate of BBQ brisket. After that I headed over to G&S lounge to meet up with Brian and Chris for some beers. I had also gotten into contact with an old high school friend that has lived in Austin for 8 yrs now. Rachel and I swam, went to school, and church together. I hadn't really talked to her since graduation and was excited on seeing her again. She was already there when we arrived and I gave her a big hug and we all went outside to drink and talk. Rachel and I fell right back into. We used to hang out all the time back in the day and we were really close the last couple of years of HS. I missed her bluntness and no nonsense ways. We hung out there for a couple and then we all headed over to Bender. We continued our conversations about Cedar Falls. It was cool hanging out with people from my hometown. This is the first time I have stayed somewhere that has transplants from CF. It was good for Chris too, she doesn't have a lot of girlfriends down here in Austin so Rachel and her hit it off. After we shut down the bar, Rachel came back to the house to meet Cooper and to talk a little more. I crashed out happy to have the hometown hommies in my corner.

Saturday was a big day. I loaded up Coop and Brooks and I headed downtown to check out this and that. We started off over on South Congress at the Austin Glass Art shop. The weekend had brought in the Hot Rods and Rat Rods. They where parked and cruising up and down Congress. Brian had set up his T-shirts and Spokiz glasses at the little bizarre that was happening next to the glass shop. We hung out there for a min and then got moving across the lake. We went to the farmers market downtown and hung out with the SOAP guys and gals. Right next to that there was a huge Crawfish boil going on but it was $15 to get in and Coop wasn't allowed. Brooks broke out on his own and Coop and I headed up to 45th st to check out the 1st annual Dog Day Afternoon going on in Triangle park. This city is dog friendly big time, and they love active dogs. So Coop was a crowd pleaser there. After watching the wiener dog races we headed back home to eat and rest up. Later that night I took the trike out without Coop I was planning on riding around taking pics of all the hot rods. I met up with Brian over by the Glass shop and we made our way out. People had been tailgating all along the Congress strip watching and driving these classic muscle cars. So when we worked our way into traffic it was pretty hairy, cars where burning out and revving their engines. We decided to get out of that exhaust filled madhouse and head east. Brian took me on some brutal hills. We split up on the way home and I decided to kill myself by finding the hilliest way home and pushed my self to haul up these hills. Main Street has sent me a new Mega Range gear that is going to help me but I haven't gotten a chance to put it on yet. I just turned up the radio and turned off my mind and just kept moving my feet by the time I rolled into the garage I had done 36 miles that day and was soaked with sweat. I took and shower and passed out.

On Sunday I had scored a job taking Fan Photos at the Harlem Globetrotters game. I haven't seen the Globetrotters in like 20 yrs and they are better than ever. They put on one hell of a show. I shot over 1000 pics and got to watch a lot of the game.

I have decided to stay in Austin. I was planning on pushing on next wk and getting to Seattle for the winter. I was going to go there and work for my old boss that has the pet cremation biz in NYC and Seattle. Hibernate, get fat, and save some money. But this town has way more to offer and I would rather deal with the TX heat than a Seattle winter. So when I got home on Sun I looked online for a place to stay and a job to get. Rachel came over to take me out to dinner and while we were hanging out she offered me a room at her place. She has lived by herself for 5 yrs or so and said she wouldn't mind having a roommate for 5 months or so. This will save me a load of money and it will be nice staying with someone I know. We just have to make sure her cat Roma and Cooper are going to get along. So for the next wk or so I will be staying at Brooks place and taking Cooper over there to get to know them. I hope this all works out and I'm sure if I stay positive it will be positive.

I'm not done with this adventure. I am just taking a much needed break to rest and reorganize, this city has a lot of people that support us and want to be apart of this idea of mine so by the time I roll out in the fall we will be bigger and stronger. So stay in touch I will be still posting our goings on.

Till next time

Love and licks from Austin

Sean and Cooper

Pushing to Austin

Okay, this is gonna be quick: detail points only.

We rolled out of the park and got moving. I was rested and determined to make it to Austin in good time. The hills were more of a gradual climb all day, with wind at a minimum. I just used the Texas atlas that I had gotten from Bob Strange and picked out my route every night for the following day. One thing Bob told me to do was hit up Brenham, TX—the home of Blue Bell Creameries. For the past week we have been getting up at 5:30 a.m. every morning to get as many miles done before noon in order to avoid the heat. We got to Blue Bell at about lunchtime and had a picnic, and then I went in to get some ice cream to cool us down. I got rocky road and Cooper got peaches and homemade vanilla. We talked to some folks and rested, and that afternoon we did a couple more hours.

On Friday we were a couple days away from Austin and moving down highway 290 when we got waved down by a couple who wanted to talk. I told them about what we were doing, and explained about all the stuff on the blog. I mentioned I had fallen behind on the photos due to the fact that my external hard drive was on the fritz. Bob and Lori asked how they could get a new one to me. I was shocked that they wanted to buy me a new hard drive. These things aren't cheap: over $100. I told them of a bike shop I was planning on going to in Austin, and they dropped it off there for me. Thanks so much, Bob and Lori Marsh.

On Sunday morning I couldn't sleep at all, so we got on the road very early. We had to do 38 miles that day to make it to Brian's and Chris's place. They are originally from my hometown, and we know some of the same people. When they heard about me coming into Austin, they contacted me to let me know we were welcome to stay with them during our time there. The temperature at six o'clock that morning was 67ºF, and the humidity was 10,000%! I was soaked about ten minutes into the ride. The hills leading into Austin made themselves known, but I was adamant on making it to Austin by early afternoon. Things tried to stop me: flat tires, headwinds, hills, and rain. By noon I had done 33 of the 38 miles, had two flat tires, and was exhausted. I was so excited to get to Brian's and Chris's house, and I thought the last 5 miles would take me just over an hour. . . . Three hours later, I pulled up to the house. Brian came out, and we talked while I unloaded everything and sorted all the laundry we had to do. Then we took Coop out back and gave him a much-needed bath. I showered, and we hung out and caught up with the goings on of mutual friends.

Now I am planning on riding around this great city. I have to go to REI to exchange gear and get some new stuff. I have some gear work to do before I continue on to the hills and desert. I'll post more about Austin while I am here. And also, I am uploading pics while I write.

Till next time,

Love and Licks,

Sean and Coop

So I had skipped this little bit of the trip.

Once I had woken up on the boat launch after getting kicked out of MS. I broke down camp and headed back into that awful state. I had to get pics of the fire department. After snapping a few I retraced my path to LA. Stopping off at the gas station right before the boarder. I got some coffee and a banana. When I stepped out of the store someone asked "what are you doing here?" I looked at him and recognized him from the night before, he was one of the county officials that was present for my deportation from MS. I told him I came back to take some pics. He asked "what for?" And I told him "I'm putting them up on the blog so everyone will know how you have treated me." He looked stunned and said "oh". I replied "next time you might want to think about how you treat strangers that are passing thru" With that said we made our way back into LA. We headed west on 190 and made our way into Slidell, LA. We stopped off and picked up some supplies. It was about 3 in the afternoon and I stopped off at the Police Station to ask if there was a safe spot in town for me to camp. He said not really and told me to keep heading west out of the city and find something out there. Before I pushed on I went across the street to the Fire Department. I have come to realize that the water from the FD is better than most taps in town. I guess they run the water more so it doesn't have that well taste to it. While filling up my water jug I got to talking to one of the Fireman and he told me about the Tammany Trace Bike Trail. It's about 30 miles long and is all car free. Most sections you can't even hear the cars. By the time I reached the Trail Head of the bike super highway, it was getting dark. I found a spot in the bushes out of sight and set up. As I was getting everything put together a guy walked up to say hello. His name was Butch and he lived off the trail. We started chatting and he told me how he wanted to get out and do the same thing. But he was going to support himself my selling nicknacs. The dad from Happy Days has that commercial about junk and stuff in a warehouse that you can sell. So his idea is to pack it up and go to nursing homes and retirement communities and sell his goods to them. Its a good idea and wish him luck. The next day we had rain in the forecast for the afternoon. We had about 12 miles to get to Fontainebleau State Park. Butch met up with us as we were making moves and said he wanted to ride with us to the State Park. As we rode he gave me the history of the area and the trail. We would encounter trail rangers and they all would tell me dogs are not allowed on the trail. This blew my mind that the community would allow such a ridiculous idea, not being able to take your dog on a nature trail. I explained each time what we are doing and how nice it is not to have cars around. And they agreed as long as I kept in up in the back. Once they were out of sight, I would harness Coop and let him walk along side. Its just to nice not to let him enjoy the car free trail. Once we arrived at the State Park, I went inside to see about work for a site. I only had $5 to my name at the time and needed another $10 to camp. The park ranger said he couldn't help, but a couple more miles up the trail in Mandaville there is a place called "The Samaritan Center" he said that they would be able to help me some how. I made my way in and found the building. I went inside and a nice young lady asked "how can I help you?" I explained what I was doing and the predicament I was in and told her I wasn't sure if they could help. She said sure and we sat down to talk about it. After some questions she wrote a check for a one night stay at the park. I was grateful but a little ashamed. I choose to live this way and this place is here to help those who don't have a choice. But I did need a place to camp, a shower and do some laundry. I made my way back to the State Park and got my site. As I made my way into the camp ground it started to rain. I rushed to the site and quickly set up the tent and unloaded what we would need. I wasn't able to really look at the lay of the land and within a hour we where in a small pond. That has been the biggest problem down here is finding a safe, dry spot. As soon as the rain let up I moved the tent up on the asphalt drive and strung out the rainfly with bungee cords, and climbed back in as it started to dump again. At about midnight it stopped and Coop and I climbed out to stretch and eat our super late dinner. The following day some of the campers came by to chat and see what we where all about. Some people donated some money to us and I had just enough for another night at the state park. Everything was soaked and I needed to dry it all out. That afternoon and night Coop and I hung out in the Laundry Room and I tried to work on the blog. But every 15 minutes or so someone would come in and I would chat with them. People would return with treats for Coop and food for me. One of the people who came in was Janet. Her and her friend Alex are pedaling around the south east. They started in Oct in GA and have zigzaged about GA, FL, AL, MS, and LA. on their way into TX. This is their Journal. Check it out. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=6113&v=Ak


It was nice to see other travelers. We shared stories and found out we are both big fans of http://www.pathlesspedaled.com/ We are both excited to meet these two. After the chat one of the camp host came in and said dogs aren't allowed in the Laundry room. I explained to the dude we live in a tent and are trying to stay dry and warm for a bit. He wasn't hearing it and booted us out. As we made our way back to the tent Chris and Bill stopped me and invited us in for a glass of wine and some snacks. They both are rubber tramps and meet on the road and met up now and again. They wanted to hear of my adventure and they told me more about Katrina. I went back to the tent with a warm feeling from the wine and friendship and slept like a baby.


The next morning we got up early. Coop really stunk and someone had given us some dog shampoo. So we got into the showers, and cleaned him up. The great thing about most State Parks is they always have a Handicap shower with the shower head on the hose. This makes it really easy to clean him up. After his shower I got cleaned up and we headed back to the tent to pack up. When I stepped out I was approached by the park ranger I had met the first day in the office. He asked why I had Cooper in the shower house. I told him that I can't leave him in the tent because he will tear it up trying to get out, and if I leave him tied up outside he will bark and throw a fit and wake everyone up. He said he didn't care and said that some people had told him I was Panhandling around the campground. I was blown away by this. I don't beg or ask for anything. The nerve of some people. I said whatever and walked away.


I broke down the tent, packed up and got the hell out of there. We got back on the trail and headed west I needed to stop off at the Library and do some typing. On the way into town I stopped to talk to Earl. He works on oil drill platforms as a wielder in the gulf and we got to chatting about tour cycling. After our conversation I went to the Library and started clacking the keys. About 20 minutes later Earl tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to step outside. He had went home and packed up a bunch of canned Chicken, Turkey, Tuna, Salmon, and Sardines. It totaled about 8 lbs. of goods. I was happy for the food but that was a lot of goods. After that we got back on the trail. We met up with a daughter, father ride. I can't remember her name but she is in her senior year at UMass and her dad is Hal. I stopped and talked to them for a second and then they took off down the trail. After a bit we made our way into Abita Springs. The name seemed so familiar to me. As we made our way thru this town I heard someone yell my name. I looked around and saw Hal sitting outside Abita Brewery with his daughter. I said hello and he asked if I wanted a beer. I said sure and we pulled up. This is why I recognized the name I have had this beer in NYC. I sat down and Hal got me a beer. We chatted and talked about all sorts of stuff. After a couple pints, we all got back on the road. Not to far down the line I found a good camping spot and sit up for the night.


The next day we made our way towards Hammond LA. I stopped off at the FD to fill up on water, and chatted with a couple of brave guys. They sent some muffins with me and lots of good lucks. As I got into Hammond a couple asked me to pull over to talk. Richard and Lanee Landry were very excited to meet us. Richard was cyclist back in the day and the two of them have 6 dogs so they were all about us. We talked and they informed me that they are in the movie making biz. They said they would call ahead to Baton Rouge to the news media and let them know I was on my way in. I said thanks for the help and got to getting. That night as I was looking about for my resting stop a red BMW pulled over and stopped me. Shane Mutter, was also a cyclist and wanted to hear my story. We exchange info and he got going on the interstate and we made our way down to road. I found a church a couple miles down the road with a huge yard. I set up and turned on my phone, I had a text from Shane asking where it was I camping, he wanted to stop by in the morning and drop some stuff off to us, and wanted to know if I needed anything else. I feel weird when people ask if I need anything, I don't like asking for anything. He assured me he wanted to help and would get anything I needed. So I asked for a half dozen hookers and a gallon of Jameson. Kidding, I asked for a bag of dog food and that's all we needed. In the morning Shane pulled up and brought us a big bag of dog food, 2 gallons of water and a bunch of travel sized soaps, shampoo, and other personal hygiene products. We talked some more as I packed up and Shane told me how excited he was to meet me. He really digs what we are doing. He took off to work and we made our way towards Baton Rouge.
So thanks to everyone that I met in the LA. Now that have been in AL, MS, and LA. I now see them as AL and LA as legs and MS is where the sun don't shine!

Till next time
Love and Licks
Sean and Cooper.

MID CITY BIKES

2560 Government St.
Baton Rouge, L.A.
225.636.5776

The past couple of days have been very stressful. Mostly due to the unruly traffic that has been screaming up from behind on this shoulderless road labeled highway 190. These people behind the wheel of some of the biggest, loudest pickup trucks try to push me and the oncoming traffic right off the road, they have succeeded twice in the past 3 days. This road 190 is at a gradual climb, most people in a car don't realize it, but when your hauling 700+ lbs into the wind you feel it with every turn of the pedals. Coop has a sore paw, and has been on the DL for 3 days now. Last week we had a trail for a couple of days so he got to run a lot and I am afraid we might of over done it on him. I should of known better not to let him run so much, but it was so nice to be able to cruise without the presence or even the sound of cars. So I don't mind hauling him too, and he seems to know he needs the rest.
I have met a lot of people over these 3 days and they have put the media in touch with me. This is the first time a TV news station has done anything on us, and both channel 2 and 9 did a piece. Channel 9 did one on Friday evening when I was about 15 miles from BR. Allan Tumey does of a piece geared towards travel. It will be online on Monday so I'll link it then. As far as channel 2 goes, they some how had heard about me and a young lady contacted me on Facebook and wanted to set something up. I said sure and asked if she knew of a good bike shop that would be able to help me and my Trike. She suggested Mid City Bikes, this isn't the first time I have heard this name before. The last couple of day as I have neared BR I have encountered some folks on bikes or people who are really into the bike life. Most of them that where familiar with the area had suggested Mid City Bikes. I had called Travis the owner and only employee and asked if it would be cool if I stopped in and got some help, and had Channel 2 met me there for the interview. He said sure he was eager to hear more of my adventure. So I got directions and headed in.
As I pulled up to the big yellow building across from the Texaco station on Gov't St. I saw a perfect parking spot right in front of Chopper Style Tricycle and next to the old school Thai style Rickshaw, with the seat for the passenger up front, and the operator sits behind them. I strolled in and I was greeted with a "hello Rickshaw Man." Travis had looked at the blog and seen what we where all about. He stopped what he was doing and came outside to check it all out. We talked about what I needed and he said no problem. He was more than happy to help. He stepped back in the shop and put one of his cronies on the job of helping me out. We added some bar extensions for a more comfy hand position, and a half link for the saggin chain, and he stocked me up on some spare tubes, spare tire, patch kit, and a spare half link. As we finished up Rob Krieger from Channel 2 showed up for the interview. He was very excited about what we are doing. We decided to angle this interview towards the kindness of this trip. What some people don't get is I survive day to day from the kindness of strangers. When I left NYC I had about $500 to my name that ran out pretty fast due to the fact that I had to get stuff that I needed once I left. I had planned to stop off and work here and there doing whatever needed to be done to make a honest buck. But I have been able to get by with what people decide to share with me. Like I have said over and over, I only ask for water and directions. I don't beg or panhandle, I'm not a mooch or a freeloader. People who have met me and some who have never met me have donated money to us via Paypal. A couple bucks here and there go along way when you shop at Dollar General! And because Travis believes in what we are doing he helped me out by giving me the parts and materials needed to make my ride more comfortable. And he is also putting us up for the night.
Travis Hans has been at this location for just over a year now. He has one hell of a shop. When we walked in to the left of us was about half a dozen road bikes and other motor type bikes. To the right of me is a stage with 2 sets of turn tables and a 8 piece drum set. This place was a music store before he moved in and he decided to keep the stage so him and his friends could spin records or beat on the skins when ever they needed to. He has all sorts of cruisers around the shop. A great section of road bikes and BMX. The greatest thing about this shop is whats going on in the back. See Travis and a couple of very good friends have been making their own line of BMX bikes and plan on starting on some road bike frames soon. He has a TIG welder, a huge Mill and a massive Lathe. All used to make his bikes and fix yours. The Mid City BMX line is strong, light, and fun to ride. Travis is here 6 days a wk from 10am-6pm, but if you have a problem give him a call and if he is still around he'll unlock the door and give ya a hand. Travis was more than happy to give us a hand keeping up with the notion that this nation is a kind and giving one that is being proved to me everyday of this amazing trip.

So thanks to Travis, Rob from Channel 2, Allan from 9, all the people I met at or around the Hammond LA. You all know who you are. I wish I could give a personal shout out to all the people I encounter everyday, but I have honestly talked to thousands of people in the past 5 months. Wow that in itself blows me away!! So thanks to everyone we have ever met and have never met but follow us.

Here are some links for you viewing pleasure.

Channel 2 WBRZ News
http://www.wbrz.com/video/

Channel 9 WAFB News 'Tumey's Travels' Its under March 9th.

http://www.wafb.com/Global/category.asp?C=20267&nav=menu57_8_1

Mid City Bikes
http://www.midcitybikes.com/

This one is of the building of a Mid City BMX Bike, and then it being rode around Baton Rouge. Its posted on Vimeo, a great site.
http://vimeo.com/8855507


Till next time
Love and Licks
Sean and Cooper

WE GOT KICKED OUT OF MISSISSIPPI

We took off from Mobile on Saturday, February 20. My foot was still sore but I was able to pedal without too much discomfort. We had one last lunch at MELLOW MUSHROOM with Bucky, Todd, and Brad. After we ate, we made our way west on 90. There were more hills than I thought there would be. We made it to a huge cemetery that night—Lawn Haven. It's about ten miles from the Mississippi–Alabama border. There was rain in the forecast for the night. We made our way back into the thick of it all, trying to find a good hiding spot. We hadn't been on the move for four weeks, now so we were trying to get back into the groove of things.


I set up the tent and elevated my foot. The hills that day had put a lot of pressure on the toe joints that were still sore. The following day we took it easy. It rained on and off so we were able to get out and throw the tennis ball around this huge graveyard, and I did some rearranging with the rig. I've grown to enjoy the game of Tetris that this thing has become.


The following day we made our way into Mississippi. As we crossed into this unknown state, I was encountered by a couple of cars while we had pulled off the road to take a break. The first car had a couple of guys that were interested in the rig. They were trying to design their own to use around the shop and town. They asked questions and took some pictures. Then a little red pickup truck pulls up and Charles jumps out to say hello. He had ridden from Florida up to Massachusetts back in the ’80s, and he was interested in my travels. We talked for a bit, and then he asked if I would like some lunch. He informed me of a casino right over the bridge in Biloxi, which was about eight miles down the road. I told him it would take me just over an hour to get there, so he took off to run some errands and we took off down the shoulder.


The shoulders down here are pretty wide and smooth. But this stretch was pretty chewed up, so it took me close to two hours to get to the bridge. (There are some pretty huge, long bridges down here in the gulf.) We made our way up with no problem. Once at the top, I snapped some pictures. There was a huge amount of smoke in the air that day due to some controlled burning at a state park just north of us. I loaded Cooper up in the ride to prepare for our descent. As we started rolling, we were forced to ride through a huge pile of glass. I knew right away I was going to get a flat and sure enough the bike started to pull to the right. I came to a stop and took a looksee at the damage. I decided there was enough air in the tire to make it slowly down the bridge. But the joints in the bridge had other ideas. The first one my chain fell off, the second one I lost my sunglasses, and the third gave out a clunk on the rim. So we came to a stop and walked it down the rest of the way. As we got to the end of the bridge I spotted Charles on the corner waiting for me. He helped me push it up the hill to the Valet area and they directed me to the corner no charge. We got Coop put up with a couple treats and a bowl of water. We went inside to get our grub on. This was the perfect spot to take a cyclist to, all you can eat buffet. I loaded up 4 plates of protein, carbs, calories, and fat. Everything you gals try to avoid! As we ate we talked about his trip back in the '80s, and how he has the itch to "get out there one last time." I assured him that if he got out there it wouldn't be the last time. I can't see myself not doing this again. Granted I am going to take some time off the rest up, but it would be nice to do again. Hopefully with some other people, or maybe a family. After our meal we headed outside to get the tire changed. When we walked up to the rig, Coop was curled up taking a snooze. This is such a great dog. Granted he can be a bit of a spaz at times, but he doesn't bark hardly at all unless its needed. He listens for the most part, but when I do tell him to come he sometimes takes his sweet ass time about it sniffing and peeing as he zigzags his way back to me. But he is very well behaved and chill. I love that dog so much and couldn't imagine doing this trip without him. On the other side of the bridge there is a huge parking lot and a elevated patch of grass under a big oak tree. Charles came over and let me use his jack so I didn't have to unload everything. His dog was with him in the truck. So while we worked on the tire and talked about him going with his dog on the road the pups got to run around and play. After everything was running smooth and I made a mental note to find a half link for my saggin chain. Charles took off and I put up the tent and we had dinner. Well Coop had dinner I was stuffed so I had a snickers. It rained that night so the following day it took awhile to dry out the tent.
All along the gulf of MS there is a beach path the runs inches from the white fine sand that you can only find in the gulf. They rake the beaches down here once a week section by section. That's gotta cost. So this pathway is nice and wide, smooth and flat. They have new piers along them. One of the piers shot out about 40 yds over the water so we went down to take a look. While we where down there a guy came by on his bike to say hi. His name is Johnny, and he is a window washer and covers about 300 miles a wk all on his bike. He has a couple buckets up front and the pole along the top bar of the frame. We got to taking about the bike path and the new piers, he said its really the only thing being done down here right now. He said after Katrina its been a slow rebuild for most of the gulf. This part of the gulf got demolished by the winds. New Orleans got flooded. There is still pieces of people lives hanging in the trees and tangled in the bushes. He explained that the people of the gulf of MS are defeated. That's why they are kinda stand offish and bitter. After our chat I made my way west. We had been moving along for sometime now just going about 5 mph when I decided to take a break. My foot is doing much better but if I'm on the pedals for too long all the blood rushes to it and it begins to throb so I laid on one of the benches that are scattered along the beach path and put my foot up. While I laid there I let my mind wander to all the places I've been, the things I've seen and the people I have met. I have been on the road for 5 months now. I have gone about 2,700 miles, in about 2 1/2 months. I was in Mobile for a month and have stayed here and there for about a month and a half worth of time. But by my calculations that I did before I left I should be getting into New Mexico about now. So I am a little behind, and I think this might take longer than a year to complete which means I will be most likely pedaling in the snow in Pennsylvania. All part of the adventure. So here I am laying on the bench resting my foot and taking in some of that good 'ol vitamin D when I hear "how ya doing?" I sit up and block westward sun from my eyes to see a great site. Here was George from Tallahassee on a road bike with a trailer on his homeward leg of his trip east. I jumped up and excitedly introduced myself to the man. We admired each others rides as we told each other our routes. He was amazed at the Tricycle Tank that I have been pedaling about, and I was envious of his light weight and sleek mode of transportation. We talked for a bit and decided to call it a early day and find a good camping spot for the night and hang out. I suggested the beach as a good place to camp but he informed me he needed trees due to he fact he sleeps in a Hammock every night. I was blown away by this. I was excited to see his complete setup and pick his brain for tips and helpful advice. We made our way back towards the east where I had noticed a grove of trees in a good spot. We pulled in and set up our respective camps. I kept a eye on his progress of setting up and was truly impressed in his setup. Huge rain fly over his double sling hammock encased in a bug net. He had modified his mummy style sleeping bag to have room to bend his knees and had it secured at both ends to prevent slippage. He didn't have a good pair of wool socks, and I had an extra pair to spare and threw them his way, and in return he gave me a hammock that he had been carrying and not using. He told me it makes a great swing seat at the end of the long day. I don't have a seat other than my bike seat so I am looking forward to using it instead of sitting on the ground. That night for dinner we each made something from our food supply and split it between the two of us. I made a tomato sauce with sardines in a hot tomato sauce, over mini shells. He made a mushroom and kelp soup with buckwheat noddles. I had never thought of going to a Asian market to get food. A lot of the dry goods are dehydrated veg and fish and all sorts of nutritious stuff. We sat around the fire sharing stories until it was time to tuck in.
The next morning I got up early and fed the pooch. George got up and asked if I wanted pancakes? "Hell yeah bub. I'll make the coffee!" He pulled out a cast iron sizzle platter, like the ones at Applebees that the Fajitas come on and got out some pancake batter. He asked if I had any instant oatmeal and I did. So he mixed in a couple packs for flavor and texture. We made a fire and I got to boiling water as he heated up the cast iron skillet. We both have travel french presses for coffee and the pancakes where great. After a filling breakfast we broke down camp. Bucky and Todd where meeting up with me that morning to ride with me for a day to Bay St. Louis. Just as we had finished packing up Bucky and Todd pulled up. I made introductions and we swapped rides for a minute to see what it was like. We said our goodbyes and he headed east and I headed west. I wish we could of been going the same way and spend some days together. Hopefully soon I will find someone who is on the same path going the same direction as me. The 3 of us set out in that westerly way that I am headed and road along the beach path all the way to the bridges stopping here and there to take a break and take it in. As we approached the first bridge we were happy to see a good sized bike lane on the side. As we got to the beginning of it I noticed that it was barely going to be wide enough for us. As I made the slow ride up the bridge I cringed because on the edges of the path it was littered with broken beer bottles, and because it was so tight I wasn't able to avoid it to well and could hear my back tire running over it. When we reached the top I stopped to take some pics. Bucky and Todd had gotten to the top a couple of minuets before me and as I was snapping pics they slowly started to creep forward. I turned to them and jokingly asked "are you rushing my adventure? You guys wanted to ride with me and this is what I do. I go slow and stop a lot!!" They laughed and we got to moving on. We came down the bridge and my chain popped off again. At the bottom I got off and put it back on and crossed the street, as I came up the ramp to the sidewalk that lead to the bridge bike lane it popped off again. I keep stopping at these bike shops and either they are out of business or don't have a half link for that chain. After I had got it back on we made our way up the bridge. This one was newer due to the fact that Katrina had claimed the original one as hers. So the new one had a much wider and litter free bike lane. What a sight from the top. We made our way down into Bay St. Louis and decided to head downtown to find a place to eat. We rode thru town asking where a good place would be to eat to whoever we saw. People kept saying to head over to Benigno's. Always ask a local for where the good stuff is. We parked out front and went inside and sat at the table by the window so Coop could keep and eye on me. People are amazed at how well behaved he is and how he just sits there and watches me wherever I go. But I have learned to park up front so he won't bark for his dad. We got the menu and some Sweet Tea, I didn't know what to get so many great choices. Po-boys, Muffaletta, Fried Sweet Potatoes, Fried Pickles and so much more. I love Muffaletta and haven't had one in over a year I'm sure. So I ordered a Cat Fish Po-boy for there with a order of fried Pickles and got a 1/4 Muffaletta to go for my dinner that night. While Todd, Bucky and I ate, Todd got a text from Lindsey she was on her way back from New Orleans on a biz trip and wanted to see where we were. He gave her directions and she was on her way. When the waitress came over she said her mom had read something about me somewhere in the paper a couple months ago. Its amazing how people are starting to hear about us before we get there. Lindsey showed up right as we where getting done with our lunch, we were all stuffed and having to get back on the bikes. The Fontenot family that owns this great eatery asked if I would bring Cooper in for a group picture under there sign that hung on the wall. They are planing on putting peoples pictures on the tables and we will be the first as soon as I can send it to them. (Its on the way as soon as I can down load it!) I said my goodbyes to Todd and Bucky, I will miss all my new friends that I have made on the road but I would have to say I'll miss Bucky the most. If it wasn't for his open mindedness and great personality I would of never stayed in mobile for 4 wks. Thanks again Mobile and mostly you Buck! The guys headed back the 13 miles they had ridden with me that day to Bucky's car trying to beat the rain that was moving in. Lindsey had time to kill and wanted to talk about a trip she is planing on taking with her daughter Ella in a month or so. She was my forward observer and drove 5 miles ahead to check on a State Park that I heard might be closed. She came back to me after I had gone a couple of miles and informed me that it was. There was a storm on the way in so I didn't want to sleep on the beach. But there is still a bunch of empty lots from houses that had been destroyed that never got rebuilt so I found a good one that would hide us from people and the wind. I set up everything and got into Lindsey jeep and she told me her idea. Ella will be going into K next year and so Lindsey wants to spend this spring and summer driving around the US and taking her to all the places a child should be taken. It brought back memories of my childhood when my grandparents from OK would take my sister and I on a trip somewhere in the US. We stayed in motels and had a cooler with lunch meat and snacks for the time in the car and my grandpa always drove, and my sister Vanessa and I would fight in the back. They taught me a lot about the US as a child and I thank them for putting this in me to want to go and see it. So I gave her as much advice as I could but she seemed to already know most of what I was getting at. I think they are going to have a blast and look forward to reading about their adventures on the blog she will be doing. Good Luck Gals!! As the rain started to fall we said our goodbyes, I'm glad I got to meet Lindsey and Ella, they make quite a team.
The rain came and went before sunrise and we got a move as soon as we were all dried up. I needed to go just under 30 miles that day to get to the LA state line. The ride was quite now that I was off the gulf and there was more hills in the days pedal. I didn't make it to the state line but did make it to PERLINGTON MS. Now the reason this is in caps is because they are the ones who kicked me out of the state. So we pull into this small community about a hour or so before sunset. I rode down the only paved road they have and saw a Fire Department, next to that was the community center with a wedding reception going on, and a couple blocks down was the church. The community center was out due to the reception, and I don't like to camp at churches on Saturday nights because the last thing these people need to see before going to pray is we crawling out of my tent and scratching my butt. So the Fire Department it was. I have stayed on many FD, PD and even hospital lawns before. This is considered a safe haven for road travelers. So I banged on the door and no answer, everything else was fenced off so I set up on the grass out front no more that 15 yards from the main road. I got the tent up Coop and I fed and crawled in to read. About an hour after sundown 3 cop cars and 4 POVs pulled up. I put on my shoes and was getting out of the tent as they all approached. Coop was barking like a mad dog and I told the lead cop "he'll keep barking till he gets to smell you and then he'll calm down, you gonna let him smell ya?" "Fine but if that dog bites anyone out here I put a bullet in his head." was his response. Not 'I'll shoot him' but "I'll put a bullet in his head." So right there I knew I had to walk softly with this crowd. They asked me what I was doing so I handed them my card with my info along with my ID and the cop stepped off to call in the numbers that goes with my name. I showed the rest of the group the sign on the back and explained of my travels, making sure to include some of the places that I have stayed like FD, PD and so on. My name came back clean and a couple of them stepped off to talk. One guy seemed interested in my travels so I answered some of his questions. I was thinking I was gonna be ok, when they two coppers came back to inform me I need to move on. "Why" I asked. They said it was "state property and that I was trespassing." I told them I and other travelers see it as a safe haven, and from some where in the back of the group I heard"Home land Security" "Give me a break" I hollered. I then said "I'm not vandalizing the place, I'm picking up my trash, I'm not building a fire, and I didn't take a dump on your doorstep. When I leave in the morning you won't even be able to tell I was here." They said no good. "Fine, I'll go down to the church then." "No your not welcome here in this community so you might as well get moving on over to Lowezanne." was his response "Your kicking me out of the state?!?" I asked. "Yes sir." My New York mentality flew out of my mouth. "So your telling me I have to load up this giant tricycle and pedal down a shoulderless road over shoulderless bridges in the dark in a state that is known for running down cyclist with their trucks?" "Yes sir, there is a boat launch about 3 miles from here you can camp at." I started swearing and saying how messed up it was. When one of them tossed out the "calm down or I'll arrest you." I literally bit my tongue on that one. I asked if they were going to give us an escort over the bridges and his response was "you have enough lights on the back of this thing you'll be fine. YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! What a bunch of backwoods hillbilly assholes. So that's what we did. It was scary and the cars where flying by. We made it to the boat launch and set it up again. The whole night people would pull off there to pee or make a phone call. One truck even backed up right next to the tent and they had sex. I rolled a cig and stepped out to mess with them but he didn't miss a stroke and she threw up a wave.
So that's how we got kicked out of the state of Mississippi. If you would like to let Senator Thad Cochran know how you feel about it follow this link to his contact page and send him a message http://cochran.senate.gov/email.html . That put a real sour taste in my mouth and if it wasn't for Casino Charles, Johnny on the pier, pancake George, the ride with my friends and the great lunch, I would say the hell with MS. But its all about the adventure.

Till next time
love and licks
Sean and Cooper

Whats Going on

So this is the story of what happened the past couple of days.

So Friday it snowed. I drove north with Lindsey and her daughter Ella to a random house to play in the yard. Ella had never seen snow and the last time it snowed in the Mobile area was way back in '96. After a day in the snow, I made up some Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup, and Hot Coco. Man that took me back to the days in Iowa when my mom would go thru two loaves of bread to make sandwiches for our family. Ella refused to try the soup, she had never had it before and was determined not to like it. Even after I had explained to her that it was basically a slice of pizza but in sandwich and soup form and if she dipped her her sandwich in the soup it would be great. Nope.

Saturday was beautiful. It got up to the low 60s. Its crazy to think that just the day before it had snowed, what's even crazier, is that EVERY state EXCEPT Hawaii got snow fall that day. Don't believe me? Google it!. We went and got breakfast at Denny's. I usually don't eat at places like this but they had a free Grand Slam Breakfast on your birthday. After that slamming breakfast we headed over to the flea Market. Will actually Bucky and I headed over to the Flea Market, while Lindsey and Ella took Cooper to the park. I didn't worry to much about them, Coop is a good boy and Lindsey seems to have gotten to know him and they are comfortable with one another. Coop on the other hand was pretty riled up and was a little over whelming for Lindsey. He was pulling at the leash and Ella kept asking her if she could hold the leash!! They ended up going to another park and Cooper was trying to break into the tennis courts to try to stuff as many balls into his mouth as possible. I have seen Coop put 3 tennis balls in his mouth at once! They ended up calling it a day and headed back to her apt. Buck and I on the other hand where having a great time at the Flea Market. Bucky likes vinyl records. So there is a couple booths that have them. He gets the classic records of jazz, funk, and just good instrumentals. He also gets them for the comic aspect of the covers. He has a wall in his living room that is all funny covers. After finding a solid 20 we walked around on the look for some baby dolls. Buck is a very creative person and something he is working on is a army of Frangelica liquor bottles topped with baby doll heads and painted to be all sorts of people. Samurais, Voodoo dolls, and just plain crazy and weird. After the walk thru we headed back to the crib. I needed a nap and Bucky had to work that night. When I woke up I made some dinner and headed over to Lindsay's house. She was going to be my driver for the evening. When I arrived her neighbour and friend Shannon gave me a gift. She is a very crafty person. She makes a lot a jewelry and dream catchers. She is a hippy!! Anyway she had made me a mini dream catcher for the tent. I can't wait to put it in there and its small enough I won't have to take it out every time. She is also working on a hemp necklace for Cooper. She is excited to know that something she made with her hands is going to be traveling around with us. Shannon watched Ella and we headed down to the MUSIC BOX. It was a great night of music. The DJ was playing some fun beats that everyone was getting down on and then about 11 the SUPER NICE BROS. took the stage. Once again they played a great show. Its just some beats, some great lyrics and an awesome vibe. After jamming out we headed over to PADDY O'TOOLES to see Bucky and have a couple more. It was a nice day and night and I am glad I remember it all.

Sunday brought on Joe Cain Day. Joe Cain revitalized Mardi Gras after the Civil War. And his day is the the only parade open to the public. This is the longest parade of Mardi Gras and the drunkest. People get on the streets at about 8 am and get to getting down. Its a giant tail gate party. Every where we rode we would see people grilling, drinking and just having a good 'ol time. House parties everywhere, tail gate parties growing and growing as the day went on. During the day when not riding around we set up next to the OK BICYCLE SHOP, there was a couple of parties going on outside and bikes all around. People would stop and talk to us and just share the good mood that was flowing all over the place. When the sun started to drop I took Coop back to the shotgun house, feed him and left him at home. Dogs aren't allowed downtown in the thick of it all and aren't allowed along the parade route. So most of the day was avoiding the big crowds, which is fine my me. But when the sun went down I wanted to get down in the pit of it all. So with the pup left behind and a couple of coolers packed full of beers that I planed to sell, I made my way downtown. As I approached Bienville Square the streets became more and more filled with people. I made my way into the middle of the madness and took in the sights. People everywhere, on the sidewalks, in the streets, up on the balconies, spilling out of the bars and asleep in the shadows! Beads and Beer getting tossed about. Music bumping from the huge speakers. Peoples staggering around, smiling and singing. After I got parked, people started showing up on the bikes. Bucky, Lindsay, Brad, Stein, and I had a line of them in the street. I, with a lot of help from Lindsay, sold a good amount of beers. We made double of the initial investment so that was nice. During the evening people would break off and go on a ride thru the crowd to get a better look. I went on one of these rides and had stopped to take a couple pics, I then tried to catch up to homeboy and while standing up on the pedals and pushing down hard the chain came off right at the top of the rotation, so my left foot was smashed into the pavement and the pedal rolled over my foot bending my toes backward. I have never experienced a pain like that before and was sure that I had broken my toes. I made my way back to the gang and sold beer for a hour or so and then headed home. I iced and elevated my foot that night.

When I woke up on Monday I looked down to see a swollen, bruised and unrecognizable foot. I made some calls and determined that going to a hospital was my best bet. I figured that I was going to have to fork over some money at some point so I might as well be billed from a hospital, rather than a county health clinic. I am waiting it out to see what is to happen after 2012. After getting a couple of x-rays and lots of squeezing on my foot the Dr. determined that I wasn't broken. I was very sprained and was given a Rx and told to stay off it for a couple days. I headed home to rest and hoped for a day filled with Fat Tuesday festivities.

Tuesday morning when I woke up I did an evaluation on my left foot and decided it wasn't a good idea to put any pressure on my toes. I have waited over 3 wks for this day, Fat Tuesday is the day to party for Mardi Gras and I was stuck on the couch with my foot in the air. As I laid there I thought over the time spent here in Mobile. Every weekend there was something going on and during the week I was busy doing things with people that I have met. I have had a great time in this city of Mobile.

But it is time to move. By the time I leave Mobile on Saturday I will have been here for 4 weeks. It was a much needed break, other than my throbbing foot, I feel great. I'm rested, fatten up and ready to roll. I have gotten some calls and emails from people telling me not to stop and to get moving. Hey, it's my adventure so I'll go as fast or slow as I feel. Don't worry folks I have not lost sight of the goal and one of the goals is to try to find the next city or place to move to. I love it down here in Mobile and have got a good feel of what this city has to offer. I want to thank everyone down here in Mobile again. And a big thanks to everyone who has begun to follow me and who have followed me before I left. I'm excited to see the road unroll in front of me again and to sleep in my tent with my pup.

Till next time
Love and Licks
Sean and Coop

Joe Cain Day.

Joe Cain Day. This is a Mobile exclusive. Joe Cain is a historical figure in this city and every year they have a huge celebration to honor him. Its the peoples parade, so anyone can sign up for it, it is the largest and longest parade.

This is what Joe Cains gravestone reads:

Here lies old Joe Cain

The heart and soul of Mardi Gras in Mobile

Joseph Stillwell Cain

Slacabamorinico - Old Slac

1832 - 1904

In 1866, Joe Cain dressed as a mythical Chickasaw Chief, and might have seemed comic - but certain perceptive ones realized he represented the epitome of victory - for the Chickasaws were never defeated in all their history. So Joe Cain, with his masquerade, lifted this region from despair and revived the ancient French observance of Boeuf Gras - now known in Mobile as Mardi Gras - thus inaugurating the dispute as to who had Mardi Gras first - Mobile or New Orleans?

Mobile had it first, but New Orleans was the first to call its carnival Mardi Gras...

The Boeuf Gras society was already 150 years old in 1861, when it disbanded because of the war...

According to tradition - Joe Cain was the first folly to chase the devil round a stump...

Joe Cain founded the Tea Drinkers in 1846...

Here lies, also, Joe Cain's beloved Wife

Elizabeth Rabby Cain

1835 - 1907



So on this historic day Bucky, Lindsey and I hit the streets to see what it was all about. Coop wasn't allowed to come downtown in the square because for some silly reason they don't allow dogs downtown during Mardi Gras celebrations. He was pretty upset. I loaded up some coolers in attempt to sell some beer to get some money together. I made some dough and planned on heading back down there on Tuesday to really make some cash.

Its was like a big tail gate party. Grills, Music, Dancing, Drinking. Man I love this city.


I was able to bring Coop out during the day but had to stay away from the Parades. He just wanted to be by the food!



People everywhere having a good 'ol time. These folks had set up a pretty stocked bar on the tailgate of the Jeep. I had one of their Bloody Marys, really spicy.

The crowds were out in full force Sunday night after the Joe Cain Day Parade. This is the biggest night for drinking in Mobile. Fat Tuesday is more of a family day in Mobile, and Joe Cain Parade is just found in Mobile.

When the crowds are out that means the cops are out. They made their presence known on foot and on horse. The cops down here work some serious overtime during these Mardi Gras celebrations. Not only do they work their normal shift but then have to work a MG shift which is about 6 to 8 hours. By the end of the two and half weeks that is Mardi Gras these guys and gals of law enforcement are pretty short fused. Dealing with drunk folks every night would get on any persons nerves.

Everyone was on the beg for some beads!

People drunk all around with out a care in the world.


Love all around!

So later that night I jumped on one of the beach cruisers to take a spin in the tightly packed crowds. I stopped to take a picture of this guy below. After snapping a couple I tried to catch up to the group. I was pedaling pretty hard and all the sudden the chain came off....

...as my left foot was coming to the top of the rotation and when the chain let loose my foot slammed into the pavement and the pedal pushed my foot between the pedal and the pavement bending my toes backward. What pain. I have never broken anything before in my life and so when the pain set in on my foot I was pretty sure that I had broken a toe or two. After that I headed home to rest, and ice it.

The next day I woke up to a very swollen, discolored, and very sore foot. I debated on the course of action to be taken; health clinic, hospital, or just man thru it. I have always been a big fan of manning thru it, but this time around I wasn't man enough! So I headed to the hospital to ensure a better care, hopefully! After some x-rays and lots of squeezing on my tender toes They decided that I was not broken, just really sprained. I am told that I need to stay off it for a couple days and then after that I can determine when I will be able to go. I need to get a move on so I hope to hit the road by Friday or Saturday. Due to the fact I couldn't walk or ride a bike I wasn't able to go down to the Fat Tuesday Celebration. It was a beautiful day and would of been a good day but I couldn't of made it 30 min down there. I have been so careful not to hurt myself or put myself in harms way and I jack my foot up riding a bike! Go figure.

Till Next Time

Love and Licks

Sean and Coop.

Snow day and Birthday

So Friday was the first time in history that every state, except Hawaii, had some sort of snow fall/precipitation. I got a call that morning from Lindsey to see if we wanted to take a drive north to see some snow on the ground. I drove Lindsey and her daughter Ella about an hour north.

We ended up driving by a house that had a huge yard with great snow coverage. I pulled up and went to the door to see if it would be OK to play in the yard. I explained to the nice lady that the 5 yr old girl had never seen snow before. She said 'no problem, have fun!'


We each made a snowman. This was mine. Coop jumped up and sniffed the face!



Snowman tracks!

Cooper tracks!!

I really didn't want to see snow on this trip, but it was fun to go out and play! I'm glad it didn't stick and the next following days it was in the 60s!

Coop had a blast running around. We all had a snow ball fight and when we would throw one at Coop he would bite at it and it would disintegrate in his mouth!



The next day was Coop and my birthday. We went out to the flea market after I cashed in on my free birthday Grand Slam at Denny's! The flea market was great people watching.

Later that night we headed over to the Alabama Music Box to see the Super Nice Bros. The crowd there was great. Mardi Gras was in full swing. The parades have been going everyday for days now and the Music Box was staying open 100 hours starting on Friday!! You could go there and sleep for a couple hours on the floor and then get right back to drinking! If I would of been here 10 years ago I wouldn't of survived!!

The Super Nice Bros. put on an amazing show. The crowd was jumping all around. Some people were dressed up and had paint on the face. Pretty much everyone there had beads on.

I have seen them twice now, and Appleseed hasn't had a shirt on for either. And Ponytail slowly undresses as the show goes on, by the end of it all he is left wearing is boxers and a wife beater!

After the show we headed over to Paddy O'Tooles to see Bucky and have a few more. It was a good night and I didn't get crazy. I have learned that the day after a birthday is sometimes the worst day of the year!!!

Thanks everyone for the great Birthday. Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes and gifts for Cooper and I. Happy to see 31!!

Love and licks

Sean and Cooper

Sick in Mobile

So that Monday morning after the Superbowl I woke to a soreness in my throat and congestion in my face. It seems that walk in the cold and all the socializing was catching up to me. I couldn't swallow very well at all and was having problems breathing. I hate being sick and I feel if the weather was on the norm down here I would be fine. Cold weather is very defeating to me and it surprises me that I still haven't lived somewhere warm year around. The aches in my body where all over, mostly in the joints. I really could use a rubdown but am unable to afford such a luxury or find someone willing to do pro-bono work on my back and legs. 'Shelly O where are you?' Anyway sick. It was breath visible cold that morning in the shotgun house. I stayed in the sleeping bag next to the pup till the sun came out and we moved to the front porch, to take in some of the free vitamin D it was giving off. Coop is becoming very restless with me lately. I feel bad. When we are on the road we do a comparable amount of work. I work all the time and he works half the time but he is smaller than I so its comparable, and he is in better shape than most dogs, and humans for that matter. But when we come to a stop for a bit, he gets left behind a lot. I don't want to but unfortunately dogs can't go everywhere, but Mobile is the most dog friendly place we have been to so far. But he isn't even allowed downtown during the Parades, and we have been warned twice now. So being sick and laying around was not in his schedule. He wanted to chase tennis balls and play around. I wasn't much fun and only threw the balls for about 10 min. My plans were to rest up that day so I could leave out with the gang on Tues morning. Not having any money I really wasn't able to get stuff to make me feel better. Luckily I had a couple cans of chic noodle soup and drank plenty of water. The day and evening where filled with sleeping and watching TV. During the overnight I broke a bad fever. I got the worst sweats ever. I was soaked so much I had to get up change and towel off before putting new clothes on. Luckily this time around no vomiting or any other gross stuff that requires a toilet, even though I had one to use this time. But when Tues rolled around I sent Bucky a text letting him know I wouldn't be able to attend. It sucked but I didn't want to get them sick or ruin their good times. So another day of laying around with the pup. Cooper is a great snugly dog. He loves to squeeze himself between me and the back of the couch and buries his nose under me. Sometimes I wonder how he can breathe. I don't know if it is possible but I think he has caught my cold. I love this dog so much and can't wait to get moving again for his sake. He loves the time on the couch and meeting people but he is truly happy when we are on the move living day to day in nature without a care in the world. To be honest so am I. I have come to love this city and will think of it often with fond memories but there is still so much more out there to see. I feel with that little bit of unsatisfing work slinging wieners, that is was not at all what I wanted to experience. It brought back feelings of loneliness and hopelessness that I first felt when I moved to NYC and was working as a daytime server at Dallas BBQ. That placed sucked and I hated it so much that it almost sent me packing back to Iowa. But I pushed on and moved on just as I will here. I don't think the hot dog thing is going to work out. But as long as I keep my mind open and keep it positive something will come my way. Its a lot easier being broke on the move than it is when your in one place. When your on the move you have more opportunities to encounter someone or something that is going to help. But in one place you feel that you are taking advantage and become reliant on these kind people. I appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. From the beginning with Ed Murphy and the poker table guys, to all the random people that have stopped to talk, to the families I have know and not known that are happy to have us for the holidays or any time, to all the great people I have met down here in Mobile. You guys are making it hard to leave but making it easy to come back. But most of all my own friends and family that have donated money to us when it is needed. Thanks Mom and Dad, Cindy(MA), Nick (over and over), Sunnie (the best ex wife a guy could ask for), Sarah, Nate and the list goes on. I love you all and hope I am making you proud.



Till next time

Love and Licks

Sean and Coop