Friday, August 7, 2009

Rallying, Rain and Retaliation: Kentucky

Lexington, KY - Upon waking up for our ride to Lexington, I felt unusually tired. Because of this, I teamed up with some other cyclists that felt similarly to form “Team Slow” for the day. In actuality, we stayed more or less on pace with everyone… but the intent was there. When I envisioned Lexington in my head, I guess I expected to find a city with an “old South” vibe along the lines of Charleston. While this did not turn out to be the case, Lexington definitely had its nice areas – including outskirts primarily dominated by sprawling horse farms. We stayed at a church annex in town (with bunk beds!) and had a friendship visit that night with CAKY, Community Alternatives Kentucky. While I had a number of solid conversations that night (including one with a quirky and fun woman named Toni, and another with a man with a particular penchant for singing “Hound dog” by Elvis), there were some clients that were nonverbal or unreceptive. These situations can always be challenging, but I’ve found that when I put in time I can often establish a connection – even if it’s simply through a smile or nod.

For our second day in Lexington, we had a first for the team… a rally! We joined members of the Lexington disabled community at a downtown park to take part in their “Stay Out Late” demonstration. The issue at hand centered on restricted access to public transportation and facilities past 8:00 pm and reflected a growing desire for social fulfillment. I enjoyed speaking with the people involved in the rally, as well as working diligently as a “honking coordinator” to incite responses from traffic. This was definitely the least angry rally imaginable, and I think the team will always remember the abundant use of the word “Yaaaay” by the organizer, Bruce. Bruce runs a facility for people with disabilities and demonstrated artistic ability called “Latitudes” and we visited there for lunch. One of the women there, Beverly Baker (pic below), is actually a renowned artist who has had shows in both New York and Paris. It was cool to be in the presence of such an unassuming talent and her story is inspiring to say the least!

After running into some Eloners at a sponsored dinner that evening (including Coleman, one of our new members this spring), I was able to spend more quality Phoenix time with my friend Charissa. She is an AZD who was born and raised in Lexington and I was excited to be able to visit her house and hang out with her husband, Mark, and baby daughter, Kennedy. They are currently living with Charissa’s family, so their home feels like an episode of “Full House.” Kennedy will most definitely grow up with a lot of love and laughter around.

Morehead, KY - The next morning not only brought ominous clouds, but also an attack on my beloved bike, Phoebe. In what I suspect was an act of retaliation following a certain tire deflation on my part, I found both my tires deflated and my handlebars messed with. I was admittedly quite cranky, but did what had to be done to remedy the situation. As it turned out, my work was in vein since the weather got so bad we were unable to ride due to persistent thunder and lightning. This was a first for our route and, after a morning of vegging out and watching movies with teammates, it was weird riding in a van to our next city. Morehead was not a super eventful stop, except maybe for Drayton Perkins… long story, but it did include victorious games of “Sorry” with a partner at a friendship visit and trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings in which Team Rondo (named for our trusty Kia) proved fairly unstoppable. Ah, the joy of such minor accomplishments. On to West Virginia!




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