duckyxdale's AIDS Ride

Braking The Cycle - Day 0

2006-09-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

Um when I got up and left Brooklyn it was sprinkling. Nothing serious, nothing a quick subway ride wouldn't clear up.

Yeah, I got out at 14th street and it was POURING! I had no umbrella, no hat, nothing. To make things worse, I wasn't exactly sure which direction I needed to go in order to catch the bus on 7th between 12th & 13th. It's this one section that just doesn't go in a grid system as there are some triangluar intersections and then the streets turn into names not numbers. Regardless, after a good soak, a stop in a coffeeshop for some Chai and a call home to Jon I made it to the bus!

Do you know the fear going through my head as I'm dripping wet? Buses are often way A/C'd and I'm going to freeze my ass off for the next 4 hours. Great!

Luckily, my hot tea and a warm bus dried me off eventually.

I sat in the back half of the bus (Rosa Parks I ain't) near what at the time I had no idea would become my "bitches" -- 5 men I'd grow to trust, rely on, and love by Sunday night. Not that the bus ride would have been any indication because Anti-Social Dan sat in his seat watching 4 episodes of Supernatural on my iPod. What? I got up to go to the bathroom 5 times in 4 hours so we bonded over my bladder issues.

Finally we reached Gettysburg and the rain was beginning to let up. What's the first thing I see in Gettysburg? A stout man in a black cape with white and black Death Make-Up on. All I could think was, great some homophobic AIDS Kills Fags Dead protester... Wow could I have been more wrong. It was Peter the head of Bike Tech for the Ride and he was supposedly dressed like Darth Sith. Um, okay I'm gay not a geek...

We all went our semi-separate ways and found our hotels for the night. I was staying at the Quality Inn which was across from the Gettysburg Museum and the Best Inn which is where most of the remaining riders would be (except for Princess Paul that was at the high-falutin Holiday Inn about a quarter mile away). This is the akward stage of the day because I didn't know ANYONE really. Not that I care much but all of the sudden we have 5 hours free before we need to meet the second bus that's arriving so we can get under way with our Registration and Safety Presentation. I kind of mill about after checking in and heading to my room.

I run into Don and we decide to find lunch. We cross the street and meet up with Leslie, Hector and Paul who are taking the gold lined sidewalk to the Holiday Inn known to us common folk as The Palace (I kid, it was just the most expensive of the 3 hotel choices and it was seculded from the rest of us).

We head into "Downtown" Gettysburg which is surprisingly quaint and cute though the explosion of Americana could make Custard redact that last stand and take another! Wow folks, seriously with the flags, hearts, and stars...

The good news was that they had a old movie house that played indie movies - that's pretty hot for the middle of nowhere.

We at at The Pub. I had the sweet potato and raisin soup which was incredibly good and a hot veggie wrap. Then we hit an antiques shop before walking back to ye olde historic Gettysburg. Leslie, Don and I walked around the park/battlefield for a few. We saw some Amish in the Parking lot - which got me all geared up for the ride. I'm fascinated by the Amish. Their jaunty hats and homemade wares and all...

I went back to the hotel, napped for a couple. Watched Jeanne Bass from the Quackers Factory and her fabulous head wrap on QVC then headed out to meet up at Patriot's Point for Registration...

...which took forever because the second bus holding the majority of the riders for the ride was still about 45 minutes away. So we waited, were loud, and I kept hoping that my bike was actually there and put back together. I had shipped my bike the Thursday before via UPS and I tracked it, it said it arrived but I'd yet to see it. Of course I had visions of it in pieces parts spread across Gettysburg but really there was no time as the evening was about to begin.

Do they (and by "they" I mean the BTC folks) not know I'm a sucker? The song that starts playing over a screen that reveals hundreds of names that have succumbed to AIDS is Whoopie Goldberg singing "You Got It" from the film Boys on the Side. It's when Mary Louis Parker is dying of AIDS and then there's a montage of fun loving free spirit shots from the film which ends with the empty wheelchair and piano reveal... Crushing. For real? Way to break a man!

After the safety presentation we had to head over to registration (and I had to hit Medical to ensure I didn't have allergies -- you know other than the ones I forgot to list). Some folks had to hit the line which was for fundraising if they'd not yet met the minimum. Of course, one of our bitches Leslie was in that line.

I went down to find my bike. Amazingly it was there, put back together and ready to go! I was a happy man.

Though I would have been happier if we were ready to eat.

After about 2 hours of waiting outside for him Dan R. met up with us.

After like 3 hours of waiting for Leslie to finish up with the monies line we were ready to eat!

Now can I just tell you folks that by this point we'd all been together since noon and it was about 8:30. We were already BFFs and making each other laugh so much that our ultra-personalities entering an Italian Restaurant in Conservative Gettysburg was going to be interesting. Leslie alone has 4 bitchy black women trapped in his body all of which present themselves in hilarious fashion at any given moment so god knows what we'd encounter with Sybill.

Dinner was brilliant. We laughed so hard we almost died.

In bed by 10:30; asleep by 11. Thank goodness too because I know we ain't gotta be at breakfast by 5:30am.

*Stay tuned for Days 1-3

Braking The Cycle - Day .01

2006-09-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

Okay so Day .01 is Wednesday last. It's the day I left work at 2pm and schlepped across the street with a huge and heavy bag full of everything I might need for the next 5 days. Seriously my brain hurt the bag was that heavy when I finally huffed and puffed my way up the 4000 flights of stairs within the South Station Bus Terminal because OF COURSE their escalator was broken.

Honestly I was 12 minutes from an aneurysm while on my way to save the world. How much would that have sucked, huh?

I took Greyhound (for $20 folks, hot) to NYC and got to watch The Chronicles of Narnia... Tilda Swinton is one twisted ass woman. Poor Aslan. I got into NYC and my friend Jason met me. We took the train out to Park Slope (Brooklyn) and met his partner Jonathan at a Thai Restaurant named Song (on 5th Ave and 5th). The place was great. Tofu was perfect.

Then we hit their apartment and watched Kayne get the boot on Project Runway before going to bed as I had to be in the Village by 7:30am to catch a bus to Gettysburg.

Nighty Night

I'm Home!

2006-09-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

I'm home, I'm alive. It rained like a mutha but I still had the time of my life. I'm pretty crazy because at the Closing Ceremonies Party I signed up for next year. So get those wallets out my friends as next spring this cycle begins anew.

Thanks to everyone that donated and gave me loads of support! Thanks to my family and friends for continually being there and giving and giving and giving endlessly year after year. I won't know my final total for a while but I know it's over $4,500 and that is amazing.

There were 128 riders total and by closing ceremonies tonight the ride had raised over $300,000! The dedication and commitment is overpowering.

Updates to come.

It's Here! I'm Off...

2006-09-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

So I can't believe the day is finally here but this afternoon I leave for NYC and tomorrow morning I head to Gettysburg. Come 7am Friday morning my ass is on a 5 inch bike seat for 8 hours a day until I reach Manhattan on Sunday.

I wanted to thank each and every one of you that has contributed and offered support!

I raised over $4,500 now and won't have a final total for a while.

If you are interested in knowing where our "Cheering Stations" are along the route, please click here. I'd love to see you if you are in the area.

Closing Ceremonies will take place Sunday (9/17) around 4 or 4:30pm at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center at 208 W. 13th Street in the Village. Actress Lily Taylor ("Joe Lies... Joe lies when he cries...") will be hosting our closing ceremonies and if you're in the area... come on down and watch us ride in.

Thanks again for all your efforts and support. I'll let you know how it goes on the back end (wait, what?)

dan.

Fundraising Total -- So Far...

2006-09-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

$4,300

1 Week...

2006-09-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I've been very scarce with my posts but I did want to thank each and every one of you that pops in every couple days. It's been a crazy busy summer. I've trained a good amount but I also have this sinking feeling that I'm sooooo not ready. I don't know if its the 1 week away jitters or if its because seriously I could have trained harder. I was away a good number of weekends, then we had company a good number of weekends. That cut into the training some.

Here's to hoping that the Pennsylvania Amish Country is pretty flat or at least slow rolling hills. I know we start East of the mountains, so that is a huge plus! The last couple rides I've done were in the mountains for the first two days, so this my friend should be much easier then that! *fingers crossed*

Here's a training song I never thought I'd throw out there... it was so good at a spinning class last week though that I had to download it. Plus, reminds me of So You Think You Can Dance!

Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back"

Fundraising Update

2006-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, I just wanted to let you know that I am dangerously close to passing the goal set of $3,500!

Keep those donations coming in. If anyone from my blog donates and you think I don't know you, please let me know in the comments section. There are a handful of unclaimed donations for the ride and we just want to ensure that if you've donated, it goes to me.

God, 5 weeks away and I have to tell you. I am so not physically ready for this challenge. Sure I've been riding, but not nearly as much as I'd like and I have to say that at this moment I am freaking out a little. I know I've done these rides in the past. Some I've trained really hard for and some none at all (seriously like didn't even get on a bike before the 300 miles)... so what I'm trying to say is that I know it will all work out - trust me! You've not supported me for nothing! I'll come through.

More to come...

2006-08-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day!

Sure the original is gay and fun but I much prefer this version by Cake. It's grand.

"I Will Survive"
Cake

2006-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day!

I know it's been a while since I've added another song. So this one will be a good one. Well, its actually not a good one and its kind of embarassing to put up here at all but I swear it's a really good training song.

"Pump It"
Black Eyed Peas

2006-07-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hands Sore...

So getting used to the new handlebars is painful! My hands are sore city!

2006-07-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Fundraising/Personal Update:
as of July 24, 2006

$2,625

For those of you that have been checking this site regularly I apologize for the lack of updates. I've been very busy personally and then to top it all off, the tv blogging has been taking up a huge amount of my time but it pays off for me. A hard balance I can assure you.

I'm happy to report that since the last fundraising update, the number has jumped significantly! As you know my goal this year is $3,500 and we are less than $1,000 away from reaching that goal! People have been very generous once again and I cannot thank you all enough. I really want to surpass my goal and there are still plenty of people to hit up which makes this very possible.

I want to thank all the tv blog readers that have donated, especially Kathie from GMMR for the long running AD of my lovely mug she has up on her site. It's brought a couple folks over on top of her generous donation! She's my girl. I'd also like to thank Daniel from thetvaddict.com for his generous donation and continued support. I hope you too will give, even $10 will make a difference to an AIDS organization.

Keep the donations rolling in as I continue to train this summer.

Bike Update:
I finally decided on the bike that would be mine. It's a Specialized Sequoia Elite and I love it! It's a fast little bugger and weighs about as much as Nicole Richie's pinky. Very slick, sleek, and sparkly. I love sparkly! Jon wanted to get me those handlebar streamers for it but they just didn't look right. Sorry babe.

Closing Ceremony:
For anyone in the NYC area on September 17th, please head down to The Center around 4pm to see all us riders ride through the streets of Manhattan and to celebrate this years event! More details to come.

2006-07-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

Bike Buying Update:

So I think I am finally willing to part with the well deserved and till now reserved cash I've been saving... I think I may buy my new bike this week!

For the past 4 years I've been doing AIDS Rides and trotting around town on a Specialized Crossroads Hybrid. It's been a great and reliable bike. It's been through a lot. 3 AIDS Rides, a make up AIDS Ride, torrential rains, the tail end of a hurricane, a good amount of sunshine, a few almost crashes, and at times one of two almost fisticuffs with Red Sox douchebags sitting in traffic. It's been from NYC to Boston. It's been across the whole state of Massachusetts a few times. It's been out to Newton and back for a year or two until I quit that shit whole job and now it goes from Boston to Brookline and also to the Financial District on a daily basis. She gets around!

Because I am neither a cyclist like Lance Armstrong or a money maker like Donald Trump I'll be focusing my monies on a middle of the road-road bike instead of some suped up thousands of dollars jobey that would break me.

I think (I say "think" because you never know with my decision making) I've decided on the bike I'll be getting. It's another Specialized because I have a little bit of superstition in this area. My current Specialized has never even had a flat tire so I think it's the Fort Knox of brands and I like and trust the track record I have! I wanted something lighter (how could it not be) and more sleek. I want clipless pedals though I'm sure I'll fall over a couple times in the first month. I want I want I want...

Anyhoo, I think I'm getting the Specialized Sequia Elite.

I'll let you know if I come home with it anytime soon.

2006-07-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Training Song of the Day

Monsters
By: Matchbook Romance

2006-06-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

AIDS Ride Update
Fundraising Total as of 6/26/06 $1,800

So I was on vacation, deal with the no posts! Geesh! So as you can see the total funds raised is now up to $1,800 which is pretty awesome! Thanks again to all of you that have donated. If you've not donated but would like to, please do so by clicking on the link to the right!

As always, follow this site for more goodies! Updates on training songs will be coming in the next day or two.

Also, there is an update on a prize for those in contention for the top sponsors - more to come!

Thanks again, dan.

2006-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

AIDS Ride Update

Fundraising Total
as of 6/13/06

$1,065

That is amazing you guys! I want to thank everyone that has already contributed and I want to thank everyone that is still thinking about it. We're on our way to reaching my goal of $3,500 and it's all because of people like you!

I'd like to thank blog reader Jill M. for donating! Jill, I don't know you but I wanted to make sure you got a shout-out for your generous donation! I really appreciate it and hope that you will follow my progress both funds and ride wise.

Also, a call to readers... If you know any of the names listed below and know that they have donated to me (or if you're one of them) please let me know. There are a couple random donations out there and we're trying to figure out who they belong to. Please let me know if you are on this list and we'll ensure you're taken care of.

Christine Manz
Sigfredo Torres
Ronald Dunbar
Jennifer Tankleff
Supriya Joshi
Nikki Ford
Eric Gross
Elizabeth Congdon
David Keesey

Thanks again y'all!

dan.

2006-06-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day

Girls & Boys
Blur

This is just such a great dance song so it has all the beats and drops that make it a wonderful bike riding/hill training song! Not that I rode any hills today, that's besides the point here folks... its just a great song which has inspired me in many ways over many periods of my life. The Club Chameleon kids will know what I'm talking about there. What?!!

2006-06-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day

Entertain
Sleater-Kinney
(iTunes)

This has a great section in the middle that is just perfect for hill climbing. Which I hate, not a fan of the hills. Luckily it looks like this years ride will not have as many hills, and hell I won't be in the mountains this year so it can only be easier!

2006-06-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day

Only Happy When It Rains
Garbage
(iTunes)

So it's been like monsoon season here in Boston and I thought this one was appropriate. It's old school Garbage and it's pissy but still upbeat and kinda sexy. It's a good riding song. Gotta love Shirls...

2006-06-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

Training Song of the Day

How Soon Is Now
Quicksand

I know you were probably expecting The Smith's version, but this version by ex-hardcore gods Quicksand is the more aggressive brother to The Smith's version and a hell of a lot better for riding!

2006-06-05T04:30:00.001-07:00

Training Song of The Day

The Short Weekend Begins With Longing
by Action Action

2006-06-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Training Song of The Day

Existentialism on Prom Night
by: Straylight Run
(Download)

Video:

2006-06-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

My 2006 Ride Site Is Officially Open!
click to view
click to donate!

2006-05-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first post on my AIDS Ride Blog. I know, like I need another blog for you to keep up with! This one is dedicated solely to my participation in the Braking The Cycle 2006 AIDS Ride. Here you'll be able to receive updates on my training, my search for a new bike, my fundraising efforts, fundraising calls to action, my fundraising thermometer, ride info, ride route, ride updates, parties, pictures, etc.

My official ride website is almost done and will be found HERE