Scamp-venture 13: Another Memorable Memorial Wknd

Jay, Smokey and I loaded up the car & Scamp and headed to Iowa for the long Memorial Day weekend to spend some quality time with family, friends, and our bikes. Although Saturday was a bit gloomy, we filled our day with errands and shopping with Jay’s mom - it was a ton of fun and we finally found new carpet for the Scamp (technically, it was an area rug, but who’s counting?). Top that off with an early birthday present from Dorothy & Jay, and you have one happy Scamper.

After 9 hours on the go, we retreated to Dot’s place with tired legs and empty bellies, ready to relax and begin dinner. Jay’s homemade fajita burritos were just what this gal needed, and the temps were perfect for a comfortable night’s stay in the Scamp.

Sunday morning came early as we prepped to race the Melon City Criterium in Muscatine. As I warmed up for my race, the tornado sirens began to sound. The MC announced that our race would be delayed until the storm passed... luckily we brought the Scamp to the race, so we had a cozy home to ride out the storm in.

An hour later the MC called us to the line (cold legs, lightning, thunder, and all) with a 10 min. heads up on the race. As the lightning continued to light up the sky and the rain soaked us as we stood, the race began with a sprint off the line. It was only my second crit in the rain ever, and I was instantly nervous... 30 ft. off the back of the pack by the time we reached the speed bump at the bottom of the hill. Climbing back up the hill was a breeze, and I picked up riders each lap, getting faster and faster as I got more comfortable with the course. After six laps, however, they called the race due to the crashing thunder and lighting.

I retreated to the Scamp with Jay and the puppy, cold and soaked through and through, huddled on the floor in a towel so not to get the new cushions wet, and ready for a nap. I'd moved up in the race significantly, but highly doubted my desire to continue the race. After a 1/2 hour, we heard the MC call us back to the line to finish our race and I resisted the urge to skip it. I went out, finished the race in 15th of 32, and was happy as a clam to get out of my wet clothes some three hours after putting them on. That was by far the longest crit I've ever done.

Jay followed it up with a fast 6th place finish. Exhausted from the delays, racing, and rain, we headed back to town to prep for another installment of the local wine ride - my favorite! We brought the Scamp over to Ken & Lou's and gave tours to all our friends. Come Wine Ride time, Jay had me jump on the back of one of Ken & Lou's tandems and made our way out to the park for some tasty vittles and good times. It was another awesome night w/ the crue!

Then, on Memorial Day, Jay and I took his mom out to the cemetery to visit Bob and lay some roses at his headstone. The time we had with him was definitely not enough... but the weather was beautiful and Bob would have been happy to see us.

The drive home was crazy with a 20+ mph tail wind push all the way into the cities, saving us a 1/2 a tank of gas, even with the Scamp in tow! Yowza! Just another bit of icing on the cake after a wonderful weekend on the road!

Warm & Fuzzy,

Kristy Kreme