Countdown to the PALM

What a busy day! First we went to Alison's to get her bike because we decided that Malorie looked uncomfortable on my road bike. We picked up the bike, got groceries, picked up Toby from doing his chores. That was all by 8 AM!  Next we took off the baby carrier, pedals and seat from Alison's bike and put on the pedals and seat from my road bike.

We did not take the time for a bike ride, instead got in the car and drove an hour to go to REI. (I love that store). Of course we each found hundreds of dollars worth of stuff we had to have! Then we stopped at Jack's bike shop so Malorie could look for a bike seat like mine (that she likes so much). She sat on the butt measuring bench (really) and was steered toward the seats that would fit her butt bones. She picked out one very much like mine and we were good to go.

We came home and I did some more prep work for our dinner, and then we finally got on the bikes for a ride around the island. We were right! Malorie is much more comfortable on Alison's bike with the straight handlebars!

I invited the entire group of us going on the PALM to come for dinner tonight, not thinking of how busy I would be ahead of a trip, but it all worked out. I put the beef in the crock pot and made the potato salad in the morning, made the tossed salad at the last minute while Toby cooked the salmon on the grill. It was Malorie's idea to eat outside on the patio, and it was a good one! Tom and Pat brought a luscious homemade carrot cake.  Martha's husband Jeff took our pre-ride photo. Here we are: Bill, Toby, Tom and Martha in the back row, Malorie, me and Dianne on the chairs.

Malorie should have come a week early to do all the things she wants to do here! One of her wishes was to go for a ride on the motorcycle, so Bill took her out for a spin last night. They were gone a couple of hours and came back still smiling; I think that's a good thing.... She also wants to go out on the river in a kayak. We have the river and the kayak, but may not have the time.