My Favorite RAGBRAI Moments

Here's a list of Howard's favorite parts of RAGBRAI:

1. Meeting and spending the night with Wjacobyansky's family in Humboldt at the end of Day 2's century ride. Man, could that guy go mano-a-mano with Pansy! Thank you, W and S, for your hospitality, great ham balls, antique shower facilities, and antique bed (only 6' long, so we both slept diagonally).

2. The homemade ice cream in Albert City on Day 2's century loop. Best food all week!

3. The old ladies in Albert City who offered to pick up and move a 40-pound bronze park bench into the shade for Howard and BalticTiger. They really would have done it too if not for quick thinking and lifting by Howard!

4. Drafting for three or four miles at 27+ mph behind Beertruck and his recumbent. Howard had to ride as low as he could go, but it worked great. The looks from other riders -- particularly other recumbents -- was priceless! One even caught up with us to take a picture as he'd never seen that before.

5. Dueling DecafBeanBoy on the flats and hills at high rates of speed, and finding a great new friend instead. Plans are being made for an October visit to Mesa where BeanBoy and Howard hope to ride 120 miles south to Tucson, ride up and down Mt. Lemmon, and then ride back to Mesa. Not in one day, of course.

6. Trying to tune out Pansy's constant blather, failing, then discovering that she's rilly rilly funny after all! Whoda thunk it? Geez, but that woman can talk! [Note to Self: Never trash-talk PansyPalmetto when she's dressed in gangsta garb. She'll cut me.]

7. Eating rhubarb pie every day except for Saturday, when all pie seemed to become scarce.

8. Eating pork chops made by a soon-to-be-retired expert. The world will be less wondrous without his chops. And Pansy gave him a mighty smooch. Video proof should be on the way soon.

9. Eating the world's greatest Belgian waffles made by the world's most competent waffle chef -- one guy cooking waffles for thousands? He did it.

10. Watching a boy unsuccessfully try to give away water for 20 minutes before buying two Gatorades from him, paying him with a $20 bill, receiving correct change, then hearing him brag to his dad as we rode away that he just made a $20 sale!

11. Watching DecafBeanBoy hand out DumDums from his bike's wicker basket to kids along the road and to folks repairing flat tires on Day 4. One guy was brazen to just ask for one straight up, but BeanBoy required that he do some MarioBrothers rolls. Which the guy gladly did. He got to choose his own flavor.

12. A perfect Day 6 from Independence to Dyersville riding hard with BalticTiger, Beertruck, and BeanBoy, then riding an air conditioned shuttle, visiting the Field of Dreams, eating the most amazing spaghetti dinner along with peach pie and rhubarb/strawberry pie, then watching the Army Brass Quintet play great music in one of only 52 basilicas in the U.S. (in Dyersville, of all places!)

13. Watching as BalticTiger goes in our tent, unaware that the back vent is still wide open, and pulls down her biking shorts to change as three guys on the back side of the tent just stand there and gawk. Howard moved quickly into the tent and zipped up the vent, but not before... well, you know. At least the three guys were old.

14. Getting to meet Wjacobyansky & family, beertruck, bikepoky, DecafBeanBoy, Jenni, Gartrade & wife, maschwab, PansyPalmetto, russtaitai, Velosaurus Rex, wallybrau, woodog, batchrb, and John from Cincinnati (can't remember his BikeJournal name). Also, BalticTiger met gingerclip, but didn't know who gingerclip was at the time!

15. Receiving a ride from Sunshine on Sunday from Omaha to Spencer to retrieve our car parked there. Sunshine drove an extra six hours on Sunday so we could come to RAGBRAI a day late, and we are eternally grateful to her! What a sweetheart. Thank you, Sunshine! Riding RAGBRAI with you was a treat and we'll never forget it!

Greatest disappointments? No naked beer slides. Howard was ready to go.

Oh yeah, and when Pansy unexpectedly woke him up at 5:30 a.m. at the hotel on Sunday to give him lipstick. He can get that any time, Panz...


Also: Here are my best girl's favorite moments of RAGBRAI....