two white cranes
soar over sun and clouds
journey together

Racing west on I-70, trying to beat the Friday afternoon rush, Anne and I head towards Columbia, MO, site of this year’s MS-150 bicycle ride. There is rain in the forecast, but temperatures are supposed to be comfortable too. We have a motel, so the rain shouldn’t bother us any, at least until tomorrow on the bikes. Tonight we have a pasta dinner to attend, carbo-loading don’t you know? This year’s MS-150 has a new feature, a social media feature that is. This year, Anne and I are going to be chipped. Even though the MS-150 is not a race, but a ride, it is borrowing some racing technology. In modern mass participants races each rider is issued an RF-ID chip that uniquely identifies them as they pass any given way point. Anne and I will each be carrying one of these chips. This service will allow us to post our progress to Facebook. Additionally, I’ve selected a few cells to receive text messages. Whether by text message or Facebook, there may be times when updates cannot be made. Don’t panic! We’ll be riding through Amish country, where there isn’t even electricity, let alone cell phone service. We’ll eventually finish OK.