Day 24 – Happy Boxing Day – 15.0 Miles A Day Continues in Jim’s Trek

Good Day,

I hope everyone had a very good Christmas Day… and did not spend too much time gorging yourselves. Well Happy Boxing Day. Today is the day to recover and think of all the possible culinary stroke of genius that one can create with the leftovers.

Today I finished my 15.0 miles; total to date on Day 24 is 283.4 miles, 8.6% of my Tampa to Seattle goal. I am certainly convinced, almost, that I have committed myself to this total Trek.

Total Direct Miles to Seattle	To Date	TD Miles Remaining	% TD Miles Completed	Interlake Miles Left to Seattle	Weight (lbs)
3,301.0	283.4	3,017.6	8.59%	5,715.9	170.4

I’m still in the State of Florida. My location is heading north toward Lewis Blvd. on South Ponce de Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine. I did NOT break that stop sign… but it is the point of my 15.0 miles this morning. The San Sebastian River is on my right hand side.

Check out LE CAFÉ… How many nationalities? In 2007 this location was empty and in 2011 Le Café was open. It is amazing how one can follow the short history of a location via the photos on Google Maps.

This morning’s Upstairs Downstairs episode’s theme was cowardice during war. In the short time, the producers attempted to present as much as time would allow. Interesting…

Tomorrow morning I should pass by the Fountain of Youth Park. Maybe I’ll stop by for a drink on my way to my 7th Interlake address goal.

Enjoy,

Jim

Day 23 – Merry Christmas – Eat Well and Enjoy

Good Day and Merry Christmas,

I’ve got my bells on my Schwinn 150 and it is Christmas day. Merry Christmas! Today I crossed over the St. John’s River via the Memorial Bridge at Palatka in Putnam County, Florida.

This morning, Christmas Day, I cycled my 15 miles passed Hastings, Florida. Hastings is a small town with a recorded population on the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau of 607. Hastings is known as the “Potato Capital of Florida”.

I have reached 8.13% of my Tampa to Seattle goal; total miles 268.4.

Total Direct Miles to Seattle	To Date	TD Miles Remaining	% TD Miles Completed	Interlake Miles Left to Seattle	Weight (lbs)
3,301.0	268.4	3,032.6	8.13%	5,730.9	170.4

Christmas Eve lunch was at Restaurante La Pequeña Colombia: meat pies; chicharrón, arepa, and corn cakes; roast pork, peas, and rice; and steak Milanesa. Dessert - flan and fig cake. Todo era muy, muy bueno. And to tone it down, a wee bit, for supper I made French onion soup, made with four types of onions, smothered in Gruyère cheese. Ever so good. Believe it or not, I dropped 0.2 lbs.

Upstairs, Downstairs episode emphasizes the control that money has on all lives.

Andy took the photo of our supper. The image of Santa was provided by Litelines by Linda.

Enjoy,

Jim

Day 22 – Christmas Eve and Another 15.0 Miles – Isn’t Seattle Northwest?

Good Day,

On my Schwinn 150, my location on Christmas Eve is at East Crill Avenue, west of Palaka, Florida. FL-20 E/Crill Ave/NW State Road 20 E west of Palaka, Florida. And yes I am headed west to my next Interlake address. It is north of St. Augustine, Florida.

My total miles to date are now 253.4 miles. I have completed 7.7% of my Seattle goal. Accordingly at my current rate of 15 miles per day I will complete my Tampa to Seattle goal by July 16, 2013. With the addition of the Interlake address goals I’m not sure where in the United States I will be on July 16. Taking my Tampa via Interlake address goals to Seattle I will reach Seattle by January 12, 2014.

Total Direct Miles to Seattle	To Date	TD Miles Remaining	% TD Miles Completed	Interlake Miles Left to Seattle	Weight (lbs)
3,301.0	253.4	3,047.6	7.68%	5,745.9	170.6

On my route this morning I passed a billboard advertising online contact cremations… We have come a long way since 1964 when Bell announced, sort of a bomb, the PicturePhone Service. Today, almost 50 years later we are using Skype on our PCs and notebooks… and visual connections on our phones and tablets. What’s next?

A bomb causes damage and misses 165 Eaton Place on Upstairs, Downstairs episode.

The above inserted image of a cycle tree is from Kulshan Cycles in Bellingham, Washington…

Enjoy, the cooking and the gift wrapping.

Jim