Planning and More Planning

First --Many thanks to those of you who have contributed to the Long Road Home house at Make it Right 9. We hope to get a list of donors from MIR so we can thank you personally.

Those of you who know me, know I am all about the planning. This trip is no exception. In fact, I am a little afraid to admit that I may enjoy the planning more than the actual trip. I like making the list, thinking about what we need, what needs to be done, both before the trip and in order to leave home for an extended period of time. I believe this compulsiveness on my part may frustrate my riding partners; I hand them lists of things to do and am constantly following up on their progress - prodding them to achieve!!
So what is on our lists?
We have assigned BMRPop to the technology and bike maintenance items; C-zookie, in addition to her solicitation letters, is concentrating mostly on her personal items or accessories for her bike, and I, in addition to solicitation letters, have a list of accessories and shared items. Below I have detailed our lists and struck through what we have done. As you can see, we still have a long way to go!

BmrPop's List: contact Omaha BMW and Suzuki dealers about bike maintenance on our rest days, get new digital cameras, select and install communication system, get GPS, get extra headlights and tail lights, get tire repair canisters, arrange for bike maintenance pre-trip.

C-zookie's List: get new passport, order and install heated handgrips, order and install sidecases,

BurgMa's List: Complete pharmacy/first aid kit - sunscreen, chapstick, earplugs, sleep-aid, NoDoze, gum, Coffee Nips, extra batteries;get warm/weather proof items for C-zookie and self - overboots, overgloves, REI windproof pants & jackets, Columbia padded jackets w/liner, new vests for all - lime green!!, make or find lining bags for BMRPop's cases, arrange for house sitter, maps, KOA directory, locate small sleeping bags, repair yellow waterproof bags, figure out packing locations for all the stuff!!

On top of all this, C-zookie is moving from Baton Rouge back to Nashville before the trip, looking for a new job, AND trying to sell Issy, the Vstar 650. WOW! Surely someone you know wants to buy Issy!!