G is for Goofballs

This post will be featured on the official team blog. I should also mention that I could not find the cord to connect my camera, so apologies for the lack of photos here.

Within the past day, it’s dawned on me just how silly and creative the SC2SC’13 team really is. We have a few ongoing jokes and games that keep the mood here light and fun for everyone.

During yesterday’s ride, the cyclists that were miles ahead of the pack began to write the ABC’s in chalk. It was motivational and silly. For example, one read “B is 4 beastly bods.” The next, “C is 4 crankin’ and cruisin’,” was written at the beginning of a hill. However, the mystery chalkers only got to the letter F, which means that this inspirational alphabet will be continued.

Yesterday’s Side-of-the-Road contest was a huge success. This morning was the Show and Tell about our finds. Among the many items there was the coconut bra Rae found, the bamboo walking stick with a deer hoof attached to it that Chris bought from a man for $5, or an injured black butterfly Nyx rescued from the road.

We’ve only had this bamboo walking stick with a deer hoof for a day, and it clearly possesses magical powers. Whoever is holding the stick suddenly had the best moves during our lunch stop dance party. Just ask Mike.

Marcus found a creepy Chucky doll at a yard sale a little while ago, and a game has slowly evolved. One person hides the doll where another person will find it, and then that person must find a new sneaky hiding spot for it. However, we have somehow accumulated about four more of these weird porcelain dolls, and they seem to be everywhere. This morning I hid one in the trip leader’s “mobile office” bin (that was me!). At lunch there was a doll found in a cooler. And I woke up from an afternoon nap to find a doll inches from my face.

Some wonder what cyclists think about all day during long rides. Well, yesterday a few of us riding together played Hot Seat to pass the time. It’s pretty simple: one rider asks a pop question and then everyone in the pace line answers. One teammate asked what country we’d like to live in besides the United States. I asked who everyone’s first crush in grade school was. The miles flew by playing Hot Seat and we laughed all the way to lunch.

But as the riding days begin to blend together in memory, it’s becoming difficult to keep track of the days of the week. Sometimes the only way to know the day of the week is by thinking about how long it’s been since our last Mustache Monday, or Tattoo Tuesday, or Foreign Language/Freaky Accent Friday. Tomorrow is Mustache Monday, right?

And as I write this, about half of the team is napping after our 50 mile ride from Hamilton, AL to Tupelo, MS, while the other half is laughing intensely about who knows what. Yes, we eat, sleep, bike, and build, but it’s the endless humor brought to this experience that make the tougher days bearable, the team stronger, and a summer on Bike & Build truly memorable.