AIDS Ride Newsletter July 6, 1999

Home	Beneficiaries	Pledge Info	Route	Training	Thanks	Links	Contact Me	1999 AIDS Ride
July 6, 1999: Less than a week until my bike and I are one... Well folks, the countdown is on! Less than a week and I will be in Minneapolis waiting for my destiny. I will a) not make the 500 miles, found on the side of the rode in nowhere Minnisota, b) ride the 500 miles and walk with my legs moving in a cyclic motion for days on end, or c) ride the 500 miles be completely exhausted and but happy, because I made it to Chicago and in one piece. Fundraising update: I have reached my personal goal of $3000. And I still have donations coming in. Thanks for all your help! Training update: well I am still riding my bike, though I am now tapering down. Riding less and less so that my body can relax before I leave. Want to borrow: if anyone has a blow up camping mat (not matress) that I can borrow I would greatly appriciate it. Please drop me a line. Now for the moment you have all been waiting for: The name of my bike is "Peregrine". Below I have the reason why I have named my bike Peregrine written by Penny Bailer of the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council. Thanks Penny, that was a great idea! Take Care, Tia -------------------- Here is the suggestion and story that was sent to me: For a name, one suggestion might have a little MMGSC nostalgia. Perhaps you know that we have moved to the Fisher Building, a gorgeous, world-class, historic building in the New Center. We have the entire 5th floor and a DROP DEAD GORGEOUS Council Shop on the 1st floor with SIX (6) windows - 2 facing West Anyway, it must be fate, but the Fisher Building is home to a permanently mated pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS named "H" (the female) and "Speedster" (the male). They are on the endangered species list, as you probably know. They are the world's fastest birds and have been clocked flying at 200 miles per hour! Well, coincidentally, "H" and "Speedster" build a nest every spring in the gargoyles on the outside of the building just above the main brass doors - guess where! ON THE FIFTH FLOOR JUST OUTSIDE OUR WINDOWS! :-) :-) :-) !!!! (It must be DESTINY that we came to this building on this floor - to take care of the FALCONS! And their BABIES! Why do WE "take care" of them, you say? Because the State Department of Natural Resources COMMANDEERS the situation and mandates ( by law) that the building do everything in its power to protect the nest and the birds and the BABIES. This became especially urgent when the first set of baby peregrines (3-4 years ago) demonstrated that they were VERY aggressive and wanted to fly MUCH too soon and actually FELL TO THEIR DEATHS ON THE SIDEWALK BELOW because they tried to "fly the coop" before they were strong enough to sustain flight. Anyway, when the baby birds starting self-destructing, the DNR moved in and took over. They informed the building that they would have to GIVE UP AN OFFICE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR and provide a private closed door suite for the nest! They got the Detroit Edison crane truck to come and (with two DNR biologists riding on the bucket-platform with two engineers) actually LIFT THE NEST OUT OF THE GARGOYLES AND INTO the OFFICE! The peregrines' office door remains closed at all times, and there is a closed circuit TV trained on the nest with the monitor in the Fisher lobby so all can see how the birds and the babies are doing. By August of each year, they are strong enough to fly, and the DNR removes the bars in front of the window and lets them go. The babies fly away (probably to Utah or someplace!), but the parents, "H" and "Speedster" have returned each spring, after their "winter break" in the south somewhere. Now (finally), here's the real point. This year on May 19, we hosted our All Council Honor Reception, at which we present the Gold Awards, etc., and honor the Silver Awardees and the Graduating Seniors. This year the keynote speaker was our new (16-months) National Executive Director, Marty Evans, a 48-year old retired U.S. Navy Admiral. The DNR and the Fisher Building officials gave us the great honor of naming the two baby birds that hatched. (Last year there was only one; we had just signed our lease to move in on 1-1-99, so they allowed us to name the baby last year, too; we named him "Scout" - but we sadly learned later in the year that "Scout" - who was banded and tracked by the DNR - died crashing into an urban office building.) Because Marty Evans was visiting on May 19, and it was the SAME day that the DNR lifted the nest off the gargoyles and placed it in our office, and it was also the same day as the national launch of "Star Wars Episode One", we named the two babies - "Marty" and "Millennium Falcon" . So I just thought you'd like to know this story - in case you want to name your bike "PEREGRINE' (or even "Marty") in honor of a 200 mph endangered species beauty - to give you luck, nostalgia and a lotta CLASS as you whiz along! --------------------- Back to Progress Letters
Home	Beneficiaries	Pledge Info	Route	Training	Thanks	Links	Contact Me	1999 AIDS Ride

July 6, 1999:
Less than a week until my bike and I are one... Well folks, the countdown is on! Less than a week and I will be in Minneapolis waiting for my destiny. I will a) not make the 500 miles, found on the side of the rode in nowhere Minnisota, b) ride the 500 miles and walk with my legs moving in a cyclic motion for days on end, or c) ride the 500 miles be completely exhausted and but happy, because I made it to Chicago and in one piece.

Fundraising update: I have reached my personal goal of $3000. And I still have donations coming in. Thanks for all your help!

Training update: well I am still riding my bike, though I am now tapering down. Riding less and less so that my body can relax before I leave.

Want to borrow: if anyone has a blow up camping mat (not matress) that I can borrow I would greatly appriciate it. Please drop me a line.

Now for the moment you have all been waiting for:
The name of my bike is "Peregrine". Below I have the reason why I have named my bike Peregrine written by Penny Bailer of the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council. Thanks Penny, that was a great idea!

Take Care, Tia

--------------------
Here is the suggestion and story that was sent to me:

For a name, one suggestion might have a little MMGSC nostalgia. Perhaps you know that we have moved to the Fisher Building, a gorgeous, world-class, historic building in the New Center. We have the entire 5th floor and a DROP DEAD GORGEOUS Council Shop on the 1st floor with SIX (6) windows - 2 facing West

Anyway, it must be fate, but the Fisher Building is home to a permanently mated pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS named "H" (the female) and "Speedster" (the male). They are on the endangered species list, as you probably know. They are the world's fastest birds and have been clocked flying at 200 miles per hour!

Well, coincidentally, "H" and "Speedster" build a nest every spring in the gargoyles on the outside of the building just above the main brass doors - guess where! ON THE FIFTH FLOOR JUST OUTSIDE OUR WINDOWS! :-) :-) :-) !!!! (It must be DESTINY that we came to this building on this floor - to take care of the FALCONS! And their BABIES!

Why do WE "take care" of them, you say? Because the State Department of Natural Resources COMMANDEERS the situation and mandates ( by law) that the building do everything in its power to protect the nest and the birds and the BABIES. This became especially urgent when the first set of baby peregrines (3-4 years ago) demonstrated that they were VERY aggressive and wanted to fly MUCH too soon and actually FELL TO THEIR DEATHS ON THE SIDEWALK BELOW because they tried to "fly the coop" before they were strong enough to sustain flight.

Anyway, when the baby birds starting self-destructing, the DNR moved in and took over. They informed the building that they would have to GIVE UP AN OFFICE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR and provide a private closed door suite for the nest! They got the Detroit Edison crane truck to come and (with two DNR biologists riding on the bucket-platform with two engineers) actually LIFT THE NEST OUT OF THE GARGOYLES AND INTO the OFFICE!

The peregrines' office door remains closed at all times, and there is a closed circuit TV trained on the nest with the monitor in the Fisher lobby so all can see how the birds and the babies are doing. By August of each year, they are strong enough to fly, and the DNR removes the bars in front of the window and lets them go. The babies fly away (probably to Utah or someplace!), but the parents, "H" and "Speedster" have returned each spring, after their "winter break" in the south somewhere.

Now (finally), here's the real point. This year on May 19, we hosted our All Council Honor Reception, at which we present the Gold Awards, etc., and honor the Silver Awardees and the Graduating Seniors. This year the keynote speaker was our new (16-months) National Executive Director, Marty Evans, a 48-year old retired U.S. Navy Admiral. The DNR and the Fisher Building officials gave us the great honor of naming the two baby birds that hatched. (Last year there was only one; we had just signed our lease to move in on 1-1-99, so they allowed us to name the baby last year, too; we named him "Scout" - but we sadly learned later in the year that "Scout" - who was banded and tracked by the DNR - died crashing into an urban office building.)

Because Marty Evans was visiting on May 19, and it was the SAME day that the DNR lifted the nest off the gargoyles and placed it in our office, and it was also the same day as the national launch of "Star Wars Episode One", we named the two babies - "Marty" and "Millennium Falcon" . So I just thought you'd like to know this story - in case you want to name your bike "PEREGRINE' (or even "Marty") in honor of a 200 mph endangered species beauty - to give you luck, nostalgia and a lotta CLASS as you whiz along!
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