The weekend started with a bus ride from Mission Bay. I got everything ready the night before and there was no traffic, so I got there at 3:45, a few minutes before the volunteers that checked us in got there, 30 minutes before I needed to be there to board the bus, and an hour before the bus actually left. Nice tour bus as usual. This time the bus driver played a movie (Monsters Inc.), even though lots of people shouted "No movie - sleep!" I slept. I slept before the bus was even moving. I woke up a couple times on the drive up there because my mouth had dried out from hanging open. While waiting in line to register I met a lady who recognized me from my sleeping on the bus. This was her first MS-150. She was on some UCLA alumni team and didn't really know any of them and hadn't found any of them yet either.

I got in line for the start, Ron joined me there and we were with the first group to leave at 7:15. I had brought some clear safety glasses, because the first third of the ride is always too foggy for sunglasses, but riding with no glasses is bad for your eyeballs (besides stuff getting stuck in there, they tend to dry out). Anyway, I'm riding along, just getting warmed up, when the "jealous you slept on the bus" lady rides up next to me. We start talking about how this is her first time doing this ride, she still hasn't found anyone on her team, and she left her sunglasses in her luggage that's now on a truck headed for Carlsbad. I had bought some really cool ($8) sunglasses from Holland's bike store in Coronado especially for this ride. They are black with flames painted on the sides, matching my red helmet. I offered them to her and she took them, promising to return them when the sun came out. A little while later I was riding with another "first timer". We were talking about how much food there is at the rest stops and I said I'd probably gain weight over the weekend. He said "don't say that" because he'd lost 60 pounds since January from dieting and riding his bike. Here he was riding 100 miles in one day, pretty amazing I thought.

When I got to Camp Pendleton, there was a whole group of riders waiting for security to escort them through the base. I presented my military ID and after some explaining and saluting they let me go through by myself. The sun was coming out so I stopped and bought another pair of sunglasses (much more expensive - $15). Just as I came out of the store, the riders I'd passed at the gate were going by.

Lunch was at about 56 miles, provided by Yahoo's fish tacos (they were chicken). Excellent as always. No sign of Ron or the lady with my flaming sunglasses. At the second to last rest stop, I met up with a lady on the back of a tandem who has MS. We had met at the exact same place last year! Is that crazy or what? She passed me not long after we left that stop and I didn't see her again all weekend, but we've e-mailed each other and I think I'm on her team for next year. At about 80 miles a couple of ladies shouted "Hey Meredith's husband, can we draft off you?" I had personalized the little "I'm riding for..." sign they give you to hang on your rider number. I filled in the blank with "my wife Meredith" and had a photo of her and Bobby on it. Lots of compliments and "hope she does wells" over the weekend. Anyway, these 2 ladies and a guy draft off me for a while, then one of them takes the lead and I promptly get a flat. I don't think they noticed I was gone. I saw them again at the next rest stop, as they were leaving. The last 10 miles that first day were really tough, I finished at 4:30. There was a line at the massage tables, so I just got my bag and headed for the Motel. I met up with Ron and Reina that night and got my flaming sunglasses back too.

Sunday's ride was a piece of cake, lunch provided by Pat & Oscar's.