A Jewel in the Rough - RAGBRAI 2013 Part I

This is the beginning of my account of what went on during this year's RAGBRAI.  The write-up will be split up amongst several posts.  At least once a day I will try to put up another section, but that is not definite.  Check back regularly and use the navigation tools to the right to find the other parts.  This might be the only post I promote on Facebook, but rest assured they will be showing up on the blog.

This year's RAGBRAI was like a large, multi-faceted jewel found in the rough.  You sometimes don't quite know what you are looking at, but there are definite signs that there is something beautiful in there.  There might be a few bad spots in there, but it is nothing that can't be handled.  Once this jewel was cleaned up, there was plenty to see.  All facets of this jewel have slightly different reflective properties.  I could see myself differently after looking at each facet.  Some were me as usual.  Others were different versions of me than many of you are used to.

There will be tales of injuries, giddy 31-year-olds on slip-and-slides, traffic obstructions, car alarms at 3AM lasting for 10 minutes, a homeless cat, James Gandolfini and a community theater stage play, an exceptional blues rock band, triple breakfasts and a jazz band in one town, waiting out a hailstorm in a Casey's gas station, a rock concert on a river bridge, a Danish windmill, midget wrestling, a church sermon and concert by an amazing contemporary guitar and keyboard duo, a low tolerance to alcohol, a Dutch windmill, my gastronomic tour, a world record mustache attempt, and much more.

I look forward to the week of RAGBRAI more than any other week of the year.  After the week is over, I always get a little bit sad about it.  It's another 51 weeks until RAGBRAI is available again.  I have more fun during this week than probably all three months of winter put together.  I always feel excited and giddy during this time.  I hope that this energy can flow through to these posts.