www.bikefordemocracy.org


LiveJournal Rider's Blog
[2004/09/10 11:17 am]

We leave Fargo on a sunny, warm day, both exhausted and energized. We rode
into the city 2 nights ago, fighting a fierce headwind the entire 75 miles
from Grand Forks. Luckily, we had a pro with us to teach us how to battle
headwinds-- Doug Melby, a former racer who is running for Secretary of
State in North Dakota, took a break from partisan politics and joined our
ride for the day. He introduced us to the "paceline." Drafting off each
other's wind blockage capabilities, we rode in a tight single-file line
into Fargo, hungry, exhausted, and with a new ambition to run for
Secretaries of State in our home states in 2012 (you get to run the
elections! What amazing potential for change!). We showed up on the
doorstep of the People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP), an amazing
Fargo/Moorhead nonprofit that is doing registration, GOTV, and organizing
candidate forums locally. A beautiful potluck awaited us, with fresh
vegetables, sloppy Joes, and stimulating conversation about politics and
social justice.

Yesterday we had an action packed day working with PEPP doing voter
registration and education at 3 college campuses and a high school in
Fargo/Moorhead. We started out at North Dakota State University, headed
over to Moorhead State University, Concordia College, and ended with
Moorhead High School. We registered 163 voters in all. Somewhere in there,
Brianna managed to find time to make her debut on a Fargo radio talk show,
giving an energetic interview which the rest of us listened to in
transport from one campus to the next. Mike was taped by some ABC
cameramen at NDSU, and we also made it into the Forum, Fargo and
Moorhead's newspaper. It was a media-heavy day. In the evening we crashed
the High Plains Reader's 10th anniversary party. We were featured in this
week's edition of the Fargo weekly, and chatted about our project with
many of the other guests. We snacked on jalepeno poppers, fried mushrooms,
chocolate cake, and artichoke dip. Some of us practiced spilling red punch
all over the floor in front of the buffet table. Others mingled with
slightly more aplomb.

In the evening, we enjoyed wine, ice cream, and massages courtesy of our
amazingly dedicated and generous hosts, Lysa and Duke from PEPP. We head
out for Minnesota inspired and rejuvenated-- ready to bike 2000 more miles
and step up the pace as the election draws nearer....

Happy Friday,

Marian and the BFD crew.
[2004/09/09 10:12 pm]
We have decided to alter our Minnesota route and wanted to get it out as
soon as possible.

If you live in these places and/or know people/orgs we should definitely
hook up with please e-mail (bikefordemocracy@yahoo.com) or call us (#310
309 9038) Also, if you wanna ride with us for an hour or a day as we pass
through let's do it!

Thursday 9/9/2004- Fargo/Moorhead
Friday 9/10/2004- Detroit Lakes
Saturday 9/11/2004- tentatively Park Rapids
Sunday 9/12/2004- Grand Rapids
Monday 9/13/2004- stay and do lots of cool stuff in Grand Rapids
Tuesday 9/14/2004- Duluth
Wed 9/15/2004- stay and do cool stuff in Duluth
Thursday 9/16/2004- Hinkley
Friday 9/17/2004- Minneapolis
Saturday 9/18/2004- Twin Cities madness
Sunday 9/19/2004- leave Minn and begin the Wisconsin adventure

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