Sean's Big Day

We started the day off like any other day, with a relatively early wake up (about 9AM) and headed down for some breakfast before hitting the road. This morning, we realized, was when we were going to meet up with “The Neilster” (Dan’s dad) and that brought about an added sense of excitement about the group. We mapped out our route the night before and got ready to rock out on the pavement for our 40 mile day with the added pleasure of meeting up with “The Neilster”. Everybody, from the beginning of the trip until the other day, had warned us about the hills in North Carolina. Until today, we simply shrugged everything off as simply nonsense. Because of blister problems, Dan gave me the day off and I had the pleasure of watching the guys struggle up the rolling hills just south of Raleigh. Not only were the hills a challenge for the guys, but also the plethora of trucks driving on the road that didn’t slow down presented a challenge unto itself. After finding secondary roads to skate on, “The Neilster” joined us mid-skate and followed us around for the rest of the day on the road.

We were in quite the rush when we got checked into the hotel because we had to make a quick turn around to get to our dinner appointment at the TPC at Wakefield Plantation clubhouse. It was there that we indulged in a fantastic meal together on the eve of Streich’s birthday. We didn’t have much energy after that, but managed to find a way back to the hotel and relax quite nicely.

We awoke the next morning refreshed, not because of a good night’s sleep, but rather because we had a day off from skating. Another high energy day because it was Streich’s birthday (the BIG 2-5). “The Neilster” joined us this morning for a visit to Raleigh’s Center for Creative Living and observed how things went and saw nothing but good things, ranging from therapeutic music to creative art work that is absolutely beautiful. After that, we had enough time to check out of the hotel, grab a bite to eat, check into the next hotel, and finally get ready to skate at the Jellybeans roller skating arena. We then followed these activities up with a follow-up visit to the TPC at Wakefield Plantation for dinner. Tonight, it was time to celebrate Streich’s birthday and the dinner at the clubhouse was only the beginning. After dinner, we found our way downtown to celebrate in Raleigh for Streich’s big day. Off to rest for the big skate tomorrow.

Jason O.