The PPSP blog has been quiet for the past week because I’ve been in California visiting my father. In this blog post from December, I wrote about his health situation and my need to visit him with some regularity.

I will be back in Stevens Point this Wednesday, and I am greatly looking forward to the TGIF Dessert Ride on Friday June 26. This will be our inaugural TGIF Dessert Ride, since the one originally scheduled for May was cancelled – and wisely so, since we got about a half-inch of rain in the half-hour immediately preceding the scheduled start.

My Dad

I’ll post more about what to expect for the TGIF Dessert Ride in the next few days, but you can read this webpage if you are curious about what to expect.

I am writing this post to alert Poky Pedalers that it is a really good idea to check the PPSP blog before each Poky Pedal this year. My father has been diagnosed with a heart condition that is the cause of four 911 calls over the past few months, the most recent one just before I arrived last week. These episodes have come on without any symptomatic warning and have been life-threatening. This is very sad but it is his reality, and I am grateful to have opportunity to spend time with him.

It is possible that at some future date, I may need to drop everything and travel from Stevens Point back to California on a moment’s notice. In transit, I will try to leave a note on the PPSP blog to cancel any imminent Poky Pedal so that folks back in Point aren’t left at the ride start wondering what’s going on.

For this reason, it is a good idea for Poky Pedalers to check the PPSP blog in the day or so before any Poky Pedal. I know sad news will arrive, but there is no way to know at this point whether it might come in 3 days, 3 months, or 3 years.

I appreciate all the support I’ve received from Poky Pedalers about the situation with my Dad. I’ll do my best to keep you posted.

Bike Fun and sad news are both part of life. We all must do what we must do when the latter arrives. So let’s appreciate our opportunities to share Bike Fun when they arrive. I look forward to being back in Stevens Point and sharing Bike Fun with all Poky Pedalers on the upcoming TGIF Dessert Ride and beyond.