Donations shout-outs

Thanks to Mrs. LaFortune, Pamela Zwolinski-Gliozzi, Tina and David, Laurie, and Brett, Brittany and Natalie for supporting our cause by donating to Children's Heartlink.

At the cheese factory

More pics from days 14-18

Brett shows us how it's done on the slip 'n' slide.

Lisa tries to copy the kids' form. Check out those awesome tan lines.

Family photo. Yay! You guys are awesome!

Crossing the Mississippi.

Pictures from days 14-18

In front of the log cabin.

Freda laments the lameness of her rear tire.

Someone in illinois has a lot of extra time.

Days 14-18: 341 miles

Sorry it's been so long since we posted any updates. The days were tedious this week, and the heat was insufferable. But we made it to West Chester, Iowa--a day early! Here are some highlights from this leg of the journey:

Day 14: 106 long, HOT miles. We left Ryan and Sarah's house, stocked with Kashi goodness. Illinois is pretty flat, but 95-100 degree weather (with a heat index over 100) can make the flattest territory seem hillacious. That night, we camped in the city park in Gilman, Illinois. The folks at the grocery helped us get the okay on pitching tents next to the ball field, and Tim (who works at the park) came through with some much-needed moral support. After some mac 'n' cheese bites, we rode down to the local DQ, where Freda and Lisa got some cool treats and i had a second dinner. There we met a woman who was so moved by the sight of us--you can go ahead and interpret this as you so choose--that she decided to give us $20. We had not informed her that we were fundraising; she simply felt that we needed the money. After she went into DQ, we considered our appearances as well as marveled at the many colors of this woman's hair. By the way, Lisa had been wearing her bike helmet the entire time.

Day 15: Another hot day (94 miles). We ended up at my Uncle Steve's and Aunt Anne's amazing log cabin in Maquon. (see pictures.) Staying there for the night made everything SO much better. They even gave us hugs upon arrival--sweat and all! We got to shower, sleep inside AND have dinner at my cousin's restaurant. Thanks to all of you for making us so comfortable. My grandma and Aunt Diane came down from Galesburg to have dinner with us, and it was really great to see them. Thanks, too, to Emily and Zach for sharing their flip books, stories, and TV room/basement with us. And to my other cousins for making the drive to see us.

(oh yeah, and to my aunt and uncle, for mailing my wallet to me after I forgot it there. Oops.)

Day 16: The heat continued. And, unfortunately, the suffering returned. I started pouting at about mile 25, because I'd realized that I'd left my wallet behind. Plus I almost ran over a guy coming out of the gas station. Yikes. But my troubles were miniscule compared to what Freda faced. You should know that Freda only has tire problems as we approach our daily destination. On this particular day, we realized--at mile 48 out of 60--that Freda's rear tire had a rather large hole in it. Because the hole hadn't gone through to the tube, we wisely decided to test the strength of aforementioned tube (which, by the way, a bike guy swore was basically indestructable) by riding the rest of the way to Burlington, Iowa. Three miles east of the Mississippi river, on a busy state highway/truck route, Freda's tire exploded and she lost control of the bike. Luckily, traffic stopped for her, and we managed to get her bike off of the road. Thankfully, the folks at the Burlington bike shop (Bickel's) picked her up and then fixed her bike. We made it as far as the gate at the Burlington water park--a.k.a. "Fun City"--but couldn't muster the energy to face the teenagers inside. So we just sat and ate nachos on the sidewalk.
Our day was made infinitely better as soon as the Bickel's van dropped us off at Dori's house. We got to have tacos and hang out with her sons, Lukey and Brett. They even let us try their slip 'n' slide. The temperature in the house was PERFECT (for me), and the TV/People magazines really hit the spot. Thanks so so much, Dori and kids, for brightening our day.

Day 17 and 18: 67 miles + a rest day in WEST CHESTER!!!

Things cooled off a bit today, and we didn't have as far to go. So life was nice. We arrived in West Chester, where we immediately consumed about 5 pounds of fresh fruit and veggies. Lots of rest and revelry followed. We were treated with homemade ice cream, various grilled meats, potato salad, beer, cheese/meat dip, and dumplings. Today, we took the convertable over to the Kolona cheese factory and picked up some squeaky cheese curds. Yum!

Tomorrow the adventure really begins. There will be no more rest days with family--no more safety stops. It's the rockies and the west coast...or bust! Be patient with our blog updates; my computer is not really functioning, and we don't know where we'll have internet access. News to come as soon as possible.

Day 13 - Rest

Peru is trying to out-do DuBois on our list of great little towns to stop in. We've been eating amazing food all day long, Jim and Suzie (Sarah's parents) gave us a supply of Kashi granola bars to eat on our way out of Indiana, and we spent the afternoon boating at the Reservoir where we did some water skiing... some of us were more successful than others...

Day 12 - 102 miles

Team Century Day #1. More to come. We got off to a bit of a late start due to some plumbing issues at the church. Pastor Jim assured us it was not our fault, the plumbing issues were pre-existing. (though I blame it on the Beef Stew that was consumed for breakfast). We decided that we were going to do whatever it took to get to Peru, IN, where my brother lives and where we were sure to be welcomed with food, drinks, and hot showers. Pedaling right into the 20mph headwind that was coming straight out of the west, we made it 30 miles down the road where we stopped at Becky's Restaurant in Willshire, OH, home of the best cinnamon rolls in the world. And congratulations to the guy at the next table over who got married that day! We got back on the bikes to fight the wind for another 30 miles before stopping for lunch under a big shade tree on the side of the road. We were all feeling optimistic that we were over half-way to Peru and were about ready to take off again when Freda noticed she had a flat tire. We did a quick roadside fix (shaved 30 minutes off our first flat tire change) and kept going. 20 miles later the tire was flat again. We decided to pump it back up and see if it would last another 20 miles. It lasted 4 miles instead. We put in a new tube, but we bent the stem. We patched the old tube, but it wouldn't hold. We put in a new tube again and were very careful to not bend the stem. (who needs bike maintenance classes when you can have hands-on practice). By now it was 7:30pm, we were 15 miles from Peru, and we'd changed Freda's tire 4 times in the past 20 miles. Good thing it doesn't get dark until 10:00pm here. The last 15 miles went quickly due to the multiple dogs that tried to attack as we rode by. We finally pulled to Ryan and Sarah's house where we were greeted with open arms until they saw/smelled us and then we were told that we had to get in to pool before they'd let us into to house. Great food, hot showers, and clean laundry followed. Thanks Ryan and Sarah!

Day 12 - 65 miles

We woke up in the morning to lightening. Not the wussy kind that just lights up the sky, but legitimate cracks with loud thunder. Scary when you're in a tent with metal poles, like Lisa ... and Melissa. Not me. We packed up quicker than ever that morning and may have even gotten off to the first timely start of the trip had the storm not thwarted our plans. For two and a half hours. No fear, we stayed with the good people of Soni's Junction eating ... see previous post. Darrell kindly bought us breakfast and donated to the cause. Thanks, Darrell. You're a gem. Bellies full, we headed west toward Findlay flanked by our first tailwind of the trip (Lisa got really excited). About twenty miles on the western side of Findlay, Mel's spokes broke, and we discovered that maybe that bike maintenance class wouldn't have been such a bad idea. We use the phone a friend option to call Nor in Iowa who was dismayed that we did not have any of the proper tools. Mel did have spare spokes. She also had a spoke wrench, but didn't know it. Thanks to Nor's advice, we were able to get the bike to Lima. Lisa and I had to ride into the 20 mph headwind. Mr. Shafer was particularly instrumental in the transport of said busted bike as was the other kind citizen who stopped for us.
Not to be discouraged, we continued west once the folks at Lima Cyclry and Fitness patched up the wheel. Desperate, however, for some sugar (see previous post) we stopped at a local Speedway for a slushie. During our shopping trip, we found out that there was going to be a hail storm that evening. We continued on past Allentown, OH where we found God's House. We called Pastor Jim, who rushed to our rescue on a motorized bike and let us into the newly refinished church basement. Pastor Jim then brought Arby's sandwiches (it was my first time). We were in bed by 7:30 that night. Rough day.

Day 11 - 93 miles

Announcement: Melissa has gotten another shirt. She now has two shirts.
We woke up Thursday morning to the rain, and my tent was soaking wet. Lisa couldn't find her camera, which we could not leave behind for fear of disappointing you, our dear blog readers. One of Mel's mom's four dogs, three cats or one bird had mysteriously hidden it right in front of Lisa's face.
The major accomplishment for the day was the introduction of the pace line into our touring technique. Said technique would become increasingly important as we travelled west. We also discovered that eating on the side of the road improves our chances of going far.
We arrived in Tiffin, OH and stopped at the Kroger's to pick up some nutritious and delicous food (see previous post).
We camped out for the night in the backyard of Soni's Junction a mile and a half outside of West Independence, OH. Thanks to all of the folks at Soni's for making our time in their midst comfortable. Note in the accompanying picture the size differential between our tents. Guess which one's the heaviest and the least waterproof.

Things We Ate

My mother told us not to write so much about food. So ... here's all the things we've eaten since we last blogged (3 days):
9 cups coffee (Lisa doesn't drink any, but I refuse to ride more than 30 miles in the morning without at least one cup)
3 Nutrigrain bars (We bought these in New York. They're suffering at this point)
6 hard boiled eggs fresh from Mel's mom's chickens
3 baked honey ham and swiss cheese sandwiches, each made according to individual taste (Lisa doesn't like a lot of cheese on her sandwiches)
1 bag ranch flavored pretzel pieces (Turns out they work well as croutons as well)
1 large bag gummy worms (Lisa needs large amounts of gummy candies to get up mountains)
9 peanut butter sandwiches
1 large spinach salad with lunch meat, a carton of baby tomatoes, a bag of baby carrots, and three different packets of dressing
1 tube of chocolate chip cookie dough
1 snickers bar
1 cottage cheese doubles (pineapple flavored)
6 beers
2 bowls oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins (on Mel's)
6 pieces of French Toast ($3)
1 packet black peppered beaf jerky
1 giant slushee (Cherry Fanta and Gogo Grape mixed)
3 mixed cold cut sandwiches with Kroger Brand Sliced Cheese
4 apples
6 bananas
4 Arby's roast beef cheddar sandwiches
3 small french fries
2 cans beef stew (Lisa was not happy. She has vetoed this meal, especially for breakfast.)
1 omelette with two pieces whole wheat toast
2 biscuits with dried beef gravy (not as good as grandma's, but still passable)
1 pecan pancake with whipped cream (Mel loves whipped cream)
1 delicious homeade cinammon roll (the greatest ever made. Becky's restaurant in Wilshire, OH. GO!)
5 slices Kroger Brand Sliced Cheese
1 large bag Haribo gummy bears
2 Nature's Valley Oats and Honey Granola Bar
1 Nature's Valley Chewy Fruit and Nut granola bar split evenly in three while riding
5 hamburgers
2 cups veggies on the grill
2 cups corn salsa with green olives
2 cups fresh corn (Lisa's family's from Iowa, so they know corn)
1 half watermelon
3 yummy pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosty
More good food will be consumed in the next two days at Lisa's brother's house in Peru, Indiana

Day 10

Rest. Blog updates. Chinese Buffet. Don't eat mass-farmed strawberries.
Thank yous to: The Ingrahams for their donations; Dr. Lenny Klein for financing much needed bike maintenence; and Keith at Century Cycles for getting us up and running again.

Day 9 - 40 miles

Melissa had already made it to Medina, but Lisa and I woke up unsure of how far we had to go. We'd heard everything from 20 to 60 miles. We were excited to go motivate the youth of America (and ride through a human tunnel) by making an appearance at Coach Tarr's basketball camp. We headed to Yours Truly in Chagrin Falls, where we stopped for bagels and eggs (it's just not the same outside of New York). Luke, our St. Peters-Chanel logistics coordinator, texted early to check on our progress. We met a Bruce Willis look alike who kindly gave us directions while he consulted his personal trainer.
Riding through the suburbs of Cleveland, we found a strange correlation between the quality of the road and the size of the houses surrounding. We met a nice FedEx man (those people know everything!), who warned us to be careful of our chosen route to the high school.
We arrived at St. Peters-Chanel where we were greeted by about 70 cheering, well-disciplined, future basketball stars. A short speech, a Q&A session, a pizza lunch, a phone interview with the local paper, and short stop at Target later, we continued on our journey to my grandmother's house in Shaker Heights.

Day 8

Mel was getting anxious because she was pretty sure we were going to hit her home state. Lisa and I were just excited to potentially get out of the hills. We tried Fried Dill Pickles (not recommended) at a great diner in Mercer, PA and then headed up to the Ohio border. Seriously, as soon as we crossed the border, the road flattened out.
In Warren, OH, I called my mother and asked how far we were from Shaker Heights, where my grandmother lives. She said 20 miles.
Ummm. It’s not 20 miles.
Lisa and I decided to head toward Shaker because we thought it would be closer than Medina, where Mel headed. Once again we found that state maps can make towns look deceptively close.
The dollar drafts sign about twenty miles down the road was way too tempting, so we stopped and met Craig at Coachz “Grill”, who told us we were welcome to stay in the backyard for the night. We also met Coach Tarr, who runs a basketball camp at St. Peter’s Chanel in Bedford, OH. He asked if we’d come speak to his students in exchange for a human tunnel to bring us into town. I mean, who can turn that down? Meanwhile, the waitresses at Coachz took one look at us and decided we needed to clean up a bit if we were going to hang out for the night. A hot shower magically appeared in the basement. Ladies, thank you.
A night of good sleep was in order, though I discovered that my sleeping bag is kind of suffering. It got a bit cold.

Day 7

I was pretty sure that once we’d reached the highest point in Pennsylvania the rest would be downhill. Melissa, however, wisely pointed out that the highest part of a mountain range is usually somewhere in the middle. So, more uphill climbing was in our future.
About one mile outside of DuBois, Melissa’s bike started making some funny noises, but have no fear, we fixed it right up. Well, except for the brakes part. Are those important?
We stopped in the lovely town of Brookville for breakfast at the Patriot House Café. Delicious. All organic, good people. Highly recommended.
From there we peddled on to Foxburg and stayed on the incredible farm of Dr. Arthur Steffee and his wife, Patti. Foxburg might be the cutest town in America with everything you could ever want in life ... a pizza shop, an ice cream parlor, a public library, a theater, a river, a most importantly, a chocolate shop.

Day 6 - 0 miles

Rest Day. And what a rest day it was. Lisa and I ran errands (laundry, preparation for flag day, bike maintenance, etc) while Melissa sat at a local bar and graded the TOEFL exam online. Convinced that we were just scammers from a nearby town trying to score some free food and especially dubious of Mel’s bar office, our new friends did everything in their power to make us comfortable and happy. Scott even made us honorary volunteer firemen.
At night, there was entertainment from the very energetic Vocal Trash, and I resisted Lisa and Mel’s encouragement to fight the children for the peppermints thrown out into the audience. The band complained about how hard their week had been, their struggle to get to “God’s country.” We’re pretty sure our week was harder. We thought about staying in DuBois for the rest of the summer, but fearing we’d wear out our welcome, we headed back into the hills of Pennsylvania.

More on Day 5

After a stormy night under the pavilion of Zion’s town park we headed out into the early morning cold determined to find a place for the next day with internet. Everywhere we went, we heard rumors that Pennsylvania was going to flatten out “over the next hill.” You would think that the name Happy Valley would be a clue as to the validity of said rumors, but it’s amazing how deluded optimism can make you. The epic climb up Snow Shoe mountain had no fewer than three signs each five miles apart promising the top was 11 miles away.
But reach the top we did, and in my efforts to try all the local cuisine, I ate scrapple at the local diner once we did. Never again.
During the aforementioned breakfast the following conversation took place:
Us: So, that was the last mountain, right?
Waitress: Which way you going?
(Flurry of activity as we search for the maps)
Us: This way.
Waitress: Ha ha. Well, first you have to go over my mountain. It’s steep. I don’t even come to work in the winter because I’d slide all over.
Us: And then we’re done?
Waitress: No. Then you have to hit the highest point east of the Mississippi on 80.
Freda: I quit.
Yes, friends, we had two more mountains to climb that day. Two more long, painful ascents during which we moved so slowly that we began to envy a certain Greek rock roller.
At the base of mountain number three, we met Mr. Rowles of the Rowles Furniture Store who offered up some warnings about the terrain ahead.
Side note: Mr. Rowles, you’re right. That was no joke.
When we finally reached Clearfield, PA, famous for, well, being hard to get to on a bicycle, it was just a short jaunt to Rockton where Lisa and I witnessed a man falling off his motorcycle. We immediately leapt into EMT and Athletic Trainer mode and basically kept him alive until the ENTIRE fire department of Rockton, PA arrived to begin first response. Ok, really he was probably fine, but about thirty volunteer fire fighters responded to the 9-1-1 call which led to a loud siren summoning the troops from all around the mountain. Sorry there are no pictures; Lisa didn’t think it was appropriate.
We continued onward and UPWARDS to DuBois, PA where Lee at the YMCA gave us the nicest gift we’ve received yet, passes to the hot tub and showers. The latter was especially nice for Melissa because she only has one shirt. Yeah, it smells.
Now, I am sure we will meet some nice people in our travels. We already have. It is going to be hard for a town as whole to beat DuBois, though. We came in during Community Days, a huge festival celebrating the founding of the Volunteer Fire Department. After downing about two thousand calories of fried food, we found Officer Randy Young and asked if we could pitch our tents somewhere in town for the night. He called the mayor and from there, things just took off. Mayor John "Herm" Suplizio might just be one of America’s best mayors (especially if you happen to be on a cross-country bike trip). He introduced us to the men of the fire department, gave us awesome t-shirts, fed us, entertained us and welcomed us to his city.

Donation shout-outs

Thanks so much to those who have supported our cause by donating to Children's Heartlink:

Elizabeth Sweeney, Erin Graves, Kim Truong and Linh Pham, Meg and Jon, Robbie Dewhurst.

Y'all are great (or, as they say in PA, "Y'uns" are amazing!)

Day 5--75 miles

Today we conquered three mountains, one of which was the highest point east of the Mississippi...on Interstate 80 (or so we're told). The day went pretty well. Lisa and Freda were the first to arrive at a motorcycle crash scene. Even though the local EMS came quickly, we're pretty sure they played a key role in the man's survival.

In the meantime, Melissa had ridden ahead to arrange showers at the local YMCA. There, she met a very kind man named Lee Meyers. Thanks for all of your advice, Lee! We're extremely grateful for all of your help that night.

By some miraculous and magical chance, we arrived in DuBois, PA, just in time for the town's annual celebration, which is called Community Days. Oh my gosh, FAIR FOOD. Nuff said. There's so much to say about DuBois that we want to devote an entire post to it. More to come.

Food Excitement

Freda experiences scrapple for the first time. Lisa nearly vomits.

Freda delights in the fish sandwich.

Michael's Tavern has the best cheesy vegetable soup and chef's salads.

Delicious.

.

Day 4

Left Danville, PA--and those lovely, warm beds--and headed to Zion. During the day, we biked through two state parks, a long stretch of rolling hills in Amish country and at least one mountain.

We discovered that the Amish give the best road advice and directions, particularly when it comes to distances and road conditions. Let it be known that you can still get two scoops of delicious ice cream in this country for only one dollar.

We arrived in Mingoville, where Donna Reese hooked us up with a sweet spot in the city park. Thanks, Donna! You're awesome, even if you still think we're crazy. After a bit of freshening up, we rode down to Michael's Tavern at the Y in Zion for dinner. Because they live on the edge of Happy Valley (Penn State territory), the patrons and owners were not very excited about Lisa's Iowa Hawkeye jacket (which she purposefully wore with pride). They were, however, very impressed with her capulana pants.

Windgap, PA

Matt and Charlene offered to let us stay in their house, but Freda's animal allergies compelled us to move to a hotel. Zane very kindly took us over the hills to the hotel (in the opposite direction of where we needed to go, but well worth the extra miles the next morning).

The truck wasn't quite made for four people and three bikes, so Lisa took over the shifting duties. Here's an action photo. Note: THREE legs to the left of the shift stick.

The thumbs up: it never goes out of style

Here's the proof, close up:

Days 2 and 3

Day 2—50 miles
Not gonna lie—day 2 was rough. It had stormed all night (even the people in the surrounding RVs were marveling about the power of the elements). At about 7:30, some more rain came, so the three of us took refuge in our only standing tent—Lisa’s. When the precipitation abated, we ran up to the rec room of the campsite to check the forecast. It called for more rain in the afternoon, so we decided to take off during the break. Lisa continued to suffer for her tent. What was once a hefty 6 or 7 pounds then weighed at least 10 because it was wet. On top of our waterlogged gear, our maps were super crazy…They had us turning all over the place to avoid traffic. In the meantime, I’m pretty sure we rode on every mountain road in central New Jersey. Thankfully, there are kind people all over the place, and we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere were it not for their directions, advice and generosity.
Some thanks from day 2:
To Theresa at the campsite: Many thanks for the forks. I can’t say that not having utensils would stop us from eating, but having them certainly makes the cleanup easier.
To the guy we met at the Gateway Motel: Good luck on your AT hike! Your advice was invaluable, not only because it was practical, but also because it lifted our spirits. Rocky Mountains, here we come!!
To Glenn at the PA welcome center: Double heart to you. One for the maps, and the other for being so nice.
To Charlene, Matt, Zane and the guy on the blue Ninja: You guys are sweethearts and incredibly generous. Remember, if you’re ever in our areas (hiking the AT or doing your own bike trip), you have places to stay. Tell Duke Two to watch out for cars. Good luck with your remodeling project!

Day 3—92 miles
Oh.
My.
God.
If you are on a bike in the state of Pennsylvania, avoid at all costs Hickory Run State Park. Beautiful scenery. Horrible hills. Steep, mountainous expanses that never end.

We will not speak of this day again.

The evening, however, was fantastic! We spent the night with Freda’s college roommate, Ginny, and her partner, Angie. What a gorgeous house! That night in Danville, PA allowed our muscles and minds to recuperate a bit. Obrigada.
Another big thank you to Kenny, the Danville bike mechanic/pastor who came upon us at the side of the road and stopped to give our bikes a free tune up. He was not too optimistic about the capabilities of Lisa’s bike.

More pics

Ok, so the bike/pedestrian path across the bridge is great. It even has these very convenient metal runners to help you get your bike down the many flights of stairs. Unfortunately, it seems that the runners aren't quite prepared for those bikes carrying heavy and wide loads. It took two of us to carry each bike up and down each flight of stairs. Yowsa.













Snack break.


















A snapshot of the strapping firemen of Patterson, NJ.
Many, many thanks for your help!!









Lunch break at a nice little spot in a small Jersey town.

We had our first wildlife sighting here (geese).

Pictures from day 1--Leaving NYC

Leaving from Freda's house at 6:30 in the morning.














FINALLY crossing the bridge!
















View of the river.











Not sure what was going on here, except that my helmet clearly doesn't fit.

Day 1

After a bit of a rough start crossing the George Washington Bridge, we finally made it to New Jersey. Our maps required that we make a lot of turns through the glorious urban sprawl, onto streets that sometimes did not exist. Thanks to the help of the strapping firemen—and one policeman—of Patterson, NJ, we managed to continue west.
Lunch in Denville was lovely and very necessary because, as it turns out, New Jersey has a few hills. At this point, we have decided that we are happy to never again have to ride on Mt. Pleasant Rd, Vreeland Rd and Mountain Rd. Some have kind citizens have told us that there more mountains in our future. As one, strapping fireman said, “You’re going to hit a few hills between here and California.” At about 6 p.m., we elected to stop for the night, to end our 12-hour day. Spent the night at a luxurious campsite (boasts hot showers for a quarter!! So nice). Sadly, day 2 began with thunderstorms at 1 a.m. We’re still fiddling with our tents. Lisa suffered.

BUT all was well during our delicious dinner of macaroni and cheese with tuna. AND chocolate.

Internet spotty--pictures to come.

Safety first!

The fanny pack is invisible in this photo.

More pictures from the day of dippage

Dip: the act of blessing a bike tire before a cross-country journey
OR
that stuff you put chips in


equally beneficial.

Freda does not like heights.

Lisa likes her helmet.

Days negative 4 through negative 1

None of us have blogs or really know how to do much besides read a blog (and some of us have opted out of reading for the summer), but we're going to try this anyway. Please forgive layout or link mishaps; we'll fix them as soon as we get to a place that has internet--provided we can still move when we get there.

So we've spent the past few days amassing and checking our gear. Give or take a few things, we think we're prepared for this journey. Yesterday we rode to a spot near water to dip our wheels in the water. We ran into a few problems but managed to do the dip--thanks to a new friend :) Our bikes have now been blessed by NY water, which is about all 3 gals could ask. After that, we headed over to the camping/sporting goods store to pick up the MOST important equipment: the stove and pots. There may have been a quick stop at the ice cream truck.