Thomas Ross Hallock

Last time I was in Seattle was about 13 years ago for the launch of the 1998 GTE Big Ride Across America. I visited last week-end (Thursday to Sunday) for a completely different reason (I’ll post on that much later), and enjoyed seeing the city again, but with a little more financial freedom. I finally got to take the Seattle Underground Tour, which I’ve been wanting to do ever since I heard about it from someone on the Big Ride. Here are some observations about Seattle from this trip:
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(This write-up was extracted from an e-mail I wrote to my grandmother shortly after I returned from the event.)

Burning Man was a crazy and amazing event; words aren’t the best way to relate the experience, but I’ll do my best here.  Also, I was separated from my phone almost as soon as I got there, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures myself, so I’ll link to whatever I can find from searching on Google as I write this.

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After looking at traffic coming to thesellery.com, I noticed that many of the requests were for a desktop picture that I made a couple of years ago. It’s a picture of the San Francisco skyline that fades from the olden days to 1971.

Here it is in 1440 x 900:

The original 1971 version is available on Brad Templeton’s website.

[update] After googling around a bit, I found this page. It offers a MySpace theme ready to copy and paste. Guess what the background image is? Guess whose server is being used to host that background image? Chances are that there are quite a few MySpace pages that are linking directly to this image, which would explain the steady hit-rate for this image that I’ve noticed over the past few months. I’m seriously thinking about telling my server to redirect requests from MySpace to something that’s not quite so G-rated :)

OK Cupid took it upon themselves to compile my dating profile into some nice maps of where my most compatible matches are. I’m surprised at the results.
Also, the state that I currently live in, New York, came in a close third in the domestic line-up, which strengthens my original argument for moving here.

I’m moving on June 8th. My new address will be:

Thomas Hallock
471 Malcolm X Blvd
Apartment 2N
New York, NY 10037

link to Google Map

I’l depart Austin at 1:05PM CT on 8-June and arrive at JFK Airport at 5:57PM ET – JetBlue flight 1062

Don’t worry, I’m not disappearing from Austin completely; I plan to be in Austin every three months for maintenance / inspection of The Sellery, which will continue to operate despite my physical absence.

I just got back moving Alan’s boat with him and Macy M. Someone accidentally filled the diesel tanks with 100 gallons of Gasoline the other day so it had to be drained and re-filled. We just went to move it from the filling station (or whatever it is called in marine terms), to another point on Lake Eerie, docking at Famous Dave’s restaurant, along the way for some delicious barbecue, over which we discussed the pitfalls of running a family business, and the necessity of passing the torch when the time presents itself. (more…)

Hello!!!
Lamar, CO

We have finished our detour to see the Vorhees people in Dillon and have resumed the route which papa drove on his way up to South Dakota. I wish I could have cycled more in the mountains, but the roads were “too dangerous”, although a little downhill would have been nice every once in a while.

Yesterday, I got to peddle about sixty miles, and like most days, an earlier start would have permitted more cycling. The first part of yesterday was spent waiting for the entrance for the Royal Gorge to open. Papa got everything all packed in the car and drove off to see the gorge at sunrise all before seven o’clock. Gates for the gorge open at nine o’clock, so the whole GORGEous sunrise thing was out of the question, seein”s that the sun in this part of the country comes up at what seems like just a couple of hours after midnight, well at least for a Texan.

The entrance we first arrived at was the back entrance, so in an attempt to kill some time, we drove around the gorge, and into Canon city (NOT canYon). I cycled about five miles up to the main entrance. In this altitude, that is no small feat, by the time I got to the top, I was completely exhausted, but the reward was far greater than the punishment. Actually, the main tourist attraction is not the gorge itself, but a marvelous suspension bridge that spans the entire gorge. It is claimed to be the highest suspension bridge in the world, completed in 1929, but as to whether this record is for altitude, or in height over land was not explained.

There was a great downhill upon exiting canon city that went clear to the next city, lasting about eight miles. Downhills are usually just short and sweet, but this one was just sweet. It made me realize that I really need a new bicycle, as if felt like my wheels were about to fall off.

Have you every been peed on by a cow??? We almost did a few minutes ago! Definitely something to write home about that little incident was. We were driving down main street in Lamar, CO (where this message is coming from), and while approaching a stop light next a cow transport truck, I spotted a stream of water shooting out the side. At first, I thought it was just mechanical leakage from some hydraulic drainage thing, but then realized that the leakage was of a more biological source. Thanks to papa for his quick driving reflexes, or we would have gotten our first hot shower in about a week.

I’ve gotta get ridin’ now. We hope to make it to Springfield, CO this evening because rumor has it that there is a drive-in theater there. That sounds fun. There aren’t many more of those left in the world.

TOM

Dillon, Colorado

Koert is showing us around the polygon headquarters. It is situated on the second floor of a bank. We got to Koert’s office and he
showed us around the poly website. They say it is due for a change very soon. Papa and I saw the “brain” computer. That was the scariest experience I’d had all summer.

This morning Koert, Connie, Beth, Papa and I all hiked up to Sapphire point.. the place where Hazel’s ashes where thrown
over the wonderful view of Colorado mountains. We had a nice picnic and hiked around the mountain. In the afternoon we all went up Keystone mountain and had lunch. Elevation was about sixteen hundred feet. Neato-cool-wow!!!

I tried to send a message last night from Jacques’ laptop, but it crashed on me. So much for that. Papa did send a message though, so I guess y’all got a pretty thorough update as to what happened yesterday. What an exhausting time we had. until tomorrow.

tom tom

Day Fourth Sidney, Nebraska

I am in Sidney, NE. We are nine miles away from Colorado. Our traveler and sometimes guide plans to leave in Dillon. He has been a great addition to my support crew. It won’t be the same knowing that I will have to manage all bike repairs once he leaves in Dillon.

Once again, the Public Library has served as a mid-ride pit stop. I still plan to put on another fifty miles on top of the sixty five all ready acquired today. Original plan was to do a double century today, but something like that requires a very early start or a very fast bike, neither of which I plan on obtaining on this trip.

Those equipped with a live connection, get a map of Sidney and surrounding highways through this web URL:
http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=&csz=Sidney%2C+NE&Get+Map=Get+Map

None of the possibilities presented in yesterday’s message of where the gang might stay overnight were acted upon. Of all places, we slept in the lawn of the mayor of Angora, NE. That might sound really cool and like something to tell your grandchippers about, but with a town population of only five, it’s a pretty good bet that the only person in town with a lawn would be the mayor. It still sounds like something cool. You may hear jokes about a city where one person puts on one hat when he wants to be the mayor and another when he wants to be the sherrif, but I’ve never even thought something like that could exist, but it’s real. At least I can say that I’ve slept in the smallest city in the world. Like yesterday about this time, nobody knows where tonight will be slept, except that it will be some place in Colorado. I’m looking forward to some geographical inspiration… i.e. a nice little road sign that says I made it clear across Nebraska and into Colorado. Dillon here we come!!!

The last time I saw Buffalo Dan was in Alliance, just after sending yesterday’s message. He thanked us in case he never met up with us again. He said he would see about staying in Angora, but probably didn’t even notice it as he rode by. He only expected to stay on rt. 385 until Bridgeport. It was fun while it lasted.

I must get back on the road if I want to make another forty miles before dark. It is three fifty five right now.

I hope everyone is enjoying these pitstops as much as I am.

… Tomazzo

Alliance, Nebraska

Day 2

As of right this minute, we are in mid-Nebraska. I am just taking a short pit stop at the local public library, so today’s ride is not over just yet.

Halfway through yesterday’s ride, I met up with another cyclist traveling to North Carolina. We expect to be with him until Northport, NE. He goes too slow to stay abreast with because he has about a hundred pounds of luggage to carry. He and I were talking and I found out that for one day, he had ridden with the Big Ride group. What were the chances of the two of us meeting up like that? I would like to ride somewhere neato solo or at least with a very small group of people sometime.

Last night we camped out at the local resovour for Chadron. Mosquitoes were terrible. Papa took a little “birthday” swim in the water if you know what I mean.

The weather has been great for the most part so far, with the exception of a really bad storm that threatened ro rain on us, but did no such thing.

It is thirty eight miles to Northport. That is where we plan to spend the night. Maybe we will stay at a campground, maybe in some ditch off the side of the road, or maybe in a motel. It depends on how much everyone needs a hot shower.

We have acquired quite a little gang of guys here traveling across the country. A plan for a father/son bonding adventure has turned into a sort of big ride spin off. We will probably loose all appendages by Denver, CO.

Just two miles outside Alliance, there is a touristy place called “Carhenge”. The name is rather self-descriptive, but is worth a photograph or two anyway. They say that it is anatomically correct to the real thing, although it’s asterological significance is probably somewhat debatable.

I look forward to many more adventures in the week and a half to come.

Look for more messages from Northport.

Tom

(from here on, Gary and I have begun our own cross-country road trip, leaving the Big Ride Group behind)

day one of reality

Hi everyone. Ever since papa arrived in Rapid city, I have not had the time to do any email. He managed to find emails that were not sorted in the right, so I had much to catch up on. Thanks for the cool feedback.

Most kids are embarrassed when they are seen with their parents in front of their peers because they are so un-cool. But with papa, it seems to be the other way around. As soon as he came he had instantly befriended half the people in camp and orginazed a shuttle of about ten people to go down to Mt. Rushmore to see the fireworks in the previa. How lucky I am to have such great support.

Yesterday night was the first time I had actually seen Rushmore in real life. It was actually a bit smaller that what I had expected, but that may have been because the ampitheatre in which we watched the fireworks was so far back. A very good firework show nonetheless. I would like very much to go back and see the mountain in daylight. Maybe some other trip.

Today, we will try to go see the carving in progress, “Crazyhorse”. Papa says that Rushmore is “nothin’ compared to Crazyhorse” I don’t know much about it yet, but will report in detail afterwards.

Word got out that Papa and I were taking a van through Colorado and one of the bike tech people asked if he could come along as far as Denver. It sounds like a good deal, seeins that I will have free bicycle support for half the trip.

Love, Thomas

(while still with the GTE Big Ride group)

Gillette, Wyoming

Yesterday’s message was somewhat incomplete due to a surprise hailstorm, followed by heavy showers, lotsa lightning, and even a few funnel clouds! There were apparently two heavy storms headed for one another and collided very close to the campground. Haphazard “emergency precautions” were initiated and everyone was forced to sleep inside a barn near the campsite.

I say haphazard because it didn’t seem like anyone who was supposed to know anything didn’t seem to know what was going on. I was scared not because of the possibility of tornadoes, but because of the way things were being handled. It was really impressive to see the weather change from hot and sunny to dark, wet and hailing within the time frame of about fifteen minutes. Rumor has it that tonight is supposed to be similar with heavy storms and lightning. It’s still hard to believe. We are staying in a town of about three or four thousand. Campground is at the only elementary school in town. I am probably going to sleep inside the school just to be on the safe side.

Yesterday’s town, Gillette is a coal mining town. Next to the campsite, there was a display of various mining tools, including a windmill, train, and a really big ass truck. From a distance, it looked like an ordinary utility truck, but on one’s closer inspection, the scale seemed to be way off. At about half a mile, it looked as if it were just across the street. Once properly adjusted to its size, it was the size of a large, two story house. It measured about eighteen feet high; the wheel twice my height. Incredible. On leaving, we saw many empty trains traveling to the coal mine. Some were literally as long as two miles.

We were staying sixty miles from “the devils tower”, the mountain where the “encounter” scene of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was filmed. A great landmark for any rendezvous! Some people rented vans to go check it out, but another hundred and twenty mile drive on top of what I had already endured on the bus during the morning was not too appetizing.

Today is the last day in Wyoming. Tomorrow we will be staying in Rapid City, South Dakota… the fourth off day, halfway point, and also the location where I will break off from the ride. I look foreword to a celebrating the fourth for more than one reason.

While staying indoors to avoid getting struck by lightning, I tripped over some machinery and came down in the wrong position on my heel. It still hurts today and I’m worried if I will immediately be able to get back on my bicycle. I was talking with one of the bike tech people and he told me that there are some excellent routes in Colorado, especially if you have vehicle transport to the top of the mountains. Thirty mile downhill coasts are a biker’s best friend! I’m sure there will be no great shortage of good scenery in Colorado.

This is the end of the beginning of the first part of a summer to remember. I am very excited about what awaits me. XOX, Thomas Hallock

Day seventeen
Eighteen hundred hours

It’s been hot and dry and wet here in Sheridan, Wyoming. My first day in Wyoming. It seems as if as soon as we got away from Montana, all the damn ‘skeeters disappeared. Yahoo! Actually, while on duty, things got so boring, I played a game with a friend to see who could get the most mosquito bites. Nobody scored! (more…)

The ‘skeeters are huge! Off-immune vampire bugs! They are everywhere! Help!
Send Raid!!! Loosing blood!!!! (more…)

Because of a significant lack of volunteers for rider support on the GTE Big Ride, and also because of a significant lack of funds for the American Lung Association of my behalf (roughly 1/6th of the required amount, which still totals roughly one thousand dollars), I have chosen to follow a “plan B”, which includes “crewing” for half the ride, precisely from Seattle to Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. At which place and time (July 5th), I will rendezvous with my dad, officially depart from the GTE Big Ride, and begin a cross-country trek on bicycle back home. So instead of riding west to east, all bicycling will take place from north to south, a journey of unknown distance that will probably be more difficult due to coriolis winds, yet equally life-changing.

While crewing, I will send via e-mail, a regular dispatch to keep friends, family, sponsors, and a mixture thereof, informed of my daily adventures, current geographical location, the wondrous sightsand sounds, and basically, what’s going on.