10,000 sore butts

and

sweaty pits.

Technically,

that would be 20,000 sweaty pits...

The hottest week of the year.

The week that 10,000 plus bikers

take to their saddles

and ride across our state.

Somewhere in that crowd is the dear husband and son.

I visit the photo gallery of www.ragbrai.com daily

to see if I can see anyone that resembles my two boys.
( 3 photos courtesy of ragbrai.com)

From there I look at handle bars...

handle bars

wrapped

in their Alma mater colors,

Cardinal & Gold...

GO CYCLONES!

A week on their bikes by day,

and
sleeping in hot steamy tents

by night...

a little father & son time.

So as you can imagine,
 with the sweltering heat,

I've done my share of worrying this week

about them.

Wednesday was reported as the toughest day of RAGBRAI,
ever.

It was the optional 100 mile loop day,

strong head winds

and

temperatures of 106 degrees.

The dear husbands response that day,

"It was a challenge".

He likes these sort of challenges...

for me,

I would rather take on the challenge

of my border meeting as I place the

final cross stitch in it!

We all know this can be a challange!

Yesterday was an easier day for the bikers,

85 miles,
 3,576 climb.

Last evenings text message from the dh went like this,

"We survived another day, 85 miles.
  Very pretty
 rolling countryside
 between

Marshalltown & Cedar Rapids."

A week of father/son time,

a challenge,

pretty rolling countryside

kissed with misty dew

in the early mornings...

reasons he says he does the ride.

A bucket list sort of thing...

I have much easier things on my bucket list,
more along the lines of attending the Olympics someday.

I've got this evening all planned out.

A dinner of leftover casserole
(it has been a week of making dishes that the dh doesn't particularly like, but I do)

and
 then in front of the TV to watch the opening ceremonies...
I can hardly wait!
I,
 of course,
 will have some stitching at hand.

The JM Gardner 1888 antique reproduction sampler
will by my Olympic stitching for these games...
Stitching and cheering on
a little gymnast from Virginia,
who now lives and trains in Iowa,
Gabby Douglas.

I finished charting the sampler last evening

and will prep the edges of my linen this morning.

 Here is a peak

at  my floss selection.

As you can see,

I changed it slightly...

I'm going for a finer,

softer,

more delicate finish...

I think it will be lovely!

TGIF,

Brenda