Life is good!

It's been a wonderful and incredible whirlwind! The wedding and the honeymoon and all of the moments and experiences along the way have collectively given us a huge treasure box of memories to cherish.

And now, we are back to real life and there is so much to do! In a sense, easing back into reality has been an adjustment of sorts. The future awaits us and 'today' is the first day of the rest of our lives... but really, we've been living together and we've been a family unit for a while! It's just that at this point in time, I'm feeling really good and happy that it's official. And there is so much excitement for what's ahead!  : )

I am anxious to post all the details about our dream honeymoon and the great people we met along the way in California! As time allows, I will blog about our experiences and what it was like for us to meet up with our Warm Showers hosts -- fellow cyclists who were incredibly kind to invite us into their homes!

These last few days since we've returned home have been crazy busy! We've had unpacking to tend to, thank-you notes to write, bills to pay, business to catch up with, school issues to take care of for my daughter, house cleaning, dog grooming and so many small details to attend to... and the lawn needs cutting, and there is still a pile of wood to split in our driveway...  lol!

David is on his way home from work now, and we are hoping to squeeze in a short ride before dinner as darkness is moving in on us a whole lot earlier these days! I'll try to input more words (& photos too!) into my laptop tomorrow.

All in all, we're exhausted and excited, and what it says on our favorite soft and comfy cotton t-shirts holds true...  "Life is good!!"

An Amazingly Wonderful Wedding Day!!!

Our Wedding Day Tandem Ride ~ after the ceremony!

We had a beautiful day with family and friends!! We are very grateful to have such good people in our lives.

We're off to pick up a box to travel with for our honeymoon, so I haven't time to write right now, but I will soon!! Here are a few photos from our Wedding Day Celebration Ride!

Getting Ready for the Big Day!

It is pouring buckets outside! It's our third consecutive day of nothing but rain, but still that's better than last week's seven days without electricity. Our wedding day is Saturday, and I'll take the rain now if we have to -- just to have a lovely Saturday.  : )

So much going on in attending to all of the many small details in getting ready for the wedding!

My ex - Katie's father - dropped a bomb on us the day before yesterday. He had agreed back in May in an email that was sent to me and my daughter's court appointed GAL... "What also was mentioned was the week of your honeymoon and me wanting take Katie on your days. Of course i will take care of my daughter."

Well, I guess that was his way of gaining some power to enable him to cause havoc in my life this week. Here is the actual complete message I received from him via email on Tuesday of this week: "Katie tells me your getting married this weekend  i am not going to be able to take her  so you will have to make other arrangements."

Nice guy. He really cares about his daughter and wanting her to have some continuity in her life.

Anyway, we have put together a route for Saturday afternoon's celebratory cycling ride. It will bring us around a horse farm and then over to scenic Route 49 and back. About 20 miles total.

It looks like this might be a relatively small gathering for our Wedding Day Ride & Backyard Cookout & Bonfire, but that will be fine. It will be a good opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of friends. If you'll be joining us, please just send me a quick email so that we can plan for food. I know life gets hectic for so many of us these days, and it's hard to keep on top of everything, but knowing this much in advance will make things easier for us on the big day!

Dave and I have not yet purchased our plane tickets for the honeymoon. We're still not sure we can make it happen, but we've been going over the details for our dream get-away to California.

Last night we phoned two couples in the San Francisco area who have offered to host us next week through the Warmshowers.org web site. WarmShowers.org is hospitality site where cyclists offer space in their homes to host touring cyclists. Now that David's son has left for college, we will make space available in our home too, so that we can return the favor to other traveling cyclists who might be in our area.

It was exciting to speak with our prospective hosts. Their willingness to acquaint us with their area and share their slice of life has given us a sense of excitement (and gratefulness for their generosity!). We hope to spend a couple of days at a time with different hosts. One couple we spoke with are retired and they are still quite active, as they regularly plan cycling adventures far away for themselves! Now, that's the kind of "retired" we would like to be someday.  : )

Please RSVP! : )

I have a backup of blog postings in my head, but we had no power for a full week as a result of Hurricane Irene. Dave & I have been busy catching up with our to-do list around the house now as well as getting ready for our big day on Saturday!!

We've received a few more RSVPs for Saturday's ride & back yard cookout & bonfire. If you are coming, please drop me a note by email (karenmetchells@gmail.com) so we'll have an idea about how much food to plan. If you'll be bringing a dish to share, let us know that too so we can have a good variety for all.

Our ride route will be posted sometime today. The highlight will be Route 49 by the Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm. The scenic views are incredibly beautiful with far stretching acres of farmland meeting up with blue sky. So far, the weather for Saturday looks to be perfect!!

The group ride will depart from our home at 295 Pine Hill Road in Sterling at 4 pm, and we are planning to light the grill at 6 pm. If you wish to bring a non-riding spouse or kids, feel free. This is just a casual gathering, a chance to join us in celebration, relax, and share good food! Hope you can make it!!

Two Schools of Thought

We have discovered that there are two schools of thought when it comes to hosting a honeymoon fundraiser.

Some of the feedback has been wonderfully positive and supportive. But some has not. At different points in time, we've been considering letting go of the whole idea... the negativity from those who consider the event to be of poor taste has left us feeling uneasy and yes, even embarrassed.

But then we'll hear from friends who are excited about it and they say it's a fantastic idea, and they'll be coming! That has gotten us excited about it again.

The wedding day has been in planning for over a year now. This is not the first time around for either of us, and so we've decided to keep our ceremony small. It's not about the big party, it's about the promise Dave & I are making to each other. Neither of us has had it easy, and we've surely learned from mistakes of our past. We have a true commitment and heartfelt optimism for each other and the future we will share together.

The idea of incorporating our favorite pastime -- cycling -- into our special day has been there from the start. We have been considering having each of us ride into the ceremony on single bikes, and leaving together on our tandem. I love that idea, but I'm still mulling over how that might work in my dress and heels.

Dave has continually expressed a desire to invite friends who we  ride with (NBW & TCC members, as well as the newly established CTTC - CT Tandem Club) for a celebratory group ride on our wedding day. I really wasn't sure how that could be coordinated, because our finances are tight (especially now, since I was recently laid off from my position as Marketing Director for an automotive group in June), and there was no way we could accommodate more people at the location of the ceremony... plus, we did have a desire to keep that part small and intimate.

Fast forward to June of this year, when I am suddenly and unexpectedly out of a job. We had already placed a deposit on our our venue and confirmed the plans as we discussed a year prior. We were making ends meet adequately prior to my job loss, but with the abrupt decline in our combined income, we realized that covering the expenses of even a small wedding was going to be extremely tight.

In looking over everything, the honeymoon part of the picture was not going to happen. We had always dreamed of a cycling vacation of some sort, but with obligations of work and kids, we've never been able, and this realization was disappointing.

I started doing a little research online, and I came across the concept of a honeymoon fundraiser. The way it works is that a couple can set up a page online and friends and family can offer support. You can read more info about this at http://www.gofundme.com/honeymoon-registry.

I've attended Jack & Jill parties for other couples in the past, and we all know of gift registries where couples and expectant parents specify a wish list of sorts, and it seems to be pretty common and socially acceptable now-a-days. I couldn't see how this was much different.

But rather than simply asking for monetary support, it dawned on me that we could hold an event by incorporating the group ride with friends on our wedding day -- as we had always envisioned. And a back yard gathering with a bonfire afterward seems like a perfect way to wrap up the day.

It also occurred to me, that if Dave & I are taking part in wedding day festivities and then riding, our ability to put out a fantastic spread with a variety of foods for our bonfire gathering might be limited. We'll certainly have hot dogs & burgers for the grill and a salad or two I can make ahead of time, and marshmallow toasting for smores -- but wouldn't it be great if we incorporate a potluck aspect into the event? That way, we can all share good food and have a wide variety of dishes to taste. Encouraging deliciousness can be awarded with prizes.

Making a donation is not mandatory. Cycling is not mandatory. Bringing a dish is not mandatory. No one will will be approached with any kind of pressure. It's not about that. If friends want to offer support, it will be greatly appreciated -- but by no means is that the sole objective.

Well, that's how the idea evolved. I hope in explaining more about our event and our intentions and the reasons behind it, it is better understood.

We are passionate about cycling. It has absolutely changed our lives for the better. And we've found that others who share in this pastime have been some of the greatest people we've had the pleasure to know! If you are able to come to Sterling, CT (near the CT/RI line) on 9/10/11 for a 4 pm cycling ride with the bride & groom (20 miles in duration) and/or a 6 pm gathering of friends around a bonfire -- Please join us!!

It's getting closer!!

A reminder about our Wedding Day Honeymoon Fundraiser
Ride & Cookout to be held on SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 @ 4 PM...

Help us celebrate our Wedding Day as we raise money for a cycling honeymoon!

The route will be 20 miles of some of the most spectacular views in eastern Connecticut for riders of all levels. The ride will depart from our home at 295 Pine Hill Road in Sterling, CT, and it will wrap up with a backyard cookout & bonfire gathering in our backyard.

If you don't know us yet, come get to know us and meet up with other cyclists too! Non-cyclists are welcome to participate too! The
cookout and bonfire will start at 6 pm. We are accepting donations online at http://www.gofundme.com/TandemTeam-Honeymoon

Since we are also culinary enthusiasts, bring a dish to share and prizes will be awarded for the best main dish, side dish & dessert!!

While a monetary donation is not required, we are hoping for a donation of at least $20 per person to support our goal. Money collected will go towards our airfare to California, lodging and food, and rental of a tandem bicycle once we get there. We would love to ride a tandem throughout the wine country of Napa Valley. Details on the fundraiser ride route will follow soon and will be posted here.

This is sure to be a great event for everyone! Please RSVP by visiting our donation website in advance or email us at
Karen@SocialPowerline.com to let us know you will be coming!!

The Sweet Story of How We Met

David & I met on Halloween night of 2008. We met on Match.com. Our first date was on November 1st at Riverview Restaurant & Lounge in Moosup, Connecticut. The most memorable thing about our first date was how it was so comfortable and natural to be in each other's company... our first kisses, and oh... how David's teenage son called him around 11:00 p.m. and yelled at him for not being home from his dinner date by then!

Anyway, one of the things I was attracted to in Dave's profile on Match.com was that he was into cycling. I lived near a bicycle path at one time in my life, and I rode on it almost daily for exercise. I loved it. But I was still a casual rider. I had never been on a bicycle that hadn't come from a department store or a yard sale. I had never worn spandex. I used to watch the riders in spandex wiz by me when I lived in Rhode Island. I envied them, but I never, ever thought I could imagine myself as being "one of them"!

Lovin' Life Together!!

Well, now I am "one of them", and I believe it is one of the most positive life changes I have made. The other -- of course -- was becoming David's other half! Without him, it's probable that I'd still be riding on the  bike path only - on my Walmart bicycle.

Fast forward: Dave & I naturally talk a lot while riding our tandem bicycle. It's one of the greatest advantages of riding tandem. We can hear each other and communicate easily. But we also enjoy each other's company while sharing quiet, thinking time too.

Yesterday, while riding on our tandem, I was pedaling along, deep in thought. I've recently been laid-off due to "reorganization" in my workplace. Our wedding date has been set for over a year now, to happen in September. Other financial set-backs have occurred as well, each one contributing to the economical stresses many of us are facing these days.

Our wedding date is September 10, 2011 -- The ceremony will be very intimate, with immediate family in attendance.  It will be held at a local winery, casual and relaxed, yet eclectically elegant! Keeping it small has allowed us to make this affordable. It's all very nice, but we aren't your average, everyday kind of couple. We love cycling and it's part of our lives. In some way, shape or form, it's gotta be incorporated into our special day!

We have discussed various possibilities over the past year... Maybe we can ride into the ceremony on separate bicycles, and depart together on the tandem? That is a good possibility! But, it would also be a joy for us to be able to share our happiness with our cycling friends too!

Then I came up with an idea for establishing a Honeymoon Fund. With the goal of hopefully raising enough money to enable us to travel, I thought about the possibility of organizing a celebratory Wedding Day Group Cycling Ride. I can envision a wonderful route -- like the  everyday rides Dave & I get to enjoy on a routine basis -- with some of the most breathtaking views of old country barns, fishing ponds, and rolling farmland extending out to a vivid blue horizon!

In researching how to do this, I discovered GoFundMe which allows a group or individual a simple way to establish a fund to benefit a good cause. Maybe this could work for us? And maybe we could actually celebrate our happiness with fellow cycling buddies, and maybe we can really make a honeymoon happen for us!