It never ends

Just as I finished up the last batch of 75 applications on Monday, bringing us up to rider 368, I got another batch of applications to process (which will bring us up to rider 445). This is like standing in front of a fire hose. So far 90% of the applications are for people who have been on PALM before. These are easier to do because their names and addresses are already in the computer. All I have to do is enter the emergency contact (very important) and not mess up the t shirt sizes or meals. Later on most of the riders will be new so that I'll have to enter all the information and things slow down. Even after processing all these applications, I'm probably still 3 weeks behind. Hold on. I'm getting to you.

One of the last things I do is compare the confirmation letters I generate with the application to be sure I entered everything right. Then I stuff the self addressed stamped envelopes (you remember to include one, right?). My cat really likes this. He sits on the applications and swats at me as I manipulate the letters and confirmations. I have to wait until he goes to sleep to work. Fortunately cats sleep 16 hours a day.

Daylight savings time starts on March 9. That's the start of summer, right? I'm beginning to get antsy to ride. I try to ride at least once a month throughout the year. I've already missed October and February is in danger (even though I went to Florida last week). Winter has been so long that 40 degree days seem like biking weather especially if the sun is out. (These are two conditions that haven't occurred much this year though.) There is something I can do: I'm taking the bikes into the shop to get ready for the season.

Back from Florida

When we last tuned in, I was getting ready to go out of town even though I had just received applications for 200 people to process. I went to Florida for a little winter R&R. On my last day I got up early, so early that I could still see some stars and all the planets, and ran on the beach as the sun rose. I was on the Atlantic side so I got to see all the sunrise colors as the sun slowly slipped out of the sea. The next day (at home) I got up early and got to run at sunrise with overcast skies, past boarded up buildings in 15 degrees. Vacation over. (The only way you can tell that the sun has risen in Michigan in the winter is that the street lights turn off. There is no sun.) Do you know when I got back, the applications for 200 people were still waiting for me?

I've gotten through the applications, thru rider number 298. We got an email from a rider who sent in his application on January 29 and wanted to know if we got it. He wasn't in the batch I just processed. This means that I am still processing applications that were mailed before January 29. If you mailed in your application after that, I haven't gotten to you yet. Don't worry. By the way I received another packet of applications to process. The application for the January 29 rider was in that packet. I'm sure I am still processing January applications.

We are filled!

As of Tuesday, February 19, the PALM ride is filled. We have more than 700 participants (plus staff and sags) who have submitted their applications. Therefore if your application did not arrive by today's mail, you will unfortunately not be able to secure a place on this year's ride. If your application arrives after today, you will be automatically added to next year's mailing list. As I said in my last entry, we are pleased that so many people are interested in PALM but we also feel very badly that we have to turn away potential riders. If you are not able to ride on PALM 27, we hope to see you in 2009!

Ellie, PALM Mail Granny

Almost filled!

With today's mail pickup, it looks like we have about 650 participants for PALM, plus sags and staff. Assuming we continue our pattern of receiving 25 to 40 applications each day, it looks like we will likely be filled by Monday, February 18. I believe that will be a new record! We are pleased that so many of our riders sent their applications back so quickly, but we also feel sad that we will likely turn away others who would like to join the ride. Once we know we are filled, I will try to post the web addresses of some of the other rides that have daily distances similar to PALM such as GOBA, in Ohio. Think spring!

Ellie, PALM Mail Granny

Maybe you don't have that much time

Right after I did the post last night I got an email from the woman that picks up the PALM mail. We got applications for 84 people yesterday. Now we are up to 590 and our cutoff is 700. If you haven't already mailed your application, I don't like your odds.

I mentioned that I had 95 confirmations mailed but the person who does the first half of the registration process (in Florida) was 200 behind. I got a big box today in the mail. She is no longer 200 behind. I'm 200 behind. Actually I'm 500 behind if you count what's been received, but the other 300 are not sitting on the left side of my desk, waiting. Did I mention that I'm taking a winter break for a few days? I hope I can forget what I have to come back to.

You still can get on PALM

We have the applications from 500 people (not counting staff and SAGs). Last week we had applications from 350 people, so we added 150 people in the last 8 days. The rate has dropped from 35-40 a day to 25-30 a day. While this means we are filling up rapidly, you still can get on PALM.

As you may know, I work on the registration: I enter the applications into my computer and print out confirmation letters. Another staff member gets the applications first, checks them, fills out stuff for the accountant, and sends them to me. She's in Florida. When we were at 350, she had not seen an application yet. Now she's processed applications for 295 people of them. I finally got some applications to process on Friday (and Monday) and I've processed applications for 95 people. So I'm 200 behind my fellow registrant and 400 behind the real count. This is daunting. And I'm going to be out of town this weekend. It may be a while before you get your confirmation letter. Try to be patient. If you've mailed in application already, you are on the ride.

I had the usual glitches when I tried to process this year's applications. This year we have a jersey you can buy and last year we didn't. I was concentrating so much on getting the directions to the start and end sites to print out right on the confirmation letter that I didn't notice that the jersey field was missing. So if you ordered a jersey, you wouldn't know it from the confirmation letter. Fortunately the very first application (Kevin Degen, who else) was ordering a jersey and I noticed it. That saved some calls.

Latest PALM numbers

As of February 12, the registration count is somewhere about 500 participants. So please don't delay in getting in your registrations!!! Once we are filled, we really are filled -- even if your friends are on the ride, you have already purchased your airline ticket to Michigan, you have done the ride for the past 20 years, etc. If you don't have an application, please note that you can now print one out from the web page -- just follow the application link from the links listed on the left side of the homepage. We know it is is cold and snowy right now -- after all, this is winter in Michigan. But just think -- another two months or so and biking season will be upon us. See you in June!

Ellie, PALM Mail Granny

After the Super Bowl, Lent

The great thing about the Super Bowl is that you have a lot of time to kill. The pre-game is 3 or 4 hours. Lots of time to catch up on things. I finally uploaded the PALM photos taken by Holly Johnson who was our PALM photographer last year. It takes a while to upload 300 photos to Flickr. And I finally created a page for PALM 2007 on the website and added all the links to photos that people have sent me (thanks to Ellie Knesper, Bill Richardson, and Tim Mercer). I chatted about the ride on the web page, but it's been so long I've forgotten that there was a summer. If anyone has some memories of PALM 2007 or any links to photos or blogs, email them to me and I'll be glad to add them to the website.

As you've heard, we have 350 people who have signed up for PALM 2008 already. At this rate (35-40 a day) we will reach our cutoff of 700 riders by Feb 15. So once again, if you are planning to ride PALM this year, mail in your application now. (Don't have an application? Download one.) If you have sent in your application and plan to ride with someone, be sure to tell them to send in their application now.

It's great that we have 350 people already, but I work on registration. I'm 350 people behind and I haven't seen the first application to process yet. Since I work, I can only average processing about 35 people a night. I have a good 10 days of work ahead of me. I guess this is what Lent is all about. And you thought Lent was the time between the Super Bowl and spring training. Wrong.

For Lent I'm giving up coffee, actually caffeine. I drink way too much of it. When you do that and give it up, you get withdrawal symptoms. (Hmm. I guess that coffee is not that good for you). I don't get headaches. Instead my joints ache like when you have the flu. Another thing, if you give up coffee, you can't read anything before noon. It makes for interesting situations at work. I'm thinking of wearing a bike helmet when I'm sitting at my desk. However I sleep like the dead at night.

PALM is filling fast!

As of today, PALM already has received registrations from approximately 370 participants. So we are over half filled! If you are hoping to ride on PALM this summer, it would be a good idea to get your application in as soon as possible. Because of our contracts with the schools, we have a limit of approximately 700 participants. Please realize that it might be a few weeks before you receive your confirmation letter. All PALM staff are volunteers, and most have full time jobs, so it will take a while for the volunteers who take care of the registrations to get caught up with this flood of applications. Please be patient! If you have questions or concerns, please email us at palmbiketour@yahoo.com or call 734-669-0172. See you in June!

Ellie, PALM Mail Granny

Application Update

As I mentioned in the last post, the applications were mailed out Friday January 25 in the afternoon. I live 40 miles away and got my application on Saturday. One of our riders from Arkansas got his application on Monday. His brother who lives in Nebraska got his application on Tuesday. If you have not received your PALM application yet, you are probably not going to get one. If you email your address to us, we will mail you an application. If you wait a few days, I'll add a link to the website so that you download the application via the web. If you haven't mailed in your application yet and want to get a rider number lower than 100, you are going to be disappointed. We are behind already.

I've come up with a one word description of Michigan weather, especially this winter: bipolar. This week it went from being 12 one day (with plenty of wind) to the 40's the next (Kevin Degen was thinking about biking) to 13 the next. What can you do? Well, I live about mile from the Redford Theater. It's the last neighborhood movie theater in Detroit and is the home of the Motor City Theater Organ society. They show old movies (mostly for $4.00) proceeded by theater organ music. The theater has been restored(it has stars in the ceiling and a model train setup for Christmas) and mostly the movies are good. (Red River, On the Town, Maltese Falcon, ET, etc.) Last night it was "Tarzan and His Mate". Not so good. It was made in 1934 and while Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Hara looked great and the print was good, the sound was bad (from the 30's) and what a plot! Kevin, I know, is holding out for the Three Stooges in April. I'm setting my hopes on Buster Keaton in March.