Happy International Harper Day

[GILD]

Anybody?

[JJuggle]

I'm skeptical. There's no Wikipedia article and Snopes neither confirms nor denies it.

Are you sure you're not just making this up?

[GILD]

Do a search.
It's been observed for 5 years straight, as I recall.

[UniBrier]

A very Happy IHD to Greg today!

Unfortunately I won't make it to the Sunday observance ceremony on the IHT. I am so traumatized at the thought of missing it that I am going to lobby congress to make sure IHD and Labor Day weekend don't coincide in the future.

There's no Wikipedia articleThat sounds like an opportunity for someone familiar with Wiki.

[JJuggle]

Do a search.
It's been observed for 5 years straight, as I recall.
Crap, I'm mortified. Now, next time he's in town I may actually have to meet him.

[BillyTheMountain]

Do a search.
It's been observed for 5 years straight, as I recall.

Why today?

[UniBrier]

Why today?Read the main forum page:

Today's Birthdays

harper (56), luyanqi (28), B-Rad Customs (22), bobousse (21), surfi (21)

[harper]

I'm twice as old as the nearest competitor. 2912 weeks.

Thanks for the greetings. We'll have a dandy ride on Sunday. The traditional Iron Horse Trail ride. Jerry Gruss is coming up from Houston and Scott Arnold will be here from Oregon to attend. Bruce Dawson will once again maintain the international status of the ride by being Canadian.

It's a big trail. There's room for more and you are welcome to come.

[john_childs]

I'm still working on my special rendition of "I Light Up Your Life"
My new light is bright. Very bight.


I light up your life
I give you hope
To carry on
I light up the tunnel
and fill the dark with song

[maestro8]

I'm preparing a feast for IHD. Will have it vacuum-sealed and sent overnight... should make it to Seattle for Sunday's gathering.

[vanpaun]

Yay harper! I will ride with you one day.......soon

[JJuggle]

Happy Birthday, Dude.

[tomblackwood]

It's been observed for 5 years straight, as I recall.
You recall correctly. Here is historical photographic evidence (http://www.unicyclist.com/index.php?page=gallery&g2_itemId=137898) from the very first International Harper Day ride back in 2004. I had been on the planet a long time by then, but I never knew how to blow out a birthday candle the way Harper taught me that day. It really only works well with one candle, but it does guarantee that nobody tries to hoover in on your cake.

[Jethro]

I am trying to figure out an appropriate way to celebrate Harper Day. I am all out of leotards and I am drawing a blank.

Any ideas?

[Phil_on_uni]

OH ITS Harpers...... ok, It all makes sense now

[tomblackwood]

I am trying to figure out an appropriate way to celebrate Harper Day. Any ideas?
Yes, get on a plane and fly to Seattle to do the Iron Horse Trail ride. Don't worry about a coker...we'll find one for you here. Don't worry about the dent it will put in your wallet or the huge carbon footprint it will leave upon the planet. This is Harper Day!

Celebrating International Harper Day on the Iron Horse Trail is like celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Dublin. Once in a lifetime, you have to go right to the source.

[Jethro]

Yes, get on a plane and fly to Seattle to do the Iron Horse Trail ride. Don't worry about a coker...we'll find one for you here. Don't worry about the dent it will put in your wallet or the huge carbon footprint it will leave upon the planet. This is Harper Day!

Celebrating International Harper Day on the Iron Horse Trail is like celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Dublin. Once in a lifetime, you have to go right to the source.

You know, next weekend there is a pretty prominent unicycle wedding right here in Minnesota. I could delay Harper Day a week, and he could come here and save me some big bucks.

[harper]

A birthday thread started by the infamous Dave Walters. Northlake Tavern pizza followed by presents with the family accompanied by cherry and blueberry pies. SA-WEEET. Then a ride Sunday with the best folks money can buy. And they come cheap. It doesn't get any better than this. At least for those of us who don't know any better. Thanks all.

[Into the blue]

Happy birthday Greg.

I will find a tunnel to ride through on Sunday.

[harper]

It doesn't get any better than this.

Except getting to ride to work on a new KH Fusion Freeride saddle this morning for the first time. Karen gave it to me as birthday gift last night and I installed it this morning. The only problem with that is that I end up at work. Work sucks. It gets in the way of everything.

Also, as a joke, my daughter gave me an AWESOME cell phone with 100 minutes. I can't wait to get behind the wheel on the interstate and use it.


I will find a tunnel to ride through on Sunday.

Sean-

Please. This is a family forum.

[tomblackwood]

My daughter gave me an AWESOME cell phone with 100 minutes. I can't wait to get behind the wheel on the interstate and use it.
Great...call me Sunday when you're crossing the bridge so we know how early you will be.

[harper]

I'm on the bridge now. Am I going to be early?

[Into the blue]

I understand International Harper Day was particularly well attended this year.

[harper]

I understand International Harper Day was particularly well attended this year.

Yes, indeed. We had 17 riders as well as the cheering section you posted.

[harper]

For IHD on the IHT we had 17 riders this year, 12 unicyclists and 5 bicyclists. Of the unicyclists, Tom Cotton and Maria Dawson both rode their personal bests yesterday. Jerry Gruss and his girlfriend Prudence came all the way up from Houston, Texas to attend. Scott and Jodie Arnold drove up from Oregon to ride. Scott made the ultimate sacrifice when he gave part of his nose to the gravel trail in a face plant following a high speed shoestring incident. Bruce Dawson graciously maintained the international flavor of the event singlehandedly.

We met at Tom Blackwood's for the traditional morning chaos involving overloading the truck with cycles and overloading our bellies with a banquet generously prepared by Marie. We set out on the long journey to drop off a shuttle car and haul 16 riders and their vehicles to the Hyak station at the summit to meet Jeff Sloan who was just rolling in from eastern Washington. The trek was eerie in the consistent rain that was predicted not to fall that day.

At the top, Miles Blackwood, Danny Allen and myself rode around warming up in the non-rain watching as most of the other riders comically went through the ceremony of adorning themselves with all manner of high-tech riding and protective equipment. This preening generally takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the price and colors of the equipment involved. None of this high-tech equipment included any realistic rain wear.

After Jeff Sloan explored various parking lots in the area, he finally met up with us in the correct one and we launched into the non-drizzle. We decided to forgo the traditional tunnel entrance photo and photoshop one together at a later date. Sean courteously provided this photo already as can be seen above. We plowed into the tunnel at full speed, into the blackness and out of the rain. The riders went into a heart wrenching (or perhaps gut wrenching) rendition of Happy Birthday with 16 joyous voices raised to deafening volume in the resonant tunnel. It brought tears to my eyes which made no difference because, even with John Childs' 2.5kW lighting system, I could see virtually nothing.

We exited the tunnel to a potpourri of lunch items. Jerry and Prudence gave me a birthday brownie and Tom Blackwood gave me some birthday Twinkies. I blew out the candles in the accepted nostril-blast fashion. Oddly, no one wanted to share the cake treats. We braced ourselves for the cold of summer and non-rain and plunged into the ride for the next five hours of fun and foolishness with only Scott's mishap adding to the unpleasantness of the rain.

After the ride, Marie and Travis spent some more time dressing the wounds of the injured. Then, 13 of us went to an Italian restaurant in Issaquah to refuel. A truly delightful way to spend one's 56th birthday. I highly recommend it, especially with the company listed.

Riders: Tom and Miles Blackwood, Bruce, Maria, and Sarah Dawson, John Childs (THE main man), Tom Cotton, Jerry Gruss and Prudence, Scott and Jodie Arnold, Jeff Sloan, Danny Allen, Travis and Ward, Brian, and the birthday boy.

The Unicyclists: The Toms, Miles, Jeff, John, Danny, Scott, Jerry, Bruce, Maria, Travis, and the birthday boy.

Thanks always to Marie Blackwood for all the work she does to make these events possible and perfect.

[tomblackwood]

It was indeed a great day on the trail with friends, or perhaps more accurately, a day on the trail with great friends. Other than the cold and rain, the one unfortunate element was Scott's crash, but at least we thought quickly and remembered to take photographs before stopping to administer medical assistance. The good news is Scott is doing okay, not much pain, the cuts and bruises will heal, and he's already up and riding again.

Ride photos here (http://www.hayope.smugmug.com/gallery/5850106_SKU7y#363451767_xPBZA).