JOH the Bachelor

sorth route

Drayton vs. Vince: Drayton - prettier
Kankles vs. Candy: Kankles - the legs
Phil vs. PVO: Phil - obvious reasons
Chuck vs. Gantimal: Gantimal - draw
Comet vs. Campo: Campo - the hair
Tom vs. Zeebala: Tom - better pillow talk
Klocke vs. Curphy: Klocke - Iron Man!
D. Brown vs. JB: JB - ?

Kankles vs. Drayton: Drayton - flaming metrosexual
Phil vs. Gantimal: Phil - duh.
Campo vs. Tom: Campo - close
Klocke vs. JB: Klocke - Ioweagan

Drayton vs. Phil: Phil - the champ
Campo vs. Klocke: Campo - still gotta love that hair

Campo vs. Phil: Phil - total cutie pie

north route finals

Kimbo Slice vs. Frat Mason: Mason - stud muffin

Mason vs. Phil B.

And, the winner is...Mason...upon further review Mason is disqualified for random acts of scandalousness...2nd Lt. PHIL!!

thank you to my fundraising contributors!

Well, I made it! I flew to sunny North Carolina, than traveled to San Francisco by way of Memphis, Wichita, Breckenridge, and Vegas. We got all the riders checked in and now we've gone through Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico on our way through Texas and the southern US to DC on August 16 to meet the north and transamerica routes for the Arrival. I'm writing you from Abilene, Texas!

I thank all of my fundraising contributors: Archer Daniels Midland Matching Gifts Program, Carol Hayes, Chris & Patti Johnson, Clinton Thomas, David Corey, Dave Adickes, Drew Hartley, Dylan and Susan Hayes, Erle Morring, George & Ruth Hayes, George & Vicky Oster, Helen Oster, Jim Noce, Jeff & Karyn Meyer, Jessica Oster, Joshua Peppers, Kerri Fredrickson & Jens Miller, Kristina Bunyard, Lori Hart Ebert, Mandy Jones, Mary Kay Riley, Michael Wallace, Michael & Elaine Miller, Nathaniel Oster, T.J. Sullivan, Barbi & Reggie Greenlaw, Rob Noce, David & Susan Hayes, Tom & Kathy Rosskopf, and TJ Tollakson.

I couldn't have done it without you! Please everyone follow my progress at http://joherich.blogspot.com/. I've already put up some photos and postings.

By the way, we have mail drops along the road - http://www.pushamerica.org/events/joh/maildrops.cfm?route=South - I'd love to get some mail! The next drop is July 29 and the last one is August 7. If you happen to be along our route (http://www.pushamerica.org/events/te_itinerary.cfm?ride_code=JOH&route=South) or either of the other two routes, please feel encouraged to stop by one of our arrivals.

go tigers,
Erich
Programming Coordinator
JOH South Route '08

beta epsilon alumni update

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update ya'll on some things going on with me. Before I do that - I'm happy to report that one of my fellow refounding members - AJ Friedhoff - has been hired as a leadership consultant with HQ. I imagine that he'll be at supreme chapter in Denver for anyone attending. I'm glad that he's taking the opportunity to work for the national office.

Two important developments in my life: One, I'm going to be a teaching assistant and PhD candidate in the communication graduate program at the University of Oklahoma beginning next fall. This is a pretty strong placement for me because of the program, professors, and the teaching opportunities that I'll have available to me. OU ranks in the top half of both of my emphasis areas - interpersonal and health communication. Plus, I expect that I'll get the opportunity to see College GameDay visit us in Norman sometime.

Before I join the Sooner Nation, I'm crewing for Push America's Journey of Hope. I'm currently writing you from Zuni, New Mexico on our way to sunny Texas. We'll make our way to Washington DC for arrival at the capital on August 16. This is something I've always wanted to do so I'm glad that I'm getting the opportunity while I'm in between schools. You can follow our progress at my blog: http://joherich.blogspot.com/.

I'll fly back to Oklahoma City two days before I have orientation at OU on August 22. Everything I own, including my car, is in storage for the summer in sunny Norman.

It's amazing to watch what everyone I went to Mizzou with is doing with themselves. Chris Wolfe got engaged last December. Joshua Moore had an adorable daughter a little over a year ago - first child of the new chapter. Brad Collier will be a PhD candidate at Texas A&M in the fall. Rob & Jim Noce are entering their second year of MU law school. I'm interested to know what anyone else is doing with their lives, my era or previous ones.

Have a good summer - I may be joining the Sooner Nation, but I'll always be a tiger at heart.

go mizzou,

Erich '05

on to New Mexico

So, we left sunny Arizona today. It really wasn't as hot as I expected. A few days were hot for the riders, but they drank lots of water and made it through. That's a picture from the lake house that we got to stay at in Parker, Arizona. It's likely the closest thing we'll have to a day with nothing to do

I can't explain how relaxing Tempe was for me. I got to get away from everything and just hang out with people that I wasn't going to live with for another 40+ days. My one regret is that I spent too much of my potential pool and relaxing time nerding out on the internet. We get it so infrequently - I'm going to start considering that a gift and only update this and read my e-mail. Collegehumor.com can wait until the end of the summer - it'll still be there. Still, I gotta please my readers. I can't necessarily blame myself, though. We arrived at the Arizona State campus and all the riders immediately flocked to the guest internet kiosks. I still recall sending my first e-mail in 8th grade...to my mom, no less.

I had a rather sobering moment today when I went ahead purchased my flight to Oklahoma from Charlotte after crew wrap-up. I was happy to have a $150 travel voucher that I received on the way to crew training in exchange for taking a flight one hour later. My Journey of Hope summer will be over at 11:30 am on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. 44 days away. This put an end to the experience and a beginning of the reality that will be the next 3-4 years of my life. I can't necessarily complain, though. Teaching and studying in the Sooner Nation is just about everything I wanted when I decided to return to graduate school in December 2005.

Now, we're moving on to New Mexico. It was actually a little cold this morning when we woke up. It's supposed to be even cooler as we head east through the southern Rocky Mountains. I'm sure it will warm up again as we head into the dirty south - Alabama, Mississippi. This'll mark our fourth state. Arizona was nice - hopefully New Mexico won't revert to a Nevada-like experience.

bye Tonopah...hello sunny Arizona

Arizona is clearly the hottest place in the US. I can't really complain at the present moment because I'm chillinlaxin' with some ASU guys by their pool/BBQ. Thank you to Greg Richards, whom I met at PKC and MYLC, for inviting me to his casa for some hang time. Not that I don't enjoy my route's company, but I've spent the last three weeks with them and have another month and a half with them 24/7.

My trip so far has been wonderful. I'm experiencing everything I hoped when I signed up. I can't envision another opportunity for spending an entire summer rolling across the country. When else am I gonna get to go through Tonopah, Nevada? Hopefully, never again.

My writings have apparently created a reasonable amount of drama. Whatev. Push America has paid me $4,500 between my summer fellowships and the Voorneveld research grant to develop the views on disability that I have. Might as well go ahead and add some more.

Our stop in sunny Pheonix was pretty neat 'cause I got to hook up with Kim Novak and Matthew Hunt, whom I've known through various fraternity involvements. Matt's first question for me encompassed a large part of my JOH experience: "So, how is it not being in charge and taking orders?" My response was "Well, I'm just along for the ride. I take one moment at at time." Or, something to that effect. Truly, I wouldn't know what to do with being in charge. From a strict leadership/organization respect, I could totally do it. But, I know almost nothing about bikes and only slightly more about the Journey of Hope process. Had I partaken in a JOH summer rather than my summer fellowships at Wonderland Camp, perhaps it would make sense. For now, I'm just along for the ride. I get the same experience regardless of whether I run things or follow along.

I thought that my blogging would be more regular, but internet is hit and miss. Sorry to my readers. I'm surprised that I get about 100 visits per week, not including facebook.

leaving San Francisco

So, we've left San Francisco and we're on our way through sunny Nevada. We split with north route yesterday and we won't see them again until DC in August. Kinda sad. We don't get to see the transamerica guys until DC either, and there are three Missouri State kids on that route that I actually knew before this adventure.

I'm starting to settle into a routine, which is good because the chaoticness of the first week was getting to me. I felt like I never knew what was coming next. I got into the mindset that I was just along for the ride. I suppose that I still am. I spent the entire first two weeks thinking about uncertainty reduction and expectancy violation theories.

The guys get super excited about the friendship visits. This is JOH's opportunity to connect with people from a group home or some other organization. I don't get all that excited because I've had two summer long friendship visits. I also haven't been too impressed with the staff at the group homes. I watched one of our guys give a guy a Red Bull. Ok - we should know better, but their staff should be paying better attention. These guys and girls are on a laundry list of medications that interact in funny ways. The most dangerous thing some of these people do is eat - it's the quickest way that something gets into their body. Push America emphasizes abilities, but we absolutely must assume that they don't have the ability to choose what they consume. :(

I presented my first Kid's on the Block. It went well, but I also see room for improvement. I also have the best cheesy magic trick/joke to use in between acts. I can't wait to use it for the next one.

Nevada has so far proven to be a pretty desolate place. Outside of Vegas, there's not much there. It's a great opportunity to play "throw things at other things." The game is pretty much how it sounds. I try to spend most of my time along the way writing postcards and ignoring my responsibilities that await me two days after I leave DC and Charlotte on August 20.

I expect that the routine that I've gotten into will allow me more opportunities to add to this. I will eventually create some photo albums.

By the way, before I left San Fran, I had the opportunity to stop by my mom's apartment in 1968, the summer of love, I'm told. It just happened to be three blocks away from where we were staying for orientation at the University of San Francisco. I didn't know that she lived in San Francisco - I thought this was when she was attending Drake University in Des Moines! Anyway, pretty neat. I wanted to knock on the actual studio apartment door that she lived in, but I could never get there during the day. Anyway, here's a photo!

on the road

WELL! I survived the journey from sunny North Carolina to San Francisco. We had our first accident, sorta. (see picture) And, it wasn't even me driving!

The drive across the country took us through Memphis, Wichita, Breckenridge, Vegas, and than San Francisco. Special thanks to all the sponsors that provided us with accomodation and food along the way.

Vegas was pretty amazing. It's everything I detest in the world. I lost $96 while north crew stud-muffin Matt scored a cool grand. It's ok though cause gambling is evil so he'll eventually lose and die poor and lonely. I suppose that I should win my $96 back when we go through Vegas again in three weeks. But, that's how gambling problems start.

Spending five days in the car made my current dorm room at the University of San Francisco seem spacious and relaxing. Training and organizing for the upcoming kick-off from the Golden Gate bridge is taking up a lot of time. I've made three bike shop runs, two visits to Walgreens, and a trip to the UPS store because apparently kids can ship bikes these days.

Tomorrow, we have our first practice run, our kick-off dinner, and than the kick-off itself on Sunday!

leaving Charlotte

The day finally came...I left SMS as scheduled on May 27. I moved myself and everything that could fit into a U-Haul trailer to Norman, Oklahoma. Lots of things got left in SW MO. I put everything into storage on the 28th and than spent the rest of the week searching for apartments, exploring Oklahoma City, and getting ready for JOH.

I signed with my new apartment on the 29th. Plenty of space. Pool. No puppy hating landlord. Great. I visited Oklahoma City on the Friday and it turned out that it's a pretty neat town, overall. I look forward to triple-A baseball games and the riverwalk. Than, I got on a plane on Sunday heading for Charlotte. Continental pushed my arrival time back an hour and I got a $150 travel voucher. I could've gotten another one for $250 had I delayed the flight another four hours. I totally should've done it - would've paid for my whole flight back to OKC.

I got a $900 phone call on Monday. I was going to have to pay for June and July in Springfield, but the evil puppy hating Ron Looney found a new tenant so now I don't have to pay anything. Megan, the accountant, told me that my apartment was the cleanest they've ever seen left. I thank my mother for cleaning the apartment for me even though I told her it wasn't necessary. She was right and I was wrong. There, I said it. Anyway, it made my day/week to not have to pay for an apartment that I'm not living in. Of course, now I'm technically homeless.

We've had training the last few days. CPR, procedures, working with the equipment, and so forth. We successfully stretched two days worth of activities into three days, which was totally fratty. Tomorrow, we load up the vans and head west. We're taking five days with one night in Vegas. Should be a good experience. We meet the riders in San Francisco on June 11.

This is gonna be an amazing summer. Thanks for reading!

graduation

First, I have a few people to thank for their generous contributions to my Push America fund: George & Vicky Oster, Michael & Elaine Miller, George & Ruth Hayes, and Carol Hayes. I’m now $465 away from my fundraising goal!

Last week, I graduated from Missouri State University with an MA in communication. Of course, it’s kinda anti-climatic because I’m just switching schools again to the University of Oklahoma where I’ll teach introduction to communication courses in the communication department. Now, all I have to do is clean, pitch, box, and load everything for storage over the summer. I fly to Charlotte for crew training on June 1.

But, first I must raise another $400 so that I’m eligible to serve on crew for the Journey of Hope. My fundraising link is at the bottom of this note – I’ve asked that my graduation gifts be contributions to Push America on my behalf. Also, be sure to bookmark my summer blog: http://joherich.blogspot.com/. For now, it’s just been rebroadcasts of my fundraising campaign, but I’ll start putting pictures and stories from the road in less than a month.

As always, thank you for your support!

one month away!

One month from today, I will get on a plane to Charlotte for Journey of Hope crew training. It’ll be a great way for me to spend my summer in between schools so I’m pretty pumped.

I’m getting down to the wire and I still have $600 to raise in order for me to serve on JOH crew. Last week, many of you received my fundraising brochure in the mail. I get notification if anyone uses the online form to make a contribution, but I don’t always find out if somebody mails their contribution directly to Push America. Let me know if you’ve done that so that I can be sure that it gets credited to my fundraising total. Be sure that you include my name in the memo if you mail a contribution directly to Push America.

Everyone that has told me that they would make a contribution – now is the time! I’m not worried about hitting my goal because I’m pretty close, but this fundraising is one more thing that I can check off my to do list as I get ready to move.

As always, I appreciate everyone’s support!