RAGBRAI Time

I was talking to my dad on the phone this evening and he got his email about registering for RAGBRAI XXXIII. I can't believe that the time is approaching to get the registration sent in. The deadline is just over two months away. For those of you who are reading this and don't know about RAGBRAI, it is the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa that takes place during the last full week of July each summer.

I have ridden my bike on the ride for the past five years, but unfortunately I may not be able to participate this year. If I get the job for which I have interviewed and hope to get an offer, I would not be able to use any of my vacation time during my first three months of work. As I wouldn't be starting the job until mid June, I wouldn't be able to use my vacation until mid September. While I won't be able to bargain for any extra vacation time, perhaps I could get them to let me take my vacation earlier than they usually do. If that fails, I will have five personal days for the remainder of the calendar year. Perhaps they would let me use a couple of those so I could spend three days on RAGBRAI this year. Well, if I don't get the job, this is all moot. I'll still be able to spend the entire week riding my bike around 500 across the state, camping each night in the sweltering heat and humidity of late July. Although I must say, the weather was quite nice last summer.