Payment procedure

I just wanted to remind everyone as you are sending in your payments to make checks payable to Coe College with Team CoeBRAI in the memo line. $200 is due March 1 along with your signed waiver. Also, if you ordered a RAGBRAI jersey or souvenir pack, please include the cost in your initial payment. Final payment of $175 is not due until July 1. Payments should be send to my attention at Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.

Bowlin for kids' sake

While not exactly a fundraiser, it'll certainly be a fun-raiser with John Bowlin returning for his second consecutive torture tour. Instead of bringing a girl, this time he's bringing fellow 2007 grad TKEs Joe Greenwood and Jase Jensen.

John was often the life of the party last year -- even when the party was asleep -- and 2009 promises more of the same. I don't mean to sound an alarm for anyone -- from what I know of these three guys, John is the wildest -- but the Ely boys better bring their "A" game.

All of this is a way of saying, holy smokes am I amazed at the response!

Joe and Jase make the 27th and 28th registered members of Team CoeBRAI. I have another 20 people on the radar, but expect maybe another half dozen entries. While our intention was to cap the team at 30 full-time riders, don't worry. Just register and we'll sort it out later.

We ordered a bigger bus and a bigger truck today to ensure we can accommodate a bigger group. But we do have limits. Initial payments aren't due until March 1, but please don't wait until then to register. RAGBRAI isn't until July, but these are critical times for team captains.

9 spots left

Assuming we follow through on our threat to cap Team CoeBRAI at 30 full-week riders (a number driven by logistics), there are only nine spots left after today's flurry of registration activity. Good work, team!

I also added four names to the interest list, including three full-week riders. One of them has registered already (he lives in Omaha, so the Council Bluffs start has to be appealing) and the other two should be considered co-founders -- along with Tony Bata -- for the modern-day Team CoeBRAI.

Academic Technologist Lisa Wiebenga Stroschine and her husband, Jamey, were CoeBRAI pioneers in 2005. Lisa and Director of Academic Computing Tony Bata led the effort in 2005 and 2006. They made the perfect team with Lisa's organizational skills and Tony's culinary skills. Oh, the food! And Jamey saved my butt on more than one occasion with his bike repair skills.

Back then we fought for ourselves in RAGBRAI campgrounds, but were assured the finest meal served in each overnight town, courtesy of Tony, who doubled as our support driver. Those were good days.

And after taking a few years off RAGBRAI for rides in other states, Lisa and Jamey are back! Lisa delivered their second child, Cam, just recently and is on maternity leave. Imagine my surprise when her e-mail arrived today announcing their return.

The Team CoeBRAI experience has evolved over the years (this will be our fifth). We've traded RAGBRAI campgrounds for residential lawns. Instead of Tony's cooking, we hope for generous hosts or fend for ourselves. We rarely pay $5 for a cold shower. Thanks to the generosity of hosts from the Coe family, we enjoy a uniquely Coe experience within the RAGBRAI experience.

Lisa and Jamey, Susan and Nick, Steve, Steve and me represent the "old guard". I can hardly wait. Get off your teeter-totter and register!