Mosquitoes,
Well, here it is, the last of the letters before RAGBRAI. There is a lot of important information in this letter, so read it and remember it for later. It looks like we will be pretty full again on the bus this year, so expect to get to know the others on the bus really well. The last two years we have had about 40 people riding the bus and that was almost too full. This year we should be about 5-10 people fewer, which will be nice considering we ran out of beer on the way up last year.
I now would like the last installment of the dues if you haven’t already paid. If you owe us some money, I will write it on the bottom of this letter. The total is $10 for Mosquito dues and $100 for RAGBRAI. This is coming up really quickly and I would appreciate the money before seeing you so I don’t have to worry about it on Friday or the day of the ride.
You may be wondering what the money is for, so I’ll tell you. First, you get a first class bus ride, with bathroom, new carpet and a dance floor to and from the start and the end of RAGBRAI, with all of the cold beer and quality dance music that you could possibly want. We also have 1000 temporary tattoos on the way, and stickers are hopefully going to be done on time. Our gear will be transported every day also. This is about as much as any team offers, so be proud and get excited because it is only a few days away.
A few things you might want to bring for the week. You will get your shirts when you show up for the start. We will have some extras available if you need them at that time. Sunscreen is a must or you will be toast by the end of the first day. This also includes stuff for your lips. You should bring rain gear just in case we come across some of that. Plastic bags are good to keep wet clothes in or to help keep clothes dry. An extra tube for you bike tire is nice to carry with you, or at least a patch kit and something to remove the tire. If you have a good air pump, we would love to borrow it for the week. I have an average one that I will try to bring. If you don’t have a helmet, get one! If you plan on riding at night or near dusk, try to have both one front and one back light for your bike. There is a drink called a Mosquito Bite (more commonly known as Fire Water) which hundreds of people will want to sample during the week, so bring that along with a flask. We are working on getting some syringes in order so that we can dispense this beverage while biking as we have in the past. In the past several years there have been many things broken and lost, so be careful what you bring and if it is expensive, be prepared to take care of it, since Team Mosquito is not responsible for loss or damage to your personal belongings. Finally, bring a camera, you won’t want to miss out on the memories from one of the greatest times of your life.
We are meeting at Klink’s house just as we have for the last several years. The address is 826 Page Street in Iowa City. We will be leaving precisely at 9:00am on Saturday. It is best to get there on Friday and just stay and party with us then, so you aren’t late the next morning. So be there by 8:30am on Saturday so that we can get your bike and gear loaded and get on the road and we won’t have to worry about feeling bad when we leave you behind. It is going to be probably an 8-9 hour ride so we want to get in before dark to get camp set up.
Thanks for all of the letters sent, that helps make all of this work worthwhile for me. I can’t wait to see you and am training as I write this letter, if you know what I mean. Call me with questions and if it is important, make sure I’m writing it down. See you soon!
Blaine McLaughlin
Team Mosquito Committee
