As many of you know, my dearest friend and riding partner, Sam Zoll, is battling cancer. Sam is the hurricane of our group -- strong, powerful, unpredictable and loud. He is a driving force of the North Shore Cyclopaths and one of the four founding fathers. When I first met Sam, I was intimidated to say the least. "Hey, How much did you pay for that bike?" He bellowed when I first met him. I was sooo unprepared. I stammered a little until someone interjected and said, "She bought it for a dollar at a yard sale." I was so hurt. I had a nice bike! What a newbie I was.
After 8 years of riding with Sam, I have gotten wiser. "Hey, Tamara. How much did that jacket set you back?" "It was free, Sam. I won it in a raffle." "Hey, what did that water bottle cost you?" "They were 3 for a buck at Building 19." (I've caught on.)Riding with Sam is an adventure. He sings. Loud. He takes charge of everything. He has a crazy bike and shiny electric blue spandex pants. He gets us kicked out of breakfast establishments when he commandeers the coffee pot out of the waitress's hands. He teases and cajoles and makes us all laugh. He is also the first person to call and check on you when you and your bike collide with a car. (Thanks for that, Sam!) I am truly lucky to be able to call him my friend. (I love you, Sam!)
