It's time to take stock of the lengths I've traveled. Past week has been good.
After the hell of El Centro, I expected the entire length of the desert to be 115F hot, having to squeeze cacti for water, molting layers of skin under a merciless sun. But nope. Cool temperatures, abundant cloud cover, smooth roads. Only delays are from passing thunderstorms and occasionally wet roads.
Too heezy. 60+ miles no problem. Mostly downhill or flat. Yesterday I made it 70 miles on two bottles of water. Didn't break a sweat. Rode 9 am to noon, then 1 pm to 4 pm. With no sun to worry about, it's another day at the office. Kinda boring almost.
I complain about something, then God goes ahead and takes care of it for me, and then I wish for the opposite. I should just accept whatever happens as A-OK.
I have two cycling goals in mind for the open stretch coming up in Texas: 100 miles in one day, and 40 miles in two and a half hours (avg speed 16 mph).
The distance goal seems easy; I feel physically capable to do 120 miles. It's more of a lifestyle habits challenge. It requires mostly for me to get a good night sleep beforehand, stock up on water and food, head out early in the morning. The speed goal is going to be more interesting, because I have no control over the type of terrain, weather, elevation, or debris I encounter. I just have to work at maintaining top speed every day wherever I can, and hope my environment cooperates!
Monday, August 1st. Tucson, AZ to The Thing at Benson, AZ.
Tuesday morning, August 2nd. The Thing, AZ to Wilcox, AZ.
Rained out at noon. Flash flooding.
Stayed in town. Rotated from McDonald's to a hospital to a university to stay dry. Camped at a park.
Wednesday, August 3rd. Wilcox, AZ to Lordsburg, NM.
Crossed state border.
I <3 this agnostic sign.
How come it only rains on my yellow house?
Lordsburg has a historical ghost town, and is on the way to becoming one itself.
Luxury motel for $28. LOL. I thought the dump was closed down with prices from 1990, but it was still running.
Slept a few hours inside Flying J's at a table by their showers. And a few more hours outside the side of the building when I tried unsuccessfully to start traveling. Too chilly, let me put this sleeping bag on and.... zzz.
Thursday, August 4th. Lordsburg, NM to Deming, NM.
I imagine Judgment Day as everyone turning into dogs. He he he.
Where all the playas at.
Home is where the Starbucks is. Reminds me of communist propaganda.
Mom is dear, Dad is dear, but not as dear to my heart as Chairman Mao! I love the Leader!
Crossed continental divide.
Friday, August 5th. Deming, NM to Las Cruces, NM.
Morning camp. Sneaky spot outside a Hilton.
Mountainous clouds in the sky. Mountains on the ground. Las Cruces.
Yay! A city with cheap buffets!
Was supposed to hit El Paso the very next day. It's only 40 miles away, so I don't need to travel the whole day. I felt cranky in the morning, since it rained at night. Then after lunch, sleepy. The afternoon sun unabated heats to 90s F, it's no longer cloudy and cool. I stayed the weekend like this pretty much.
Saturday morning camp outside some hotel.
My lower lip split in the middle while traveling, from heat or salty dehydration or inadequate nutrition or whatnot. Then I woke up with my top right lip and bottom left lip very swollen and I don't know why. Maybe to match my dark skin with negro lips.
Saturday night I slept outside a Barnes and Noble campus bookstore. Not very comfortable. Not much sleep. Not going anywhere again. Gotta hit up that $6 buffet at Cici's Pizza.
Found a stray cat to play with on Friday. Someone at the university feeds her. She was neither completely trusting, nor deathly afraid of people. I had to meow at her a lot before she would come close enough to pet. But once I found her favorite scratching spots, she was soft butter.
the cat meowerer
The next day, I found at least a dozen ticks burrowed in kitty's ears. I tweezered out as many as I could find. She meowed in discomfort, but didn't bite or scratch. I held the scruff of her neck and talked to her to stay calm. Pretty good kitty.
Looking ahead
1700 Miles to go. At a rate of 50 miles a day, that's about 35 days to Jacksonville, FL. But I need to jerk off on alternate days, preventing travel, so it'll probably take me two and a half months. :-J.
I have saved locations of McDonald's, Walmarts, Lowe's, buffets, hotels, and universities all over western United States.
I park in a handicap spot without a permit.
Since it has been raining, I tidied up my pack. I waterproofed my blankets by bundling them inside a blue tarp. It conveniently detaches for use as a seat cushion. I lay my backpack on top when traveling, looping the handle of the bag over my seat and securing the side straps to a netting that holds my tarp bundle together. Then I tuck the bag underneath a water resistant covering.
