7/17/18
Stats: REST DAY
Story:
Ah, sleep and laziness. I could get used to this. Today was my second zero mileage day of the trip and it was lovely.
Where I woke up, day 57
I woke up around 7AM, in time to see Cousin D and her family head off for work. Breakfast consisted of a few pancakes (I had some instant mix from a while ago…not my favorite but it does in a pinch) two eggs, and coffee (of course, coffee!).
Then, once Cousin A and I were ready to face the outside world, we went off to complete some errands. First stop was Dick’s Sporting Goods. I would have preferred a store geared more towards hiking and less towards fishing and golf, but I’m not going to be choosy here. I figured that since I was in a place with an outdoorsy type store, I should look for a new cook pot. The pot is fine and functional, but the lid is degrading and I expect with a few more uses it might just crack in half.
Cookpot lid is dead
I got a small pot and cup set. The pot is a smaller capacity than I would have preferred, but it was the only option in anodized aluminum rather than stainless steel. It’s not large enough to stow a fuel canister in, but it does fit my stove and the lighter, so that’s something, at least. I also bought some seam sealant to go with the Tenacious Tape that Cousin A bought before coming down from Ohio to meet me.
The new pot
We then stopped at a coffee shop while waiting for a bookstore to open, and Cousin A ran in to grab a new book so he would have something to read when he finished his current read. Then it was off to the bike shop. They were great. My back brake needed only a small adjustment as did my front derailleur. The mechanic said that the little bit of slippage when shifting into my lowest gears wasn’t a derailleur issue but likely a symptom of the mediocre quality of my cassette. He said I wasn’t harming anything by riding it that way. He also didn’t have one to sell me right that moment, but he did recommend two models for the next time I replace it.
From there it was one last trip to the store: Cousin A needed something and I had forgotten to look for Clif Bars and Gatorade Powder yesterday. I found them both.
Back at Cousin D’s house, I set about updating the blog, paying bills, writing postcards, and patching the hole in my pannier. Step 1: make the hole bigger to remove all the frayed edges. Step 2: apply Tenacious Tape to one side. Step 3: apply seam sealant over the edges of the hole to hopefully stop future fray. Step 4: after the seam sealant has dried, apply the Tenacious Tape to the other side.
Tenacious Tape
Seam Sealant
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
I’ll let you know how it holds up for the rest of the trip. About 775 miles to go now! It seems odd to say 775 miles is “in the home stretch” but I’ve already ridden over 3600, so I guess that counts.
Dinner was great, once again. Pasta with sautéed eggplant and fresh oregano, with mozzarella melted on top. Mmmm.
The (first) Cousins (once removed)!
Tomorrow I’m hoping we can leave around 7 or so. That should give me plenty of time to get to my destination, especially since tomorrow is supposed to be a lovely day. High in the mid-80s, sunny, and altogether good for riding in!
Glad you could get the biggest issues fixed on your bike! Sounds like a productive and relaxing off day. You’re definitely in the home stretch. I’m really impressed. Of course, I was when you started! Stay safe!
It’s the home stretch! YAY! So proud of all you’ve accomplished!
Simply mindboggling that 700+ miles would be considered a home stretch – but in comparison to what you’ve already done, I guess it is. I’m still floored by your bravery (like I would EVER be able to do what you are doing right now!) and your persistence.
This is the kind of experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life and be one of those benchmarks against which you measure other things. Kudos!!
Simply mindboggling. My compliments on your bravery and persistence. This is the type of experience that becomes the benchmark against which everything else gets measured. 🙂
Kudos to you!!
Your post card arrived! Thanks and we owe you at least one overnight at “Writers on the Rocks” as Beau North and I call the beach house. Perhaps you’ll take it into your head to ride from Canada to Mexico on HWY 101/US1 someday, and we’ll leave a light on and the keys you know where!
Congratulations in advance, and it’s been great following along on the blog!
Oh, yes, if you follow Linda Beutler’s advice, we have Warm Showers in Victoria BC and Mazatlan, MX!