Ahh computer time, a lovely way to get a bunch of things done. or to try and get things done. Eggs and Cucumber for breakfast, a bunch of planning and a ride back to Dayton followed by 2 hours of talking with Bill and Jenn. I love these two, they are amazing people and I am always so happy to have their aquaintance. But a late start on biking (2 pm). It was back roads the whole way, all by beautiful houses. A sparkling day until I met a ditch. I was crusing aong hugging the shoulder when I slipped off onto the gravel, something that has happened a 100 times before. What hasn’t happened 100 times before was my bike continuing into the ditch and my body taking a chance on flying. It seems I can make it 5 feet, uninjured. But there I was. I didn’t think it was that bad until I went for my bike. and the front wheel. bent at a 30 degree angle sideways. The shit had hit the fan(so to speak). There I was on a country road in the middle of nowhere, and have I forgot to mention. I think I did. I overdrew my bank account to come on this tour (-139.16 yay overdraft fees). no money and no ride. This is where the adventure begins. two women stop in vans asking if i need help, turns out they know some similar people andfigure out how to get me someplace that might be of help. Walmart is their answer. I decided if I can get a new rim that I can make it to the show. time passes, we ger to the walmart, they dont sell rims. THey have things to do, so they leave me there. I call Bill and ask if he can come from Dayton(20 miles) to pick me up. he thinks the car will make it. As I am waiting there a man walks by and stares at me. Stops. walks back. he asks my story, I tell him and he instructs me to put my bike in the back of his truck. I comply. His name is Jeremy, a youth pastor from Eaton, OH and has taken it upon himself to help me out. He offers that can have his rim if it fits my tire. it doesn’t. So he takes me to a guy. we try his. it doesn’t. A three bears syndrome is occuring. another man, no luck. SO he kindly brings me back to his home, feeds me, houses me and is more generous than anyone could ever be. We spent most of the night driving around talking, meeting members of the town and I his family ending with passing out on a soft plush couch.
Posts Tagged ‘ohio’
Richmond….err ah Eaton?
Saturday, July 11th, 2009Lakewood, OH - 50 Miles
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009A long night of sleep and another late start, breakfast with Alex’s family, who somehow, somewhy are not italian, but sure act like it. I head off again at 10:30 only to be stopped 6 miles in by a girl in a van yelling out her window ‘Are you biking across the country? ” i said no, only to Chicago. She offered me food(why i turned it down i have no clue), but we did meet at a starbucks(we didn’t purchase anything) and talked. Her name was Katie Spotz and as she told me she is going to be the youngest person to row across the atlantic ocean. hopes of kindred spirits and visions of myself in 5 years commenced. she has had her hand at other feats. running across the mojave desert, swimming the entire allegheny river and everyone’s favorite, biking across the country. I headed back out by 1 pm and started for the other side of cleveland. City driving, better than suburban driving, but it has its own perks. went through some strange parts of town, and had ‘you best get your ass out of this neighborhood’ i tried to yell back, ‘i’m trying’ 30 miles more of construction and city driving i arrived in downtown cleveland, took some pictures of the lake, pissed off a few buses and headed to lakewood. the venue was great, the library with its strict internet policy was not, the band that was good but brought no people, not so good. Losing my iPod and having to drive back to the venue at 1 am only to find it in my yellow bag. also bad. overall. good day, bad show.
Mentor, OH - 75 miles
Sunday, July 5th, 2009It was a rainy morning, late start again. Jon drove me back to the coffee shop, where we waited out the rain before starting up. Everything was fine until I noticed 8 miles later I had forgotten my helmet at the coffee shop. It set me back some, but eventually Laurie, the owner of the coffee shop drove it out to me. PA-5 (the road) is great for bikers, nice little set aside section, its flatter, some rolling hills, beautiful wilderness. The last thing I expected to see was four men wearing camouflage with signs and flags followed slowly by a van. Turns out they are 2/3 of the way through a ‘walk for peace’ to bring attention to whats going on in Burma. We talked a bit and then headed our separate ways. Lunch in a cemetery followed(they have great free water), then 2 hours of rainy riding. It cleared up later as I started hitting cities again. I took a back way, wandered into Painesville and headed up to Mentor to stay with a friend. Alex is his name and my friend Joel Murray’s college roommate is our connection.We went out drinking for a it and then I slept like a champ.