Today was a well deserved “layover day”, which meant that the riders all got to sleep a little later, care for their bikes, and simply rest. Since we have cycled around 325 miles over the past 5 days, it was time for a little breather, at least that’s what my backside said to me last night, during an intense conversation. (My only hope is that the rest of the campers did not overhear the conversation I had with myself!). The night was pleasantly cool, and sleep came fairly early and relatively easy.
This morning, following breakfast, I bummed a ride with our mechanic to College Station, which is approximately a 30 minute drive from our current location, which has an address of “40 and Plum”, (meaning 40 miles out and plum in the sticks). College Station holds a special place in my heart, as Debby and I both have visited both Jessica and Jacob during their time in college there, at Texas A & M. None of the other riders had much information on the cities surrounding our location, and many opted to take a shuttle into Navasota, which is much closer, but also much smaller, with less to do. The tour director described both as small towns, yet in truth, Navasota has a population of around 7,000, and College Station much larger, at around 120,000.
Texas A & M (the “A” stands for “Agricultural” and the “M” for “Mechanical”) records a student population of around 73,000, with another 16,000 as a part of the faculty and administration of the school. It offers 133 undergraduate programs, and 175 master’s degree programs, and is certainly one of the largest universities in the US. Notable graduates include actress Eva Longoria, President George H.W. Bush, singer Lyle Lovett, daughter Jessica Green, and son Jacob Jeffers. (I’m sure you have heard of all of these famous people!). My first stop in College Station, naturally, was to the Trek Bike store, where I was able to replace my rattling water bottle cage for my bike. From there, I walked about a mile to the Shiraz Shish Kabob for a gyro plate, and then walked another mile to the center of campus, where I took in the sights and reminisced about some of the good times we had during our visits to see the kids during their college years. From there, I caught an Uber back to reality, to our little paradise on the prairie, where I washed and lubricated my bike, and readied the equipment for another solid week of riding.
The next 5 days will be, in my opinion, a “make or break” segment for all of us. We have rain and significant winds in the forecast for the next three (3) days, and will be riding a total of around 390 miles, which translates to an average of approximately 80 miles per day. Tomorrow we will ride 89 miles, and Sunday will ride 93 miles. If I can get through the next five (5) days without expending too much energy or experiencing an “unexpected incident”, I am of the opinion that the “back will be broken” on this tour, and the rest will be all downhill, (figuratively, of course). That being said, the plan is to take it one pedal stroke at a time, and try not to focus on anything other than the next mile. Here’s to a positive attitude, and an abundance of blessings and luck along the way!
My Uber driver this afternoon was quite a character. As he explained to me, he was quite an accomplished person, probably one of the smartest people he has ever met, and certainly one of the most humble. When he is not driving an Uber, he apparently has solved some of the worlds most vexing problems, ranging from COVID to beriberi to the common flu, and is on the verge of inventing a cure for athlete’s foot, jock itch, and halitosis. After learning about some of his accomplishments (none of which have been accepted by the FDA, however he expects to hear back very soon), I was certainly reluctant to dismount from his 2006 pickup truck, since I was certain he might unveil a solution for world hunger and loneliness. He insisted on shaking my hand about five (5) times, which I normally would not have paid much attention to, except for the fact that he was missing the tips of about 3 fingers, (probably the result of his work in identifying a cure for male pattern baldness). Without a doubt, he was one of Navasota’s true gems, yet one of their best kept secrets.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. I promise to stay in touch, and will keep you posted on all of the excitement we run into along the way!
The Walking Machine 