Day 13 - Feb 27 - Happy birthday to me

It was so nice to wake up in a bed. I was warm and dry and had slept reasonably well. I could not, however, manage to "sleep in." But since I was sharing a room with Carol, I laid there for awhile, contemplating the universe -- or at least my universe -- and continued to do so most of the day. I will share some of those thoughts later in this post.

We had agreed last night to do a short day today, so we weren't in much of a hurry to get started. Carol, on the other hand, wanted to move on, so she left early. We haven't seen her since. The rest of us -- Bryan, Mike and Dave -- rode a little off-route to find breakfast and to visit the Evil Empire. By the time we left Walmart, the sun was out and it was warming quickly. However, we soon discovered that we were going to have to fight a headwind today. It wasn't extreme, but it was annoying nonetheless.

My scary moment came as we got out of town and I heard the dreaded hiss of air escaping from my right front tire. I thought I was going to have my first flat tire, which I am prepared to service, but it's never fun and is time-consuming. However, before I left home, I replaced the tubes with Slime tubes, which is a brand of tubes that, when punctured, theoretically seals the puncture with a green goo. Not very many people in the bicycling community favor these tubes, but mine worked. It hissed for a few rotations and spit green goo out the hole in the tire, but then it stopped hissing and spitting, and I rolled on. My biggest fear was that I had slit the tire, rather than merely punctured it. That's a whole different story and requires a new tire (not just a new tube), which I do not have. I meant to pick up a spare at Walmart, but forgot about it. I will need to to that at some point.

Our destination for the day was Mamou, LA, so it was a fairly short day at only 32 miles. However, the only known place to stay was an RV park just north of town. When we got there, it was a sorry excuse for a place to stay. There was no bathroom of any kind and only a spigot for running water. We were not going to pay to stay there. So off we rode to the town center of Mamou, looking for an alternative. It was 3:00 pm, so we needed to find something soon. Since it was Saturday, city hall was closed. We contemplated walking across the street to a huge church and trying to beg a patch of lawn to camp on, but since tomorrow is Sunday, we didn't hold much hope for accommodations.

The only hotel in town was $100 and even split four ways was too pricey for some, so we decided to find the police department and see if someone there would befriend us. Ever so sweetly, I informed the dispatcher that we were traveling through town and needed a place to camp. The city park was under water from recent rains, so she wasn't able to help us out. I must have looked pathetic, because she called me back inside a few minutes later and told me that the chief of police had authorized us to camp in the impound yard out back or, if the ground was too wet, in the maintenance room where they repair the patrol cars. Delighted, and oh-so-thankful, we rolled our bikes through the police station and into the courtroom in the back (I'll do my best to attach photos. You'll have to see it to believe it.), on our way to the maintenance room. Just at that moment, Ryan rode up, having ridden 75 miles from Simmesport to catch up to us.

                                                         (Mamou Police Department)

                                         (The courtroom in the rear of the police department)

                                                 (Of course there's a bible at the podium!)

                                              (The police department's interrogation room)

                  (Inside the interrogation room!  Confess or they will exercise you until you do!)

I'm now writing this post from the dais, while we hang out in the courtroom, waiting for bedtime, before retiring outside to what is, in actually, a garage. It even has a patrol car up on jacks, undergoing a rear brake job.

                                               (That strip of plastic is my bed for the night)

                                             (So glad it didn't fall while I was sleeping next to it)

Previously, we had dinner at a place around the corner called Frenchies. No one was adventurous enough to try a Cajun dish, opting instead for a chicken sandwich or fried shrimp. I had some rather tasty catfish for my birthday dinner. It was yummy. Thanks, Dave (or guys; I'm not sure who paid for it)!

We have a long day tomorrow -- 63 miles. We're going to DeRidder, LA. It's supposed to rain Monday, so we're hoping the campground there will be nice enough that we can take a day off and remain relatively dry. Of course, we never know what we're going to find until we get there -- like today. So wish us luck in finding a nice place to hang out.

I spent most of my riding time today reflecting on my life, and more particularly my current circumstances. I can't say that I discovered anything profound. But upon reflection, I will make these observations about this trip: (1) however far I make it on this journey, I will always be glad that I did it -- whatever it is that I ultimately did; (2) while a recumbent trike has some distinct advantages over a traditional bike style, I would not choose it again, because it is cumbersome and ultimately too uncomfortable to ride when the roads are in serious disrepair, as they have been on this trip; (3) if I had it to do over, I would save more money and stay in more motels/hotels; camping in the cold is for the birds; (4) the physical aspect of this trip is not really my problem; it's the mental aspect -- too much hardship and adversity all at one time; (5) except for the people driving the damn cars, everyone we've met has been fabulous -- just super nice people and very generous; (6) I'm thankful that all of us in this group are so compatible; we're all of different ages and backgrounds, but we have a commonality that suits us as a group; (7) I'm thankful that my life's circumstances are such that I could make this journey, however long or short it may be; and (8) I'm thankful to have the support of so many people; your encouragement means so much.

These are not all of my thoughts for the day, only the ones I could remember while I wrote this. Perhaps I will share more later.

So happy birthday to me! Talk at you later.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone