Post, TX

Day 21: 

Post, TX

I'm a baby when I don't sleep.  I just whine and cry.  But, luckily, on the road, I can keep anyone from hearing me.

I rolled through downtown that morning and decided on a back highway, 380, heading east.  It was nice, quiet, fresh and green.  But then the flats started coming.  After twenty miles of leaden legs, tired the three days hard riding and two days of pumping up tires, slowly deflating, I saw the first shade tree and decided to stop, rest, eat, and change them. 

It was a very unsuccessful mission.  I struggled with the brand new tires--getting them on and off--and broke two levers in the process.  After two hours, some guys pulled up in an old van, to come to the rescue.  I thanked them kindly, but refused their offer.  I was tired, I was ornery, and I was almost out of water.  But, I had the tubes and tires on, was pumping them up, and I thought, "I got this."  They drove away and, suddenly, well below the psi, the tube popped.  Well, it had been my last one and something had run off with my patches.

"I'm screwed," I thought.

I was just so hot I didn't really know what I was going to do.  It's hard to explain that kind of dim-witted desperation, where you're just exhausted and at a loss.  But, I'm sure you've all had it.  Phone service spotty, too far in the too hot to walk, I sat down and leaned against my bike.

Like out of a mirage, though I had 411-ed and called their boss who called them--they told me they worked for a towing company in Post-- Reggie and JD appeared forty-five minutes later.  They had a six-pack of glistening bud, and no seat in the back, so we put the bike in and I hopped in front of the car, squeezed in next to Reggie.  I thanked them, took one, and guzzled it.  It was Memorial Day Sunday and too late, too stupid to press on to nothing and nowhere, plus, JD had a brisket on, so we went back and celebrated.

And what a night it was.  A small gathering, with lots of dogs, JD's wife, Annalee, and Reggie's Mom, Victoria, and I really got on splendidly.  After dinner, JD took me over to his shop and we got some material for patches.  Just as were off, around 11pm, there was a fire-call and he thought he might have to go off.  There were great-Pyrenees and huge trucks, and it was all rather terrifying and enchanting.  But JD didn't have to go out on the call, and we went back to his house and patched the tubes up.  We hoped they'd hold on 'til morning. 

They did, and JD and his wife, Annalee, insisted I get dropped where I left off.  So we drove out there and with a kiss and a hug, I rode on, feeling the bittersweet again.

Thanks, you guys!!!