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Cross-Country Ramble
8: In the Morning
Sent: 04/11/96
I roll over and ask Ken what time it is since he wears the watch.
He answers, "A quarter to seven." After a few more minutes
pondering whether to get up, I get out of bed and get ready for the
day. Ken flicks on the morning news as he gets ready. After dressing
and slathering with sunscreen, we repack all of our gear on our
bicycles and head off toward the nearest restaurant. I order
potatoes, bacon, toast and eggs. Ken has sausage, pancakes and eggs.
All those articles about low fat, high carbohydrate breakfasts are
pretty much irrelevant to us. We want to have enough energy to make
it down the road for more than an hour. On average we use about 350
calories an hour and a bowl of cereal and low fat milk and a glass
of juice just doesn't cut it.
We review our maps discussing again how far we might go, where we
might stop to eat along the way. We decide we will start in the
direction of a town only 25 miles away and when we get there we'll
see how we are doing before we decide whether to go any further.
Off we start down the road, exhilarated that the wind is at our
back, happy our muscles seem to be doing so well. As we travel our
minds wander to beyond the wind, hills and traffic. We take in the
desert environment and the people. We notice the natural vegetation
of the desert, sparse, low, thin leafed and grayish green. The
irrigated vegetation we pass is bright green, flowering or fruiting.
We wonder what, if any, sense does it make to grow carrots, golf
courses and snapdragons in the desert.
Our minds are recalled to the immediate present. The energy level
is slowing down. The face and legs are feeling the sun's heat. The
toes have become numb. We've only gone 10 miles. Nonetheless, I call
out for a break. We have learned to listen to our bodies. We
have a sugary drink like Coke or Peach Snapple to replace some of
the fluids and the calories we have used. We want to keep the blood
sugar level high. If I don't, then, as our daughter,
Rita, claims, my evil twin sister comes, to be angry and unhappy
about everything.
After our break we start out again, refreshed. The wind is
friendly, the road shoulders wider and the sun less intense after
the break. Our minds wander again. What shall we write about in our
journal? Will anyone find a treatise on road shoulders interesting?
Nah! What about how the world is not only made for cars but actually
discourages walkers and bikers? Mmm Maybe. At the stoplight the car
next to us is rocking with Mexican music. I think about the
diversity of Americans and how difficult it is for many of us to see
the "other" culture as American.
Ken calls out for a break this time. We stop at a small roadside
dive. I drink water, insisting I'm not hungry. Ken reminds me he
does not like my evil twin. I agree to eat a snack. Only greasy
potato chips have any appeal. Strangely, I feel better after I eat
them. Ken orders Doritos to go with his Coke.
In another hour we begin searching the landscape for a cool place
for us to have lunch.
To be continued ...
Carol
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