Yesterday's depression has mostly given way to anticipation as the day I've been riding for through the past months is getting closer. Tonight we stay in Eugene, one map panel away from the ocean.
Last camping breakfast...threw away all the leftovers after this
The morning featured a purging of all unnecessary group gear and food and an appearance by a very studly Patrick debuting the TransAmerica jersey he bought in Missoula. Tim had a matching one, so Team TransAm was much photographed. The day wasn't too long, so I didn't leave camp very early. Ate breakfast by the river at the back of our campsite before taking off, stopped to stock up on snacks soon after, and followed the McKenzie River with Alvin for a while before he sped up to ride with Erie. She seemed like she needed his encouragement, so I hung back for a while around Nimrod.
Stopped here with Erie, Alvin, and Jim...Pepsi AND Pie? I love this town (sniff, sniff)
Oh sweet Vida! Café AND gas station sponsored by Pepsi?!? I couldn't help but stop. So Jim, Erie, Alvin and I stopped for second breakfast, soon joined by Team TransAm in their matching jerseys. I'm gonna miss these cafes-eating as much as I want, having Pepsi for breakfast and still losing weight. I don't know why, but after breakfast, Alvin thought I could keep up with him. I did for a while but eventually died and let him go on ahead. People seem to be bunching together more in these last days and stopping longer, because after I thought he and others were well ahead of me, I saw them all just hanging around a farm field entrance praising Erie for her well-made chicken salad sandwiches.
Alvin didn't often stop at cafes during the day, but we were trying to take advantage of the dwindling opportunities to eat lots and lots of food guilt free as the trip was winding down.
I was pretty slow going into Eugene after that, though. Civilization looks so strange to me, but I stopped at Pier One and Old Navy just the same, buying jeans and a nice shirt for the days after the trip before I go home. Little did I know what a stir those jeans would cause
Alvin with his typically flapping flags and Hawaiian shirt :)
Mmmm. Jeans. (Tim and Patrick were especially jealous of the jeans I bought in Eugene. Tim wanted to feel the weight...I'm not exactly sure what Patrick is doing to them!)
When I got downtown, I broke spoke number three. Just one more day mr. wheel! But a nearby bike shop got me fixed up in no time. Then I headed to the home of the person hosting us and learned of the lust of a man for jeans. Poor Tim and Patrick almost went crazy, and this was before I even put them on! They petted them, touched them, felt their now-unfamiliar weight, and wished for jeans of their own. Ha. Too bad. We've been living in two pairs of bike shorts for so long, it's no wonder we long for some new clothes we don't have to wash by hand day after day after day!
