Boy Did I Ever Screw Up.

August 11, 2023

WarmShowers screw up : about 5 days ago while taking a day off I decided to look ahead 4-5 days for places to stay at night….. instead of projecting forward by a day or two. I had the time and thought it wise to do this in advance so I didn’t have to worry about it for a while. One of my options was to search WarmShowers.com. Planning ahead to the north of Columbus Ohio I found two possible hosts in the town of Sunbury. I sent both a request. When I did so I asked them to respond via text to my phone number instead of using the website messaging system as I did not always have internet connection and sometimes missed the messages. Mistake #1.

Then sometime later I inadvertently deleted a bunch of the WarmShowers.com messages in my profile. I not only lost the information concerning previous hosts I also did not know to whom I had recently written. Mistake #2.

Now for the past few hosts, and one of the Airbnb’s I stayed at, I had heard not only from the husband or wife but also from the spouse. So when I had heard from a Sunbury host named David I revisited the website and looked up the address saving it in my google maps app. He said he was open for hosting but needed to be away from home at 6pm and needed me (us now, as I was traveling with Bruce) to be there prior. No problem. A couple days later I had a text from Pam from Sunbury. I assumed this was David’s wife. Mistake #3.

A couple days ago I asked Pam if she would be ok with Bruce tagging along. OK not a problem. Yesterday I reread my hand written note listing the overnights for each day and noted something about needing to be there before 6. So I texted Pam questioning this as I could not recall why I had written this. She had no idea either. Mistake #4.

In the meantime I had a text from David about when I might be getting in and I also asked him if Bruce could tag along. OK no problem. Mistake #5.

So today Bruce and I were finishing lunch at a spot just 17 miles south of Sunbury when I got a text from Pam confirming her address and even including a picture of her house. Oh sh!t!!!! Holy cow!!!! This was not the address we were headed to!!! I had two WarmShowers hosts in the same town!!!!! How embarrassing!!!! How perturbing for them. What to do now?? So I texted both hosts explaining the screw up and both said we both are welcome. Bruce and I discussed it and decided to split up for the night so as to spread the hosting burden out a bit. Both hosts were good with that. I went to Pam’s and Bruce went to David’s. Of course I rationalized the whole ordeal as not my fault since Pam’s husband is a Dave also and my text messages were from a Pam and a David. Of course I did not bother to look at their last names!!!!!! Mistake#6.

I don’t know about Bruce’s experience but I had a great time at Pam’s along with her husband, his brother and sister, and their spouses. They have been incredibly welcoming and made me feel like family.

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I forgot yesterday to mention two folks I met at the London Campground.
First came Dave in his SUV to check on me. At first I thought he might just be another lonely old small town guy looking for a little conversation and some info on this stranger who hasn’t shaved or had a hair cut in 10 weeks. But no, he is a volunteer helping to maintain the campgrounds. He told me a bit about its history and gave me some tips on where to eat and wanted to hear about my journey. But he was sure a talker. He told me if the young guy who stayed there last night in a hammock from Portland. He was surprised when I told him that was Ian whom I first met in Nebraska and whom I met again the day before by happenstance some 50 miles back. Dave said he had to go but would check back later before dark. He did come back but had been high jacked by his grandson to watch a baseball game and he was sorry he couldn’t stay and talk more. He came by a third time this morning as I was about to leave!!!

Next there was Pam. No, not that one. She was on a e-bike she had just bought yesterday and was about to try to lift the heavy beast onto a rear rack on her car when I noticed her. I asked if she needed a hand and she said she did not as she needed to learn to do it herself. Well that wasn’t happening so I did help. She is retired and recently relocated to London where she is helping the town as a consultant of sorts. She was interested in promoting the town as a biking town and we discussed a number of things cyclists passing through on the trail may benefit from such as an inexpensive indoor overnight facility. I suggested a hostel as these are few and far between. I believe I noted only 2 or 3 since leaving Seattle. Pam lost her soul mate and husband of 40 years some eight years ago and fell into a depression for which she had been given antidepressants. Not wanting to continue down that path she made the decision to move, start over, and start cycling. This is her second bike (remember, he who dies with the most bikes wins) and has stopped taking the antidepressant meds and is doing great. She is very energetic, witty, funny, and a kick to talk with. I wish her all the best……and hope she figures out how to get that beast of a bike on her car.

I don’t have pics of any of the people I talk with. I don’t know if they want to be in some lame ass post or not so I don’t bother them with asking. I probably should have done so from the start though. Mistake#7.

My personal KYBO. That’s Iowan for porta potties, remember?

Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 3,136 miles (5,047 km)

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