Day Three. Just wing it!

Wednesday Jan 11, 2023

Today is a scheduled stop in Painesville Ohio to see my sis, her family and my mom.

I don't have any bike rides planned as it's more of a spend-time-with-family and tweak things in the jeep that need attending too kind of day.

So a shorter post today! Not because I heard some jabbering feedback about me being long winded - nope not at all! OK maybe two people. But hey! What does long winded mean anyway? I mean it gets kinda lonely out here for a solo duck just flying around with no where to go with his thoughts other than this keyboard. Maybe I just like to write about what I did...a lot! : )

Come to think of it, what does long winded mean anway? That I can hold my breath really long? And did you know that the White Winged Scoter Duck can dive under water and hold its breath for 58 seconds?! Thats crazy! Maybe the Scoter Duck is a distant relative of mine? He also probably quacks a lot. For 58 seconds straight. Me, I type 58 words per minute. Kind of the same. Geez I wonder what kind of duck I am then? What would I be called?

Actually bird names are kind of funky right? They just look at the bird and describe it in the title. Maybe I'm a rare and indegineous "White Bellied Long Winded Cycler Duck? OK sorry about the white belly visual. My bad. But it's cold out. No time for tanning ok?

I have an idea! Maybe I'll start the "Duck fact of the day" in the blog and we can all learn sumthin' while wasting precious time reading about a duck riding a bike around the country! And this is free?

God I love America!

If you are ever in Painesville Ohio (Yeah I know who would name a town a Pain?) there is a neat lil' place down the road that's a coffee shop by day and bar at night called 1922. Delicious coffee and a steak-n-egg sandwich that was just killer! Mom and I went there in the morning to catch up and share a nosh.

Anybody else really like the word 'nosh'? I love that word. No idea why. But I'm trying to bring it back.

Wait. Did it ever leave?

I think it must have because when I use it most people look at me funny and tilt their head to one side. You know - like the look when your little puppy that just heard you say "Wanna treat!?" tilts his head all cute-n-stuff? That kinda look but even more puzzled. Like with an added "You might need therapy" eye-roll in there.

Ha!

So I spent a few hours just to be with Mom alone, one on one...good stuff. On the way back to my sister's house there was a guy selling bread out of a little shed along the side of the road and we stopped in. Super cool spot with a great owner and the banana bread was outta this world. She was happy and I realized it doesn't matter what Mom and I do, just being together is enough.

The rest of the day I totally chilled and worked on this blog stuff - I'm trying to get the hang of things here and also really enjoying the process. Then my sis, her family and I had some local pizza for dinner which was actually really delicious even for a New Yorker in Ohio!

Maybe they should call the town Pizzaville?

Might attract more people looking for a nosh anyway... : )

At this point of the trip I have no actual destination for tomorrow. The "surrendering to what arises", to "what pulls me" begins now and is my only compass. All in total over the next few weeks the only planned stops I have are in Marietta Georgia, Fort Worth Texas, Colorado Springs (yes...that would be Colorado : ) and a definite look at Moab Utah. Oh, I also have two people to see in California. Everything in between though I'm just kind of winging it.

Wait winging it! Another whacky term! I wonder where that one came fom? Is there also a bird reference in there? I'm not sure they would like the term winging it? Kinda minimizes what they can do right? How would a bird wing it anyway? Don't they always wing it?

"Hey Joe want to go get some worms?" "Sure Bob where should we go?"

"I don't know Joe let's just wing it!"

Okay maybe a therapist is a good idea for me.

Anyway most of this trip is just seeing where the wind blows me. And small ducks can get blown off course pretty easily lemme tell ya!

And I know I know a whole lot of duck references here I'll explain it shortly really I promise. Geez hold yer-darn down feathers in place wouldja!?

So my sis heard from a friend that Sevierville TN is supposed to be nice and there is a National Park or state park near there to check out. So...I think that's the wind pushing me that way!

It's abut an eight hour drive from here so I'll split that up some. Going to stop at an REI store for a blowup mattress and some other supplies. Why the mattress you say!!? Well not for the tent actually...because the mattress in there is nearly three inches thick and pretty comfy! But I heard there's supposed to be thirty-five mph winds down near Kentucky tomorrow where I'll be stopping and I don't think I wanna be in a tent, on top of my roof when that happens. I saw the Wizard of Oz as a kid and seeing that house fly all around doesn't look like something I need to do. There's no place like home. There's no place like having your ass on the ground either! Plus man those monkeys really scared the bejesus out of me in that movie...anyone else!? What was that all about anyway?

So instead of catching some zzz'a atop the jeep I'm going to snuggle up inside between two beautiful ladies! Yes the Salsa mountain bike and the Parlee road bike. What the heck were you thinking!!?

Sleeping down inside the jeep will be a good test as an emergency bailout if I ever need it down the road too.

Inside

Well today was mostly spent inside! The house that is. Not inside me like a deep meditation-buddha-zen-kinda thing. Inside my sister's house. Nice to have a down day and rest up, plan a bit and chat with family. So many times we can get caught up in just running from task to task. So important to schedule nothing. Yup! Time to just chill. Seems like a necessary balance to the busy side of life doesn't it? A recharge.

I also think it's important because we get some time to listen to ourselves and see what's next in our lives or how we got off track somewhere you know? It's amazing if we take some time to quiet the mind how clear some things can become. Time to check in and be sure we are still charting the course we wish on a super cool trip across the country... or in our lives.

Outside

Ummmm mostly inside today. But coffee and breakfast with mom was great and driving around a bit. O wait! I had ordered that charging cable for the solar charger back on Day One and it came to my sis's house today. Charlie (her son) and I plugged it in outside and I don't know why but I find it so cool to plug my laptop into this solar panel thing laying on the grass and see it charge up...from the sun! Technology is amazing. I feel like a little kid with a new toy. Guess I kinda am!

Upside

Chill time.

downside

No biking.

Miss it already and I notice the weather for tomorrow looks like torrential downpours. Definitely a good day to travel then - but I am itching to get "on the saddle" again!

Every which way but east!

Well mostly stayed at my sis's house but I think I went east from there to the coffee shop...: ) Don't tell anyone.

Ha!

Tomorrow we head south to taste some warmer weather.

Hopefully.

Hangin' with the nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Call this one Dewey : )

Best Banana Bread!

Coffee shop by day...bar at night!