Brattleboro, Vermont
It is a one and done day for the state of Vermont. I guess that it was a nice day, the weather was not terrible and the ride for the most part was more interesting than certain sections of South Dakota. I was not a big fan of climbing these Green Mountains, it really did seem to be quite a nuisance. There were times when I was thinking about how easy it will be to do all of this in a motorcycle -- I cannot wait until I can get a job and then get a motorcycle. It will be a fast motorcycle, one that could be considered a "crotch rocket." I was initially leaning towards getting something more like a Harley but after doing some research among the women that I have met on this trip I have discovered chicks dig the "crotch rockets." The rationale behind all that for these girls was that young guys ride those kinds of bikes, whereas older fatter gentlemen ride the Harleys. I will acquiesce to popular opinion on this one.
T-Rex, Brian, and I got a chance to stop at a giant obelisk that was in some town on the west side of Vermont. It was pretty cool. We got a chance to go up to the top of it (it only cost one dollar, I will do anything if it only costs a dollar) and check out the scenery. It was quite stunning from up there, the view was panoramic, and the guy that worked the elevator was quirky. He showed us an announcement in the local newspaper stating that he has just recently celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary. Good on him. I cannot even conceive 60 years, much less being married to a person for that long.
There was a rest stop shortly after a long climb in some touristy town. I didn't much enjoy the climb but the downhill was a screamer, I got up to 50 mph. Dad rolled in shortly after I did and asked me if I was having fun, then he asked the guys I was riding with if I was having fun, and then he asked me again. All of this I found to be very patronizing, so I told him to shut up. I mean, what would make this day different from any of the other 47 days on the trip? Why would this day not suck? Because the weather isn't all that bad? Because we are in Vermont? What dad seems to forget is that I am the model of consistency -- I am the Cal Ripken of surly bicycling -- rides always suck and the more that I am asked about them the more that they suck. But (and here is the trick), if I don't think about how I feel on an emotional or philosophical level, I don't mind the rides. Dad committed a cardinal sin today when he tried to elicit a positive opinion from me, he made me think about the ride. I guess that is just the way that he works, he wants me to enjoy the rides as much as him, and as much as I wish that I could be malleable and just get over it and be happy with the fact that we are biking, I can't. But who cares? We are done in two days!
Tonight we have some kind of event planned at a bike shop in Brattleboro. It should be interesting and I bet that dad will get a big kick out of it when he gets a chance to tell people about PIH. He is very articulate and as good a spokes person for PIH as they could ask for.
Tomorrow we enter New Hampshire. It will be another day of climbing, but who cares? We are basically done after that ride. I just hope dad doesn't try and cajole any normative statements out of me tomorrow.
Rock it.
Paul
Footnotes for August 6th:
T-Rex, Brian, and I got a chance to stop at a giant obelisk that was in some town on the west side of Vermont. It was pretty cool. We got a chance to go up to the top of it (it only cost one dollar, I will do anything if it only costs a dollar) and check out the scenery. It was quite stunning from up there, the view was panoramic, and the guy that worked the elevator was quirky. He showed us an announcement in the local newspaper stating that he has just recently celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary. Good on him. I cannot even conceive 60 years, much less being married to a person for that long.
There was a rest stop shortly after a long climb in some touristy town. I didn't much enjoy the climb but the downhill was a screamer, I got up to 50 mph. Dad rolled in shortly after I did and asked me if I was having fun, then he asked the guys I was riding with if I was having fun, and then he asked me again. All of this I found to be very patronizing, so I told him to shut up. I mean, what would make this day different from any of the other 47 days on the trip? Why would this day not suck? Because the weather isn't all that bad? Because we are in Vermont? What dad seems to forget is that I am the model of consistency -- I am the Cal Ripken of surly bicycling -- rides always suck and the more that I am asked about them the more that they suck. But (and here is the trick), if I don't think about how I feel on an emotional or philosophical level, I don't mind the rides. Dad committed a cardinal sin today when he tried to elicit a positive opinion from me, he made me think about the ride. I guess that is just the way that he works, he wants me to enjoy the rides as much as him, and as much as I wish that I could be malleable and just get over it and be happy with the fact that we are biking, I can't. But who cares? We are done in two days!
Tonight we have some kind of event planned at a bike shop in Brattleboro. It should be interesting and I bet that dad will get a big kick out of it when he gets a chance to tell people about PIH. He is very articulate and as good a spokes person for PIH as they could ask for.
Tomorrow we enter New Hampshire. It will be another day of climbing, but who cares? We are basically done after that ride. I just hope dad doesn't try and cajole any normative statements out of me tomorrow.
Rock it.
Paul
Footnotes for August 6th:
- The Washington Nationals lost again last night, they have now lost 12 straight 1 run games.
- Opie sent me a post card from Wisconsin (when we were there) to Brattleboro. It was unsolicited and one the nicest things that anyone has done for me.
posted by Len Burman at 11:48 AM
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