By Cycling

9 Apr

Gulf Coast

A month of Texas made for our appreciation of the short time we had in Louisiana, but our short time there did not prep us for how briefly we would stay in Mississippi.

Two days before we left Baton Rouge we hadn’t known where we were going to stay until an old friend from high school, Krista McGrath, came to mind. After contacting her for the first time since graduating she was excited to hear about the trip and told us we should stay with her. Not being stupid people, we took her up on the offer.

5 Apr

Cajun Country

We left Lake Charles in high spirits, but we were immediately met with a flat tire before getting completely out of town, not the best sign of things to come. A few hours later, after some early showers, Andrew’s bike slipped from underneath him and he fell off. He caught himself, but catching oneself on asphalt with a loaded bike doesn’t go without injury. Fortunately it wasn’t serious. The next big event came when my bike as well slid out from under me, but this was a larger and faster moving crash. I was thrown from my bike and fell into the ditch. Again, fortunately there was no serious harm. I had fallen onto grass and what turned out to be the largest ant hill in existence. I stood up immediately and brushed myself off. Andrew asked “are you alright?” which was met with a glance at my body and a response of “…yes.”

31 Mar

Lake Charles

A few miles outside of downtown Lake Charles we saw the most intimidating and dangerous road either of us has considered riding during this trip. The I-10 bridge is more than a hundred feet tall with no shoulder and has construction limiting two lanes. We shrugged and decided to get a closer look. After seeing it up close, we decided neither of us wants to die a miserable death on the highway. We eventually agreed to hitchhike.

30 Mar

Farewell Texas

That’s right, we’ve left Texas. We are no longer in the largest of the contiguous states.

Before we crossed the border, we shared loving good-bye hugs with Valerie, easily our most mom-like host so far. After just two days, we were like family, but just like the families we said good-bye to when we left on this trip we said our thanks and hugged her before we got on our bikes.

30 Mar

100 Miles of Shoulder

We made it to Houston after one short day and one very long day. It went like this:

23 Mar

Until Next Time, Austin

Toy Golfer

Jude swings his plastic golf club poorly
like a two year old.
Maybe by his third birthday he’ll have
his dad’s technique in mind.
When he draws back, he’ll plant his feet
and hold his knees in position.
Twisting at the waist could come
after he’s eaten his cake.
After he fills up with sugar and runs
like a fat kid;
his new legs that don’t coordinate perfectly.
He might, by chance, square
himself to the ball and tightly
swing like a grown man.
Dad watches him intently,
but feigns interest in his conversation.
The ball flies past the other children
and Jude wobbles across the yard after it.