VagaBiker Part II
Why no Pictures you ask?
Well I host my pictures on the same server as FloydLandis.com and I crashed it a few months ago. Though Floyd is back, all my picture links remain broken. There is talk of having a professional fix them…
I had a girl tell me today that she thinks I am really cute. This is nice, and always makes me happy. I wasn’t prepared for the next twist though.
Vagabiker: How old are you?
Girl: Next year I will be 17
I do not know her name, nor rank, nor cereal number. I fled.
Day Day 9 Operation Beatnik: Plane Transfer LAX – Laguna Beach, 110 km
Well my ‘quiet’ corner let me sleep an elapsed 12h. Somehow I still almost managed to miss my flight, and in the process of rushing on, and joking with the people about being late, neglected to empty my full waterbottle. That’s right, Airport security, you are a JOKE. I walked on during the ‘no water time’ with a large water bottle in my left Hand!
Sandy, my single serving Plane-buddy, is horrified that I have never been to Yosemite, and leaves me an e-mail address, saying that there will be room at her friends campsite for me in a months time.
After re-assembling my bike, I’m riding by 6:15 I was on the beach pointed southward. I was hoping to get through the San Pedro/ Long Beach Dock area before dark, but as the boardwalk ended and I was still shy of the really sketchy areas. I stopped in a pizzeria for supper and directions (oddly the only thing for sale in the store was donuts… when in Rome…). I did get some specific directions for getting to the container port, and they involved 16th st. Not being one to waver from a plan (ah ha ha ha) I didn’t let a road block, nor a police man stop me from continuing down 16th. A giant white screen reflecting light forced me into a throng of people milling about on the sidewalk, but then there was a gap and I was back on the road. Wait! I get it now, they’re filming a move, and I’m riding, flashing lights, BOB, and neon jacket, through the middle of the set. Hey that actress just smiled and waved to me. Bliss. Giant screen, cop, barricade, and I’m back on the open streets…. And open they were.
Day 10 ….13? 14? Laguna Beach
As you know from the times I’ve tried living on the coast, normally I hate the California coast, and especially snobby, white saturated coastal places, which Laguna Beach is the pinnical of. But I had a blast. Essentially I think that I spent enough time in the sun that the snooty peoples started saying ‘Hi’ back to me. Which really is all it takes for me to be happy.
Of course Mr. and Mrs. Archbiker had a super-awesome wedding. 100% fun, so being surrounded by such a great core of people made the stay on LB that much more fun. After co-ordinating the Batchelor party and standing up ‘Brown Sugar’ the day after, I ended up the weekend in the Boom Boom Room
Day 15. Bakersfield
So, having a house in Lg Beach, and tanned enough that the local girls holla’ing, what do I do? Jump in Mrs. Archbiker’s Subaruuuu and drive into the desert. My planned destination was Bakersfield, and I was there long enough to order a Trek Cross Bike…. And leave for Vegas.
Day 16 & 17. Vegas Interbike
I am not sure if this was 3 days or not, but there was kinda 2 phases.
Phase 1: Just running into piles of people
Phase 2: I know I said that I would never ride RAAM again, that I would never EVER ride the 2 person RAAM (it’s insane), and it’s also possible that I said I wasn’t ever going to race a bike again. But in phase Deux I find myself rounding up sponsorship telling people that I will be setting a new world record for the 2 person RAAM alongside fellow fool, Navy Seal, Fast Biker, father, husband, friend, etc. Kerry Classen
This was my first ever time in Vegas, it’s really warm, and crazy. The cool part is that the staff actually get customer service. This is amazing, but they’re friendly, and make you feel like you’re the most important people in the world, and that you’re asking the stupid questions for the first time.
Crazy, because I go up an escalator at 10pm to a huge courtyard with a canal running through it and see the sun setting between the clouds. Then I realize that the sun set hours ago, and it’s all inside. But still really cool.
Crazy because everyone is trying to take your money. Crazy shopping, hotels which aren’t free, or even cheap. Hookers trying to get … well what ever it is hookers are trying to get (happy?), models giving out their cards (I suspect that they’re higher-end hookers, but they said they weren’t). And every other female in there is trying to roll you for a buck as well, as I found out after 4 drinks ($60) when my new schmoopie went lit up a cigarette, and wend home with some fat dutch guy. But schmoopie…
And then I slept for 2 weeks.
I was going to e-bay a bunch of things and build a bathroom in Mike’s attic, but somehow I slept another week and decided to go camping.
