This - "We rode our bikes here." - has become a sort of anthem for us over the last few weeks. We started saying it when the landscape really started to become extraordinary, probably somewhere around South Dakota. For me, this kind of phrase is about as self-congratulatory as I like to get, although I do plan to raise a glass or five to myself if and when we do make it to California. We also seem to need to remind ourselves that admidst the daily annoyances and difficulties we've had, the ups and downs in team morale, the towns we've loved and the ones we've already forgotten, we've been at this project for awhile now. We rode our bikes here. In a way, it's like listening to the applause for a moment before jumping into the next song.
Today, as we all knew would happen, the phrase took an ironic turn. As we wandered about the dim, smoke-filled casinos of ol' Jackpot, we uttered, "We rode our bikes *here*!?" Of course, in a few days, when we're somewhere in the middle of this hilly desolate dustbowl of a state, we'll long for the $16.99 prime rib buffet, when neither of us got the prime rib.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
LOL. I really did laugh out loud at "We rode our bikes here?!" I can just see the two of you in some corny Las Vegas knock off casino, thinking "we rode our bikes here?" Its just so random. But then again, its not more random than a potato museum, a football shaped piece of cheese, a cowboy poetry slam, and that bizarre Jackalope. The things you see when biking across America! I actually feel kind of guilty because I'm getting to see all of interesting and crazy things you guys are seeing without doing any of the hard work. Thanks for taking one for the team Jamie-Lee and Aaron!
ReplyDeleteNo problem, Monica. We love your comments and we hope you had a good vacation! (I could use a vacation ... ha!) We're in the public library in Elko, Nevada right now - another "we rode our bikes *here?!*" moment, I think.
ReplyDelete