excited about Sponge Bob
I had already gotten to work and worked my hours for the day in happy blissful ignorance of the flat awaiting me. Rolling the bike out of the locker beside the building I noticed the flat and began the walk home. I often walk part of the way home anyway politely turning away offers of help from fellow cyclists assuming I've broken down. When a brief “No, thank you,” or “Yes, I'm alright” doesn't turn a good samaratan away I explain that walking is one thing I enjoy more than biking, and the walk this day was no exception. In fact it was more enjoyable than usual. Walking past the home of some Australian diplomatic official I attracted the attention of one very excited young boy. We exchanged greetings, but that wasn't enough. He came down the sidewalk and engaged me in conversation about the ice cream stick he was clearly enjoying very much. While he did need to inform me that it was a Sponge Bob ice cream stick, he did not need to tell me who Sponge Bob was. [See Becoming American.] After making sure I knew which way the ice cream truck had gone we parted ways this boy to finish his ice cream and me to think how fortunate I'd been to have a flat that day.
Because of the year of rigors through which I put the bike during my intense biking routine the general purpose tires chosen for the bike by the shop owner (assuming its owner would be a more typical cyclist) simply could not hold up. There were gouges in the tire surface big enough for me to see through. The reason the tire hadn't gone flat sooner was due to my tire liners (necessary for city biking in my opinion). I had even begun using slime filled tubes, but as good as they can be I was really just postponning a real solution. Tire liners or not…slime filled tubes or not…I had known for some time that I would be needing new tires eventually, so knew this time was coming and easily jumped into the task of finding the right tires before the MS150. The only tires of the same size (700x30) I have been able to find for sale are cyclocross tires—not the best choice for highway riding. I cast my net a little broader doing a different kind of search and happened across a reference in someone's weblog about 700x30 tires. This Canadian cyclist mentioned using 700x32 tires on his touring bike. That was just what I needed to know. My usual biking supplies dealer had a nice pair and I could have them shipped to Houston in time to put them on my bike for the ride. What's more they were very suitable for both the long highway ride of the MS150 and for the streets of DC.
There were only a handful of nights of my 2 1/2 week trip when I had to find some sort of paid lodging. I was able to make some nice arrangements for the two nights I knew ahead of time that I wouldn't be spending with family or friends. A road–side hotel is often adequate and tends to be my choice when I'm simply looking for a place to shower and sleep, but when I want to spend more time in a place I put more effort into it.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
I've long been a fan of Thaddeusz Kosciuszko. Every February I made bigos in honor of his birthday, periodically I go out of my way to see his statue in Lafayette Park in DC, but I'd never been to Kosciusko, Mississippi. This was the perfect opportunity. On my way down to Houston I allowed time to see Kosciusko and a little of neighboring French Camp.
I stayed the night right off the Natchez Trace just up the road from Kosciusko at the French Camp Academy Bed & Breakfast. French Camp is a community used to cyclists traveling up or down the trace (something I may want to do in the future) and having that nice friendly small town feel. On the porch while I got some journaling done I was entertained by the antics of humming birds, gurgles of cowbirds, and flashes of the most beautiful blue and bright yellow from the blue birds and canaries pleasantly reminded of the lazy days I passed in South Carolina in a very similar way (minus the canaries). After having supper at the Academy cafeteria and settling into my room, I took a walk around the community… or I began to.
Nashville's Parthenon
Athen's Parthenon
At the main road I was invited to join a group of people including a teacher at the academy and avid cyclist just back from a ride (preparing for a cycling event in Colorado), his wife who helps run the welcome center, an author, and his wife (who is also his editor). The author was talking about his upcoming book Grapefruit (a book in sections). He held us captive in his account of a time when as a young enlisted man he accompanied an interesting group through the wee hours of a New York City night. There in the car as they transported a well–known scientist to catch a train to Chicago, someone commented on how clean Manhattan looked at that hour of the night following the cleaning done by city workers and before the crowds of the morning rush hour began to deposit their debris, and so was born the name The Manhattan Project. Before we parted he relayed a second story of his time manning an artillery gun on Iwo Jima. Through his range finder he watched the first small 3x5 ft. flag run up the pole before an appropriately sized one could be raised more ceremoniously.
The next day I enjoyed a peaceful drive down the Trace and on to Houston. On my way back north many days later I picked up the Trace again in French Camp and traveled along the northern half up to Nashville where I spent an entire day visiting the Parthenon and other parks in the city… generally getting in some time of relaxing before the long drive back to Maryland. Plus I learned the secret of making some fantastic pancakes.
Mississippi and Lifebuoy
In Houston in addition to catching up with my good friend Vel, I had interesting experiences and met interesting people. Another Australian boy befriended me. His family lives in the same apartment complex in Houston. His sisters had been with Vel to a Mr. Imagination … workshop. Mr. Imagination had stayed while in town with Narrow Larry who's house was filled with interesting items of folk art and architecture including the Orange Show Art Car Parade trophy crafted by Mr. Imagination. With my uncle and aunt I visited the Kemah Boardwalk and had lunch at the Aquarium there. It's manager and one of its fish caretakers were part of the group I cycled with in the MS150. While on the road I was able to listen to some hot tunes on KQ Hot Tejano. There were also some nice benches to be found.