Smells like stale popcorn ?

Dearest Blog Reader

I hope that this finds you doing well.  I am fine. Pretty tired this evening. 63 miles and I learned that I made a very large mistake. I had been feeling a little cocky from Sunday and Monday; 123 miles and feeling good. Today, I decided to be a biking tourist. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a water tower welcoming me to Brazil.  I didn't even realize I had crossed the Panama Canal. Here I was. I needed to get out and explore.  Four miles out of town (I mean country) I had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and was riding by the big exotic cat rescue facility. Who knew?

I stopped at the 25 mile mark to see the rescue lion, tigers, and cougars; oh my. Who knew they needed rescued? Apparently, great need intersected with passionate desire and someone found some really tall and stout chain link fence and had themselves a sanctuary. Some facts: they take care of approximately 200 big cats at the park. It takes 1500 lbs of raw meat a day. That is at least two cows a day, or 730 cows a year, most are dead farm animals and road kill (no Brazil county does not have road killed cows) from the surrounding counties. They ask that you do not donate dead cows that have been dead for more that two days.  That's right your dead black angus cow that is sitting in the hot summer sun has a short shelf life.

The other unusual fact about these big exotic cats is they like to spray people. Not to put too fine a point on it but (pardon the crassness) they like to piss on their guests. You mean that I donated (paid) ten dollars to get peed on by lions and tigers and cougars; oh my. "Not to worry" said our tour guide. "It smells like stale popcorn." Stale popcorn? Where does she go to smell sex attractant stale popcorn? An adult movie theater? I got news for you. I was not going to ride 35 miles smelling like Peewee Herman's concession purchase. There were some close calls. These were obviously well hydrated exotic large cats.

Now don't get me wrong; going on this side trip in itself, was not the mistake that I made. The mistake was stopping in the middle of a grueling bike ride. I should have kept on keeping on. My body will do many things. It will keep up the good fight but when it is done it is done. When my muscles cool down, they have certain expectations about the length of that cool down and are not happy when called into service before their allotted time. So from now on I will either be  a tourist or a biker; no more living in both worlds.

The bike ride was difficult today.

Which is very fortunate because the LeVine's have provided today's topic.

What do you think about or draw upon when your "seat" is aching, legs cramping, shoulders/arms ache, mind numbs? Or does any of that pertain to you?
It did pertain to me today. I wish that I had had a tape recorder so that I could have recorded the last hour and a half of my ride today. It would have gone something like this.

I am guessing that they get get a lot of road kill for those big cats. I haven't seen a dead opossum in quite a while. That is good civic participation. I really wish that I had covered the top on my knee with sunscreen today. That was the coolest longest down hill stretch I have ever ridden. When will I have to go uphill for pay back?  That SAG van should be close. The person who put all of these trail marks in the road had a very boring job. It's a good thing he was careful or he could have been donated to the exotic cat rescue group. I wonder can you donate your body to the exotic cat rescue group; as Walt Disney would say "Hakuna Matata."

That was one long hill. There's the SAG van; twelve more miles to go. Another hill; argh. You can do this. I am so glad Bev is delivering ice cream tonight. Should my left leg be turning numb? Well numb except for the burning in the ball of my foot. Crimonetly that hurts. i wish that would turn numb too. Can't the county highway workers that a little bit of pride when they fill these potholes. My butt hurts. Where is the Linton water tower. We should be getting close. Oh good that must be it. I hope that isn't the West Linton water tower. Argh, we are turning right away from the West Linton water tower or whatever. Did they say 62 or 63 miles today? I wonder if the hooligans of Greene county got out with their florescent green spray paint and changed the route markers. I would have when I was growing up. I might do that later this summer. Ha!

I wouldn't mind being buried in Fairview cemetery. How's the view from up there? Except for the dead people it is fair. Alright, when they said 63 miles did they mean 63.1 or 63.9. Crud; it was 63.9. Finally.

Thanks for the topic LeVines. I give you the spoon of salute and enjoyed the chocolate and dulce de leche.

I especially enjoyed seeing Bev. You were so kind to me.

I love you

Everyone else? Take care.

Roger