A Whole New Level Of Tension

November 2, 2022

Back to the Disaster That is Our House

So much craziness has happened in the last few hours that I don't even know where to begin. I don't even know how much I should write about it since most of the craziness has nothing to do with my bike trip, aside from the fact that the craziness has created a big disruption. The bottom line is that I rode back home this morning.

Obviously, I have to explain why that happened, but I'll try to keep my explanation to the basic facts--without the histrionics, the stressful screeds, or the existential dread.

We have a major remodeling project going on at our house, but there's been a lull in the construction activity so I thought I could squeeze in a three day mini-tour. Unexpectedly, the drywall contractor texted me this morning at 7:00 a.m. and said he'd be over in 20 minutes. I called The Feeshko to wake her up. Then The Feeshko called me back a little later and said there were some plumbing issues that had to be addressed before installing new sheetrock. A short time later, she called again to say the refrigerator quit working and everything inside it is warm. A short time after that, she called again with the "suggestion" that I come home this morning.

"Would you like me to drive down there to pick you up," she offered.

"I'd rather get my eyes eaten out by rabid bats," is what I was thinking, but what came out of my mouth was, "no, that would be too embarrassing. I can ride home in about three hours." (Actually, I could have gotten there in two hours, but that would have been by the most direct route and would not have allowed for the exploration of new gravel roads.)

This morning's developments just added to the normal stress of dealing with construction delays, miscommunications with the general contractor, making decisions on doors, carpet and fixtures, cost concerns, supply chain issues with certain products, having most of our possessions in a storage container, etc.

"At the moment of supreme tension, there will leap into flight an unswerving arrow, a shaft that is inflexible and free." -Albert Camus

"At the moment of supreme tension, one must leap onto one's bike and ride, inflexible and free." -G-2

************

In their own poetic ways, G-2 and Camus said it all. I quickly packed up my stuff and pedaled away from the motel. I really did feel like most of the tension was released from my body. I was unswerving. I was free. I was also pretty flexible. Had I been off on a long tour in another country, The Feeshko would have had to deal with all those stressors herself.

On such short notice, I couldn't work out a new gravelly route that was sufficient to fulfill my 50% goal, but the ones I did find turned out to be pretty exciting. I guess now is the time to show a few pictures.

In a previous journal, I set a standard for myself. As long as I can still carry my loaded bike up a flight of motel stairs, I can continue my bike touring career. Before leaving this morning, I staged this picture to show I still have what it takes to be a bike tourist. (But really, the weather was so nice that I should have been carrying my bike up a rocky hill to a nice campsite.)

Cannon Falls is a really nice town, as a former Minnesotan and current Cycleblazer recently reminded me. It is surrounded by hills. Not giant hills, but hills enough to test your cycling stamina once in a while. It has a historic downtown, at least by Minnesota standards. A river runs through it--the Cannon River. People rent canoes and innertubes here to float downriver. I wonder if I could ride my bike back down here someday and inflate one of The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong's innertubes to carry me 30 miles to the Mississippi River. Now THAT would be an Exiscyclist journey to remember!

Usually I feature Catholic churches in these small towns. Here is a very small but nice Episcopalian Church.

These are the falls that made Cannon Falls famous. Like the falls I showed yesterday, these falls are less impressive due to our dry summer.

Who could resist taking a picture of something called "The True North Church?" Not me. It looks like a barn that was converted into something else. And I was intrigued by the message on the sign: "Come as you are, leave different." I feel the same way about my own Church of the Great Outdoors.

After too many miles on pavement, I finally made it to gravel nirvana.

"It is not the path which is the difficulty. It is the difficulty which is the path." -Soren Kierkegaard

"It is not the path which is the difficulty. It is the FREAKING steepness." -G-2

It wasn't the uphill steepness that was a problem. It was the downhill steepness. Braking on downhill gravel can be quite tricky. Sometimes it seems safer to just grip the handlebars tightly, bounce down the hill, and hope for the best, than to try squeeze the brakes on a downhill slope with loose gravel.

After I took this picture, I almost lost control again on another steep downhill. Almost!

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, and the only way, it does not exist." -Nietzsche

"You have your way. I have the gravel way. Who cares?" -G-2

I felt the tension returning as soon as I pulled into my driveway and saw that damned cargo container.

I think my return helped to calm The Feeshko's nerves. I still feel some supreme tension though, so I hope to head out on a gravel ride tomorrow to complete this mini-tour--unloaded, inflexible and free.

All I can say is there is no way those Ride With GPS grades of ascent on the gravel roads are accurate. NO WAY.

Heart

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Today's ride: 22 miles (35 km)
Total: 536 miles (863 km)

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Rachael AndersonI’m so sorry you had to cut you mini tour short!
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