The Death and Resurrection of the Ersatz Cowboy
The Death Part
Not every cowboy movie has a happy endin'. Five years ago, this looked like it would be one of 'em. The Good Guy fought to the bitter end, but eventually he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of Bad Guys. It was much like the movie "The Alamo" in which a small band of freedom fighters led by John Wayne (Davy Crockett) was overrun by General Santa Anna's massive Mexican army.
It wasn't just the maraudin' hordes of coronavirus cells though. It was also the territorial governors shuttin' down services, docs urgin' self-isolation, worrisome news from the printin' presses, and discouragin' words from friends and family. After much resistance, I finally had to surrender. Exactly one week before my tour was to begin, I cancelled my flight. March 17, 2020 is a date that will live in infamy.
The Hopeful Part
I still held onto the hope of revivin' the tour in October of that year. "Surely the Great Covid Uprisin' of 2020 will be over by then," I believed.
With that idea in mind, I rode at least one of my bikes every single day over the course of the next six months. Just guessin' here, but I'd estimate it amounted to about 3,500 miles.
Of course, I don't have to tell anyone on this website that local day rides are not a satisfactory substitute for a full-fledged bike tour. Even so, I was bolstered by the idea that I was gettin' myself into much better shape for a tour than I would have been in March.
I continued to be hopeful until late August when it became apparent that this Coronavirus thing wasn't goin' anywhere. That meant I wasn't goin' anywhere neither.
Ever the optimist, I made plans to revive the tour in the spring of 2021. I was POSITIVELY sure the plague and its variants would be gone by then. Um . . . NOPE. I put it on the back burner for another six months.
The Covid vaccine gave me some confidence for an October start date, but I wasn't unrealistic about it. Deep down I knew my tour probably wouldn't come to fruition until 2022. Deep DEEP down, I couldn't even be sure of that. At some point I finally had to admit that the Ersatz Cowboy Tour was not meant to be. Then I unpublished this journal.
The Interim Part (It Ain't Over Yet)
The urge to tour was strong during the plague, yet I resisted. Well, not completely. I did risk a couple of short bike trips in September and December of 2021, taking precautions for my own health and that of others. After the worst times of Covid subsided, I took a few more trips. (I actually got the Covid on one of them.) Sure, all those tours provided a heapin' helpin' of fun, but the Ersatz Cowboy Tour was always lingerin' in the back of my mind.
The Resurrection Part
It's been five long years since I started this journal. Now I'm pleased to announce I have a revised plan to ride into cowboy country. Today, in a demonstration of my commitment, I am re-publishin' the introductory pages of Ersatz Cowboy Lassos the Wild West. I hope you will watch the cowboy movie that follows.
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3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
Yes indeed, I do hope to squeeze in a couple of shorter tours during the summer. Perhaps I'm a little overly-optimistic, but I'm feeling good about all the shots being given out these days. And I'm feeling even better about all the people who have gotten their vaccines and continue to honor mask-wearing protocols. It gives a sense of solidarity. I'll have no problem at all wearing one inside buildings or at public gatherings for as long as it takes.
3 years ago
Last year, I also had a grand plan to cycle the Empire trail from Manhattan to Albany to Buffalo, and then make my way to Pittsburgh. That was Sep 2020 but yes, COVID hit and I decided it was not prudent to travel at that time, especially with the quarantine restrictions at that time. I ended up doing a 4-day "backyard" tour instead around my local Georgia. Now with both my wife and I vaccinated and travel restrictions being lifted, we have a 7-day tour in FL next week and planning a tour in New England this fall. So things are looking up. :-)
3 years ago
3 years ago