Moaning and Groaning. You should skip the next few paragraphs if you don't want to read about my current misery - I'd probably do so if I were you.  Last night was pretty miserable for me.  Hydrocodone would alleviate the pain about 45 minutes after I took it, but would only work for about an hour and a half, and I could only take it every 4 hours.  So I was awake a lot last night, and when we woke up this morning it was apparent that I wasn't in any shape to take on a challenging day of riding.  I needed a rest day, and Doc decided to take one with me - I'm glad he did because he ran a lot of errands that I wasn't up to doing.    I spent most of the morning in a drug-induced haze and managed to sleep a lot.

Hopefully the antibiotic will tame the infection and allow me to continue - but as of this moment, that isn't a certainty.  So Doc spent a lot of time planning for the possibility that we may need to abandon - if so, how do we get a rental vehicle and get to an airport and get the bikes and gear home?    One day on antibiotics usually isn't enough time to allow oneself to get back to normal functioning, so we also considered that I may need to take another rest day tomorrow.  Neither of us are happy with that thought, but if/when we recommence cycling I need to be strong because we are heading into some physically challenging days.

Not-So-Recreational Drugs. I'm dealing with the pain using a combination of alka-seltzer plus, ibuprofen, tylenol, and hydrocodone.   Hydrocodone is all that works when the pain is intense.   Hopefully the antibiotic will get things under control soon cause my stomach has become a cauldron of various chemicals developing into a real witches brew.

Teetering On The Brink.  So as of this moment our adventure is teetering on the brink of failure, and it could go either way.  Not because of any of the reasons I listed in the introductory materials to this journal, but because of a toothache.  A freakin' toothache!   This particular toothache is a real doozy, and it has made my jaw sore and a bit swollen from the infection.   The good news is that I'm on a treatment plan with the antibiotics, so it should just be a matter of time until I improve.  We don't have days of time available, but we have taken one (that's today) and we could take tomorrow if need be and still have just a wee bit of cushion to finish and make our return "schedule."  So we aren't throwing in the towel yet, but we are being realistic and planning "what-if" scenarios.  

North American Indian Days.   As if we don't have enough to contend with already,  we happened to land smack dab in the middle of one of the largest tribal gatherings in the U.S. and Canada;  Indian Days .  While it's an interesting cultural event, it means heavy traffic for us.  And while most folks are civil, there's an element of drunken revelry that accompanies this event every year.  Since there was no event held last year due to COVID, there is pent-up demand that is expected to make this year's event even bigger than usual.   This seems to be the equivalent of an annual Woodstock event for the Blackfeet tribes, and we are going to be heading right down the roads that are used by folks to get there.  Traffic will be heavy and lodging will be impossible to get.  

Motel Misadventures.  Our adventures with small town motels continue, and it would actually be quite humorous if we were on the outside looking in.  How do I even begin?  The Corner Motel in Cut Bank isn't a place you dream about staying.  For that matter, Cut Bank itself is a bit rough around the edges.  But it was all we could find, and we were happy to be inside.  The room door doesn't seal very well, and bugs can get in, but they don't seem to want to do so - maybe that should tell us something.  The A/C is new, but it isn't sealed very well in the wall either.  The room is very old with stains on the carpet, but who cares?  There is no office - when you arrive you call the owner and she drives over and gives you a key.   So after checking in I noticed that the sink would only dribble out a small amount of water - Doc called the owner and she actually got that issue fixed.  Then I took a shower - it took minutes before the water even got warm enough to be bearable, and it was certainly never comfortable.    That's not something that can be quickly fixed, so the owner allowed us to shower in another room.  There was no trash basket in our room, but Doc saw the owner cleaning another room and got one.   She had given us each a key to the room, and this morning we walked to a nearby convenience store to get some breakfast; upon returning, the key I had grabbed before leaving wouldn't unlock the door!  I know the other key worked because I used it yesterday, but this key did not.  It was cold outside and I felt pretty bad anyway.  I called her number and got the voicemail - great.  They own another motel in town so Doc suggested I try that number, and this time I reached her.  She drove over to let us in, but none of the keys she brought with her would work.   So she left and returned with more keys and was able to open the door.    She was very apologetic and reduced our room rate by 25% and gave us $20 to buy our breakfast because of all the issues we experienced.   I'm whining and I shouldn't be; we are inside with A/C, we have a warm shower (but not in our room), the bed is comfortable, and there is food nearby.  What else could I want?  

The Plan For Now.  Doc will ride to St. Mary's tomorrow regardless of whether I do.  I will ride there if I'm feeling up to it, if not I will take another day here to rehab a bit more.  If I take another rest day here, Doc will take a rest day in St. Mary's the following day while I catch up.  Where we are in Cut Bank isn't exactly scenic, it's actually on the wrong end of town because most everything of interest is on the other end, and one might say it's a bit ghetto - so Doc doesn't want to take a second rest day here and I can't blame him.   Also, Doc had to reschedule the hotel in St. Mary's once already, and doesn't want to have to do that again because the owner has been nice and cooperative.  

The above assumes that I am even able to continue, and that is pretty much a tossup right now.  I certainly WANT to continue, but I know I can't unless my health improves.  My health SHOULD improve as the antibiotic kicks in, right?  So I guess we will see - after all, it's the uncertainty that makes it an adventure.   If I continue suffering I will be forced to abandon - but I'm not going down easy, there will be a fight.  The pain has made me extremely irritable (yes, even more than usual) and I have been planning how to deal with the cyclist-killing bear if I meet him.  If I do meet him in my current drug-induced delusional state, one of us is going down.  

I hope you have enough uncertainty in your life to make it an adventure, but that you have none of the pain I have experienced.   I have slept a great part of the day, and typing this has made me very sleepy again - good night folks...