Good Old New Jersey

Wednesday.

Today was a gray day. From the get go the smell of coming rain was in the air, and the skies grew darker the nearer you looked to the horizon, like a reverse sunset. Whatever weather was in store, the wind was whipping it stiffly in our direction. I usually find some time during these kinds of days to turn to Joe and say, "Lovely fall weather we're having, eh?" And that's just what it was like. Halloween weather. A day like this you open your door and take one look at the sky, and you pause and then shiver a little out loud and then shut the door firmly and head for your nearest wool sweater. And slippers. And huge blanket. And as you put the kettle on you debate whether to watch The Goonies first or The Princess Bride. Or The Neverending Story. All great choices, and you'll pop them in the dvd player (or VHS if you're old school like me) one after the other, a new cup of tea and maybe a snack to start each new adventure. But one thing's for sure: no matter what you do today, you're not taking one step outside.
This is what I'm thinking as I pack up my damp tent this morning behind Wal-Mart. Yesterday it was 90--that was nice. The wind cuts easily through every layer, and my fortitude just doesn't seem to cut the mustard. Am I getting wimpy, I wonder? I mean it's not even raining yet! I've seen worse than this, like New Mexico when I woke up sick as a dog and the water bottles were frozen and we had to go climb a mountain. THAT was a rough morning. This is..

..well, this is three days from the end. I strap on my last bag and raise my head to scan the northern skyline. Not a good day for riding. Lazy movie day, yes. Carving a pumpkin, maybe. But not riding. The wind nearly blows me over as I make my first pedal strokes of the day. We're headed to central Jersey this morning. 65ish miles. Tomorrow a place called Cheesequake, but all I care about is it's 20 miles from Nicole's house. I can't believe we're this close. The rain starts before we've gone 10 miles, and it's cold rain. But I'm impermeable now, sustained by my mantra: Three days left, finish line in sight.

And so, we ride.
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