30 June 2012

Ness City to Leoti KS 81 miles (TransBallard 2,050)

Phone Conversation:

Gina: The nice thing about staying in the churches is that you have even more space to spread out individually as well as to hang out as a group than in the motel rooms.

Dena: Yeah, I guess it’s like you’re staying in a house, huh?

Gina: Yeah, like a house.

Dena: Actually, you are staying in a house. God’s house.

Gina: Yes, but there’s no alcohol allowed in God’s houses.

By my accounting, and this is loosely based as I don’t have all of the numbers in a spreadsheet, Gina has bedded down for the night in about two dozen churches (thus far). And clearly she enjoys them, except for the part about not allowing any spirits inside (besides the holy ones). Not that Gina is a boozer. But take this evening, for example. Our TransAmming group, half of whom set personal bests today pedaling 81 miles in 6.5 hours (thank you, Jesus, for the tailwind), is being treated to a night out at a Mexican restaurant. Now what comes to mind when you think of dining on Mexican food? Chips, salsa and margaritas. Settling in at Charlie’s Mexican Restaurant, we have chips – check; salsa – check; margaritas – what, no margaritas? Dios mío, Carlitos, what the hell kind of Mexican restaurant are you running here? In light of this disappointing news, I am wondering if the possible upside is banking what one would give up for Lent next year, as Gina could start counting tequila towards that today. Not that she observes Lent, but after all these nights staying in God’s houses, maybe next year will be different.

Something else Gina nearly gave up today? Meat. After cycling past several feed lots, she was thinking of becoming a vegetarian but this would present two difficult hardships: (1) that she would no longer be able to enjoy a juicy, flavorful, grilled-to-perfection steak and (2) that when we bike tour around Europe and eat out in countries where we don’t speak the language, which is any and every country and cafe, she would no longer have reason to ask every non-English-speaking server in the joint if the menu includes chicken. This comes out as: “Chicken? Chicken? But do you have chicken?” Nope, there’ll be no giving up meat. Besides, then she’d have to throw her Cheeseburger Diet out the window too and that would be a cross too big to bear.