24 May 2012

Mineral to Charlottesville VA 45 miles  (TransAm 215)

Gina loved Marley. Loved him in Czechoslovakian, the first language in which she saw his movie while killing time on a rainy day in Prague. Loved him in English when she read his book cover to cover. And loved him again when she watched his movie back home in the States. Gina loved him so much that she sobbed each and every time she bore witness to his passing. But Gina did not love the Marley that chased after her on her bicycle today. He didn’t sound like a particularly ferocious Marley, more like a Marley that wanted to have a little fun, but any Marley chasing after your bicycle is typically not a welcome Marley. Maybe this Marley had heard about how much Gina wants a “basket dog” and just thought he would audition for the part.

Or maybe Marley wanted to see Monticello, one of the stops on today’s ride from Mineral to Charlottesville. Gina, not wanting to deplete her Treat Budget before even leaving the state of Virginia, opted not to tour Thomas Jefferson’s house and grounds ($25) but instead to watch the 15 minute educational film ($0). History lessons are good but better when they are free.

Arriving first at their Inn for the evening, Gina (along with her roommate Wendy) was happy to find a bed with her name on it. No worrisome tent and thunderstorms tonight. Instead, an opportunity to dry things out, walk to town for a margarita, and get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow starts the Blue Ridge Mountains and I’m thinking maybe, just maybe, there might be a hill or two to climb.

Here at home I am trying to get my head around what this new item is adorning the building lobby:

To me it looks like rubbish, but obviously someone in the building thinks it’s beautiful. I’d willingly grant them that if, say, it was put together by their 3 year old grandchild especially for their doting grandma, but I have a feeling it was simply collected because it existed and one can’t throw out a good Country Crock container full of polished rocks and dried poppy pods. We can only hope it vanishes as quickly as it appeared.