1. There were no shoulders all morning. Not only that, they grooved the edge of the road, so I couldn't ride the white line . The people were incredibly and surprisingly mean to me. Only about 50% even considered getting over (it was a 2 lane divided highway), even when there was NO other traffic. In fact, some people made a point to get as close to me as possible, pushing me off the road. Some people even switched into my lane just so they could blow by me. Lots of shouting. And at some points, they purposefully put an 8" vertical lip at the edge of the road, so I couldn't even roll off the road and down the rocky embankment away from the cars. The only patch of nice road today was right outside the department of transportation.
2. The department of transportation was closed today. I couldn't get through to a single person to ask about a better route. The bike person's office number switched me over to the main number, which automated me over to the after-hours (???) switchboard. Nobody was staffing that, so I got automatically sent to the "backup after hours operator" that was a recorded voice telling me there was nobody there. Every other number I called rang and rang.
3. I found a bike route through the middle of town, but it turned into a freaking river. It started at about 1" of water, and I turned around and biked back several miles (and through a corn-field) once it reached my seat. I could see the "bike and pedestrian only" markings under the water. Why on earth wouldn't you put a "hey this road is flooded" sign before I waste that much time going down an impassible road. It also came up enough to fill up my water bottle with nasty creek water.
3.5 I had to turn back a second time when the road got too steep. It was about a 15° grade, which is difficult to even push up. The GPS elevation profile didn't say it would be the giant southern tip of the Appalachians, but it was. That added about 5 miles. The third time I had to turn back was going up a hill outside a hospital. The cars were too intense, and again there was no shoulder and a little rail to prevent me swerving off-road to safety. That added about 4 miles.
4. I had some fried chicken for lunch. The lady took my order (three piece dark meet combo, corn, onion rings, roll, fries, drink). She took my money and told me they only had 1.5 tenders left (at noon) and that she couldn't give me my money back because the register wouldn't open. No drink, no sides, no fun. I asked her what the heck I just payed for and she shrugged.
5. I blew two tires. Or rather, a beer bottle glass sliver cut a gash in my tire, and when I was filling the replacement with air, I discovered that there were several holes in the new inflation nozzle! So I replaced it again, but I did it backwards. So I took it off a third time and flipped the tire around the right way.
6. I had sushi for dinner. I got a roll and told them I have a serious allergy to anything spicy (capsaicin). I saw one of the rolls came out with a creamy sauce, so I asked if there was anything spicy in the sauce. She took it back to the chef, who said there was nothing spicy on it. I got one bite in, and it set my mouth on fire. The waitress was practically in tears, but just like lunch they charged me full price. Obviously I couldn't finish, and now I can look forward to getting really sick in about 4 hours. I also just learned that the "free breakfast" from the hotel tomorrow actually means you can go to the attached restaurant, and they will give you food in exchange for money. Doesn't seem so free to me, but this is Alabama. And there's an ant in my bed. Yay Alabama.
Pictures below: today's lunch and the pedestrian trail/creek.
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