2013 Cross Country (Day 6) - 150 miles - Thursday 7/18

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Today was a slow day. We started late. Yermo slept in a bit, and I went down stairs to get breakfast at 6 am. I went to bed at 10. I can't sleep in. 

I ate breakfast, caught up on Tuesdays post. I felt a lot better, it was a day that is needed. To reboot and catch up. When I went back up stairs, it was around 8:30. I was expecting to see Yermo still dead in bed 😝 but to my surprise he was all washed up and ready to go to breakfast. 

So he went downstairs, and said he will do laundry, which we try to do the night before, but could not since only one machine was operational and it was occupied. My body seem to have adjusted to the trip. My gum is no longer bothering me, the Charley horse is waning, my back has long since been fine. I took my time and cleaned up and wrote another days of blog from the day before. 

When I went downstairs, I ask Yermo how his blogging is coming along, it would seem he has been fixing a problem on his laptop and written very little. I asked him if the laundry was done, and responded with surprise "I totally forgot to put it in the dryer." So I see the coins on the table, he hands them to me, and I walked over... I got confused, because someone had threw our cloth in the dryer already and put their cloth in the washer. I didn't know which was which and I assumed that the washer was the dryer since our cloth is in one and someone else was in another. I walked back and said... It's being used, someone is using the dryer. This girl was sitting not too far away from us, and heard the entire conversation and looked over. 

Now you are wondering, 'yun wtf are you writing paragraphs of doing laundry, come on... First world problems?' It wasn't that simple, so entertain me for a moment.

So I sat there thinking, damn I have to wait. Soon after hearing this conversation the girl got up and headed towards the laundry area. I thought, her stuff was prob in the dryer. So I sat down and surf the web on my iPad while Yermo started to continue to write. 

30 some minutes later the girl came to talk to Yermo. She was young, maybe like 17 or 18. My first thought was, "damn this old man gets some serious action" as I chuckle to my self. But alas this was not the case. She came to tell us that we had to put money in the dryer... Then she gave us 3 quarters and said "here my is almost done, you can have these quarters". I was like wow! She's really nice. 

Then I put everything together. She took our stuff out of the wash, put it in the dryer. It was I who screwed up and didn't start the cycle. When she heard us talking about laundry at breakfast, she went back to the laundry area and swap her cloth to the dryer, knowing we forgot to put money in. She could of came back and tell us, "hey your stuff is in the dryer, you need to put money in, I was the one who put it there" instead she took the opportunity to get her clothing done first and threw our stuff back in the washer. It was at this time and after 30 some minutes, she must have felt guilty and came and gave us the three quarters. And told us her clothing will be done soon. 

No big deal, but it piss me off. You must be thinking, "Omg Yun chill the fuck out", and I should. So I chatted with Yermo. What started as, I felt deceive, ended with my demons. What is really the problem? Yermo repeated the idea throughout our conversation, 'she's nobody why are you so bother'

The problem was through all the physical abuse, deliberately punching me in the stomach after I eat, and telling me I'm weak when I told her not to. It was the verbal abuse telling me I'm old, boring, and everything else that they would cover up in front of others, as if they are nice. It was the lies that comes after that wouldn't accept any responsibility for their behavior. 

She was no body, it's laundry, its whatever. But it hit a sore spot. If it was a guy that did it,I may have just been whatever. Cause they are no body. As they say in GI Joe, "knowing is half the battle" so now I know one more thing about myself. I can work on it now, now that I know what it is. 

I have been having a very enjoyable time traveling with Yermo. Most people will sit there argue with me, why I'm over reacting, but Yermo will sit there and talk about it until I'm ready to stop. Which ultimately ends up coming to some of my own revelations. I'm very grateful he was able to take his time to come with me on this journey. It was super hot by the time we left.  

When we got to pikes peak, Yermo's bike started losing power, cutting on and off. He said its probably the fuel filter. He then insisted I go ahead, since I have to come down anyways. He was going to figure it out. I didn't want to leave him doing it himself, but he was adamant of me going. So knowing Yermo, he means what he said. I went ahead. 

I met some guys about 7 miles from the top. They ask if I was going to sturgis. And then gave me the look "you are crazy". Then they added "get there before the 28th". "I think we will be there around the 28th." I said. They looked at me with, "it's your funeral" kinda look. Hahaha 

I put my fleece on knowing its gonna be 30 degrees at the top, because Yermo keeps reminding me. "It's cold as #^*+* last time I was up there".

I was about to leave, then I saw Yermo like 10 miles away in his white helmet. It was the white helmet that made it instantly recognizable. I sat and waited a good while, while watching him ride up. Damn it was awesome. 

He made it, but he look overheated and exhausted. A few days on the road, I can tell as he can tell immediately when either of us are not doing well. 

Riding up was pretty crazy. The clouds are eye level and when your going up an incline with no railings it felt as if I was riding into the clouds. I have this urge to just goose it and ride into the clouds. But I know I will end up 10k feet to my death, but nevertheless it is a compelling feeling. 

Yermo on top of pikes peak. My iphone photography skills have improved. 😛

And.... I could help it. I didn't buy it. But I took a picture of pikes peak bear

This guy from Louisiana started talk to me. He ask where we riding from. Etc etc. then he said "you guys on college vacation?" By this time Yermo was already outside. I was like.... "I'm a lot older than I look, I'm in my 30s" he was like "shit, you look like your still in college" hahaha

Coming down the mountain was a PITA people were going 3 miles an hour riding the brakes all the way day. We weren't even going fast, maybe 30 miles an hour. But these cars might as well been stopped. 

We head north with no definitely goals. We just rode. And found some amazing roads.

Notice the forest burned down from forest fire. 

We got super lost by GPS flaking. Doing loopy loop around mount Evans area. I got off the bike and ask two locals if the mountain is open, since there were signs saying detour and signs that says road close. It was confusing. But they assured use can go up the mountain.

Being up in high elevation really took it out of me. At pikes peak climbing the rock, I started losing my breath. It was exhausting. We got to Idaho spring through i70 tunnel. Very nice. I was so tired. 

I told Yermo, I had a twitter acct since 2005 or something and used it once. Maybe. I post to Facebook almost never before motorcycling. Now I'm using all the technology. It's an unexpected growth I had not considered. 

It's about time I keep up with the times. :)