On the road, again
Now the pain begins, the vacation is over and I still have 1,200 miles to go. As I right this I am watching sheets of rain fall from a black sky, as a large storm moves past this part of Texas. Moments earlier the sky to the north was lit by an eerie light, as a leaden darkness spread across the horizon to the south. Luckily it seems Amarillo is on the edge, so the wind is not as strong as it was an hour ago, and this may not be as bad as it looks. I tried to cover Blue, but the wind was so strong I decided it was probably better to just let it get wet than have a loose cover beat on the paint all night. A lady from the cleaning staff saw me struggling with the motorcycle cover and told me I could just move the bike and park it right in front of the main door, under cover. I thanked her and moved the bike, pointing it into the wind and leaving it as close to the wall as possible. it will not be completely protected but it is better there than out in the parking lot.
This is supposed to clear by morning, and I sincerely hope so, as I have 420 miles (670 km) to do before I make it to Van Buren, Oklahoma. I am not going the way I came, so this will be new territory. It may even be that I see things I like, new landscapes, but right now all I can think of is the open road ahead of me and the fact I miscalculated the amount of miles I needed to do every day before I reach Mississippi.
Today I did only 280 miles (450 km) yet it felt like twice that amount. I felt anxious for the first time in a long time, and had to will myself to release my grip on Blue's handlebars, to let go of my breathing and relax. It did not work very well and all I wanted was to get to the motel and take a long shower.
I am bone tired, the strong wind that blew across the empty plains shaking me and Blue, grabbing and letting go, punching me for hours and hours. This makes the turbulence coming off the big eighteen wheelers even harder to deal with, but you just keep pushing on. Fortunately it was not too hot. There is nothing out there other than wind and more wind. There is probably enough wind in this part of the country to power most of the US. Again I am reminded of the emptiness I had witnessed when I came by here before, as if God was unable to finish this part of the earth before He rested on the Sabbath, and then, when the new week had began, completely forgot where He had let off and left it like that.
The hotel is very nice, but the receptionist is not, asks me for my visa and driver's license like a cop at a traffic stop. I am too tired to get annoyed so I grab my things and go towards the direction she points, where my room is. A few moments later I realize I am going towards a dead end in the building and that the receptionist simply did not care to tell me that. I make a mental note of her name for when I am less tired to complain about it.
It takes a long, long shower to wash away the noise of the wind. For dinner I go to the sports bar across the street, a sports bar, the temple of fired food served among a cacophony of sportscasters blaring out scores, trivia, games playing on giant screens. The waitress was kind and attentive even though she looked tired. Some people are better at their jobs than others.
Time to get some rest, which should come easy tonight.
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