I can't believe how happy I am. Not ten minutes after I left the house I hear a friendly honk and see Beth driving up behind me in stitches as she leans out her trucks window holding nothing other than my bra.Today is so fast. The roads have finally flattened out and I slept like a rock and ate like a horse. It's still hot though.
I crossed over into North Carolina and instantly the roads were better. I don't know if I'll get my package in sunbury, it's fathers day and the postmaster might be busy.
I pulled into the little town, found the post office and the number for the postmaster, he was there with a smile on his face and a package in his hand within five minutes.
When he handed it to me my arms sunk. I should have known better, tell my mom not to send heavy things and I get a twelve pound package. But it was awesome! Alena weighs me this awesome letter on my orange and mom sent me pictures, more subway cards and tons of food. I sat down in the shade to pack it all into phatty patty and call my dad for papas day. I rode down along the dismal swamp, it's only ten in the mornin but man it's hott and there is no shade. I flew though, probably the fastest I have ridden all trip.
Made oatmeal with peanut butter, raisins and coffee beans while talking to mom and laners in moegans corner before getting on the ride again. It was pretty smooth sailing, pretty rural with no places to pee. So I'm stuck at a red light about 45 miles from where I stayed last night and I here someone yell, GRACE!!!!! I turned around to see a tan man sticking his head out of a yellow slug bug smiling and waving at me. I was so confused, how does anyone out here know who I am, must be someone I met along the way. Then he goes did you stay in Suffolk last night? Yes I did, he's like, you stayed with my dad, we just got done having fathers day brunch. Now what are the chances of that. Wow. Well that was the end of the peaceful riding. 158 is a two lane highway with no shoulder full of tourists with their minds on everything but the road. This is so frustrating. I have already hit the dirt twice to keep from being hit and it's only been a quarter mile. I pulled off into a farmers market to regroup and fill up water bottles before trying again. It didn't get any better. I pulled off the road during traffic bursts and hauled booty when it was clear. This is so frustrating. I have been riding my bike for a month now downFrom Maine and people can't take five seconds out of there lives to slow down and give me a few inches. I feel like by the time I get to the outer banks I will hate everyone there :(I usually like drinking a beer and taking a cold shower after a long hot day of riding, not talking to police officers..I get to the bridge to the outer banks, I don't know what I was expecting, a walkway, bike lane, really even would have been happy with a shoulder. I thought I saw a walkway on the other side so I went into the resteraunt and asked the bar tender. She looked at me like I was nuts. You can't bike over that! Let me see if i can find someone with a truck. I was on about mile 90 and so stressed about he last 20 miles trying not to die I teared up a little. She didn't find anyone and I had to go before it started getting dark.I knew my options, the shoulder was about a foot then there was a step up to the railing then he ocean about eight feet down. The bridge was 3.5 miles and into the wind. I rode a across with my eyes glued to the mirror hopping onto the ledge to get my body out of the line of fire when a car got to close. A black truck almost hit me and there were a few other close calls. I had less than a mile to go, all the cars were in the left lane until I felt / heard this huge pickup on my heels. I jumped off my bike so fast ready to throw myself over the bridge to keep from getting pinned between him and the rail as I watched him rev his engine louder than a semi and speed off. I was pretty shook up but I was fine. I spend my whole day thinking every car that passes me will hit me. I am always aware of what's around me and what I would do in situations like this. Thank goodness, today it saved my life. What a relief to get off the bridge. A brown car passes me, pulls down and rolls her window down. ARE YOU OK???? I thought he hit you. I didn't see you after he swerved toward you and revved his engine, I thought you went over the bridge and were gone. I tried to chase the fucker down to give him a few choice words but the d bag just took off and i couldnt catch him, but i got his licence plate number and called the cops, they are out looking for him now. Are you ok?I instantly started bawling (big surprise) and she got out and just hugged me.Oh hunny she said, you were doing everything right. You had those big yellow bags, your blinking light and you were way over as far as you could be. What bastards. I did a big loop back around the bridge, I didn't expect to find you alive. The cops might come try tontine you, they are gonna wanna talk to you. I pulled it together and just thanked her over and over.Shoot hunny, if i had some liquor I'd give you a shot.I like her.She left and not two minutes later the sheriff in this huge truck stopped me looking like he seen a ghost. Are you ohhkk? Yes I'm ok. But it's getting dark and I really need to get to the campground and somewhere safe. I figure he'd get the hint and throw my bike in the back and we could talk on the way. But no, he just kind of starred at me awkwardly. It's gettin dark, I really need to get somewhere safe, still stares. Then he took my name and number, said he was out of his jurisdiction and I needed to wait here for another officer.Can't he meet me at the hostel? I really just need to be somewhere safe before dark, which looked five minutes away. Uh no, just wait here, really sorry to be rude, but I gotta go, I have another call. And he left. I waited a few minutes then decided my safety for the night was number one priority and the campground was about to close so I took off. Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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