Back to Day 8

4 PM

We began our day with a wonderful asparagus and mozzarella frittata at the hotel, then set out for our short 30 mile day. As Dana was getting the bikes ready, he had a small panic attack because he couldn’t find his helmet. It was hard not to just watch him run around in panicky circles, but I took pity on him and pointed to the helmet on his head.

It was a nice ride. We forced ourselves to take a butt break at mile 12, on the Delaware.

I texted the kids to remind them to call Dana because it’s Father’s Day. Katie called.  Bill texted to remind me that Father’s Day isn’t until next Sunday. I told him to call anyway, which he did. Good boy!  But… 1) I’m impressed that we knew it’s Sunday, Father’s Day or otherwise; and 2) I just hate when Bill is smarter than me about anything. Scares the crap out of me.

We rode on the PA side of the river until Riverton, then crossed back across the Delaware into Belvidere, NJ.  A wonderful little town with lots of services, and a beautiful town center that looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. We had lunch at Skoogy’s – a Skoogy special sub, Tastee Cake pies, and milk shakes. (We’re out of frappe country now, a milk shake is what us New Yorkers think it should be.)

The reactions we’re getting to our story are getting better. Now, it goes like this:

Them: Nice day for a ride.  Where are you headed?

Us: Key West

Them: Oh, that’s nice… wait… what?  Key West? Like in Florida? No! Really? No!

We got to Phillipsburg, NJ around 2:30, and immediately crossed back over the Delaware to Easton, PA. Found the Genesis bike shop. Dana needed to have his rear derailleur fixed, and I needed a new seat. My butt is KILLING me. I also wanted new pads for my helmet, but what I really need is a new helmet, and I can’t handle that right now.

So I tried a different seat, which felt exactly like my current seat, and then I tried a Selle SMP, which the guy said is the Bark-O-Lounger of bike seats. I think I’m in love. But now I want to move the seat a little, and we can’t loosen the bolt holding it in place. I will ride with it for a while, and mabye move it when we pass a hardware store.

We are now in a room at the Quality Inn. Doug is here. I can’t take a picture of Dana and Doug yet, because Dana is wearing only a towel, as it is laundry day. I am wearing my bathing suit – which I have not used for swimming yet on this trip, but it makes a great laundry-doing outfit. I hate laundry rooms – in motels, in apartment buildings, anywhere. And today I went to do the wash, but the machine was full, so I had to wait half an hour, and then the lady put her stuff in the dryer, so I did my wash, but then another guy wanted the washer, but she hadn’t taken her stuff out of the dryer, so the guy took her stuff out and I put my stuff in the dryer and he put his stuff in the washer, but then the lady came back and took my stuff out of the dryer and put her stuff back in. So then I apologized, and her jeans dried, and she gave me $1.50 for the next dryer cycle, and it turned out to be a very pleasant public laundry experience.

10 PM

Just got back from dinner in Bethlehem with Doug. He gave us a tour of the town – Lehigh University (where he works), various neighborhoods, and Bethlehem Steel.

Had dinner at Sal’s Brick Oven Pizza, which was delicious. Check out the garlic bread!

Here are Dana and Doug at Sal’s – you will be happy to note that Dana is no longer dressed in a towel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to Day 10