Day 40: And Burton.....doesn't quite rock!

Stats from both days are combined for Day 39.

We slept in until 10:00...so it really was just like a rest day, sort of. Charlie & Steve left really early, and Alice had planned to do the Art Museum with Alan. Mark & I headed out for breakfast/lunch at a deli place in a mall. The part of Cleveland we were in was much like the Financial District in Boston - after 5 pm, the WHOLE PLACE is shut down, and it doesn't open up until the business people come back. And there aren't a whole lot of options. We did ride our bikes inside, much to the dismay of some security officer. It was probably the most exciting thing he'd seen all week long...the mall was kind of fancy-schmancy and didn't seem too busy.

The ride wasn't bad, although hillier than I'd expected. We stopped for ice cream at Dairy King (locally owned & VERY good) and chatted with a local woman. Alan, we noted when he drove by, had Alice's bike with him and therefore Alice. We later found out that Alice had not felt well that morning, had then gotten lost and was on the wrong road and was almost hit. I guess that's probably enough excitement for one day.

Dinner was at Joel's Italian-American restaurant. Dave F. and I walked down to the center of town together. The town reminded me very strongly of my hometown, with a common, and a very low-key "business district" - basically a couple of shops and a few restaurants. Dave and I talked about adversity in riding. He admitted that he really likes and thrives on adversity - the heat, the wind, the humidity, the hills, etc. Right now, my ideal day of riding is almost like the day into Sandusky: mostly flat, with a stiff tailwind, and I like about 70 degrees and sunny. Anything other than that is just a matter of finding a way to cope with it. I guess some people embrace the difficulties, and others (like me) just transmutate into ducks and extremophiles. (But then I don't have issues, I have a lifetime subscription).

Oh yeah, AND I got my violin today. Well, Laura's violin. I was so excited to play!