100 Words – No Excuses

"I have no time for your excuses. I want the money and I want it now. So shut up, pay up or it's the sledgehammer to the balls again." He paid up. They always do. I am slowly winning the battle over the voices in my head. Their screaming has been subdued to a mere whisper. A gentle melody telling me to do terrible things. Doing the things the voices tell me to do eases the pain, but it always comes back. I think that if I can silence the voices I will silence the pain. What do you think? #100words

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Tom Week – In Oregon

5/10/19

We are staying this weekend at the foot of Mount Shasta. Which is surprisingly not where the old crappy soda comes from. It was and the 80's today but the mountain is still covered in snow. We were able to but propane today. All is well.

5/11/19

Good bike ride. Lots of hills but not much air. Beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, I forgot to eat before the ride so I've been feeling worn out all day. Tonya got to sit outside all day in her rocking chair.

5/12/19

Short ride to Oregon. Only the tourist info rest stop was closed so no Oregon Fliers! We'll have to rely on the dinky town info centers. The horror. Had to stop at Petsmart. It took a while because the GPS talking lady got very confused and wouldn't tell me how to get there until I would do a u-turn even though I didn't need to take a u-turn. The we got gas, which is weird because there is no self-service gas in Oregon. We are at another nice park with soft air and mountain views.

5/13/19

Long bike ride today. 16 miles of surrounded by mountains beauty. Some great bike paths. While I was gone Pat cleaned the bugs off the front of the RV. There were A LOT of bugs on the front of the RV.

5/14/19

We are now in Sutherlin, which my Harry Pottered mind keeps seeing as Slytherin. It's a funky park that doubles on weekends as a drive-in theater. There are some severely funky RV's and people here. We are at the venn diagram intersection of people who Birckenstocks and people who own assault rifles. The weird part is that when we checked in the clerk apologized that the cable TV wasn't working. Then when I was hooking up a voice in my head told me to hook up the cable anyway. I did and it works fine.

5/15/19

Lazy rainy day.

5/16/19

Today was one of the most beautiful drives ever. Mountains, rivers, lakes and elk. After lunch we stopped at a very funky second-hand store. I found, but resisted buying, a Hannah Montana karaoke machine and a metal Jonas Brothers lunch box. Tonight we are staying in a park full of bikers. There is a big festival in town. Who knew? Pat rode her scooter to the carnival. Later, Tonya and I went and got big soft pretzels. Yummy.

PIX

[caption id="attachment_4041" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oregon is the land of yurts[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4042" align="alignright" width="300"] Someone didn't like their McDonalds toy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4043" align="alignleft" width="300"] The erroneous mile marker[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4044" align="alignright" width="300"] The view of the movie screen from our RV site[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4045" align="alignleft" width="300"] Tonya was useless at the magnetic fishing game[/caption]

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Tom Week – Strava Success

5/3/19

Good bike ride this morning. Ten miles. Best of all I now have the 7th fastest time on Strava for a route segment in Castroville. My usual place is in the hundreds or even thousands. Rest of the day was lazy, listening to sea lions and boat bells, watching neighbors come and go. Lots of fun. Got dinner from Phil's which is one of the main reasons for coming to Moss Landing.

5/4/19

Driving through the familiar. It was nice to visit Gilroy and eat at one of our favorite restaurants. It was weird though driving so close to San Francisco but not going to San Francisco. This park is nice. We have an unobstructed view of the ocean.

5/5/19

Lots of climbing on the bike today. Just short of 1000 feet. There are way more rental RVs here than in any other park we've been in.

5/6/19

Pat and Tonya had Dr. appointments today. Had lunch at one of favorite restaurants. Later we got to visit with our informally adopted son Chester. Smiles and tears.

5/7/19

Shopping day. Running from one familiar place to another. Consumer nostalgia. Tonight I went to a comedy showcase. It is among the worst I ever saw.

5/8/19

Too cold to ride today. Where we're going tomorrow it's in the 80's.

5/9/19

Woke up to temps in the low 50's. Many miles later it's in the 90's. Ah California. Tried to get propane at the RV park but the guy couldn't make the pump work. Or the next guy, or the fourth guy. Finally we gave up. Hopefully the problem is their pump and not our tank.

PIX

[caption id="attachment_4018" align="alignleft" width="300"] This island off the coast of San Francisco is rarely visible due to fog.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4019" align="alignright" width="300"] This hang glider zoomed over the RV park a couple times.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4020" align="alignleft" width="300"] Only at a truck stop in Northern California can you see sea gulls and a snow-covered mountain.[/caption]

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100 Words – The saddle

She knew all the big horse words like dressage, cadence and farrier. I was an idiot who had no business being in a saddle. It was only my basest desires that brought me to the trail that day, hanging on for dear life atop a beast trying to throw me off with every step. Somehow my screaming failed to clue her in to my distress. I became aware of this when she yelled, "Hey, lets run this part!" She kicked her heels and her horse took off and my horse followed. The ground slammed into my face. Gravity won again.

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100 Words – Wounds

Barely awake, I lay in the bloody mud. My wounds ooze unexpected colors. The field is full of the dead, enemy and comrade alike. I alone am still alive. The battle was fierce and futile. People died on and for an empty field. Mothers and lovers will weep. The wolves and vultures are already disposing of the remains. Our God and their God look down and pity us as they share a somber drink in some heavenly tavern. No glory for the fools below. Years from now the schoolbooks will label this my greatest victory. The schoolbooks will be wrong.   #100words

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