Day 12 - Map Reading Techniques Need Improvement

I have no idea how I awoke this morning without having a large bullhorn shoved in my face with Gunnery Sargent Hartman bellowing at me. I dragged my exhausted corpse to the Gold Nugget restaurant across from the Best Western where I stayed in Wickenburg, AZ. The best omelette and service is available there. The Nugget, like the many of the other diners, restaurants and cafes I've patronized to date have a lot of historical value in their atmosphere and look. Old doors, bar fixtures and closets make me yearn for a retro-style house that I don't have to fix up. (I want someone else to do that. I've done two of those already.)

Gold Nugget Cafe

After devouring the protein laced golden delight, I strolled up the street to pass the Desert Caballeros  Museum to get to the nearest bike shop. Although my mother and father visited this museum previously and highly recommended it, I just didn't have the gumption to go in to this museum. I've seen enough westerns (including part of Back to the Future Part III) to know I just wasn't interested on this very day.

Unfortunately, at 9:30ish when I arrived, the bike shop was another retail institution that chose not to work on the same schedule as I. 11:00 AM the sign in the door declared would be the time when the I could visit the store to an open threshold.

I wandered my way back toward the hotel. to relax before checkout. On my way back I saw a building with a sign that intrigued the lexicographer nature in me. Soroptomist International of Wickenburg Thrift Shop. I strolled into the store and wandered through what happened to be the nicest and most organized thrift shop I had ever been inside before today. Now, I've visited thrift stores periodically since I was in college to obtain clothing, dishes, etc. with moderate success. I could have scored big if I were in need of any "stuff" at this location.

As I was departing, a woman working at the check out counter finished a telephone conversation. I asked her about the name of the shop and what was the purpose. I knew from the Latin root word, soro- means sister and assumed it had something to do with a women specific organization. The woman explained that this specific organization uses the profits from the store to pay for scholarships for local girls attending college...cool idea!

After a bit of time back at the hotel, relaxing, I strolled back to the bike shop and picked up a couple of inner tubes. I met the aunt of the the shops owner and we began chatting about a variety things including my bike trip and the fact that her children tuned up a bike she has owned for many years that she hadn't ridden, to encourage her to ride. Sweet kids.

Because of my babbling nature, matters regarding my pending marital dissolution and lack of time with my children emanated past my gums. I got choked up and began crying in front of this complete stranger who was so very maternalistic when I spoke of my children. She encouraged my tears. After recomposing myself and chatting with her again briefly, I advised I had to hustle back to the hotel to check out.

Upon return, I grabbed all of my belongings and my bicycle (Oh, about my bicycle, I gave it a name. It is official. I named it [It is an it, by the way. I like the gender neutrality of the bike for some reason.] F.G. Superman after a skit on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Following is a link for the skit from which the name was derived. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01xasUtlvw. Friends encouraged a number of names. Some were quite interesting, others timely, and others clever and still others based upon my life's retrospection.])...so I grabbed my other belongings along with my bicycle and tossed them outside the hotel door onto the sidewalk for loading and tie-down. After replacing the inner tube that had multiple patches, I saddled up on F.G. Superman and went to checkout. I met Kathy, a Pennsylvania farm girl transplant, with whom I discussed a variety of topics including nutrition, hunting, and soccer. She was kind enough to pose with Stanley and me before I departed for Surprise.

I again saddled up on F.G. and paused as I pulled through the parking lot noting a printing shop across the street - Kwikprint. I poked my head in the door to inquire if they could make business cards "on the fly" for me so I could hand a business card to individuals who asked about my journey. AWESOME. 15 minutes and I was out the door with 100 basic business cards with the blog address, the email address for ASTT.org, my address and my profession: Vagabond. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

Outside of the Kwikprint, I had another patron take a photo of Stan the Man and me. Stan was clamoring for his own business card, but he didn't have a wallet to pay for the typesetting.

I proceeded east on SR-60 toward Surprise. Along the way, I determined that because the road was fairly quiet and had a huge shoulder, I didn't have much of a problem taking photos while I rode. I believe that the following signs were indicative of my ride. Happy Lane isn't just a quarter-mile away all the time.

Fortunately, it's now right here!

 I realized I never took a photo from this view yet...so I did.

Vision for most of my ride when not avoiding glass, coyotes, trees and cars.

Unfortunately, I had a cognitive hiccup when reading the map. I overlooked the fact that there was an extra 6 mile section for which I hadn't accounted. Without a working odometer, I had no idea why it was taking me so long to get there...I suppose, insufficient sleep definitely affects cerebral function. Finally after some aggressive pedaling I entered Surprise.

No confetti or streamers? What gives?

Sunset just inside Surprise, AZ city lmits

Much to my glee, I was able to secure a massage in Surprise at Massage Envy for 2 hours! I needed a full body massage and boy did I get a good one. Nathan at the Surprise Massage Envy was great. As I was departing from the Massage Envy location, I asked the Argentinian born receptionist, Michelle, if she would mind hanging with Stanley and me for a photo. Well, you know the result as shown below.

Guess who got a copy of by Vagabond card. Go ahead guess.

Immediately after leaving the massage studio, I headed to a Starbucks for some caffeine and Wi-Fi. I got both and now you have the day's story.

To my friends and family, both old and new, I wish you Peace.

Until tomorrow, Tim