Shortcuts and Straightaways

Yesterday evening I enjoyed "Wreck It Ralph" (ironically) at the community park where I would be sleeping after the film. There was a myriad of people of all ages in the park, where there was soda and popcorn being sold for a relatively cheap price. It looked like an ingenious way to get the whole neighborhood out as well as generate money in a communal manner. Thw the movie wasn't bad at all either. As my sister Annie put it, Pixar really knows how to tug at your heartstrings.

So after the film I helped clean up some of the mess with some older adults. It was funny because I don't think they knew what to think of me. I looked like quite a character in the middle of rural Virginia; backwards hat, sleeveless shirt, hobo face, and bicycle house.

I chose a spot right next to a winding stream through the park. However, it was  next to a guy sitting on a bench. This guy Johnny was waiting for his girlfriend; the two were playing a treasure hunt and he had left a rose with a letter. He told me that if I saw a girl wandering through, I should guide her to the spot.

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Ralph, like the movie," I replied. 

Johnny smiled and ran off into the dark. As I finished setting up my tent by flashlight, I saw a girl in a white dress come sprinting down the small hill toward the picnic table. She snatched the letter with the rose and froze on one of the bridges overlooking the stream. Gazing down at the paper, her glance went back up the hill and she took off sprinting again. A smile crept upon my face. 

I went inside my tent, finally finished my first book "Man and His Symbols" by Carl Jung and passed out. A few mere hours later, I was awoken by dogs barking right outside my tent. It was coming from the other side of the fence that I had the misfortune of camping next to. The owner eventually got them to shut up and I was in dreamland again.

So! That brings me to today. I biked about 40 something miles on Lee highway. The shortcut was recommended by that guy Bruce (yeah..) because of the horror he told of awaiting me on the trail. I couldn't shake his words so I opted for the boring, steady elevation of the highway that shaved off a lot of milage. It was boring.

However, before I broke off the trail I ran into Ellie and Willam again. They were struck by the precipitation falling from my body. I was struck by there stamina, fitness, and awesomeness. I told them about the shortcut but my reluctance because of traffic. They advised me it should be fine so I finally decided to go for it. I hope I see them again.

I also ran into a bunch of Appalachian trailers outside the town of Atkin, VA. The one who's trail name (they get assigned these) was "Nameless" told me he had done the trail a few years ago. When I asked him how it was, he said, "It was fucking awesome. When I got home, I actually immediately thought of doing it again." The other hiker's names were "Waffles", "Jumper", "Flower", and "Big Cock". As I pulled away, "Big Cock" said, "Hey man, what's your trail name". I thought a moment and said, "Hot Wheels". Then I peeled out. Well, I kind of lost my balance and struggled out of the parking lot. It was rather funny. 

Now, I'm in a motel for the first time since Yorktown. It's nice but... It doesn't feel quite right. It sounds crazy but I miss sleeping under the stars in my tent. Corny.

Until tomorrow.

                   "Wreck It Ralph"

    The only time I really felt photogenic.