garyahouse
newbs need the forum
Second leg of the trip, leaving Springfield, Missouri behind and heading for Arnold, just south of St. Louis. Not far into the ride, the rain clouds were boiling up overhead. Why is it such a royal hassle to get a rain suit on? Ya try it on in the store, it's no sweat: slips right on. But out on the road, all of a sudden, I can't stand on one foot without hoppin' around like a fool and can't seem to keep my balance. Is that another sign of getting old? Never seemed to be an issue in the past. And of course, it's so dog-gone hot out that my my whole body is covered with sweat. Trying to slip my arms into my Tourmaster Defender rain jacket is like trying to shove a rubber band through a funnel. Good grief. Finally get the rain suit on, and of course, it doesn't rain, and I'm sweating even harder because of the extra layer. 1 hour later, the rain suit goes back in it's sack and back in the saddle bag. Why did I pack SO MUCH STUFF in that saddle bag? Every time I open it, I'm worried that I can't get it closed again. Onward to my destination without the rain suit. Better call Jim. I'm on my way to visit an old friend from college, Jim Beller. Haven't seen him for 23 years, back when we both had brown hair. However, there's a problem. Jim's daughter has just been taken to the hospital and is facing surgery the next morning. He'd planned on my arrival, even booked me a hotel out of his own pocket, but had not planned on this. While I was trying to think of an intelligent way to say thank you, he volunteered to take me out to do something fun while I was in town. I was in shock. Sure it was just a routine surgery, but something told me to ay no: a dad's place is with his family at times like this. I declined and asked if I could simply meet them all at the hospital. He agreed and after checking in the hotel, I headed for the hospital, about 15 miles away. That's when things got rough. I put the rain jacket back on as the sky was looking like rain, and figured I wouldn't need the rain pants. Besides, it was still miserably hot. BAD IDEA. Five minutes from the hospital, someone opened up the sky like one of those pop-n-fresh containers that ya pop on the edge of the counter to let the Pillsbury Dough boy out. I mean, it exploded. One minute later, my rain jacket did it's job, but my blue jeans, my wallet, my cell phone and etc. were all totally soaked. Getting off the bike at the hospital was nuts. It was raining sideways. I slogged slowly up to the hospital carrying one of my saddlebags with my dry clothes in it. Walking into the hospital I was amazed at the amount of water that dripped off of me as I stood there in the midst of all the dry people staring at me. I headed for the nearest bathroom.
Better hold on to your hat, here's where it gets good.
I took off all my clothes and dried myself off with about 900 paper towels, patiently waiting for each to come out of the motion sensor equipped dispenser. Then I opened up the panier from the bike to get out my dry clothes. Pause for effect here: OH MY SOUL. What have I done? I brought in the wrong pannier !!!! So I started: "You lughead. You meat-head. What's the matter with you?" Anyway, gave myself a good lecture while I slowly and painfully put all my clothes back on. And would somebody please explain to me WHY hospitals have to be so cold? I had goosebumps on my goosebumps. I headed back out of the bathroom and back outside to the bike to get the correct pannier. It was still raining like all get-out. Uggh. Back into the hospital, heading again for the same bathroom.
Fasten your seat belt. You're not going to believe this:
The security guard, who has watched all this transpire from his office, says, "Sir would you come with me please?" I'm thinking, "Great. Now I'm in trouble for turning the floor into Niagra Falls and making a mess in the bathroom." Then he says, "Are these yours?" He holds up my cell phone, my wallet, etc. - all the stuff that I took out of my wet pockets earlier. Apparently, I left it all on the counter in the bathroom. "Uh, yes," I said, sheepishly. I never felt so thankful. What would I have done without them? I was a thousand miles from home. What if someone stole them? I asked, "How did..." He cut me off saying, "We found them after you left." Anyway, back in the bathroom, another 900 towels, and, and, and...
I'm not making this up. I promise you this is exactly what happened.
I forgot to mention that I placed all my reclaimed stuff in the sink while I got dried off and dressed. Seemed like it took so long to get all this done. There were a couple people who'd knocked on the door while I was in there. I said "Just a minute..." and imagined them to be standing outside the door waiting. So I was trying to hurry. Just before leaving the bathroom, I reached into the sink to grab my cell phone and wallet. And as soon as I did, the automatic sensor turned on the water. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! My cell phone was already wet, but now it was totaled. Ever wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg? I must have been working on solving that dilemma there in the bathroom, because I think I laid one. Anyway, I found myself struggling to maintain some composure.
Out of the bathroom, back out to the parking lot (it had stopped raining, thank God) put the pannier back on the bike, and finally... off to find the proper waiting room. Jim and his lovely wife Vicky were there and we had a wonderful reunion and a good laugh about the whole scenario that I just confessed to you fine fellers. Up to the hospital room, met his daughter who wasn't even born the last time I saw them, and sat quietly while daddy prayed for his little girl. By the way, his daughter made it through the surgery the next day just fine. After a great visit, I headed back to the hotel room to:
-- hang my wet stuff all over the room in hopes that it would dry overnight. They did, and after breakfast with Jim, I headed on my way a little earlier than planned as he headed back up to the hospital to be with his family. What a great guy. Jim is the pastor of the Arnold Baptist Tabernacle there in Arnold. They don't come any better than that guy. Glad his daughter made out OK.
Oh yeah, you were wondering about my phone.
36 hours in a bag of rice, and it came back to life.
However, there were a lot of people calling me during that time worrying about how I was doing. Glad the phone came back to life. 10am and headed for Omaha Nebraska for the next leg of my trip.
Stayed tuned .
Gary
darksider #44
Better hold on to your hat, here's where it gets good.
I took off all my clothes and dried myself off with about 900 paper towels, patiently waiting for each to come out of the motion sensor equipped dispenser. Then I opened up the panier from the bike to get out my dry clothes. Pause for effect here: OH MY SOUL. What have I done? I brought in the wrong pannier !!!! So I started: "You lughead. You meat-head. What's the matter with you?" Anyway, gave myself a good lecture while I slowly and painfully put all my clothes back on. And would somebody please explain to me WHY hospitals have to be so cold? I had goosebumps on my goosebumps. I headed back out of the bathroom and back outside to the bike to get the correct pannier. It was still raining like all get-out. Uggh. Back into the hospital, heading again for the same bathroom.
Fasten your seat belt. You're not going to believe this:
The security guard, who has watched all this transpire from his office, says, "Sir would you come with me please?" I'm thinking, "Great. Now I'm in trouble for turning the floor into Niagra Falls and making a mess in the bathroom." Then he says, "Are these yours?" He holds up my cell phone, my wallet, etc. - all the stuff that I took out of my wet pockets earlier. Apparently, I left it all on the counter in the bathroom. "Uh, yes," I said, sheepishly. I never felt so thankful. What would I have done without them? I was a thousand miles from home. What if someone stole them? I asked, "How did..." He cut me off saying, "We found them after you left." Anyway, back in the bathroom, another 900 towels, and, and, and...
I'm not making this up. I promise you this is exactly what happened.
I forgot to mention that I placed all my reclaimed stuff in the sink while I got dried off and dressed. Seemed like it took so long to get all this done. There were a couple people who'd knocked on the door while I was in there. I said "Just a minute..." and imagined them to be standing outside the door waiting. So I was trying to hurry. Just before leaving the bathroom, I reached into the sink to grab my cell phone and wallet. And as soon as I did, the automatic sensor turned on the water. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! My cell phone was already wet, but now it was totaled. Ever wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg? I must have been working on solving that dilemma there in the bathroom, because I think I laid one. Anyway, I found myself struggling to maintain some composure.
Out of the bathroom, back out to the parking lot (it had stopped raining, thank God) put the pannier back on the bike, and finally... off to find the proper waiting room. Jim and his lovely wife Vicky were there and we had a wonderful reunion and a good laugh about the whole scenario that I just confessed to you fine fellers. Up to the hospital room, met his daughter who wasn't even born the last time I saw them, and sat quietly while daddy prayed for his little girl. By the way, his daughter made it through the surgery the next day just fine. After a great visit, I headed back to the hotel room to:
-- hang my wet stuff all over the room in hopes that it would dry overnight. They did, and after breakfast with Jim, I headed on my way a little earlier than planned as he headed back up to the hospital to be with his family. What a great guy. Jim is the pastor of the Arnold Baptist Tabernacle there in Arnold. They don't come any better than that guy. Glad his daughter made out OK.
Oh yeah, you were wondering about my phone.
36 hours in a bag of rice, and it came back to life.
However, there were a lot of people calling me during that time worrying about how I was doing. Glad the phone came back to life. 10am and headed for Omaha Nebraska for the next leg of my trip.
Stayed tuned .
Gary
darksider #44
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