January 18, 2005; Ozona, Texas

Off to Big Bend National Park, or at least as far as I can get. The ride was a bit cold, of course it would have helped if I had not been too stubborn to put on long johns this morning.

The sun hid behind the clouds all day. I was pissed. The dessert is supposed to be sunny, but I never even got a glimpse. At times I thought it come out from behind the clouds for a peek, but it just stayed back there, playing coy. Apparently, she felt self-conscious; uncomfortable about her circumference, shoes didn't match or some such nonsense. All I wanted was a little peek. Is that so wrong? As she waltzed off over the horizon, the moon bullied his way through the clouds to lambast me for trying to sneak a peak at his sister. He dropped the temperature another 15 degrees just to see me squirm. And I did.

I would like to say that I was freezing my ass off, but ironically, that was the only part of me that was warm. The last hour my mind wandered even more; down a Left Bound Train of Thought. Little warning here: this is odd. Not odd odd like the previous bit, but philosophical odd. On a freezing cold ride in a lonely, flat Texas highway, you have got to entertain yourself somehow.

I cut the ride 100 miles short due to the cold. Guess I will have to hit the 500 mile mark some other day. Ozona, Texas had a $25 room for me that more closely resembled a cell, but it had a roof and a shower.