Boerne, Tx. (Pop. 22,466)

We were up at a decent time this morning and soon headed to McDonald’s for our morning coffee and a sandwich. You know, coffee tends to get things moving, so it’s always good to have restrooms nearby. When we arrived at McDonald’s, we noticed a sign on the women’s restroom stating it was closed for maintenance. Bummer. As we sat down with our coffee and food, a woman walked past us, saw the sign, and returned to say to me, “Please don’t use the men’s restroom and don’t let anyone else use it. This is urgent!” We agreed to watch the door for her. So, when it was Dana’s turn, I stood outside the door while she made herself at home in the men’s restroom. All’s well that ends well.

I headed out for a roughly 45-mile day. I wove my way through the town of New Braunfels and eventually found my way into the countryside. For the next 15 miles, I rode along a highway with a narrow but sufficient shoulder. It was a pretty boring stretch with plenty of hills. I turned a corner into a small town and saw a coffee and bakery shop. Feeling tired, I pulled in for a chocolate milk and a pecan croissant. The snack satisfied my hunger, but my legs were still begging for attention. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do about that. After a 15-minute break, I pressed on.

The rest of the day was spent on more rural roads with no shoulders. Traffic was light, but the hills were relentless. There were times when several cars lined up behind me as I climbed as quickly as I could, which wasn’t very fast. Thankfully, they all seemed patient, and I was grateful for that.

I approached Boerne feeling pretty exhausted and ready to call it a day. The traffic was heavy, so I used a sidewalk to stay out of the way. Near the end of my ride, I needed to cross a busy street. Like a good boy, I used the crosswalk, waited for the green walk sign, and began to cross. The street was four lanes wide, and while several cars turned in front of me, they had plenty of time, so it didn’t bother me. Then a young guy in a fancy car approached and actually made me stop to avoid being hit—even though I had the green walk light. As he passed, I raised my free hand with my palm up in a “what’s up” gesture. He responded with a middle finger. I mean, really, what’s up with that? Thankfully, I survived and arrived at the PLUM safe and sound, though completely ready to call it a day. Dana had stocked the fridge with fresh fruit and donut holes, which hit the spot.

After cleaning up and resting, we headed uptown for dinner. We ate at Dodging Duck Brewing Company, where we enjoyed ribs, fries, a pretzel, sausage slices, and of course, a cold beer.

Another day in the books.

“Being kind means responding to the needs of others—and people can be kind, no matter how old or young they are.” —Fred RogersMeer informatie