January 5th 2010. I was up at 9:00 a.m. from the field amongst the thistles behind the store. I packed and pushed the bike to the store. It was open. Not last night. I went in. There was a woman cashier. They usually say hello or how are you doing? I got two cold vitamin drinks, fig newtons, coffee, and energy drink. Eight and drank at a table. I had small talk with the woman. Cycles West after that. I went up some long gradual hills but it's only 35 miles to fort Stockton. I had two punctures. One in the front and one in the rear. The front was a patch that delaminated. The rear was caused by a radial wire. I admit I was fatigued. I checked into the deluxe motel for $33.99 a day. I had a chicken tender meal at a Mexican Cafe next to the bus station. I want to Walmart for energy mix. Ace hardware for patches on the glue. I got two 24 oz of beers, and a 24 oz tea. I ate a meal and drank in the room. I watched tv. There's a good heater in this room. Slept fitfully.
January 6th 2010. I paid another day at the motel and cycled into town. I got a patch kit a protein mix and I did email at the library. then I did laundry I got to borrow soap and ate a meal at another Mexican restaurant. It is now 9:15 p.m. that would be Eastern standard time but I am here near fort Stockton Texas. I am in room 129 in fort stockton. I have been stretching, eating, drinking protein mix, and watching TV and what was on tv? The virginian, Custer's last stand, dog the bounty Hunter. Now I'm getting ready to take a shower. I'm planning to travel farther west in the morning. I called Mary and Christina I talked to Captain vining sherman. I talked by phone to William Crowe in stuart. He has had a case of some disease. He was not feeling too good at all. I left the voicemail for Jack Cunningham. I have been drinking a lot of liquids in the room.
On the morning of the 7th I cycled West out of fort Stockton about 53 miles to balmorhea, a town of some 580 people. Time now 9:15 by Eastern Time on January 9th and Van Horn Texas. In balmorio. I cycled the neighborhood streets, found no roadside place to camp, and got to into an old abandoned small concrete building next to the Dutch oven restaurant also in disuse and abandoned. There were roadside food stands, very small, and a convenience store and a Mexican restaurant. It was dirty and cramped inside, but it was free of charge and inside. 53 miles this day.
January 8th 2010 I was up around 10:00 a.m. eastern time. The restaurant opened at 11:00 a.m. Central time. I did not want to wait. I cycle to the convenience store. I got coffee, chocolate hot drinks, some kind of junk food, drink and energy drink, and took the 2-mile road back to I-10 West. I-10 held precious little restaurant food and the 68 miles to Van Horn. Two convenience stores one truck stop a restaurant west of Kent at Cherry Creek road. No flats today no punctures. But a total of six so far on the trip.
I entered the red and white and Amber lit roads of Van Horn by the frontage Road in the dark. I was thinking of camping. I looked at the posted prices of the motel rooms on Broadway. The farther west I went the lower the prices posted. What when I got the $25 at the Kings inn I got a room number 7. As they it ain't the Ritz however it is warm with TV and the standard amenities. I cycle to a convenience store, got a 24-oz Icehouse beer, went back and drank and ate snacks and watched TV.
