I started the day very strong. But, about 20 miles in I realized how fatigued my body was from a week of cycling. This would be a long day.
I fixed my first roadside flat. I stayed calm and everything went according to plan.
About 30 miles out I met a cyclist who was finishing the last leg of his cross country tour from Virginia. I should have been more excited for him, but I was pretty tired from my own ride. What do you say to someone who is 30 miles shy of biking across the country?
In Eugene my easy-going, plan-as-you-go, it-will-all-work-out, approach to planning almost got me in trouble.
My three Eugene leads were Mr. Gibbons, Lady LeeAnna, and Mrs. Lia.
A phone call from a pay phone confirmed that Mr. Gibbons lives out of his car and sleeps in his office. There is only room for him in his office. He has to find a place soon.
Mrs. Lia lives in her dads office where there is, of course, only room for her.
Unknown to both parties, a pre-bicycle-trip email addressed to Lady LeeAnna was lost in cyberspace. My only way of contacting LeeAnna: her street address she gave me in the winter. The address took me a few miles outside of town up one of the more wicked hills in Eugene. I used the last drop of fuel from my reserve tank to climb the hill and find no one home. The next day I learned that she had moved to a place much better situated for biking.
While the bike-tour-elves in Davis worked busily to find numbers of friendly people to host me, I aimlessly cycled about soaking in this new Eugene place. Next to the campus I find a pile of bicycles in statue, behind that a garden, behind that a funky 3 story dwelling, and beside that dwelling I see a man juggling 3 machetes. What luck! I have found the Campbell Club and the Lorax, two student co-ops at U of O.
Inside, the Campbell Club was art-covered and maze-like. They agreed to put me up for one night in the attic. Whew. Before going to bed I played my harmonica for the stars on their roof.
Thanks Fritz & Campbell Club!
I am in! (Eugene that is).
See below how I colonized the Campbell Club.
Cleaning up at "the club"
Climbing up to my attic abode.
Relaxn' on the Roof.
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