Tuesday, May 11, 2010

More 50CC

I started the 50CC with a big sleep deficit. That is not too unusual for me I have a hard time sleeping most days. My usual sleep pattern is 4 or 5 hours a night with an occasional 6 hour night, I can go forever with that pattern. Needless to say it didn't happen on this ride. Part of the reason I missed sleep Monday night was beating up on myself for being a dumb ass and playing the "what if" game in my head. I know counter productive but what the hey...that's me.

I'll cut to the chase....Monday night was a little less that 3 hours from the last time I looked at the clock till the alarm went off and I had to go to work. After work Tuesday, I had to take care of a couple of last minute things I had missed Monday, finish packing the bike and go by AZDMV to get a new plate sticker. I didn't make it to San Diego until about 2200 and I still had to eat, turned out I made it to bed a little after midnight and I had to be up no later than 0330 to meet the witness at 0400 so I could start the ride at 0430. It didn't get any better.

I rode all day Wednesday, with stops to check into the Iron Butt Motel, making it to San Antonio 0215 Thursday morning and leaving the hotel at 0645. Can you see a dumb shit pattern here? From Monday night to Friday morning I had at best 10.5 hours total sleep, throw in a max of 1.5 hours of power naps at the IBH and I was in major sleep deprivation.

It gets worse . I arrive in Jacksonville Beach a little after 0200 Friday morning go to check into the hotel and find the reservation is for the wrong day, there is a major golf thingy going on and there are no rooms. I beg and plead, threaten to us his check-in desk as a IBH and promise that I will be out of there by noon. I finally get a room, go out to the bike and have another dumb ass moment....I can't find the sheet with the name and address of the ending fuel station. I go back in, ask the desk clerk if he knew which station was being used and he said "I believe it is a Gate station". Back out to the bike, look for nearest Gate fuel station and it is just around the corner. Someway manage to keep the bike upright, get the ending fuel receipt at 0252 my time (0552 EDT) go back to the hotel and fall into bed. I can't go to sleep, I stink so much from the heat and humidity I'm keeping myself awake, not only that my riding clothes smell even worse. I get up put my riding clothes in a plastic laundry bag, seal it and hop in the shower. Finally I go to sleep. My phone rings about 2 hours later, "where are you, I'm waiting at the Gate station to sign your witness form". We finally figured out I had gone to the "wrong" Gate station and he asked me to meet him in the lobby so he could witness the end of my ride and take photos of my time line and receipts. By this time it was almost 1000, I had to be out of the hotel by noon and Doug was still several hours out. I loaded up, someway managed with several stops at the IBH to make it to Pensacola, saw a LaQunita and bailed out.

After a good night's rest, food, and water the ride the next day from Pensacola to Junction was one of the best ever.

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