Going to the Dogs

From Janie:

Friday, October 20.  From Dyersburg to the outskirts of Memphis.  Also our 11th anniversary.

Jody and I rode from the hotel together in the morning.  He rode with me for about 42 miles, until we stopped for lunch.  Highlights of the morning?

Janie and Jody riding together, on their 11th anniversary.

[Photos by Peter Doran]

Janie and Jody, laughing about something.

Life is very good.

Jody, riding the rollers.

Another long ride for me.  (42 miles before lunch, another 9 after)

I got chased, for the first time ever, by dogs that I think really meant it.  Talk about a jolt of adrenaline.  I didn't know I had that kind of acceleration in my legs.  Lizard Brain was a big help here.  So was yelling:  "NO!  NO!  NO!  Go home!"  But mostly it was luck and traffic.  Cars going by both ways.  I didn't get hit.  The three dogs didn't get hit.  And the last one gave up before he caught me - or maybe I was out of his territory by then.  I don't know.  The mystery to me is why they chased me, then let Jody go by? 

A house with its porch, steps and roof still attached, sitting in the side yard.

Rolling hills and lessons on spinning faster up and down.  All the miles to ride that we wanted.

Jody, happy on the bike.

 

Jody was briefly delayed in Ripley TN, due to a police barricade.  We thought it was a bank robbery.  We didn't know it until later, but it was a murder.  The third shooting in seven days.  Not a bright spot in the day.

 

A day with less wind.  Balmy temperatures reaching the 70's.

Janie, in warmer weather and short sleeves. 

Watching the train run parallel to the road.

We checked into the Peabody Hotel, in downtown Memphis.  First hotel where we've had to take the bikes off the car to get to valet parking.  First hotel (since the one at the airport in Los Angeles at the beginning of the trip) that even had valet parking.  Ducks in the lobby fountain.  Inside the hotel.  No, I'm not kidding - check it out: 

Ducks in the lobby fountain.

I can't make this stuff up.

A perfect anniversary day.  Lots of miles on the bikes.  The dogs that chased me didn't bite me.  The dogs that chased Jody later didn't bite him either. 

Eleven years and counting.

 

Showers, a romantic comedy (because the Iowa Hawkeyes were a tragedy yesterday, losing to Penn State by the shameful score of 38-14 in prime time), and room service.  Celebrating eleven years of marriage.  Looking forward to more.

I'm a lucky man.
     ~Jody Braverman