This post was written before I left for my trip because I know from experience that not only will I give a number of [fill in your preferred vulgar noun]s less than zero about writing, deadlines, and grammar while on my annual best vacation ever, but internet access is notoriously unreliable during Ragbrai.
It’s Ragbrai Day 2! Or, as I like to call it: The Day of Suckage. Day 1 is a bright, fun, happy, go-go-go sort of bicycling day. You hop on the bike and just keep going because the scenery is new and the whole thing is exciting a fresh and full of wonder and joy. Newbies draw black V’s on the backs of their calves (for “virgin”, of course) and everyone goes at a good speed. It’s all smiles and laughter.
And then we all sleep in a tent, and wake up stiff and sore, and hate the world. We get back onto our damned bikes anyway, because we paid for this, goddamnit, and it’s fun, goddamnit, and I want a piece of damned pie, goddamnit. Pop some painkillers and slather on the sunscreen and butt butt’r. Find something to laugh about or suffer my cranky wrath.
It gets better. On Day 3, I’ll feel mostly human again, and on Day 4, I’ll hit my stride and cruise through the rest of the week to glory. Or something horrible will happen, like I’ll blow my knee out or crash. You never know. Anything is possible. Optimism keeps you young, or so I’ve heard.
At the end of this week, I’ll pack up and head to Indianapolis for GenCon. If you’d like to stop by and say hi, I’ll be at table T in Author’s Avenue. That’s the puke green section of the Exhibit hall map. I’m on the right-hand side of that section, in the middle parts of the row capped by the memorably named Th3rd World Studios and Brain Lag. Hope to see you there!