On Saturday, October 4, I was up bright and early at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for a bike trip with Jordan! We’d originally planned a month-long ride, but he got extremely busy at work, so we had to reschedule it for a weekend. He was thinking of riding the entire 57 miles of the New River Trail on Saturday and then doing the out-and-back Greenbrier Trail on Sunday, which would total 156 miles.
I started packing as we’d planned to head out around 11:00 a.m. Jordan thought that he might need a bit more fluid in the tubeless rear tire, but he hadn’t ordered any yet. So, we figured everything as good as we could get and proceeded to head out to Galax, West Virginia. After 20 minutes, Jordan was feeling peckish, so he decided to order a sandwich from the Jersey Mikes App. Since I had it on my phone, he ordered, and then I paid through the app. As usual, I assume he will have these convenient reasons why I need to pay for this trip. We were glad we’d ordered ahead of time because when we arrived, there was a very long line! So, it was definitely the start of a great day!
The drive to Galax was uneventful, and by 2:10 p.m., Jordan was prepared to begin his journey. I proceeded to Draper, where I parked the vehicle and prepared to ride in reverse. However, the drive, payment for parking, and unloading the bicycle consumed a significant amount of time. Consequently, I was optimistic that I could cover at least 10 miles before meeting him.
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At 3:30 PM, while traversing the New River Trail in a southerly direction, I encountered a momentary lapse in memory. After covering 1.8 miles, I hesitated to proceed without confirming that my vehicle was securely locked. Although this was a minor inconvenience, it serves as a reminder of the challenges that come with advancing age and the tendency to overlook simple tasks. We had laptops (his work and my MacBook Pro) and other valuable belongings that needed to be as secure as possible. An inadvertently unlocked car would not achieve that goal. When I returned, it was locked, so I resumed my ride on the trail at 3:50 PM.
There were many picture opportunities, so I was now making great time! I met up with Jordan 7.5 miles out. He was riding fast! Even with the pedal assist, I had to work to keep up. However, I was tired from the almost 4 hours of driving. I was surprised as he said this would be an easy day to prepare for tomorrow. Once we returned to the car, he wanted to ride to the end and then ride back to Draper. I loaded my bike and prepared to leave as soon as he finished his ride, as we had a 2.5-hour drive to the hotel.
I’d packed everything efficiently and figured I’d swing by the Draper Mercantile kitty-corner from the trailhead. I tried calling Jordan to let him know I’d be there instead of at the trailhead. But no luck, he didn’t pick up! So, I hung out near the trail. When I finally spotted him, I drove over to the Mercantile, and he followed me. When he got there, he immediately scolded me for calling when he was “riding my ass off on gravel.” I apologized, of course. He’s extremely critical and always seems to think his own needs are the most important, which is somewhat reminiscent of his mom. I’ll keep trying my best, but, like his mom, I feel like I’ll never measure up!
The drive to the hotel was hard as I was exhausted. Jordan wanted to get a few things at Walmart, and since there was gas there, we would fill up the car. Once we arrived, he immediatly headed to Wal-Mart and left me to fill up with gas. So I will continue to pay for the trip. Once I finished filling the car, I drove close to the entrance and waited. He texted me and said the tap-to-pay feature did not work. He asked if I could bring my credit card in to pay. So I did, and he was frustrated that I was slow in getting into the store.
During our work trips, he utilized the accumulated travel points to secure hotel accommodations. Upon check-in, he prepared for the Greenbriar Trail excursion. I concurrently watched the North Dakota State versus Illinois State football game and took a refreshing swim during halftime. Jordan retired to bed at 10:00 PM, while I diligently worked on compiling images and videos in the adjacent room. Throughout this time, I indulged in pretzels, as my food intake since breakfast had consisted of an apple, nuts, and a protein drink. However, Jordan expressed his disappointment in my consumption of pretzels, prompting me to cease. Subsequently, I resolved to retire to bed, endeavoring to maintain a silent demeanor to facilitate his restful sleep. Upon donning the CPAP mask and activating the machine, he exclaimed, “What is that light illuminating the entire room?” Consequently, I promptly covered the screen to prevent another episode from occurring.
I am happy I did get to spend some quality time with him today. I will take the bad for these good times any day, as I know my opportunities are decreasing with age. And as for me paying for everything on accident or on purpose, I am financially stable, and he can get it now or when I die, it would be there anyway!
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