Tales From the Laundry Room
Since Astoria, we've ridden some longer days, anywhere from 65-75 miles. A couple of those days involved some lengthy hills. Today, we had a 65-mile day, with some hills, but these were gentle and along the coast. The views were spectacular. I couldn't get enough of the tall cliffs, the waves crashing against the rocks, the sea gulls, the sea lions, and the whales. Whales! Just incredible.
One of the really fun things about doing a ride like this is all the different walks of life I encounter. Today, I met a couple from Las Vegas. I had just finished showering and was walking back to camp when they pulled in to do their laundry. The gentleman asked me how things were going, and I told him getting the road dirt off after a rainy morning felt wonderful. He thought I was riding a motorcycle. When I said no, a bicycle, he got that look of surprise so many give me when they find out what I'm doing.
I returned to the laundry room shortly after to do my nasty clothes, but the couple had used all three washers. They apologized profusely. No worries, I said, assuring them I was very content to just sit and read my book. Only I didn't read. He insisted on talking, and I learned they've been traveling since early June. They travel each summer to get away from Las Vegas. They've been all over the western United States as well as the middle of the country. Not so much in the east or southeast. Both are retired. He from ranching, raising horses, and she from teaching elementary school. Their kids are in the 40's and have children of their own. They've been to Europe and cruised down the Danube. Just a lovely couple.
All of this I learned in a small laundry room at an RV park in Florence, OR.
After they left, another woman came in to do laundry. She had forgotten her detergent, and when I offered her one of my pods, she looked at me with happy surprise. She told me she was doing her son's laundry and set about getting it into the washer. Then she began putting in the quarters but couldn't figure out how to do it. I showed her, and again, she looked at me as if I was the nicest person she'd met in a long time. She left for a bit, and as I was leaving after finishing my clothes, she was walking towards the laundry room. She stopped me and asked me if I was married. Yes, I said, to which she said darn. She'd told her son about me and was hoping I was available. She said she'd told him how she'd met the nicest person at the laundry room and that he should meet me. He's 38, she said. I laughed, telling her even if I was single I was too old for him.
Tomorrow is a shorter day. We roll into Coos Bay. I'm hoping to meet more interesting, funny, delightful people there.
One of the really fun things about doing a ride like this is all the different walks of life I encounter. Today, I met a couple from Las Vegas. I had just finished showering and was walking back to camp when they pulled in to do their laundry. The gentleman asked me how things were going, and I told him getting the road dirt off after a rainy morning felt wonderful. He thought I was riding a motorcycle. When I said no, a bicycle, he got that look of surprise so many give me when they find out what I'm doing.
I returned to the laundry room shortly after to do my nasty clothes, but the couple had used all three washers. They apologized profusely. No worries, I said, assuring them I was very content to just sit and read my book. Only I didn't read. He insisted on talking, and I learned they've been traveling since early June. They travel each summer to get away from Las Vegas. They've been all over the western United States as well as the middle of the country. Not so much in the east or southeast. Both are retired. He from ranching, raising horses, and she from teaching elementary school. Their kids are in the 40's and have children of their own. They've been to Europe and cruised down the Danube. Just a lovely couple.
All of this I learned in a small laundry room at an RV park in Florence, OR.
After they left, another woman came in to do laundry. She had forgotten her detergent, and when I offered her one of my pods, she looked at me with happy surprise. She told me she was doing her son's laundry and set about getting it into the washer. Then she began putting in the quarters but couldn't figure out how to do it. I showed her, and again, she looked at me as if I was the nicest person she'd met in a long time. She left for a bit, and as I was leaving after finishing my clothes, she was walking towards the laundry room. She stopped me and asked me if I was married. Yes, I said, to which she said darn. She'd told her son about me and was hoping I was available. She said she'd told him how she'd met the nicest person at the laundry room and that he should meet me. He's 38, she said. I laughed, telling her even if I was single I was too old for him.
Tomorrow is a shorter day. We roll into Coos Bay. I'm hoping to meet more interesting, funny, delightful people there.
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