Day 11, 12, 13

I'm From CT!!!!

Miles Biked: 0
0
74

Hello from Smithburg, West Virginia! You may know it is east bumble crap USA. We are staying are staying at "Family Services" that used to be an elementary school. Now all I know is that it is used as a "computer learning center" and I get free Internet! We've had a few days off, unintended and intended....

Day 11 started with the intentions to bike a WHOLE 24 miles.....while college Ben a few weeks ago would be impressed with a 24 mile ride to anywhere, HBC South Ben laughs at the face of 24 miles and demands it better be a mountain. Our first adventure before biking was to shuttle over to Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water". The house is pretty amazing. A river basically runs through the middle. Our Tour guide "Emma" showed us the sites and sounds and said the word "cantilever" about 40,000 times. Pat and I decided that if we were to own the house, we would add several slides and ladders, and rename the house "Chutes and Ladders". By the time we had finished the tour, it was very late for biking. A decision was made to drive to Morgantown instead of bike so as not to upset the church. In the mean-time there was time for an intense volleyball game between Sam, Lisa Nick and Myself VS Pat, Francis Beth, and Chris. My team lost in a close three setter. Beth's quick serve while we talked out dinner plans was too much.

Upon arrival in Morgan town we ate a Delicious meal and talked about West Virginian Stereotypes. After dinner we brought in large matresses to the church to sleep on later in the night. After placing them in the room we were sleeping in it was realized it resembled a WWE fighting ring. But of course our good Samaritan group would quietly go to bed early......or not. Shirts were ripped off, bodies flew, choke holds were choked?....even the girls got in the fight. After we left the church stinking of sweat and pain...it was time to go out for a night on the town (in the same town that holds WVU). Our spot of choice.....KEGLERS.
Keglers is West Virginian for Hooters. The waitresses decided to wear nothing and even better it was Karaoke Night. Pat and I have a history of singing Karaoke that dates back to Naples Pizza at Yale last year. The song we decided to sing to rise the crowd.....Take me Home, Country Road by John Denver......that is of course until you add in the Ben Handelman factor.

Our names were called......we walked up to the stage (corner of the bar).....the HBC crew stood on their feet....the crowd simmered......and the first note was sung. Everything seemed to be going great. Our voices were in perfect harmony, the locals raised their ears and just before the climax of the song......I changed the lyrics.
"Country Road....
Take me Home....
To the place....
I belong.......
........
........

I thought in my head....there is one place I call home and belong......Connecticut..so I yelled
"I'm from CONNECTICUT!!!" instead of West Virginia.........

The Boos poured down like the a spring frost of a record snowfall year in the Rockies. Not only had I changed the lyrics of their state Anthem......but I added in the name of a state that happens to be arch rivals in Basketball and Football....the two biggest sports in West Virginia. Pat had to survive the next two and a half minutes. The DJ pleaded with the crowd to stop booing based off our charitable ride. It didn't help. A police escort was needed to get us out of the place (well....maybe just a few HBC-ers) and no one talked to us the rest of the night. What a way to end day 11.

Day 12 brought back my identity as my passport arrived in the mail(thank you parents). I spent most of the morning at a Habitat build doing landscaping. After the build we headed to downtown for lunch. I walked to a bike shop and purchased a new seat. Apparently it is not normal to not feel the lower half of my body while biking. Day 12 was pretty boring but it was needed to recover for the West Virginian experiences I felt on lucky day 13......

Day 13.....Welcome to Deliverance
Back to the bike, as we headed out of Morgantown on our journey to my current location...Smithburg. The first 30 miles winded along a bike path where the pavement ended about 10 miles in. The last 20 miles was biked on fine gravel. Pat was having a hard time thinking of songs about 15 miles in and decided to bring out one of his old classics.....99 bottles of beer on the wall. At first I thought it was a joke.....but Steven, Colin, Beth, Emma, Andy, and Pat were in the mood. For the first time in my life, the song was sung, without abbreviation, till we struck 0. I almost stopped, and flew home......how can my life be anymore complete now? The real adventure of the day started after lunch. Our directions told us to take Rt 50....which happens to be a 4 lane highway. On the on-ramp a sign clearly read NO Bicycles among other things.......it also said "No Motor Driven Cycles" which apparently does not include Motorcycles. We were very confused. So our faithful leader Steven asked a random construction worker on the side of the road if it was ok to bike.....of course he said yes and that was all the authority we needed......up the ramp we went and into the West Virginian Wilderness.


While biking down the road, among the sound of whizzing trucks and cars.......Pat and myself heard another noise.....quiet at first......then progressively louder........gunshots. The calming sound of gun fire in the distance helped Pat and I bike a little faster until I ran out of water. I decided the smartest idea would be get off the first exit. As Pat and I exited the ramp we noticed a building immediately to our left. The closer I got the scarier it looked......rundown.....some sort of bar....one car. As I walked towards a side door I told Pat if we die, I love him.......that is when I noticed Pat had walked to the front of the building and was uncontrollably laughing. The building had a sign on the front that read in clear letters "SILK STOCKINGS.....IRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS (the first Girls was missing the "g" and most of the "s" were "2's")........25 cent Videos.....25 cent Peep Shows. A Beer sign indicating they had fresh O'Douls on tap was dark and the bar closed. I would have to wait on the water....but not on the laughter.

My ride ended right here in Smithburg. The town doesn't really deserve a name. All I see is this building and a Church. All my West Virginian stereotypes are turning out to be true. There were no showers available so I bathed by pouring water from the watercooler on my head. It was Colin's idea.....he calls it "A Thai shower" from his time visiting third world conditions. Apparently it is popular in West Virginia too (although most of the girls from our group used hot water from the sink). Tomorrow we head to lovely Spencer West Virginia......then beautiful places like "Louisa" and "Hurricane".......I am guessing I won't have Internet as we head closer to the "mountain folk" but who knows! Hope all is well with everyone!