Day fifty-six. Shabbat Pittsburgh

Kim and I took the bus to downtown Pittsburgh, to see the city and to have breakfast/brunch. The place we choose via her phone was only open for working people - Monday thru Friday so we asked around and found out that our choice was a national chain like Dunkin donuts, bagels, or eating at a hotel restaurant. We choose the hotel and had a very nice relaxing breakfast with really good coffee, which came to the table in an insulated carafe, so I could have hot coffee the whole time. A concern of mine when eating out.
And this place has really nice bathrooms. Nice smelling soap. Little individual cloth hand towels that you put into a little basket when your done. And tomorrow I'll be happy to find a outhouse.
 I am now sitting in their hotel lobby airing my dirty laundry, I mean carrying  my dirty laundry. The biggest problem with staying at an orthodox home is you can't do laundry on Shabbat and since we had no time to do it yesterday before Shabbat we  carried our laundry with us downtown and will do it at the  laundromat  on our way back. Definitely not my idea and Kim even offered to carry mine as well. Life on the road. From the Fairmont hotel to the laundromat. I bet no one else here is planning a trip to the laundromat. But at least they'll probably have free Internet  as opposed to here where you have to be a guest or pay for it.

I just looked at the riding schedule for our last week and we are back to doing a lot of climbing. An average of 49 ft/mile, which to the non rider or anyone else who has never thought about this way of looking at a ride, it's hilly.  At least it won't be corn and soy bean fields.

So I have  given much thought, at least much thought for me, to why I signed up to take nine weeks out of my life to bike across the country.  Here it is.
A seed had been planted in my mind about 18 years ago when I heard about a mother/daughter bike ride across the country.
I got an e-mail two years ago from Andy Fischer announcing Hazon was doing a X USA ride.
The seed sprouted.
I liked biking
I have never really challenged myself.
Sounded like a good idea at the time.
End of story.

Would I do it again - no
Would I have done it in the first place if I knew what it would be like - probably not.
Will I be very happy and proud of myself for doing it - YES

And once again thank you for all the encouraging notes you sent to Jill to give along to me. I finished reading them this afternoon.  I will take you words of encouragement along with me on my last week of biking.
Not my last week ever, but probably my last week for a while.