Scum of the Earth

The restaurant opened again at seven in the morning and as it was the only thing going for fifty miles in either direction, breakfast was settled. Nate and I enjoyed some decadent pancakes while other members of the party opted for the breakfast burrito. We thought our disconnection from the conventional grid has spared us from Michael Jackson coverage but the news media was kind enough to continue the nonsense until we had access to a TV.

With breakfast aboard it was an uneventful day's ride to Fallon, NV. When we first began the trip we talked a lot about being baked alive in the desert, anxious about the lack of services between towns. In practice, it really hasn't been too frightening. The planning is forced in Nevada, you ride from outpost to outpost. After first day jitters we've falled into a comfortable routine of seeing absolutely nothing all day. We found the park and the pool but swim lessons were in session so we planned to return later in the afternoon. Then the search was on for the bike shop. We thought we were on a wild goose chase but the address from the map led us to a separated garage next to a house. There were a few bikes inside, tools strewn on a counter, and some spare merchandise choices hanging on pegs on a far wall. Either a disappointing shop or one long since closed. The place was locked and no one was around so we stuffed our sorrows at Subway. Post-lunch we visited Safeway and jettisoned all of our extra water bottles. From tomorrow on services resume to a level that we don't need to take water above and beyond the usual. Finally, a couple pounds off the bikes.

Jeremy arranged for us to stay at the Methodist Church and we met Pastor Gary who invited us into a newly constructed church addition. It was then that the eternal tradition of boom or bust on this bike tour continued. We walked over to the library and I connected to a glacially slow wireless connection. Their internet was not feasible so I packed it back up and walked outside the library. I set my cord on top of the book drop and started to wander around looking for a different network. I sat down around the corner and watched a kid around twelve years old walk by. I nodded at him and he at me. Nothing was going on in the internet sphere so I went back to the front of the library. Cord was gone. Top of the book drop: empty. “Oh, ok... somebody just brought it into the librarian.” Jetted back into the library and asked if anyone had brought it in. Nope. The librarian opened up the book drop to check if somebody thought it was clever to stuff it in there. Nothing. “The kid, it must have been the kid.” I turned around and darted in the last direction I had seen him walking. Stopped into a corner store, a comic book place. I thought I had lost him but spotted his tee shirt down a side street. Red with the number twelve.

I caught up to him and asked him if he'd seen the cord. “No.” “Did you see anybody around there?” “No.” I was nearly positive it was him but I didn't see anything dangling out of his pocket. How hard am I going to throttle a minor without direct proof? I should have yelled at him a bit more. I went back to the library and they had pulled up their security camera tapes. I put down the cord. The little cretin walks by. I come back looking for it. There was no doubt now. I told Jordan and Nate and we ran back to the church to grab the bikes. We started to canvas all the streets in the area where I had last seen him. The kid had been walking toward the park but of all the potential assembly for that afternoon, the place had to be populated with a baseball barbeque with dozens of kids in red, numbered tee shirts. The bottom dweller had escaped. (Current language is significantly cleaner than the words chosen at the moment.) It may have been better that I didn't find him. I desperately wanted to introduce his face to the blunt end of a 2x4. Assault charges probably would've put a wrinkle in the tour. I was real mad at that point, not in a good mood.

We had been invited to dinner at the church earlier in the day so that was the next stop. I had a few bites and decided that forward progress was better than an anger stew and went back to the library. I ordered a replacement cord and had it shipped a couple days ahead. Back to the church where we indulged in cookies and soda from the church refrigerator. Fallon had been a destination of mixed reviews. While I was catching up to the kid for the first encounter he was smoking cigarettes, as were many other ten to twelve year olds I passed by through the downtown. Place was the badlands. I think the adults were scared to go outside. Or maybe they were all at the casinos and had abandoned their unwanted offspring. Crimmins was talking on his phone like mad, as usual, and we went to sleep.

Our dreams come true.

Wrong turn?

Cracked Earth.

This should tell you something.

After the pool, before the theft.