The first control on the Athens 200K route is the same first control as the Chops & Hops Populaire. In my last blog post on 12/30/19, I wrote about the outstanding biscuits at this convenience store. Although I didn't get a biscuit yesterday, I stood in line next to a woman who was getting some. She said that she goes there seven days a week to get biscuits for her husband and her for breakfast. That's a fairly long haul because she said she lives in Between, which is on the other side of Monroe from the convenience store. Later I told Robert about this woman getting biscuits every day. He was amazed, saying how extreme that is. As someone who rides 200K or longer for "fun," I simply think the woman has good taste in biscuits.
About 85 miles into the ride, I realized that we had ridden quite a distance. It's amazing how quickly the miles fly by when you're with good friends. Graham had a great quote: "We're loners, but we're togethers, too." That's one of the best and most succinct descriptions I've heard of us tail-end-of-the-bell-curve people who do ultra riding.
Additionally, riding long distances gives us time to ponder philosophical questions. For example, because cows have four stomachs, does that mean that they have to take four times as much Maalox as a human?
Ian described a category in the board game Cranium in which you have to hum a song for others to guess. He said it was really difficult to hum "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees. I thought about that later and ran a test case on Robert. I hummed it for him, and he guessed it right away. Apparently, Ian needs to work on his humming skills. By the way, I would pay money to hear Ian hum "Staying Alive." I couldn't get him to demonstrate.
Late in the ride, I noticed Ian's socks as he was pedaling in front of me. The backs of his socks were blue and fuzzy, reminding me of Cookie Monster. He said that they are possum socks from New Zealand.
(mic drop)
I don't know that I have truly coveted anything before. Apparently New Zealand possums are much furrier than North American possums. But then I worried that possums were harmed in the making of the socks. I did a little research later. This species of possum is unrelated to the North American possum. It was introduced from Australia to New Zealand in 1837 to bolster the possum fur trade.
Finding abundant food and having no natural predators, the possums became a non-native, invasive species in New Zealand. This is exacerbated by the fact that New Zealand is isolated geographically as well as from an evolutionary standpoint. Possums overgraze native plants and prey on the eggs and chicks of endangered New Zealand birds, including the iconic kiwi.
Possums are exterminated in New Zealand as part of conservation efforts. It just so happens that their fur also makes great socks and other apparel because it's insulating, it absorbs moisture, and it's lightweight. Maybe we all should get possum socks, a la Oprah: You get possum socks! And you get possum socks! Everyone gets possum socks!
I was laughing to myself all day because I was the only native Southerner on the ride. I'm sure no one else put on black eyed peas to soak before they headed out at o' dark thirty for the ride. Also, no one else was anxious to get home to cook black eyed peas and collard greens for New Year's. Fortunately, I got home in plenty of time to cook our traditional New Year's Day feast for Robert and me: grits & greens, cornbread, baked sweet potato, bacon and black eyed peas.
Happy New Year!
