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From the Road: Day 8

Where to start this, my latest entry? How about in the morning as all good entries before have started. I woke this morning to the sound of a Waltz and the smell of blueberry pancakes. Well the pancakes were started after I woke, but I could smell the anticipated pancakes. After eating three hefty pancakes smothered in syrup (only the real maple syrup, not a cheap knockoff) prepared by our host Emily (who is a rather nice gal who can cook blueberry pancakes like no other) I headed outside to meet my interviewer. Wait, what’s that you cry, interview? You are supposed to build up to springing this kind of information on us, the readers. To that I respond, as an unicyclist, I can suddenly announce any information I want to. The reporter that led the interview (and taped it as a matter of fact) was named Mike Desumma (but don’t quote me on that, his name might have been Todd, but I seem to recall it being Mike) was a great guy. He put me at ease with his witty banter and before I knew it I was unicycling around as he filmed me. As I told him about my mission to bring awareness of melanoma he filmed me, Betty, Michelle, and Emily. At one point he was chasing me with the camera as I unicycled around. Did I mention that he was cool? No? Well he was. 

After spending about an hour on my interview, which you should have already watched last night on the Bangor news station 2 at 6 pm, I headed out. The day started fairly cloudy and I started by wearing sweat pants (aka sweet pants), as you who have watched my interview will already know, but I quickly stripped these off to my biking shorts and red shorts. Many of you reading this are probably hoping I then mention how I stripped these off as well, but this did not happen. Regardless of what people in Orono may tell you, this did not happen.

As the first part of the trip today was rather uneventful I will now fast forward you to the good parts. Svwwwwwwiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrr, srvirrrrrrrr, svirr. I lightly pressed down on the pedal, coasting along the flats. Svirrrrrrrr, svirr, svir. The sun quietly peered down upon me as it slipped between the sviiiiirrrrrrr, svvvviiiirrrrrrr, svir. Ah! Here we go.

In Clifton, Maine, we set GiPS to send us to a Baptist Church where we planned on recuperating. Figuring it was slightly past 1pm we did not think anyone would be around. Boy, were we surprised. And not in the bad kind of surprised, like you open the bathroom door and see the last person had forgotten to flush the toilet. No, this was the good kind of surprise. Sort of like finding a long lost relative after discovering they were still alive. At the Baptist Church in Clifton we ran into the end remnant of a Bible study or some other such gathering. As I unicycled into the driveway a pleasant woman was out letting some kids get some fresh air. She waved us over and after I explained I was unicycling across New England to raise money for melanoma research, she told us we should join her downstairs and she could introduce us to more people. Down the stairs there were a couple of other people including Mary Bragg (with two g’s, no more, no less). Interesting fact about Mary is that she is 90 years old (according to our sources) but does not know how to unicycle. You can see a picture of me and her out in front of the church sign. I am the one near the unicycle. (Picture coming soon)

The people from the church let us take some cookies and brownies as we left which all turned out to be much as you would expect from the women from a church group, and by that I mean simply scrumptious. I believe I am eating better on this trip than I usually do, which only make sense when you think about the incredible amount of carbs and calories my body is burning. It’s like a machine. The church folks also warned me of the impeding hills. Let me tell you something, if church people tell you there are hills up ahead, than there are mountains up ahead. Somehow, while I was sleeping the Himalayas must have snuck up ahead of me and were laying in wait for innocent unicyclists to approach. Luckily for me, I was in peak physical fitness and ate the hills like blueberry pancakes. Have I mentioned the blueberry pancakes yet? They were fabulous. 

Before this gets too long I should tell you I am currently injured. While pedaling down a hill I managed to hit a place where the pavement was no more and take a spill over a guardrail. It was quite spectacular and I ended up with a bloodied elbow from the experience. A Good Samaritan in a Hummer stopped to comment on the awesomeness of what just unfolded and to make sure I had no broken bones. After seeing no bones sticking out he told me that what I had done was probably one of the greatest things he had ever witnessed (or at least I think he did, I was still a little shaken up from the fall). I then continued trekking and passed the 300 mile mark. 

All is on schedule and I’ll be at the Lighthouse on the First of June, probably around 4 or 5 pm. Happy reading and good night.

-Uni Bates

(P.S. if a campground offers free Wi-Fi I expect them to deliver. Do not WEP protect your Wi-Fi and not provide the password)

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