I am trying to get into touring. Physical training, figuring out routes, places to eat and sleep, equipment, etc., and of course fitting the time away into... everybody else's schedule, really. Work, family, etc.

My first little outing was just an overnight, in September. I gave my sweetheart maybe a week's notice. I head out at about 8AM. Couldn't have been but 9AM before I get a call on my cell phone, "Come home!" Her son is a sophomore in college, studying engineering. He's got questions in his class on differential equations. There is a big test in a few days. I must come home immediately so we can drive to campus and I can help him with his math.

I said "no, I am going to continue on my bike ride!" I rode about 40 miles... mostly no cell phone service out here in the mountains, but there is one town on my route with a grocery store and a restaurant and cell phone service. I hung around that town for a couple hours until her son was free and then we spent maybe 45 minutes on the phone going over math problems. He said OK, that does it. So I started back on my route, headed to the campground in the fading light. That's why I have a dynamo front hub! I got another phone call from home - he's still got questions! I said - he told me we covered the material he was worried about. That was about the end of cell phone service til the next day!

Probably two weeks before my sweetheart and I were on speaking terms again! Her son has a A so far in math! Final exams start Friday!

It's like Waldo! Find the denial(s) in *that* story!