G.A.S.P.

It’s a few minutes before 8:00pm on Wednesday, April 26 and I am entering today’s text today, even though I haven’t entered some yet from earlier days.  I just need to do today’s stuff right now. 

I’m in a cheap motel room that is costing me $50 plus tax for the night.  I’ve got the heat turned up high – to the point where most anyone else would be opening the door to cool off the place.  I also helped warm up the place with a long hot shower a little while ago. 

I had another miserable day today.  The weather forecast called for a 30% chance of rain that wasn’t supposed to be anything more than light drizzle.  It light-drizzled on me for about an hour after I left Bob and Esther’s house after breakfast about 9:00am.  Then the rain got a little harder than a drizzle and I put on my rain suit.  By the time I got to Middletown (about 22 miles), my feet and fingers were so darned cold that I stayed at McDonalds for about an hour and a half.  This time there wasn’t any motel across the street to tempt me.  I knew I had to go further, but decided that I didn’t have any hope of reaching Putnam, CT, my objective for the day.  I focused instead on getting to Willimantic – about 32 miles away.

As I rode through downtown Middletown, one of the banks let me know that it was just 40 degrees out here.  I pressed on.  It rained a little harder.  At some point (actually lots of points), I wished it would stop raining.  Somewhere around Hebron, I got my wish.  It stopped raining.  It started snowing.  Yep, real snow flurries.  Here in Connecticut on April 26, real snow flurries.  I couldn’t quite believe it.  The bank in Columbia told me it was 36 degrees. 

I stopped at a convenience store just past Columbia and asked about motels.  There was one just up the road (this yucky place) and one (or more) a few miles away on the other side of Willimantic.  When the guy first told me $50, I said I would go elsewhere, but then I gave it some additional thought and went back in and took the room.  I realized I wasn’t going to find anything less expensive and might have difficulty finding anything at all.  At least I’m warm, actually really warm, with intent of staying that way throughout the night.