Friday, April 17, 2009

I Got Real Lost In Carmel!


<====Advertising on the water bottles at the media center. Carlos approved!

So, it was a beautiful day at Sea Otter. It started out cool, then got progressively nicer, until it was rather sunny. Of course, I hadn't even considered being in the sun makes sunburn happen. I mean, I have been in Iowa for the winter!

So, I am red. Not really bad, but, ya know, I got burnt.


<===Ducati bikes on display

I ran around on foot all day, which makes for some really tired dogs, foot pads, earth stompers.....yeah. Tired! And hungry! So it was that Mr. 24's boss invited me out to supper. He says to meet him at the Carmel Inn and Suites and gives me some directions. I walk back to the car, look at my map. The streets he told me about were there, so off I go.

Well, I get to Ocean Boulevard, turn down it, and find myself in old downtown Carmel. If you haven't been there, it looks like a quaint, small, perfectly idyllic California movie set. Well, sorta like a movie set! The roads wouldn't pass for any wider than an alleyway in Iowa, and the vegetation is so thick and overhanging, you can't see down intersections.

<===Jeff set the Ergon tent in the wrong spot, so he, Sonya, and a couple helpers move it to the correct spot.

So I finally find myself at the ocean. Yes.....that ocean! And I have to turn so I can supposedly find my way to this motel. Well, I was in residential Carmel where the streets are even narrower and more overhung by vegetation. Slow going! I finally get out to the highway and do the unthinkable- I ask for directions. The guy said he'd never heard of the Carmel Inn and Suites, but there was a Carmel Mission Inn right near me. So, I check that out. Nope! Nobody from Ergon there! Well, by this time I am about bonked. I needed to head for the shed or be at greater risk of accident then need be. So I high tailed it back north up the #1.

<===Could this be Carlos' version of heaven?

I got back to Marina in one piece, had a couple gas station burritoes, and my remaining Negro Modelo's that were chilled in the fridge. Some Mexican dinner, eh?

Ah well! It's all good!

Tomorrow is SRAM's big press conference, and other goodies will be handed out, me thinks. Stay tuned!

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