Day 85: August 27th 2009, Roscoe to ?? (38 mi)

I couldn't sleep last night. Too many thoughts, too many ants kept crawling on me and biting me. Sleeping next to railroad tracks doesn't help either. Fuckin assholes pull their horns so goddamn loud and it only echoed more underneath the bridge. Then I was cold, then it drizzled so I had to get up at 3 in the AM to move my shit. Bad spot on my part. Then I got up at 645 to bats hovering over me. "Guano!"-Ace Ventura

Again I was on the road by 7. No need to say, the road was terrible, unskateable, at least the shoulder. But the road itself was rideable at best. The tires had smoothened out the shit gravel to where I didn't lose all my speed. 30 minutes into riding the tire tracks a Texas State Trooper pulls me over.

"Weeow!"
"What are you doing skating in the middle of the road?" asked a confused young light skinned black cop
"Im sorry sir, Im going to San Diego. and the shoulder is too rough to ride."
"On your skateboard?!" he asked in shock and disbelief
"Yes, sir"
"Let me see some ID." I hand him my license "Rhode Island?!"
"Yes, sir"
"Hold on a minute" After running my license he gets back out
"We got some calls from people saying you were skating in the middle of the road"
"Thats not true sir. Im just riding the tire tracks all the way to the right. like I said the shoulder is too rough to ride"
"I dont care. For your safety, you can't skate on the road. What you are doing is pretty cool. I can't tell you not to skate, well I can, but I won't. Just do me a favor and stay on the shoulder, for your safety"
"Yes sir, thank you for being understanding"
"Best of luck to you"

So I had to take the rough shoulder. I walked, skating as much as possible 8 miles to Wastella. I was exhausted by then and it was already 10. I stopped in a little 'grocery store' straight from the 50s next to a house owned by a Mexican couple. They kindly refilled my water and gave me a delicious fat slice of homegrown watermelon. After a 15 minute break I kept moving and then, LORD BEHOLD! The road (US-84) turned perfect! I held my arms out as I rolled and screamed in happiness.
"YES! FUCK YES! THANK YOU GOD!"
And so it was, 28 miles all the way to Snyder. The cruising gave me some more of good Texas skating. And all the farmland it turned into rolling hills. For the first time since Memphis, I was pumping on the highway and the feeling that overcame me was sensational. The scenery before Snyder reminded me of the French countryside and it was gorgeous. It brought me good vibrations all the way there.

I arrived in Snyder at about 1215 and hit up the library, cooked some food and cooled down. The weather up to this point was surprisingly cool. The sun stayed behind a thick cover of clouds, until 130. And a cold front that was making its way from the northwest brought a nice cooling headwind. It couldn't have been better. 28 miles wasn't enough for one day. Lamesa, my planned stop for the next day was 64 miles west. I had to cut into this distance as much as possible today.

I left Snyder at 330. US-180 was another shit Texas road so again I rode the tire tracks, only to be pulled over again. This time by the two county sheriffs in their big white truck.

"You can't skate in the middle of the road like that! People called you in"
"Im sorry sir, the tire tracks are the only part I can ride in"
"Are you skating across the country or something?"
"Yes sir, sort of"
"Whats the reason? Are you on a mission?"
"Just a personal journey"
"The reason I ask is because we a guy walk for veterans who passed through here, but he was only going to Lubbock. You have an ID son?"
"Yes sir" Again after checking he gave me back my ID
"Just stay on the shoulder son. I know its smoother but you never know if someone can't see you or their tire pops and they swerve out of control. Stay safe and good luck"
"Thank you sir, have a good night"

Skating on the shoulder wasn't gonna happen. Walking with my bag on my back and carrying my skateboard and water sucked. And then it hit me! I had bungee cords and I had rope. I would come up with my most genius invention so far. Put my bag on the board and hold it down with the bunjee cords. Then, I would tie the rope to the trucks and voila! I could let my board do the carrying and I would just drag it. It worked like a charm and I walked. And walked some more, but it felt good walking. I wanted to try and cover as much distance as possible by 7. And I did. Then somewhere along the lines I lost one of my 1 L water bottles. It must have slipped of its strap. Fuck. But it was cooling down alot and I felt a nice tailwind. The road was so quiet. For minutes at a time there would not be a single a soul or a single sound, just the wind blowing on the grass. I couldn't find an appropriate place to camp by 7. It was time to get some distance covered. I unstrapped the bag and skated, again riding the tire tracks on the empty road. The wind was behind me and I was rolling downhill. Aaaah finally, I spotted a little bridge about 3 or four miles from the Borden county border, I could sleep underneath. What a day, I dont even know where I found this energy. Tomorrow I start my day with liter of water. I hope it gets me to Gail.