My Dinner with Donald

Milaca to Cambridge, Minnesota. Thursday, June 17, 2021

Well we weren’t Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, but the conversation was just as riveting. Dr. Donald Deye turns out to be as charming in person as he on digital media, and we talked nonstop for 2 1/2 hours. I thought for sure he would need to get back to get ready for his trip to Louisiana, but his wife was working that evening and he was happy to have dinner with me. I was happier. It was great to hear his origin story, how his career path somewhat paralleled mine, how the MKSAP Audio Companion was entirely his idea, and our many shared experiences. Two examples: we are both married to nurse practitioners, and we both spent time at MIT.

As we left the restaurant, we chatted with two lovely couples outside, and I took their picture.

It was only then I realized I was so wrapped up in our conversation that I never got a picture of Don himself. Fortunately, he also realized the omission and texted me, and we exchanged photos. Still, I was hoping for that “money shot” of the two of us together. Maybe I can get one of my children to Photoshop us together.

Also outside the restaurant was a street concert, they had barricaded Main Street and a number of bands were playing lovely music. Such a wonderful evening I don’t think my wheels touched the pavement as I biked back to the hotel.

Compared to that experience the earlier part of the day was rather prosaic. I had to rush a bit, but was helped by the terrain and the wind. Troy, the “trail angel” that had helped me last night, came back again to let me into the locked bathroom, and I was able to get his picture.

I stopped for a Coke at a bar about halfway there, and chatted with Rob and Leslie, on their way up to Mille Lacs to spend time with a group of friends that get together every year to go fishing. Their story made me nostalgic for the annual get-together I had just missed, with my buds on that driving/hiking junket we call PHSIDARUTT.

All these pleasant people, made the tiny scrap of unpleasantness stand out. Somebody yelled at me from a passing truck on the county highway I was on. At least I think he was yelling at me. All I heard was “The road!” and saw some guy in the open passenger window. Remarkable because this was the first bit of attitude I’d gotten in over 2,700 miles. Also because at that spot I was over to the right as far as I could go, and signaling for a right hand turn. I wasn’t impeding traffic at all. And this was on the “official” Adventure Cycling route, so I imagine lots of bikers use it. Of course, it would be perfectly legal to take the entire lane if conditions merited; bicycles are legal street vehicles in all 50 states.

People often ask if I feel safe on the road, with all that traffic. As I mentioned quite a few posts back, I have always felt perfectly safe, never had a close call, and continue to follow the teachings of the seminal book on the subject, Effective Cycling. This little incident, if it even was an incident, doesn’t change that.

Well, now it’s been two full months. I miss my family and friends desperately, but I’m still having a wonderful time. We’ll see if we can keep this up, with the heat, drought and wildfires raging in the west.

Distance 35 miles, 2,780 total. Time 4 hours with stops. Elevation gain 508 feet.

©️ 2021 Scott Luria