A boy needs nourishment

Today I was reminded how difficult it can be to have some control over your diet while traveling, especially when you're traveling by air, and super-especially when you've elected not to rent a car.  I had to be at the airport at 3 AM Alaska Daylight Time, at which time the airport restaurants were all closed (and I don't like to eat in those places anyway because they're ridiculously expensive).  I couldn't even find myself a cup of coffee until I got served one on the plane well after 5:30.  Meanwhile, the food offerings on domestic flights are as meager as I can ever remember: all they gave me for "breakfast" was a small package of cookies and a bag of pretzels.

I didn't eat anything once I reached Portland because I was in a hurry to catch the light rail to the bus depot, where I got on the Columbia Gorge Express bus.  I got off that bus in Cascade Locks, which sits just across the river from the town of Stevenson where the race event is headquartered and my Air B&B is located, but then I had a hard time making that last hop across the river.  There's supposed to be a bus, but I'm not sure it runs on Sunday, and when I gave up on that and tried to book an Uber, it took a long time for the app to locate a driver who was willing to take that assignment.  If I didn't have my heavy bags with me, I might have given up on the Uber and started walking, hoping to spot somebody with surfskis on the car with whom I could hitch a ride.

Anyway....... when I finally got to my Air B&B I was plenty hungry, but I still had to make a run to the grocery store.  Fortunately, the landlord of my Air B&B has very kindly loaned me a bike to use, and I rode into town and loaded up a backpack with some food.  The ride back was a bit of a bear: the Air B&B is located a good ways up the mountain from town, and I granny-geared it all the way, telling myself to relax and not be in a rush.  I cooked a pretty good supper of red beans and rice and sausage with a side of green beans.  Good stuff.

I think the hardest part of the trip is behind me, and now that I'm here in the Gorge I hope I can settle into a routine and get the practice runs I need and be rested and ready for race day.  But it's taking a lot more planning and thought and focus since I don't have as much autonomy in getting myself around.

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