The Odd Couple

Today was our 37th wedding anniversary. I brought Diana “breakfast in bed” from the continental breakfast bar at the hotel. Then we headed south on Highway 101. Today’s ride was the hardest 79 miles I have ever ridden. The ride on 101 was fine when it was expressway, but it frequently went through the Redwoods where it became a narrow, winding, two lane road with no shoulder at all. The problem was that you still had the same traffic as on the expressway—trucks, motor homes, and many cars. I had to be constantly alert to what was coming up from behind and hold a straight line as close to the edge of the road as possible. It was exhausting with all the up and down through the Redwood forests.


We stopped in Legget, where a couple on their motorcycle took this picture of the two of us. “The Odd Couple” in this instance refers not to Diana and me but to my lightweight Trek Madone carbon fiber bike with the huge, padded, full-suspension touring saddle. That seat on this bike makes an odd couple, but it saved the day. I was able to complete the 79 miles without too much pain from the backside. My legs were very tired however, from climbing to 1855 feet to cross the coastal range. When I thought I was done climbing and foolishly told myself that I had this ride about wrapped up, along came another 600 foot climbing before getting down to the ocean. The temperature while I was making that first major climb reached 95 degrees. I was thankful for the cool ocean breezes when I finally reached the coast. My pride in thinking I had sewed up the ride before the last big climb reminded me of the warning in Proverbs, “Pride goes before the fall.” How foolish it is of us to let pride puff us up. Habakkuk tells us that the proud man “is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith.”

After a rest stop with Diana in Westport, the last 25 miles to Mendocino went more quickly than I expected. I told Diana I would meet her at the hotel around 5:30 PM. I got there at 5:00, expecting her to be there since it was 2:45 when we left our rest stop and she had only the same short mileage to drive. The Mendocino Hotel was an historic inn opened in 1878. The room was beautifully decorated and furnished with antiques. I couldn’t wait to have us enjoy our anniversary getaway together. I called Diana’s cell phone and got only voice mail. Finally, about an hour later (and two messages on voice mail), Diana called me very briefly to say she was in front of the place. I went downstairs and waited. No Diana. About a half hour later, I had my best friend Tom try to call her. He called once and got her voicemail, then pushed redial and got a man who said he had the wrong number. When Tom told me this I became very concerned. By 6:45 I was frantic, and I contacted the Mendocino county sheriff’s office to report Diana missing. Finally at 7:00 PM Diana drove up, and my fears were relieved. Her cell phone had died, and she was given incorrect directions to the wrong hotel!

We flagged a Sheriff’s car on the street thinking it was the deputy who had been dispatched to get more details on my “missing person.” It turned out to be the Mendocino County Sheriff himself. We all had a good laugh together, and he gave Diana his “Sheriff” lapel pin, along with a business card, as a memento of our memorable anniversary. I decided to give us both an anniversary present. In the morning we will sleep in and I’ll drive the first few miles of my 97 mile ride along Highway 1 to Bodega Bay with Diana, before getting on the bike. Through the years Diana and I have had many memorable anniversaries, but this will rank among the most unforgettable.