bakersfield and bike happening

So. I went to bakersfield for my physical and the ride was INTENSE. It literally tested me so hard and I felt very unprepared (physically, mentally, all of that). I have a picture of the beautiful sunset from my "camp" aka RIGHT off the highway because I couldn't fathom going another 16 miles to get to the real campground. The second I saw someone when I felt like I had gone about half way I asked if there was anywhere around that I could stay or camp and he told me that 5 miles down the road there was a tree that I could stay under and he knew the guy that owned the place and he wouldn't care. Anyway, it ended up being a comfortable nice place to camp and I was happy with it. The sunset was beautiful, the day was not (it was boiling hot). Riding inland is not fun! I am spoiled by temperate coastal weather. I love you, San Luis Obispo.
The other picture I took is of the place that I literally slept. It was very cozy and pretty hidden, so I was glad I asked that guy about a place to stay. I was fortunate to not have had to bike anymore that day. I think it was mostly other stuff going on with me and not necessarily the intensity of the biking. I was intensely nauseous and didn't want to eat anything but needed to for energy, then there is the fact that my shoes apparently do not fit me well so I NEED different ones. My toe was broken less than a year ago and if anything presses against it for an extended period of time it is torture. Also, I need assos cream. Ha.
Other than that Bakersfield was an interesting experience. I had a neat couch surfing host who told me about the stories of the neighborhood she lived in and gave me a book [about her neighborhood stories] that I started, but didn't get to read much of yet.

Next, I present you with one of my favorite things ever! Bike happening! go to www.bikehappening.org to learn about SLO's critical mass, of sorts. Basically, it is a once monthly bike take over of the downtown streets. It is actually pretty huge for a small town such as SLO, but it is great. There are monthly themes; this month the themes were: diapers, band-aides, and mustaches with a sub-theme: body hair. Don't ask me how they come up with this stuff. Also, people just dress up like random things. Also, I never dress up. I'll let you in on a little secret: I mostly think dressing up is lame because it encourages purchases that would not otherwise be made. Yet another joyless Hannah thing. Maybe if people were creative and learned to use what they had OR borrowed things I would be ok with it, but mostly they don't so I am not a supporter of the phenomenon. Anyway, bike night is basically way fun and I made $15 just because some random guy was saying I had a sweet bike, I told him that I got it for free and why and he gave me $15... the picture of the guy with money was that person. He was crazy, but it's cool. Sorry this post is so long, but I have to fill it with words so I can sneak in the pictures I took of amazingness. I tried to get good pictures of the chaos and all of the themes. The "mustache" one I have is actually my friend and I think he just had a mustache for no reason... but it worked. I also have a couple pictures of diapers and no good pictures of band-aides. Oh no... wait: this one!! He embodies all themes. I was kind of far away and zooming... so you can't see his 'stash, but it's there. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this thoroughly useless blog with terrible picture formatting (yet again! I rock at this stuff!). Please come again soon.