James throws a massive tailgating party every year for his beloved Sooners vs. Longhorns game. The one and only upside of Beckie traveling 3-4 days a week for work is that I can cut out guilt-free. The game started at 9am on Saturday, the brisket had been baking since the day before, so I rode out 30 miles to East Mesa at 9pm Friday, arriving in time to partay mostly non-stop til the next afternoon when Beckie and the kids picked me up. and ate, and swam, and tailgated themselves.

Long night rides across the Valley are deep and dark and mind-opening, stealthy spins across the grid and the grain of your angst and issues. When I finally landed at James’ I looked like Tron and felt peaceful.

On McDowell road near Val Vista in Mesa (a decent neighborhood),i got tagged by a couple dooshbags in a lifted light-colored pickup. I heard a loud rumble and realized i was not hurt and watched cups roll off my shoulder and into the street. Good shot fellas, you nailed my helmet.   Seriously, thank you for hitting my best-protected spot. My next reaction after   was ‘cool a car actually saw me!’

I never thought about catching them cause it was pointless, and other than a little wet i wasn’t hurt. I laughed, i suffer so much on a long ride and have so many injuries from falls…90 minutes in and a little ice didn’t even make me lose cadence. As i spun on i thought what if i caught up to them or i was packing, and then realized in AZ its just as likely the other guy is packing too.   If I’d been hurt I probably would feel differently, but all I wanted was to get off the road, cause i started thinking now they’re emboldened and might come back. Fighting a car-full of dudes was equally stupid.   I passed a Mesa cop 3 miles later and told him what happened, thinking maybe they will still be in the area. What else was i gonna do?   jic the jerks picked up their pace as the night went on…maybe he’d see the truck and be aware of them. Mostly i’m glad that in all my years riding this is the worst I’ve had yet.

I arrived to a beer and a shot and The Man in full swing. Apparently the Meat needs towel service.

I woke up 8am, i have no idea when we slept, i was so disoriented and drunk i grabbed a bloody mary and jumped on the bike for a 45 min sanity spin around Las Sendas. I repeated later when the game became a blowout and my rhythm got antsy. Mid-day golf-course tresspassery, the Valley in the background, James’ absconded bike in the fore, Security chasing me on riders’ left. They’re hard to see in the pic, but they are there . dumb slow fockers .

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Finally, The Meat was ready.

Sunday i was very weary. Beckie schemastizized, and it was brilliant. All of us with Kila on bikes to the Library, Horizon Park, Cold Stone, then home.

Kila enjoying Tuc Fxs Leftovers.