Day 15

Thursday 11/10:
Last night I stayed in Patrick and Mary's travel trailer.  Before they went into their home, I asked them if they wanted my bike trailer.  I spent the next two hours down-sizing.  This morning I caught a ride with Mary and Rosie as they were going to take Joshua to school in Casa Grande.  That little thing that has been following me for over 2,000 miles got left behind.  It saved my knees and I was able to bring along more comforts, but the bottom line was, it cost me too many rides and restricted where I could go.  It looked a little lonely as we pulled away.  Mary dropped me off at a gas station right beside hwy 10.  However, 10 minutes before we got there, Tarrin called.  He is the guy who gave me a ride from "freezeville" to Camp Verde on Tuesday.  His co-worker was headed for Sierra Vista from Camp Verde, and if I got into a jam, she would give me a ride.  After Mary dropped me off I dragged my still way-too-much stuff over to a nice little table in a protective cove.  I went in and got some food and coffee.  Sitting there, at that table, I decided to take Tarrin's friend up on her offer.  She was a long ways up the road, but this would give me a chance to actually start book 2.  After several hours of writing, and a few phone calls, I got to meet Teri.  I have had a lot of great rides, and some not so great, but it is going to take some doing to top this ride with this wonderful, compassionate lady.  Before Teri stopped to pick me up, I had decided to use her as a guinea pig for what I had written in book 2.  If she asked what prompted me to do such a wacko thing, as I am doing, I would ask her to listen to what I had written that morning, and then she could tell me what she thought, etc.  Being totally gracious, Teri said she would like that.  What is she going to say?  "No I don't want to hear any of you ramblings."  What I didn't plan on was how, what I had written that very day, would effect me.  I am telling you, for some reason what I wrote concerning the reason for this journey, literally tore me up.  I had a real tough time before I was able to buck up and finish.  Poor Teri, one minute she is cruising down the road, rocking out to something, and the next she has this guy choking up about his own writings.  I am so lucky she didn't pull over to the side of the road and eject this sappo. I am so glad she didn't!  Not only did she get me to Sierra Vista, she did a lot of other things for me, too.  Without a doubt I am a better person for having spent a short time with Teri.  She said she would keep in touch and I truly hope she does.  Shirley picked me up at the Herbert post office where Teri dropped me off.  Shirley is a good friend of Pidd, who I had met her earlier this year up in Oregon.  Any friend of Pidd is a friend of mine.  Pidd has and continues to help me along the way.  Shirley took me to her home, where I got to meet her husband, Jim.  They have a beautiful place out in the country, and I have my own bedroom and my own bathroom.  I feel like a king or prince, or something.  They took me to the Golden Corral for dinner and I ended up sleeping very good last night.  It is not easy hosting a stranger in your home, but these two sure have made me feel comfortable.  I will stay here a few days, writing in book 2, and try to get a game plan for New Mexico and Texas.  169 miles today, 2,110 total.  Remember to be kind to each other.