OTIS AND THE BIKE RIDE

An Honest Day's Work -or- My Lungs Are Fucked And I Probably Have Poison Oak

Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - Day 26

Distance traveled - 0 miles

I took a day off riding today to do some day work for cash. My funds are running low, and I decided it was time to replenish them in an honest way. So I asked Eddie yesterday if he knew where I could get some day work around town. He said he had some stuff I could do. Well, my task for today was to mow down a patch of land at the back of his property. It was overrun with really tall grass, weeds, brush, and poison oak. He gave me a weed wacker and that was that.

There were some really tough parts, where brush was thick and the terrain uneven. I managed to do the whole area, which I was surprised by. It was a whole day's work; well, I worked from noon to six, but that's a long day of nothing but holding a string trimmer. My arms are tired. It feels good to get a good upper body workout, though.

My lungs are defiinitely suffering. It is a struggle to take a really deep breath. I can't fill my lungs up completely. All day I have been inhaling dust and particles that are kicked up by the trimmer. Also, did I mention that the little house I'm staying in has mold? There are a few structures on their property, and the one I'm in is plagued with mold. The bathroom has noticable mold on the walls and ceiling, and Eddie says the attic is covered with it. That's not good for the old lungs, is it? Oh well, it's just two nights. I don't think that can kill me or give me pneumonia. I just try not to breathe too deeply.

So even though I took a shower right afterwards and washed my clothes (in the tub - the washing machine was broken), I will probably still get poison oak rash. I know I'm allergic to the stuff. Luckily it's not as bad as poison ivy. I swear if I just look at the stuff, I break out on my entire body. Every time. With poison oak, it usually hasn't been nearly as bad. I'm guessing that I will end up getting a rash, considering that I was shredding the shit and splattering it everywhere. And I don't know how clean my clothes are from just the measley hand washing I gave them. We'll see in the next two days or so what comes of it. I'm hoping for the best.

Tomorrow I'm heading north again. I'm going to make it to Arcata, which is just north of Eureka, right by Humbolt State University. I'll be staying, hopefully, at Adrienne's house, my southbound biking friend from Big Sur. That is just so cool of her to do that. I think it's about 70 miles away, so I hope I'm up for it. I'll probably take a nyquil gelcap so that I can assure I sleep well tonight and hopefully clear up some of this sinus buildup. I need to be able to breathe for tomorrow.

i'm tired after a good day's work

and i'm covered in plant shit

look at this. who knows how much of that is poison oak debris

got me some brand new laces, but i'm gonna have to throw them away already. bummer.

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