Paul on a bike, except when I'm working on the new house...

But they don't want to have to do any repairs, which I'm okay with, if anything, I'd just lower my offer to cover materials...but I think my offer has that factored in. Clawfoot tub, pedestal sink, those two things were why I offered a little more than the last place back in Coleman, and the walls aren't slouching or too short for me to walk through. So if I end up buying, what do I rename the blog???  as I won't be biking the earth...at least for a while... This is almost the new Casa Paulo.... So now the hard work can begin.... Closing could be done by Feb 16th.

Said my goodbyes to Coleman and 34 miles later I am in Brownwood Tx. all before 4pm. Went to look at the house on Ward and Pecos, looks like it might be safe from the flooding, if not, I'll get the flood insurance. House looks bigger than the place in Coleman, so that's a good thing, and the lot looks about the same size, but it has this funny little building on it, not sure what it's for, it's not an outhouse.... And that shed in back is going to be smited and replaced by something bigger and useful. Big day tomorrow peeps, got to deal with the business peoples, and hope they don't try treating me like an easy mark.

My offer on the 317 13th house in Coleman was countered, I offered $11k, which considering the leveling I would need to do, was I thought reasonable. The owner countered at $14k, and a new roof, now on a house that needs to be leveled, you don't put a new roof on it first, you fix the level, then do the roof. Furthermore, the house has sat at $15k for almost an entire year, so to only come down $1k, that's just not worth arguing over. And really, a new roof is $1k-$2k, so to gamble on a no sale for that little money. Time to move on, somebody greedy. But anyway, here's a couple pics of Coleman before it's in the rear view.  A video store, they do still exist...  Parking in the middle of the road Wouldn't be complete without the Piggly Wiggly...

Now that I'm here, what do I do, the 'for sale by owner' house I was drawn to is in really rough shape anyway, not near anything, but since the owner won't even reply to the lady who sold them the house, well, I'm still looking around. So I might buy this other place I'm going to look at tomorrow, it's a few thousand more, but I don't think I would offer a whole lot more than the first place I was looking. And the second place I'm looking at has a huge lot, so I can get some containers for storage/workspace. That is if the place doesn't suck for the floor plan and isn't rotten. An that's the conundrum, been trying to get here for so long, now what, if this isn't it, then what, and I don't want to stop if this place isn't right. The stores here work, supermarket check, two dollar stores, and a good sized hardware store, not to mention the tractor supply store. There are options, and decisions, and where do I go if this do

Today was Don Quiote day, what with me tilting at the wind surrounded by windtubrines, but it was a productive day, got 8 miles from one city, that's several miles before where I wanted to be. So, it's gonna be the two parter like I thought It took three hours just to get twelve miles to the turn off from TX70 to TX153, I stopped at a nice little store with a really nice lady who sold me some Venison Jerky, it felt so good to get out of the wind for even a few moments. Found a sign, it's one of those that goes on the side of a truck and has different selections for whatever hazardous material the truck is transporting, had my eye on finding one since Arizona, and today the day after scoring that metal Oversized Load sign, two days in a row I found the good wall art stuff, for the new abode. That is if when I get there the people there will sell me the house.. A bit chilly, but once I get into that second sleeping bag I'll be all cozy an warm. Time t

Might be tired, but I sure trudged through, also stopped and picked up an aluminum OVERSIZED LOAD sign, only here a couple of days and I'm helping to clean up my new adopted state.  The sign is about five feet wide, maybe ten inches high, and an 1/8" thick, it will go great in the new house, one of these days when I get to it. Had my first Whataburger, or two, and I'll polish off a pint of PB Halo 360, new X-files tonight, so I should be very content. Two or three days to Coleman, I say that because the next leg is 46 miles, I corrected the google and it shortened the route, but as hard as today was without a full recovery last night, tomorrow might not go as fast as I could hope, which means it might take two days to get to Abby's Inn, which is a day out from Coleman, though if I get out there fast, and the road cooperates, as in not uphill the whole way like today. Okay, showered and ready for sleep.  But I got the trailer ready(clothes stowed in bins, extr

After two 60 mile days you would think 46 miles would be pretty easy, but with the hills and oil smell, not so fast. Found a pair of a tool I don't have. Took a while to get enough food in mah belly, had to go back to Dairy Queen for a triple and a banana split.  Still a bit peckish... Snagged a leash, just need to use the carabiner I found earlier and when I get a doggie I'll have a strong leash to keep the puppy from running away.  it's missing that metal part, but it's huge, might have to wait for the puppy to get a bit bigger before I put her on it. Also found about $2 in change. Time for a shower and some rest.  36 miles tomorrow. Rest was meh, as I think the dry air or the last person in here owns a cat made me a little itchy and scratchy. Breakfast at the Days Inn here wasn't as impressive as Days Inn past.  But at least it was a higher quality of medium type of breakfast.  The lady who checked me in said I was a long way from home, I told her that

Wow, even with the bad google typography, it said I would be going downhill, it wasn't a bad uphill, but it sure didn't make the day go fast. Still can't figure out what the deal is with there being no mile markers. Found another coat, still has the tag on it, it's that new, and one of those magnifying glass bubbles that you put on a table to magnify maps etc, it cleaned up well, not a big money item, but I didn't have one before. Made it to Post Tx, so that means goodbye to US 380, and hello I-84, which makes me hope the roadside wont be covered with sharp metal stuff that will pop my tires...

I haven't biked this far since I biked from Port Angeles to Kingston, but that had the hills in the right direction. But today I had the wind at my back, and flat roads, true it meant I had the dust kicking up every once in a while... Took a pic of the "Welcome to Texas" sign, and the.... You are in Central Time sign, wasn't much else to take a pic of along the way, not that I stopped much. Snagged a couple more shirts before I left NM, and one Wrangler shirt here in Texas. Took me forever to order dominos, hint, no tip for you, keep offering me bread sticks and coupons when I just want to order...grrrr.

First day out of Roswell, gonna miss that place a little, nice town. I picked up a trick with google directions, shorten the entire route to what you are going to do over a few days, that way the algorythm will give you better topography, as with today was mainly uphill, but still fairly pleasent, did 35/36 miles today, up to mile marker 190. All by 4pm, not bad, now I'm tired though...Passed quite a few animals on the first few miles, very tame and playful, they just didn't know I couldn't come over and play with them. Found a penny and a quarter, and a nie Vise Grip brand pair of channel locks, you push the button to adjust them, so I snagged that.  Also found a nice long sleeve t-shirt to add to the collection, much easier than putting on sunscreen to wear a long sleeve shirt. And tomorrow, I should be in Texas, you heard that right, after nearly three months I am knocking on the door to Big T, heck, I might even have to start rooting for the Cowboys, that is if the

Two weeks, wow, I've been on the road for so long, whenever I stop at a hotel for more than a night I start to nest, get familiar with my surroundings, then I have to pack up and move on. But yeah, this could be over in two weeks, a new home, a new hope, and a pile of projects that make the last house look like a brand new home... I've got some new thinsolate mittens to wear over the riding gloves, a big flannel sleeping bag to snuggle into while I'm in the sleeping bag I've been using, note to self, return that Bivy to REI when I go back to seattle to get my stuff. Looks like I'll be on the road for several days, since the first hotel on my route is Brownfield Tx, 137 miles, which could be four days if things go well. But the good news is that when I get back on US380 it won't be combined with US70, because the traffic will be hopefully less. I leave Roswell pretty happy, a little nervous, mainly since I don't know if my dream house in Coleman is still

Well first I should say " cześć jak się masz " to all the Polish people who are tuning in. Now onto the touristy stuff I did today, the UFO museum in Roswell.  It's in what I think was a performance theater, flat floor, as if it was a movie house the floor would have had a slope to it. The nice guy at the counter was very helpful and polite, even after he had just had to deal with some crazy guy who came in right before me and said he owned the place...lolz. The exhibits were mainly prints of old newspapers, and a few aliens. Also there was a Air Force crash test dummy, which was probably what landed back in 47'.  All you have to do is look at the industry 'government secrecy' has created, probably drove the Russians nuts.  There was a nice Aliens landing set, and as a sci-fi fanboy there was Gort, seemed a little short to be Gort, but I guess that's the height. I was tempted in the giftshop to buy a Roswell baseball jersey, but it was $80.  Outsi

Well I knew the first day out of Corrizozo would be brutal, and it was, not that it was the 13 miles of uphill I was looking at, it was the wind, then the hill. Speaking of hills, this I hope is the last 'divide' I have to go over. But I made it, was planning on only doing 30 miles, but local circumstances made me have to pedal a little further down the road, so instead of stopping at mile 96, I stopped just past marker 100, which means I am 406 miles from Coleman, and 6 miles from being under 400, woot! I had seen the signs for a 'state park' ahead, well the town of Lincoln looks to be a 'tourist destination' during the summer as the one hotel was closed. With all the hard road to slog today, I should be able to do at least another 34 miles, but I think the topography ahead isn't as tough, so maybe I can put in 40, which would leave me 15 miles to do on the last leg to Roswell. Enough about traveling, saw Captain, and Lincoln, which seem to have a Bi

Well it was a top of the quads day, as I have tried to mention, the horizon messes with your vision and you think you are getting to some downhill, but when you get there, you are pedalling as hard as you can, and getting nowhere, or it appears to. I did about 44miles today, not bad, leaving 34miles to do tomorrow to the next hotel, or at least I hope they are open this time of year. The econoomy inn in socorro, not great, so sad when people think they can use joint compound to fix holes in a bathroom.  The long dark hairs from the cleaning lady still left on the walls wasn't inviting me back. Had two waffles, some oatmeal, even took an extra pack with me for later. I'm hopeful with today's miles I have three more days until Roswell, not sure if I will have any interest in 'alien' exhibits, if they are out there, they most likely will have more important things to do than waste their time on humans. Getting late, time to roll out the bag and bivy, and rest, I e

Just a few pics, nice sleepy town, and I woke up to snow falling...brrrr.  I don't think they have been open for a while...  Nice old ice cream sign, on the corner of an old bank, looks like they are just starting to fix the place up.  other side.  the old Marshall's office Got the new brakes, installed, used the box they came in to ship back five pounds of stuff I didn't need to drag with me. Had a lost doggie come up to me, so nice to have a dog curl up against me for luvz, after a couple of blocks of the dog fallowing me, the owner finally caught up to he dog, then the dog just didn't want to listen, until I told it to come back and get it out of the street. Can't wait to get my own doggie. Time for pizza and a grape soda. Wow, tomorrow I head out on that road again, new brakes, new chain, new gear cassette, new idler wheels in the derailer, so I'm ready to head down that hill, sad I have to go north just to find a place to stay, the

Whoo hoo, free place to stay, Cylon Headquarters, the Toaster House, which, building codes, lemme shine those up for you, turn em sideways....etc.  Whoever built some of this house sure used a lot of 24" metal ceiling tiles, the patina on the outhouse alone could be worth $1000 for all those tiles...It's part of the continental divide hiking path, so lots of campers have been through here. Have the place all to myself, seems as though one of the local cats got in here, but the smell is tolerable. I bequeeth the house two tire levers, the cheap ones always break, so better someone has an extra when they need it.  I have the wide good one, it won't break. Taking the penthouse spot, warmest part of the house.  Strange that people would leave sex toys behind at a place like this, eh, youth... Plan to make it to Magdalena on wednesday is looking good, I hear the road ahead is nothing but flat, so shouldn't need the brakes I don't have. And since this is Pie Town, h