12/4/2014
Day 94 was one of those days that passed very quickly. I broke out a new pair of shoes to take some stress off my joints. The bottoms of the new sneakers felt hard at first but after a few miles of wear, the comfort kicked in. Just as I began to bond with my footwear, I stumbled upon Crystal. She had found a charming little Mexican restaurant that wanted to help support our cause. We were given enchiladas made with red tortillas. Typically enchiladas are a tad salty but these were perfect. Of course I judge Mexican restaurants by the chips and salsa. The owner started us off with light fresh tortilla chips with a sweet and spicy salsa. I wasn’t sure if my proximity to Louisiana affected my taste buds but, I swore I tasted a Cajun influence. Because the meal was light, I was able to eat and run.
I ran past several slow cook barbeque places and tons of seafood restaurants on the way to Nederland. After another hour on the road I called it a day. I didn’t want to travel too far away from Beaumont because of our engagement at The Buckner House.
The day’s blessing came from the Howard Johnson Hotel in Beaumont. I was able to give my muscles some hydro therapy in the big tub. The hot bath left my body limp. When I rested on the king sized bed, the soft white sheets felt like autumn. Even the colors of the room matched the season. The moment my head sank into the bundle of pillows, my consciousness drifted.
The late appointment at the orphanage left me with ample time to sleep. I even had time to enjoy the array of food at the hotel. The down side was that I’d get a very late start on day 94. There was plenty to eat at breakfast but I had taken a liking to their French toast. The scrambled eggs gave me all the protein I would need to get to Orange.
When I finally got back on the road, I faced dreadful conditions. The air was damp and I didn’t have much running space. When I ran past Port Neches, I saw the biggest oil refining plant of my life. It was spitting some kind of billowing smoke into a sky already covered with clouds. Even if I didn’t see the emissions my lungs felt compressed by the bitter smell. My misfortune progressed to suffering. Just before Bridge City had to find a suitable route over the scariest bridge I had encountered to date. As I stood at the foot of the bridge assessing my situation a swarm of mosquitoes picked up the scent of my blood and had a holiday feast.
The day ended at Norton RV park in West Orange. I took a humble shower and tried to shake off day 94. I needed to get myself sorted out because I would be speaking to several hundred kids the next day. It was time to take a deep breath and get some early shut eye.
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