7/27/2015
My eyes popped open when the sunlight popped through our window. I couldn’t sleep too long because I was excited about the day. I was running into Milwaukee to see a dear cousin of mine. I had no siblings growing up but my cousins Donald and David were like my brothers. I had already visited Dave when I ran through Massachusetts. On day 319 I would get to see Donald. Crystal and I decided to break the day into thirds.
Kids squealed in the background as they played organized soccer. Crystal rolled the video camera and I began running. My legs took me through a rougher area of town but the scenery continued to be tranquil. I ran quickly and didn’t stop to take many pictures. Crystal remained busy dialing numbers trying to find a place to leave our trailer. Donald and his girlfriend Maria had asked us to stay with them in downtown Milwaukee. After a couple rejections, Crystal decided we should just go to a campground and ask in person. She told me the plan when I reached her in Oak Creek. I had run around half of my day’s mileage already so I agreed to give it a shot.
We ended up wasting time and gas. When we arrived at the site the place was overrun with people and kids. It was obviously a very fun and popular place but we would have no chance to find out. I returned to running and I met Crystal at a large parking lot in South Milwaukee. We fell asleep as we waited for the manager of the business attached to the parking lot. Despite the hot and humid weather the nap took hold quickly. When we snapped back into consciousness we promptly asked permission to park. They gave us a prompt rejection when they said the parking lot didn’t belong to them.
We worried that we would be late to see my cousin but there was no way our beast would fit in the downtown parking spots. We agreed it was time to split up. Crystal took the trailer to a hotel parking lot and unhitched the bulky metallic trailer while I put one foot in front of another. I got the sense that I was in Milwaukee when breweries began to sprout. Murals and ghost murals decorated the walls. I saw advertisements for Pabst Blue Ribbon were everywhere. We ran into the happening downtown area and met up with Donald and Maria.
After finding a spot to park we got a chance to bathe and groom. I shaved my head and face and took a few years off my appearance. I looked out of the ninth floor window and got an itch to explore the city.
After having Japanese food for dinner we took to the town and explored the heart of Milwaukee. It was the beginning of a fantastic night out. Despite all the miles I had run my legs kept going. Planes zipped through the air from the air show while the sun was still in the sky. As it darkened, German people took to the streets. They were in town for Germanfest. After watching neon colors explode in the sky we hit the nightlife. I could hardly believe that I was able to put my body through so much. I guess youth was a state of mind.
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