Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 05:51:54 -0700
Title: How To Eat A Hill

Tod was the 20th rider to run the hill on a "borrowed" lightweight dirt bike.
He went for speed across and up the soft sand so maybe he could hold it real
straight through the slick and treacherous granite but he got off balance
just a little bit and before he knew it he was down so he kicked the bike
back around in the right direction and powered all out but again the back-end
of the bike pointed itself uphill leaving him on the hardpan of the
granite flat on his back-end.  As quickly as he landed he was up and on the
pitifully small machine which was screaming, caterwaling as Cockroach urged
it upward, fullblown open throttle and then  it  simply   went     quiet.
All that could be heard was the  clanging clunking tinkling bike as it pinned
and unpinned and pinned and unpinned the now limp Cockroach Tod, finally coming
to rest in the mercifully soft sand below the granite strip.

He had watched as Vern won the hillclimb event.
His roached haircut was still full of dirt, giving it the appearance of a
dustmop electrified with static, during the trophy and prize awards.
He watched as Vern accepted the presentation of $7500 cash prize money.
He participated in the applause and beer party afterward.
His fear of Jane's threats drew him to Vern, so he  followed, waited, hoped
for some subtle opportunity to inheret, come upon, discover (unobserved) the
money.
He watched from the warm late night desert shadows as Sidecar Vern packed up
and stashed his cash and trophy.
Vern, sidecar and $$ hit the road for home but Roach Tod decided not to join
 him.  He watched and listened as Vern casually quietly lazily started off
for the 4 hour trip home.
          Tod followed at a reachable distance.

*roach vt [origin unknown] 1: to cause to arch; specif : to brush (the hair)
in a roach - often used with up 2: to cut (as a horse's mane) so the part
left stands upright.

*cat.er.waul \'kat-*r-.wo.l\ vi [ME caterwawen] : to make the characteristic
harsh cry of a rutting cat - caterwaul n.

*roach n : COCKROACH.


Wednesday has been waiting for us
and here we are!
later,
d.

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                               ,^_ ,-.
                            ()'  \_/()

Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive. -Robert
Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)

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