Day one is done: Let Me Rock You Occoquan

In case you were not aware, I carry a lot of baggage. Unlike usual, I'm speaking of the physical kind. I spent much brain power today planning to squeeze out half of the little bottles of sunscreen, laundry soap, lotion, etc. that Nina and I so carefully filled. Plotting to relinquish as many ounces as possible to Donny when I see him at Jinx's in 2 days. But more importantly, I left! I'm already practicing self-reliance as I had to stop less than 1 mile into the trip since there was an annoying noise of something rubbing on my back wheel. Cuz I'm now an ace cyclodude, I assessed the vexing rub immediately and took care of it. Then I asked for directions for the first of 10 times today. The ride thru DC's Rock Creek Park was lovely and flat as a pancake as was the bike path all the way to Mt Vernon. I stopped at a picnic area near there to gaze at the Potomac and munch the PB and banana sandwich I made yesterday before I decided to wait to leave. The day was frought with excitement for banality: look, a train!! My first pee break!! There's a river - do people swim in there?! And trying to find meaning in everything, e.g. a unseen car passing somewhere above me spouting the Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds- omg I'm on a TRIP! So here I am, day one done, a fairly easy 60 miles to the outskirts of Occoquan VA. Occoquan is very quaint. Some guys fishing off a bridge as I passed. Cobblestone, fancy luncheon joints, very tiny and touristy. Unfortunately no place to crash there. So here I am at a greasily carprted Econo-Lodge right off 95 across the street from one of the zillion malls built during the development boom of the last 10 years but pretty empty. I am strangely comforted by a Prius parked in the hotel lot. I grabbed some basic groceries for food now and breakfast tomorrow from a superstore called Bottom Dollar and an order of mixed veggies from a Chinese restaurant. I'm lonely for brown rice (yes, i asked and no, they didn't have it or seem to know what I was talking about) but very soon I'll be visited by my pals Adam, Kris and Danny, as they serenade me to sleep.