Day One Man Down

Just because I escaped Oceanside unscathed does not mean all is well on the mobile home front. Even before the race officially started AW4F was in the sick of it.

Somewhere east on 78 the photographer was tossing cookies. And the germophobes were spinning. And the crew chief was lying.

The poor guy was really sick. And I'll be honest no one was about to risk the race in the first hour. They wanted to kick him out right there in the desert. "Get him out of the RV!" they pleaded. "Put him in the car!" "He'll contaminate the riders!" "Quarantine him Quick!"

Let's calm down. We can't put him in the rider car, let's be rational. He's not contagious. Here's where I start to lie. My extensive medical background indicates he has merely eaten something that is not agreeing with him...we are all safe from meandering germs. But wash your hands. Often. With bleach.

I take one look at him. His gaunt face. The inset eyes. The black circles. This dude is SICK! No one wants him around. He paces the RV. He lays here, there, and everywhere. We are in trouble. Even if he isn't contagious I have a serious scare on my hands and I need to deal with it.

Arizona! This is the answer. He has family in AZ. Speedrace them to Blythe I don't think we can wait one more TS. The first team in gets no rest, voices concern, doesn't want to touch anything.

We don't have enough bungees to affix them all to the outside of Arvee. Nor could they withstand the desert heat. I have visions of National Lampoons RAAM Vacation.

Now I missed the actual departure due to leaving in the follow vehicle in Blythe, but I heard the tale. Poor guy, his family didn't make it in time and we had to skedaddle.

Now I don't mean to make light of a serious situation, but I'm quite certain if the shopping cart were turned and the photographer weren't sick we'd have one or two or twenty four pictures of the event.

So there goes AW4F racing away on Highway 10. The photographer deserted in the darkened, empty parking lot of Albertsons. His gear and possessions shoved in a shopping cart like a bum on a street corner.

He really was sick. And I wish we could have done more. But getting him out was a blessing. He ended up in the hospital all week with a blocked intestine. Avoided surgery and is recovering nicely.

And then there were 19.