Rich’s question delivered a sinking feeling. “Where is your sleeping bag?” The answer was even worse. “I have no idea.” Twenty-three miles ago it was strapped on top of my panniers with two bungee cords. Still attached, they hung lose without their payload. I thought I still had it when I parked my bike outside the cafe where we stopped for breakfast. But I couldn’t even be certain of that. It was only day one of our Two Timing Texas Tour. I was not off to a great start.

Self-incriminating anger infiltrated my body and threatened to erupt. I began my verbal tirade. I would impose my own penal sentence – retracing our route to retrieve said bag. I lost it, I should have to cycle the extra miles to find it. I was well on the path to my rampage. However, Rich had seen it all before. He knew my ability to work myself up and was ready for the counter-attack. Normally, talking sense does little to diffuse the situation. But for once he made me see the folly of my logic. I could search all day and never find it. We would simply buy a new sleeping bag. Even I had to admit he had a point.

Case closed, and we continued. But my lingering mortification powered my pace, propelled me up the hills, and blinded me from appreciating the scenery. I don’t let go all that easily.

The solution assumed that the upcoming tourist towns would have a sporting goods store. Rich was already fast asleep by the time my research proved the fault in that premise. So I turned to the only remaining answer. Amazon.

Through the wonders of online shopping, I found my original order for our sleeping bags and learned they were still available. Then the real magic happened. We discovered the existence of Amazon Lockers. Amazon Prime could deliver my new bag two days hence (on a Sunday, no less) to a locker outside a convenience store right on our route. Click. Ordered.

Monday morning we found the yellow lockers. Punching in the code sent by email, a door immediately popped open revealing my precious package inside. Presto, I had my new sleeping bag!

This time I secured the bungees through the bag’s straps and added a carabiner clip for good measure. I was good to go, and prepared for camping out. Almost. I hadn’t thought to order a new waterproof bag. If heavy rain shows up in the advance forecast, there just may be another Amazon locker in our future.