Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Day 24: Garden City to Dodge City -- Short Days are nice too

Photos are here.
Miles Today:54
Total Miles: 1778
Avg Speed: 15/1
Max Speed: 26.5
Total Time: 3:33
Flats Today: 0; Total flats:8
Weather: Sunny & about 90 with mild head wind
Body: Tired from yesterday's push, but feeling good



Leisurely describes the ride today. Knowing we had only 54 miles to ride made it easy to come along side Bob and Carole for the first half and chat a while. Great fun talking to Bob about past trips. At 73 he is has lots of gumption and energy. Bob lives in Virginia, but got to know Jack and his brother Rick (who left day 2 with shoulder and collar bone damage) and the three of them went in on a triple together.) Bob is fondly known as "young Bob", so dubbed by the other Bob who is just short of 40 and dubbed himself "younger Bob".
Bob shared that he did a self contained camping trip last year with 4 friends from norther FL to the keys. Pretty impressive in my book. He said he very much enjoyed the freedom and independence that brought. Young Bob also did a cross country trip a few years back, and is now back for more. Day after day he has hung back with Carole who is doing her first trip so she always has someone to ride with. Great guy, that Young Bob.

After a rather brief SAG stop at mile 22 we shoved off for the Malt Shop in downtown Cimmaraon. Great place! The pictures show it much better than words ever could for what it is.

While at the Malt Shop, I called my now departed roomie, Jim on his cell phone. We had gotten very hopeful news at route rap last evening that it looked like it was indeed Jim's pacemaker that was malfunctioning and that by "rebooting and resetting" it Jim's slow heartbeat could be remedied. He was now hoping to rejoin the ride in Indy, 2 weeks from today. Wouldn't that be great!!! His test of the new settings and his heart's response to that was to climb up Diablo, which apparently is a steep long climb in the Sierras, close to Jim's home with a heart rate monitor and see what his heart does. If that goes well, the way should be clear for him to rejoin the trip.

On another note, tomorrow is Sean the wrench's last day with us before he leaves on his round the world by plane jumps excursion. He starts in Europe and will be gone for two months or so. Great ride, Sean! You've been a huge asset to te group and you will very much be missed!!! All the best to you on your travels.

Tonight its Montana Mike for dinner and then for any that wish, a wild west sort of honky tonk show for any that want to take that in.

I also want to especially thank the amazing Thursday lunch team at C.R.A.C.K House ministries. I have heard nothing but glowing reports of what you have all been doing in fixing and feeding close to 100 hungry folks the past number of weeks. Thanks so much Ron, Les and Tom for the leadership and for each of you who have faithfully come to help! Terry, Alene, Deb, JohnM, Katie, Myrt & John, Sandra and others I know I have missed. My heart is often in Columbus, though my legs are on the bike and my brain occassionaly becomes mildly mushed.
Those of you who know me, know I easily lose track of stuff and this trip has been no exception. So far I have managed to lighten my baggage by leaving behind my dental floss and losing a pair of riding socks. My riding windbreaker that conveniently converts to a vest has also come up missing. I dropped it in the drop box on a warming morning recently. When I checked the box the next morning it was gone. I still wonder if it blew out of the box in the high winds from the day before or if someone unintentionally or otherwise removed it from the drop box. I'll probably never know.
More Kansas tomorrow as we roll on eastward.

1 comment:

  1. First three pics---boring---the rest: interesting, even if it is not the gorgeous scenery of the previous weeks. Loved the shot of you and Bob(?) pretending you are part of the posse...glad you are relaxed enough to enjoy some clowning around:) The boys remarked on that, and I reminded them that you did a lot of that when they were young...short memories. I told Terry today about how you scared me day after day on our honeymoon, pretending to leave to run and then jumping up at the window to the shower---some of us are a little slow on the uptake.... Hope you had fun at the Wild West show---did they ask for volunteers and did you jump right in there? If so, I want video!!!
    Sleep well, my love, XOX YOO

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