Hello Crosswinds

note: finished off captions for previous post. checkemout.

Ah, so lots of cool stuff. I've been trying to write stuff on my hand so I can remember what to talk about when I get to a Library, but lately there's too much sweat and grime on me skin and the pen just clogs up. Gross.


The Adventure that was the other day

Sooooooo, I last posted from Newton, KS. Well, before that post, I had called a few people and left em messages asking them to call me back when they got into town. I wasn't quite sure if we were stopping in Newton, or the town 10 miles down the road. After the Library closed, I still hadn't gotten a call, so I called the rest of the crew. I called 7 people in total, and only got voicemail. I was getting kinda worried, because it was definitely possible that they had gone right through assuming that I had done the same.

I figured I might as well tour town, so I pulled back out onto main street and my heart jumped when I saw a few bikers half a mile down the road. I couldn't make em out real well, but I thought I saw some panniers, and Aaron's red jersey, so I started sprinting in my cargo shorts and flip-flops.

They made a left turn (like the maps instructed) and I followed, but when I went around the turn and found myself on a residential thru-street, they were nowhere to be seen. Vanished.

I rode about a mile down the road, hoping to see them, and pulled over in a high-school parking lot in frustration. I made a couple more phone calls, to no avail, and tried to figure out what I should do. I didn't know if it was them, but if it was, I should go to the next town. If I waited in Newton, I might have to play catch-up the next day. I had no idea if they were going to call me.

I finally decided that I should go to the next town, which was much smaller. I figured I'd have a much better chance of finding them there, than in Newton, which was 5 times the size of Hesston.

11 miles down the road: Hesston, KS. I had ridden 110 miles thus far. Gas station attendant hasn't seen any bikers. Neither has grocery store. Crap. Phone finally rings, it's Aaron. "Hey, we just got here." "Where's here" "Newton" Crap. I decided I would ride back to Newton and have dinner with the crew. After trying to ride a few feet into the headwind, I changed my mind.

I ended up cooking in a SWEET park. Real big, see-saws, tall slides, some crazy gyroscopic astronaut training device, water cannons, A RING OF WATER. My eyes water just typing about it. I prolly woulda looked kinda funny running up in front of all the parents, shoving their children aside, and jumping gleefully through the beautiful ring of m ist. I will regret not doing so for many years to come.

As night fell, I was talking on the phone (one bar signal, yaay) to the one and only George, when I was viciously assailed by some ridiculous mosquitos. They were getting me through my shirt. I had to hurry up and finish the phone call, frantically pack my tent, and race out of the park, past a few young folks who didn't seem to be having any mosquito troubles. Dagum kids.

It was mostly dark, so I scoped a little plot of gras behind a United Methodist Church, tented up, jumped in without any mosquito buddies, and fell to sleep at ten.

Well anyways, it's not over, but we are about to roll out of the Library at Larned. Did 51 miles by 9 oclock. I'll wrap it up later, promise. Purty pitchers, too.


Talk to ye soon,
Steven
07-07-08