UNE CHAISE MAGIQUE!

The morning started out marvelously. Jeff and I woke up extra early and hit the road. We stopped at a cafe in Aurora for breakfast. I had a mushroom and swiss omelet, hashbrowns, toast, and two cups of coffee. It was subpar but better than an energy drink and peanuts. Jeff drove me a few more miles down Highway 34 to Utica. All the driving saved me about a day of biking. We stopped at the local gas station and prepared my bike for departure. The freakin' front tire was flat, thanks to some tiny thorns. I picked up a spare tube at the previous bike shop, and this thing is supposed to be thornproof. I stuffed this thick tube into my tire and reassembled my bike. While packing the bike, we noticed that the backrack was somewhat cracked. It still held up decently, and we used a little duct tape to reinforce the defect. After combatting these petit predicaments, I returned to the road. 

There was a crucial cloud cover, and the morning was cool. It was a full-on sprint because I knew that today was going to be shorter. About thirteen miles later, I was passing through the town of Seward. There was a tiny park on the edge of town, and it had a water pump. This was the perfect opportunity to refill and relax for a little. After my repose, the rolling hills commenced, and I knew Iowa was close by. Some seventeen miles of sprinting, I pulled off to Casey's general store. Now I definitely knew that Iowa was approaching. It had been too long since I stopped at a Casey's. My snack was a chocolate donut and some milk. The route continued through the airport district of Lincoln.

This is where my rack decided to give out. The supports cracked fully, and my gear was resting on the back tire. This added extra resistance to the back tire and made it almost impossible to pedal. My solution was to use one hand to keep my gear from rubbing and the other hand to steer the bike. Two miles later, I arrived at a bike shop downtown. Initially, I was just going to get a replacement backrack. The mechanic called me over and showed me the back tire. It was covered in thorns, and they were massive. I was shocked, how in hell could this be possible? The tread was pretty worn, so I opted for a new tube and a new tire. Feeling fresh, I continued to my sleeping spot. 

The Keenes were my hosts for the evening, and I was spoiled again. They put me up in the guest room and cooked me a fantastic dinner. We had steak, chicken, salad, roasted potatoes, green beans, and bread with butter for dinner. For dessert, we had grilled mangos and ice cream. It was a lovely dining experience. The night got even better when I got into the massage chair. After about two thousand miles of hunching, my back considerably beat. I spent the rest of the evening being massaged by this comfortable chair. Of course, the time was also spent typing away on my laptop. The website launch is three days away, and tomorrow I need your help. First, take a look at the route, here.