Day 30 - Chasing the Dawn into the Roadkill State: Iola, KS to Weaubleau, MO

Distance - 107.5 miles

Like a Saturn V rocket, my situation is systematically breaking apart as this journey progresses. By the time we hit Yorktown, I expect to be riding in just Speedos and on a unicycle. But hold on a second and I'll explain the process in a moment.
We left Iola bright and early, and after fueling with the infamous "Double Croissant Initiative," I met Aaron and James at a nearby gas station. There we ran into a local reporter for the Iola Register and she gave us a brief interview and photo session, a cleverly disguised excuse to look at our muscles.
After yet another successful GFI, we made our way east along 54 toward the state line with a gentle tailwind helping us along. I especially appreciated this kind gesture made by Kansas, and we were able to split up on good terms and are still close friends and still talk.
From here we crossed into Missouri (The Sho Nuff State) and pressed on to the town of Nevada (ne-VAY-duh). Just before we got lunch, Stage One of my structural jettison process began. I hit a bump turning into a parking lot that was immediately followed by a sound eerily similar to a cat getting pulled through a Gutenburg Printing Press. Except that this sound was a bad one.* My rack snapped on one side this allowing my right pannier to gleefully lodge itself in my wheel. Awesome. But luckily during lunch I was able to fix the bloody thing with duct tape and iron will. Problem solved! Maybe...
Remember that the day's heat and humidity were totally out of control (imagine being on the Magic School Bus during the "human body" episode and running out of gas/magic in Ralphie's armpit). We needed relief. So we decided to hit the pool at El Dorado Springs, so we pressed on for many a sweaty mile without incident. HA! Don't tell me you believed THAT! Aaron's tire bit the dust in town and I hit another bump initiating Stage Two of my release sequence, specifically the total breakage of the right side of my rack. However, both Aaron and I limped our way to the pool anyway because that's the kind of men we are! Naturally we made it at 4:58, two minutes before closing time, but we took our shirts off and so the lady at the counter HAD to let us in-that's just the kind of men we are. The staff let us swim and jump off the high dive (!) as long as we promised not to drown and as long as they could stare at our muscles. We decided that was legit, because let's face it, that's the kind of men we are.
Eventually we had to depart, and Aaron (God bless him) carried my detached booster (pannier) for the thirty mile ride to Weaubleau, a little town in the western edge of the Ozarks.
Aaron's mom, Kathy, once again helped us magnanimously by putting us in the Weaubleau Motel and treating us to dinner at Smith's Restaurant and Berry Farm in Collins. There we unmercifully executed many a country-fried steak, pork tenderloin, cobbler and pie. There were no survivors. We returned to the motel and enjoyed the luxuries of modern living quite thoroughly.
I was able to send my pannier back with Kathy (thanks again!!!) and now I am traveling Spartan style with minimal everything. Makes for a lighter load anyway.

Also, I love seeing trees again, we take them for granted in Virginia.

* I don't really enjoy seeing cats go through printing presses.**

Live to ride, ride to live,
Sam!

**hahahahaha