Friday, May 24, 2013
I'll just come right out and say it--I'm not a morning person.  Even though I'm up and moving by 6 a.m., there's this gloomy fog that swirls about my body.  It must contain some semblance of an energy source, however, because somehow all my stuff gets into the bags and onto the bike, and my legs go up and down like one of those oil well rigs we run across occasionally.  It isn't until about noon that my eyes and head  clear and I actually start noticing our surroundings and can coherently respond to Russell's caffiene-induced observations.  Russell is completely the opposite.  He's had several cups of coffee before he even exits the tent.  He's cheerful and busy and talkative.  By noon, we've reversed rolls.  His caffiene is wearing off and my adrenaline is kicking in.  A logical thinking person would conclude that this arrangement might not work out well, but surprisingly it does.  Russell's morning enthusiasm gets me up and moving.  My afternoon adrenaline rush pushes him on into the finish line.  Knowing how this works allows us to be more patient with one another.

I've been grateful for three things on this trip.  The first two might gross some people out so I won't mention them, but the third is Gorilla Glue!  I have had my Cannondale touring bike, along with the the original mirror, for years.  We've travelled thousands of miles together and, of course, have had our share of mishaps along the way (the crash at Santa Rosa, N. M. comes to mind). But in all the years and miles my mirror has held steadfast and unbreakable.  Until Tues. morn, May 21, at the Alma, NE public library.  The lawn surrounding the building is green and lush.  The type of thick, soft grass I used to love to frolic in as a kid and love to set up a tent on now as a traveling adult.  It was immaculately maintained; as if the plump, balding, moustached groundskeeper had graduated from Cosmotology School, but instead of focusing his talent on the fingernails of wistful clients, he chose to clip and shape lawns instead.  It was there,in that soft, thick grass that the frisky Nebraska wind pushed my bike to the ground.  I didn't think too much about it.  The ground was soft as a mattress, but the fall instantly snapped my mirror in half!  I was dumb-founded and furious!!  How could we travel without the suppory of my mirror?  R and I went to the local hardware store for a mirror.  No dice, but he told us about a fella that repaired bicycles just across the street.  Unfortunately, it was more of a small-town hobby than an actual bike repair shop.  So we returned to the hardware store and bought Gorilla Glue. R did a superb job of fitting the mirror back together and after three solid coats, I think it'll go the distance.  He's now going to have to use the GG for his eye glasses which broke in the 24/7 good old Nebraska wind.  We've had a nice tail wind so we'll make it to Ogalalla by tonight.  We're now stopped in Grant, NE to use the library and get a cold drink :-)  Have gone about 480 miles.  Only 4,320+ more to go !!! :-)