Chicks Dig a New Ride

I’m here in Houston located in Texas County, Missouri and can now add armadillo to the extensive list of road kill I’ve encountered. Missouri is really nice with loads of rolling hills and green flora everywhere. The first part was a placid sea of corn which evolved in winding, rollercoaster-like hills. The Ozarks have proved to be more fun than everyone had made them out to be.
Mammoth Cave was somewhat disappointing considering it was entirely over-commercialized and it made me sick to see how much trash was left on the floor in one of the common rooms. Besides that it was nice to be able to see another network of limestone caves. Things are going swimmingly as we have made it through Illinois in a matter of a couple days and have taken a much needed day off after cranking out our first century. The Mississippi river was beautiful and it made me dream about my upcoming trip in summer 2008 with Daniel Hettinger. We took our day off in Carbondale, Illinois where, fortunately there were 3 bike shops located in a centralized area. I say fortunately because after we had such a fantastic stay in Sebree, (literally an oasis amongst the corn fields) I realized that I had ridden that first century on a broken rear stay. I desperately needed a weld or a new bike so, once again, my folks came through in a clutch and offered to purchase me a much needed, early birthday present. I was sad to hang my Nishiki up to dry, but my new whip should be able to carry me to the pacific. I can smell the salty air already. Well, maybe that’s just the copious amount of sodium I excrete with my sweat.
While we were waiting for my bike to be upgraded with thicker tires and a plusher seat, we ran into an interesting fellow named Buzz who demanded our attention with stories of Vietnam and of his brother the coke addict. I wanted to push off to the library but he offered to buy me a drink so, naturally, I couldn’t resist. The fellas and I ended up getting our fair share of fermented beverages so we went to get some rest at the hotel.
On the way into Missouri, we had the opportunity to check out a really spectacular feature of red granite boulders at Elephant Rocks State Park. It was really amazing to see this geological oddity as each boulder stood almost like and installation piece of artwork. I couldn’t help but yearn to climb them, but without my climbing shoes, I knew it would be a quick end to the trip if I fell and twisted my ankle. So I reluctantly declined and limited myself severely.
My mind is now at ease because all technical aspects of this trip have been significantly better due to the addition of my new bike. No longer do I find myself constantly thinking of when and where I’ll get munsoned as my old Nishiki finally breaks down completely. Thanks mom and dad. I owe you big time on this one.
I hope everyone stays in touch and keeps me updated on the happenings of their summer adventures and be sure to check out the new pictures.