Into Kansas

Phew. Quick post before bed.

My base of operations during the wallet recovery process was Marshfield MO, which has a nice simple RV park which has everything I needed, plus a pool!

Then when things were mostly worked out yesterday, I did a quick 45 miles to Ash Grove starting at 1pm and ending at 5pm. I was planning on spending the night in the city park there and talked to a nice woman at city hall on the phone who said if I could be there by 5 before she left, she could give me the key to the community center to stay in.

Even though there was an alternate person I could get the key from after 5, it didn’t matter, the stage was set, since I said I’d be there “at 5”. I have the type of personality that really worries about people thinking I’m slighting them if I fail to deliver on commitments. But, the 5 pm estimate was under the condition that I went as far as I could. I pushed myself physically harder than I ever have and got there at 5:03.

The community center has a shower and that was amazing. I had dinner at a nearby restaurant and while there meet a fellow bike traveler named Howard. He was traveling east, and couldn’t find the community building so I looked him to it.

Howard is deaf so we conversed via writing back and forth on a notepad, and an order booklet the waitress gave us. We shared details and stories of our trips and had a great night. Ask me sometime to see the notebook, I’m going to do my best to hold on to it to remember.

Then today I biked 70 miles West to Pittsburg Kansas. Happy to be in another state! Less hilly already.

While getting new tires put on here I noticed that my rack had a weld that came loose. The employees at the shop were very understanding and helpful, and one is having his dad, who welds, look into fixing it tonight! Wow! Thanks Tailwind Cyclists!

With any luck I’ll be back on track again tomorrow midday. The more these setback happen the less I mind. As long as it’s nothing dangerous, bring it on!

Until next time.