Day 25

REST DAY in Abilene, KS -- I was so glad to see the group again. It's only been 3 days and it feels like I was gone a week. They are so ready for this rest day. It's been a grueling week for them and if I had to miss any days at all, I'm thankful it was in Kansas. There's not much to see along the road and there's always a headwind when we're riding which makes it twice as hard to cover the distance. Lee left early this morning for the 8 1/2 hr. drive back home and I got to stay and be a tourist in Abilene. There's a few noteworthy things to see here. The Eisenhower Presidential Center is here and it was well worth the visit. If you're a history buff at all, you'd love it. I kept thinking how my sons, Drew and Brad, would have enjoyed it. I've never seen any two kids so knowledgeable about American history than those two. However, our German exchange student, Markus Wirtz, was quite the history wiz , too. I'll never forget the day he came home from North Little Rock High School and told us that he made the highest score on an American history exam. But I digress....tomorrow is going to be a long day. We ride 105 miles to Topeka and will surpass the half-way point of the tour. We'll actually have traveled half-way across the United States on a bicycle -- unbelievable! I heard a funny (but pitiful) story upon my return. Brenden, our beloved 64-year old British cyclist, was pedaling along when, lo and behold, what should strike him upon the back? A dead chicken! Yes, friends, someone threw a dead chicken at Brenden and knocked him off of his bicycle. This is sad to say, but I wouldn't have been too surprised at that news had we been cycling in Arkansas. I'm not sure why, but I just would have thought that Kansas drivers would have more manners toward cyclists. I guess there are rednecks everywhere! My first questions were: 1) how badly was he hurt (only minor injuries), and 2) who drives around with dead chickens in their car with the intention of hurling them at innocent victims? I'm sure this is an impression of America that Brenden will never forget. Sorry I had to miss that incident. I'm sure the incident garnered much attention at the dinner table that night. One more rider succumbed to the virus while I was gone and had to lay off for a day. Mary Ann Daly from the Seattle area and Janie Bender from New Jersey were the last two women in the group who had not ridden in the SAG vehicle the entire trip. I know Mary Ann only gave up because she had to -- she's one tough woman. I wimped out early on in New Mexico when it was sleeting and gusting 70 mph winds, but not Mary Ann and Janie. The virus (formerly thought to be food poison) got to about 75 percent of us. Either the other ones toughed it out and kept riding or they avoided it somehow. I hope that's the worst that's going to happen to us. We're due some good luck and some tail winds!