Day 35

Humans awake before 6am?

Miles biked: 87

Hello from Gypsum, Kansas! Population 413. Today's ride led us out of the great city of Emporia through more rolling hills of Kansas. On HBC we have now agreed to stop listening to locals who say "oh, once you go a little west, it will be flat". We've been hearing that since St Louis!

Today's wakeup call was at the ungodly hour of 4:30am. Last night someone said wake up call was at 4:30 and I laughed at them. I really thought it was a joke until Andy was staring down at me this morning. I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to function but I realized it was actually better than waking up later. I was in such a comatos for the first 30 miles, before it hit me I was on a bike in Kansas I only had 50 miles left! Plus we beat the heat which reached 95 today and is supposed to be 97 tomorrow!

Today we drove by some fun town names. We started by going through Americus. The day was later spent going by Manhattan and Tampa. I personally wanted to stop in Tampa.....but the 90 degree heat without the ocean just wasn't worth it. Half way through the trip we stopped at a bakery in the town Council Bluffs. Lisa found a pamphlet that said "Corey" and was so excited that it matched Corey Morenz she screamed a profanity. I looked around the bakery at the crowd of women and children that crowded the tables.

As we came down a hill at mile 60 or so I saw a dump truck coming off a gravel road. The truck waited for awhile looking at us, seeming to wait for us to pass. As Nick, Colin, Lisa and I came within a few hundred yards, the truck pulled out releasing a dirt cloud behind it. The only problem was that the cloud of brown and black was not dirt....but cow menure. I immediatley looked back at Colin and Lisa who both looked as if they were going to fall off their bikes, vomit, and die from the stench. I thought their look was so funny that I broke into uncontrolable laughter. As I became short of breath from laughing I would suck in air filled with the stench of hundreds of pounds of rotting cow crap, which almost made me pass out as well. Oh Kansas......

Pat got his shirt washed last night, although he still made me smell it this morning, and it still kinda smelled like urine. According to the Pastor of this church 30% of the people of Gypsum are retired, 30% work in factories, and another 30% collect welfare. The town has three stores....a Cafe, a general store kinda thing, and an antiques store. The guy at the antique store was so happy I spent $2 on a shot glass (present for Kanikah). I think I may have single handedly raised his profts 200%. There is also a gas station that is only open when the owner feels like working. According to one local, if it is a good fishing day, don't expect it to be open. That is my kinda gas station......where do I sign up?

So I'm off to Lucas Kansas or Luray (the name is being debatted before me by Morgen and Lisa). According to the locals......it gets flatter from here....but please..... refer to my opening paragraph!