Keegan's Log

Day 32: June 13, Champaign, IL

Today was our fourth rest day, I wish I had spent a little more of it resting, though. I slept in until 8:30, my body told me to stay in bed as usual, but this time I had no reason to say no. I finally hauled myself out of bed and decided to get my laundry out of the way, so I went to the front desk and asked for directions to the laundromat. The directions turned out to be bogus, but I finally found one after a few miles of riding around with my laundry strapped to my back. The laundromat wasn't the fanciest one I've been to, but I found a machine that worked and washed everything in my bag.

After returning to the hotel, I got directions to a local bike shop (not from the front desk this time). I rode down to look for some new tires, I was really watching for some Vittorias, but they only wanted to sell me a set of cheap Schwinn tires. Finally the owner begrudgingly looked upstairs and found a set of Continentals, not what I was looking for but good enough to get me to Boston. I got the tires and some new rim tape, then rode home to refurbish my tired wheels.

Dad and Chuck had gone downtown and had found a guitar store, so they had bought Karen a guitar to play. She sang a few songs when they got back, a few of us sat back and enjoyed the concert, I listened while working on my tires. Chuck and Karen promised to give us a concert after they've had some time to practice, I'll be looking forward to it.

For dinner we went to a nice local McDonald's, maybe not as good as Chevy's but it should be enough fuel to get us by tomorrow. Tonight I'll get some last minute rest, tomorrow we head for Indiana.

Phil's Log

I'm writing a day late. On the nights before the rare days off, we tend to hang around the hotel lobby and kibitz and stay up late, 'till like 10 pm! So the letter never got written.

And this one may go out a day late. The hotel switchboard here seems to intercept tones and repeat them with a click. The timing confuses the huge string of numbers that must be entered to make the Sam's Club card work. Everything is SO complicated, nothing goes easily. Nothing.

The ride to Champaign was, if nothing else, hot. The sag stop was at a Dairy Queen. Tracy, our tour director, likes DQ and we rarely miss one. But their lunches are lousy.

On arrival in Champaign, Keegan and I stopped at a "good" bike store to see about getting me a replacement rear 36 spoke rim. They only sell complete wheels (which seems like a waste to me), and had only 34 spoke wheels, and that way too expensive. There's is an excellent recumbent bicycle store in Crawfordsville tomorrow, so I'll try there. The split has self limited, and doesn't threaten safety. Perhaps I can borrow another wheel at home, and even TIG repair the broken one after return from Boston.

Chuck and I took the municipal bus into town on our day off today. Chuck likes used bookstores. He bought a few, and I one on aerodynamics. I also stopped into a guitar store and with Chuck's help, bought an old 12 string guitar with only six strings for his wife Karen. She's been showing strumming and singing withdrawl symptoms and the entire group has been hoping to hear Karen and Chuck do their nightclub act. A little work needs to be done on the guitar, raising the bridge and finding a 440 Hz "A" somewhere to tune it. But Karen was delighted to receive it. Problem: in the long run, no one will want it. Also, Tracy will be put out somewhat to figure out how to transport it in the truck, especially since it doesn't have a case. It's a drama that will have to play out. Stay tuned.

And thanks to all for the e-mails and faxes. We enjoy hearing, and only wish that time were adequate to respond properly.