Insectopia

I should have listened to my dad. Dad, you are right, I needed bug repellent and a mosquito net. You also forgot to mention that I needed a flame thrower and a 20 gallon bucket of insecticide.

I woke up to every bug that lives in Kansas within 20 feet of my tent. Over a hundred ticks on my rain proof outer and helmet (wadded up in a ball out side of the tent.) More mosquitoes than there are atoms in the body just chillen on the outside of the tent, waiting to go insect vampire all over me as soon as I came out of the tent. A few hundred spiders (*exaggeration on this last one, probably 20 spiders) about an inch in size just hanging out on my bike. It was like the vampire guild of insects decided to have it's annual meeting with dkal as the chairman.

I don't know how I fended them off. I did get bitten quite a lot, and had more than one tick clinging to me when I got out of there. BUT, I have never broken down camp faster than that. I think all the yelling actually fended some of them off. By yelling, I mean screaming like a little kid.

It was a lot cooler today than yesterday. It was 99 instead of 100. That was a joke. It was super hot again. I just busted through the miles. I did 60 by 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I got a sweet phone call from Charizard and Slammer (aka Chai-baby and Tom Don, aka Charnise and Thomas). What a happy phone call. I have decided to slightly change the route, and finish the trip at camp with them. It is still on the ocean, just a little bit South of Charleston. I am super excited.

I went to this incredible steakhouse for lunch. It was a 7 dollar all you can eat buffet. I think I might have put the place out of business. I ate a very large amount of food. I can't control the ol' metabolism, so I am putting down vast portions of sustenance. Seriously though, this place was off the chain. They had this broccoli and cheese soup that I SWEAR was made with real clouds. It was the fluffiest, lightest soup I have ever had. I had 4 bowls. It was so good, I had a bowl of it for desert. Seriously. It you are ever in the middle of nowhere Kansas, on highway 36, and see a steakhouse with a 7 dollar lunch buffet, go in and get the broccoli soup. Unbelievable.

I was super sluggish after I ate so much. It took me longer than I would have liked to bike the last 30 miles to Belleville, KS. But here I am. I talked an RV park owner into letting me stay there for free, as long as I don't use the electricity. I am currently sitting at the local library, using the Internet, and am about to go to bed early so I can wake up and beat the sun. I want to do a 108 mile day tomorrow, hopefully.

1,082 miles from Clemson.

1,323 miles from finished.

Life is good.

I am salty.