Yup. I'm a cheating cheater who cheats.

Thursday, 26 June: When I left today, it was sunny, the shoulder was huge, and Glenda the Good Wind was at my back. Before too long, the dark, ominous clouds gathered and the storms set in. This wasn't like before, where there were a few distinct storms in the distance. This was darkness, as far as the eye could see, in every direction. I rode for as long as I could, since I had the wind and the electrical activity didn't seem too frequent or close. Eventually, though, it was rainy enough that visibility was poor, and the shoulder was small at that point. I didn't want to get run over, so I pulled off and huddled to wait it out. Then the hail started, and the wind was so strong... Yeeouch. Another good samaritan offered me shelter in his truck. Shortly, the worst seemed to have passed, so I got back to riding, only to discover that the wind had changed direction. I was now soaked, cold, hungry, fighting a headwind, and miles from any sort of shelter. And it was still raining. Blurg.

The wind eventually lessened, but my heart was not in the ride today. All I could think about was hot food and shelter. When a kind man in a pickup, Rick, offered me a ride, I said "Yes, please" and hopped in. I rode about 15 or 20 miles with him, to the town of Tioga, where he was headed for work stuff, and where the hotel was full. The hotel guy told me where to camp, and Rick, who was nice enough to wait while I checked at the hotel, drove me over there. It was kinda lame, and still wet, and I had gotten my mind set on a hotel. Cuz cranky wet girls need hotels! Rick dropped me at a restaurant to get some warm food and wait for him to head home to Minot when he finished work. I'm way more of a cheater then the Germans, but I'm only cutting out one and a half or two days of riding, and then I can get a hotel and Chinese food and shop for a new bathing suit because the old one is falling off... I think I might be having city withdrawal. I did not expect that. Also, I'm still sore, and need another rest day. Justify, justify, justify... I'm still travelling and meeting people... That was the point, right?

As I was sitting in the restaurant, the song "Bicycle" by Queen came on the completely awesome radio station. 101.1, if you are ever near Tioga. Not sure what the range is. For those of you who don't know, the song goes "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike..." I felt another twinge of guilt about accepting the ride, but why do I feel guilt? I'm the only person this decision affects. And I am accountable to no one.

On the ride to Minot, I realize that I seriously missed nothing. The ride was hilly, with poor shoulders and bumpy pavement. There were hardly any towns. I've had plenty of that on this ride, and will get plenty more. Although, according to the Harvard boys, things will be flatter east of Minot.

Rick took me home to meet his wife Sue, who I really liked, and three of their grandkids that she was babysitting. Then he drove me to the cheap motel I had picked, but it must have been too late, because no one was in the office. He then drove me to a nearby cheap motel, where there were people, and I got a room. I had already paid for a single, and the woman handed me a key for a second floor room, and I said I really needed a first floor room, because of my bike, so she stuck me in another room. It's a double. I want to jump back and forth between the beds...

This is one of the worst cheap motels I've stayed in yet. The shower curtain has the nastiest case of mildew I've ever seen outside of a college student's house. There is electrical tape wrapped around the faucet. The chairs are stained, and the washcloth tore when I wrung it out. But it's all good, I have flip-flops and a deadbolt, and the bedding smells okay, and that's all I need. I may even stay an extra day. I was having thoughts earlier of wanting to buy some smaller clothes in town and what-not, but now I feel like just laying around and doing nothing. My muscles are sore, and my skin seems to be having a rashy reaction to being wet all day. I liberally applied Gold Bond powder and relaxed in bed with the Daily Show. Aah.