Great Bend, KS to Abilene, KS 129 miles

It seems as if once we arrived in Kansas, this trip has become quite uneventful. It barely felt like we even got in a ride today even though it was a relatively long day (129 miles). We rolled out of bed at 5:30 to be down at breakfast by 6:00. We left the hotel at about 6:30 after we visited with a Topeka fireman who asked if we were biking cross country. When we told him we were, he kinda of looked at us like we were crazy, and he was just making a joke. We had some strong side winds for the first 70 miles and made it to McPherson where we stopped to eat a Pizza Hut lunch buffet. We have discovered that a pizza lunch gives us the fuel we need to finish out the day strong. Neither of us were even that hungry when we got to the hotel tonight. While we were in Pizza Hut, we felt as though everyone was staring at us. They must have thought it was strange for two dudes to be in their Menonite community wearing spandex. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that all of the ladies spent the rest of the day praying after they intentionally or not checked out Dad's thunder thighs. Anyway, we left Pizza Hut and made our turn north after 11 miles. We stopped in a gas station to get a candy bar. We asked the girl working if there were any stops on the way to Abilene. She told us there "aint nothin' til Salina." I could retire if I were given a nickle for every time we have heard "aint nothin" on this trip. We have been entertaining ourselves by using bad grammar when we talk on the road...if anyone else has any creative ways for us to try and maintain what little sanity we have left (like we had any in the first place), we are gladly open to suggestions...please. Well, I got a flat tire about 40 miles outside of town, and we finally changed my whole tire rather than just the tube. We spent a good ten minutes talking with a local who pulled over to see if everything was ok. He was pretty proud of the fact that he found himself a sugar mamma that makes $30 an hour and he barely has to work...he was a pretty funny guy. About five miles later, we passed the official halfway point of the America By Bicycle route, so that means we are closer to the Atlantic, baby! WHOOHOO!!!!!!!! We can smell it now!!! Not really...still just the cow pies. Yep...so that's it...109 tomorrow to Topeka. Goodnight.

Blake

P.S. Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!