48 States: Day 20 & 21, Omaha Nebraska

ooof, that was another long day. Some self-inflicted and some just rough.

The original plan was to boogie out at 6 AM so I had at least 2 hours of mild winds – this went exactly to plan until I realized I didn’t have my heated pants. Since I’m headed up north where it is still in the 30s and 40s, not having these would be a poor idea (particularly since my heated socks attach to the pants.)

After checking every bag at least 5 times, I realized I probably left them at the place I ate breakfast on Saturday. That day it was 80 degrees when I got there, so I stripped off all my layers in the bathroom (heated jacket, pants, socks, glove liners and baselayer shirt and baselayer pants) – since I had such a huge wad of clothes, I didn’t realize I left my pants hanging on the coat hook in the bathroom.

So I had to wait until 8 AM when they opened and hope they were still there. Thankfully they were! I was super grateful and left them 5 star reviews everywhere!

But now I was 2+ hours behind schedule on a 640 mile 9.5 hour long drag.

I cut down through Illinois and then west across Iowa and it was windy and rough the whole way. At least with the late start the rain had pretty much blown through. But oof, my arms/shoulders/core were crying.

Around Kansas I got got maybe 1 hour of break in the wind. That corner of Kansas was pretty neat and riding along the Missouri river was cool. Then I headed north to Omaha – this whole stretch had 30 or 40 tornado touchdowns the day before, so I guess I should be grateful for the “mild” winds and warmish temperatures.

I dragged my tired self into the hotel around 6 PM.. Only to be told I can’t park my motorcycle in the garage for “insurance” reasons. I assured them I am incredibly dull and won’t be going in and out, so they made room for me. Plus I am now employee of the month.

One upside/downside of this trip is the endless free drinks people buy you for being a loonie. So that’s why there was no blog update last night.

Also in “weird travel coincidences” – I ran into someone who went to the same high school I did in random-podunk-california town. I haven’t seen anyone from that area in 20 years. Bizarre.

Thankfully(?) tomorrow afternoon is more thunderstorms so it’s a double day in Omaha again so I can recover. I am sore all over.

Next it is up to Fargo with a detour through Minnesota, which will actually complete the last 3 states!

Audio book: Finished ROTK absent the appendix (sorry not that hardcore.) – downloaded book 1 of Malazan Book of the Fallen, because it is long and complicated and will hopefully distract me.