Holdrege or Hildreth?

Note: This post is from Monday, July 13. Wi-fi in rural Nebraska is a little bit scarce! I'm sitting right now outside of Paula's house in Lawrence, Nebraska, Paula being the bartender of Dick's Place, where we hung out last night, who kindly offered to let me use her computer this morning...only she doesn't seem to be home, but lucky for me her wi-fi channel is open and reaches to the front stoop. :-)

Day Three: Arapaho/Indianola/Bartlet to Holdrege/Hildreth, or perhaps one town beyond

40 miles or 69 miles or ??

Okay, this is getting complicated. Lauree and I left McCook this morning riding in Jim Suiter's truck and got dropped off in Arapahoe. Here's Lauree's shoulder as it looked this morning, in all its goopy glory:

Ready to ride anyway!

If you recall, this was the group's intended destination yesterday, and even though they didn't quite make it, we decided to stick with the plan to give Lauree's shoulder and hip a little more chance to recuperate. Plus, by the time we got out there, some of them had actually arrived in Arapahoe! We met up with Bob, Noelle, Mark, and Al (who had spent the night in Indianola) at the Sinclair station, where we filled up with ice and water and then went (just Mark and I) to Subway across the street, where I wolfed down a six inch tuna. I don't know what got into me, as I hadn't been riding since mid-day yesterday and had just eaten breakfast, but I was ravenous.

KY Jim, Ohio Mike, and Hajdu had started from Bartlet but had not yet arrived in Arapahoe. We wouldn't see them until evening.

It was a lovely ride down route 34, if a bit hilly again. We turned off on 136 to hit a little town called Oxford, passing first through Edison, which has all of 154 people. Here are a few sights from Edison, which I thought was a cute little town:

I thought this was a comment on a personal lifestyle choice, but Bob informed me later that it is a type of car. Oh.

I love hay bales.

Then in Oxford I was in heaven because they had the BEST MILKSHAKES EVER! In the back of a hardware store, of all places.

While we were at this heavenly milkshake place, a call came in from Hajdu, who was still in Arapaho. They were heading to Holdrege, not Hildreth. And now ensued a discussion about where we would go. It seems Bob had mapped out a plan that went through Holdrege first and then Hildreth, but Hajdu had spent the previous night convincing him it would be best to go straighth to Hildreth. But Hajdu had meant Holdrege when he was saying Hildreth, so now he was calling to straighten it out. But now Bob was set on going straight to Hildreth.*

If you know these people, this will all make perfect sense. If you don't, just skip down below.

Anyway, this is how Bob and Noelle went to Hildreth and the rest of us went to Holdrege. It really was a more reasonable destination, mile-wise, and best of all (boy, am I getting soft) it had three motels, from which one of them I am writing this right now. THREE IN A ROW! I could get used to this.

Al and Lauree arrive in Holdrege.

Toby, Ohio Mike, Kentucky Jim, and Hajdu showed up later and we all had beer and pizza in Lauree and Toby's room. Jim had had a spill and is a bit scraped up on the shoulder...but Lauree is still number one in oozy, impressive wounds. I hope no one else will vye for this position.

I came back to update the blog and found the internet connection doesn't work, so hopefully tomorrow I can find a wi-fi source.

And speaking of tomorrow, it's Ohio Mike's birthday! I'm hoping we will ride south, meet up with Bob and Noelle and celebrate together. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

*These events are recorded as I experienced them, and may or may not bear any resemblance to reality.