Wednesday, July 9th: Rapid City, SD or ... an afternoon at school

My woman gets up and finds her cell phone. "I'll phone my sister", she says while heading towards the rest room. When she comes back, she looks a bit upset - trouble at home? She then decides she's not going to cycle today. Instead she needs to clear things out: trying to get on internet (is very hard in the schools!) and make more phone calls to Belgium. In a hurry we scramble all our belongings together, dump Sweet Machine near the van, talk to Gregg and head for breakfast with the laptop. Most cyclist are already on their way of this great ride (we've done this ride years ago - with that other Belgian Céline). My woman sits in front of the bakery (which is a very good one!) and goes on with her business. The difficult phone calls are for the afternoon, when in Rapid City. When Gregg comes to pick her up, she already feels a lot better. It is sort of different to see how hectic things are behind the scene. It's even getting a bit funny when he drives the loser machine beyond the turn towards Mount Rushmore. Once turned and riding the right direction, we even enjoy the scenery. I stretch out to see if those guys up in the mountain are still watching over us...Yup, they do! If cyclists want to visit the monument they have a 10% grade up! Keystone is that typical wild west town - with lots of tourists. The staff at picnic station is surprised to see Sweet Machine on top of the Loser Machine. My woman explains what is wrong. I tell her to make a sandwich for me - for the afternoon. Some time later Gregg gives the sign to go back into the Loser Machine. "Hey woman, I remember this rolling road to Rapid City. And there, at that campground, you bought a gatorade to get yourself going uphill!" Once at the school we help unload all the luggage - this is fun! After work, I'm hungry and while my woman makes the phone calls, I want to eat the sandwich. But where is it? How hard I even try, I can not smell it... It's gone!!! Hungrily I spent the afternoon sitting next to my woman in the school gym - the coolest place to relax. I'm glad she's already feeling more happy, but I'm hungry! When cyclists arrive my woman helps out, but I have no energy left... I need food. I have to wait until 5.30 pm when food on wheels arrive at the school. Boy - this is good stuff! After the meeting, Gregg comes to my woman with... the sandwich bag. It had been laying on the seats of the back row in the Loser Machine. One mystery solved again!