RAGBRAI day 4

my super sun protection worked SO well yesterday, and my skin healed SO much, that I've decided to ride in sweats again.  I didn't get them washed from yesterday, but I have hung them inside out all night

I accidentally left the GPS on on my phone last night and as a result had no battery to take pictures today...

in a way, I got lucky because this was the least scenic day so far...but out also brings up a new challenge...

2 days ago I realized I've been riding without lip balm of any kind...my brother and I happened to be in a casey's (the 7-11 of iowa) and I bought a blistex then, but her didn't hand it to me...repeated reminders have had no effect and as I sit here riding, out feels like I've ben sucking on a jalapeno for the last week...not a good sign.

I pull into another casey's and look at myself in the mirror...i look fine.completely, totally normal...

I touch my lips and they're unbelievably tender...and actually, it's only the bottom one..
I look closer, and then I see it...i have a second degree sunburn running the entirety of my lower lip...the whole thing is one, complete (yet thin) blister...now THIS,i wasn't expecting...even with as fair as I am, I haven't sunburn my lips since I was a kid...and this is completely a weird one, because even though it feels like I'm chewing on a porcupine when I make any facial expression, or talk, it's completely undiscernable on my face.

I get a stick of carmex, slather some on, feel immediately better, ads have a strong ride....toward the end,i start to drag a bit and stop at one of the RAGBRAI roadside vendors for a sno-cone...something about that just sounds right.

just like when I was 10, I get half grape, half blue raspberry, AND IT IS*SO* good.it's so god that I just sit and giggle on the grass...it's so good that I order another one and IT is just as good.

I loved these as as kid and I'd completely forgotten about them.it was before college, and sex, and stupidity, and career, and lack of raises, and friends getting rich and them not speaking to me. it was before econogeddon, and continual cars, and wives filing for divorce on my birthday.it was before  stammering on stage, agonizing for days about a present and then having to return it.

but it was during my schwinn pea picker days, and assuming my dad wasn't drinking at that moment, those were good times.  it was me and john verma playing the monopoly championship of the world (and him crying when I won).  it was watching heat lighting on sleeping bags on the lawn.  AND IT WAS 19¢ HALF GRAPE AND HALF BLUE RASPBERRY SNO-CONES AT HENDERSON'S.

I get up and ride as though I once won the tour, but forgot about it and moved on to better things.

we're over-nighting at boone -which also has a strip club- and (clothed) strippers meet us at the city limits (much to the dismay of many locals).

of all the cities we'd come to, this had the warmest welcome, so far....people on lawn chairs applauding as w pass...one kid runs out in the street and relays me a grape flavor-ice.

I get into camp giddy and fully amped up.

this I'll finish not only finish, I'll finish strong.