Must... resist... urge... to... use... Internet...

Gah.

Well, I'm in Rock Island. Today's our day off in the Quad Cities, and as I have absolutely no plans (I did have plans but they're all underwater right now) I'm---what else?---hanging out at the library of the lovely Augustana College, where the staff are graciously allowing us to use their computing facilities. I think some riders are trying to work or something in here. Poor saps, isn't this supposed to be vacation?

The GITAP has been fun so far, and I don't doubt that it will continue to be fun. Everyone's been right all along---the hybrid can do whatever I need it to do, so it's essentially all up to me. It's the darndest thing, really. There I was Monday and Tuesday riding into a fierce headwind up and down the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois like it was the easiest thing in the world, but yesterday I caught rushhour traffic in Moline and elected to call the SAG van for the last 2-3 miles. But I don't like riding in heavy traffic when I don't know where I'm going (believe you me, I did not), and I was nearly right-hooked too many times to feel entirely safe out there. Mostly I blame the Mississippi for flooding the bike trail, among other things.

I suppose I should get off my lazy duff and do something remotely bike-related, or even just anything at all worthwhile. At the very least I should change out of this old tie-dyed Bike the Drive t-shirt ("Ten reasons why I rode on LSD: 10. It was the Mayor's idea..."), seeing as how nobody around here gets the joke. And then find a place where I could get some decent fraking coffee, instead of that transparent beige swill they use in these parts as a vehicle for nondairy creamer.

In other news, this. Meh. It's a bit surreal following this discussion from among these tiny towns in the middle of corn country.

So... How are my herbs doing?