More

Monday morning we were out pretty early. I took Brandy to Roanoke
where she met up with her ride back to New York. In the process we
discovered that my phone had broken so that I could still hear, but
nobody could hear me talking. I then took a gorgeous mountain valley
road all the way to Blacksburg.
I had to check out Blacksburg b/c it's a college town and that means
they probably have a good sandwich shop and a good coffee shop. I
found a decent one of each in the same place and continued on my way
to where I was couchsurfing outside of Cincinnati.
I must point out here that I finally fixed my windshield wiper which
had not been making full contact with the window due to a faulty wiper
arm. Every time it rained or snowed was a disaster as I tried to peer
out of the little slightly clear square of window. Of course I never
thought of it when it wasn't raining. I had tried to switch the driver
side with the passenger side and had failed to get the latter off, as
had the mechanic. In VA I decided to give it one last shot with the
screwdriver, and pop, it came right off. I switched them in ten
minutes and it works like new. The bad one even actually works on the
passenger side. So, when it started raining in WV I was actually happy
b/c I could field test it.
I met up with Beth in Hamilton, OH. She couldn't host so she put me
with her friends out in the middle of nowhere. We all went over to a
neighbor's house and sat around the fire and several other people came
over. They were a really great bunch with really fun and witty banter.
Actually, I don't think I've really ever been in a group with quite
that kind of creative dynamic before.
The next morning Beth and one of my hosts, Joanna, went out to
breakfast before I took off. Beth was raving about the place, with
Joanna less excited. I fell somewhere closer to the latter.
I had brought Eric's bike, which I"m borrowing for the summer, with
the intent of cycling to most of the places I was visiting in WI. Here
at breakfast I made what would be the first of a series of decisions
that would drastically limit the utility of taking the bike.
I decided that I would go all the way to Sheboygan by car instead of
riding my bike due to logistics.