Day Six: Welcome To Misery

Just after morning we had rolled passed 2,ooo miles in mid Missouri. Time Station #32 was at the foot of the Jefferson City Capitol Dome. With an impressive thunderstorm looming it was and eerie backdrop worthy of a photographic session. I was the only one awake at this point and there was no room at the inn as usual. When you are exhausted, you are particularly less picky about where you lay your head. I spent many fast sleeps curled in the bench on the RV with my legs propped up on a crate and my head teetering on a see-saw pillow with gravity. This unmanned time station had a tent with dry ground. As I watched the piercing bolts of lightning out of one eye, a nap beneath a tree won out over safety. Still trying to follow that posted rotation schedule, both Jim and I were overdue for sleep, but the night nappers were unyielding. Mike called for two of our RVers to crew on the road throughout the day and that threw everything into a Midwest funnel cloud. When we arrived in Marthasville the tornado touched down, figuratively of course. Mike mandated a SIX hour rest period putting an end to our struggle to remain in the RACE that we signed up for. I thought this 'ain't no bike tour'? Forget a silent tantrum when I heard the word laundry mentioned AGAIN, I walked out on the field and kicked dirt on the umpire for such a ridiculous call. I took one look at Robin's face and saw a dream swiped by a grinch. By now most of our RV crew had good sleep throughout the night. Calling it quits to competitiveness was uncalled for and I said so. Jim Drumm was my only back up and Mike squashed him like a bug. The riders continued on throughout the day separated from us grounded group of RVers. We held a meeting, discussed our options, and decided on mutiny. We came up with a new plan (my rotation schedule from the start) and decided it wasn't Mike's decision to make. Our crew chief was finally on board for a half second. Later he came to me and said it wouldn't work after it just had; I didn't bother to engage this further. I became known as the Sleep Nazi and I was able to use our strengths to our advantage finally.