Shaun Rides His Bike

This was the first day of this journey where I enjoyed no wind or a tailwind virtually the entire day! It was amazing!

I stopped to take pictures a few times, but the only really notable stop was at the Route 66 Café in Cuba, Missouri.

Yesterday, I forgot to eat until I stopped for the evening, and I was feeling shaky when I finally sat down to eat dinner. So today, I stopped for breakfast (really lunch), at Shelly’s Route 66 Café. Being Saturday morning, it was busy, and I was told I’d have to wait 10 minutes or so. I said that was fine. Then she added, “Unless you want to sit with the odds and ends, over there…”

So I sat down with two old guys. Despite eavesdropping very carefully, I couldn’t figure out what they were discussing, with great vigor. They didn’t pay any attention to me at all, so I ordered my food and just sat there. Finally, one of them asked me what I was doing, and I told them, then started asking them questions.

They’d both lived in Cuba for almost their whole lives, and had known each other since they were kids. The younger one, Charlie, was 67. The other guy left without saying goodbye, but he lived with Charlie and his family for a while when he was fighting with his father, and they’ve been friends since then.

I know a lot about Charlie, who was incredibly friendly and open. He started working for Chrysler in 1974. He was laid off in 1979, but rehired in 1983, when Lee Iacocca resurrected Chrysler with the creation of the minivan. He had bladder cancer in 2010, but it was found early by his family doctor, and he visited a urologist who performed surgery the very next day. It recurred in 2015, but he has yearly checkups and it hasn’t recurred since. He sent his family doctor flowers to thank him.

I know a lot more about Charlie, but that’s enough for this blog. Sadly, I didn’t get photos of Charlie or his friend.