Day 22. Aberdeen, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL. 110 miles. The ride into Aberdeen had definitely been a challenge for our team. The 138 miles and the hills, along with rain the last 30 percent of the ride had definitely exacted a toll from all of us. This morning, with rain falling steadily as we gathered for breakfast, you could tell that there was some nervousness in the air again. Today's ride and the ride tomorrow both have were long rides and hilly rides, and most of us don't have the "snap, crackle and pop" we started with a few days ago. Of course none of these guys would admit any of the above, but trust me, I knew what they were feeling because I too am a tad "leg weary." Nevertheless, at 7:15 am we launched the team down the road. Unfortunately, about 8 of the 12 of us were pedaling in the wrong direction until my New Jersey friend "little Steve" hollered, ". . . we're going in the wrong direction!" With the rain coming down hard, we turned the herd and started down the road . . . the right way. The stories of the day were definitely the rain and directions. I was dressed appropriately and felt comfortable and ready for the ride. The rain really makes me focus still more on the road, vigilant for potholes and cracks filled with water and other debris that can bite those narrow tires. Another complicating factor as a result of the rain is how available and how readable is the navigation sheet at any one time. Normally, I just fold it and wrap it around my handlebars and clasp it together with a heavy duty paper clip. When it is raining, I put it inside a sealed plastic bag, and then I stuff it inside my rain jacket. Picture this: I'm going down the road at 20 mph, I can barely see in front of me because it is raining so hard, and I need to make sure I know the name and location of the next turn. I look at the cue sheet and see that I'm supposed to turn left on Lackey Road at 4.1 miles on my odometer. Since I'm paying extra attention to keeping my bike upright and away from the rain filled road hazards, I am struggling a bit to remember when and where the next turn really is, and by the way, those road signs are sometimes: a) hard to see b) not there at all c) not where I may be looking d) there, but at a distance that doesn't exactly match the cue sheet. So stretch this process out over 110 miles and 5 hours of heavy exertion and you'll understand how I managed to "earn" 8 "bonus" miles today. Yes, I was completely, 100 percent responsible for riding 8 extra miles because of one or more of the above. While an extra 30 minutes of riding is not normally a big deal, it is becoming a "bigger" deal as I get a little closer to Savannah and am getting a tad more tired. I'm not whining, but I wanted you to get a sense of the challenges that are out there on the road. There was a bright side to the rain for me. I think the rain kept the dogs on the porches today, or maybe they were just observing Mother's Day. Hard to tell. Our first rest stop was moved up to about 25 miles because the abandoned gas station had a nice overhang where we could stop. I only stayed about 5 minutes because my dress and body temperature were sized to "keep moving." And since the first stop was at 25, that meant that the lunch stop was now at 72 miles, about 2-3 hours away. It continued to rain the entire way and I just kept good control of my bike and told myself that after lunch, I'd only have about 2 hours of riding remaining. Lunch was pitched on the outside porch of an old flower shop. About the time I got all my usual lunchtime fare, the skies again opened up and I relaxed in the folding chair, enjoyed my meal and watched it rain as though I were sitting at home on the back screened in porch with Arlene. It was very relaxing! By the time I finished, this shower had let up significantly, and I headed down the road toward Tuscaloosa. Over the next 30 minutes, the rapidly changing sky opened to sun and some blue spaces and raised the temperature about 10-15 degrees. I'd gone from "just about right" to "way too hot" and sweating profusely. I doffed my rain jacket at the top of a hill and stashed my "do-rag"(sweat headband I wear under my helmet), and I immediately felt so much cooler and comfortable. The hills kept coming and my navigation skills faded a couple times. I always tell others that God gave me strong legs and lungs because he knew I'd be going the long way on a regular basis. Today was no exception. I'm proud to report my mistakes, but I am also keenly aware of an axiom one of my friends often offered: Nobody ever learned anything the second time the mule kicked them. Tomorrow I'll have another chance to prove I am smart enough to slow down and get the navigation right the first time. The last 10 miles of the ride were through downtown Tuscaloosa to include the beautiful Alabama University campus. It wasn't until that I concluded my campus tour that it dawned on me why there was hardly anyone on the campus: it was Sunday at about 2 pm. My spirits were lifted when I eventually found the Comfort Inn and after helping Barb unload the luggage van, I treated myself to 20 minutes in the hot tub. Ahhh! At rap I discovered that I was not the only poor navigator out there today and that others had a few issues with the cue sheets too. That's life! For dinner about 8 of us headed across the street to O'Charley's and at first decided that the 1 hour Mother's Day wait wouldn't work for us. However, with another rain storm approaching and few other options, we headed back inside O'Charley's and asked to dine at the bar. The worked swimmingly and got us literally to the front of the food line. We had a chance to share a few laughs and enjoy lots of good food in preparation for tomorrow's assault on Mike and Barbara's hometown, Prattville, AL, 117 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. Hope you all had a great Mother's Day. I had terrific conversations with my lovely wife, Arlene, and my Mom today, and feel blessed to have both in my life. Thanks for listening. Stay healthy, Steve