R17 97 The Aftermath: Packing and Sorting and Changing Clothes in Public

There's where we went

Back at the vans, the massive logistical headache of our transport situation came home to roost. Because we didn't have the The Deb and The Dale, and also the RV and the Jeep, our transport to and from ragbrai was a bit of a headache.

We had managed to get it figured out though. Smitty arrived driving my car with Masinga's bike rack. (Steven and the Mayor's child, Z, had spent the week with Smitty, driving around in car. Z decided that my car was too dirty, so one of their activities was to take it for a wash and a vacuum. Thanks!). Kenny would drive the Vibe with Masinga riding shotgun. 

Smitty would take the Mayor and Steven and a bunch of gear in his van (which we had borrowed for the week). I think that FOB and D$ had rides who came up separately from the Iowa City area. The Captain drove down from Wisconsin. He would take me, Pochy, Bandit and Too Much back to Clear Lake. Pochy would stay in Clear Lake to host a baby shower the next day (yikes). And Bandit and Too Much would leave for the cities from Clear Lake, saving them the drive back to Des Moines. 

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It worked, but it was sad. Instead of all riding home, drinking ourselves silly in the RV, as the Deb rocked us through Iowa, we would be in cars, separate from our beavers, and already halfway back to civilian life. 

Bandit's shorts!

But before we could leave, we had so much sorting to do. Along with the cars, we had to figure out what went where and with whom. It was a nightmare. Coolers, chairs, tents that didn't have owners, present, bits of beaver pinata, cheese balls, extra Coors Lights, random bits of clothing, koozies, bikes. All strewn out in the yard of some random stranger. 

Eventually, things were loaded, we were loaded, and we waved goodbye to our friends in other vehicles and to Lansing.