Nomad Life - Day 154

Unlike I usually try to do during my Nomad Life, I was still in Alliance when I woke up this morning, with a plan to move in the middle of the day.  Hoping to get a good start on my telework day, I was up at 0500 (before alarm) and immediately got on my computer.  At 0730, I took a break for breakfast in the lobby of Alliance Hotel (Alliance) and then moved into the workout room for some exercise.  During the following 80 minutes, I used the treadmill (3.25 miles in 60 minutes) and recumbent bike (4 miles in 20 minutes).  I thought about swimming some laps but, instead, went back to my telework at 0920.  Fortunately, I also had time to get a load of laundry going at around the same time.  While the washer worked fine, the dryer didn't - there was enough time to hang dry clothes for a few hours, though.  In the end, I worked all the way until the time of my late checkout (1200).  By then, I'd reached the five hour mark for my work day.  With the indulgence of the hotel's staff, I was able to pack up my car after the official time.  Before departing, I thanked the owner of the hotel for two wonderful stays this month and told him that it was, by far, the best property of any hotel chain I'd visited during my Nomad Life journey.  Next (1210), I drove to nearby a Maverick gas station to fill up my tank and also picked up lunch at McDonalds (1220).  Hoping to get rid of the Christmas Tree lights ("check engine", etc.) on my dash, I drove to nearby Red Beard Garage and Towing (recommended by the hotel) for help.  There was a little bit of reluctance at first (outside temps?) but, in the end, they definitely did a good job.  The only downside was that this visit cost me a lot more than I'd hoped - I'll admit to some unhappy thoughts directed at the Subaru Dealership in Rapid City...  Still, I was able to leave Alliance with a clear dashboard by 1230.  By then, the outside temps were 35 F, the sky was beautiful (sunny) and there was very little wind.  My five (plus) hour drive began when I accessed NE-2 and received a message from Google Maps that I'd be on that same road for over 200 miles.  During the early phases of this trip, I encountered some un-melted snow on the road surface.  Luckily, there was almost no traffic and I was easily able to avoid the hazard.  Meanwhile, I traveled through expansive ranch fields and (occasional) interesting bluffs (mostly near creeks).  Across the prairie, I had expansive visibility for many miles in all directions.  Along the way, I passed many historical signs - most seemed to be about pioneer journeys and "firsts" for the Panhandle.  I passed through Antioch (Sheridan County) at 1250 and reached Ashby (Grant County) a bit later.  By 1330, I reached the town of Hyannis (< 200 pop), which, almost certainly, has to be named for the town on Cape Cod I know so well.  At about this time, I started fighting with another dashboard annoyance: my tire pressures, which had worked so well at higher elevations and colder temperatures, seemed to be setting off the advisory lights.  The rest of the dashboard was clear, fortunately, but I didn't like the thought that my tires might be overinflated.  As a result, I stopped several times to let out a little bit of air.  As for the continuing scenery, though, I was not disappointed - when I passed a lake near the town of Whitman, I saw a soaring Bald Eagle.  After that, I passed through Mullen (Hooker County) and Thedford (Thomas County).  Just about that time, I transitioned (back) into the Central Time Zone - hopefully, this will help with my coordination with East Coast folks...  Imagine my surprise when I noticed the temperature gauge showing 42 F!  I'm not sure I trust that (since the car has been having electrical issues) but it seemed warm when I stopped (again) for the tire issue.  Later, I reached the town of Halsey, I passed a nice looking bike trail system (never could figure out the name) and noticed that there was no more evidence of snow.  I should have mentioned by now the large number of trains (mostly BNSF) that kept passing me during this whole drive - these were impressive!  I think some could have been coal trains because I saw a lot of cinder/coal piled along the road.  The terrain had also changed to being what you might call "drumlins" - the whole area looked like something out of a Highlands inspired golf course.  Beyond this point, I passed through Dunning (Blane County), saw a sign for Brewster (another Cape Cod name?) and reached Anselmo (Custer County).  When the traffic started to get more plentiful, I realized I'd only seen three other cars going in my direction during the previous three hours.  When I reached Broken Bow (1635), the larger size of the town was in stark contrast to all the things I'd seen during the previous few days.  This led to an increase in the number of cops along the way (especially in subsequent small towns).  For some reason, I started to see snow again - there was a lot by the time I passed through Mason Cit (1700).  Wrapping up my prairie passage, I drove through Litchfield (Sherman County) at 1710, Sweetwater (Buffalo County) at 1720 and Cairo (Hall County) at 1735.  The town of Grand Island (really big) had street lights (which I hadn't seen since Alliance) and I was finally able to change the clock in my car.  By 1745, I was on US-281 and only had to drove about 10 miles to reach I-80.  The temps were still at around freezing while the sun was setting and I caught a glimpse of the sunset when I got on the Interstate (1755).  After that, I made good time as I drove east.  I passed the time with audiobooks but had to keep my attention focused on the road because I kept watching trucks pre-emptively changing lanes in front of me, even though traffic levels didn't seem to justify this.  There were also LOTS of tailgaters and some construction.  Before long, though, I arrived at my hotel in (West) Lincoln, the Rodeway Inn (located on US-6 near a big Prison).  When I checked in at 1915, I was rewarded with three nights due to my 2025 loyalty points earned with Wyndham.  As I got settled in my room, the temps dropped all the way down to 20 F - brrrr.  I resumed teleworking immediately and was able to finish my last three hours of work with no issue (mostly because of the time change).  Meanwhile, I had snacks for my dinner.  The heater was not working very well but I was comfortable with it set at the max level (86 degrees).  There was barely any time to watch movies before bed time but I tried.  In the end, I had to force myself to turn out the light (2345).  Looking forward to learning more about Lincoln over the next few days!