Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day,…..

If you had told me before this morning that I would have a good time bicycling 38 miles in the rain I would have said you were nuts. But that is exactly what happened, I had fun. Of course now some of you are saying that I am nuts. So let me start by mentioning that it only rained for about half the ride and when it rained it was really just a light sprinkle. (Thankfully) As for the distance, 38 miles is long but we biked at a really relaxed pace making it a nice ride. Of course having good company makes anything easier. I rode with Ellen, Bill and Robert. Ellen is my adopted sister, Bill is her husband and Robert was Ellen’s real brother until she disowned him and adopted me. (That is a story for another day. Ellen, you are my favorite sister.) I really enjoyed the conversations and companionship.

The ride really was a wonderfully relaxing stroll through the countryside. We wandered by several farms, through woods, and drank in many scenic views. The road surface was good and the traffic was not bad at all. The only scare came when this gigantic truck the size of the Empire State building almost killed Robert. Fortunately when it passed me I was too busy watching my life story flash before my eyes so I wasn’t scared. (I don’t think that anyone will be buying the rights to that story anytime soon.) Other than the near death experience, it was a very pleasant way to spend the morning.

A really fun part of the trip occurred when we stopped at one of the food and drink stations because my very good friend Eileen was there and it was great to see her. I had rudely and thoughtlessly not mentioned to her that I was taking part in the event. It had innocently slipped her mind to mention to me that she was running the stand. So needless to say we were both pleasantly surprised to see each other. (Well, I was pleasantly surprised, she may have only been surprised.) We exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a bit. She let me know that it will be a few weeks before she lets me forget my rudeness and I apologized for being a male and for being born. To be fair, she was disappointed because if I had told her I was riding then she would have ridden with us. So, Eileen, I really am sorry and apologize sincerely for the error of my ways. By that way, I really blame Jilian & Christine. (Next paragraph)

Now I want to thank a few people. Bill & Ellen – it was great to see you again. You are right, we have to stop meeting at these long distance hurt yourself events. Next time we’ll make it a social event. Robert – I am really proud of you, It was hard to tell you had not ridden in months. I am glad that my attempts to cheer you up by singing worked. I noticed that every time I burst into song you seemed to get a jolt of energy and leave me behind. Eileen – thank you again for being there it was great to see you. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Jilian & Christine – thanks for talking me into this and then backing out. :) Just teasing, I know you had a good reason.