We are Family

I miss my family.
I miss my friends "family".
This is an understatement.
However, we have a new sort of family.
These folks who we've been sharing this adventure with, are our road warrior family. 
Just like family, you don't have to explain any odd behavior you may be exhibiting (don't mind me while I walk into this bush),
you are free of inhibitions (don't mind me while I apply this chamois cream in front of all of you),
and you can sit in comfortable silence (don't mind me while I stare into space appearing to be be in a stupor, but in actuallity am figuring out where the nearest airport might be.) 
(That last bit usually is at the end of a day, and 22 sorry looking people are hanging around the local DQ drinking their chocolate shakes as a life elixir.)

The thing is, misery, (or in today's case - Missouri), doesn't only love company - they bond and cling to it.

Like our "real" family, we have extended relatives.  Those would be all the CrossRoads alums who follow our blogs, or send us "heads up" emails of the best pie shop, or the worst bridge.  They too are out there rooting for us, and knowing that in the end - we have done something together...not at the same time, but together just the same.

See the rose?  See the smiles?

Today we celebrate "family".  In 2005 Wendy and Barry, wild Canadians, were on this CrossRoads trip.  It was on this 28th day of riding, that Barry had an unfortunate accident, that landed him in the hospital, and both of them, off tour.  After some time, and money saving, they decided (well Barry did) that they "get the job done" (he's an ex-SWAT guy - he talks like that, don'tcha Barry?  Wendy just hopes for a really big present for doing this again.)  Instead of starting where they left off, they had chosen to do the whole thing again from the beginning.  We have serious concerns about their mental stability.  At mile 6 this morning, the "family" gathered, and cheered as Barry laid a rose on his "site", Wendy beamed, and then we all just took off together. 
We knew we had misery ahead.
But we had company.

You got your corn here.