The Cast of Characters

Good news – we are back on the road after yesterday’s snowstorm.  In fact, it is a beautiful day.  We have 500 miles behind us since this morning, temp has gone from 19 degrees to 56 degrees, terrain has gone from snow covered to beautiful sunny green valleys and mountain peaks.  We are back on schedule to hit the Pacific coast by tomorrow-late afternoon. 

I have heard a good story requires good character development.  Some of you have asked about the characters I am doing this bike journey with, so I turned it into a conversation.  As the five of us spend 28 hours in the pick-up driving to Oregon, I asked Brian, Bruce and myself to provide a short self-descriptor.  Then to make it interesting, I asked everyone in the pick-up to provide input on the self-descriptors.  Here are the results:

Brian, Mark, Bruce
Brian:

Brian’s self-descriptor:
I am a recently retired CPA working in industry. Happily married for 37 years to Pat making our home in Owatonna, MN for the last 23 years.  I am the father to 3 daughters and 3 sons-in-law and have 4 grandchildren with another coming soon. I enjoy cycling, fishing, hunting, camping, singing, traveling, family and hiking.

Input on Brian from the rest of the group:
·      Joker, kidder, smart aleck, prankster. 
·      Fun loving
·      Great sense of humor
·      Positive thinker
·      Easy going
·      Always has a smile on his face
·      Glass is always half full kind of guy
·      Likes to tease people, (especially his older brother) 
·      Ridiculously excited for this trip
·      Bleeds purple. 
·      A planner
·      Great at assuring we all remember the importance of good friends and promoting our get-togethers. 
·      Seeks out time for friends and family. 
·      Action taker. 
·      His motto should be, “make it happen”.  This trip is a perfect example of that attitude   

Bruce (Bruce is Brian’s older brother):

Bruce’s self-descriptor:
I am a recovering alcoholic.  I am eternally grateful for the life I have been given and the friends and family I have learned to love.  My favorite quote is: Memories in life are made by the journey, not the destination.  

Input on Bruce from the rest of the group:
·      Laid back
·      Calm demeanor
·      Calming nature
·      Outdoor enthusiast.  
·      Loves motorcycles but can't ride anymore.  (The mind is obsessed with riding but the back is weak). Drove 220,000 miles around the U.S. through all 48 lower states, Mexico and the southern Canadian provinces over the course of 12 years. 
·      Always there to lend a helping hand
·      A great support person. 
·      A mentor to many others, helping them through life experiences 
·      Always has a good story. 

Mark:
Mark’s self-descriptor:
Fun loving, adventure loving, try anything, recovering perfectionist, contemplative, can't sit still. Rather do anything than watch anything.  Love music, but can't sing a note.  Struggle and strive to unlock my creativity.    

Input on Mark from the rest of the group:
·      Mark is a failed recovering perfectionist, he’s still anal 
·      Life is a game mentality
·      Challenges himself physically 
·      A sprinter in planning and preparation (nice way of saying he is a procrastinator), but a marathoner in physical endeavors 
·      Budding amateur photographer
·      Active and enthusiastic participant of many sports/activities
·      Good storyteller.  
·      Has biggest music collection of anyone I know. 
·      Hospitable and welcoming (with a smile)  - especially at the cabin


So these are the characters I am spending the next three months with, in close quarters.  No matter what you gather from the descriptors above, I am lucky to have an old friend like Brian who is making this happen and a new friend like Bruce who will be there to assure it happens every mile along the way.  I know this journey will create immeasurable memories and positively influence me.  And I know it will also include a few trials and tribulations to test our mettle.  I also know that this journey will be a better adventure and make me a better person because I am experiencing it with these two characters.

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