a two-wheeler experience

The Cleaver Bi-Annual Family Road trip was a success. Damon and I safely delivered two grandbabbies for much awaited reunions with their kinfolk. As to be expected, the car ride was stick two knitting needles in your eyes amazing, but nevertheless the positives out weighed the negatives and lasting family memories were made for all, except Nellie, who is only along for the ride at this stage in her career.

A true memory maker for Magnus was the "new to him" bike my parents created for his enjoyment. His name was on the side of the yellow old timer, and the girls bar was manlied-up with a Steelers bumper sticker. The true enjoyment of the bike for Magnus was the new freedom it granted him, and his ability to succeed at a new adventure. The benefit for us in the acquisition of the training-wheeled two-wheeler was the small amount of hair it put on our "nervous pervous" son's chest, the nickname we affectionately coined for him on the start of the trip.

For Damon and I the trip put the concept of the bicycle into perspective. The joy of a bike is our ability to quickly take back to riding even after a long layoff, and as we discovered the joy of old friends falls suit. Being back in our stomping grounds was comfort, the friends we visited have been with us since we rocked life's training wheels. And just like the bike it takes little effort to fall right back into our friendships even after years or months spent apart.

If life is a journey than "bicycle friends" are the means of transportation, and the highlight for Ward and I on our vacation was the amount of miles we logged reminiscing with all our pals. A trip isn't a trip if Damon and I aren't blowing through tolls on the Expressways, and promising aloud to worry about it later. Also shaking our booties in the car to stay awake after we kicked it with the sexiest ladies and MILFS in the Chicago area. The hospitality shown to us was out of sight, and very humbling. Damon said it best when I approached him for our third trip from my Parent's house back into the 'burbs, "We didn't drive 800 miles to not see everyone we want to see." And as I reflected on the trek home I was comforted in knowing that we achieved our goal.