Dog Bless Amerika!

It doesn't get much better than this. Today was one of those perfect days, doing the thing you love most, surrounded by friends. No stress, no pressure, just a good old-fashioned fun day. Beautiful scenery, delightful weather, and ice cream made it all the better.

Sometimes you need to stop training and just ride. And since today is a holiday, it was the perfect reason to do that. I gathered a random collection of my cycling friends from different areas of my life together for an all-day road ride. It was so fun watching new friendships develop among folks who I care about. We had an awesome ride, lunched in a quaint town, stopped for ice cream, and got some good solid miles in the legs. Ahhhhh.....nothing better in my mind.

Although not a political or particularly patriotic person by nature, I couldn't help but ponder how lucky we are in this country. We saw so many cyclists enjoying the day. We have the opportunity to do just about anything we want to do. We live in a country that embraces diversity (most of the time). We have freedom to make choices that affect our lifestyle. And we have the chance to succeed and thrive.

Dog bless Amerika!