Neighborliness across borders

In the midst of adversity come the most amazing human actions.

The whole valley had to evacuate, and people had to move not only themselves, but all of their belongings. I’m proud to say that the whole community and the surrounding area stepped up and of the almost 12,000 people who were displaced, only about 300 had to go to a public shelter. That’s an amazing thing that shows what kind of place North Dakota is to live in. We are a pretty neighborly bunch of people…that being an understatement.

Now to the most important reason for my posting today. My friend, Mark, who writes the blog The Idiot Speaketh & Pedaleth, is riding his stationary bike 160+ miles today. His all time record is 160 in one day, and he’s looking to out-do that. I checked out his Facebook page just now, and already he has clocked in 90 miles, as of 11:44am Central time. The thing that makes this particular ride super extra special is that Mark has challenged all of his friends to pledge an amount of money per each mile he rides and donate it to the American Red Cross Mid-Dakota Chapter on behalf of the people in Minot who’ve been displaced by the flood.  So why is the title of this post Neighborliness Across Borders?  Because my buddy Mark lives in Texas, that’s why. Even though he lives all the way across the country from North Dakota, he’s stepping up and helping out as though he lived in the next town over. For this, I am giving Mark the high honor of dubbing him an Honorary North Dakotan. I’m working on a graphic for that Mark…

I had the privilege to meet Mark and his son earlier in June when they drove through on a Father/Son trip. It’s not very often you get to meet your blog friends in person, so this was a rare treat.  Also in attendance was my Sister-by-Choice, Brea, who writes the blog Brea’s Aire. The four of us met at Pizza Hut and had such a good time, we closed the place down. That’s right…we’re just that radical. Of course it helps that Brea brought the  BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE in the entire world, and bribed the Pizza Hut staff with it. By the time we left, they all had the glazed-over eyes of those who are rocking a major sugar high.  During the time we were at Pizza Hut, we discussed many things including how squirrels lay eggs in your attic when you aren’t looking, the crazy antics of Texas’s governor, and the international political ramifications of camels with deflated humps…amongst many other topics.  It was a most enlightening evening! After all was said and done, it was a fabulous time, and it was such a privilege to get to meet Mark and Tyler in person.

I’m not one to put my face on my blog, because I started this blog out wanting to be totally anonymous. However, as time goes on, I realize that anything I write here could be seen by anyone savvy enough to do their research, and quite frankly, my life just isn’t that interesting. So, to all the CIA operatives who have been trying so hard to find me, here I am with my friends Mark and Brea:

Just looking at this picture makes me feel more blessed than I can express. It’s my fondest wish for all who read this blog today that you find yourselves equally as blessed.

Oh…and for those at the CIA who have been frantically trying to find my whereabouts all these years, I’m the one in the blue shirt.