I don’t know if I’m overly optimistic or just delusional, perhaps delusionally optimistic. That would be a good name for a troupe of river dancing mimes performing at the intermission of a monster truck rally. Have I ever told you that I dislike mimes, I just don’t buy into the whole invisible rope bit, that, and being stuck in an invisible box were all they learned before flunking out of Clown College.

Delusionally optimistic was me bringing my bicycle with to Lignite the first week of March. I had a week off for spring break so my son and I decided to head up to God’s country. My plans fell through for Cancun and Lignite was next on the list, so I called my travel agent and booked a week in sunny, windy, cold, snowing, muddy, rainy, cloudy, and scenic upstate ND. Security at the North Dakota / South Dakota border was tight and it took some time to convince them that despite my behavior I did not have mad cow disease.

As I got closer to Lignite I noticed more and more snow, and as I stepped out of the car in Lignite I noticed that not only was it snowy, but a bit on the breezy, chilly side also. Very conducive weather for bike riding, weather that shouldn’t have been a surprise to me, but somehow was. I guess the 65 degree weather I left in Rapid City contributed to my delusional optimism. That, and when I spoke to my brother, Gabe, the day before I left, he said, and I quote, “There’s hardly any snow left, it’s almost all gone.” I guess Gabe’s idea of ‘hardly any snow’ and mine are bit different. His ‘hardly any snow’ is that there isn’t enough to snowmobile; my ‘hardly any snow’ is having to scrounge to make one last dirt covered snowball. Then hitting my brother with it.

So my bike sat in the corner of the bedroom pouting the entire week, yes the bedroom, he’s my special boy, no garage for him. Besides all I could picture was me walking into the garage to find my brothers, um, my parent’s dog, Coors, using my bike as a giant chew toy. Makes me weepy just thinking about it. So in order to pay Coors back for what he ‘might’ have done, I made him run about 5 miles with me every other day while I was home. That oughta teach him. Should’ve pulled Mr. Hardly Any Snow off the couch and made him run too.

I had a great time visiting with friends and family. My son, Jackson, said it best when he told my mom, “The days go faster when I’m in Lignite.” Despite the speedy days we found time to go on a five hour tour around Burke County with Captain Ardell at the helm, Navigator Rose riding shotgun, and myself, my mom, and Jackson doing the rosary in the back seat. I enjoy learning about my family history, and I want to thank Grandpa and Grandma for taking me to ‘our’ historic sites.

Have a good Easter, and be leery of oddly shaped chocolate eggs. Especially if your brother hands it to you.