There will be time later for a more philosophical post about the trip and about what this all means.  But for now I just wanted to record the facts: that I did ride 75 miles from Napoleon to Bismarck, ND yesterday, to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant with 15 or so of my new friends, who did give me a new pair of socks, a card they all signed and a book about cycling, and I did basically choke up and almost cry like a baby.  The riding itself was good; we had a bit of a tailwind for a while and it was some flats and rolling hills.  We hit a really bad stretch of road around Moffitt, a chip seal stretch that made Matt have flashbacks to the Southern Tier and Texas in particular.  Once again, these trips come through for me; I find myself in a much better place and mood now than I was when I started.  I had less to gain or prove this time around; things were going well already and I felt good about life. Even still, it's been great.  The family we're staying with here in Bismarck is incredibly kind and has an awesome house for this sort of thing with a downtown den with comfy couch and chair and plush carpet.  I'm not overly impressed with North Dakota by and large; it's a bit too hot and muggy and just kind of uninspiring.  But I do dearly love this house and the people in it.