Several stitches later...

Ok. I unexpectedly had a few stitches near my arm yesterday. The doctor assures me that I'll be fine by the time I leave for my bike trip on January 9th. Given that I had a minor surgery yesterday, I spent the night sleeping instead of packing. Dale=hero of the night. That means that I'm packing now and I'm praying that I won't forget some of my trip's essentials. Helmet, pedals, seat, etc. I have a brand new Surly Cross-check touring bike waiting for me in Minnesota. I know it is rather moronic to start a ~3,100 mile ride with a new bike. Trust me, I'll figure it out...