Next Year ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yep, I know I am way behind and we have been busy! It looks like it will be "next year" before I can catch up. Seeing how today is New Years Eve it will be next year! Anyhow we are about to head home and then I am gone to PA over the weekend.


We move Cody to PA over the weekend and I will be back on Tuesday.. Have a good evening and be safe.


                                     See Ya Next Year,,,,,

Still Here ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Had a great Christmas with the family and been pedaling steady! Just short of help her at work and been busy! We aren't allowed to carry over days here so everybody is trying to get their time in.


Hopefully I can find time to post tomorrow, thanks for checking back in though!

It's Weird ,,,,,,,,,,

Usually Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and it still is this year. But with us taking the kid to PA next Friday it just seems weird this year. We have all our shopping done and we are ready, the plans are made as far as seeing the family and all but it's just weird. I know everybody who sends a kid to college goes through the same thing but it doesn't make me like it anymore.


Yes if you read this blog very often I am well aware I have whined about this several times! But it's what's on my mind so I keep going back to it.


I did ride this weekend, I did a short road ride Saturday. The cold limited my time, I just couldn't get comfortable so I went home. I finished putting my tires and brakes on the mountain bike and decided to take it out. I went done to Ann Springs and had a good ride. It was a little slick but not to bad. Plus I hadn't been down there in quite a while so it was nice to get back. They are really sweet trails.


It's just far enough away that I always tend to think it's to far to go. But it's really closer than you would think. If I go through the country I can be there at 31 miles. That's only 6 miles further than Steve's. I need to go there more often.


Now it's raining again and supposed to for the next 2 days. So it will be the road bike the rest of the week. Life is good and Christmas is here!

Glad It's Almost Over,,,,

Today, the week all of the above! Cody is feeling better, I feel bad and Karen feels good. Chase is good to go so I guess it's all good. The weekend is supposed to be nice so I am riding as much as I can.


Yes we have Christmas next week and the countdown is getting tight as far as Cody going to school. For the first time in my life I wish Christmas was still a month away! Have a good weekend, I am done for this week.


                                        Have a good weekend,,,,,,,,

The Hump !!!!!!!!!

Not sure what my problem is but I am having a tough time adjusting to the cold this year. I can't seem to decide if I am sick or not! The last two weeks have consisted of 4 bike rides and that's been about it. All of them coming in the middle of the day.


I usually don't mind the cold and will make plans to go no matter what the temps are, but this year has been different. I went on a few cold rides and then it's like my body said, "not this year"! I so much as walk outside with the thought of riding and the cold hits me and it's over! I would rather take the dog and go to the golf course and walk for 5 miles. I may not break a big sweat but I come home and I can feel it.


It might not be riding but it's still exercise! I enjoy riding the road bike more when it's cold but right now it ain't happen either. Maybe it will change but for now I am in a rut and can't see over the side! Cold sucks and that's all there is to it!




The rest of the story, Cody is still hurting! He's had a rough week! He is finally eating but it hurts, he's decided now that if had known how bad this was gonna hurt he would have never had it done! It sucks watching your kid go through this, you wish you could make it all better but it is what it is. Another week and he will be back to somewhat normal. Plus we are on the 2 week count down before we take him north.


I guess things are good, real good actually but damn it's gonna be tough leaving him in PA.........

And It Was !!!!!!!!!

To be honest the wife is the one who took care of the kid all weekend but it still affected me. They both slept on the couch and I had the bed all to myself but I just don't sleep as well when I am by myself. Plus every time she was up and moving I woke up too.


I am not used to hearing movement in the kitchen at night. He had a rough night Friday night and then he over did it Saturday so Saturday night was even worse! Last night he did sleep up stairs but then she had to set her alarm to give him his pain meds, that sucked! The alarm went off at 12:30 and then 3:30.


I get up at 5:30! So 3 times I woke up last night. I think I slept better when she was on the couch! But hopefully the worst is over. I know he's ready to be done with it. He can't really eat yet so he's hungry, hungry and grumpy!


I did get out on my road bike both days. Saturday was a quick short ride, somebody had to stay with the kid all day so I had a very little window. Yesterday was better I slipped out for a couple of hours and had a good ride. Now I need to make a point of getting out this week and all will be well.

I Hate It ,,,,,,,,,,,

"I Hate It", for my kid! This has been coming but it still sucks. We originally had this planned for the week of Christmas but since he is heading to PA the week after Christmas we had it moved up. That way he will be better by the time he goes to school.


                      Cody is 19 and had his tonsils removed this morning!


Even the doctor said it's a lot rougher for an adult to have it done than it is for a little baby. When he walked in the room this morning the first thing he said was he had already done 3 kids that morning but Cody was the one he would be thinking about this weekend.


He said the little kids have little tonsils, like a small grape, where as adults have them the size of golf balls! In other words, a lot bigger cut! He even told us to keep him full of meds! Yes he is already home and hating life. It only took about thirty minutes to have it done but that was the easy part.


As I said, "I Hate It" the kid has a long weekend ahead of him.........

One of Those Rides,,,,

Not sure if it's the weather or what, but I just wasn't feeling it! I left here yesterday and went straight to the trail. I changed clothes and headed in the woods, I knew before I had been a mile it wasn't gonna be a fast ride.


By the time I cleared the "roller coaster" I damn near headed for the parking lot. I rode the middle section telling myself the hardest part is over. I didn't last much longer and headed to the truck. I got a whole 40 minute ride in and then I went to the truck.


                     Somedays your the wheel, somedays your the dirt under the wheel.....


                                                         I just felt like the dirt........

I Am Here ,,,,,,,,,,,,

I just haven't done anything worth talking about. I am still kinda in my local trail funk mood and the blah blah blah, ho hum weather has me dragging. I went home yesterday and made myself load the dog up and head to the golf course.


We walked till way past dark and still made it home by 6:30. Supper was made and I was asleep on the couch at 7:45. I woke up and watched basketball for a short period of time and went to bed at 9:30. Not the most exciting night. I don't really see how I need so much sleep right now but I seem to be getting more than usual.


Plus I am still loaded for a ride and the sun is shinning! My plan is to hit the trail after work today. But that was my plan yesterday too. I hope the vitamin "D" will help...




One last thing, Sunday when I was in the woods at Uhwarrie, way back in the woods! I came across this weird guy walking all by himself in the middle of the woods. He asked me to stop and he wanted to know about more trails in the area. Then he wants to know if he is headed back toward the parking lot and I tell him no he is going the long way to get there. He still had a good 7 miles the way he was going and he could have turned around and went back 2 miles to get there.


He is telling me he wants shorter trails to walk but when I told him which way to go he said no, he wanted to go the long route. It was really weird and he was putting off the "really weird I am a stalker kinda vibe". He didn't look like a hiker or trail walker at all. Yet he wanted to know where people go to walk in the area.


Now if you know the Uhwarrie mountain bike trail system you know it's a loop type trail. Not very many cut through. He was the reason I did my second lap backwards. I wanted to see where he had gotten to. Yet I never met him again,,,,, It was weird. He was scouting for something but what I don't know......


Sometimes you just get a vibe from someone and he was one of those people......

I Had Fun !!!!!!!

Saturday was a rain day, I stayed at the house as long as I could take it and then I got my umbrella and headed to the golf course. It was raining, I figured it would be empty and the dog and I could walk the whole 18 holes on the cart path.


NOT! Golfers are crazier than bicyclist! I couldn't believe how many people were there and golfing in the rain. It was crazy. We had to walk the nature trail. No big deal but I got a kick out of it. It just made me realize how crazy I used to be when I had the golfing bug. At one point in time I used to golf at least 3 days a week and the weekend.


Rain didn't stop me either, I guess I should have known it was gonna be  busy. I still got my walk in and didn't really get to wet so it was a good day. I came home and layed around the house the rest of the day and then Sunday came.


Sunday was a great day! The sun was out and the temps where great. Because of the rain all day Saturday I went to Uhwarrie and cut a few laps. I love that place! I wish it was closer to the house but it is what it is. 45 miles one way but at least it's all through the country. You just have to allow for the drive time.


It's the closest thing to riding in the mountains we have around here, at least without the drive to the mountains. The only draw back is the fact it makes me want to go to the mountains now... I need a day trip........

Maybe, Maybe Not !!!!!

You might call it a waste but I call it a good week. No rides happened but I walked a lot. I hardly drank any beer and I feel good. It's Friday and the weekend is here. I don't really have any big plans this weekend and I am fine with that. We have been busy getting things ready for the kid to head off and that has taken time.


We are now on the count down! We will be heading north on Jan. 2nd and he will be checked in for the next nine months. Am I ready for it? Nope! But it's gonna happen, weather I like it or not. Not that I don't "like it", I just know how much I am gonna miss my kid! I will see him several times over the next 9 months but I still know the kid I send up there is gonna come home a lot more mature.


This will be his first time living anywhere but home. He's gonna have to learn how to do it all for himself! Laundry, cooking the whole deal! It should be interesting! So was the week wasted?


                                                  "Maybe, Maybe Not"............

Don't Blink ,,,,,,,,,,

If you do it will be gone before you know it! I am referring to the week. My last post on Monday I said it was time for a night ride. Well now it's Thursday and the week is almost over and I haven't ridden yet. "Don"t Blink".....


I have walked every night, the dog and I are best buds'. But that's been the extent of my exercise. I can't really put a finger on why but every once in awhile I just loose my motivation. It's like I get in this lull where I don't want to drive to ride and the road just isn't working out. Might be the weather might be the darkness. Sometimes I just get off the bike and take a few days to find my way back.


I still feel like I am being productive but just in a different way. My legs are sore right now just in a different way. Besides It's really peaceful to slow down and walk a nice quite golf course. This time of year it gets dark so early nobody is there golfing. We have it all to ourselves!


Yes it gets dark......  But I have my dog to protect me!!!!!!

Round One ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

We ate we had company, it's over now we move on to the next round. The holidays started and my favorite part is the extra time off. I tried to take advantage of the extra play as best as I could. Of course we had family day Thursday and then woke up to freezing cold Friday.


I could have easily called it a loss but I knew I would regret it later. I had planned to do a road ride with Kelly but hadn't heard from him so I proceeded to get ready. I didn't bother trying to find him cause I knew if I met him and we rode I would be in it for the long haul. If I went by myself and I stayed close to the house I could at least bail and say I tried.


About the time I was ready damn if he didn't call. We decided to meet and see what happened. By the time it was done we had knocked out 40 miles and didn't freeze. I learned a few more things about dressing for the cold and it worked out. It may have been the coldest day of the year, at least in our area. But we where out and about and had a good ride.


Saturday I went down to SC and rode Cheraw State Park and then finished the 4 day weekend with a road ride. A road ride that was in the worst wind I think I have ever ridden in! I ended a 38 mile ride with an average speed just barely over 15 and I was beat! The temps were perfect and it was a beautiful day so I had a hard time complaining but it was tough!


                                          Now for a night ride this week....