Am I ???????????

I think I am having some kinda mid-life crisis! Every since last October I have been on a roll, it all started with the trip to checkout Cody's school. Then it kicked in right at New Years with the trip up to take him to school.


Now I have been to PA 3 times and Kentucky once. This weekend we have our second ski trip to Boone so this weekend is done. Next weekend looks like a stay at home stop but then the following weekend it will be back to PA. That trip will be the boy and I, the wife is staying home. We are going to get one last ski weekend before the weather changes to spring.


After that we plan to take the camper down to the beach for a quick weekend. I am getting it fixed tomorrow morning so it will be ready for the summer. Point is I am enjoying all this travel! Just going and seeing things, I want to cram as much into life as I can right now! It's like I know I am getting old and I don't like it!


Until the money runs out, it's time to ride......

Close But No Cigar !!!!!!!!!!!

The weather men talked it up all night last night and then nothing............. Believe it or not half the people I work with laid out! The roads are clear and it's over.... People in the south are sad......

I'am Beginning To Wonder !!!!!!!!!!!!

If we get the snow tonight and I don't get to ride till the weekend or longer this will be the longest period of time in the last 8 years I have gone without riding my bike. We are on week 3 now! I can't believe it's been that long but with the Kentucky trip and the Pennsylvania trip it all adds up!


I came loaded one day this week, only to turn around and go back home. I have been walking steady but it just ain't the same. The golf course has been closed for the last 2 weeks so that's been neat but I still want to ride my bike. As I was walking the course last night I was thinking about riding the cart path on my bike. With the course closed this is about the only chance for that to happen.


Although I might have missed my chance this week. As I said yesterday, the snow is coming! It's in Atlanta and heading this way. That's like a guarantee for us when it comes out of Atlanta!!!

I Hope Not,,,,,,,,,,,,,

So I loaded the car for today. I planned on riding after work. I woke up this morning and it was snowing! I had no clue that was gonna happen. I hung in there and the bike is still on the back of the car.


                                            It ain't gonna happen....




Now they are calling for a possible 4-8in tomorrow night. God I hope not.. Charlotte can't handle that kinda snow!

Never Gonna Happen !!!!!!!!!!!!

I like to visit and will continue to visit till the kid comes home, but I will never live up there! It was so cold in PA that when we returned to 32 degree weather I was ready to put shorts on. It was that cold! Plus the snow!


Don't even get me started on the snow! I thought I liked snow and I thought I would like for us to get more snow but not anymore! I am tired of snow and I know the kid has to be too. When we crossed the Virginia line headed north we rode in snow until we crossed back into NC. Plus it snowed all day Saturday.


Yes we had a good time and I am always thankful to see my kid. We spent Saturday up in Indiana PA and got to see an ice carving contest plus we went to a chili cook off. That was fun, and we got to taste about 10 different chili's. That was a first for all of us! Word to the wise! If your in an area that is having a ice carving contest you know it's a cold area!


We don't have those down south! I did manage to find a bicycle shop that was open and we checked it out. That turned out to be a good thing! The shop also sold snowboards and ski's along with boots. They where having an end of season sale and we got a great deal on a snowboard and boots for Chase, he now has his own setup for skiing! We will be going this weekend!


Appalachian ski resort here we come! The only complaint I had for the whole weekend was the return trip. With all the snow Saturday it made for a long trip home. I usually get home in about 7-8 hours at the most. Yesterday took a total of 10 hours! That made a long day......


                                            Can't wait to go back though.........

Time To Go !!!!!!!!!!

It's been a weird week, at least here in the Charlotte area. I imagine you've heard about the deep freeze dipping down out of the Canadian country above us. Of course this being the south everything damn near stops because of the cold. Then throw in a little icy wintry mix and I ended up with a day off this week.


Only in the south can a small wintry mix mean a day off in the middle of the week and it's perfectly acceptable! Got to love it!


So that has kinda screwed up my week but no complaints. We are packing tonight to head to PA again. It's time to see the kid again. This will be my 4th trip up since he started school and the wife's second. She's excited and can't wait to see him. Of course I feel the same way, he's only been gone for 8 weeks and it feels like it's been forever.


Hopefully next week I will have a better record of blogging but this week is all but over. See ya next week. I'll be back on Monday....

Stayin' The Course ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

These days "The Course", seems to lead out of town about every other weekend. I like it! I think I mentioned a few weeks ago about me getting a new Car that gets 35 miles to the gallon. Yep I got it about the time gas prices dropped to half of the reason I bought the damn thing to begin with!


No worries I love it and I can travel 1000 mile round trips for 60 bucks right now! I know for a fact, I just did my second 1000 mile trip over the weekend. Yep I loaded the wife up and we went to Kentucky to see my Wildcats play basketball.She surprised me with the tickets at Christmas. I usually go to Columbia SC and see them play. So this trip was a big deal for me.


If you don't know about me I grew up in the great state of Kentucky, about 2 blocks from the UK campus. We moved away when I was around 13 years old, by then I was already a Wildcat fan for life! Always will be! So every year I go to Columbia, I wear my colors and have a great time. This year was a treat, I love my wife she's the bomb!


We stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel and had a 5 star restaurant right there. So Friday night was a fantastic meal and then we did a little touring the city Saturday AM and then the game. Home by midnight and slept in Sunday morning. That was a great weekend!!!!

Not Again !!!!!!!!!!!

Two years ago, almost to the day! I broke the frame on my Cannondale. Guess what? It's broke again! Two years ago when I picked up my bike with a new frame the guy handed me the paperwork and said "you probably won't need this now that you have a new frame but I would keep it anyway".


I brought it home and stuck it in my toolbox. Last night I went right to it. I have all the paperwork I need and now I need another frame. That kinda sucks! At least I have my Specialized to ride.


Sunday that's what I did. I went down to Ann Springs Greenway in Ft. Mill SC and rode a few laps. I ended up with 20 miles in the woods. That makes for a good ride. Plus I was on the full suspension bike and that's kinda neat. I haven't ridden that bike in quite awhile. If it was a 29er it would be my go to bike. I have ridden a hardtail so long I had forgotten how smooth a rear shock makes things.


So once again I have to give thought to an upgrade. I just hate to spend the money.......

Bonding,,,,,

Sometimes I feel like I don't connect with my youngest son as well as my oldest son. I guess it's just that first verses second child I don't know but it bugs me. I try to be the best dad to both my boys that I can be and don't like coming up short with either one of them. When Chase was young he wanted to do everything Cody did and it seemed all was well.


But as he has gotten older his interests have changed and they have grown into there own persons. As a parent that's what you want. But as a parent I have to learn to adjust with them. With Cody it seems easy, he rides bikes and does a lot of the same things I do. With Chase he did all the same things until he got a few years older and started finding his own things.


For awhile I tried to keep him headed the same way Cody was going, all that did was aggravate me. Then I realized he had his own ideals. Ideals that are so out of the ordinary for me that it's been hard for me to adjust. His main interest, music! I can't sing and sure as hell can't play the piano or guitar. I can buy them though and I have done that well.


But that doesn't count! So sometimes I feel guilty for not being able to relate to him better. That's been one plus to Cody being gone, I have more time to spend one on one with Chase. I don't want to say it's been hard cause that's not the case! But it's not something that has happened over night either. It's not something you can rush.


Also don't think for minute that I don't have a relationship with my youngest son I just want to have a better relationship with both of them! Right now I am just lucky enough to have a 9 month period to work on bettering things with Chase as my focus.


So far it's helped! Last week we sat around one evening and watched a music documentary on one of his favorite groups and had a good evening. Then Saturday I got to enjoy a day on the ski slopes with just Chase as he learned how to snowboard! After I got back from Pennsylvania last time and talked about skiing with Cody Chase had said he would like to learn. So I made it happen!


We rented equipment for him this time and now we are going to buy him his own stuff. He loved it and wants to go back. Hopefully next year the 3 of us will be spending a lot of time up in the NC mountains doing a bunch of skiing. I can't wait!


The damnedest thing is with Cody away at school I have Chase all to my self and I seem to talk to Cody more now than I ever have. We talk 2-3 times a week for at least a half hour or so every time. If I don't do anything right in life I hope being the best dad I can possibly be is my greatest accomplishment!!! I love my kids and make every effort to show them.


                             Saturday night was an awesome time with Chase..........

Damn, It Was Fun.........

Yesterday I had a really bad day at work. Sometimes you feel like you are beating your head against a wall! People just don't understand sometimes. They watch to much TV and think anything can be done! True anything can be done but it all depends on who is doing the work and if you want to pay for the custom price.


              The TV shows leave out those details!!! That in turn makes my job a lot harder!


So, I had a bad day. Big deal! I had plans to ride after work and was meeting a friend. I had all my stuff and was ready. I went that way and as I was approaching the parking lot I still hadn't made my mind up if I wanted to ride or not! I went ahead and pulled in called Kelly, he was already riding and was gonna come out and meet me when I got there.


First thing he said when he road up, "I was sure you where gonna bail". I was late and hadn't called yet. Plus it was a trail that is not one of my favorites. So I get changed and we take off. Thank goodness I pulled in the lot! I ended up snapping a chain toward the end of the ride and had to walk 15 minutes to get back to the parking lot but damn that one ride made all the difference in the world for my attitude.


If I hadn't stopped I would have went home and just been a pain in the ass all night. Instead I stopped and took home a pizza and watched my Kentucky Wildcats play basketball. Even the walk out of the woods was nice. I ended up with a great evening and a better attitude this morning.


            Bicycles are the bomb! The world would be a better place if everybody rode bikes!!!

It's Raining, Where Slow.............

So I have time to blog! After getting on here and talking about how I don't have time, I end up with time! Plus I rode the mountain bike all weekend knowing the rain was coming so that it's self puts me in a good mood! Then the team I wanted to win the Super Bowl did win so life is good.


Now I just need to figure out how to make time everyday for my blog. You know why? Because I like my blog! It may not be the best blog out on the inter webs but it's mine and I enjoy it. It kinda gives me a reason and time to think back to what I have done over the last few days or the prior day. I kinda re-live the good and the bad again. If that makes sense.


With this weekend being one of the good ones! Saturday I made a trip to Anne Springs Park in Ft. Mill SC. The trails were great and I rode everything twice, I ended up with 20 plus miles in the woods and had a great day. That was after I had taken Chase to his orthodontist appointment and we had taken a trip to Sun Ski and Sport.


We are getting him ready for a snowboard trip this Saturday. I am pretty stoked for this one! The big game plan, or long term plan is for him to learn this winter and then next year when Cody is back we will be able to go skiing all winter! So far all I have invested in Chase is a pair of bibs. If it all goes as planned we will buy him a setup for next year.


As of today Cody has been gone for the first full month! 8 more to go and he will be graduating! Unless he decides to take an extra course.........