UNCLE

So my fitness is great. 800+ miles in just over six weeks will do that for you.

But the lack of "normal" is beginning to win. So, I'll tuck my tail, bite my lip, call the old company and push hard.

Hopefully, there will be a nice check at the end of that rope.

As Much Fun as it is

I'm not certain I'll be back in the bike industry. At least not anytime soon. If a company like Pedro's is cutting marketing resources/expense/whatnot, that can't be a good sign.

So far, it tells me there won't be much coming available in the short term.

But, as my friend from Pedro's offered after realizing we were both paddling in the same boat, time to ride and sort some things out in your head. Bikes are damn good for that.

It Hurts

I'm feeling a tear. Unfortunately, it isn't a tear in a shirt or pants, but actually it feels like a muscle tear. Nothing outside lets you know it's there, but inside it hurts like hell.

I feel a tear growing in my path. It may be the result of a current sense of panic. It may also be a very real realization that my time spent in a wonderful period of "my career" has come and gone. The longer I sit on the sidelines, the more I believe my brief connection to this industry will remain just that...brief.

While the time spent wasn't enjoyable all of the time, the highs were absolutely incredible. The people, the events, the spectacle all associated with those lucky enough to work and live in the bike industry are truly fun to behold and participate with.

So now as I find myself truly spinning my wheels, I wonder if I should just hop off, or keep on shifting and hope the chain jumps back on without shredding the hub.

Poetic

Something is right with the world when you can drink a beer, fold some pretty darn cool laundry, while blasting your iTunes in the middle of a Monday afternoon.

Some Days are Hard

Yesterday wasn't one of them however. I messed around with Pista which has hung on the wall for the past 2-3 years and got it close enough to ridable to actually ride it again.

Then, there was a great phone conversation to get the ball rolling on a potential next step in the life/work/career game. Again, the gears are cranking and the mind is spinning all without setting out on the bike today.

But just now I couldn't bring myself to check the online job postings. Sometimes reality is just too much. No worries though, something will turn up. It's just a matter of when and where. :)

The Legs...They are Good

They are tired, but that is good. Means they're out there earning their due.

Thanks boys.

Through Rain

I have to say, though being true to my roadie-snob behavior and avoiding rain at all costs, it really can be a treat to just say screw the radar and head out. While I honestly felt this morning that I'd beat any potential precipitation, 20 miles into my 51-mile loop that confidence quickly dripped away.

All in all however, it was fun. Not counting the dozen or so flashes of lightning I saw in my surroundings, nor including the crack of thunder which almost made me crap my chamois, it was fun to just power along through the roads. Passing cars and wondering if everyone in them kept saying, "Dude, it sucks to be you." I really hope they were because as far as I am concerned, it didn't suck to be me.

I was on the road weather be damned. Thankfully a tailwind kept pushing me home and my average pacing stayed up. I also received a nice bit of encouragement from an anonymous blue-jerseyed gent on his way out of Masterson while I was on my way in.

"It'll all payoff later!" he exclaimed much to my vocal amusement.

It already has. "Play on, Playas!"

KY Job Center

So the unemployment office is an interesting place. Notice I didn't say helpful. But interesting.

There was a rather fun question posed during the registration process. It went something along the lines of: "Have you been a professional athlete during the base period (past two years)?" I laughed to myself, and, actually thought of answering yes...though it would be completely untrue.

I wondered though, if I had been a professional athlete during the described time period, I wonder how that would affect my application for unemployment benefits? Anybody out there happen to know?

Arizona by Morning

Been checking out real estate in Tucson today.  Man, life in the desert.  

Not sure how long we can go without grass and trees.

Unexpected Call Backs are Better

For some reason, things just feel better in life when we have options (or potential options as the case currently may be).

Even when there are scary elements in each one, its nice to know that you may have some say in what the future holds.  Hope they pan out and don't just fall through.  However unlikely fruition might be.

Life can be interesting on so many levels.

Life Gets Interesting

Unexpected emails are amazing things.   One such note arrived in my inbox yesterday evening and my mind is an absolute whirlwind.  People I should talk to, things I should figure out, wondering how much fun it could be...all fill the gray matter between my ears.

Can I make money doing it?  Can I make enough?  Can I learn enough to get by at first?  Can I take current relationships and make them into mutually beneficial full-blown partnerships?

Can I, can I, can I??????????

Truth is I don't know.  But it may be really fun to at least try to find out.