A New Chapter

Could this be a new me?  Finding myself on a beach cruiser with coaster brakes.

It's January 25th.  I am gazing out my kitchen window at a black sky and half moon so clear I can make out it's craters.  There is the slightest tinge of cobalt forming around the East--a sure sign the days are getting longer.  The winds have been howling for days now.  Relentless winds trying to knock me off my feet.  I think, if they do, at least they will blow me South, but the South is no better right now.  My friend from New Orleans wrote and told me they were covered in a sheen of ice.

In January I try my best not to let myself dream too much.  Winter will still hold a mighty grip for at least another six weeks.  I know that days with temps above thirty are just a tease, and it will be a long time before I pull my road bike out.  I talk to myself in January, make a road map if you will, for the upcoming year.  I attempt to not let myself get carried away in summer event planning, otherwise I'll miss the power this quiet month can hold.  Similar to my twice-a-year big house cleaning, I clean my mind.  Focus on a couple basic things that matter more to me than my bike:  my health and my family/friends.

I am not one to make resolutions in the first month of the year.  That being said, I do try to make improvements.  From simple things like reading different styles of books and telling people I care about "I love you" to deciding to put myself out of my comfort zone on upcoming rides and, with a friend's pushing, wearing hats I wouldn't have ever tried on.  I don't look at these "improvements" as a test--there is no pass or fail, there might not even be forward movement, but there will be movement.  One of these, okay I'm ditching the word "improvement" and will now just call it "movement", is opening up to more writing opportunities.  As of this week, I am now signed on to write a monthly column for Silent Sports magazine.  To be honest, I'm scared shitless.  I will no longer be read and judged by a few hundred people, it will be thousands.  I can see why people use pen names.  But Joel was nice enough to take me on and I knew I'd kick myself if I said "no".  I've been reading Silent Sports for over twenty years and feel it's the only magazine out there I really connect with.  It was this magazine I would read while working at Midwest Mountaineering and REI in Minneapolis and it, along with co-workers, would spur me on to challenge myself.

So what does this mean for my blog?  To be honest, I'm not sure.  I will try to keep writing and will put links to my articles on the blog, but it may need to take a back seat for awhile.  Only time will tell.  I'm hoping some of you come along for my journey and continue to read my babblings as well as give me feedback.  Thank you readers for your support throughout the past three years.  A bigger thank you to Jason Sweet who encouraged me to start this whole writing thing in the first place.