1 down 11 more to go

   Can't believe January is done and gone and I have no idea where it went.  This month I have spent more time on the road than I have in a long time and there are some things that I enjoy about being on the road such as getting to see a town or city I would never in a million years want to go to and see, mostly because there is nothing to see or do unless drinking is your life which it is not mine.  Lately I have been really enjoying reading Reckless; My Life as a Pretender by Chrissie Hynde, I am by no means a book reviewer and my opinion is only worth..........well not much but I have really enjoyed reading it so far, as I am not finished yet and soon as I am I will post a full review.  Another auto biography I finished recently was Spray Paint the Walls; The story of Black Flag by Steve Chick was a very cool read if your a punk rock fan or somebody that likes music.  It gave me a very good perspective on just how hard people in bands work and how little the make when not a big mainstream band.  It was very cool to learn about one of the most influential band not only across the country but in my own life.  Henry Rollins of Rollins Band was my first taste of punk and from there I found Black Flag and many other punk bands and little by little I am re listening to and reading about all the bands that had influenced me in my early years.  One thing about reading these books is that I would have loved to see them in concert, I have been fortunate in my life to have seen some really good live music.  I also realize that hard work and determination to do the things you want can make it happen, maybe not the way you thought or it might never happen but hard work will help.
   The kid turned 3 on January 28th and it was a good day for that little goon, he had a party at school and he actually ate a doughnut I couldn't believe it!  The kid who eats nothing except chicken nuggets and......ice cream and .......well not much else.  On Saturday we had two parties one in the morning with all his friends and let me say that I had my doubts about 9 kids running wild in not a big house and let me tell you that they did awesome no crying and not much whining at all, Serena made pizza which impressed everyone, only because they never had Secchi pizza.  Even the parents were in a good mood which helps out more than anything, just wish at least one of the kids dad would show up.  Can't complain thou because everything turned out okay.  Then after about an hour it was time for the family to come over and hang, Claudio was happy to get hang with all the family. I really enjoy having family close, but not to close I prefer the company of my good friends way more.  Not sure what that says about me but not sure I even care.  With all the birthday stuff out of the way reality comes and rears its ugly head in the form of Serena and Claudio going out to Iowa for an appointment to get his feet looked at by the best damn Doctor in the world Dr. Morcuende one of the best guys in the business.  One day I will take him out for a beer and tell him how amazing he has been not only for a couple of parents that knew nothing about clubfoot but also how awesome he is for Claudio.  The travel sucks and is expensive but I think in the end it will be the best thing for him, to go from a Doctor that wasn't forth coming with information about what was going on and not for me anyways knowing what was going to happen next and really not understanding the whole process to the best is quite possible the coolest thing to see I feel that we are the most lucky.  To have the means to go there when we need to and not to have to worry, I will be a Hawkeye fan till the day I die for what they gave me and my son.

Later

Making good on my Resolution

   Damn I think I drive to much, lately there have been a lot of weird dreams in which I am looking out the front window of my vehicle and all I see is everything passing me by, such is life I guess when you drive 20-30 thousand miles a year and none of it is for vacation.  Oh well enough bitching about it work is work and it pays the bills and keeps me bike parts.  Sometimes I think about switching career paths but when I really only work 3/4 time it makes looking for something full time seem like a joke, 40 hours a week? I don't think I have done that in a long ass time.  One thing that has been killing me this last month is that I haven't ridden my bike once and I don't count taking the dog around for an hour a ride since I have to stop and pick up poop and keep an eye out for other peoples dogs not on leash or just plain aggressive dogs ( a tazer should would be nice now again).  I have been riding on the trainer I got for when it gets cold or I don't have time to get out, it is like methadone for a heroin addict, it helps keep the beast at bay but does not make it better.  Since getting out and riding looks like it might happen here in the next few days I am getting kinda antsy in pantsy.  Even if I don't get out and ride the weather has been really good and I think I am just lacking motivation to.........not sure just not feeling like riding in the cold and wind and such, maybe I am getting old or something.
   The week has been good so far as I finally picked up my frame bag from a good friend who makes some of the best bags in the business thanks Joe at J_paks, the wait was killing me since I placed my order in July of 2015. How does the waiting measure up to the bags well lets just say I am more than pleased at the end product and if I had more of voice on social media it would probably help him out but since I don't, sorry Joe. I can't wait to load those bad boys up and get em dirty.  Plus it was cool to get to hangout with Joe and his wife Kristen.  I am hoping to do a bikepacking trip with Joe, Kristen, and Jay this 4th of July weekend, I need to start looking for a good route somewhere I haven't been.

new packs make it look better

  Super stoke that I got to get out and go for a ride today, the first one in a long time and it started out kinda shitty because of me and then I warmed up and it was awesome I was rolling along with my new bags. It was nice to be out in the sunshine taking pictures of which I am not very good at but I think with some practice it should start to get better...I hope anyways.  The last couple years I have been using Strava and I think I am going to back of using since I have no aspirations of racing I don't need to keep track of miles and elevation.  It's cool to see other peoples rides but my own rides aren't anything special and don't need documentation.  One good thing about my ride today is my new bags I love having storage on my bike and dividers for days with lots of different options, LIFE IS GOOD!!!  Can't wait to get these bad boys loaded and go on a weekend bike trip.

 

Happy fucking New Year

Happy New Year!!!!!

   New year means.............shit I have no clue but it is as good a time as any to start doing something different than I have been doing, instead of the same fucking thing every year. Don't get me wrong I love doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over, but not really I have been in kinda a funk for the last year.......maybe longer who knows? It doesn't mean I am gonna be nicer or less of an ass, well maybe only time will tell that but lets not get to far ahead ourselves now. Back to my original thought about new things and whatnot, I am not an artist or anything but I would love to become have a glimmer of art so I am going to try to post once a week not a lots of pictures, mostly words, sort of like a journal except I don't want to scare anyone with what is always going on in my head but some of it like some ideas and things I would like to accomplish. I am sure that not all things are possible but a guy can dream and I dream big so there. Some things are going to be personal and if your offended then well get over it and move on or dwell on it and then well I don't really care.
    With that bit out of the way some things about what I would like to see happen this year for myself, limit my drinking to social occasions and definitely reel back the smoking weed, been in a haze for to fucking long and its time that I don't use it as a crutch and let myself feel some that shit. I have found that I like tattoos and since getting my first one and then a second I want to get some more (sorry mom).  I think it would be okay if maybe I try to be a better husband too, which is basically quit being a dick.  A better dad to my little guy, be more patient and understanding, I have a long road ahead if I don't chill the fuck out, also cut down of the cussing would be a good one to throw in there but lets not get to crazy.  Work lets just say that maybe it could be better and it could be a whole lot worse so lets just try not to go back to digging ditches. Trying to get my ass in shape and not just by riding bicycles and getting grumpy that I mostly ride by myself, I actually kinda like solo missions just saying that it would be nice to have some company now and again, you know someone to pedal with is always good.  I need to get myself out there more too be a little more social and less reclusive its easy to stay home when I travel for work and am gone all week in a hotel room with the same guy all day and night so I have been getting out and doing some things myself.  Maybe learn an instrument this year it's something I have always wanted and never done, maybe the guitar or something. I would love to send a short story to a bike magazine just to see if I could, I don't care if it gets published just get myself out there more. I think that is all for now gonna try to write more this week and hopefully post once a week around Sunday or Monday,